3.

"So you already know which subjects you're going to choose?" asked Draco rising his head from the book.

"All of them probably." she said calmly.

Summer has been so far so good. They've already finished all or their homework. Now they could spend their days on more interesting things. They developed a habit of reading the same book together. They always finished the page in the same time.

"You can't chose all of them, you know." he pointed.

"I know that." said Hermione. "But I wrote to professor McGonagall. She may find a way."

"Hermione, you don't have to do that." He said, shutting the book. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone."

"I am not." she insisted. "What are your choices?"

"Ancient runes I guess. Arithmancy. And Care of Magical Creatures."

"If there's no way for me to attend all of the classes, I think I will stay with those three too." she smiled.

"Why do you even need Muggle Studies? I mean... you know..." he said trying not to offend her in any way.

"It's different perspective." she shrugged. "Your perspective. Well, not necessarily but you know... more or less."

Draco didn't say anything. He learned to stray away from subjects like this. They kept their conversations on neutral field. They talked about things they shared, not things that parted them in so many ways. He never brought up his father. She never brought up her friends. It was better that way.

"I'm leaving for France this Saturday." she informed him. "Can you come at Friday?"

"I will probably be here all summer from now on." he stated. "My parents are on non speaking terms."

"Again?" She said. "Draco, you should have told me, you know that if you have any problems you can just..."

"I don't want to speak about my father." he interrupted her. "It will pass. They are always like this. They will be fine in no time."

In all honesty, he actually doubted that. Ever since Draco's first year his father seemed uneasy. It seemed to have something to do with all those weird accidents revolving around Harry Potter. He constantly looked as he was afraid of something. Draco could not yet tell what it was. You-know-who was long gone, everybody knew that. Both years he tried to get Potter and failed. How many times could he come back?

"So France, huh?" he said to change the subject. "You know that there is lots of Wizard History there. Too bad we already finished the essay for History of Magic..."

Hermione had really enjoyed her summer. No unnecessary drama. Draco behaved well and even wrote her few letters while she was in France. And she finally got her letter from Professor McGonagall. She was allowed to do all the courses she wanted to. T he only thing she was bothered with was the news about Sirius Black. Not only the magical world was concerned. Muggle television kept showing his picture. Her parents didn't want her wandering around but she had to go and see Draco. After all, it was just two weeks left until the school. And she already learned that there was always trouble in Hogwarts. Draco was already waiting, walking circles around the Weeping Willow.

"Finally! I was starting to think you are not going to come..." he called.

"Hello Draco." she rejoiced, just happy to see him. "My parents had to make sure I'll be allright, all that drama with Sirius Black and..."

"Yeah, yeah. You'll probably have a vary interesting year with Potter and all his new drama." he hissed.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, surprised with the mention of Harry.

"You know, all this deal about You-know-who and him being Potter godfather and..."

"What?" Hermione almost shouted.

"I thought you..." Draco panicked a bit. His father was going on and on about Black and all the theories concerning his escape. Lucius was always very interested in everything that had something to do with Harry Potter. Sometimes even more than with his own son. This made Draco hate both of them even more. "You know, never mind. I really don't know more and if you tell Potter I told you that than..."

"You know I couldn't even if I wanted to." she said coldly. She didn't push him about it even though she was curious. She didn't wanted to start another year with a fight. Especially now when she had this amazing news.

"So how was France?" asked Draco, trying to calm down.

"It was amazing but I will tell you all about it later." she said with excitement. "First, I gotta tell you, I have a way to do all the classes! McGonagall is willing to help me!"

"What is it?"

"Time-turner! I am not suppose to tell anyone. But I figured you can know since you won't admit to anyone that we are friends and..." she saw that his facial expression started to change. "I don't mean it in a wrong way, just listen. You won't tell anyone I'm sure and I think we can use it to meet from time to time. In Hogwarts. If you want to of course and I..."

"Hermione!" he yelled. "Stop. Calm down. Of course I want to. But first you have to tell me what it is. Slowly."

She took a deep breath and tried to explain everything clearly. She didn't really think he would agree. But she wanted to try keep in touch during school year. And that might have just been the way. So they agreed to meet after the Feast and try to match their timetables.

