"You think I'm gone, but you're wrong

"You think I'm gone, but you're wrong. How very wrong you are. You won't defeat me this time." a high pitched voice hissed. "You are foolish to believe I am gone. Your foolishness will lead to your death. Avada-"

Harry awoke with a start the first Friday of October. This was the third time he'd had this nightmare since coming to Hogwarts. It was always the same. An invisible voice threatening him, taunting him. It was really becoming annoying. Harry reached for his glasses, but fumbled and knocked his ruby to the floor. Harry swore.

"Smatter?" Ron asked sleepily.

"Nothing, I just knocked my ruby on the ground."

"Oh. Hey, did you ever ask Sirius about that?"

"No, I forgot. I bet I could ask Lupin though. He knew them pretty well."

"Well, it will have to wait until after lunch. We have double potions with the Slytherins today." Ron reminded him. Harry swore again.

"You two had better be awake." Hermione called up the stairs. "I don't want to be late for breakfast again."

"Why does she have to be such a morning person?" Seamus moaned. "Can't you two put a Silencing Charm on her or give her a sleeping potion or something so we can actually sleep in tomorrow?"

"We could make one today. Double potions with the Slytherins." Harry replied.

"I didn't need to hear that first thing in the morning." Seamus moaned again. "Are you sure today isn't Friday the 13th? It sure feels like it."

"Nah, on Friday the 13th, we'd have Divination also." Ron laughed.

***********

As always, Potions was a particularly horrible experience. Most teachers had been going relatively easy on them, as it was their last year. Not Snape. He would jump on his desk and dance an irish jig before he would go easy on them. He started them with a Will Power Potion, a particularly complex potion that Neville had almost no hope of doing. Snape paired him with Malfoy. Hermione, paired with Millicent Bulstrode, sat next to them. Ron and Harry were paired together for once, as there was a shortage of Slytherins, what with Crabbe and Goyle being on the run.

"Uh, Neville, you might not want to add the rat spleen yet." Malfoy warned politely.

"Oh, uh, thanks."

"Listen, I've been wanting to talk to you. I heard about your parents and the...how the Death Eaters...well, you know." he couldn't seem to make himself say it.

"Yeah?" Neville asked, bracing himself for an insult.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. No one deserves to have that happen to them."

"But, you had nothing to do with that." Neville replied, still trying to get over the shock that Malfoy was being nice.

"Yeah, but my father, his friends. Anyway, I'm really sorry about them. You don't deserve that."

"Well, thanks, Malfoy." Neville said with a mixture of surprise and relief. "Um, is it supposed to be this color?"

"I think so. Everyone else's is. Here, I'll show you how to slice the ginger root easier."

Hermione could barely believe her ears. Had that conversation actually happened? Malfoy had actually been nice to Neville, was offering help on his potion? She hadn't meant to listen in, it was hard not to if you sat next to them. And much to Snape's dismay, he could find nothing wrong with Neville's potion.

Hermione told Harry and Ron that she would meet them in the Common Room in a few minutes to go see Lupin. She hung back, waiting to talk to Malfoy.

"Hey Malfoy." She began.

"Huh? Oh, hello Hermione." He replied, lifting his head from staring at the ground.

"Listen, I just wanted to say, that was a really nice thing you said to Neville. And helping him with his potion."

"It was nothing." he turned to go.

"No, it wasn't. It was one of the nicest things I've ever seen." Hermione told him, blocking his path. "Um, are you okay? Usually you never miss a chance to torment us. But you haven't insulted us once since the term began."

"Not really. But you don't want to hear about my problems."

"Yes I do." she said, forgetting that she was supposed to be meeting Ron and Harry.

"Really?" He asked, as if not daring to believe it. Was that hope she heard in his tone? "Okay, but not here. How about a walk?"

As they sat under a tree by the lake, Draco told her all about his nightmare of a summer. How his parents had forced him into the Death Eaters. How he had escaped by contacting Snape, who had helped him hide. How his father had disowned him, and would have killed him, had Dumbledore not protected him.

