Alright people, I'm so sorry about the late update, but if you read any of my previous updates (for my other stories) then you will know that my English class is absolutely bananas, not to mention the fact that I have other work from other classes, plus that and I do have to sleep somewhere in there. Anyway, I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but you have always told me how well I do (even when I don't agree), so don't be afraid to do it again, jk, if you think it sucks please tell me! ANYWAY ON WITH THE STORY!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.

Chapter Twenty

Smiles

/Recap/

Surely enough, there was Ginny sitting on her bed, in complete shock as to Hermione's guest.

/End Recap/

Hermione walked over to Ginny, well more like ran, and threw her arms around her neck, pulling her into a huge embrace. Draco just stood in the doorway, aiming to stay as unnoticed as possible.

Letting go of her friend, Hermione spoke, "Ginny, what are you doing here? You're early, you're never early!"

"Well, I could ask the same thing about him. Besides I'm not early, you're late." Ginny looked a tiny bit annoyed.

"What?" Hermione looked at her watch and noticed that she was indeed half an hour late. "Oh."

"Oh is right! What have you been doing all this time?" Ginny somewhat raged, as she glared at Draco, who was standing behind a very shocked Hermione.

"I just went to the shops to get some crisps and sweets for tonight. Nothing else."

"Oh, and you just felt the need to call up our worst enemy to assist you on that little mission? Really Hermione, you suck at lying. Can't you come up with something better than that?"

"She's not lying and she didn't call me." Draco chimed in, coming forward.

"Yeah right, and I suppose you just flooed right into her room on accident." Ginny said sarcastically.

"Actually, it wasn't on accident, I came here on purpose." He defended.

"And just what were you planning on doing when you got here? Rape her?" Ginny yelled.

"GINNY!" Hermione yelled. "That's enough. Stop this. He didn't come to rape me. He came to apologize." This took Ginny by surprise, she looked at Draco who nodded with a smile.

"Hermione, can I talk to you in the loo for a second?" Ginny asked, as she grabbed Hermione's arm, giving her no choice in the matter.

She pulled her towards Hermione's toilet, and while being dragged, Hermione had the chance to say, "Draco you don't have to wait if you don't want to, this might take a while."

Then the lav's door was slammed, before he had the chance to say, "no I don't mind." After the door was shut, he decided to take a closer look in the room, of which was Hermione's. He walked over to a very large bookcase (which didn't surprise him), and saw a large leather bound book at the end of one of the shelves. On the bind, in gold lettering was the title, 'Memories.'

"Hmm. I wonder." He said as he took the book out of the shelf. He walked over to Hermione's bed and sat down, opening the book to the front page.

This Book Belongs to...

Hermione Jane Granger

I Received this Book in...

1991

He also saw that it was signed...

To our perfect little witch, you make us so proud! We love you!

Mum and Dad

"Typical." Draco mumbled, as he flipped to the next page. He saw a couple of moving pictures. He flipped through the whole book quickly and saw every page had at least three pictures on it, save for a few blank pages at the back that had yet to be filled. "Whoa, how did she take all these. Did she carry a camera with her? I thought only Creevy did that."

He looked at the first picture on the first page, which seemed to be take on the Hogwarts Express. It was Hermione sitting in between the two ingrates. Her hair was as bushy as he had ever remembered it to be, proving that the picture was most likely taken at the beginning of first year. Even though she was only eleven, Draco couldn't help but notice her. The picture was moving, obviously, and was actually quite amusing to him. Hermione, sitting in the middle, was being tickled by Potter and Weasley, that is until she took Potter's glasses and Weasley's wand ('not that he was ever able to do much with it anyway, the thickhead.') Potter's eyes squinted and Weasley's face could not have looked more scared. Draco let out a laugh as he saw the picture repeat itself. He wondered who took the picture, Weaselette hadn't started school yet, so it wasn't her. Oh well, there were too many people that could have done it, and Draco didn't have the energy to go through and think of everybody. Instead he flipped through a few pages and saw a quite shocking picture.

Hermione was walking through an empty hallway with a mirror in one hand and her wand in the other. She was walking rather slow. What was she doing with a mirror? She came to a corner and she stopped. What was she doing? She took the mirror and reflected the hallway around the corner, only there wasn't an empty hallway waiting there like the one she was standing in. All the mirror reflected was a pair of horrible yellow eyes. Draco thought he was going to pass out when he saw the horrid things, but something snapped him back to reality. It was the clanging of the metal mirror falling to the ground and the thud of Hermione's petrified body falling to the ground.

"But pictures can't make noise, even in the wizarding world. And how in hell did somebody take a picture of that? Why would somebody take a picture of that?" Draco asked himself, in pure confusion.

