Chapter 23

It was midday and Hermione and Draco were both on the sofa just sitting. Hermione was reading, no change there, and Draco was just lounging about. They were both thankful that Titus hasn't come near them since his last attempt.

"Do you want lunch?" Hermione said closing her book.

"Uh, sure." Draco was taken back by the kindness in her voice-again. It seemed every time she talked to him now he was surprised by the gentleness of her voice.

"Ok…" Hermione walked the short distance to the kitchen. "So there's...sandwiches." Hermione said looking in both fridge and cupboards.

"What kind?" Draco had always been fussy.

"Turkey." Hermione replied taking out a plate of what looked like leftover turkey slices.

"Ok." Turkey was acceptable.

"Fussy." Hermione teased.

"I'm not fussy! I'm...selective of my food." Draco said slowly.

"Just food?" Hermione smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Draco said jokingly.

"Of course you don't." Hermione said sarcastically, the smirk still present on her face.

Hermione came back in to the living with two plates and gave one to Draco.

"Thanks." Draco said without thinking.

"Did you just say 'Thanks'?" Hermione asked amused.

"No."

"You did. You, Draco Malfoy, were just nice to a 'mudblood'." Draco flinched at that. "Oh, So it's ok for you to call me that, but when I say it's hurtful?" Hermione raised her eyebrow.

"When anyone-" Draco started.

"Anyone but you?" Hermione asked.

"For Salazar's sake, Hermione, I don't believe in that anymore!" Draco didn't know what he was saying-well yelling. The words were just coming out as they pleased, he'd been holding it in for too long. "I don't know! It's just, my father always told me how Muggleborns were less, everything about them was lesser; their strength-emotional and physical-their intelligence, their everything! Then you come along and you're smarter than any pure blood in our year and possibly the school! And you always seem so strong when facing problems! And you're not the most strong physically, but you sure do know how to pack a bloody punch! It's just...everything you are is against what my father believes, everything he told me and it's just...I guess I just don't believe in that anymore." Draco sighed.

Hermione sat there looking shocked. He didn't think that? He had complimented her? He didn't believe in blood purity? He, Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, didn't believe in blood purity. He didn't, not anymore. That was...wow. He didn't think that?

Before Hermione knew what was going on her arms were around Draco's neck and she was hugging him? What the….? What was even weirder was that Draco wasn't protesting. He was even untense. She, Hermione Granger, was hugging him, Draco Malfoy.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered.

Before Draco knew what was going on his arms were around Hermione's waist and he was hugging her back. She had just thanked him for not believing in something stupid and wrong. And she was thanking him because he was horrible to her in the past that she, and everyone else, thinks he believes in said stupid and wrong thing.

Tallulah has appeared expecting to see them both in the sofa, Hermione probably reading whilst Draco lounged about, but what she saw was them...hugging. So not to interrupt Tallulah stood there smiling at the two of them. They had a long way to go before forgiveness, but at the same time, they had barely anyway to go. So Tallulah stood silently smiling and creeping into the kitchen so they would see her when they had finished.

She smiled and silently thanked her parents.

'Mum, Dad. I think it's working, I hope you think so too. I hope I'm doing you proud, you are me. It's you're doing, all this, they may save lives once they get out-and it's all because of your love for each other.' Tallulah prayed her parents could hear her.

Tallulah's parents stood in the shadows as Tallulah appeared. They were so proud of her, because of her these two would save lives and they'd to it together. Without one another they'd never do it, but together they could help save this world. Tallulah's parents were so proud and they just wished Tallulah could know that.

As Tallulah said her silent prayer they're hearts melted, she was their last child and she made them proud beyond measure. She was so full of life, so caring and they just hoped she knew how much she loved them. She had brought love into a boy who they would have thought was incapable. They had brought love into a girl who never thought of herself and always of others, who never thought herself worthy of romantic love.

And yet the two of them are slowly falling deeper and deeper in love with one another.

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