The train arrived at Hogwart's just as the sun was descending behind the horizon. Hermione and Draco were met at the entrance by a bustle of house elves. Taking their coats they hurried the duo into the great hall. Hermione and Draco, both stopped and gasped as they entered the room. The far wall was bewitched to be transparent and they could see the sunset clearly on the horizon. The whole room was filled with the warm red glow and a cool breeze carried the sent of fresh cut grass through the hall. The houses individual tables had been removed and round tables filled the great room. There were no Gryffindor colors, not Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff either. Instead, large banners of gold and burgundy, proudly displaying the new symbol of Hogwart's, a large scripted H. The mascot of each house stood proudly at each corner of the H. The table, which was normally reserved for the teachers and staff, was set with an elaborate feast, which put even normal Hogwart's extravagance to shame.
Dobby, the house elf ran in and took Hermione's hand. "Come, Miss Grainger, see what we have made for you." Dobby glowed with pride as he guided Hermione to her seat. Draco followed silently behind. Hermione and Draco sat and waited assuming that Dumbledore and the other professors would be joining them. "Well, go on, eat. Don't you like it?" asked Dobby.
"I just thought that we should wait for Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione.
"Oh, no, Miss Grainger. You and Mr. Malfoy will be dining alone tonight. The head master said that he will see you straight away in the morning." And with that all the house elves made themselves scarce as the two dined alone.
Draco racked his brain trying to think of something to say. Anything. His mother had taught him enough manners to know that if you couldn't say anything nice, not to say anything at all. Not that he had ever minded his manners before. But tonight was too lovely to ruin. Even he, the gigantic prat could not ruin it.
Hermione tried to keep her eyes down and avoid conversation. After Malfoy's little outburst on the train, she dared not to even make eye contact. How could she survive the year, stuck in that room alone with him, it would drive her mad. What was Dumbledore thinking?
Draco came to the realization that he had truly hurt the little mudblood. She hadn't spoken to him since the train, hell; she wouldn't even make eye contact. It was all so out of character for her, normally, she couldn't shut up, even around Draco. She always had a come back, nothing ever caught her off guard. But he had, he cursed himself in silence again for being so insolent. He didn't have to like her, but he couldn't live all year in silence, it reminded him too much of…. home, the cold harsh silence. It was up to him to make the first move.
Hermione was half way through her bread pudding before Draco made a peep. He cleared his throat like he was going to say something. Hermione braced herself; sure that it would be a barrage of insults. Why did it matter what Draco Malfoy thought of her anymore, it shouldn't, it didn't, but somewhere deep down, it still did. "So, what do you think Dumbledore wants us here for?" Draco asked. Was it her imagination, or did he almost sound civil.
"I haven't any idea," she said without looking up, "I assume that you got the same letter that I did. Something about unifying the schools and healing wounds."
"Yeah, sounds about the same," he replied. "Sounds like we are going to be working together a lot this year, I suppose." He held his breath and waited for a response.
"Yes, sounds like it."
She still refused to look at him. Insolent little…. NO! Draco, you are getting what you deserve. Try harder.
"Look, Grainger, about the train…"
"Yes, what about it?"
"About what I said…"
"Oh."
"Well, I am…uh… well, sorry."
The sound caught in her ears, had she heard him right, Draco Malfoy said he was sorry to a mudblood? "It's ok." She didn't know what else to say. She looked up and he was staring at her, their eyes locked and neither said a word. She quickly looked down again to hide the blush that found her cheeks, again.
Draco stared at the woman that was sitting across from him; she was definitely not the knobby kneed, frizzy haired girl that had decked him a few years ago. There was something about her. Beyond that fact that she had grown into a beautiful young woman, there was something deep inside her, the fire that had always angered him so, now shown through and was beautiful. In a way, she almost reminded him of his mother. So beautiful and graceful on the outside, but strong and courageous on the inside. That was until that monster that had been his father had ruined her. His mother was empty now, she drifted between this world and a private world where she was still happily married to a loving man and had a beautiful son and the world was good. But Draco had faced the hard truth; he would rather take the pain and live in the real world than hide inside himself to shield the pain.
Hermione thought she saw it again, that single tear that welled in his eye one the train, lingered on his face again now. He quickly wiped his eyes and sat back. A moment later another house elf came in to show them to the Heads dormitory.
If the great hall had been a shock, the Heads dormitory would be the death of them both. Hermione expected that this level of comfort was reserved only for Dumbledore himself, but she guessed that she had been mistaken. The common room was larger than even the Gryffindor common room. All the furniture was deep red velvet. In the back of the room was a huge bay window with a view of the forest and the moon full shining in. There was a huge white marble fireplace and on either side were huge shelves from floor to ceiling with books of every shape and size, covering every topic. On either side of the window, a staircase led up to a second floor balcony with three doors, her room, Malfoy's room, and a bathroom. Wait? A bathroom, they were expected to share a bathroom. Now, this would test any cooperating even between best of friends. Nonetheless, Draco and Hermione. The door to Hermione's room was a picture of Cupid, strange she thought. The plump cherub fluttered around the painting before coming to rest on a cloud in the foreground. "Your new password, Madame?"
"Le Cour Petrificus," said Hermione, and the painting swung open to reveal and equally comfortable bedroom. There was a king size bed made of cherry wood, the rooms colors mimicked the new Hogwart's banner that hung in the great hall. In the rear of the room, another window opened up onto a balcony with the same view as the great window downstairs. To her left was an identical balcony, for the Head Boy. Through the thin walls, she heard Draco making his way though his new room.
Hermione changed into her pajamas and headed to the common room to read for a bit before heading to bed. It had been such a day; she could hardly believe that it had only been less than twelve hours since she boarded the train that morning.
"This is amazing," Draco sighed as he flopped down into an overstuffed chair, he lit the fire with a flick of his wand, "Wouldn't you say, Grainger?"
"Yes, I suppose it is. Who would have ever thought, Draco Malfoy and a mudblood sitting in a room together being civil," Hermione said looking up from her book with a sly grin.
"No, oh, you know what I mean." Their eyes met, and for once, she didn't want to look away. All the hate was gone, and there in the firelight, there was a soft look on his face. For a moment, there was no tension, no rivalry, just calm.
Draco raised himself from the seat he was in a moved over to the sofa where Hermione was sitting, he curled up with a pillow between them and asked, "So, what are you reading?"
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In another end of the castle, a similar scene was playing out. Dumbledore and McGonagall sat in a similar couch in Dumbledore's quarters in front of a fire. Only, they watched a misty projection that emitted from Dumbledore's wand.
"See there Minerva, all it takes is a little time and some serenity potion. They will get along just fine."
"Yes, Albus, you managed to put serenity potion in the Ice Mice, the bread pudding, and in the fire in the dormitory. And there are getting along lovely. But what will happen when you can't put the potion in their food any more? You know you can't leave them like this forever."
"Yes, yes. You are correct and you know it. But who am I to judge. You want this war to be over as much as I do. The Prophecy has never been wrong and I don't suppose that it will be this time. All I am doing is giving fate a little push."
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