Chapter-6: Sorry

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I do own the plot.

Slytheringirl05 this is my Christmas present to you. I hope you got your wish fulfilled below.

Hermione barged into the meeting room where the after lunch meeting with the Ministry of Magic and the representative of African wizarding community about the new laws to protect the magical creatures was to be discussed and initiatives to be taken, was to be held in just 15 minutes. He's just impossible. Who does he think he is? Hermione thought furiously as she walked around the room. Even though Draco stopped her 'Mudblood' after war, but somehow his cold voice still managed to sent chill down her back. Not from fear or discomfort, but from the disappointment and pure hate that would always radiate off him when ever they meet. She can understand the hate. That's mutual. But what she didn't get was his disappointment at her. Even Snape wasn't that much disappointed at her. Ever. It always got her.

As Hermione was busy with her analysis, Harry entered the room and sat on one of the chairs around the conference table. "You alright there, Hermione?" Hermione, not realizing that Harry had entered the room yet, jumped at the sudden voice. "Harry...Don't scare me like that. And yes. I'm okay." "Alright. Sorry for that." They both were silent for a moment before Harry spoke. "Hermione, can I ask you a question?" "Yes, Harry. Anything." "Well...Why didn't you never forgive Malfoy? I mean, I get that he had hurt you beyond forgiveness. But weren't you the one who told that everyone deserve forgiveness at least once." Hermione sighed.

"Harry...It's not that I don't want to forgive him. And also not that because I still hate him. It..It's just...complicated."

"How it's complicated, Hermione?" Hermione stopped pacing and stood in front Harry, staring down at him.

"Its..Its..." Hermione took a deep breathe, looking at Harry's bright emerald green eyes that she'd come to love and started again.

"Did you ever look at his eyes when he looks at me?" Without even giving Harry the chance of answering, she said, "Looks like I have done something that makes him greatly disappointed at me. I don't know why but it always gets me, Harry. And I really hate that feeling. I really hate that. I mean, he's the one who insulted me, taunted me and fight with me over years. And now he acts like I'm the one in wrong." Hermione nearly yelled out the last words. At the end of her rent, Hermione pants heavily, her anger slowly fading. Harry sighed deeply. "I don't know what to say. Maybe he wants you make the first move or something. You know, things can't go on like this. It's been bloody two years."

"I know." Hermione said softly before collapsing in the comfortable chair beside Harry. Just at that moment, Hermione's boss entered the room. Harry quickly got up, said his goodbyes to Hermione and left the room. After the Harry got out, the other members filed in thee room and the meeting started.

Draco was sipping his third drink in a nearby pub with Blaise. He told Blaise why he was so upset while he silently listen to his friend's rambling. Blaise sighed and thought about how to approach the subject he wanted to discuss.

"Draco, can I ask you something?" Draco looked over at Blaise beside him and cocked an eyebrow a this anxiousness. "Yes..." Draco responded slowly as if trying to figure out his motive.

Blaine paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts and quiet boldly asked, "Why do you act like a git around Hermione?" Draco stiffened as he heard her name. He didn't like to talk about her. Anything but her. He looked away from Blaise and asked, "What did I do?"

"Draco, stop playing dumb and answer." "I'm not playing dumb. I don't know what you are talking about."

Blaise sighed and said, "Why don't you apologize to her?" "You think, I didn't already try that. You think I never tried apologizing?" Draco suddenly snapped at Blaise. A few people around them looked at them at Draco's sudden outburst.

Draco the lowering his voice said, "I tried, Blaise. I tried. But she's so uptight. She can't even try to look past my wrongs and deeds in the past. She calls me prejudice and look how she thinks about me. Like I can never change and she's only one saint and I the devil. I just hate it. I hate her for this. She makes me look like I'm not worthy enough a chance. She makes me look small and bad." Draco ended his in a whisper. Blaise felt bad for his best friend for almost all his life. But he tried to see him his point.

"Draco, Hermione is a amazing person once get to know her. She's understanding. But she gets real tough when she feels vulnerable and doesn't know what to except from a situation. Maybe you could at least try to talk to her without snapping or shouting at her."

"I know. But she always makes me so angry that I can't control myself. Maybe if she doesn't throw daggers at me every time bloody time she looks at me then I think I could try to talk to her in a civilized manner."

Blaise sighed. He knew it was a great deal of effort to even talk to Draco about Hermione. It was really a sore topic for him. But at least he agreed to be civil next time. That was a progress. He could only hope that Harry had done his job properly. Blaise and Harry was trying for one and half years now to solve things between Hermione and Draco. But it seemed to them that their mutual hate for each other seemed to grow with each encounter. And hopefully now things would really go the way they want. Unfortunately for Blaise, he didn't know that what disaster would follow the next encounter of Hermione and Draco.

Hermione just returned to her small flat after meeting and attending some quick paperwork. She put her purse and wand on the bed. Kind of like thrown them on bed as she went into the bathroom for a warm hot bath. After a long relaxing shower, she dressed up in her pajamas and having a quick dinner, she climbed in her bed, laid down and turned on her mobile phone to see the call list if Ginny had called her when she was at work.

She found no missed calls from Ginny but saw a unknown number which she'd never seen before. Suddenly, the memory of yesterday afternoon flooded her mind. She remember the young man who accidentally called her and then asked her if she could help him understand the device more clearly as she seemed to have a very clear idea of how to use it. She accepted and was supposed to all him that night which she absolutely forgot to do.

Hermione felt pretty guilty for leading him on and not call him back. I should call him now and apologize she thought. She quickly found his number and pressed the green button and pressed the phone on her ear and heard the ringing of the phone. After third ring, a very grumpy voice was heard on the other side. "Hello, I'm not in the mood to talk right now. Bye," Draco was about to cut the call when a sweet and anxious voice replied, "Wait, don't hang up." Hermione felt really guilty and thought he was angry at her. "Glinda?" Hermione heard his surprised tone from the other side. Oh. He really thought that I wasn't going to call. Hermione thought miserably before responding.

"Yes. That's me. I'm really sorry for giving you hope that I'll return the call later and not doing that. I'm extremely sorry. I was so tired from the occasion that I really forgot to all you back. Please don't misunderstand me. I wasn't mocking you when I said that I would like to help you..."

Draco listened silently as the witch on the other side profusely and sincerely apologized to him like it was really her fault. Well it was. But she didn't need to remind him that. She could just avoid him like everyone else. Suddenly, he felt a rush of respect for this woman. She made him feel like he was important. Like, he was worth a apology. Even though they were mere acquaintance and she really didn't know who he was.

"It's okay, " Draco found himself saying. The witch stopped mid sentence. "Really?" The disbelieve was clear in her voice. Hermione heard him chuckle before saying, "Really. It's okay. I understand." Hermione instantly felt relief wash down on her. "Okay, then." She said cheerfully as he was not angry at her. "So what do you like to learn first?" She asked. Draco chuckled again at her instantly going down to business voice.

"What? No pleasantries first?" Draco asked playfully. Hermione giggled at the mock hurt voice and asked him how his day at work was to be polite. Draco replied that his day went very bad because she didn't call him last night. Hermione again laughed and retorted with a remark of her own.

The conversation flowed easily between them as Hermione taught him some functions of how to operate a phone and the get to know each other a little more.

So...This is another chapter for my beloved reader...

Hope you enjoy this and a ' Happy Christmas' to you all...

Until next time...