"I've seen horrors no one can imagine. I've watched people be tortured to death by Death Eaters. I've seen people I grew up with killed by Aurors. It scared me, thinking I could be one of them. I didn't want to be on Voldemort's side. I couldn't bring myself to do the things he was planning. I realized I hated the person I was. So I escaped."

"How awful." Hermione said, with genuine sympathy.

"I've thought a lot about all I've done over the years. I took a good long look at my life, and despised what I saw. I'm a horrible person. But I decided to try and make amends, if it was even possible."

"Well, you've made a good start already, with Neville."

"Some things can't be forgiven. I can't even forgive myself for some of the things I've done."

"Like what?"

"I put my own parents in Azkaban." Hermione's jaw dropped. "Snape helped me escape, and I told the Aurors every Death Eater hiding place and meeting place I knew of. My parents were hiding at one of them. So were Crabbe and Goyle, and how they managed to escape and not my parents is beyond me. My parents are in Azkaban because of me, even if they had disowned me before they were captured."

"Did you know they would be there?"

"No."

"Are you sorry they were captured?"

"No. That's why I feel awful."

"Draco, you can't change what happened. And since they disowned you, they technically aren't your family. It may be a small distinction, but doesn't it help even a little?"

"A little. But there are still so many others. Like Ron and Harry. And you. But they'd rather curse me than hear me out. I don't blame them."

"Don't say that. You got me to listen to you, didn't you?"

"I'm still trying to figure that one out. I honestly don't blame you for hating me. I hate me too."

"Stop saying that."

"Why not? Its true. I'm a horrible person."

This is so unlike him, Hermione thought. He and I have been enemies for years. So why do I want to kiss him so badly? He seems so vulnerable. Maybe he really is human. Just as she was considering throwing caution to the wind and kissing him, she suddenly remembered about Harry and Ron.

"Omigosh! I was supposed to meet Harry and Ron!" she jumped up to leave, then paused, looking at Draco. "Oh, do you want to come with me?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, it'll give you a chance to talk to Ron and Harry." She took hold of his hands and pulled him up.

"They'll kill me before listening to me."

"I'll make them listen." she replied.

They walked through the empty corridor. It was Friday however, so it wasn't that unusual. They made their way toward Gryffindor tower, and were about halfway there, when Hermione felt Draco's hand slide into hers. It took all she had to keep from melting into a puddle. She'd always thought he was rather handsome, but also thought he was too stuck up and full of himself. But now that'd he'd changed so much, she found she really liked him.

"I don't deserve a friend like you." Draco muttered, more to himself than to her.

"Don't say that." She replied, stopping suddenly.

"I don't. I've been meaner to you than anyone, always calling you Mudblood." he said, wincing slightly at saying that word. "And you're being so nice to me. I don't deserve that. How can you forgive me so quickly?"

"Because, that boy that I hated. The one who tormented me throughout the last six years. Called me Mudblood, Know-it-all, and a bunch of other things I'd rather not repeat." she replied. "You aren't him. That boy never came back from summer vacation. A much nicer, kinder, considerate boy came back instead."

"So you like this one better?" Draco asked, as if not daring to hope she did.

For an answer, Hermione suddenly pulled him down to her and kissed him. His arms wound around her, pulling her as close as possible. They backed into an empty class room, still kissing passionately. They kept going backwards until Hermione was against the wall, but not once did they release each other.

**********************

Harry and Ron were beginning to wonder where Hermione had gotten to. It had been almost half an hour. It wasn't like her to be late, for anything. If they didn't hurry, they weren't going to get to visit Professor Lupin at all. Finally, after another fifteen minutes, they decided to just go without her, and hopefully find her on the way.

They passed by one of many empty classrooms, but the door was slightly ajar, while most others were closed. They heard noise coming from inside. Peeking in, they saw two people making out, and had to try hard not to laugh when they realized who it was. Only one guy in school had blond hair like that. Ron thought his sides were going to burst from trying not to laugh. Luckily, Malfoy didn't see or hear them, probably because he was too busy kissing whoever was with him to notice much of anything else.

