Disclaimer: Do I really need to tell you that I don't own Harry Potter? I
mean, I would just be stating the obvious......
Last Time: Hermione could hear the worry in his voice. He really did care. Maybe she could trust him, and tell him. WAIT! This is MALFOY! A Slytherin, who hates me! Why would he care? She was really hoping that he would accept her answer. Then again, hoping is a dangerous thing to do.
Draco sighed and leaned back. He ran his hand through his platinum blond hair. He had changed. He was no longer the power-hungry, rude, snobby boy he was once. He used to believe that becoming a Death Eater would be the most amazing thing. But when he went to one of the meetings during the summer with his dad, he had realized how much he himself despised Voldemort. He had seen his father tremble as he bowed in front of the Dark Lord, as if pleading for his life. They all lived in fear of this one man, who was so weak, yet so powerful.
His thoughts wandered aimlessly to Hermione Granger. Those....marks on her face and neck were gruesome. They were purple and black. There was some blood dribbling slowly down the corner of her mouth, and she looked absolutely terrible. She had been so pale, so.........damaged. He wanted to walk over to her and comfort her. He wanted to lend her a shoulder to cry on. But he couldn't. He was a Malfoy. Malfoy's were not allowed to have any feelings. Malfoy's weren't supposed to have anything to do with Mudbloods. He winced. Using that word made him feel uncomfortable. He had started to view those who were Muggle-born just as equal as purebloods. I mean, take Hermione for example. She has muggles as both of her parents, and yet, she manages to turn up as number in their year. She had even been ahead of himself.
He sighed, and got slowly to his feet. Maybe he should go find her and see if she was okay. 'Yeah, sounds good.' He thought to himself.
He moved to the door and slid it open. He walked out, and crashed into a girl at least one foot shorter than him. The girl looked up, and Draco found himself staring into the bright, round, brown eyes of Hermione Granger.
"Sorry" she whispered hoarsely.
Draco peered into her eyes, and could tell they were red, probably from crying. The marks that he had seen on her face before were gone, and her face was the same creamy pale complexion, free from any scratches.
"It's alright" he managed.
With that, she walked in, and sat down on the seat closest to the window. She drew her legs up under her, and sat, facing the outside. Her hair was no longer bushy, but had soft curls. Her hair looked sort of wispy from lack of the proper nutrients. Her body had shrunk from a healthy form to an extremely small shape. She was wearing low-rise muggle, hip hugger jeans, and he could see her hip bone jut out sharply.
Hermione felt his intense gaze on her back, and asked, "What?"
"Nothing."
"OK."
After a couple of minutes of silence, she felt the seat next to her cave in from the new weight that it carried. She knew who sat there.
"Granger?" he whispered in a caring voice. "What happened?"
No reply.
"It's okay, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone"
Still no reply.
"I've changed." He heard himself pleading with her.
Finally, she turned around to face him, hurt and sadness in her eyes.
"How can I trust you? How can I be sure that you've changed?"
Draco sighed. This was going to take a long time to explain.
"Well, you see. I know how I used to be all snobby and rude and everything, but, I really have changed. I...... well...... I don't know how to put it..."
"I don't want you to 'put it'. I just want you to tell me why you've changed."
"Alright, alright. I'll put this as simple as I can. My father brought me along to one of the Death Eater meetings. That was when I still believed that the Dark side was amazing. I saw them each step up to the Dark Lord, and bend down. They all were shaking with fright, and I thought maybe it was just them. Maybe they were just cowards...... but I was proved wrong when my father, whom I have always thought was the bravest man, stepped up, quaking, also. I looked in his eyes, and I could see the fear. But I also saw the loyalty that lay in him. The worship that he threw towards that freak. The love and desire to serve him. That was when I realized that I didn't want to be like my father. That's when I apprehended that everything I was brought up to believe was nonsense. It doesn't matter what someone's background is. It doesn't matter whether someone has a different skin color or heritage. It doesn't matter if someone has brown, blonde, or red hair. It doesn't matter whether someone has green or blue eyes. What really matters is that the person is truthful, and doesn't try to be someone they aren't. That's when I changed." Draco finished his explanation.
