Author's Note

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Hermione had had a restless sleep. The lockdown was still in progress and she had a feeling it was not ending anytime soon.

She woke up tiredly. The rain was batting angrily against her windows. The events of yesterday ran through her mind. Aside from all the reasons she stated as to why she was so set on helping Malfoy, she really didn't know why she wanted to help. He was a foul git to her for the last 7 years and now why was she forgiving him so easily? Maybe the same reason she forgave Ron and Harry over all their arguments over the years. The same way she forgave Ron when he abandoned them when they were hunting horcruxes. The same way she wanted to help Hagrid all those times he was in a terrible position. And Sirius when he was innocent. And Ron and Harry all those times they needed her. When the house elves were being treated unfairly. When Umbridge was being dreadful towards the school. When Ron cheated on her. Deep down inside, she knew he was already forgiven. She saw good in people and Malfoy was no different.

She changed lazily into a Gryffindor shirt and a pair of jeans and brushed out her hair before making her way to the commons. Malfoy wasn't out yet, for that she felt relieved. She wouldn't pressure him anymore, if he wanted to open up to her, she would be there. It was up to him now.

She cracked open a book and began reading. Breakfast popped onto the coffee table. She eyed the food before eating. She left most of it for Malfoy and continued reading when he came out of his room silently and ate his share. He didn't say a word to which Hermione was a little confused and annoyed at. He too, picked up a book and began reading. He read?

They spent the next two hours reading silently when there was a bang outside their door. Hermione dropped her book in fright and held her wand out. Malfoy was already at the windows, locking them and drawing the blinds. Hermione edged near the door and listened intently for anything.

"What do you think you're doing? Get back here." Malfoy hissed pulling her behind the couch. She swatted his hand away annoyed. It could've been someone she knew out there. Or a death eater.

The portrait door swung open and Hermione leaped up without hesitation.

"Expelliarmus!" she called and a wand flew into her hand. She caught it swiftly before holding her wand out at ready.

"Immobulus!" Malfoy cried hitting the target and effectively immobilizing it. Hermione cautiously made her way towards the man and Malfoy was walking behind her slowly. Hermione gasped when she recognized the man.

"Sorry Harry." she blushed releasing him.

He grinned lightly. "Quite alright. You were being cautious during a lockdown." He said as Hermione handed back his wand. "I just came to tell you two that the lockdown is over. We didn't catch whoever was in here. Nor do we know who it was. We have a feeling it was Rodolphus Lestrange. He was claimed to have been seen somewhere in Scotland. We've spent the last 3 hours checking the school and we see no sign of an intruder anymore. One was definitely here. He was searching the Slytherin commons and the...7th year boys dorm. We have a feeling he thought that Malfoy would be there. He also...searched the entire Gryffindor commons as well as some Hufflepuff rooms for 5/7th years, same goes for Ravenclaw. The searching was all done while you were in classes but the Fat Lady claimed to have seen an intruder so that's what put McGonagall on the lookout. Anyways, everything seems to be fine now. And we think that the reason he was searching Slytherin commons was to find you-Malfoy and the other dorms, in addition to the specified grade of students...we think they want to get revenge on those who fought in the war." Harry said looking away. Hermione bit her lip. It wasn't just Draco in danger now, if Harry was right, the rest of them who fought in the war were at risk too.

"We also think it's only Rodolphus who wants revenge against the students who fought in the battle. Reason being, they're one of the reasons his wife is dead." Harry said wringing his hands together. "McGonagall says classes resume this afternoon." he added before smiling at Hermione, nodding at Malfoy before leaving.

Hermione walked solemnly to her potions class. She felt weighed down. She wasn't sure what she thought about her being wanted by a death eater. It wasn't new or anything just uncomfortable. She felt like she was being watched. She shook her head before finding a seat near the front of the potions classroom.

Not long after, Slughorn marched in rubbing his belly.

"That was quite something." He said cheerfully. "Turn to page 253. Read up and then flip to page 255 and attempt the potion. Homework is a 36 inch essay on my table Monday morning on the importance of potion making by Luksvana Tooche." Slughorn said before sitting with a huff at his desk. Hermione reached for her potions book and began reading through. She had read this before so she began gathering ingredients for her potion.

"Done already mudblood?" Malfoy drawled from the back of the room and his cronies laughed and snorted. Hermione felt like a punch in the gut when she heard this. She ignored him and returned to her desk with a handful of ingredients ready to brew. She felt a ball of paper hit the back of her head followed by snickers from the back of the room. She calmly picked up the paper and launched it back without opening it. She focused her mind on her potions and began pouring in a vile.