0000(In the loo)0000

"Hermione what are you doing?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing? I told you already. He came over here to apologize and I was just about to go to the shops. So he came with me."

"BOLLOCKS! And I bet he wiggled his way right into that one as well!"

"No!" Hermione yelled childishly. "Wait." She took her wand out, and muttered a silencing charm. "Now we're good."

"What? Afraid your enemy might hear me speak badly about him? Really Hermione, I thought you had more dignity than to give in to a guy, especially Draco Malfoy!" Ginny yelled.

"STOP! He did not wiggle his way into coming with me, because I invited him, as my friend! And I do have more dignity than that; I thought you would have known that. I don't do things because others want me to, I do them because I want to!" Hermione raged. "Draco cam over as I was on my way out and yes I admit, at first he was his usual cocky self, but then he got to the point of his visit, and not it was not to rape me. It was to apologize about what has happened in the past. Now anyone can apologize, but he actually looked me up, during the summer holidays, so he could do it in person. He didn't come to rape me, he came to apologize to me. Me! A muggleborn, and him the Slytherin Prince! Ginny can you believe it?"

"No actually, I can't" she answered dryly.

"Well believe it." Hermione said sharply. "We got to talking," she calmed down, "we got to talking a lot actually. I found out a lot of stuff that I don't think he's told anybody before. Things have changed with him, I'm not sure what, but they aren't the same anymore Gin, and I think it's a good thing."

Ginny looked at her friend, who looked as though she were about to cry, and delved deep into her eyes. She only ever did this if she wasn't sure what to think of her bushy haired friend. She looked and it didn't take long for her to find the answer to her question... happiness. Ginny didn't quite understand why Hermione was on the verge of tears, and yet she saw happiness in her eyes. Although she thought she had a good answer to that question too. Ginny smiled genuinely, "of course it's a good thing," she said softly as she squeezed Hermione's shoulder.

"It is?"

"Yeah. Draco Malfoy... apologizing... is great, and to you... even better! Besides you had that look."

"What look?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Just the look that I rely on when I'm unsure of things with you. It hasn't failed me yet." Ginny smiled.

Hermione laughed.

0000(Hermione's Room)0000

Draco was ;in shock, how could someone get so many pictures of events that seemed so... spontaneous, and that have sound too. He was now just flipping through the pages and only glancing at the pictures, some where black and white, others in bright color. While flipping he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of blond hair. He quickly looked for the page on which he had seen it, and when he found it (about 3 pages from the end), he couldn't believe his eyes.

0000(In the loo)0000

"So do you like him?" Ginny asked smirking.

"What! No! Ginny! He's just a friend!" Hermione squealed. "Besides weren't you the one who was just raving about him even being my friend?"

"Yeah well we sorted that out didn't we... besides he's well fit isn't he?" She said giggling.

Hermione blushed, but before she said something to chuff everything up, she said, "I guess, I hadn't really noticed."

However, unfortunately for Hermione, Ginny once again took advantage of her skill at reading Hermione. Ginny looked into her brown orbs, and saw at once that she was lying, but decided that it was not her decision to make if Hermione was going to admit it. (A/N: just so you guys know, Ginny isn't a seer or anything, Hermione is just really kind of transparent.)

"Alright, friends it is. I can deal with friends... for now." Ginny said, cheekily adding that last part.

Hermione just giggled at the last note said.

"Now then, shall we get back to your friend, if he's still out there." Ginny said smirking.

"I doubt it, I told him he didn't have to wait, besides why would he." Hermione smiled sheepishly and opened the door.

0000(Hermione's bedroom)0000

Draco looked at the picture in confusion, and then he saw something that completely shocked the living daylights out of him. There was a caption. None of the other pictures had captions, he made sure of it as he quickly looked through the book to check and see. Nope this picture was the only one with a caption and what it said made him want to jump up and quickly leave so he could think about it even more without the lingering presence of the two girls, however his mind was quickly changed for him.

Hermione and Ginny walked back into Hermione's dimly lit room, for she only had one light on next to her bed, and the sun had begun to set while the two were talking in the loo. The two were giggling from when Ginny had poked Hermione while passing her on the way out of the lav, however the laughing suddenly stopped when the girls saw a tall blonde boy sitting silently on Hermione's bed with what look like a big book on his lap.

Ginny gasped at the sight of Draco, and Hermione spoke a soft, "oh."

The noise startled Draco just as he was about to get up and leave, causing him to quickly turn around and see the girls standing there both smiling (although one was bigger than the other, no need to tell who).

He placed the book face down on the bed and quickly got up.

"Draco you stayed!" Hermione beamed, Ginny taking full notice of this.

