Nothing is Ever Easy

Author: Renegade Moon

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy are killed by the Dark Lord. But Draco is in danger too, Voldemort has vowed to kill every Malfoy so that he would be the one and only Slytherin heir. Draco has to change his identity, and that means a new appearance, a new name, a new life. Things will be hard for him. But then again, nothing is ever easy.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling, except the plot.

Author's Note: Hi guys! I must warn you... *grins* All you Draco/Hermione fans will love that chapter... *grin widens even more* Can I make it any more obvious??
Thank you: dracoNmione, Rebecca, CheerPrincess343, jazzyjellybean, Gooey Gooey Coca Beans (I'm glad you like « Wizard's first rule », it's my favorite book. Have you read the sequels ? Thanks for the recommendation of Wit'ch Fire, by the way !), Demonstar, Riverchic1998, SophieBabe, heavengurl899, Befuzzled, nessa-girl (no, I'm not on fictionalley... Are you ? do you think I should put my story there ?), Lilie Blaze (here you are ! a bit of D/H stuff !!), Starrynights13 (update your story soon ! and thanks for your email), Sarah, Sara(max_220_). Thank you all soooooo much !!

Chapter 8 : Apologies

That night, Hermione couldn't sleep. How could she, knowing Draco was lying in the hospital wing, all alone?

Madam Pomfrey had examined him as soon as McGonagall had taken Draco to her. He had no apparent wounds, on the outside he looked as healthy as ever— except his face was contorted in pain. Something seemed to be tearing him up from inside. Madam Pomfrey hadn't wanted to tell anyone anything, but Hermione had overheard her tell Dumbledore she had no idea what was wrong with him. And they hadn't wanted to let Hermione see him, either.

"Try to get some rest," Dumbledore had said. She couldn't get rest! She was pacing in the Gryffindor common room, frustrated and angry, waiting in case someone came to tell her if Draco was getting any better. She didn't really expect someone to come, of course, but there was nothing she could do.

Suddenly, she had an idea. She wasn't going to stand here all night, she had do see him. Now.

Determined, she ran upstairs towards the fifth-year boys' dormitory and entered as quietly as she could. She went to Harry's trunk beside the window and opened it carefully, hoping Harry wouldn't wake up. After a few minutes of searching through the trunk in the darkness, she found what she was looking for. She held it up to the moonlight to make sure and ran back out of the dormitory. Before she closed the door, she looked at the invisibility cloak in her hand, then to the four-poster beds, and whispered, "I'm sorry, Harry. I really need it."

She closed the door and threw the cloak over her head. Making sure it covered her entirely, she walked out through the portrait hole and made her way to the infirmary.

Once there, she saw the door was unlocked, and was relieved to see Madam Pomfrey sleeping soundly in a chair in her office. The curtains were drawn around the bed beside the window, at the other side of the room. Hermione closed the door to Madam Pomfrey's office so that she wouldn't be awakened and walked to the bed. She realized her heart was thumping when she pulled back the curtains, taking the Invisibility cloak off.

She almost gasped aloud when she saw that Draco was awake, lying on the bed with his eyes open. When he saw her, he started, but she put a finger on her lip to tell him to stay quiet. He sat up in his bed, looking surprised to see her there, but then turned his gaze back to the window without a word.

She hadn't exected such a cold reaction, but decided to ignore it and sat on a chair beside him.

"Hey," she whispered. She was glad they had to whisper; that way he wouldn't notice her voice was trembling.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered back, not taking his eyes from the window.

"What do you think I am doing here? I was worried."

"Well, you shouldn't be," he said, finally looking back at her, though with a reprochful look. "I'll be fine."

He remained silent.

"Draco, what happened to you?" she asked softly.

No response.

"Madam Pomfrey said she had no idea what was wrong with you."

Silence.

"Are you okay, now?"

Still more silence.

"What happened, Draco?" she insisted, getting angry.

"Why do you care?" he said sharply.

She was the one who didn't answer this time. Instead, she looked away to the window.

"I don't know what happened. It doesn't matter, I'm fine now."

Hermione sighed. "Draco... I'm sorry."

He looked away again. "Don't be sorry. You've never been sorry for me— not for Draco Malfoy anyway."

"Draco, I was wrong," she said, a bit hurt by his remark. "I was furious, I didn't mean what I said and—"

"Of course you did!" he cut her off. "You meant every single word you said. Now, let me guess: you felt guilty, because of what I said— that Voldemort would kill me— so you came here to apologize and learn a little more about the reasons why he would want me dead. That way you could go to your Potty-friend and his Weasel sidekick and the three of you could save the day again. Am I right?"