Draco really wanted to be better this year. Maybe not an angel but at least try not to pick up a fight with Potter so often. He couldn't help his jealousy sometimes. Here he was. The great Potter. Always in the centre of attention, better at Quidditch, admired by everyone. He could even be friends with Hermione openly, he could spend as much time with her as he wanted. And then there was his father. Always comparing them. Always talking about how he should beat Potter at everything. Always managing to mention Draco's biggest enemy. And Draco felt his hatred even more. Especially when he remembered that he really did try to be Potter's friend. But he was rejected.

So when he entered the Hogwarts Express he wanted to sit down and read a book. But then Crabbe stated that he was bored and proposed to go wander around. And Draco found himself in Potter's compartment.

"Well, look who it is," he said, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel." He spotted Hermione but he did not mention her.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley, Did your mother die of shock?" He never felt envy for Weasley but he couldn't bare that Potter chose this redhead instead of him. Ron stood quickly and Hermione looked at both of them nervously. Draco immediately regretted his decision. He also spotted a man sitting in the corner.

"Who's that?" he said taking an automatic step backward.

"New teacher," said Harry. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

Draco's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose.

"C'mon," he muttered to Crabbe and Goyle, thankful that he had a reason to escape.

Some time later the Dementors came and Draco felt this weird coldness and remembered so many bad stuff. He got really scared and thought whether Hermione felt it too. He needed to talk about it. He heard her mother's screams and his father yelling curses. He heard his own cry and he heard his father talking about what a failure Draco is. But he couldn't tell that to any of his Slytherin mates. He couldn't wait to see her.

"Those Dementors!" he heard a voice. It was Longbottom. "I felt terrible, but Harry... He was worst. He fainted. Weird creatures, you have to admit it Ginny."

And he felt a little bit better. In fact it was just the excuse he needed.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?" He shouted as they left their carriages. He elbowed past Hermione and muttered to her ear "After the feast. Remember."

She waited for him next to some abandoned classroom at the third floor. She wasn't sure whether she should yell at him for picking on Harry. But then she remembered the way he mumbled "Saturday. Remember." into her ear. She could tell he was longing for a talk. She didn't wanted to spoil that.

She spotted him at the end of the corridor. He looked so nervous, looking around like he was about to do something illegal. She didn't allow herself to be bothered by that. She entered the classroom waiting for him to follow her.

"Are you ready?" she asked, coming closer to him and putting the chain of Time-Turner around his neck. He nodded and she turned the hourglass one time. Nothing seemed to happen.

"So that's it?" he said, taking the chain off his neck. "We went back in time?"

"What did you expect? Fireworks?" she laughed. "This is how it's suppose to work. McGonagall said so."

"I don't know. It's a bit weird. I don't fell different."

"Me too. But I'm glad I didn't have to use it alone for the first time." she shrugged. "Nothing special as you see. So what did you wanted to talk about?"

"How do you know I wanted to talk about something?" he said.

"I know you Draco." Hermione raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"You know I don't like to talk to you about my family but those Dementors... It was so weird and I just have to and..."

"It's okay." she said putting her hand on his arm. "Tell me everything."

So he did. And as he spoke Hermione felt she could understand him much better. He wasn't that different from Harry after all. Maybe he had parents but he was bullied by his father just like Harry was by his uncle. And maybe it wasn't as bad, but Draco also had to witness terrible things in his house. And just like Harry, he was just unlucky. Opposite to him, Draco was born on the other side. The bad side. And he could do nothing to change it. Just like Harry couldn't change his history with You-know-who. But she decided to keep this observation to herself.

Instead she just listen. And when Draco finished she had no idea what to say to him. But listening was enough.

Draco never actually felt like he was listened to. Except his mother and aunt, but that was their job. They both raised him and were the only two people who cared. But he couldn't talk to them about this. He somehow felt thankful for Hermione. Even though most of the time their relationship caused him nothing but trouble.

The next day he caught her smile in Arithmancy. It was a good decision to take this subject. There was only seven people in class, mostly some Ravenclaws whom he didn't know. He could relax and even switch few notes with Hermione as they both sat in the back.

Why did you sit in the back. I though you're a front-seat type, you nerd! He wrote and passed it on to her.

You sat here. I thought you might need my nerdy help. She wrote him back.

We have Care of Magical Creatures after Lunch.

I know. No funny business, okay? I need it to go well for Hagrid.

