Yay! Tons of reviews. I love you all tons! Here is number eighteen... hope you like it so far!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot... how many times do we have to go through this.

On we go!

Chapter Eighteen

Apologies and Tears

/Hermione's POV/

I put the new copy of Pride and Prejudice on my bedside table. It was time to get ready for when Ginny came over. Well she wouldn't be here for another two hours, but she is sleeping over and I still need to go to the shop to get some last minute goodies. I went over to my closet to find a light jacket and some shoes. However, before I could even reach to open my cupboard door, there was a flash of green light and a big crash. I quickly turned towards my fireplace. A load of soot had emerged from the opening, and I could see a figure on the floor, trying to get up. I couldn't make out who it was for the amount of soot that was clouding up the area around the fireplace. I thought it might be Ginny coming early, and this caused a huge smile to sprawl across my face. However this smile soon disappeared when I saw who it really was.

"Malfoy?"

A blonde boy of about 6'1" was coming out of the shadows.

"Nice to see you too Granger." Malfoy said as he brushed himself off.

/Draco's POV/

'Fuck, there I go again with the Granger business. If I don't stop soon, I really am screwed.' I thought.

"What are you doing here Malfoy?" Hermione asked as she turned around to her closet door. She pulled out a jacket, and put it on before turning around to look at me again.

"Awe, you don't have to cover up for me." I said cheekily.

'Nice one Malfoy, just piss her off even more.'

"Nice Malfoy. Always a pleasure to see you. Now if you'll so kindly say what you have to say so I can get going, I'd be eternally great full."

"Where are you going?" I asked sharply.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I have to go to the shop to get some crisps (a/n: they are called chips in America if you didn't get that) and sweets." She answered as she turned back around to her closet. "Now where are those shoes?" she asked herself.

I guess she found them, because all I saw was the girl of my dreams bending down in front of me.

"Like what you see Malfoy?" Hermione asked jokingly, however I didn't catch the sarcasm.

"As a matter of fact, I do." I blurted out.

"Ugh." She said as she sat on her bed to put her shoes on. "What do you want Malfoy? You obviously came here for a reason, and I know it wasn't to stare at my ass, so out with it."

"Actually you would be surprised about the whole staring at your ass thing." I smirked.

"Nice talking to you Malfoy." She said as she picked up her bag and headed towards the door to leave.

"No wait!" I yelled. "Please hear me out."

She walked over to her bed and threw her bag down before she sat down. Then she did the unthinkable. She invited me to sit down too... ON HER BED! "Now what is it I have to hear?"

I smirked and sat down, "Wow, I never would have thought Hermione Granger to have invited me onto her bed... good to know."

"You could sit on the floor if you like." She glared at me, snapping the smirk right off my face.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist." I said smiling.

I saw her smile and she said, "Just stop."

"Alright."

"So what is it you wanted to say?" she asked, as she made herself more comfy on her bed.

"Well, I wanted to say, that I'm sorry." I said softly.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked.

"I said I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked. She sounded confused.

"Everything. Right now, mainly about Sirius Black. I know how close you guys were to him."

Hermione gasped and looked as though she was about to burst into tears, which in fact wasn't exactly false. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she quickly revamped herself and said, "Couldn't you just have said sorry at school. Besides why would you be sorry, it was your men who killed him."

"I'm saying it now, because I didn't want it to sound like I was just pitying you, I wanted you to know that I truly am sorry. That is why I found out where you lived and came to visit you now. And I am sorry. I know I am technically a pre-deatheater, but if only people knew how I really felt about becoming one of those bastards. I didn't know they were going to kill him. Hell I didn't even know there was going to be a battle that night. I wasn't even allowed to fight in it. I was pretty pissed about that too. I mean if I had been given the choice now, I would have told them to go fuck themselves, but then I was just so involved with it, I couldn't help it. I really am sorry Hermione. And not just about Black, but about everything I've done to you and Potter and Weasley in the past." I said really fast, I ended up not being able to say anything else, because of my lack of breath.

Hermione looked at me strangely before she said, "say that again."

"I'm really sorry for all that I've done, and I wish I could take it al back!"

"No, not that part. The part where you called me by my name." she said.

"Hermione?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Hermione. That sounds so much nicer than Granger. I wish you and your friends wouldn't resort to our last names." She said as she looked into my eyes.

'Wow, who would have thought that calling her by her real name would actually work.' I thought.

'What did I tell you?' my conscience asked smugly.

'Oh fuck off!'

"Oh, I just thought that because we are-" I started.

"Enemies? You just thought that because we were enemies we couldn't call each other by our real names? Well I think that is bollocks. I think we should change that right now." She said smiling.

"Alright, Hermione it is then." I said smiling back.

"And Draco for you." She said with a giggle.

"But really Hermione, I really am sorry for your loss. I know how hard it must be on you." I said.

A tear rolled down her cheek followed by another one, and many more after that. "I know, I shouldn't be this emotional, I mean he was Harry's godfather, not mine. I just can't help but ball out whenever I hear his name."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up. It's my fault." I said as I looked down.

'Why is it always me who makes her miserable?' I asked my conscience.

'Oh stop giving yourself so much credit, can't it occur to you that she is just sad about it. It has nothing to do with you.'

Hermione was now balling out in tears. I moved closer to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hermione?" I don't know what I did to give her the incentive but I soon found her in my arms crying her eyes out. My arms were wrapped around her, and I was soon enough hugging Hermione Granger. There I was, hugging the girl of my dreams.

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Alright, not as long as I thought it might be, but I decided it would be a good place to stop. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! KISSES! Dominique