The next three weeks of classes flew by. Draco noticed that time was moving much faster at Hogwarts than it had been when he was at the Manor and prior to that, in Azkaban. The perception of time was greatly influenced by one's surroundings. It almost made him feel out of control, having time slip away so quickly. After spending so many grueling hours over the summer hoping that time would pass him by, once it was actually doing so, it was disorienting.

Most of his courses were self-study, except for potions, the class he was sitting through now. He knew he couldn't miss out on the practical training of in-class potions, despite how unwelcome he may feel from Slughorn and the other students. He had potions three times a week with the 7th year Slytherins and Gryffindors, including Granger. From the back of the classroom where he was sitting, he could see the back of her wild hair as she sat with the Weaslette in the second row.

He sat at the back during potions and tried to stay as silent and invisible as possible. The students avoided him as much as he avoided them, but he would occasionally get a nasty look or angry whisper. The first week was brutal with the reactions of the younger students – fear, anger, disgust. But the last few weeks they had learned to ignore him and avoid him and it was getting easier to get through the class.

Draco had managed to avoid Granger for the most part, spending a majority of his time studying in his room and eating at strange hours in their kitchenette - usually when she was attending class. If he noticed her studying in the common room, he would give a nod and exit the room. Much like that first night, he had run into Granger a few times in the middle of the night, mostly he saw her first and was able to slip away before she noticed. But a few nights ago, when he was in the common room with his firewhiskey and philosophy book ready to head outside, she had come across him. His mind drifted back to the interaction.

"Oh…I wasn't expecting to see you down here." Granger said. "Can't sleep either?"

"Uh… Nope. Was just about to head outside, actually. You can have the common room to yourself, don't let me stop you." Draco replied.

"I wasn't going to let you stop me." Granger laughed. "I haven't seen much of you at all…." She paused for a moment, "Are you avoiding me?" Granger almost looked embarrassed.

Draco paused, trying to phrase his intentions correctly. "Not avoiding you so much as trying to give you space." He shrugged. "You shouldn't have to feel put off in your own home. I know you wanted to be left alone."

She looked at him with surprise in her eyes and then narrowed them. "So you're not avoiding me because…. You can't stand me?" She asked him boldly.

Draco looked at her for a moment, realizing she must still think that he hated muggle-borns or believed in blood purity. Embarrassment washed over him. "Look…. I don't believe in that shit anymore… I, uh, had a lot of time to think in Azkaban…" He cleared his throat. He tried to lighten the mood, "If I don't like you now it would be purely due to you being a know-it-all Gryffindor, rather than a muggleborn." He smiled at her nervously, not sure how she would react.

Granger snorted at him but returned the smile. "Good to know. What are you reading?" she asked, pointing to the book in his hand.

He continued to smirk at her as he replied, "You're never going to believe me but, uh, Aristotle." He held up the book.

"Philosophy then… Interesting. What do you think so far?" Hermione thoughtfully prompted.

"It's just a basic introduction to him so I haven't gotten very deep into his works yet. It's given me lots to think about so far. The references to his Nicomachean Ethics are intriguing. Have you read any of his work?" Draco wondered.

"I've also read a basic introduction since he has over 200 works. I read through introductions to most of the well-known philosophers first before deciding who to read more of…You should try Nietzsche next, I think you would like him." Granger smiled at him.

"Thanks for the suggestion, Granger." He responded to her with a nod. "I'll keep it in mind." He started to head for the door.

"Malfoy…by the way – don't feel like you have to stay in your room all the time. This is your common room, too. As McGonagall said, we're both adults, I am sure we can manage to share the space."

Draco stopped for a moment. "Be careful what you suggest Granger…you know I'm no good at sharing things…I might just claim everything as my own." He smirked as he walked out the door. Little did she know how serious he was when he said everything.

Slughorn's voice boomed him back to the present. Their lesson today was on Everlasting Elixirs. It was some review from sixth year with slightly more advanced theory. Draco was very advanced in potions and he was struggling to focus in Slughorn's classes. He missed when his former Potions Master and Godfather had taught him. It was hard to sit through Slughorn's less thorough lessons. He was starting to think he should have done self-study. Snape likely would have recommended he attend class AND do self-study. He smiled to himself. Oh how he missed Snape's condescending but thorough teaching style. He would have liked to know the man Snape was as a whole, not just the side that he had associated with as a Death Eater. He could have used his guidance now more than ever...

"And that ends our review, you should all be up to speed now. Next class we will be moving into more challenging potions. We will begin group projects, working on brewing a potion of your choice one class a week for the next few months. This may require out of class time depending on what you decide to brew. I have provided a list of options but feel free to check in with me if you have something in mind. This is not something that can be worked on independently based on the potions level we are working on. I expect you to show up to the next class with your partner decided and a potion chosen. Class dismissed." Slughorn smiled to the class.

