When Draco had arrived at the Grangers place Hermione was waiting for him.
She had her lamp on again and she was at her desk reading a novel. As
always, thought Draco.
She looked up and smiled. Oh how beautiful that smile was, especially when
it was glowing with such life with the lamp keeping part of her face in the
dark.
"So you forgive me then?" she asked with a slight quiver in her whisper.
He smiled back, "Of course I forgive you. I never held it against you for a second."
She seemed to have let out a breath of air and smiled at him again. Then she got up and grabbed her wand and walked closer to him. She grabbed his wrist and led him to the door. She opened the door just slightly and poked her head out. Good, her parents doors were closed therefore she could go to the basement. She turned around to him and motioned him to keep quiet.
He walked out of her room and into the hall. Her house was a considerable amount smaller than his own but there was something about it. The thing was that her home actually felt like home. He hadn't been able to feel that emotion since he had gone home for the Christmas Holidays.
She shut the door behind him concealing them in darkness. "Lumos" she whispered and immediately a light shone from the tip of her wand. She still held on to his wrist and they both crept down to the basement.
They practiced for an hour or so and they sat down to rest for a while. To Hermione they had hardly started. But Hermione was very quick and picking up things. She was able to learn a lot within that hour. And Draco was a pretty good teacher if she had to say so herself.
They sat on the couch that Hermione had laid down to think on Tuesday. She had gone to get Draco and herself some water.
"Wow, your really quick and learning new things."
"Well, you're a good teacher." She looked at how odd it was that he had almost read her mind then added, "And I've always been able to pick up facts really quick. You know that."
He smiled at that. She had usually been quite modest, at least that what he thought when he was, the way he was before. He wouldn't say it. He was afraid to lose the feeling he had at that exact moment.
They were silent for a while, just smiling at one another. And then she looked away and almost immediately deciding what she was going to do.
She looked back up at Draco.
"You know, your version of the story wasn't complete."
He was so taken back at what she said, "Huh?" was all the noise that he could make with his vocal chords.
She smiled at him. "I simply meant that your story of Hades and Persephone."
He still didn't say anything. He didn't know what she was getting at. That was certainly how he had heard it.
She knew he was still confused, "Don't you know what happened in the end?"
He shook his head with his eyes wide open.
"Well, she didn't really lose. She wanted to stay on her own. She wanted to live in the Underworld on her own. Do you know why?"
He shook his head again. He didn't know that. He thought Hades had tricked her and she had to stay with him forever.
"He gave her something she was never given before. He gave her freedom. Something she had never been able to have before and she loved it. It was not something she ever felt before. And she fell in love with him."
He didn't looked like he was in shock anymore. He was confused. "Really?"
Hermione nodded at him. "He was gentle with her. He showed her what love really was. He protected her, he kept Persephone safe and she trusted him. She didn't trust him before but he was patient with her. Then she saw that there was something wrong. He was nothing like what the other Gods had said about him. He was not evil nor was he cold hearted. He was gentle and even his servants loved him. You always know how a person is by seeing how they treat those less than him. And he treated them with as much respect as he gave anyone else."
"I didn't know this part. I thought that he tricked her and took her into his kingdom and she was forced to stay."
Hermione smiled, "Things are different when you are able to see both sides of the picture. When you are able to understand, things are different."
Almost afraid to ask he quietly asked, "Hermione, why are you telling me this?"
She looked away again. She was hoping to hold it out long enough but he caught on. She looked at him again and saw that he was looking at her intently, "Because not that I've been able to see both sides and understand, I feel something. I feel something I have never felt before." She stopped. She couldn't continue because everything was going so quickly.
He smiled at her and took her hand. He understood that when time was right she would be able to say it too. But as he promised, he wasn't going to force her. "Its okay. You don't need to say anything. When time comes, you'll know."
He got up and guided her back upstairs. It was getting late and if he stayed there with her any longer he didn't know what he was going to do. They put their cups of water in the kitchen and he took her back up to her room.
Then they had closed her room door he gently moved her to her bed. "I'll be back tomorrow since you're so horrible at apparating."
