Hermione shoved her tattered ancient runes book away from her across the library table and sighed exasperatedly.

"If I have to translate one more paragraph, I will scream!" She fumed. Mid-terms were coming in just a few weeks, and she just knew she would fail in all her courses if she didn't study. Harry and Ron smirked.

"Of all people, Hermione, you should not be the one about to burst over exams." Harry remarked, absentmindedly flipping through the pages of his potions book.

"Yeah. It's me who should be worried- you're the only reason I passed that preparation test in Astronomy." Ron grinned broadly at her. Hermione felt herself blush a bit. She knows she had helped Harry and Ron for years, but it pleased her most to hear praises about it from Ron. Harry noticed her blush and started gathering up his books.

"I think I better leave you two alone for a minute. I've got to talk with Ginny back in the common room anyway."

"Now what do you think he means by that, eh?" Ron asked in mocking innocence. Hermione laughed and playfully threw a quill at him.

A sudden noise from the library doors silenced them. They watched as Ashley burst through the library doors, laughing and towing along Draco by the wrist.

"I know you're excited by my return, but, really, why are we visiting the library-?" He stopped when he saw Harry, Hermione and Ron staring, bewildered, at him.

"Draco's back!" Ashley practically shouted at them, seeming to resist the urge to jump up and down. Hermione paused, then nodded jerkily.

"Yes, Ashley, er, we can see that." She said, then elbowed Ron in the ribs.

"Uh, oh, yeah, um…how are you…feeling?" Ron stammered, not used to showing concern for his enemy.

"A lot better, now that I'm back." Draco answered, giving him a friendly smile. Ron looked at Hermione questioningly. Ashley sighed.

"Come on, guys! He's not the same person you met when we were eleven! He's…how many times do I have to explain this?" Throwing her arms up in the air, she started down a book aisle. "You deal with it!"

Draco watched her stalk down towards the other end of the library, then sighed.

"All right, then. How do I start?" He searched around for something to say.

"I guess you know my reason for acting the way I did the past seven years, and you're probably still angry at me for it all, though it really wasn't my fault. Heck, if I were you, I'd try to strangle me right now." He smirked. "But I just hope that you'll give me the chance to, er, reintroduce myself." Draco gave a short bow.

"Draco Malfoy, the accursed, unfortunate son of Lucius Malfoy, at your service." He announced with a grin. Silence emanated from the trio.

"Well, then." Harry finally said and came from around the table to stand directly in front of Draco, who didn't move. Here was his arch-enemy for seven years, who had caused him so much pain in his years at Hogwarts. Visions of his works quickly flashed through Harry's mind- the Potter Stinks badges, a bouncing white ferret, three Dementors coming out on the Quidditch field- Draco cornering Dumbledore in the Tower. The last image made Harry's wand hand twitch. Then he looked into Draco's eyes, searching for any fragmentof malice or hatred. There was none- only a deep guilt for what he had done, even if it wasn't really him. Draco would never lose that guilt, Harry knew. He sighed.

"Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Nice to meet you." Harry held out his hand. Draco shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you too." He grinned. Ashley came out from behind the bookcase, teary-eyed.

"I never thought I would see the day." She sniffed. Draco laughed and wrapped an arm around her.

"Harry Potter, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Ashley Baron." Ashley paused.

"Wait- you know I'm not your girlfriend, right?" She looked at him. Draco frowned.

"Well, why not?" Ashley shrugged.

"You never asked me out." She responded. Draco looked up, confused.

"Oh. Will you go out with me, then?" He asked. Ashley pretended to think hard.

"I guess so." She shrugged, the grinned as Draco gave a mock sniff. "Of course, Malfoy. What did you really think I would say?"

"Yes." Draco hugged her. "But I'm glad you did. This will really make our dear Pansy angry."