chapter 3 - appology

Hermione stood outside his door for what seemed like hours before she decided to knock. She didnt expect anyone to answer, and she kind of hoped no one would. When the wooden door swung open to reviel her enemy she didnt know exactly why she had originally come down here to begin with. She had started off on a walk and ended up deciding to get revenge, but now that she was staring into the face of the man who she knew caused her so much pain, so much anger, she didnt know what to do. Hate was building in her again. She did the only thing she thought to do. Reaching back her arm she slugged in right in face, breaking his nose. He hurled back and fell onto the floor, bleeding all over himself. She froze, terrified of the reprecutions of her actions, but none came. He just layed there, bleeding, staring at her.

She recoiled when she saw tears well up in his eyes. 'Why should he be crying, he dosent deserve it.' She Stepped over to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him up into a sitting position. "Stop it." She screamed, shaking him. She could feel her own tears welling up now. She didnt know why she was crying, but for once she didnt feel sad, she felt good, it felt good to her to hurt and yell at this man before her. His tears made her feel good, but for some reason all she wanted him to do was to stop crying, and all he wanted to do it seemed, was to stare at her.

"Stop it you Idiot" she screamed in his face, falling down with emotion next to him on his cold hard floors. She reached back and punched him in the chest, but without much backing it. Her arms seemed to turn into lead but she kept on hitting him in the arms and chest, anything felt better than watching him cry. She hated that he wasent stopping her. He didnt even flinch when she punched him in the already broken nose. He just sat and took it, his eyes now pouring and his nose dripping blood down his face and neck. She punched him until she felt nothing more in her arms and the resorted to yelling at him.

"You idiot, you killer, you bastard, i hate you, stop fucking crying, what right do you have huh? WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO CRY LIKE THAT?" her words she spat like fire, they seemed to burn him, to hurt him more than her physical blows ever would. She smiled in spite of herself. "What now Malfoy, cant defend yourself from a filthy little mudblood like me huh? You can kill my parents but you cant even stop me from attacking you in your room huh? What do you think theyll say about you, you...ferret. Nothing but trash, nothing but a traitor and a killer. I hate you you bastard." she fell back, sitting on the floor next to the man she hated, sobbing into her hands.

"Im sorry, Hermione" He said, quietly, barely above a whisper.

Her eyes locked on his once again. "Sorry?" she asked, sarcasim dripping in her voice. "Sorry i had your parents killed Granger. Sorry your life is over Granger. Sorry I cant even fight back Granger. Sor-" but she was cut off from him grabbing her and pinning her to the floor. She was in trouble now. She had taunted a madman and was sure she woudlent live another second for it, what she wasent expexting was the look in his eyes, not of anger but of real, genuine sorrow.

"Im sorry, Hermione" He put emphasis on her name, making sure she heard it. He had never called her by her name before. He never considred her worthy of being addressed by him in any sort of respectful way, but now things were different. "Im truely sorry about absolutely everything, i am a bastard, i am a killer, and I am a traitor. Im scum Hermione and you have every right to hate me, to want to kill me. Do it if thats what it takes, i want to die, i dont care what you do to me, i just dont want you to think im not sinceere. Im sorry..im so sorry" He looked into her eyes, her big beautiful brown eyes he never seemed to notice before. Those deep brown eyes that let everyone see right into her, right into her soul. How had he felt she wasent a person worth acknowledging before. How had he been so blind but to see this beautiful girl for exactly what she was. If he had known what kind of person she was before, maybe he wouldent have let himself be branded with the dark mark like he had. Maybe she woudlent hate him now and maybe no one would have been hurt, not her parents, not Dumbledore, not his mother. Maybe if he had noticed her soft skin, her shiney hair, her gorgeous heart shaped face before, maybe something would be different. Maybe he wouldent feel this way, maybe she wouldent be hitting him but holding him. He wanted her to hold him, to tell him it was going to be ok, that she could forgive him and that she would heal and be the same again. But he knew it was wrong to request so much of someone whome he had hurt so much. It was impossible now. He ruined any chance he would have ever had. Who knows what chance he would have had after years of torture and ridicule like he gave her. "Im sorry" He whispered one last time, allowing her to get up.

