Once they were outside the library, Malfoy stopped and turned towards Hermione.
"You should go to your common room and drop off your things, then meet by the entrance of the great hall in fifteen minutes." He said calmly, stuffing his parchment haphazardly into his bag.
Hermione, still feeling like she was imagining this interaction stared at him open-mouthed. "Okay…it's getting rather late so we shouldn't be gone long."
Malfoy began trotting in the direction of his own house, "There's plenty of time, just go drop your stuff off." Just as Hermione turned in the opposite direction to set off toward Gryffindor tower she heard him call after her, "Oh and Granger? Dress warmly." He said flashing a sly smile over his shoulder.
As Hermione climbed the many sets of stairs on her way to her dormitory her thoughts were racing. Did she really go over and sit next to Draco Malfoy suddenly in the middle of the library? And why in the world was he offering to go somewhere with her? More importantly, where were they going?
She was equally as bewildered by this encounter as she had been by the last but her curiosity was tugging at her again. Of course the ball was weeks ago now, but she couldn't shake the feeling that ever since their exchange there was more to learn about the mysterious sworn-enemy of her best friend. Hermione wondered what Harry would say if he knew she had taken an interest in Malfoy and couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for associating with someone who Harry detested at such a high level. Still, the rational side of her told her that she really didn't know anything about Malfoy other than what Harry had been speculating for years, and even though he had been particularly nasty in years past, she couldn't remember the last time he had actually singled her out to say some foul string of insults. Maybe he was trying to turn over a new leaf or maybe he just wanted to find friendship. Whatever the reason, Hermione knew she had to find out for herself what this new side of him was all about and she'd omit telling Ron or Harry anything so that she could form her own un-biased opinion of him.
Hermione continued to have the same thoughts circling in her head as she absentmindedly got to work changing clothes. In no time at all she had dressed herself in a pair of chocolate brown corduroys with her favorite boots and a heavy light-pink sweater. She added a soft white winter vest over the top before pausing to check her reflection in the mirror. Pleased with her appearance she hastened from the girls dormitory on her way to the great hall.
He was already waiting for her when she got there. Malfoy was studying one of the large portraits decorating the wall when he caught a glimpse of Hermione out of the corner of his eye. "Ready?" He questioned, turning to meet her.
Hermione nodded and looked around trying to decide if the few lingering students were watching them. Malfoy set off in front of her toward the door leading to the western grounds of Hogwarts.
"We're going outside?!" Hermione exclaimed, "It's the middle of winter and nearly nightfall."
"Nearly nightfall." Malfoy repeated, the same sly smile spreading across his lips. He pulled open the large wooden door and held it for Hermione to cross in front of him. Once outside, he veered off in the direction of the river on one of the many winding paths that surrounded the castle. After a few moments of silence he spoke again, "Nervous Granger? Afraid you'll get in trouble?"
Truthfully Hermione was always a little nervous when she boarded on breaking school rules but had become rather accustomed to being out of the castle at night with Harry and Ron so she knew it was nothing completely new. "Not at all." She smiled, "Are you going to tell me where we're going?"
"Not a chance." Malfoy replied, "But trust me, its better if it's a surprise."
Hermione had to hasten to keep up with him and after a few more minutes had passed, Malfoy seemed to notice and slowed his pace. They exchanged several awkward glances along the way and Hermione suspected neither one of them knew what to say. The sun was starting to fall from the sky which told them that in a little more than a half an hour, it would be sunset and if they were still outside they would be breaking school rules. Malfoy seemed to care little about this fact as he led them further and further from the main areas of Hogwarts.
Once they had reached a rather open area of the grounds, Malfoy turned from the path and stepped onto an area that was covered with fresh snow. He held out his hand to Hermione to help her step over one of the large rocks lining the path.
"Good thing I wore boots." She said taking his hand and cautiously stepping onto the snowy earth beneath her.
"Yet you forgot mittens." Malfoy noted. "Here, take mine." He said removing his own black gloves and offering them to her.
"I'm fine, really."
"Your hands will freeze Granger, just take them. Besides, I'm used to the crippling cold being trapped in the dungeons most of the time."
Hermione laughed and gratefully took the gloves from him, noticing for the first time how cold her hands actually were. "Thank you." She replied.
