The herbology test had gone very well, as always.
But something else troubled Hermione Granger's mind lying on her stomach in her bed while reading a book, on that sad Tuesday at the ides of December.
The last heads meeting about the secret room was a long time ago, and the thing was getting exhausting.
Why doesn't happen nothing?! That day she also had another meeting for the runes books; the only thing that was still pushing her there with the ferret, was curiosity and not wanting to disappoint her friends who were just waiting for her to bring news.
If it was up to her, she wouldn't have spent a minute with Malfoy in that room.
The time to go to the library had come, and Hermione with regret, collected the rune books in a bag and walked away sighing.
As soon as I entered the library, she felt the warmth of the fire cheerfully crackling in the back of the room. Madame Pience always wanted a fireplace to warm the library in winter. So when they rebuilt Hogwarts, they contented her and built a beautiful stone fireplace at the back of the room; and Hermione was very happy about it, even if the cold had never stopped her to came in the library in the past cold winters. (when she wasn't a getting into trouble with Harry and Ron).
But with the fireplace on, she and Malfoy couldn't go and hide behind the last shelves with the secret books, because instead of the usual tables, a sitting room was set up with some reading armchairs.
She was slightly early, so she chose a small table by the window, behind a huge shelf, and then went to the Muggle bookshelf that she had personally asked to put in the library. She took three books and went to read on a chair near the table on which she had placed the rune books.
"Granger." she was completely absorbed when someone interrupted her reading making her jump. It was Malfoy.
"What are you reading?" Said Malfoy, snatching the book from her heands.
"pride and prejudice? And what should this be?" Malfoy asked with a disgusted face.
"A Muggle book."
"So Muggles write books?"
Hermione made a face that must have sarcastically meant to say something like: "Really Malfoy? Really?!"
"of course, and they have nothing less than the wizards' books. You should try."
"I have a culture for your information, and also quite vast. I read Romeo and Juliet, the divine comedy, the Betrothed, Hamlet... just to name a few. My mother wanted me to read also the masterpieces of Muggle literature to fully complete my education in all fields."
"funny, I read all the Shakespeares, the name of the rose, Decameron, poetry, historical novels, crime books, fairy tales and poems from all over the world; no contest Malfoy, you're in my area. Ten points to Hermione, ball in the centre." Malfoy frowned at her with a glare.
"wanna see if you keep being so cocky on a broomstick high on the quidditch pitch, eh Granger? I bet you can't stand more than two minutes." Hermione decided that he didn't worth it, (even if she would have really appreciate reminding him of whom saved him and his friend from the R.O.R. at the battle...) and continued with the previous argument.
"but you've never read books that are a bit less ancient like detective stories or fairy tales like beauty and the beast, right?" she commented taking a book from the small pile near her.
"My mother never read me magical bedtime stories, let alone the muggles' ones."
"They are not children's stories! Read one and you'll see."
"If it will calm you down a minimum and shut your bubbling mouth then I will read one."
Hermione handed him the other book that she had took from the muggle shelf. "Keep; it's a book I've read more than once."
"The Baskerville mastiff. What is it?" asked the other peering at the title of the book.
"a crime book." Malfoy looked at Hermione dazed.
"Don't tell me you've never even heard of crime books?!" Malfoy shook his head.
"then you have to start from the bases, you are a lost cause. It is a book about mysteries to be solved, to find thieves, killers, similar things."
"stop, acceptable." said Malfoy stopping the flow of information that Hermione was about let out about the crime books.
"perfect, good reading. When you finish it you will tell me if you liked it."
"okay. Did you bring the runes books?" asked Malfoy unconvinced and then changed the subject.
"Yes." simply replied Hermione, pulling large dusty books out of her bag. "Where were we?"
"Chapter 32 page 713." Malfoy said opening the book to the right page and planting a finger in the middle of the page. "right here."
They immediately translated the end of the book, the part about the dragons, after that, only the most recent book remained. They had decided to keep it last because it was the most suspicious, apparently it is a common habit to leave the best for last.
Half an hour of cold and rigorous translation had passed, when suddenly, Malfoy broke that icy wall of ice that separated them despite being so close.
"Granger" he called, the girl hearing him as if she was underwater.
"What do you want Malfoy?" she asked raising her head from the book (and out of the water).
"I just wanted to apologize for what happened some days ago; you know, after potions..." he was about to continue but was abruptly interrupted by Hermione.
"wait a second, do you really believe that after years and years of insults, of tears, of hatred, you can just come and apologize?!" Hermione snapped.
Luckily the librarian was temporarily absent, or she would have surely rushed there all angry.
"first I was apologizing for what happened just that single day, not for seven years of insults, I know that for those it is impossible to be forgiven. Second: at least I tried!" Malfoy replies as tenacious and stubborn as Hermione.
Hermione was spellbound for a moment looking at Draco who had started translating the runes again.
She remembered what Luna had said, she remembered his heart of stone, that time she had helped him to come back to himself, and she retraced her steps.
"Thanks" she told slowly and softly in a whisper. "It's nice that you managed to apologize, but as you said too, I don' t think i'm ready to forgive you for everything you've done to me." She said, remaining haughty.
She was already immersing herself in the book, but was interrupted by Malfoy who started talking again.
"Hermione, do you believe people can change?"
"well, you just called me Hermione, not Granger, or mudblood, I thought I already told you in the courtyard after potions, I believe you can become someone better, much better but it's up to you."
Malfoy nodded and they resumed the translation as if nothing had happened, but maybe something had?