"Do you smell that vile odor Theo? It's probably the mudblood. She walked by moments ago." Malfoy laughed from his seat. Hermione felt anger boiling up in her. This is how she was being treated now?

Hermione was nearly done her potion when there was loud laughter from the back.

"Oi mudblood! Care to share how you got your hair so bushed up? I take it you got tips from a hippogriff?" Malfoy inquired from the back of the room. Hermione stood up abruptly knocking her chair over. She picked up her bag as the bell rang and walked towards Malfoy. She slapped him hard across the face before stomping out of the class. There were sounds of stunned silence before the Gryffindors began cheering and whooping. But all Hermione could feel were the tears of rejection and betrayal running into the grounds. She sat in a heap by a tree by the lake. She hugged her knees and stared coldly at the lake. She felt tears slowly making their way down her face. She wished she never wanted to help him in the beginning and she had never thought of him as a friend. And that he had never made that stupid promise.

The sky was stormy gray which began clouding over Hogwarts. Then the rain came down lightly before ranging to a full on downpour. Hermione remained motionless at the base of the tree and let the rain drench her. She cast a spell over her bag to protect her books. The rain was oddly comforting. It seemed to match her mood. Mad, angry, regretful and sorrow.

She didn't notice when a blond slid down next to her at the tree. He draped his cloak over her wet clothes. She felt the clad and warmth of his cloak as it covered her shoulders and arms.

"Hey. You there?" Malfoy asked lightly. Hermione didn't respond out of bitter resent towards him. He promised. "Look. I'm sorry." He said. Hermione didn't respond. "I just thought...if I went back to how I was, you'd hate me again and leave me alone. And it worked didn't it? You hated me and things seemed normal again but when you slapped me, good slap by the way, it gave me a reality check. Like in third year. So...I'm sorry?" Hermione turned to look at him. His hair was wet and raindrops were trailing down his face.

"Don't go back to how it was. You'll forget who you want to become." Hermione said pulling the cloak over her. "Don't go back."

"Which is why I'm here." Malfoy said. He seemed to be working himself up to say something. "I...want….help." He finally managed to stutter out. Hermione couldn't help but smile. It quickly disappeared. She turned to face him again.

"Your sure? Because I don't want you telling me you "can't" a day later. And you promised." She said sounding a little accusing at the end. He grinned slightly. Just an upwards quirk of the lips.

"I..I..apologize for that too Granger." Malfoy said clearly struggling to apologize. She shook her head. "Saying sorry isn't that difficult Malfoy. But you are forgiven. Just don't do it again." She said warily. He full on grinned this time and casually threw an arm around her shoulders.

"What are friends for?" He said lazily as they sat in the rain.

Hermione woke up the next day feeling like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. They were friends now and he wanted help. Took long enough for him to say it but better now than never. She stretched as she showered quickly before making her way down to the great hall for breakfast.

Her eyes sought out Malfoy as he sat leisurely talking to Zabini. This was the first time she had seen him actually conversing with someone other than herself when he was not scolding some poor kid. When Malfoy was shoveling some porridge into his mouth, Zabini caught her eye and raised a brow before nodding at Malfoy. Hermione shrugged before smirking as Malfoy began chatting away. She sat at the Gryffindor table and ate her breakfast in peace.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked tentatively. She looked cautious as she looked at Hermione. Hermione had been a little snappy lately whenever some friend had tried to talk to her. You could say Malfoy's stubbornness was getting to her.

"Hmmm?" Hermione asked gulping some coffee down. Ginny looked surprised. Had she really been that snappy? "I was just wondering if Harry was okay. He didn't have time to come and see me after.." Ginny said worriedly. Hermione smiled kindly at the younger red. She was so concerned for the well being of her boyfriend. "He's fine Gin. He came to tell us all about the intruder which I'm sure you heard about. He looked annoyed, hassled and tired but he didn't look hurt. He had to leave for the ministry. But he's fine." Hermione assured squeezing Ginny's hand. She smiled as the bell rang.

"What do you have?" Ginny asked as we walked out of the great hall.

"DADA." Hermione replied. "Well DADA and House Unity." She sighed. This should be interesting.

After the dull session of DADA, Giurbin got our attention to begin our first House Unity class in a while. Last time the intruder interrupted our DADA class and then the accident with Zabini. Othertimes, we were falling behind on DADA for N.E.W.T's and that took more importance.

"Today." Giurbin said slowly. Sometimes it was like listening to a sloth talk. "I'll be assigning you a major project for the year. You will be paired with a member from another house. You will get to know one another and learn to work together. I've decided to focus on the main topic of Teamwork. On occasion, all of you pairs will be tested against one another for various events. You can win by working together. I will record results and at the end of the year, the pair with the best results will receive top grades in the class." Giurbin said pulling out a piece of parchment. "McGonagall has made the pairs. Most are opposites, therefore they have to really work together to win. Winners get top grade as I've said and everyone else gets average."