She couldn't help but smile. A moment ago he had said she was good. He's not good at making up excuses. "See you tomorrow then."
And he was gone.
"So you forgive me then?" she asked with a slight quiver in her whisper.
He smiled back, "Of course I forgive you. I never held it against you for a second."
She seemed to have let out a breath of air and smiled at him again. Then she got up and grabbed her wand and walked closer to him. She grabbed his wrist and led him to the door. She opened the door just slightly and poked her head out. Good, her parents doors were closed therefore she could go to the basement. She turned around to him and motioned him to keep quiet.
He walked out of her room and into the hall. Her house was a considerable amount smaller than his own but there was something about it. The thing was that her home actually felt like home. He hadn't been able to feel that emotion since he had gone home for the Christmas Holidays.
She shut the door behind him concealing them in darkness. "Lumos" she whispered and immediately a light shone from the tip of her wand. She still held on to his wrist and they both crept down to the basement.
They practiced for an hour or so and they sat down to rest for a while. To Hermione they had hardly started. But Hermione was very quick and picking up things. She was able to learn a lot within that hour. And Draco was a pretty good teacher if she had to say so herself.
They sat on the couch that Hermione had laid down to think on Tuesday. She had gone to get Draco and herself some water.
"Wow, your really quick and learning new things."
"Well, you're a good teacher." She looked at how odd it was that he had almost read her mind then added, "And I've always been able to pick up facts really quick. You know that."
He smiled at that. She had usually been quite modest, at least that what he thought when he was, the way he was before. He wouldn't say it. He was afraid to lose the feeling he had at that exact moment.
They were silent for a while, just smiling at one another. And then she looked away and almost immediately deciding what she was going to do.
She looked back up at Draco.
"You know, your version of the story wasn't complete."
He was so taken back at what she said, "Huh?" was all the noise that he could make with his vocal chords.
She smiled at him. "I simply meant that your story of Hades and Persephone."
He still didn't say anything. He didn't know what she was getting at. That was certainly how he had heard it.
She knew he was still confused, "Don't you know what happened in the end?"
He shook his head with his eyes wide open.
"Well, she didn't really lose. She wanted to stay on her own. She wanted to live in the Underworld on her own. Do you know why?"
He shook his head again. He didn't know that. He thought Hades had tricked her and she had to stay with him forever.
"He gave her something she was never given before. He gave her freedom. Something she had never been able to have before and she loved it. It was not something she ever felt before. And she fell in love with him."
He didn't looked like he was in shock anymore. He was confused. "Really?"
Hermione nodded at him. "He was gentle with her. He showed her what love really was. He protected her, he kept Persephone safe and she trusted him. She didn't trust him before but he was patient with her. Then she saw that there was something wrong. He was nothing like what the other Gods had said about him. He was not evil nor was he cold hearted. He was gentle and even his servants loved him. You always know how a person is by seeing how they treat those less than him. And he treated them with as much respect as he gave anyone else."
"I didn't know this part. I thought that he tricked her and took her into his kingdom and she was forced to stay."
Hermione smiled, "Things are different when you are able to see both sides of the picture. When you are able to understand, things are different."
Almost afraid to ask he quietly asked, "Hermione, why are you telling me this?"
She looked away again. She was hoping to hold it out long enough but he caught on. She looked at him again and saw that he was looking at her intently, "Because not that I've been able to see both sides and understand, I feel something. I feel something I have never felt before." She stopped. She couldn't continue because everything was going so quickly.
He smiled at her and took her hand. He understood that when time was right she would be able to say it too. But as he promised, he wasn't going to force her. "Its okay. You don't need to say anything. When time comes, you'll know."
He got up and guided her back upstairs. It was getting late and if he stayed there with her any longer he didn't know what he was going to do. They put their cups of water in the kitchen and he took her back up to her room.
Then they had closed her room door he gently moved her to her bed. "I'll be back tomorrow since you're so horrible at apparating."
She couldn't help but smile. A moment ago he had said she was good. He's not good at making up excuses. "See you tomorrow then."
And he was gone.