Draco pondered. He couldn't play nice, it wasn't like him. His Slytherin friends would notice.

I'll try to go easy on him. I can't say nothing. I don't even like this fool.

Hermione sent him an angry look.

He is not a fool! Do what you must, Draco, but please don't ruin it for him. Now pay attention.

But Draco really did mean to listen to her. He made some comments about the books and he was suppose to finish there. And then Potter told him to shut up. So Draco made another comment and he was told to shut up again. After that it was only worse. Potter got on this Hippogriff and he flew and everybody cheered for him again. Once again, Draco couldn't help his jealousy. He didn't listen to Hagrid but he figured it can't be that hard.

"This is very easy," he said standing next to the creature, loud enough for Harry to,

hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it... I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff.

"Are you, you great ugly brute?" It happened in a flash of steely talons; Draco screamed as he felt a terrible pain in his hand. He curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.

"I'm dying!" He yelled. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me — gotta get him outta here —"

He heard Hermione's voice as she ran to hold open the gate. Hagrid lifted him and took him to the Hospital Wing. He thought about how mad Hermione would be with him. He didn't know she was already asking Harry and Ron "You think he'll be all right?" in a nervous voice.

Hermione was furious and worried. Then worried and furious and she could not decide which feeling was stronger. When Draco showed up at Potions, his behaviour made her even more furious. He did not seem all that bad. But he was being a brat once again, probably trying to make up for the humiliation of being bitten by Buckbeak.

After the lesson ended she passed him angrily, shoving a piece of paper into his hand. Fifteen minutes later he showed up in an empty corridor and followed her to a Broom Closet. She quickly put a Time-Turner around his neck and took them back in a time.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Sure I am." he smirked. "It really does hurt, though."

"Are you out of your mind? What were you even thinking? I am so mad, Draco, don't expect me to side with you on that!" she said raising her voice.

"I'm not expecting anything. I wasn't thinking I know and now..."

"And now Hagrid can be fired now, thanks to you! You have to do something!"

"What can I do? My father was informed he would not leave it alone..."

"Than tell him it was your fault."

"You know I can't do that."

"Well, you have to do something! I am already late and you better fix this." she demeaned and tried to walk away.

"Wait." Draco caught her by her wrist. "What am I suppose to do for an hour now?"

"You can think about how to do something about Hagrid."

She hurried for her lesson. Her timetable was already killing her. She was so tired and this accident with Draco made everything worse.

He did try to talk to her during Arithmancy. Many times. She always ignored him after she found he still haven't talk to his father. But after the Fat Lady was attacked she finally agreed to meet him.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." he said carefully.

"I am. No one got hurt."

"I know... I was just a bit worried that's all." Hermione didn't say anything. "I am going to talk to father. During Christmas. I don't want to do it through letter. I want to make things right."

"Okay." It felt weird. She actually never expected him to do such thing. She didn't think she meant as much to him. But he was really willing to fight his father for her. "Thank you."

"Can we try being friends again?" he asked hopefully.

"We never stopped being friends. I was just furious with you." she smiled.

"And you're not anymore?"

"I guess I am always furious with you. Just a little bit less now."

It took a lot of courage to talk to his father. He tried for few days but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. And then he received a Christmas card from Hermione. "Good luck. Come back quickly!" There was no sign but he knew her handwriting. So he took a deep breath and went to the living room.

"Father. Can we talk about school?" he mumbled.

"Sit down Draco. Do you want to disappoint me again?" Lucius didn't even raise his eyes from the paper he was reading?

"No. I was just thinking about that thing with the Hippogriff... I don't think we should do such a big deal about it. I was just an accident and..."

"An accident?" Lucius finally put his paper down. "Are you trying to tell me that it wasn't that fools fault?"

"Well it was but I also wasn't listening to him and I..." Draco couldn't admit it was his doing that brought it upon him.

"You want to tell me it was your fault? You were such a fool that you made a Hippogriff bite you? You out of whole class?" Lucius started raising his voice.

"No, I just..."

"Or are you a friend of this half-caste, a friend to Harry Potter?"

"No father. I just though we don't have to... Never mind." He gave up just like that. He wasn't only a disappointment to his father but also a disappointment to himself.

Hermione waited for him right after the train arrived at Hogwarts. He could see the anxiety and hope in her eyes.

