That afternoon, Hermione was in her room ,trying on all her other dress robes. They were all really nice and suited her well ,considering they were bought by Malfoy. She was still unsure why he had bought her all these expensive robes -she was a stupid filthy mudblood according to him after all. Perhaps it was a thank you gift for helping him. But Hermione wasn't too sure about that. Malfoy wasn't the kind of person who would give his enemies gifts as a way of saying thank you. Then again, Malfoy wasn't the kind of person who would go to his enemies for help either. Draco Malfoy was certainly a mystery ,all right. One moment he was smirking at you with a smug expression on his face. The next moment, he was confiding in you like a friend. Suddenly Hermione's musings were interrupted by a knock on her door. She opened it expecting to see Harry ,but instead meeting a pair of cold grey eyes instead.
'What are you doing here?' She asked surprised but slightly embarrassed that he had found her trying on the robes he had bought her.
As if reading her thoughts, he replied snidely 'I knew I was right getting those robes. That one was the most expensive out of all of them but I was absolutely sure that it would go well with you' Malfoy smirked smugly as a heat creeped up Hermione's neck.
'I shall repeat my question again. What are you doing here ,Malfoy' Hermione demanded. Malfoy looked slightly nervous all of a sudden.
'Well, i was asking what you would like to eat' Malfoy asked. Hermione looked surprised. Draco Malfoy had just been considerate and asked a mudblood what she would like to eat.
'Umm- I - uh- anything really' Hermione answered eventually ,heading out of the door. 'If you show me what you've got, I can help you cook up a meal'
'No that is not necessary...' Malfoy started.
'I insist' Hermione smiled faintly as she lead the way towards the kitchen. Malfoy was pleasant company when he wasn't being a prat. Hermione didn't necessarily like to be around him ,but it wasn't as bad as it used to in school. At least he was on the right side now and had his priorities right. Malfoy had certainly changed since Hogwarts and for the better.
'So, do you know how to cook?' Malfoy asked her as they entered the kitchen.
'Of course I do' Hermione protested indignantly ,'If you must know, in muggle schools we have a subject for cooking and I got the highest marks in my whole school' Hermione glared at Malfoy ,who simply smirked.
'No I must not know' he replied casually ,enjoying the effect his simple remark made on the bushy-haired Gryffindor. After a few seconds of annoyance Hermione calmed down enough to ask ,'Don't you have anything left from lunch that we could eat?'
'Well, yeah but I wasn't sure how picky you two were, so I thought I'd make something new' Hermione looked taken aback and laughed slightly. Now it was Malfoy's turn to look surprised. He ,even though he had spent 7 years knowing Granger, had never seen her do anything so carefree as laugh. He knew that sounded weird ,but he had never thought of Hermione Granger as a girl who laughed. She just seemed too uptight for such behaviour. He smiled wistfully at the laughing Gryffindor.
'Don't be silly, Malfoy. Me and Harry had to spend more than half a year in near starvation ,during seventh year. We aren't picky about what we eat. I thought it would be you who would be the picky one'
'You had to spend- Why and when?' Malfoy looked surprised.
'Don't you know where me,Harry and Ron were doing during seventh year?' Hermione asked. Draco shook his head. He really wanted to know what the Golden Trio were doing ,which placed them in near starvation.
'I should've told you before ,because this will decrease our work. You see, me, Harry and Ron went on a search for Voldemort's Horcruxes' Hermione sighed as Draco frowned indignantly at her.
'So you mean that you knew everything about Horcruxes that I told you yesterday?' Malfoy frowned angrily at her. So all that effort he put in to explain the theory of a Horcrux was for no reason.
'Well not everything,' Hermione defended herself. 'I had no idea about the flaw that you explained to me. But ,yes, I did already know all about Horcruxes and have destroyed 2 with the help from Harry and Ron' Malfoy was fuming. He had spent half an hour extra time at that stupid muggle house for nothing. Hermione was looking guilty but adamant. After a few angry seconds, Malfoy registered something.
'Granger, did you say that you destroyed four Horcruxes?'
'Yes though meaning that there were still 3 to go when the battle started' Hermione looked at her knees dejectedly. Draco was looking like his birthday had come early.