He moved away from her, sliding his now bruised and blood stained self away from her a few feet. She pushed herself up until she was kneeling across from him. She stared at him, but this time not in his eyes, just at him, her eyes not really focused on anything, He did the same, looking at all of her, but not really any part in particular. They sat like that for at least an hour, taking it all in, their fight, the past, what happened at to her parents, what happened to him over the summer. It all sat there not quite explained but somehow understood. They sat all day, barely moving.

-------

When the sun started to go down they heard small footsteps in the hall outside the room. Jerked back into reality they both turned to see Dobby the house elf comming in with trays of food. Once he crossed the threshold his mouth dropped as did the Tray of dinner he had, and he started to scream.

"Its ok house elf, be quite, please, dont be so loud you'll allert someone"

"Dobby knows you sir, yous a bad man sir, what did you do to my hermione sir. bad man bad man." the house elf ran to Hermionee and started to tugg on her arm, trying to get her up and out, but to no avail.

"House elf, let go of her, your hurting her, not me" Draco tried to explain but the house elf woudlent listen, not to anything he had to say at least.

"Dobby" came Hermiones usual calm and almost chipper voice, a voice Draco hadent heard this entire day spent with her. "Dobby, its ok, dont tell anyone you found us here like this, and dont bother to bring me food to my room, im staying here for dinner" She started at Dobby, and he stared at her. Finally he stood straight and bowed to her, his nose almost touching the floor. "Ill do as you wish Miss. anything for you, friend of Harry Potter." and he bounced out of the room.

Hermione turned to find Draco staring at her, the silence now back.

"what" they both said at the same time. Looking at each other they begin to fiddle with their clothes, straightening themselves and getting up to sit on the bed. Draco got the tray of barely spilled foot and set it out between them, motioning for her to eat. Together they ate in silence, just enjoying the normal sounds of movement after the whole day of still and silent. Hermiones head was pounding from the stress of it all, and Draco made grimicing faces while he chewed, his swollen nose paining him with each movement of his jaw. Hermione noticed and pulling a wand from her pocket quickly mumbled the healing spell she had learned, fixing his nose. Draco reached up and gunted his thanks through a mouth full of food, then they finished eating.

----------------------------

After eating their meal they had both found themselves somewhat comfortable and relxed in eachothers presense on the bed, Hermione was laying near the top of the bed on her stomach looking down and just thinking, while draco leaded against the wall and more twords the end of the bed in a seated position, looking up to the ceiling with his eyes closed. Nothing was said and nothing was done, they just sat and were together, not thinking about anything in particular, but thinking about everything. Hermione realized how late it had become when she happened to glace at her watch.

"Draco" she said in a small and tired voice that even surprised her. She looked up at him and he looked down at her. Together they grieved, his sorrow and her anger, his past and her future. it didnt seem to matter so long as they just sat and had company. the fight seemed to be years ago. Hermione sat up. stretching her arms over her head. Her joints protested as her warrieness wanted to take over her. Draco looked at his own watch and then ran his hands through his platnium blonde hair and rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes.

Hermione took her time getting up and Dravo followed suit, once they were standing facing each other she looked up at his nose, which has reduced in swelling, but was still spreading bruises all along the bridge.

"Im sorry about your nose Draco" she said, looking off in the distance

"no your not" he said, looking down to the floor. "and you shouldent ever be sorry for it." she looked up at him. what happened next really didnt seem to make any sense. She reached out and grabbed his hand. He jerked away at first, then let her slid his hand in hers. Looking into each others eyes they both leaned in to get closer to each other. Hermione could smell his soap and feel his breath, it felt so warm on her cold skin. Draco could feel the curves of her body as they pressed themselves together, his lips inches from hers, his hands reached up to push away a stray lock of hair.

Then she pushed away and, with one quick glace into his face, ran from the room.

"Hermione" he called after her, feeling like an idiot. "Hermione im sorry, i didnt mean it, im sorry" but she was already up the down the hall and up the stairs. He cursed at himself for being such a complete and total idiot.

'Making the moves on a girl whos life was just hit by a train, a train i was conducting.' he thought. 'im such a bastard'

Up the stairs, Hermione looked back. Once she realized he wouldent chase her she stopped and sat down by a suit of armor. Tears filled her eyes and she mentally cursed herself for feeling attracted to such a jerk. such a weasle. Why had she even gone down there, why did she stay there all day. Why did he make her feel like this, after everything.

Hermione eventually led herself to her room and collapsed on her bad, exhausted. Her dreams were filled with deep blue pools that seemed to stretch on into eternity.