Hermione felt herself go still. Average? No. No way. She hoped to get some hard working student like Padma or Hannah or Susan or…

"Lavender Brown and Gregory Goyle. Dean Thomas and Pansy Parkinson. Parvati Patil and Theodore Nott. Seamus Finnigan and Millicent Bulstrode. Padma Patil and Ernie Macmillan. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. Neville Longbottom and Blaise Zabini and Hannah Abbott and Terry Boot." Giurbin read out. "Today. You will get to know your partner. All the basic get to know you questions. Next class: Trust." He said monotone before retreating to his desk.

McGonagall was right about opposites. The pairs were dreadful. But she and Malfoy were friends now. Right? She could hear Pansy pouting from her seat as she reluctantly left Draco and made her way to Dean Thomas's desk. Before she could get to Draco's desk, he was beside her.

"Name?" He asked cocking his head to the side. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know my name but you knew which one was me?" She asked in disbelief.

He shrugged. "He said "all the basic get to know you questions", I'm only following directions Granger. I thought that was something you strongly believed in?" He asked smirking. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm Hermione Jean Granger. You?"

"Draco Lucius Malfoy." He replied almost sounding disgusted. "Age?"

"18 turning 19." Hermione responded.

"Your a year older than me?" He asked almost in disbelief.

"It's why I'm smarter than you." Hermione smirked.

"I'm 17 turning 18 this June!" He said trying to wrap his head around it.

"I have a late birthday in 1979." She shrugged. "Hobbies?"

"Quidditch, reading, flying on a broom…." Malfoy said. He nodded his head towards her indicating for her to respond.

"Reading, studying, writing…" she replied blushing slightly that her hobbies were all revolving around school.

He smirked. "Future ambition?"

She raised an eyebrow. Was she really having a civil chat with Malfoy as a friend?

"To enforce the justice of all magical creatures. To travel the world and start a family, fall in love…" she trailed off blushing deeper. "You?"

"Become a healer, I'm sure you know since McGonagall can't keep her mouth shut, travel, get married, start a family…" he said rubbing his neck. "Are you a virgin?"

"Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed causing a few heads to turn. She blushed madly. "Giurbin said basic get to know you questions. That's not basic!" She scolded.

He smirked. "But we're friends Granger and it's not very basic but it is you." He said eyeing her up and down. She looked away and refused to answer the question.

"Fine fine!" He said sighing. "You need to lighten up a bit. Fears?"

"Why would I tell you my fears?" Hermione asked crossing her arms.

"Because we're friends remember?" Malfoy asked cocking his head.

"Heights. Losing all those I love. Failing in anything. Disappointing anyone. Being alone forever." She said thoroughly embarrassed.

"How could you disappoint anyone?" Malfoy asked. He leaned forward on his chair. "I'm scared of failing my family. Being the reason my family gets killed or sent to Azkaban. I don't want to be seen as a weakling or a wimp. I don't want to be seen as a death eater or a beastly git. I'm scared my reputation will ruin me." He said catching Hermione's eye as he said all this. She felt her heart pity how he felt and intended to help him face half those fears.

"What reputation?" Hermione asked playfully nudging Malfoy.

"You really need to stop ruining the moment." He said grinning as the bell rang.

We walked out of the class together to the surprise of many of our classmates.

Hermione felt like she had learned something about Malfoy today. She felt like she got closer and more friendly with him. She got to know him. His fears, future hopes, hobbies, likes, dislikes….him.

They sat together in the common room, late at night finishing up homework.
"Bloody hell McGonagall wants us to die." Malfoy whined from the couch as he pushed his transfiguration textbook off his lap and onto the floor. "How does the old bat have time to be headmistress, teach transfiguration, give detentions, dock points and mark all this rubbish?" He asked rubbing his head.

"She's not an old bat. And she's a very talented witch. And she's hard working. Something you clearly lack." Hermione retorted rolling up her essay for Slughorn.

"You're done the walrus' essay?!" Malfoy asked sitting up straight. His hair was messed up and he had bags under his eyes.

"Instead of complaining I finished my work." Hermione said calmly placing her work away.

"Bloody hell." Malfoy groaned. He stuffed his work in his bag.

"You should be gentle with that. If it gets ruined you'll have to do it again." Hermione drawled as she stretched out on the couch.

"Hey Malfoy?" She asked suddenly a question she'd been wondering to ask about came up.

"What?" He asked stretching as he got up.
"Why did you want to name our password "Beauty and the Beast?"" She asked. He stood still.

