Chapter 2: Dinner with Friends

-Hermione's POV-

"Mione! You look horrid! Have you been crying? What did the ferret do this time, huh?"

"Harry, get off it, ok? Draco hasn't done anything of the sort and you know that. If anything, you have him to thank for even getting me here tonight."

"Potter, Weasley," Draco gives them a curt nod, smiles at me and turns to the last guest "Ginny, how have you been? I hope that James hasn't been giving you problems. I do miss him. You promised me an outing with the darling kid and I'm still waiting."

Ginny giggles at the glares her husband and brother give her while she smiles at Draco. God bless this man for letting one of my friends into his world. Granted, I know a lot of it has to do with him wanting to pester the boys, but if it's a means to an end, I'll take what I can get.

"Draco, I told you last week that you were invited to join us at the park whenever we go, which, by the way, is every afternoon. It is your own fault you haven't seen him in two weeks. He has asked about you though. So you will need to at least stop by soon to give him a quick hello otherwise he'll think you forgot about him."

"Oh no, we mustn't have that. Then his lovely dad will get to brainwash him into hating me. I can't let that happen. I'll be accompanying you to the park tomorrow. It's decided. Hermione, I'm sorry but I won't be able to pick you up from school tomorrow. So no breakdowns tomorrow!"

The boys stop glaring at Draco at the mention of breakdowns. Ooooo I could kill him sometimes!

"Hermione, what is he talking about? What kind of break down? Is everything all right?" Ron asks.

"It's nothing, really. I just had a particularly hard day today and it was getting to be a bit much and I was questioning things and I just needed a good cry. You know, girl stuff, yup, that's what it was."

The boys look at Ginny for confirmation if this "girl stuff" truly existed and based on the glare she was giving me, they didn't look like they were buying it.

"Mione, really what happened?" this time Harry questions me.

"I'm going to get some butterbeer, would you all like some?"

Everyone nodded and Draco gets up to get us drinks. He's laying the good behavior on thick tonight.

"Well, I was stuck reviewing an essay from one of my students. It was about the effects unicorn hair has in potions and just everything was wrong. I mean it was 14 inches of parchment and not one sentence was correct. And that wasn't even the first time this week that I've had this issue with this student. And yesterday, a different child, a third year, mind you, was unable to perform Wingardium Leviosa. I mean, seriously! We learn that our first year! I show that spell off to my six year old students. It's just so frustrating and I question why I even do it. Why did I decide to teach? It makes no sense to me sometimes and today while reading this absolutely horrid essay I started questioning all my choices in life that I've made since, you know. And I almost tore her essay into shreds. She was nearly crying! I almost made a student cry! That isn't who I am. What am I doing? Who am I?" My voice was starting to hitch and I was getting close to breaking down again as I continued my tirade. Ginny looked at me with such sympathy while the boys shook their heads unsure what to do or say.

Draco sat down and gave each of us a butter beer and he wrapped an arm around me and whispered into my ear, "You are Hermione Granger, War Heroine, Recipient of an Order of Merlin First Class, Brains of the Golden Trio, Gryffindor Princess, and my Lioness. Don't you ever forget that!" I nod into his shoulder. He speaks a bit louder now so the rest of the table can hear him, "You are strong, fierce, loyal, intelligent, and beautiful. Granted, you have to deal with a few dunderheads, but that's why they're in this program. Why do you think we named it after Snape?" I giggle. I couldn't help myself. He did it again. He stopped me from breaking down again. That's twice today. Maybe I should reconsider making him sleep on the couch tonight. I smile at him and then sip at my drink.

"How did you do that?" Ron looks at Draco like he's some sort of puzzle. I guess in many ways he is. A few years ago, I would think that this was impossible. Draco Malfoy giving me a pep talk. Who would have thought?

"I have no idea what you're talking about. So, Weasley, Potter, how is work? Catch any bad guys lately?"

Draco dismisses the question as if it was an everyday occurrence, which in many ways, I guess it is. For the past two years Draco has been the only person to calm me down from these little episodes. He's changed so much from the boy I remember from school. Sometimes I forget they're the same person but I think that because its him reassuring me it makes me believe him all the more. I recall how in the beginning I didn't believe anything he said thinking it was all a trick of some sort to mock me, but he stuck by me, and he still does. He stayed with me when I told everyone I wouldn't do what they expected. When some turned their backs on me simply because I wanted to do something on my own, he was there. He had no expectations of me; he didn't push me in any direction. He just let me be me, and he followed alongside. I think that is why we work now. We were the same, back then, we were in extraneous circumstances, placed on pedestals, and trying to live to the expectations everyone set for us, and we had enough.

And that's where I found him; at Muggle University. He was sitting in the back row of my literature class. The first day I didn't believe my eyes and just ignored it. I sat in the front and refused to turn around to see if my eyes were playing a trick on me. It went like this for a few weeks and when the professor assigned us our first group project on Romeo & Juliette I found myself in a group discussion with none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Hermione?"

"Oh Ginny, I'm sorry, I just got lost in my train of thought there. Did I miss something?"

"No, the boys are just discussing evil wizards. Boys, we're going to the loo." She grabs me and we walk away from the table. I give a look to Ron that tells him to behave or else and Ginny sends a look to Harry that's not too different from my own.

- Draco's Perspective -

"Do you know what's going on with her?" Potter asks me. I swear I don't understand how these two idiots claim to be her best friends with what little they know.

"Are you sure you haven't done anything to her Malfoy? I mean, I haven't seen her like this since NEWTs." Now the other idiot of the pair decides to join in. Of course, it's my fault; it's always my fault when Mia is unhappy. Granted, a few years ago, that'd be the truth, but not now. It hasn't been like that since the war.

"She's been freaking out more since summer started. Why is that?" Potter asks next. Now both dunderheads are looking at me like I'm the know-all to the know-it-all and I guess in recent time, I am. It does feel good to have something on these two.

"Her school started the summer program. I swear, sometimes I question how you two became Aurors. You wouldn't be able to solve a puzzle if your life depended on it. Wait, I lied, only when your life truly depended on it. Now don't give me that look, if you want answers from me you will behave because I have to as well." I love that is all I have to say to get them to shut up. I like pushing their buttons; it makes up for all my good behavior in front of Hermione. "She's the only teacher. She has about 12 students from second to seventh year. And they're all idiots. I mean, every night she complains about all of them, except for one. That is, until today."

"Who is this kid and how is it that they can get on Mione's nerves like that? Very few people can cause her to break you know. And I think we're all sitting at this table." I keep forgetting to give Potter some credit. He is a little more perceptive than the red head next to him who is staring blankly. I always wondered what would have happened to him if he didn't have Potter or Hermione around.

"Iris, Iris Parkinson."

Both boys guffaw. I wish this was a reason to laugh.