A Second Chance – fire-and-ice89

A/N: I'm back! Did you miss me? My holiday was good, I went skiing, and got lots of time for writing in the afternoons, but you all probably want me to shut up about my holiday now and get on with the chapter, so I will!

Replies to reviews:

Mocha Dragon: Thanks as always for your long review! I really like the way you pick out your favourite bits from the chapter and paste them in the review, it's always interesting to see exactly what parts people like.

Riddleness: Well, if you're anything like me, you need something very interesting to keep your attention at midnight, so thank you for the compliment! And there's no way I'd ever write slashy Draco. He's such a player, he definitely belongs with a girl!

dmhg: Where's the chapter? I was waiting for it! I'm just kidding, I know sometimes you promise to have a chapter up by a certain time but then it just doesn't happen. Like me, for example, I was sure that this would be up by Sunday but I just didn't get the chance. School Camp will be updated either this afternoon or tomorrow, I just have to make some final tweaks. Hahaha I love that word (Tweaks. But I also like your new word, too!).

Filthy X Gorgeous: Good, I surprised someone! Well, as I said, my holiday was actually beneficial writing wise, and I had fun too, so even though I didn't feel like going I'm glad I did.

To elektrik-storm, PinkIcicle, PART-TIME SINNER, and JewelBlossom, thank you for reviewing, I hope you come back!

Last Time:

"Now that's over." She said softly. She looked over to where Lavender was slumped against the wall. Hermione smiled back in sympathy.

"I'll deal with everything here," she said, and received a slightly more confident smile from Pansy.

Then she did something that she never pictured herself doing. She reached over and hugged Pansy, and the Slytherin hugged her back.

Then, without looking back, Pansy exited the room, leaving Hermione to deal with the two wrecks left behind.

Chapter Five – Discussions

Draco was the first to react. He uncovered his face and scrambled ungracefully to his feet.

"What are you staring at?" He snarled at Hermione, who was indeed staring at him.

"That's a nasty bruise you've got." She said. Yeah, and you deserved everything you got!

"What do you care?" He muttered.

"Well, perhaps you should go to the hospital wing. I think I should take Lavender there anyway," she said, glancing at the other girl on the floor. Malfoy looked as well, with disinterest. She had long since flown from his mind.

"I'm fine." He said shortly. Hermione shrugged. He was obviously being difficult, because anyone could see that he wasn't fine. She changed tactics.

"Well, I need some help getting Lavender there anyway. There's no one else around…at least, no one I feel like interrupting," she glanced meaningfully at the door. Malfoy got the point.

"Fine, I'll help you."

Together, they managed to hoist Lavender up and begin carrying her towards the hospital ward. Hermione knew from previous experiences that when Lavender fainted, she did it properly. No splash of water would wake this sleeping princess.

The corridors seemed to stretch out forever. She felt obliged to make some form of decent conversation with Malfoy, but what can you say to someone with a bruise spreading rapidly over his face, and you know that it is partly because of you?

So she skipped the small chat and asked something that had been bugging her ever since they walked in on Malfoy.

"Aren't you angry?" Honestly, she had expected some form of resistance, anything at all, but not this kind of…almost quiet acceptance.

Malfoy shrugged.

"I wasn't surprised. About Pansy, that is. I was curious about why you would help her though. Why did you?"

Now it was Hermione's turn to shrug.

"I don't know. I guess…people change. I though she deserved a second chance."

Malfoy jerked forward suddenly, causing Lavender to slip. Once Hermione had steadied her side of the weight, she felt a rush of anger.

"What was that for?"

"You said people deserved a second chance, didn't you? Have you never considered me for that? Or do you really see me as less than a person?"

"When you show signs of changing, I'll gladly give you a second chance." Hermione wished that she could see his face. She would be able to better interpret what he was feeling. At the moment, she was at a complete loss.

"What if I have been showing signs, but you've drawn your image of me and you're just blind to any changes I might show?"

Hermione paused for a moment. She had never considered that. And, she asked herself, if she had noticed changes, would she really be willing to trust him?

She didn't have to answer, because Malfoy ploughed on.

"Everyone has me labeled as exactly what Pansy said: a vain, arrogant prat. But what if I am trying to change? What if I'm sick of sleeping with a different girl every night?"

At this, Hermione shuddered. "I really didn't need to know that, Malfoy."

"I am honestly trying to find a girl who sees beyond the prejudices that people have built up. You and Pansy, you just assumed that Lavender was going to be another one of my one night stands. But what if I had been serious about her? What if she had been the one?"

Hermione raised a skeptical eyebrow. "But you weren't serious about her."

"Yeah, well she wasn't either." Malfoy snapped defensively. "But one day, someone will be, and I'll be serious about her." He lapsed into silence, leaving Hermione to wallow in confusion until they reached the hospital wing.

She had never seen this side of Malfoy. She doubted if any one ever had.

She didn't know what to think.

A/N: And we get the first sign of contact between Hermione and Draco! Yay! I know a lot of you were a bit confused about how this would turn out to be a Draco/Hermione fic, but things should be starting to clear up now.

I hope you didn't think things moved too fast in this chapter, but hey, they had to start talking somewhere along the line, so it might as well be here. This story is a little under halfway finished. The rest of the story will be much more Draco/Hermione centered, which I know you've all been waiting patiently for. Sorry it took so long to get there, but I wanted to make it realistic.

Please review!