Draco walked away from that interaction feeling somehow lighter. He had finally said what he wanted to on that first day in the library. There had been this nagging voice in his head, telling him to spit it out already, but it never seemed like the right time to do so. He was glad that he seized the opportunity when it presented itself. He was also pleasantly surprised to see how receptive she was. 'I thought for sure she'd be the hardest to convince.' Draco thought, also allowing himself to admit that she was also the only one he really wanted to forgive him. He suddenly remembered that there was one more person in that friend group that might give him trouble. 'Weaslebee' He thought bitterly, remembering all the rows the two had, most of them, over something he said to Hermione. He wondered why that pair had broken up, but he was sure it was Weaselbee's fault somehow. He didn't much care if Weaslebee forgave him, or if they ever spoke at all. That being said, he knew very well that the day would come eventually. He couldn't help but harp slightly on the fact that Hermione was obviously asking around about him. He was sure that one of those "people" was Longbottom, probably Hagrid too, and hopefully….Potter.

He went through his teaching day with little issues. He taught his first years the knockback jinx, his second years pixies, his third years boggarts, his fourth years how to hex deflect, his fifth years the tongue-tying curse, his sixth years nonverbal spells and finally, his seventh years the unforgivable curses. He always liked to start the year off with an entertaining, rather simply explained lesson. He had to get special permission from McGonagall to teach the unforgivable curses. He was more than shocked when she agreed. He felt it was important for the seventh years, who were preparing to step into the real world real fast, to know real world things. Even if that meant having to accept a much darker reality of the wizarding world. He did not, however, think this particular lesson needed to be hands on, and McGonagall agreed. Nobody seemed traumatized, so that was a plus. Draco laughed at himself. 'What high standards, nobody traumatized." He chastised, laughing softly again. His wandering mind was jerked back to reality by the sound of Neville's voice.

"Hey OH!" Neville's voice carried, which it never did, so Draco knew something was going on. "You can't just take things out of my greenhouse without permission young man!" Draco heard, and he sped up his pace. He rounded the corner, and saw Mr Nott playing a 'prank' on Neville. Draco muttered 'sonorus' with his wand pointed at his throat and spoke clearly.

"That is enough!" The hallway boomed, the students shook and Neville smiled. "Mr Nott. I've had enough of you. You will have two straight days of detention with ME!" Draco removed the charm with a wave of his wand, and walked straight up to Mr Nott.

"Well I can't." Mr Nott said defiantly.

"Funny how you think you have a choice." Draco retorted, eyeing Neville to step up a bit, and so he did.

"I have quidditch tryouts, was asked personally by-"

"Not anymore." Draco interrupted firmly.

"Bu-"

"Did I stutter Mr Nott?" Draco asked, the question was obviously rhetorical. "You will not be going to quidditch try outs. You will not talk back to me or any other professor again." Draco took a deep breath, Neville bedside him. "Let me tell you what you will be doing Mr Nott. You will be giving Professor Longbottom back his property…" Draco waited until Nott followed his orders to continue. "...you will be meeting me in my chambers at 5 o'clock sharp tonight and tomorrow night. Every minute you are late will be another day of detention, got it?" Draco paused again, matching the students glare with ease. "Lastly, you will show Professor Longbottom the respect he deserves and apologize for your poor behavior. You will do this because you surely know that without this man right here…" Draco pointed to Neville's chest. "You would not be living in this free world where you get to make your own decisions….no matter how poor your decisions might be." Draco finished, gesturing for the boy to do as he says.

"Fine." Nott responded angrily. "I am sorry Professor Longbottom." Nott said, obviously not happy about it. Neville nodded as sternly as he could muster, and Draco shoo-ed the boy off.

"Thanks mate!" Neville said once the boy was out of earshot, clapping his hand to Draco's back.

"Don't mention it. That kid is getting on my last nerve." Draco's voice was bitter.

"Reminds you of someone eh?" Neville shot back, causing Draco to mutter 'shut it' as he walked away.

It did in fact remind him of someone, someone he never wanted to be again. He wasn't sure how he was going to set this kid straight, but he knew who to ask.

Draco made his way to his chambers, putting a silence charm on the door as it swung close. He sat on the floor by his fireplace and set up a floo call.

"Ello mate!" Blaise Zabini's voice echoed through the room.

"Hey." Draco answered shortly.

"Well you didn't floo call me in the middle of the day, on a school day even, to say hey now did you?" Blaise's sarcasm made Draco loosen up a little bit.

"On a school day?" Draco sneered playfully. "You get one girl pregnant and suddenly you act like a mom!" Draco finished on a gruff laugh. Blaise laughed as well.