For another twenty minutes they continued to translate silently, then Malfoy looked up from the book and began his lament: "Granger. I can't take it anymore, all these runes come out of my ears, translation is killing me; pause?" Hermione nodded, she was tired too.
"I know you erased your parents' memory to follow Potter..." he continued looking for someone to talk to as he got up from his chair and started walking around the table.
"oh, well, yes. But the Aurors are looking for them in Australia. I'm sure they will bring me news soon. I am optimistic." she answered hopefully.
"seriously, Granger, Australia?!" Malfoy asked sarcastically with his usual smirk.
"I wanted to keep them safe!" she justified herself. "Indeed, Australia was a bit extreme..."
"I wish I had been sent to Australia rather than having done what they made me do..." Malfoy whispered with a sad smile.
The door opened wide slamming against the wall. Madama Pince was already determined to go and punish the thug author of that, but here appears professor McGonagall.
"Miss Granger? are you here?" Hermione heard her and cutting conversation with Malfoy, she answered immediately: "coming!" Hermione ran to her so that the professor couldn't see neither Malfoy nor the books.
"I knew I could find you here. We have news about your parents." Hermione noticed the tone of her voice and began to worry despite the wave of joy that hit her at her words.
"you see Miss Granger... the aurors found her parents, and gathered information about them. They started a new life in Australia, they are happy, and have also adopted a little girl. They called her Hermione."
The brunette girl in front of McGonagall gulped and felt her eyes burn, but tried to hold back tears, because she was in front of the headmistress, and she would never allow herself to cry in front of her.
"We thought it was better to ask her if she wanted to restore their memory; come to my study when you're ready." the headmistress informed her in a sweet tone.
"of- of course." Hermione stammered. McGonagall gave her a quick hug and then left the library.
Hermione ran to pick up her books with one arm in front of her face drying her tears, so she couldn't see where she was going, and ran into someone, but that someone, hearing her cry, embraced her.
"What's up Granger?" It was Malfoy. obvious. of all people in the library, she bumped into him. great. Hermione couldn't hold back a second longer and burst into sobs.
"woah, calm down Granger, it's all right." tried to reassure her that boy so new to affection.
"Look, I don't think I'm the most suitable person, it's better that you go to Potter, or Weaslette, but if you want I can take you there." said Malfoy, who felt very uncomfortable in having his "nemesis" in his arms, crying.
"O- okay, well, let's go to the Gryffindor tower." Hermione said walking away.
-God, who knows how many annoying questions people will ask me, if they see me not only at the Gryffindor Tower, but with crying Granger!- Malfoy thought with regret. -Doesn't matter, this is more important, I want to be forgiven. I need to be forgiven.- He mentally said to himself, going to collect Hermione's books and bag.
"come on, don't you know? Grown-ups don't cry. And you don't want all your fans to see you in tears, it would be terrible for them to see their hero crying, don't you think? take a handkerchief." Malfoy said, handing a clean one to Hermione, who nodded, blowing her nose.
"Shall we finish the book tomorrow?" Malfoy asked, passing her bag to the Hermione.
"Tomorrow, after class, same time, same place." said Hermione, who had regained control of herself even though her eyes were red.
"If you want, I'll go and get you something from the great hall, I don't think you want to go to dinner."
"thanks, it's very nice of you, but I think I still have something in my secret supplies in the dorm, don't worry." she replied.
"really?! Secret supplies in the dorm?! I thought you Gryffindors didn't do such things!" Draco ventured trying to play down the whole situation.
"Oh yes, we do! I think Ron has half of his trunk filled in food, me and Ginny have the whole bedside table. And I think Seamus managed to take in some firewiskey once." Said Hermione smiling but keeping a low and sad tone.
"I'm pretty shocked." the boy commented as he collected his things from the table, and Hermione started walking out of the library. They had decided to go in and out separately, so they wouldn't arouse suspicion.
For once, Draco felt good, in peace with himself, he hadn't been insulting Granger for quite a long time, and for some reason now he was helping her. Hermione didn't know, but by accepting help from Draco, she was helping him in his war.
They walked to the Gryffindor tower passing through the secondary corridors, and the less used ones, then stopped in front of the portrait of the fat lady who was looking at herself in a mirror.
"woah, I can't believe it! Won't be that..." started the fat lady amazed seeing them arriving.
"no, no, no, absolutely no, we're not together, we're not even friends! we're... acquaintances!" Malfoy said to the fat lady who had already left with her imagination.
"Mhm, too bad, in my opinion you look cute together."
"excuse me, I don't have time to get angry with you; but if I had, I would have turn her portrait like Sirius Black had done the night he entered Hogwrarts. Now please open the door for Miss Granger." Malfoy asked her, making an annoyed but slightly frightened expression appear on the face of the fat lady, who jumped at the name of Sirius Black.
"Dear Miss Granger, since I don't see her in a very good state and here with us we have the pleasure of having no one less than the Slytherin prince; I won't ask you for the password, so that it will remain secret." Said the fat lady with a loving but shrill voice as always.
"Thanks." Hermione whispered. The dormitory door opened and at least three astonished Gryffindor looked out to see what was going on.
"Thanks Dr-Malfoy." greeted Hermione before entering the common room already full of muttering, although fortunately there were at most a dozen people in total, because the rest was already at dinner.
"Guys, please no panic, absolutely nothing happened, and no questions, please." Hermione advised, crossing the hall and climbing the stairs to her dormitory.