Change of heart – part two
The next morning, Hermione descended the staircase that led in to the Great hall, and seated herself at the Gryffindor table. She was soon joined by her two companions who were talking avidly about Quidditch as always. They seated themselves on the other side of the table, hardly noticing her. Hermione was used to this by now because they were guys. Which answers a lot.
About ten minutes later, Draco walked in looking awful as ever. He sat at the end of the Slytherin table, his head bowed, and started eating breakfast. Sensing that someone was watching him, he looked up and to his surprise saw Granger staring strait at him. Taken aback, Hermione's face flushed scarlet and she snapped her head back down. She didn't dare look up afterwards.
Their first class of the year was double potions with the Slytherin. This got loads of moaning and groaning from the part of the Gryffindors. Like every other year, Snape was mean and if possible even meaner to the Gryffindors. The class was paired of into groups of two, as usual Harry and Ron would be together and Hermione was left to be with Neville, and immediately started on a sleeping potion.
After Snape made his rounds, criticizing the Gryffindors and congratulating the Slytherin, Neville's toad was once again subjected to test out one of his failed potions. You could say it was a typical day.
The rest of the day went by as usual, except for the fact that almost every teacher and plenty of students called Hermione a know-it-all. Why couldn't people just leave her alone? But on the up side, Draco hadn't said one word to her all day, which appeared somewhat strange.
The next month passed by in a same manner. Hermione got so frustrated that she would often lock herself in her dorm to escape her entourage.
A couple of weeks passed by, not to different. Hermione was finishing up her breakfast when an owl flew down from the window and deposited a letter in her lap. She was curious to see who would have written her. She hastily opened the letter and read it. Not believing her eyes, Hermione burst out laughing but she looked over at the Slytherin table looking for Draco.
"Are you serious?" She mouthed to him.
"Very, so will you?" he answered back.
"Yes." And she turned back to her plate, rereading the letter once more. It said:
Hermione,
Would you be able to meet me in the Entrance Hall
tonight, because I have to apologize to you for a couple of things I did in the
pass. Preferably when everyone has left
the Great Hall because I don't want people to follow us.
Draco
At lease he was being polite, but Hermione didn't quite trust him. There was a possibility that this whole thing was a scam, a set up. I mean he was the type; it's something he'd do.
That evening she told Harry and Ron to not wait up for her because she was going to spend the night in the library. And for once they didn't argue. As told, she waited till the room was empty, then Draco walked over to her table.
"I know a little place were we can go"
With that, Hermione stood up and followed out of the Great Hall, and down the hallway leading to the kitchens.
"Were exactly are we going?" She asked but he didn't say a word, as if he hadn't heard her question.
They went through a series of passageways, and down to the end of a deserted hallway. In the far corner there was a door. He unlocked the door and held it open for her. They seated themselves in two chairs facing each other in front of a fireplace.
"Where are we?" she asked hopping he would answer her question.
"In an old class room, which no one uses."
"So what did you want to talk about?"
"Well, I realize that over the years, I wasn't exactly nice to you and your friends."
"Really, how'd you guess?"
"Anyways, I've been doing a lot of thinking over the summer and decided to set things write. I just want to say that I'm really sorry for all the tears I've caused you over the last five years. I have seen the errors of my ways and I don't expect you to forgive me right away, but if there was some way you could…"
"Well don't you think your asking for a lot, I mean your asking me to forget the last five years of my life. You didn't make my life easy in any way and neither did your Slytherin friends." She cut Draco off.
"Yes, I do realize that now" Draco was knelt in front of her, his hands on her knees. They stared into each other's eyes for a couple of minutes. She saw the sincerity in his eyes, and knew that he wasn't pulling her leg, that he was truthful in every word that came out of his mouth. It was like looking into his soul. Hermione felt scared. Then out of no were, she spoke softly to him never breaking their gaze.
"I forgive you." He stared at Hermione open mouthed.
"I forgive you." She repeated a little louder, running her fingers through his delicately fine hair.
"Thank you" A smile spreading across his face as he hugged her waist.
"Thank you, thank you…" he kept repeating, never loosening his grip on her. Scared that if he let go of her, he would lose her.
Over the next couple of weeks, when everyone had left the Great Hall, they would walk around the castle just talking about their struggles, opening to each other a little more each time. Draco was different than Harry or Ron, he knew what she was going through and knew exactly what to say to make it better. Her depression was slowly fading away; she didn't criticize herself as much. There was a ray of hope for her, it was barely visible, but it was there.
One evening in the middle of November.
"Has anyone seen Hermione anywhere?" Harry asked in a concerned voice. He had been looking for her since diner. No one in the common room responded, so he asked Lavender to go look in the girls' dormitories.
"Yeah, sure Harry. Back in a sec." And she made her way up the stairs.
A couple of minutes later, a scream pierced the stile silent air.
Harry ran up to her distress. He flung the door open, totally unprepared for the sight that met his eyes. There in the middle of the floor, Hermione's body lay sprawled. His mouth opened, he knelt down beside her and grabbed the object enclosed in her hand. The label indicated that it was muggle face wash.
All he could say was, "get Madam Pomfrey"
Authors note: I thought I'd leave a cliffhanger because it's easier for me to continue to write, even if a lot of people don't like them. I got this one review saying that they felt bad for Hermione, but the reality is that a lot of teens go through depression. I for one am. And death has crossed my mind more than once. But my friends are a big help.