And HI Aneeka!!! I didn't know u read fanfiction! And I have no clue how u knew this was me!? But, hey, im not complaining!! Thank you!!
So on with the story!!
Chapter 2The next day, Hermione was in the library, writing the essay the boys had finished the day before while she'd, in Ron words, 'been running around getting herself shot at by deatheaters'. She'd searched the entire library for the book she knew would be the best help for this essay, but had found every copy already checked out. So she was sitting at one of the tables, trying her best to write it from memory (she had of course already read that book once or twice). After an hour and a half, she'd got most of it, but knew something was missing. It was when she was sitting there, desperately trying to remember paragraph three of page 137, that Draco Malfoy walked in, and found that the only seats left in the whole place were on the table in the far corner, which was only occupied by one person. He tried not to look at her as he sat down across from Hermione, but was a little annoyed when she didn't even seem to notice him. A few minutes later, she sighed heavily, and glanced over at Malfoy. Without actually looking up at him, she said,
"You wouldn't happen to have a copy of Margo Foxglove's 'Tremendous transfriguration', would you?"
"I hope you don't think that just cos I'm not a death eater, I'm gonna actually be nice to Griffindors." He said, also not looking at her.
"I'd never even consider it." She said,
"Good." Malfoy replied, and slid the book across the table. Hermione flicked to the right page, and smiled as she remembered the passage. She finished the essay, and slid the book back to Malfoy. Then she just sat back in her chair, and looked at him: the mystery that was Draco Malfoy. After a minute, he looked up, "What?"
"Nothing." Hermione shrugged. He frowned and went back to his essay. "So you read muggle books?" Hermione ventured a minute later. His head snapped up,
"No. Who told you that?"
She smiled,
"Don't worry, your precious rep. is still in tact. I saw you, in the book shop, yesterday."
"Oh… well, it wasn't for me. It was for… Goyle."
Hermione laughed,
"Uh-huh. Cos Goyle's ever read a book in his life."
"Course he has."
She raised her eyebrows,
"Like…?" After a pause, Malfoy answered
" 'Spot the Dog'. 'My first ABC book'…" He grinned, and Hermione laughed out loud.
"It's not something to be ashamed of, Malfoy. What's wrong with reading books?" He shrugged,
"My father would flip."
"Then your father is an idiot. No offense, of course." Malfoy shook his head,
"None taken. But he isn't stupid. He's just… hell, I don't even know what he is."
Hermione sat forward, placing her hand on top of his before he could move away,
"It doesn't mean anything, Malfoy. You don't have to be like him. In fact, you aren't just 'Malfoy'. You're Draco, not Lucius. You can be whatever you want to be." He didn't pull away, but he didn't meet her eyes either.
"It's not that simple." He said in barely more then a whisper. "My family… the people they work with, and for… it's not that easy to escape them… I'm Malfoy, whether I like it or not."
"Yeah, and that what everyone thinks, cos that's all you show them!" Hermione answered, frustrated. "You bitch and insult, you taunt and hurt, all so that no one will look close enough to see who you really are." Now Malfoy pulled his hand back and began to pack up his stuff quickly. As he stood, Hermione caught hold of his wrist. Without looking at her, he said quietly, his voice laced with sorrow even as he tried to fill it with spite,
"That's who I am." And he tried to walk away, but Hermione held on. He turned, meeting her eyes involuntarily.
"Not to me… Draco." And she let go. For a moment, he just stayed there, looking at her. Then he whispered,
"Then I'm sorry." And walked away. Hermione collapsed back in her chair, starring at the rows of books opposite, and trying to work out why she felt so empty.
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Only one more chapter to go, and I promise even more fluff. I musta been in a way soppy mood when I wrote this!!