Fucking hell. Draco knew that partner projects were common in potions but he had been hoping he could avoid it by working alone. Maybe he should have done self-study after all. He left the classroom first, stalking off to the castle exit, heading to the grounds to clear his head. He would have to find a way out of this.


Hermione slammed her book shut with an exasperated sigh. She was sitting at the large mahogany study table in the 8th year common room. After a few deep breaths she thought it would be worth replying to Harry's letter. She had been avoiding it for a few days because he had asked about her progress on her research and she didn't want to admit to herself or anyone that it was looking dismal. But if anyone could understand, it was Harry, and she knew writing about it may help clear her head.

Dear Harry,

I am glad that training is going well so far and that you are enjoying working with Williamson. It sounds like you're a good match. I can't believe you've already had a run-in with one of the Death Eaters – I am sure you'll manage to track Selwyn again and this time capture him.

No, Malfoy is not bothering me. In fact, I have barely spoken more than a few words to him. I know you think I should have just roomed with Ginny, but I needed to focus on this research, and this has been an ideal set up. Honestly, I think he has changed. I saw him reading Muggle philosophy – I know hard to believe... Regardless, I can fend for myself, but I will let you know if anything changes.

Honestly, I've been avoiding writing you back because I have made no progress with my self-study research on memory charms. It's been really difficult. I knew there was likely to be irreversible damage, but part of me thought that if I could get to Hogwarts, I could figure something out. I don't know what to do Harry. Do I just leave them to live their life without me? At this point it is likely safer for their mental well-being…But I just can't give up. I don't know what to do, Harry. I miss them.

Can we meet sometime next week? When do you have a gap in your training schedule? I am set up with the Floo network so I can come by or you can come here. Let me know.

P.S. Tell Ron I say hello back and that I hope he is doing well…

H.

Hermione slipped her quill into the ink goblet and hunched over in her chair. She had been devoting all her time in her self-study courses to researching memory charms for the last month – and still nothing. Everything she had studied mentioned the same few warnings – not to be used on events longer than 24 hours ideally, otherwise it could erase significant portions of an individual's memory and could cause permanent brain damage. Hermione couldn't find anything about reversing memory charms longer than an event of a month at most; and she had condemned her parents to forgetting a full lifetime of her! She had known at the time casting that charm would likely be impossible to reverse, but she had to.

The horrors of the war had come to a conclusion and she wanted her parents back. They had all lost so much – she felt thankful knowing her parents were out there somewhere alive, thanks to her memory charm… But to never have them in her life again was still a loss like any other. She hadn't allowed herself to think of anything but their safety during the war, but now that it was over the crushing reality that she may never have them in her life again was too much. It was a hollow loss paired with the burden of the responsibility to fix it. She had to solve the problem. She was Hermione Damn Granger after all, if anyone could figure it out, it was her. She looked out the window, tears streaming down her face blurring the still lake and the tree branches swaying in the breeze outside. She took a few deep breaths and tried to stop her hands from shaking, waiting for the tears to stop flowing and the landscape to become clear.

After a few minutes, she folded up the letter, ready to head up to the Owlery to send it off to Harry. She checked the time: 1:31 pm. Her next in-person class was in a half-hour, Arithmancy with Vector on the 7th floor, which was close to the Owlery. She began to gather up her things. She had opted for self-study on everything except Arithmancy and Potions. They were her favourite subjects and the ones she felt she could gain the most from in the classroom. She had Arithmancy alone with the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws (she had chosen whichever class time she preferred) and Potions with Ginny and the Gryffindors and Slytherins, and Malfoy. It was nice to have a class with Ginny. Hermione had been avoiding other students, and by default, Ginny. This came in turn with eating most of her meals in the common room rather than the great hall, which she knew Ginny didn't approve of.

Ginny had Head Girl duties keeping her busy for the most part, and that combined with Hermione's research on memory charms was putting further strain on their friendship. Socializing had become exhausting for Hermione and with her lack of progress so far on her research, it was getting harder to pretend. She knew Ginny wanted to work on the project together that Slughorn had assigned the class in Potions that morning. They had discussed it after class, but the potion that Hermione wanted to attempt would be unfair to put on Ginny, as it didn't exist. She was hoping to do more research related to memory potions, and to in fact try to reverse a memory potion that already existed by creating an antidote. She thought it could lead to progress on her parents' condition if done properly. But it would need a lot of focus and attention and likely someone just as skilled at potions as she was. There was only one person in Potions class that might be able to help, but she wasn't sure she could even ask him.