"Well yeah, I didn't want to just leave you, not after all we've talked about today. I thought it would be the nicer thing to do, you know say goodbye formally, at least after you put up with me all day. Besides I heard the first part of your guy's conversation and quite frankly," he turned to Ginny and smiled before continuing, "I didn't think it wise nor safe to leave you alone with her." He pointed to Ginny. "Actually, come to think of it, I don't know who should have feared for their safety more. You," he pointed to Hermione, "or Weaselette here."

He smirked at Ginny who glared back and said, "the name is Ginny and if you're going to be hanging around you better get used to the idea."

Draco suddenly tensed up at the mention of him sticking around. What did she mean by that? Was he allowed to stick around, even though all of Hermione's friends hated her, well maybe Ginny didn't hate him as much anymore, after all he still had his balls in tact after they came out of the loo, that was a start. He noticed that the girls were looking at his tense body and paling face, and he realized they might be catching on. He had to act normal, although it was already proving to be very difficult.

Trying to break the silence Hermione laughed at what Ginny said, but then remembered his sly little comment before Ginny had spoken.

"And what's all this about who should be more concerned about their safety. I mean Ginny is obviously more dangerous than I am." This earned her a laugh from Draco, and a slap in the arm from Ginny. "What? It's true! I'm a pussy cat when it comes down to violence." 'Ha! What a lie!' Hermione's conscience said in the back of her mind.

Both Ginny and Draco scoffed at this. "Yeah, just stay away from her during the third week of every month, things get almost deadly around that time. Oh and also if she's studying for an exam, watch out. Gee I wonder if we've ever had to experience you going through both at one time." Draco laughed, and this time it was Ginny who got a slap in the arm. "Nah, I don't think so. Actually no I don't thinks so at all."

Hermione crossed her arms in a childish way, and said, "Oh yeah? And what evidence do you have to back you up on that statement?"

"Harry and Ron still have their balls." Ginny said causing all three of them to burst out laughing.

Draco thought he was able to get over what he had seen in the book, that is until Hermione had to go and ask the one million dollar question. "So Draco what did you get up to while we were having our little chat?" His face went from smiling to panic mode in 1.5 seconds flat, "I saw you were looking at a book. Which one of my most fascinating books did you indulge yourself into?" Both her and Ginny walked over to the book that was still lying face down on the big queen sized bed. Hermione picked up the book but before she had the chance to look at it, they both heard a big "POP," causing them both to turn around to where Draco had been standing, and where he no longer was standing, as it appeared he apparated right out of there.

"That's odd." Hermione said confused.

"He can apparate? I didn't know he got his license, I heard he failed the first time he took it. Well I guess he does have connections throughout the... well the whole wizarding world really. That's wicked, I can't wait until I get mine, although knowing mum, she'll hold me back from doing it, 'Oh Ginny you wouldn't want to go around splinching yourself silly now would you.'" Ginny mocked her mothers high voice, causing Hermione to laugh. "So what was it that he was reading that he felt the need to leave so quickly? Operation Seduce the Bookworm? Really Hermione I never would have thought you to own such a book." Ginny laughed.

"Shut up, Gin." Hermione said defensively, as she flipped the book over to look at the title, still holding his place in the book. "It's just my memory book, it's somewhat like a pensieve only it's more like a photo album, really quite neat if you ever get a chance to get one. But why would Draco want to leave so quickly over a silly photo book?" Suddenly it dawned on her, what if... no he couldn't have seen it... but then again he had every possibility to... but... she flipped open the book to where he had left it open, oh shit. That was it, she was out cold on the floor in a heartbeat, causing the book to fall straight to the hardwood floors along with her body. Ginny quickly rushed to her side, and noticed she was indeed unconscious. She quickly levitated her friends body onto her bed. Running to Hermione's bathroom to look for a revival potion, she couldn't find one.

"Well then I guess we will have to go the long way about it." She said to herself as she hurried back to Hermione's bedside. Quickly taking out her wand she place the tip of it at Hermione's temple, and spoke clearly the words, "Revilatio Incatium." Hermione's moaned, but remained unconscious. "Fifteen minutes, and she'll probably be back from the land of nod, but until then, let's see what made both of those nutters go nutty." She walked over to the book laying on the floor, picking it up she instantly saw it. It was a very surprising picture, especially since it was found in Hermione's memory book.

The picture was of the boy who had just left the room, and the girl who had just left consciousness. They were smiling at each other out on, what she thought, looked like the grounds of Hogwarts. 'THEY'RE SMILING AT EACH OTHER! When did this happen? Where was I? How come she didn't tell me?' Ginny thought, and then she saw the caption underneath.

It simply stated... He smiled at me... he actually smiled at me.

00000000000000000000000

Right, so once again I'm sorry it took so long. I hope you liked it, please review! Kisses! Dominique (hpobsessor)