"Draco I am so glad to see you." she said with a wide smile. "I've had the worst Christmas, boys are so angry with me and... But tell me first, how did it go?

How could he admit to her that he was too much of a coward to fight for her?

"I dunno." he said. "I think he may withdraw the charges. But I don't want to promise anything, you know how he is and..."

"Oh that is just wonderful!" she said. "Hagrid has a hearing soon, I am trying to find a way to help him but maybe it will all be fine!"

She pulled him into a hug and he stiffened. He wasn't use to affection like this.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"It's nothing." he said trying not to sound guilty. He notices that her eyes were unusually red. "What happened during Christmas? Where you crying?" he asked worriedly.

"It's just this whole thing with Harry's broom. I was afraid he got it from Sirius Black so I told McGonagall and they confiscated it."

"What broom?" Draco was confused.

"Firebolt. Someone has send Harry a Firebolt for Christmas."

"Potter has got a Firebolt?" Draco felt something weird in his stomach.

"It's not the time for jealousy, Draco. He doesn't have it anymore. It was confiscated. And now both Harry and Ron act so cold towards me. I spend most of the break in the library, trying to find something to help Hagrid... I was so mad I haven't gone home. It was lonely in here."

Tears appeared in her eyes and he felt so angry with Potter. But he knew cursing him would only make things worse.

"They can't be mad at you forever. You are not alone, Hermione. You always have me."

Her smile hurt him more than her tears. He was a lying coward. A fool who couldn't get out of this golden cage that was his life.

Ron wasn't talking to her. Harry still seemed mad about his broom. It was just the her and Crookshanks. She has been sitting in the Astronomy Tower, waiting for Draco to show up.

"What is that creature doing here?" Draco welcomed her with a grin. I was weird but Crookshanks actually liked Draco.

"He needs to avoid Common Room." she said stroking the cat's ear. "Ron can as well kill him for revenge."

"You don't actually mean that."

"No, I don't." Hermione looked at the grounds. She and Draco met more often now. She didn't dare to say about Hagrid again. She was afraid that Draco lied, and she could not bear another disappointment. They did Arithmancy homework instead of talking. They laughed about Hermione's Divination stories. Hermione felt so at ease with him.

"There's a Gryffindor match coming." she said.

"I know."

"Will you behave this time, please?" she requested.

"I can't promise anything." said Draco, immediately remembering Flint's ideas.

"Just do it for me. Please." she put a pressure on the last word. He knew he wasn't able to do it. But he nodded.

Few days later Hermione was sitting in the Gryffindor stands. She was quietly observing Malfoy's actions. Once again he didn't listen, he wasn't able to oppose to his friends. It was too much. She sat in Gryffindor Tower, trying to hide her tears behind a book.

"Did you even come to the match?" She heard Harry.

"Of course I did," she answered in a strangely high-pitched voice, not looking up. "And I'm very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday."

"Come on, Hermione, come and have same food," Harry said, looking over at Ron.

"I can't, Harry. I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!" said Hermione, felling like she was going to burst in tears any minute. "Anyway..." She glanced over at Ron too. "He doesn't want me to join in."

There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them —"

Hermione couldn't take this anymore. She run to the girls dormitories and tried to focus on her school work.

Draco figured she wouldn't like to talk to him or she would yell at him a lot. And after she send him a note during Arithmancy, asking for a meeting, he was sure she chose the second option. He went to some classroom she suggested, ready for the loud reprimand. But she was silent. She didn't even say hello.

"I am so sorry..." he started.

"Harry could have died. If he hadn't known the spell or something went wrong... I didn't know you were that stupid, Draco."

"So you're siding with him?" he asked, feeling that his cheeks went red. "With the golden boy, who was ignoring you for past weeks? I was so angry with him and Weasel for doing this to you! And it was Flint's idea, I just though..." He tried to explain himself. And it was all partially true. He really was furious with Potter for treating Hermione like that.

"I don't need you to fight my battles, Draco. Besides, me and Harry were all right. It is Ron who doesn't speak to me, but that is only my problem."

"I just..." Draco started, but there was nothing he could say.

"You are just too much of a coward to say no to your friends. Or your father." She looked him right into his eyes. "Tell me, Draco, did you really talk to him? Is he really going to let Hagrid get away with this?"

Draco didn't answer. She would have found out sooner or later.