"So are you going to tell me what they did this time?" Malfoy asked suddenly.
Hermione blinked, "What do you mean?"
He scoffed. "Why else would you have come and sat with me?"
She had to admit, he was observant…then again, maybe it was just a lucky guess. "I had to return your handkerchief." She lied.
"Nice try. Knowing those two they said some dim-witted thing."
"Yes and no." Hermione answered, pausing to look at him as they now walked side by side through the few inches of snow crunching loudly at their feet. "Harry didn't really say anything at all and Ron….well Ron is just Ron."
"I see." Malfoy said awkwardly. "Weasel-bee still upset about Krum I take it?"
Hermione nodded in response. Feeling her annoyance with Harry's lack of involvement and Ron's mouthy comments return she ranted on, "I can't understand where he gets off being upset. Firstly, there isn't anything going on with Viktor and I, but even if there was its Ron's issue to work through and not mine. And secondly, why can't he just have a conversation with me about it instead of acting like a child?!"
"And that's a rhetorical question I take it?" Malfoy asked, stopping in his tracks.
Hermione stopped as well and studied his face for a moment before breaking into laughter, "He really isn't as bad as you think."
He hesitated before giving his response and beginning to walk again, "Maybe, but I reckon Potter is." This time, Hermione made no attempt to follow after him. Malfoy must have realized his error soon enough because he turned back toward her. "Sorry." He said nervously, watching Hermione intently again.
She thought about lecturing him for bashing Harry and Ron so openly, but reconsidered as everyone knew full-well the two sides had a long standing history of distaste for one another. "It's fine." She answered quickly. "Are we almost there?"
"It's a bit farther yet, but we're getting close now." He said, seeming relieved that she wasn't offended.
They resumed walking once more and after a long minute Hermione spoke, "Malfoy, if you don't mind my asking, why you dislike Harry so much?" She couldn't believe she had just asked that, or that she was wondering around the castle with Draco Malfoy—that is, someone who resembled the appearance of Draco Malfoy but acted nothing like him. Hermione began questioning her sudden interest in him again and felt her nerves rise as she waited for him to reply.
Malfoy looked taken aback by her loaded question and took a long time to speak again, carefully planning out his response in his mind first. "Well, I suppose it started because of the things my father would always say. That and the fact that the first time we met I was immature and thought I knew everything of course."
Hermione listened keenly to his answer, "So you share your father's opinion then?"
He looked rather uncomfortable speaking about the topic and didn't make eye contact with Hermione while he spoke, "I did at first because I didn't know any better but now I'm not so sure. I started picking on him first year because I thought it was funny and the more time that went on it just became common."
"Then why not try and be nice to him like you have been with me? Harry's not at all like you think."
Malfoy chuckled, "Look, I'm sure Potter is a nice guy but we are too different to ever be friends. There's already been too much damage done, admittedly mostly by me."
"Well it's never too late to change." Hermione nagged. "I don't understand why you can't be the bigger person."
He sighed heavily, "I just get so sick of everyone worshipping the kid all the time. I mean really it's all the time. Everywhere I go I constantly hear about the famous Harry Potter. You probably can't understand because you're close with him but to an outsider it's truly annoying."
Hermione laughed, surprised by his honesty. "I guess I could see that getting old. But there really is no reason to torment him, it's not his fault he's famous."
"He draws more attention to himself than he needs to. It may have started as an immature way of getting at him, but over the years it's become a rather fun past-time of mine." He smiled as he watched Hermione begin to laugh a little, "And you know what the best reason for doing it is don't you?"
"No, what's that?"
"Because he just makes it so damn easy! I mean literally all I have to do is look at him wrong and it gets under his skin."
"Well, yes he does let his temper get the best of him rather quickly. Sometimes I find that annoying about him." Hermione responded.
"In all seriousness though," Malfoy continued, "Even if I tried to be friendly with him, after this many years he would never trust me. I figure it's best to keep my distance and just let it be what it will. Just because I can't get along with the guy doesn't mean that I think no one should. I can't understand why you're friends with him Granger, but I respect the fact that others might see something different than me."
