By the time her friend returned to the common room Hermione was already gone. She had decided to it was better to be holed up in the library than to wander the halls. She had thought about going to Hagrid's but she didn't want to have to explain when he eventually asked about Ron.
She sat at a small table in the back of the library. Her books sprawled out in front of her but she wasn't paying them any mind. She sat with her head back and her eyes closed, in a half sleep state. Being alone here made her feel comfortable. Hermione knew she would eventually have to talk to Ginny but for now she was fine staying lost amongst the books.
"You know there is a red head asking about you."
She could feel his breath against her ear, his voice barely a whisper. Her eyes snapped open immediately.
"You scared the living day lights out of me."
He chuckled and took the seat opposite from her at the table.
"I have that effect on a lot of people."
Hermione couldn't help but smile. She couldn't understand why Malfoy was being so nice to her but she was glad. It was a good distraction from everything else going on.
"So, are you going to tell me why Ginny Weasley is in the great hall right this very moment asking all of your housemates if they have seen you?"
Hermione cocked her eyebrow at Draco, "And how would you know? Do you make it a habit to listen to what goes on over at the Gryffindor table?"
He gave her an impish grin and shrugged, "Not usually. I was looking for you as well."
Hermione didn't know how to respond. They sat in silence for a minute before Draco finally spoke again.
"So, do you think she'll find you here?"
She rolled her eyes, "you found me here didn't you? I'm sure she'll get the same idea."
"You could always come to my room. I don't mind the company.
Hermione laughed, "Girls aren't supposed to be in the boys dormitories."
"That certainly didn't stop you from barging in last night."
Hermione shook her head, "I didn't know it was your room. That's different."
"You stayed after you found out," his gaze remained steady on her. She grasped at straws for a retort but it was no use. He was right. She didn't leave after she found out it was his room. She very easily could have just walked out.
Hermione looked over her shoulder towards the door; she knew that Ginny would be here to look for her any minute now. She turned back to look at Draco who was shooting a dirty look at a passing second year.
"I stayed because I had nowhere else to go."
Draco wagged his finger at Hermione, "That's just an excuse. You had plenty of places to go."
Hermione changed the topic; she knew that she couldn't win this one.
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?" He asked.
"Push people away like that. Have you ever thought that people think you're evil because you play into that idea?"
Draco leaned over the table, moving closer to Hermione.
"Can I tell you a secret Granger?"
"By all means, be my guest."
He lowered his voice, "I couldn't care less if these assholes think I'm evil."
Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed him back down to his seat. "I think you're full of it."
He raised an eyebrow at her before putting his hands over his heart. "Your words wound me Granger."
Hermione laughed, balled up a piece of paper and lobbed it across the table at him.
"And you are a horrible liar Malfoy."
He chuckled and threw it back at her but she ducked out of the way. Instead, it flew into the person standing behind Hermione. Malfoy's face morphed, his eyebrows deepened to a furrow and his lips tightened.
"I'll see you in potions tomorrow."
He got up from the table as Hermione turned to see what had changed his mood so quickly.
"Since when do you study with Malfoy?"
Ginny took the seat that he was just occupying. She stared at Hermione silently questioning what she had just walked in on.
Hermione waved her hand dismissively, "I don't. He came and sat down. Was I supposed to tell him to go away?"
Ginny looked around them before leaning in. "Yes that's exactly what I expect. Harry told me what happened at his house. How can you be so friendly with someone who has caused everyone so much pain?"
"We were just having a conversation Ginny. I was studying. He came and sat down."
Ginny eyed Hermione suspiciously, "If you say so."
Hermione wanted to change the subject and quick, she didn't have an explanation for why she was talking to Malfoy.
"Ready to head back to the common room?"
She stuffed all of books back into her bag and threw it over her shoulder. Her and Ginny walked in silence back to the common room. It wasn't until they got settled in the common room that Ginny began to ask her more questions. At first Ginny grilled her about Malfoy. She couldn't understand why she was talking to him and if Hermione was being completely honest, she wasn't too sure herself. There was something about him that had changed. Hermione recognized it that first night they spoke, when she had been in his room. She couldn't say that to Ginny though, it sounded like a bad cliché from a movie. Hermione was able to change the subject and finally she really talked with Ginny about what happened with Ron. She explained how she felt, that the passion had left their relationship. She explained to her how it had all seemed to make perfect sense during the war, that afterwards, after the urgency and danger had truly subsided and they had gone back to their normal lives, their dynamic changed. How she would always love him but couldn't stay with him because it would be cheating both of them out of the chance to be truly happy.
By the time they went to bed that night, Hermione had cleared the air with her friend. She had felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest. Ginny admitted that she was bummed that she wouldn't have Hermione as part of her family one day but in the end she assured her that she would support her, as long as it made her happy.