Author's Notes:
And now...the continuation of Reparations.
Thanks to those that reviewed the last chapter. I would apologize for this chapter being shorter than the others, but I accomplished what I wanted to and embellishing it with more words would not achieve anything. :)
Draco was in the Slytherin common room, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, as usual. They were taking turns coming up with insults for every other student in their year (Slytherins excluded), which Draco would have found highly amusing last year but now found simply irritating. The two of them were so caught up in their fun that they didn't realize that Draco wasn't participating or laughing until Crabbe called Hermione a "a filthy Mudblood whore."
Draco stood up. "What did you just call her!?" He yelled, gaining the attention of the rest of the common room. "Have you ever even met her?"
Crabbe's mirthful expression was replaced with one of confusion. "What's your problem, man?" he said in a half-hearted attempt to be threatening.
"You guys are my problem. This entire house is my problem! I can't believe I was once as closed-minded as the rest of you!" With that, Draco stormed out of the Slytherin common room and back into the Head Boy/Girl quarters.
Hermione, who was sitting in one of the chairs nearest the fireplace and reading her transfiguration textbook, looked up at the noisy intrusion. "Couldn't take it anymore?" She asked idly.
"I don't think I'm ever going back in there. What a bunch of fools. I don't think I can even sit with them at meals any more."
Hermione nodded. "I know how you feel. From my perspective as an outsider, Gryffindors are really annoying too. Harry and Ron can't get over the fact that you're actually okay to spend time with. They still think you're the same guy that you were last year, no matter how much I tell them otherwise."
Draco swelled with pride at this statement. Those words sounded strange coming from Hermione's mouth, but he was flattered nonetheless. He wondered if Hermione considered him a friend. He decided that she probably did. He certainly considered her a friend. And he wanted it to be more than that, he was sure of it now. Now he just had to figure out how to do it.
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Hermione woke up on the morning of the first Hogsmeade weekend completely oblivious to what day it was. The Head Boy/Girl quarters did not have a notice board like the other common rooms, and she no longer shared a dorm with Parvati and Lavender, who would talk about it incessantly for days in advance, so she had remained uninformed of the occasion.
So it caught her completely off guard when Draco asked her, "So, how are you planning to spend your day in Hogsmeade?"
"I don't know," she answered truthfully. She didn't really intend to go with Harry and Ron. She had enough of them during meals. While they occasionally made half-hearted attempts to talk about something other than Draco, usually that's where the conversation ended up anyway. "I might just stay back at the castle and study."
"You could come hang out with me if you want. I was going to go by myself but it would be nice to have somebody to keep me company. We can even go to the bookstore, my treat," Draco responded with a grin. "We all know that Granger can't resist the allure of the bookstore."
To Hermione's ears, it almost sounded like she was being asked on a date. She figured that it was probably just wishful thinking. "Sure. I guess it'll be nice to get off the grounds for a while. And I supposed I could stock up on parchment while we're down there; one can never have enough parchment." Hermione winced at how much of a bookworm she sounded like but Draco either didn't notice or didn't care.
"Great. We can head down whenever you're ready."
"Alright, just let me get changed into something more suitable," Hermione said, not wanting to wear her obviously thrown-together outfit in public. Also, if this was a date, or even a semi-date, she wanted to look presentable.
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All things considered, the day was actually going pretty well, as far as Draco was concerned. Hermione was easy to spend time with when she wasn't being an insufferable know-it-all, and was actually much more interesting company than his Slytherin friends, who spent their time mocking people and other unpleasantries. Draco shuddered to think that he used to be the same way. It was much easier to be friendly; despite sixteen years of being a jerk to everybody he met, that was more of a product of his upbringing than his character as a person.
"Draco? Are you listening?"
Draco was shaken out of his thoughts by the Hermione's voice. "Uh, sorry, I guess I was just thinking about stuff."
"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer. All this walking is making me thirsty."
Draco was hesitant. The two of them had already gotten a few weird looks from other students walking through Hogsmeade, and that feeling of being scrutinized would intensify in the crowded Three Broomsticks. Still, he responded with a, "fine with me," and soon they were inside the packed pub. Hermione went to find a table while Draco went up to the bar to get the drinks. He put down the requisite galleons and said "two butterbeers please," to the ever-present Madam Rosmerta. Soon he had the two bottles in his hand and went back to where Hermione was sitting, against the far wall. He handed one of the bottles to her and sat down.
They sat in companionable silence for a while, sipping their butterbeers. The silence was broken when Blaise Zabini approached their table. "Come on Draco, I thought you had better taste than that," he said with a derisive laugh. "Of all the girls in the school, you choose Granger. What a joke."
It took all of the willpower in his body not to jump up and sock Zabini in the face. A number of snarky replies floated to the surface of his brain but he resisted them, too. "I didn't choose her. We're friends. And she's a much better friend than you or the rest of those Slytherins ever were," Draco said in as calm a voice as he could produce.
Blaise scowled and walked away, merging back into the large crowd of Hogwarts students. Draco turned to Hermione. "I'm sorry all my friends are total gits. Or should I say, former friends. 'Total gits' still applies, though."
Hermione shook her head. "Don't apologize; I knew that was going to happen eventually. It was just a matter of whether the Slytherins or Gryffindors got to it first."
"I'm willing to bet that we're going to catch some shit from your friends before the day's out," Draco responded.
"Former friends," Hermione said, and they both laughed.
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Hermione lay in bed that night, listening to Draco's light snoring with a smile on her face. After the day's events (which had included Ron making a scene on Hogsmeade's main street, true to Draco's word), she was certain that what she felt for Draco was more than friendship. A year ago she would never have imagined that she would feel this way about Draco Malfoy. If anybody had suggested it, she would have called them crazy. But there it was, plain as day. She had a crush on Draco.
She hoped that he felt the same way. It seemed likely, given his attitude towards her as of late, but to make an overture and be rejected would be disastrous, both for their friendship and their head boy/girl duties. However, she was in a perfect position to figure out if he really did feel the same way; they were around each other nearly all the time now.
Her head started forming tentative plans of action. Should she wear skimpy outfits? Should she flirt overtly? Find another boy to instill jealousy? "Accidentally" walk in on him in the shower? Casually walk around the bedroom in her underwear? That last idea seemed like it would work, but she didn't want to be that obvious. She could just wait until he made the first move; the old Draco would have probably would have had no problem claiming her as his own, and she didn't think the "new-improved" Draco would be much different. He was still quite forceful even if he was much nicer about it.
As she drifted off to sleep, Hermione wasn't sure about much, but she was sure of one thing: she would make this relationship work.
Author's notes:
We're getting there! Please tell me what you think.