Hermione nodded, taking the signal that he was bringing the topic to a close and rubbed her gloved hands together vigorously to warm them.
"We're here!" Malfoy exclaimed holding a nearby tree branch out of the way so that Hermione could come forward.
"Oh my gosh!" She cried, "This place is beautiful!"
"This is my favorite place to come at Hogwarts." He said, watching Hermione take in the scenery.
He had led them to a place Hermione had never seen before. It was along the edge of the river in the middle of a thicket of large white birch trees and several weeping willows. The sun was beginning to set and the brilliant reds and oranges of the disappearing light made the snow sparkle like glitter. She imagined how thrilling it would be to see it in the spring time when the grass was growing and the river was beginning to thaw.
"I've never been here before." Hermione said still awe-struck. "I thought I'd seen nearly every inch of the Hogwarts grounds."
"Not many people come here since it's pretty far from the castle. I like to come out here when I need a distraction from everything. Figured you might enjoy it." Malfoy stared off in the distance at the setting sun and another silence crept in-between them.
Hermione wandered along the edge of the frozen river and thought about how much this place reminded her of one of the Muggle parks her parents would take her to as a child. She would spend hours by the riverside skipping pebbles across the water with her father and swinging on the tree swing nearby.
"I used to come to a place just like this when I was young. It was my dad's favorite spot to read. I used to bring bread to feed the ducks in the river and in the winter we'd go ice skating. If there was an old swing here, it would be nearly identical."
Malfoy stepped closer to where she was standing, "Do you want to start back toward the castle before it gets dark?"
"No." Hermione said breathlessly, "Let's stay here for a little while until the sun sets." She was so immersed in the memories of her youth for a second she forgot she was away at school and that she was in the company of the once-loathed Malfoy. She looked at him and smiled, "Are you sure you aren't still setting me up for some horrible trick."
Malfoy frowned and Hermione regretted her words at once. "This again?" He asked.
Hermione's thoughts raced, thinking that he did seem like he was trying to be very genuine and hadn't given her any reason to suspect he was up to something. She thought back to her vow from earlier in the night when she decided to put the past behind her and form her own opinion. "I'm sorry, this is all so unusual."
"I suppose I deserve your suspicion after all the horrible things I've said to you."
Hermione said nothing and turned her attention back toward the sun that was sinking rapidly in the sky. She gave a sudden shudder at the cold breeze sweeping off the frozen river and crossed her arms tightly across her chest.
"Here." Said Malfoy, stripping off his black, woolen overcoat and wrapping it around Hermione's shoulders.
"Thank you." Hermione said as the warmth washed over her. She met his gaze and starred up at his grey eyes glistening in the remaining rays of light. She thought that it looked as though he may start to cry. His strong hands were still rested on Hermione's shoulders and she was standing so close that she could smell the scent of him, a light, airy smell that reminded her faintly of sandalwood.
"Hermione?" He asked breaking the silence.
"Yes?"
"I really am sorry for the way I've treated you—and for calling you a Mudblood and all the other horrible things. My ignorance was inexcusable. Every time you look at me I can't help but think how much you must hate me and….well—you just need to know how sorry I am and that I don't think that little of you."
Hermione could scarcely believe her ears. Was this for real? It didn't even seem like the same person to her anymore. This was far from the same boy that for the last four years she had been forbidden to talk to and despised seeing around school because of his constant provoking. In the back of her mind she wondered what had happened to bring on this sudden change of heart but she couldn't help but be moved by his apology.
"Oh Draco…" She sighed, stretching up on her tip toes to give him a hug. Malfoy bent down and rested his cheek against Hermione's bushy hair. After a long moment, they parted ways, Hermione's gaze still fixated on him.
"Do you know that that was the first time you have ever called me by my first name?" He asked quietly, a smile on his lips again.
A/N: Alright, albeit not a terribly exciting chapter but stick with me, I'm building up to something good. I'll try to get the next chapter up within the next few days. One thing I should note is that while I'm in the process of writing this story I am re-reading the books along with it so that I can pull certain events from each year at Hogwarts as the story progresses. That being said, it may take me some time to arrange it to my liking and so I apologize if I post a flurry of chapters followed by a bit of a lull. Please and thank you for your patience and reviews.