Silence.
Draco drew in a breath. She, Hermione Granger was the first person that he had told this to. "Well?"
No reply.
"Well? Aren't you going to explain to me now why you're in the condition that you're in?" Draco asked, curious.
At that moment, an announcement was made that they were going to reach Hogwarts any moment, and that they needed to change into their school robes. So much for explaining.
Hermione released the breath that she was holding. She didn't need to explain anything to him. But.......Heads share a common room.
'Just great' Hermione thought dryly. 'More time for him to bother me with questions.'
She got up quickly and headed for the compartment door. Before she could slide it open, she felt a pair of strong, yet gentle hands on her arm, right where her father had grabbed just this morning. She winced at the gentle contact.
"Hermione?"
She drew in a small breath. He had said her name. It didn't sound awkward at all coming off of his tongue. It just rolled off. Like water over a smooth stone. That one word that was filled with so many mixed emotions. Pain, concern, curiosity, sadness. She shook her head 'no', and pulled her arm out of his grasp and exited. He hadn't restrained her from leaving. He didn't put any unneeded force on her. She liked his touch. It made her skin feel warm and tingly.
She went to the bathroom to change. The compartment she was supposed to stay in was occupied by the person she least wanted to be with at the moment. Well, actually, the second least.
As she changed, she couldn't get the face of a certain someone out of her face. A certain person by the name of Draco Malfoy. His cool, grey eyes boring into her, searching her soul deeply. His eyes weren't hard, but had a wall covering them, giving them an I'm-not-here-in-my-soul kind of look.
She shook her head. This was all too strange. But all the while, she couldn't get the fact that maybe he had changed. But.........no. Maybe this was all a dream, and if she pinched herself, she would wake. Maybe it was real...... Maybe, just maybe he really did care. But......'maybe' was a strong word...
I tried.................. I think I need help. I think, I think.....But I do know something for sure. I love reviews. For sure. Most defiantely.
Last Time: Hermione could hear the worry in his voice. He really did care. Maybe she could trust him, and tell him. WAIT! This is MALFOY! A Slytherin, who hates me! Why would he care? She was really hoping that he would accept her answer. Then again, hoping is a dangerous thing to do.
Draco sighed and leaned back. He ran his hand through his platinum blond hair. He had changed. He was no longer the power-hungry, rude, snobby boy he was once. He used to believe that becoming a Death Eater would be the most amazing thing. But when he went to one of the meetings during the summer with his dad, he had realized how much he himself despised Voldemort. He had seen his father tremble as he bowed in front of the Dark Lord, as if pleading for his life. They all lived in fear of this one man, who was so weak, yet so powerful.
His thoughts wandered aimlessly to Hermione Granger. Those....marks on her face and neck were gruesome. They were purple and black. There was some blood dribbling slowly down the corner of her mouth, and she looked absolutely terrible. She had been so pale, so.........damaged. He wanted to walk over to her and comfort her. He wanted to lend her a shoulder to cry on. But he couldn't. He was a Malfoy. Malfoy's were not allowed to have any feelings. Malfoy's weren't supposed to have anything to do with Mudbloods. He winced. Using that word made him feel uncomfortable. He had started to view those who were Muggle-born just as equal as purebloods. I mean, take Hermione for example. She has muggles as both of her parents, and yet, she manages to turn up as number in their year. She had even been ahead of himself.
He sighed, and got slowly to his feet. Maybe he should go find her and see if she was okay. 'Yeah, sounds good.' He thought to himself.
He moved to the door and slid it open. He walked out, and crashed into a girl at least one foot shorter than him. The girl looked up, and Draco found himself staring into the bright, round, brown eyes of Hermione Granger.
"Sorry" she whispered hoarsely.
Draco peered into her eyes, and could tell they were red, probably from crying. The marks that he had seen on her face before were gone, and her face was the same creamy pale complexion, free from any scratches.