"I didn't really have a reason. I just liked the name." He said shrugging. She looked at him in disbelief before letting it go. She trudged to her room and collapsed on her bed.

Their next Hogsmeade weekend was coming up this weekend and she was nervous to hear what exciting news Harry had to tell her.

She exited her last class of the day in a rush and headed to the library to get a head start on her homework before the weekend stole her time.

She sat down briskly at a desk and began scanning through her homework.

An hour later, Malfoy plopped down next to her and pulled out his wand.

"McGonagall just told me if I don't pass the next transfiguration test, I'm going to fail the subject!" He complained as he put his head in his hands on the table.

"I told you to practice yesterday instead of taking a ride on your broom." Hermione said not looking up from her book. He snatched the book away from her hands and held it too high for her.

"Hey!" She said standing up with her hands on her hips.

"I'm having a crisis here and you're reading!" He said running a hand through his hair. He looked really flustered about something and she had a feeling it wasn't this.

"Can you two pipe down?" Zabini drawled a few shelves over. "You sound like an old couple arguing!"

Hermione blushed and sat down. "Malfoy what's really going on?" He sighed and sat down. Wordlessly, he handed her a letter and she eyed him before opening it.

Malfoy,

You sneaky, slimy, foul git. You betrayed the dark Lord. The Dark Lord is dead because of you.

You better watch your back Malfoy. You won't have a back or legs or arms when I'm through with you.

Macnair

"This is a threat!" Hermione said louder than she intended to. Malfoy hushed he before responding.

"Please don't make a big deal out of it-"

"Big deal?! This is a big deal! We have to tell McGonagall or Harry or-"

"McGonagall knows." Malfoy sighed rubbing his forehead. "I was in her class when the owl dropped it off. She wanted to know who was mailing at this hour so she could notify them when owls were allowed to deliver. I argued and you know her, she won, she read it, then she told me for my personal safety, I am banned from going to Hogsmeade in case they are there." He said doing a terrible mimic of McGonagall.

"You know it's for your sake." Hermione said quietly.

"I'm tired of hiding behind people! I need to face them. And I know these people. They talk big but they don't really mean any of it." Malfoy said expressionless.

"You can't pull that one." Hermione said crossing her arms. She raised her hand when Malfoy was about to interrupt. "When you were persuading me not to get involved and be your friend you mentioned how they were dangerous and vile and crazy and how they wouldn't hesitate to kill. You can't switch up the argument because the topic has changed." Hermione said knowing she got him. He looked away.

"Look. I'll get you whatever you want from Hogsmeade tomorrow and you can stay as per McGonagall's instructions." She said. Seeing his low spirits she added:

" I can come back early and we can do something." She said knowing, just knowing that she was going to regret this.

A big grin began spreading across his face.

"My choice of events?" He asked raising an eyebrow. She nodded curtly and she couldn't help but smile. He looked so cute like a little kid excited for something miniscule.

"Oh you're in for a ride. Meet you in the commons tomorrow at 4. Don't be late." He said before walking out of the library completely forgetting their tutoring session.

Hermione bustled down to Hogsmeade. She had woken up late and was rushing to the Three Broomsticks for her meeting with Harry.

She entered the busy pub and spotted Harry sitting at the corner of the pub. She made her way over there and greeted him with big smiles.

"Hey Harry!" She said happily hugging him before sitting down. She had truly missed her two best friends, even Ron, as a friend.

"How're you Hermione?" He asked ordering two butterbears.

"I'm surviving." She smiled. "It's strange not getting into trouble that often."

Harry laughed. "I would think you would enjoy it."

"No no it's great. Just strange." Hermione said. She couldn't help it and she burst out with the question. "What did you say that you had to tell me? The exciting thing?" She asked a little too fast.

Harry laughed and glanced at his watch. "Took you 2 and a half minutes to ask. New record I must say."

"You bet on how long I would take to ask the question?" Hermione asked shaking her head. "You are so immature."

"So I've been told." He laughed. He saw how impatient she looked and decided to ease her impatience. "So I was talking to Kingsley the other day…"

Hermione sat straight at the mention of the minister of magic and nodded. He laughed and continued. "I was telling him how you went back to Hogwarts to complete your education…"

"Yes?" Hermione asked nearly screaming out of anticipation.

"And he told me to tell you that he was offering you a job at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures as soon as you finish Hogwarts." Harry said before he was tackled with a hug from Hermione.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" She squealed. Harry laughed. They talked for the next half hour before Hermione returned to the castle and Harry met up with Ginny.

She felt so happy at her job opportunity at such a young age. She was ecstatic as she made her way to the castle. The castle. Malfoy. His choice of events. Oh dear.

Author's Note

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