'This is fabulous news. Now we shall have less to do' Draco exclaimed ,beaming madly. 'Tell me which Horcruxes were destroyed' Hermione looked surprised. Just a moment ago Malfoy was fuming and now he was smiling like mad. Smiling. Now Hermione thought about it, she had never seen him smile ,ever. He looked nice smiling. It suited him better than the signature Malfoy smirk he usually wore during his school years. She smiled slightly.
'Well Harry destroyed his diary, Ron destroyed the locket, Dumbledore destroyed the ring and I destroyed the cup' Hermione counted them off on her fingers.
'That is amazing. What did you use?' Draco asked.
'Umm' Hermione looked strained. She wasn't sure whether telling Malfoy all this would help him or them with their errand.
'That afternoon, Hermione was in her room ,trying on all her other dress robes. They were all really nice and suited her well ,considering they were bought by Malfoy. She was still unsure why he had bought her all these expensive robes -she was a stupid filthy mudblood according to him after all. Perhaps it was a thank you gift for helping him. But Hermione wasn't too sure about that. Malfoy wasn't the kind of person who would give his enemies gifts as a way of saying thank you. Then again, Malfoy wasn't the kind of person who would go to his enemies for help either. Draco Malfoy was certainly a mystery ,all right. One moment he was smirking at you with a smug expression on his face. The next moment, he was confiding in you like a friend. Suddenly Hermione's musings were interrupted by a knock on her door. She opened it expecting to see Harry ,but instead meeting a pair of cold grey eyes instead.
'What are you doing here?' She asked surprised but slightly embarrassed that he had found her trying on the robes he had bought her.
As if reading her thoughts, he replied snidely 'I knew I was right getting that one. It was the most expensive out of all of them but I was absolutely sure that it would go well with you' Malfoy smirked smugly as a heat creeped up Hermione's neck.
'I shall repeat my question again. What are you doing here ,Malfoy' Hermione demanded. Malfoy looked slightly nervous all of a sudden.
'Well, i was asking what you would like to eat' Malfoy asked. Hermione looked surprised. Draco Malfoy had just been considerate and asked a mudblood what she would like to eat.
'Umm- I - uh- anything really' Hermione answered eventually ,heading out of the door. 'If you show me what you've got, I can help you cook up a meal'
'No that is not necessary...' Malfoy started.
'I insist' Hermione smiled faintly as she lead the way towards the kitchen. Malfoy was pleasant company when he wasn't being a prat. Hermione didn't necessarily like to be around him ,but it wasn't as bad as it used to in school. At least he was on the right side now and had his priorities right. Malfoy had certainly changed since Hogwarts and for the better.
'So, do you know how to cook?' Malfoy asked her as they entered the kitchen.
'Of course I do' Hermione protested indignantly ,'If you must know, in muggle schools we have a subject for cooking and I got the highest marks in my whole school' Hermione glared at Malfoy ,who simply smirked.
'No I must not know' he replied casually ,enjoying the effect his simple remark made on the bushy-haired Gryffindor. After a few seconds of annoyance Hermione calmed down enough to ask ,'Don't you have anything left from lunch that we could eat?'
'Well, yeah but I wasn't sure how picky you two were, so I thought I'd make something new' Hermione looked taken aback and laughed slightly. Now it was Malfoy's turn to look surprised. He ,even though he had spent 7 years knowing Granger, had never seen her do anything so carefree as laugh. He knew that sounded weird ,but he had never thought of Hermione Granger as a girl who laughed. She just seemed too uptight for such behaviour. He smiled wistfully at the laughing Gryffindor.
'Don't be silly,Malfoy. Me and Harry had to spend more than half a year in near starvation ,during seventh year. We aren't picky about what we eat. I thought it would be you who would be the picky one'
'You had to spend- Why and when?' Malfoy looked surprised.
'Didn't Voldemort tell you what we were doing during seventh year?' Hermione asked. Draco shook his head. He really wanted to know what the Golden Trio were doing ,which placed them in near starvation.