"It's alright" he managed.
With that, she walked in, and sat down on the seat closest to the window. She drew her legs up under her, and sat, facing the outside. Her hair was no longer bushy, but had soft curls. Her hair looked sort of wispy from lack of the proper nutrients. Her body had shrunk from a healthy form to an extremely small shape. She was wearing low-rise muggle, hip hugger jeans, and he could see her hip bone jut out sharply.
Hermione felt his intense gaze on her back, and asked, "What?"
"Nothing."
"OK."
After a couple of minutes of silence, she felt the seat next to her cave in from the new weight that it carried. She knew who sat there.
"Granger?" he whispered in a caring voice. "What happened?"
No reply.
"It's okay, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone"
Still no reply.
"I've changed." He heard himself pleading with her.
Finally, she turned around to face him, hurt and sadness in her eyes.
"How can I trust you? How can I be sure that you've changed?"
Draco sighed. This was going to take a long time to explain.
"Well, you see. I know how I used to be all snobby and rude and everything, but, I really have changed. I...... well...... I don't know how to put it..."
"I don't want you to 'put it'. I just want you to tell me why you've changed."
"Alright, alright. I'll put this as simple as I can. My father brought me along to one of the Death Eater meetings. That was when I still believed that the Dark side was amazing. I saw them each step up to the Dark Lord, and bend down. They all were shaking with fright, and I thought maybe it was just them. Maybe they were just cowards...... but I was proved wrong when my father, whom I have always thought was the bravest man, stepped up, quaking, also. I looked in his eyes, and I could see the fear. But I also saw the loyalty that lay in him. The worship that he threw towards that freak. The love and desire to serve him. That was when I realized that I didn't want to be like my father. That's when I apprehended that everything I was brought up to believe was nonsense. It doesn't matter what someone's background is. It doesn't matter whether someone has a different skin color or heritage. It doesn't matter if someone has brown, blonde, or red hair. It doesn't matter whether someone has green or blue eyes. What really matters is that the person is truthful, and doesn't try to be someone they aren't. That's when I changed." Draco finished his explanation.
Silence.
Draco drew in a breath. She, Hermione Granger was the first person that he had told this to. "Well?"
No reply.
"Well? Aren't you going to explain to me now why you're in the condition that you're in?" Draco asked, curious.
At that moment, an announcement was made that they were going to reach Hogwarts any moment, and that they needed to change into their school robes. So much for explaining.
Hermione released the breath that she was holding. She didn't need to explain anything to him. But.......Heads share a common room.
'Just great' Hermione thought dryly. 'More time for him to bother me with questions.'
She got up quickly and headed for the compartment door. Before she could slide it open, she felt a pair of strong, yet gentle hands on her arm, right where her father had grabbed just this morning. She winced at the gentle contact.
"Hermione?"
She drew in a small breath. He had said her name. It didn't sound awkward at all coming off of his tongue. It just rolled off. Like water over a smooth stone. That one word that was filled with so many mixed emotions. Pain, concern, curiosity, sadness. She shook her head 'no', and pulled her arm out of his grasp and exited. He hadn't restrained her from leaving. He didn't put any unneeded force on her. She liked his touch. It made her skin feel warm and tingly.
She went to the bathroom to change. The compartment she was supposed to stay in was occupied by the person she least wanted to be with at the moment. Well, actually, the second least.
As she changed, she couldn't get the face of a certain someone out of her face. A certain person by the name of Draco Malfoy. His cool, grey eyes boring into her, searching her soul deeply. His eyes weren't hard, but had a wall covering them, giving them an I'm-not-here-in-my-soul kind of look.
She shook her head. This was all too strange. But all the while, she couldn't get the fact that maybe he had changed. But.........no. Maybe this was all a dream, and if she pinched herself, she would wake. Maybe it was real...... Maybe, just maybe he really did care. But......'maybe' was a strong word...
I tried.................. I think I need help. I think, I think.....But I do know something for sure. I love reviews. For sure. Most defiantely.