Chapter 41.
"You shouldn't be here."
Malfoy grinned and sat down next to Hermione. "Last time I checked, this was still a free country."
Hermione glared at him, her brown eyes full of contempt. Malfoy's smile faltered and he asked what was wrong. Hermione sighed, and turned back to her Arithmancy homework. "Your father killed Buffy."
Malfoy exhaled. "I know." He said, patting his hair awkwardly. "And…and I'm sorry about it."
Hermione looked up from the parchment to glare once again at Draco. "No you aren't. You aren't sorry that your father killed Buffy, and you aren't sorry that he tortured Harry too!" She said loudly. Madam Pince glared at them from around a bookshelf, and Hermione fell silent. Madam Pince disappeared from view.
"I am, ok? I'm sorry for what my father did." Malfoy said. "He was a bastard…is a bastard, and I'm truly sorry."
Hermione regarded him suspiciously. "What brought on this change of heart?"
Malfoy smiled softly. "I can't be nice?"
"No, you can't."
Malfoy smirked. "Well, I just haven't seen you for a long time, that's all."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "We have Arithmancy together. We had Arithmancy yesterday. You saw me yesterday."
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Ok, ok, I saw you yesterday. I just…missed you." He added quietly, and Hermione had to strain herself to hear him. She raised an eyebrow.
"You…missed…me?" She repeated disbelievingly.
"Missed in the sense of noticed that you weren't around and cared." Malfoy said idly. Hermione giggled and returned to her parchment and quill.
"Sure Malfoy, like I would believe that."
Malfoy sighed exasperatedly and leant closer to Hermione. "We just haven't talked properly since October…and I just wanted to talk again."
"Talk in the sense of insulting each other?" Hermione said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
"Insulting each other? No, we don't insult each other." Malfoy said seriously. "Playful banter perhaps, but never insults." He joked, smiling.
Hermione regarded him curiously. Malfoy shot her a quizzical look. "You look nice when you smile."
Malfoy smirked. "In that case, I will never smile again." Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to homework. "Are you doing Arithmancy homework?" Hermione nodded.
"Need help?"
Malfoy snorted with laughter. "I'm not Potter or Weasley, I have brains."
Hermione glared at him. "Don't." She chastised. "Harry and Ron have brains."
"Sure they do." Malfoy agreed sarcastically.
"Harry and Ron are clever, granted, sometimes they need an extra shove or push forward, but they understand a lot of things. Especially Harry, he's very good at-"
Malfoy had turned away from her at this point, staring blankly at the book case behind Hermione. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"
"Nothing." Malfoy said shortly, glaring at the books.
"Tell me." She urged.
"You keep on talking about Potter. Brilliant, courageous Potter, clever Potter, nice Potter, for Merlin's sake, can we talk about something else?" Malfoy said loudly, glaring at Hermione. Hermione's mouth was agape; she was shocked by Malfoy's sudden outburst.
"S-sure." She stuttered. "Something else, we can talk about s-something else." Malfoy nodded in agreement and stared at her, waiting for her to speak. She said nothing. She had nothing to talk about. He continued to stare at her for a few moments while she searched for a topic to talk about in her mind. Sighing, he rolled his eyes and hopped off his chair.
"See you later Hermione." He said, grasping her hand briefly before leaving the library.
Hermione watched him go, her hand still tingling from that last touch. "Yeah, later." She said, but no one heard her.
Many thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock. This chapter was short, I know. There should be another chapter on the way. Please review!