'I should've told you before ,because this will decrease our work. You see, me, Harry and Ron went on a search for Voldemort's Horcruxes' Hermione sighed as Draco frowned indignantly at her.
'So you mean that you knew everything about Horcruxes that I told you yesterday?' Malfoy frowned angrily at her. So all that effort he put in to explain the theory of a Horcrux was for no reason.
'Well not everything,' Hermione defended herself. 'I had no idea about the flaw that you explained to me. But ,yes, I did already know all about Horcruxes and have destroyed 2 with the help from Harry and Ron' Malfoy was fuming. He had spent half an hour extra time at that stupid muggle house for nothing. Hermione was looking guilty but adamant. After a few angry seconds, Malfoy registered something.
'Granger, did you say that you destroyed four Horcruxes?'
'Yes though meaning that there were still 3 to go when the battle started' Hermione looked at her knees dejectedly. Draco was looking like his birthday had come early.
'This is fabulous news. Now we shall have less to do' Draco exclaimed ,beaming madly. 'Tell me which Horcruxes were destroyed' Hermione looked surprised. Just a moment ago Malfoy was fuming and now he was smiling like mad. Smiling. Now Hermione thought about it, she had never seen him smile ,ever. He looked nice smiling. It suited him better than the signature Malfoy smirk he usually wore during his school years. She smiled slightly.
'Well Harry destroyed his diary, Ron destroyed the locket, Dumbledore destroyed the ring and I destroyed the cup' Hermione counted them off on her fingers.
'That is amazing. What did you use?' Draco asked.
'Umm' Hermione looked strained. She wasn't sure whether telling Malfoy all this would help
'What's wrong?' He asked ,noticing her wringing her hands in her lap.
'I don't think that I should be telling you this. I mean, we have told no one. It has stayed in our friendship group. Just the three of us know and now ,if I tell you, I will be revealing our innermost secrets to … to' Hermione looked at Draco tentatively.
'What? What do you consider me as? A death eater? Your school enemy? Who am I to you?' Draco asked. He was shouting now and had stood up from his chair. He was shaking his head in disbelief. 'I knew I was wrong choosing you to help me. I thought that you of all people would understand and perhaps accept that I have changed. You always seemed the sanest and the most logical out of the Golden Trio ,but seems like my impression was wrong. I thought that you out of all people would understand ,but no. Not even you!' Draco paced ,occasionally pausing to glare at the brunette. Hermione was staring at him in disbelief. Malfoy had just told her exactly why he had chosen her. It wasn't because she liked research or because she was a muggleborn. It was because he trusted her to believe in him. Even after all those years of hate, he trusted her. Of course he didn't say the word trust ,but Hermione knew enough about feeling to deduce what he was trying to say. Smiling at him. Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to face her. He looked dejected and left out. Although she already felt weird touching him, she leant in and gave him a hug. She could feel him relax against her body. He felt so relieved like all of his problems were caving in and about to give way and allow him to pass ,unscarred. Suddenly, there was a cough from the doorway. They jumped apart as a confused Harry walked into the room.
'What is going on here?' He asked ,looking at Hermione directly
'We were about to make food. What did you want again ,Harry?' Hermione changed the subject.
'I never said,' Harry answered ,confused
'Oh, you can tell me now then' Hermione feigned confusion. Harry completely forgot about the awkward situation he had found his best friend and his enemy in. Draco smirked at the brunettes tact. She really knew how to deal with her friends and knew all their downfalls. In Harry's case it was apparently food. Draco made a mental note to remember that in case he needed to fend off Potter any time soon. Hermione was flustered for the rest of the day. She had hugged Malfoy…Draco Malfoy of all people and had felt relaxed. She couldn't get over it. But she had to if she wanted to live with him without going crazy.
Author's Note: The ending should kind of give away Hermione's hidden feelings for her enemy. In the next chapter they will start working on Draco's plan. Can you please vote. This is your last chance. I would also like to thank the reviewer who told me that I was spelling Hermione's name wrong. I will have to blame that on autocorrect. Thank you to the guest who told me. I would really appreciate it if they would review again with their user name so I know who they are and give my thanks in some way or other. Perhaps by following them. So remember review. See you later!