"Shh, let's hang around a sec and see who it is he's with. Oh, what a perfect blackmail." Ron sniggered.

"Blackmail? Isn't that a little hopeful?"

"Don't spoil my dreams Harry."

***************

This must be heaven, thought Hermione. Not even Harry kissed me like this. She didn't care what they would think if they knew she loved Draco, all that mattered was that he loved her. She could barely breath, but would pass out rather than let him stop kissing her. His lips moved along her neck. For the first time, she noticed two figures standing in the doorway. She gave a small gasp. Draco looked up, startled.

"Hermione?!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Ron! Harry!" she cried.

"You? And Malfoy?" Ron said, barely believing it. He had turned a sickly shade of green, nearly as green as Harry had turned. Surely their eyes must be playing tricks on them.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, fighting the urge to knock the wind out of Malfoy. He must have put a spell on her, what other explanation could there be?

"Um, Draco was just apologizing to me." Hermione explained weakly.

"With his tongue?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"Ron, shut up for five seconds, will you? I need to speak to you in the hall. Harry, Draco wanted to tell you something. Now!" she ordered Ron. The tone of her voice told them it was safest not to argue. Hermione pushed Harry into the room and shut the door. A heated argument promptly sprung up between her and Ron.

"This is Malfoy we're talking about. He can't change."

"Well, he has. He's not the same person he was. He helped Neville out a lot in potions. His father disowned him. He escaped the Death Eaters with Snape and Dumbledore's help. He's very nice, and considerate, and gentle. And I love him."

"You love him? This sounds like a sign of the apocalypse."

"Look, I know you don't like him. But can't you at least tolerate him? Because whether you like it or not, he's going to be around us a lot more."

"Hermione, listen to yourself. This is the guy who called you a Mudblood second year, who never missed a chance to torment us."

"Ron, can't you at least try? For me?" she begged.

"Fine, as long as he keeps that mouth of his in check. He'll find it hard to kiss you with a fat lip and no teeth."

Meanwhile, inside the classroom, things were much calmer. Perhaps because Harry wasn't so quick to lose his temper.

"What did you want to say to me?" Harry asked.

"I'm sorry." Draco said quietly.

"Sorry? For what? What did you do thi-"

"For everything. All the rude comments about your parents, all the insults, the dirty tricks, cheating at Quidditch, everything I've ever done to you. I'm sorry."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Malfoy?"

"I've changed. I've seen horrors I never knew were possible. They scared me, scared me because I didn't want to become like them, and I realized I didn't like the person I was. So I'm trying to change, Harry."

"Harry? Since when did you stop calling me Potter?"

"Since I escaped the Death Eaters. I don't have a family anymore. I guess, I'm kinda like you. Alone. But at least you have Sirius. I've got no one. No family, no friends. I never have."

"What about Crabbe and Goyle?"

"Them?" Draco snorted. "They weren't friends, they were trained chimpanzees. Hermione is all I have."

"You really love her, don't you?"

"Yeah, I really think I do. She's the first person to really listen to me."

"Well, if it helps, its obvious she loves you. I haven't known her for seven years without learning to tell how she's feeling. But Draco." He began.

"Yeah?"

"If you ever do anything to hurt her, I swear I will make your life a living Hell. She and Ron are my best friends, and I won't let anyone hurt them."

"If I ever hurt her, I'll deserve whatever I get."

"Are you two about done yet?" Ron called impatiently through the door. "Its too late to go see Lupin now, but we can still get down to dinner."

"Yeah, Draco is just about done apologizing." Harry called back.

"Not with his tongue I hope." Ron joked. "Ouch! Geez Hermione, what'd you do that for? I'm going to have to go to the hospital wing now."

"Quit whining you baby, I didn't hit you that hard."

"Yes you did, look, I already have a bruise."

"That's dirt you moron. Try bathing once in a while."

"I think we better go before they kill each other." Harry smiled.