Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this fan fiction. JKRowling does. I just spend hours playing with them because I have no life.
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Most of the next morning was spent unpacking. Hermione did not have a great deal of her possessions with her, but she took her time in putting everything away neatly in a chest of drawers and a cupboard that stood along one wall.
When her unpacking was finished, Hermione settled down on her bed with a book. The house was quiet and she felt very peaceful. The sun shone in through the window, lighting her room pleasantly. She had not felt so restful for a long time and she enjoyed the feeling.
She was shaken out of her daydreams by Belinda calling up the stairs that lunch was ready. Hermione put down the book and ran over to the door. She was about to open it when she heard Malfoy on the landing and paused. She waited until she heard him descend the stairs before going out onto the landing. She did not think Malfoy would attack her or anything like that, but she was not in the mood for his derisive comments. There was no point in giving him an excuse to provoke her.
Hermione entered the kitchen and took her place opposite Malfoy. Belinda set a plate in front of each of them, then returned to the stove to serve her own. Malfoy started eating, avoiding Hermione's gaze, but Hermione felt suddenly awkward. Whatever they thought of each other, it felt silly to be sitting there, completely ignoring each other. She cast her mind around for something to say.
"So how are your parents?" she asked, trying to sound casual and friendly. The reaction was instant and alarming.
Malfoy jumped up from the table, his plate crashing to the floor and breaking into several pieces. He was trembling visibly and Hermione felt shocked and even a bit scared.
"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY PARENTS" Malfoy yelled. "DON'T EVER MENTION THEM" He ran from the room and Hermione heard the front door slam.
There was complete silence in the kitchen. Belinda got over it first and cleared up the plate with her wand. Hermione was still shocked by the sudden outburst. Belinda could see how she was feeling and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"I should have warned you not to mention his parents" she said gently. "I'm sorry"
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, but Belinda shook her head.
"I don't think I should tell you." She said "He'll tell you himself when he's ready." Hermione doubted this, but didn't press the matter any further.
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After lunch, Hermione decided to go for a walk. She went out of the front door and smiled as she felt the sun shining warmly down on her. She started to walk. She had no fixed destination. The countryside lay before her looking inviting and welcoming in the sun and she intended to explore the area a bit.
She had been walking for about ten minutes, when her eyes fell on a forest not far off. She altered her course slightly and headed towards it. It did not take long her to reach it and she entered it, following a rough track through the trees. The forest was beautiful. The sunshine came through the trees and appeared to shimmer on the plants that grew at each side of the rough path. Hermione walked deeper and deeper in for about half an hour.
Hermione remembered another summers day when she had walked through a wood like this. It had been a few miles from the Burrow and she had found it on a long walk. There had been one difference though. Harry had walked by her side, laughing and joking, his hand in hers.
She no longer appreciated the full beauty of the forest. She could not see it properly. Tears rolled down her face and she stumbled along. She almost fell on a tree root that she didn't notice, but she did not care. Harry's face swam before her eyes, smiling down at her. He looked so close and so real, but always just out of reach.
Hermione reached a clearing in the forest and sat down on a large tree trunk. She was shaking, but did not try to wipe away her tears. Despite her resolution to be cheerful, she didn't try to calm herself down. The pain was too great. Hermione wondered whether she would ever be happy again.
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"Granger" A voice startled her and she jumped up quickly, wiping her eyes and trying to steady her breathing. She looked around and saw to her dismay that Draco Malfoy was standing there. She waiting for him to taunt her, but to her surprise, he didn't. "Are you alright" he asked and Hermione was surprised to hear that he sounded concerned. She looked up at him and could see why. Malfoy was visibly shocked to have seen the sensible, composed Hermione Granger lose control of her emotions.
Hermione nodded quickly and turned to go. She could not remember which way she had come, but took the nearest path, hoping that it was the right way.
"You'll come to a dead end that way" Malfoy called after her. Hermione had to admit that she did not recognise the path. She turned back reluctantly.
"You're not ok" Malfoy said as she reached the clearing once again.