Just as Hermione was opening the door to exit the common room, it swung open and she almost collided with Malfoy. His face was tense and his grey eyes cold. "Granger." He nodded at her, walked around her and proceeded into the common room. It still felt like he was avoiding her; she had hoped after their last conversation the other night that he would be around more. Not that she wanted them to be friends necessarily, but friendly acquaintances would be nice at this point. She knew he had changed, and she desperately wanted to interact with someone who wouldn't praise her or pity her. She also knew he had nightmares too, she had seen him up at all hours of the night, and it would be nice to spend time with someone who understood. She noticed he sat down at the couch by the fireplace. Maybe he wasn't avoiding her anymore.

"Malfoy…" She turned back towards him. He looked up at her, and in his eyes, she saw more emotion than she had expected to see. His cold eyes had suddenly filled with grey storms. "I uh, was wondering if you would be willing to do me a favour." She stared into his eyes from across the room. She watched as his eyes turned cold, as he built his walls up again.

"What could I possibly do for you, Granger?" Malfoy sounded sincere.

"Well… I know you received an Outstanding in Potions a few years ago… And honestly, I need help with a very complicated project. For Slughorn's assignment…I was wondering if you would work with me? I uh, need to invent a potion, or rather a mix between an antidote to an existing potion and something else. It will likely be very time-consuming and challenging, which is why it is a favour." Hermione could feel herself flushing. It was a lot to ask of someone, much less Malfoy and she felt embarrassed. His eyes narrowed at her and his brow furrowed. "You can have time to think, we just have to let Slughorn know by Wed–"

"Which potion are you wanting to make an antidote for?" Malfoy asked her.

"I need to make an antidote for the Forgetfulness Potion, while including some properties of a Memory Potion."

He continued to study her for a moment until he replied, "Okay... I'm in. I can't guarantee anything but I will help you try."

Hermione felt a wave of relief wash over her. She gave a soft smile. "Thank you, Malfoy. I can explain more after Arithmancy. I'll meet you back here in an hour?"

"Sure. I'll be here."

Hermione exited the common room, walking very quickly up to the Owlery before her class began. She was surprised Malfoy would agree to help her. He had been avoiding her so much for the last month, she was sure he must still dislike her. She would always be the annoying Gryffindor Muggleborn to him.

But then again, he probably didn't have a partner to work with since he sat alone at the back of their potions class. She couldn't blame him, the students either treated him like he was evil or like he didn't exist. No longer a smug and condescending Malfoy in Potions, rather a quiet, reserved Malfoy. It was almost odd to see him that way, but wasn't all that different to what he had been like near the end of sixth year leading up to Dumbledore's death.

Still, it was a lot of work for him to agree to help her with, and she was surprised he wouldn't find a way to work alone first. Maybe he was trying to repay her for helping at his trial…she thought that they were even, since he had stalled long enough for them to escape on that day at Malfoy Manor, but as a Slytherin he likely didn't want to feel indebted to her in any way.

Hermione rushed into the door of the Arithmancy classroom just in time for class to start. Professor Vector was outlining their lesson objectives today. Hermione wasn't even sure what unit they were on anymore, they must have just moved into new material from the previous review. She found it hard to concentrate in class and in her other studies, all her energy and focus had been going into the research on memory charms. It didn't help that she barely slept more than 3 hours a night. The nightmares still plagued her sleep, memories of torture so real from that very day - the one that seemed to keep her and Malfoy in some kind of indebted loop. That day was a defining moment for their win of the war, and it seemed to her a defining moment of Malfoy's character. She wondered if his nightmares included that day as well. Her mind was drifting again, so she cleared her thoughts and focused on the lesson…

"Please read chapter 5 by next class and begin working on the problems illustrated in the chapter. Class dismissed." Professor Vector smiled at the class.

Hermione's stomach dropped. She had barely paid attention in the lecture again. She sighed and started to collect her stuff.

"Miss Granger!" Professor Vector waved her over.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I wanted to check in with you. You've seemed distracted lately. I know a lot has happened since you were previously in one of my classes… but I miss seeing the bright girl that always had her hand up in class." Vector put her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I know Arithmancy is one of the only classes you have chosen to take in-person. Is there anything I can do to keep you engaged?"

Hermione could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I appreciate that Professor. Honestly, I've been distracted lately with one of my self-study projects that has a personal impact for me. I just don't have the time to prepare for class the way I used to. I still really enjoy Arithmancy and enjoy learning from you directly."

"Okay. Well please reach out if you need anything at all. I know it must be hard for you to be back here."

Hermione nodded and turned to leave. "Thanks Professor Vector."

Hermione left the classroom and turned the corner trying to muffle the sob escaping her throat. She didn't want anyone to see her cry. Luckily the hallway was deserted. She felt broken and Professor Vector's words bounced around in her head. I miss seeing the bright girl that always had her hand up in class. She no longer felt like that girl. She couldn't live up to her own reputation after everything. She took deep belly breaths to calm her nervous system before her sobs could lead her to an emotional breakdown. Once her breathing steadied, she headed back to the 8th year common room.