"You leave Astoria out of this mate!" Zabini shot back, and Draco rolled his eyes lightly.

"Alright alright, so I need your input on this little brat." Draco said, trying his best to cut straight to the point, but it was hard with his best friend.

"You know Drakey" Zabini said the nickname purposely to bother him. "It's not healthy to talk about yourself in the third person." Zabini was laughing so hard, it was easy to picture him rolling on the floor.

"Oh shove off!" Draco spat. "No, I think he's Nott's cousin or something." Draco made a mental note to mention Blaise's family members as well, but that could wait.

"Theo's?" Blaise's tone suddenly got very serious. The pair didn't much care for Theodore Nott in their school days, or even now. "I think he's got a nephew…didn't realize he was that old yet…something with a B…" Blaise trailed off.

"Barty?" Draco suggested, figuring he'd help him out a bit.

"Yes! But his full name is Bartholomule or something stupid." Blaise said, almost as a joke.

"Yea, look at that! You retained information, so proud of you mate!" Draco jested, causing Blaise's green form to roll its eyes. "Anyway, he's a bit of a git. Reminds me of…"

"Us?" Blaise interjected.

"Well I was going to say Theo…" Draco half laughed. "...but yea, us too I guess." He finished, shifting awkwardly on the floor.

"Former us, to be clear." Blaise said, sensing a shift. "So what? You want me to come kick his arse or…"

"Yea Blaise, you are my first years hitman." Draco's reply was dripping with sarcasm. "I just wanted to know, from your memory…what could've a teacher said back then, to make you question your views?" Draco finally got his question out, but there was a long pause before Blaise answered.

"I think…that we weren't exposed to a lot of different lifestyles and ways of thinking back then. Sure we left our rigid pureblood homes for Hogwarts…"

"But we were surrounded by people with those same messed up values?" Draco finished his sentence, but it sounded more like a question.

"Yea mate…I mean…" Blaise's voice sounded full of sincerity. "...We came to school and shunned those who were different from us…and it was not only allowed, but almost supported by some of our teachers. That's why I think this unity thing McGonagall implemented is perfect. As for on an individual small minded pureblood level…do some research." Draco raised an eyebrow, but knew Blaise would explain. "You know as well as I do that pureblood families haven't been pure blood in a long time. So find his family information, and show him the lies that he was fed. Let the rest of the chips fall as they may, and keep at him, like Snape should of done with us." Blaise's finished.

"Thanks mate, good idea." Draco said, trying to give too much praise, as that was unnatural for them. "Very…parental." Draco joked.

"Well you need one!" Blaise shot back, laughing at himself.

"On a different note, real quick!" Draco said, glancing at the clock on his wall. "I think I have a relative of yours as well, a boy."

"Oh shit, Tasius?" Blaised questioned, obviously trying to do quick math to figure out who in his family is old enough to be a first year.

"Yes! Nice kid." Draco answered.

"Yea he's a good kid, my cousin's kid on my dad's side, didn't see them much growing up….probably cause as you said, he's a good kid." Blaise's voice turned sour. Draco knew exactly what he meant. Any pureblood wizard that was tolerant, was marked as a blood traitor. It would only make sense that Blaise's parents would not associate with them."How do you have this much time to bother me anyway?" Blaise asked, purposely changing the subject.

"I actually have about five minutes before my meeting with Granger…" Draco ignored the kissing sounds Blaise was making. "...and then I have detention with this brat before dinner." He finished, still ignoring his friends' antics.

"Oooooooooooh Granger!" Blaise sang. "Have you proposed yet? June wedding?" Draco completely ignored him, as if he wasn't speaking. "Do let me knoooo-" His voice trailed off as Draco ended the call looking annoyed.

Draco removed the silencing charm with a wave of his hand, and headed to Hermione's office. He knew Blaise would react like that to hearing Hermione's name, but he was hoping he could slip it into normal conversation. Blaise has been on his back about Hermione working with him since he found out. Seems to think Draco had some 'crush' on her back in school. 'As if' Draco thought to himself as he walked along the corridors. 'Me, like her? Not a chance, she was just the annoying competition for top in the class. And I resented her for never wavering on her grades, it gave me no room to shine. I mean maybe I became a little obsessed with one upping her at times…but that wasn't like….it was…'

"Hello" His thoughts were cut short but the sound of Hermione's voice. It seemed as though he had arrived at his destination.

"We have loads to talk about." Draco said, fixing himself a seat across from her. 'None of which are indications that I like her' He thought sternly.