"I'm fine" Hermione insisted. "Tell me the way back"
"Don't be silly" Malfoy replied. "Don't go yet" He walked over to the tree trunk Hermione had just vacated and sat down. After a moment's hesitation, Hermione walked over to sit down beside him. They were silent for a minute, both feeling slightly awkward.
"You really miss him don't you" Malfoy said, sounding so concerned that Hermione felt a lump in her throat. He seemed to understand more than even Ron or Ginny had, just how she was feeling.
"Yes" she whispered, her eyes clouding over one again. She looked away from Malfoy, determined not to let him see her cry again. Wanting to take his attention away from the subject that caused her so much pain, she asked him a question. "Why are you here?"
She immediately felt ready to kick herself as she remembered Malfoy's outburst that very morning. She glanced round at him nervously and saw that his fists were clenched and his face set.
"I'm sorry" she said quickly, not wanting to witness another scene like the one she had earlier that day. "I shouldn't have asked"
"It's alright" Malfoy said slowly. "You might as well know. You're sure to find out anyway." He looked down at the ground. "It's my mother." he explained. "She was killed by - by my father."
Hermione gasped. She didn't understand.
"What happened?" she asked gently.
"My mother has never been able to do much as a Deatheater" Malfoy explained, his voice unsteady. "The Dark Lord didn't think she was a very useful person." He sounded disgusted and Hermione could tell that the wizard that Malfoy had once followed was now painful to think of. Looking at his face, Hermione could tell that he was thinking of him now. A look of utter loathing was on his face and his eyes were full of tears. He looked down again and Hermione looked away quickly, knowing that he would not want her to see him cry. "She still had to be ready to go to him at any time he wanted someone to do his dirty work for him though and she was sick of it. She - she asked Voldemort if she may be free to do her own thing at times she wasn't specifically needed. She wanted more time to do things she liked doing instead of having to be at home all the time waiting for the calls to service which never came." Draco's shoulders shook slightly and although Hermione avoided looking at him, she could tell he was crying.
"Don't tell me if you'd rather not" she said quickly, but Malfoy ignored the comment.
"The Dark Lord thought she was trying to leave. He didn't understand. He didn't try to understand. He called for my father and gave him orders. That night, I was in the kitchen with my mother waiting for my father to come home. When he did, he had his wand ready" Malfoy paused and Hermione saw a tear run down his face. "HE KILLED HER!" Draco suddenly shouted, shaking uncontrollably, his face screwed up, fighting back the tears he was so ashamed of. "He never even asked her to reconsider. He just killed her."
Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth, so shocked that she could not speak. Her own pain and anguish seemed insignificant in comparison. She had been heartbroken since Harry's death, but she knew he had died fighting the Dark side. She could not begin to imagine the pain that must come from seeing your own father kill your mother.
She reached out and put her hand on Malfoy's arm.
"I'm sorry" she said. The words sounded so trivial, but she didn't know what else to say. She felt helpless.
She sat there, her hand on his arm for a long time, until at last, he stopped shaking. He turned to her, his face white.
"Thanks" he mumbled as though suddenly taking in the situation. He made no attempt to move away from her though and Hermione was glad. She felt as though they understood each other now. Their similar situations seemed to have healed the rift between them, even if only to put them on speaking terms.
It was beginning to get colder and Hermione looked at her watch. It was almost teatime.
"We should be getting back" she said gently, breaking the silence that had settled. Malfoy nodded. He got up and led the way over to the correct path to lead them back to the cottage. They walked in silence, but it was not an awkward silence.
As they got near to the little cottage, Hermione saw Belinda looking out of the window. She saw her smile and knew that she was relieved that they were together and not fighting. As they reached the door, she looked up at Malfoy.
"Thanks" she said. "Thanks for understanding". She led the way into the cottage and went upstairs. She looked back as she reached the top and Malfoy gave her a quick smile.
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FakeDoll: Of course. You know I write Hermione/Draco just to annoy you. No, just kidding. I love Hermione/Draco. I don't make you read it…… well yeah I do, but that's beside the point.
DancingBabe: Thanks for reading. Sorry it took so long to update. I typed loads then the computer crashed and I lost it all. Just got round to doing it again today. It's longer than usual though, so I hope that will make up for it.