[Monday, September 26th, 2016]

"I'm sorry."

Draco Malfoy was apologising and Hermione didn't think she'd ever hear what that might sound like. Sure it wasn't for all the horrible things he'd said and done during their childhood, nor was it because of what he did during the war.

Malfoy had apologised for shouting at her. She knew that. Still… from the piercing look in his grey eyes to the firm hold he had on her wrist now… it felt like he was apologising for more.

"I shouldn't have shouted. Please don't leave on my account," he said softly and sincerely. He released her wrist leaving a cold feeling in its wake.

Suddenly he wasn't Draco Malfoy the boy she once knew, he was Professor Malfoy, the man who'd taught her about the stars in ways she could never have imagined. The man who had seeped into her subconscious and had managed to create a memory happy enough to cast a patronus.

"I can come another time," she managed to say, still temporarily stunned.

"No… I insist. Let me give you a hand." He went around the telescope now to a panel on the wall. Hitting a few buttons, the roof windows opened automatically to reveal the clear night sky. "It's a clear night." His voice was calm.

Hermione looked up into the sky to see the waning crescent moon. Twinkling stars littered the sky around it.

"This telescope is a bit complicated, was there something you wanted to look at specifically?" he offered, carefully positioning the telescope to the sky. Malfoy hadn't looked at her again and she still had the lingering desire to leave… but the sky was so clear and she didn't know if she'd get the chance to visit for another week.

"Granger?"

She peeled her eyes from the night sky and nodded softly.

"I just wanted to acclimate myself with the technology. I'm not too familiar with this model," she admitted. "Perhaps if you could recommend a text or manual I can read up on it and come back another night."

Malfoy turned to her with a weary expression.

"Will you just come over here?"

Hermione hesitated. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind for tonight, alone in a room with Malfoy, but she couldn't ignore the way he kept looking at her. As if he were trying to offer a branch of peace, she was unsure if she should take it.

She took a breath and moved to join him.

"You said you wanted to do that project, right?" he said, scratching his head and moving toward the table with the lenses. "Did you pick anything?"

"I was looking into Ganymede," Hermione swallowed. She was trying not to second guess anything, reminding herself that he was just another professor like herself. She could just have a professional chat with him about his class and then be on her way. There was nothing wrong with what they were doing.

"Jupiter's moon. Good choice." He sorted through the different lenses. "There are different sizes depending on how far you– will you just–" he wrapped his long fingers around her wrist, gently pulling her toward the table. "You see there are a few different…"

If she hadn't been so utterly stunned by the familiarity with which he touched her, or by the way he spoke to her, she might've paid attention to what he was saying. She was sure it was very important as he lifted one lens after the other, showing her the minor differences.

Instead she found herself studying his features as he spoke. His chin wasn't as pointed as she remembered and his eyes somehow softened behind the black rimmed glasses.

She nodded absentmindedly as he unfastened the current lens and screwed a different one on. Hermione didn't utter a single word as he pointed at one of the miniature scopes and explained how to align it.

She should have questions, lots of questions. There was no way she'd remember everything he was saying, she should also be taking notes, so many notes!

Instead, she stood like a deer in headlights and watched him ignore the irrefutable fact that he once hated her very blood. She watched him show her how to use a telescope with a genuine desire to teach her and nothing less… or more.

There was no condescending tone, no snide remarks, not even an ounce of sarcasm.

Malfoy walked to the wall and pulled down a few charts. It appeared to be a list of names and coordinates. He found what he was looking for because he returned to the telescope and carefully turned one knob or other before carefully bending over to look through the eyepiece.

The silence was deafening while he worked and Hermione felt silly standing there with nothing to do but fixate on… him. She should excuse herself, she should just–

"Perfect!" he said excitedly. Before Hermione knew it, his hand was on her wrist once more pulling her beside him. "It has a slight shadow but take a look," he motioned for her to look and she did so, timidly.

There it was, Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. She half expected to see just a spec in the distance, but Malfoy had managed to focus on the surface and she was blown away by the level of detail she could see.

"This is incredible," she whispered to herself. "There's so much detail. What are the bright spots?" she asked, trying to count them without much success.

"Those are a result of asteroids or debris making contact with the surface over the course of millions of years. The bright areas are called highlands and the dark patches are called Mare. Most moons will have a combina-," Hermione lifted her eyes from the eyepiece to look at him, she hadn't intended to interrupt him, but the action made him stop talking.

"Please, go on."

"Just that…" he hesitated and she was unsure what this feeling was. She wondered if she should have just gone with her gut earlier and left. He cleared his throat when the silence had become too much to bear. "Most moons have a combination of bright and dark spots. It reveals a kind of history," he said leaning against a table.

Hermione cut the tension and looked back at Ganymede. It really was a sight to behold. She surmised she could stare at it all day.

"Keep the key."

"What?" she couldn't have heard him correctly.

"Stay as long as you like, feel free to come by whenever," he shrugged, organising the lenses on the table beside her. Hermione didn't think she'd ever seen Malfoy shrug in his life.

"Thank you," she said, standing up straight. This seemed as good a time as any to make an exit.

"Also–" he moved toward a bookcase and retrieved a thin book. "Reference manual, for this model. In case you wanted to do some of your own research," he offered it to her. Hermione gave a small sigh of relief after not paying attention when he explained earlier.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Hermione could have apparated back to the college. It was pretty late, but she decided to walk. It was a clear night and she had a lot to think about.