She stared at him. "Draco, I never intended to do that," Hermione said, taken aback by his accusations. "I came here because I felt guilty, that's right, guilty for all the horrible things I've said. I came to apologize, to tell you that I forgive you and to ask you to forgive me."

He glared at her, looking straight into her eyes. Anger filled his gorgeous forest green eyes again and he smirked. "What happened to the 'I hate you, Malfoy, you tricked us all!' ? I haven't changed in two days, I'm still the one who faked my death, lied to you, made a fool of you. Why do you care for me so suddenly?" He shook his head with a bitter smile. "I was better off with you ignoring me. Why don't you just go back to hating me, to despise that stupid brat called Draco Malfoy?"

Hermione was trying desperately to hold back the tears. She knew it was her fault, she had been the one angry at him and ignoring him for two days. But when she had heard his scream that afternoon and seen him motionless on the ground, she had come to realize how much she cared for him. That he was Alex or Draco didn't matter. That boy was the one she loved, his name or his past didn't matter.

She couldn't hold back the flow of tears anymore. They kept flooding endlessly down her cheeks no matter how many times she tried to brush them away. She stood up angrily, "Why do I care so suddenly? Draco, you have no idea how I care. I care since I came to know you, I realize that now." She grabbed the Invisibility Cloak that had fallen to th ground. "I thought you cared for me too. I see you don't."

She threw the cloak over her head and was about to leave, but then she heard hurried footsteps and the curtain aroundthe bed was drawn back. It was Madam Pomfrey. She looked around, obviously looking for what had awakened her. Hermione was grateful she had put on the Invisibility cloak in time.

"You're awake!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed when she saw Draco. She sat on the chair Hermione had been sitting on only seconds before and began examining Draco. "How are you feeling?" She didn't wait for an answer and continued, "I heard voices. Were there anyone here?"

"No," he answered, and she looked at him suspiciously. "When will I get out?"

"It's 2:37 a.m, boy. You won't get out in the middle of the night. And I have to make sure you're all right first."

"I am all right! I feel perfectly fine!"

"That's up to me to decide, boy," she said absent-mindedly.

Hermione, still hidden under her cloak, was desperately searching for a way out. She was stuch between the bed and the bedside table, flattened against the wall, the chair in front of her. She was trying all her might not to make a move that would betray her presence. She had no choice, she had to stay there.

Madam Pomfrey stayed silent for the rest of the examination. When she was satisfied, a few minutes later, she looked up at Draco, looking concerned. "Are you sure you're all right? There seems to be nothing wrong with you, I don't understand."

"I told you, I'm fine," he said.

She sighed. She was silent for a moment, then stood and said, "If you're okay in the morning, you'll be out tomorrow. Now, try to get some sleep, Mr Malfoy."

Hermione almost gasped. So she knew, too. If Madam Pomfrey knew it was Malfoy, then Dumbledore must know, too. Hermione wondered what could be so important that he would have the Headmaster's agreement to fake his own death. But then she remembered. He had said He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named intended to kill him. But... why?

She waited a few moments until she heard Madam Pomfrey close the door to her office, then she pulled back the chair and was about to go out when she felt a hand grab her arm.

"Hermione," Draco said.

She turned and saw him looking at her in the eyes. He pulled her arm gently to make her sit back in the chair. She took off the cloak and sat without a word, glaring at him.

"Hermione, I'm sorry," he said. "I care for you, too, you know. I know you only came to apologize."

Hermione didn't say anything. She had a lump in her throat, and she felt tears forming in her eyes.

"I know I'm still Draco Malfoy," he continued. "I haven't changed just because my name and my appearance are different. But there's one thing that's changed, though." He took Hermione's hand. "I never thought I could care so much for anyone as I do for you."

With that, he leaned toward her and kissed her. Hermione was surprised at first, but she didn't pull back. She felt happier than she had ever had in her whole life.

Suddenly, she pulled away. She stared at him, her eyes wide.

"Draco... How did you see me through the Invisibility cloak?"

a/n: Hello everyone!!!!! So how did you like this chapter? See, I told you there would be some interesting Draco/Hermione stuff eventually. Sorry if this sounds fluffy to you, that's the way I like it. If you don't like it, tell me in your reviews! If you like it, tell me in your review too! Anyway, sorry too for Hermione's sudden question that kind of spoiled the magic of that moment... but it was necessary! You'll understand better with the next chapter, I promise! Review!