"That is just what I thought." she said shutting the door behind her.

His father was the kind of person who blames everyone for his own failures. And that was something Draco took over unintentionally. So he figured, he was not to blame. If Potter and Weasel had been nice to him from the beginning, he wouldn't do any of this. If Hagrid hadn't brought that Hippogriff to class, this whole issue with his father and Hermione wouldn't exist. So he decided to vent to them.

He attacked Wesley at Hogsmeade, but it backfired and he was humiliated by Potter once again. He reported it to Snape but Lupin managed to save his pupil. So he wrote a letter to his father asking him to take down that stupid fool of a teacher along with his Hippogriff.

Dear Hermione,

We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky has enjoyed London. I won't forget all the help you gave us.

Hagrid

Hermione red out loud, looking at Harry and Ron.

"They can't do this," said Harry. "They can't. Buckbeak. isn't dangerous."

"Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it," she said, wiping her eyes. Even after their last talk, she still had a shred of hope that Draco is going to make things right. But just like always, he chose to make the wrong decision. To punish her for god knows what. "You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope... Nothing will have changed."

"Yeah, it will," said Ron fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help."

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. It felt good to finally be close to him again.

"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers..." she sobbed.

"Oh — well — he was old," said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him.

"And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now."

She felt tears of joy running into her eyes. She might have lost her bond to Draco, but at least Ron was her friend again.

The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. Their only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

He seemed numb with shock at the verdict. "S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em..."

"There's still the appeal!" said Ron fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"

They were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class. Ahead she could see Draco, who was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, and kept looking back, laughing derisively.

"S'no good, Ron," said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that..."

Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.

"Look at him blubber!" She heard Draco's voice. He, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.

"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

That was it for her. She wasn't going to take it anymore. She always tried to stay out of it, but this time she wasn't letting Harry and Ron deal with this.

Both boys made furious moves toward Draco, but Hermione got there first —

SMACK!

She had slapped him across the face with all the strength she could muster. Draco staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul — you evil —"

He could bring Hagrid down, he could do everything to hurt her, but she was not going to let him brag about it.

"Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.

"Get off, Ron!"

Hermione pulled out her wand. Draco stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.

"C'mon." Draco muttered, looking at her with hurt in his eyes. And in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the

passageway to the dungeons.

"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.

"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"

"We're due in Charms," said Ron,

still goggling at Hermione. "We'd better go."

They hurried up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick's classroom.

She waited for the boys to get ahead of them and turned the Time-turner two times. She needed time to study for Aithmancy. She decided she had to beat Malfoy in it too. But she couldn't help to think about it, how it all turned up. Once again, she let him fool her, make her believe it was actually going to be different this year. And probably once again she is going to forgive him soon. She couldn't fight the feeling that it was impossible for them to stay away from each other. Like there was some sort of magnets between them, pulling them back and making all the wrongs that have happened almost disappear.

Suddenly she felt someone prodding her.

"Wh — what?" she said, waking with a start and staring wildly around. "Is it time to go? W — which lesson have we got now?"

"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," said Harry. "Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?"

"What? Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. "I forgot to go to Charms!"

"But how could you forget?" said Harry. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"

"I don't believe it!" Hermione wailed. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!"

In the end it was always about Draco.

And so the school year has come to an end once again. And once again Draco was leaving Hogwarts as a looser. He didn't win at Quidditch, despite his best efforts. The stupid Hippogriff run away. The house cup once again belong to Gryffindor. And Hermione wasn't talking to him.

His father had to travel in business so Draco went with him. For two weeks he received no news for her. And he wasn't even a bit surprised. But he felt something crack inside him. With each year he felt more need to have her around. The one person he actually let in, as much as he could. He decided not to be a coward this time.

H.,

I know I messed up again. And I will probably do it again for this is who I am. It will never be easy for me but believe me I will try harder and maybe one day I will stop disappointing you. For now all I want to know is whether you will be able to forgive me. Someday. If you want to stop being friends- I understand.

Draco

Draco,

They leave us so to the way we took,

As two in whom they were proved mistaken,

That we sit sometimes in the wayside nook,

With mischievous, vagrant, seraphic look,

And try if we cannot feel forsaken.

P.S I wish I could stop. But in the end I will always be your friend.

He wasn't really sure what it all meant. But it seemed that things are going to work out.