Hermione waited… For twenty-five minutes she stood outside the door inside the Room of Requirement, dithering and arguing with herself about what she should do; there was moment when she was sure she was doing the wrong thing, but those moments always seemed to pass quickly… When the door eventually opened, she jumped in surprise; Draco leant against the doorframe, still very pale and wan, but upright. Hermione's mind went blank, and she couldn't think of anything to say, she just stared at him. Ultimately it was Draco who broke the silence:

"I didn't think you would still be here…" His voice was weaker than usual, and entirely devoid of his usual snark.

"I wasn't about to run off before I knew whether you were alright." Hermione replied honestly; Draco stared at her for a few long seconds, his gaze so steady and questioning that Hermione looked away, feeling uncomfortable. The silence between them stretched on for a long moment, in which Draco seemed to consider her deeply.

""You're different…" He stated plainly, he moved from the doorway, walking slightly unsteadily to the bed and perching upon the edge of it. Hermione wasn't sure how to respond to this; Draco finally stopped staring at her, sinking his head into his hands. Again, Hermione felt a wave of pity for him.

"Would you like some water?" Hermione asked him gently, she was beginning to regain the resolve that she had had before Draco had emerged from the bathroom.

"Please…" He muttered, with her wand she conjured up a cup and filled it up from the taps in the little bathroom. She carried it across to him and sat on the bed next to him, handing across the cup. "Thanks…" Accepting the cup, he took a tentative sip. "I don't understand why you're being nice to me, of all people." He spoke very quietly, almost as though it was an internal thought that Draco didn't realise he was vocalising.

"Why wouldn't I be? I have no reason to hold a grudge?" Hermione responded, the awkward feeling that she was worried about was ebbing away. Draco didn't seem to be resentful, or spiteful that it was her that had brought him in – if anything he was just confused.

"Yeah, right!" Draco scoffed, "If anyone has the right to hold a grudge, you'd be at the top of the list!"

"For what reasons?" She inquired; interested to know why Draco felt she was wronged.

"For what she did, at the Manor." He spat, his voice full of loathing; he didn't specify who 'she' was, but by the tone of his voice Hermione reckoned that he meant Bellatrix. "And because of the way that I've treated you, and your friends, for the past seven years."

"What happened at the Manor wasn't your fault, and there was nothing you could have done even if you had been in control. I don't hold that against you." Hermione replied. "And well… you were brought up being told that I was scum because of my blood status, weren't you?"

"Wrongfully, yes." Draco nodded his head.

"So I understand what it's like to be under pressure from your family. But the world is changing now. You're not restricted by your families' views, and I'm not hindered by my blood status…" She explained, "Now is the time for all that 'pureblood dominance' to end, and all the rumours and dislike of the Slytherins can come to an end too. After everything that has happened, things can't just continue the way they were, there has to be change – and if I'm holding a grudge for things that are long past, then I'm not helping the change."

"You really are different." Draco repeated, the hand which he was holding the cup in wasn't shaking as much now; Hermione was steeling herself to ask the question that had been nagging in her mind since she brought Draco in.

"Have you been drinking?" The words came out much more quickly and bluntly than she had intended them to.

"I – I … uh…" Draco faltered, his gaze suddenly directed away from Hermione to the other side of the room.

"I don't care if you have; I'm not going to get you in trouble or anything…" She clarified, "I just – you must have hit your head pretty hard outside, and if you've not been drinking then it looks like you could have done yourself a bit of damage."

"I'm not concussed or anything." Draco stated firmly.

"So you have been drinking?" That was what she took from that rather evasive reply.

"Only a little bit." He responded.

"At least I know you're not going to die from a head injury then." She said calmly, questions were bubbling up inside her, but she reminded herself that it wasn't her place to ask.

"Aren't you going to tell me off?" Draco asked, sounding surprised that she hadn't done so already.

"Why?" She commented.

"Because drinking is bad, and I shouldn't be doing it in the school." Draco replied; Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"Then you already know what I would say, so there's no point in me reiterating what you already know." She said, "It's your choice, and your reasons, so I'm not going to change what you think." Draco sat very still, he seemed to be chewing over what Hermione had just said; he frowned slightly, clearly unsure of what to say next.

"I say again, different." He repeated for the third time.

"I'm not different." Hermione protested.

"You're the only one who has given me the time of day since I got back here…" Draco muttered slowly; perhaps it was still the effect of the alcohol in his bloodstream, but he felt at ease in this situation with Hermione. "I'm serious about that…" Draco said solemnly. "You think I'm joking, but honestly – no one else has even said hello since we came back to school…" He paused, "Not that I can really blame people… I am a Malfoy." He spat out his surname like it was offensive, and scowled at his lap.

"That shouldn't matter." Hermione told him cordially.

"You're the only one who thinks that then…" He scoffed; Hermione saw Draco's right hand rest over his left forearm. "I was a-" He stopped talking abruptly. "I was on the wrong side… and I didn't exactly do anything to help." He sounded bitter, regretful.

"You didn't really have a choice…" Hermione stated calmly. "Your family…"

"Does that really negate what I did though?" He cut across her. "I'm not sure that it does… and other people clearly think the same thing."

"Well I don't." Hermione stated firmly. "You've lost just as much as other people have, and the past has to stay in the past." She looked directly into Draco's pale face and was utterly surprised when she saw tears in Draco's light grey eyes.

"Thank you…" He whispered slowly. "I don't know what else to say…" He uttered quietly.

"You don't have to say anything else." Hermione replied, "But promise me one thing…"

"What?"

"That if you're lonely, you come and see me." Draco considered her for a long few seconds and then nodded.

"Okay." He murmured almost inaudibly. "I will…"

A/N: Thank you for reading so far - I'd love to know what you think of this chapter/story so far... (Super thanks for everyone for being so patient with me, I'm trying to update as quickly as I can!) :)