Draco was surprised that Granger would ask him to work with her on the potions project. Obviously she was willing to tolerate him enough to work together. It almost felt like a second chance... And even more intriguing was the topic at hand. Memory potion…. He thought back to that first night when he had followed Granger into the Library. She had been researching memory charms. He must be right - that she is a witch with a cause. Why else would she go out of her way to invent and create a new potion? What could she possibly need it for? He wondered if she would share the intention behind the task. It must be very serious for her to attempt to invent a potion - it was almost an impossible task. He wasn't sure what good he would be and why she would choose him over the youngest Weasley. Unless it was something she was trying to keep a secret…

The door to the common room swung open and a disheveled Granger walked in. Her eyes met his as she began to walk over. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face puffy, like she'd been crying. Her wild hair falling out of a loose braid. Granger slumped down across from him on the chair.

"Granger," he acknowledged her with a slight nod.

Granger began pulling documents out of her bag and placing them on the coffee table between them.

"You can still change your mind. I realize this is an almost impossible task and we may not even pass Potions or get approval from Slughorn to pursue this project. Here is the research I have started so far." She gestured to the papers and he picked them up and began to read.

She had thoroughly researched a number of different potions, all to do with uncovering memories in the psyche. She had even gone as far to look up truthfulness potions like Veritaserum to see if similar ingredients could be strong enough to overcome previous forgetfulness properties. She had started a list of similar ingredients between some of the potions that could have the intended properties; jobberknoll feathers, stewed mandrake, galanthus nivalis. He could see where she was going based on the ingredients, obviously she was trying to reverse the effects of a memory charm or memory potion, and a strong one at that. He came across a few papers that looked to be muggle in her stack of research. "This is quite extensive research for a school project. And what are these?" He inquired.

"Muggle Psychology research papers about brain damage and memory loss. I need to ensure that the potion can combat any negative effects of memory restoration. As you can see, this may be impossible to create while not harming the potion recipient." Granger looked apprehensive and exhausted.

Draco nodded. "Reversing memory potions and charms can be dangerous, that's for sure." He shuddered, thinking of the horrors he had seen Voldemort perform for memory extraction. "I'm not sure whether Slughorn will be up for this as part of a school project, but I am willing to help you try either way."

Granger looked relieved and nodded. "Okay. I owe you one if you help me try."

"You don't owe me anything Granger." Draco felt a pit in his stomach and his eyes narrowed in disdain. He couldn't believe she would say such a thing especially based on their past.

"Well how about I at least buy you a drink in Hogsmeade or something as a thank you." Granger looked at him, her expression hopeful and surprising to him.

"If you haven't noticed, I don't like to be seen anywhere that I may offend someone. The last thing you should want is to be seen in public with me." Draco couldn't help himself from responding angrily. Why didn't she get it? He was a Death Eater. "I'm not even sure why you want my help or want anything to do with me. Go run along to your precious Weasley and Saint Potter!" Draco got up abruptly, moving to leave.

"Malfoy, wait!" Granger reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. He looked down at her hand on his arm. She dropped it instantly. "Can we just start over?"

Draco could see the desperation and loneliness swimming in her deep brown eyes. He knew the feeling all too well and let out the breath he was holding. "Why? …. Why me?"

"You've always been top of our class along with me. I know you received Outstanding in Potions before the war. I also know that Snape, one of the greatest potion masters of all time, trained you. This project is really important to me and I need all the brain power I can get. The fact that you're willing to help shows me that you've changed."

Draco was surprised she'd even noticed. He had always been competing with her for top of their class. It had led to many fights with his father, how an inferior muggleborn girl was surpassing him in every class.

"Won't your beloved Weasley be angry when he finds out your spending time with me? I'm sure Potter won't be happy about it either…" He responded.

"Not that it's any of your business but Ron and I broke up. Besides, what I do in my spare time and who I spend it with is up to me. I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't need help. There is no one else with the skill to help me." Granger huffed.

Draco was surprised to find out that Granger and Weasley were no longer together. He figured they would be engaged by now, eager to seal the deal with the war over. He also had to admit that she likely had a point, there were few students left at Hogwarts and even fewer old enough to have had a sufficient education in Potions before the Carrows reign of torture over Hogwarts last year. It was an opportunity for him to do something worthwhile for the first time in his life, anything Granger was working on was sure to be good. He just didn't want to disappoint her, but knowing that she wasn't asking for his help out of pity was reassuring. Draco took a deep breath and stuck out his hand intending to shake hers.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Draco Malfoy." He smirked.

Granger's expression softened. She took his hand and shook it. "I'm Hermione Granger. It's nice to meet you."