Disclaimer: Hello again. As you know I do not own any characters you recognize, they belong to the wonderful JK Rowling. I do however own the characters you do not recognize, so please respect that. Read and enjoy.
The following day ran its expected course and after Hermione had showered, she met Ron and Harry in the Great Hall. Last night's occurrences were still racing through her mind. On top of everything else she now had to wonder about Draco's kindness. First he had spent more than a minute with her and hadn't made a single comment. Second, he had called her Hermione. Hermione! Imagine that, the pureblood prince of Slytherin had called her by her first name. She couldn't let Harry or Ron know anything about this kindness, they would start formulating plans that she herself hadn't even got the chance to formulate yet.
She had half hoped to meet Draco on her way out that morning, but with no such luck. He was nowhere to be seen when she made her way into the Great Hall, she had glanced at the Slytherin table and there had been no platinum blonde boy sitting amongst them. She furthered her steps to meet the boys, who were complaining about their schedules.
"Divinination, Potions, and Transfiguration today? You figure that they would take the classes everyone disliked and split them up to different days." Ron groaned.
"Well think of it this way. All of your disliked classes will be over for the week in one day." Hermione said looking over her own schedule. Muggle Studies, Potions, and Transfiguration. Not a bad schedule, she looked further down the list to find Defense Against the Dark Arts. Tomorrow she would get to meet the new teacher, and she was looking forward to it.
"And with the Slytherins?" Ron groaned again. "Why do we always get stuck with the Slytherins?"
No one responded to his question, as they all picked up their things and went to their respective classes. She again looked for Draco, as she passed familiar faces in the hall. She entered her class, she gave the hall one last sweep. She would see him tonight, she was sure of it.
Classes for him had gone by very slowly and he gave a sigh of relief as he stepped in front of the house elf painting. He muttered the password, the elf nodded , and swung open. He stepped through the hole and threw his bags on the floor and fell onto one of the nearby sofas.
He had only just closed his eyes, when he heard the portrait swing open again. He opened his eyes and glanced over to see Hermione with arms full of books. Her back was to him, and he stepped around her and picked up a large number of books off of the top of her stack. He placed them on a nearby table. She seemed surprised at his gesture, but didn't refuse it none the less.
"What are these books for? Do you have homework already?" He asked her as she tossed her bag next to his.
"No they're for something else." She said and her cheeks flushed with a shade of rose. She also averted her eyes. He thought it would be best if he didn't press the subject any further.
They sat in the common room staring at the fire. Not a word was said but the tension in the air had disappeared. He could still see Hermione looking at him from the corner of her eye, as if trying to read him, to get inside his head. Like she wanted to know what he was thinking and feeling. He instinctively close his mind. He realized he had done so and again loosened the hold on it.
He knew nothing to say to her. He had never had to small talk with her, in fact he had never had to small talk in his life. So this seemed an impossible mission. She had sensed this, "So how were classes today?" she asked.
"The usual, I guess." He was fidgeting with the corner of the couch cushion. "And how were yours?"
"Oh absolutely amazing." Her face had lit up at his question. She began explaining in detail exactly what the teachers had said, and what they were going to learn this year. She blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.."
He cut her off. "Do you know you're absolutely brilliant?" He glanced at her for a moment before turning completely away staring at the draperies hang from the walls, depicting wizarding war scenes, and events from Hogwarts through the years.
"I'm what?" she asked pulling his attention back to her.
His grey eyes connected to her chocolate brown ones. "I said you're brilliant." This time his eyes refused to break contact with hers, and a smile caught at the corners of her lips. It was now his turn to blush. He had given her a compliment and she had accepted it. He wished it had always been this as long as he could remember he had wished that he could have a normal conversation with her, without the awkward silences, the lack of eye contact, and the unsure words.
When she stood, so did he, he watched her receding up the steps that belonged to her dormitory. He wished to call out to her but instead simply watched as she disappeared. He sat back at his place on the couch and gave a small sigh of relief. He closed his eyes, and saw the image of her smiling play back in his head. That had been a sensational image, and it was one he wished to see again many times.
He had only just gotten comfortable, in the cushions of the couch when he heard footsteps. He chose to ignore them, he instead played the evenings happenings over and over again in his head. "Goodnight, Draco." He heard and he quickly opened his eye. There he saw Hermione standing leaned up against the wall of the landing, she was in a blue nightgown, which hugged her every curve. She was looking at him curiously, which he had noticed she had been spending most of her time doing.
"Goodnight, Hermione." He said, his voice rather more husky then intended, and away up the stairs she went. Leaving him sitting in awe.
He didn't know what was happening. He hadn't expected any of this. He had expected her to treat him as scum, to not give him more than a glance, which is what he deserved. But instead they were acting as if they had been old friends, who hadn't seen each other in awhile. He contemplated all of this as he stood and walked up his own flight of steps. How had this happened, was honey actually sweeter then vinegar? Had his kindness made her forget how rude he had been? He had no answers, but he wasn't complaining. Hermione was good company,this was definately something he hadn't been used to. He was going to take the kindness as long as it was available. He needed some kindness.
A/N: Thanks for reading. I do hope you enjoyed. And if you could please review, as I am becoming very discouraged. I am going to try to make the chapters longer so please bare with me. Thank you.
Love.
