After dinner she went into the common room to work on her homework with Harry and Ron, and when she'd finished and bade them goodnight she walked up to her room slowly. How would Draco act? Apprehensive? Smug? Sure of himself? Still hurt?
She muttered the password and walked into the room. Draco wasn't there at all. She breathed a sigh of relief and then lay down in her bed and staring up at the top of her canopy, blinked twice to make sure what she saw was really there. Written in brightly glowing Dr. Filibusters Fabulous No-heat wet-start firework stars were the words:
"Can you forgive me?"
She sat up slowly and saw Draco standing in the frame of the door kicking his heels and looking at the floor.
Hermione sighed before finally speaking. "Can I ask you something?" She said slowly.
He looked up, "Shoot." He replied.
"Why go to all this trouble, Draco? Before this year I'd assumed you didn't care one jot for me, and the worse I felt about you the better you felt about yourself… Why, all of the sudden are you begging for my forgiveness?"
Draco smiled a little wistfully. "Knew you'd ask that." He said. He looked up at Hermione and took a deep breath. "It's that…Everyone expects me to act a certain way. They always have. My father, my mother, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy…All of them expect me to be ice cold to any Gryffindor who crosses my path…And to any mud-…To any muggleborn. The truth is I couldn't care less who your parents are, what house you're in or who your friends are! But everyone else does…And if I were to be kind to you…Even civil to you…It would seem like I was soft…Like I didn't belong. I know it's selfish of me, and I shouldn't care about what others think…But…If you could put yourself in my place…I don't know. You'd probably do the right thing anyway…" He sighed heavily and looked down.
"I just wanted you to know, that I'm sorry for how I acted. Not just yesterday, but the way I've always acted. And you were wrong about what you said. I have gotten to know you, as best I could from a distance. I know you worry about your hair too much…And you have a laugh that sounds like bells. I know you're stronger than everyone thinks, and you're fiercely loyal too…and…and I know you doodle in the margin of your notes when you think nobody's looking. I know you look absolutely beautiful in periwinkle blue...and that you shrank your teeth after I put that hex on you…Sorry about that…"
He added. "And ever since first year I've sort of hated and admired you at the same time…My father always compares me to you, measuring me up and cursing his son who loses to someone with muggle parents. I get extra punishment and harder lessons when your grades exceed mine, and yet my heart would break if I saw you do any less. And…I just…Had to tell you…And say I'm sorry for anything I ever do or ever say and for all the things I have said…They're all lies. It's always been lies. I think you're brave, intelligent, and beautiful…And anything anyone says about your bloodline is bollocks… they're just envious of all your talent…And…And I wanted to know…If you can forgive me." He looked down, and heaved a great sigh. After he stood for a moment, met with nothing but silence, he turned to go…But Hermione got up.
"Wait!" She said.
He turned in the doorway and she walked over to him. She took a deep breath.
"What you said…" She began hesitantly, "Really…Meant something to me. And…I know it couldn't have been easy to say…And…I…Well, I forgive you, Draco." She bit her lip shyly after saying it, and then held out her hand. "Can we agree to…At least make an effort to avoid each other out there-" she said, jerking her head down the staircase, "from now on?" Hermione added.
"Agreed." Draco said, and took her hand, shaking it softly. He smiled quickly and turned to his bed…And Hermione was sure she had seen a tinge of pink flush across his white cheeks.
Readers: Whaaat? No way. So predictable. And now they're gonna fall in love, blahblahblah.
Me: ah-ah-ah! See- it SEEMS like that, doesn't it?...You'll see. nods knowingly just review. You'll find out.