Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in my story. All of it belongs to J.K. Rowling. The plot just popped into my head while I was reading DH.

Chapter 3

It was just over an hour before eleven o'clock and Hermione was still not up yet.

"Hermione sweetie! The taxi's going to be here in just twenty minutes!" her mother was shaking her daughter awake, something that did not happen very often since Hermione was usually up before her. Hermione shot out of bed when she heard her mother though.

"Oh no! how did I oversleep?" she was rushing through her morning routine, but stopped when she pulled her sweater over her head. She had caught sight of a single, long, thin scar on her left arm. So red…the small beads trailed down her arm gathering in a small puddle in her palm. The pain was bearable, nothing too bad, but it still hurt. She stayed silent, a sound meaning weakness… shaking her head, she pulled on her trainers with five minutes to spare.

"Do you want some breakfast?" her mother asked her. It was Sunday so her father was at the office. "Toast? Maybe some bacon?"

"I'm fine mum, I'll just get something on the way." Hermione placed a shrinking charm on her luggage so that they resembled briefcases.

"Alright sweetie, remember to have some fun this year-- its your last year, after all! But don't forget your studies-- oh I think I see the taxi." her mother gave her a last hug and kiss before helping her daughter carry her stuff out.

"'Bye mum, I'll miss you." she gave her mother a last hug.

"We'll miss you too, don't forget that your coming home for the Easter holidays." Hermione was already in the backseat, leaning out the window. "We love you,"

"Love you too mum!" Hermione yelled over the engine before the cab lurched to a start.

Hermione had stowed her luggage in heads compartment twenty minutes till, and was now searching for a familiar face, mainly Harry and Ginny. But everyone around her seemed to be lower classmen and she only saw a handful of people in her year. Sighing, she went back to her compartment and found Draco sitting inside. He seemed to be reading but if you looked at his eyes, you would see how they never moved.

"Hello, Malfoy," Hermione greeted him. It surprised her that she didn't need much effort to be civil, in fact she felt particularly at ease.

"Hello Granger," he replied. His voice was as flat as his eyes had been, with the exchange over, he returned to his book and turned a page. Hermione thought that his behavior was a bit…despairing, but didn't judge him. Everyone was different.

Sitting down opposite him, she took a book out of her pocket, returning it to its normal size. Opening it, she tuned out her surrounding so she could immerse fully immerse herself. But when she felt the train jolt forward, she closed her book and looked over at Malfoy. He had yet to turn a page.

"Malfoy," she said, hesitant.

"Hmm?"

"We need to greet the prefects." she stood up to make her point. He stood up to, looking a bit resigned.

"Oh, right." he walked out the door to the compartment across, then opened the door for Hermione to go first.

"Thanks," she said before entering

"Yeah,"

Inside, the compartment was filled, on the half of it near the window were most of the prefects. Ravenclaw with Luna Lovegood and Micheal Corner, Hufflepuff with Hannah Abbot and Justin Finchfletchy, and Gryffindor with Ron and Ginny. Hermione tried not to look at him. On the other half sat Pansy Parkinson, who looked like she had just swallowed a lemon, and Blaise Zambini, who looked like he didn't particularly care.

"Hello everyone," Hermione greeted them, trying to smile a bit.

"Hey Mione," Ginny said. She smiled at her before continuing.

"Welcome back, and congrats on making prefects. Your job as a prefect is to make sure there are no fights near you, otherwise you report them. Each of you will patrol the corridors at different times through the year, but for now you'll just be walking up and down the aisles. Any questions?" no one raised a hand and so she gave them the passwords to each of their common rooms and the bathroom.

"Alright then, for the next hour Ravenclaws will be patrolling, then Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Then repeat. I hope you have a nice ride, and if there are anymore questions, the Head's compartment is just across from here. Have I missed anything Malfoy?" He had been unnervingly quiet, but all he did was shake his head and stare at her, or maybe through her. She shivered at the thought. Luna and Micheal were the first to leave, followed by Zambini and Parkinson. The Hufflepuff stayed while Ginny went up to hug Hermione.

"How are you?" she asked, "you haven't replied to any of my owls, I was so worried!"

"Oh, sorry, I was busy. My parents wanted to spend a lot of time with me so they took the whole week off." It was partially true, she was with her parents, but they had not necessarily taken the week off; she just hadn't didn't felt like dealing with anything. She had felt happy during that week, keeping her magic to a minimum and helped around the house, embracing normalness.

"Well I'm glad you had fun, are you coming to sit with us?" there was a pleading note in her question, Hermione could tell she was thinking of what happened in Madam Malkin's.

"Sorry, Ginny," she said, trying to sound like she was "I have to stay in the Head's compartment for the whole ride." out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Malfoy shift in his seat.

"Alright," Ginny said, disappointed. She gave Hermione's shoulder a squeeze and walked out.

"Mione?" Ron asked. He looked both flustered and ashamed.

"Yes?" she sighed.

"I just wanted you to know I really am sorry I said- that I said… well that I said you-know-what." he was talking to her shoes at this point.

"I know you are, Ronald," she said. He looked up, hopeful. "But i haven't forgot what you said,"

"But it just slipped," he said feebly

"and what's more important? That you planned to say it or that it is what your unconscious mind says of me? Don't worry, I'm not mad at you anymore, just… well… lets just try not to be too awkward around each other, okay?" she tried to look reassuring and he smiled at her. Malfoy had gotten up by now and returned to their compartment.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," he walked down the hall and Hermione could see another redhead that was waiting in the shadows.

Getting up she went back to the Head's compartment, sitting down with an undignified plop, she put her head in her hands. She could see Malfoy sitting opposite her, but not only that, she could feel his eyes on her. "Yes?" she asked him

"Why did you lie?" he asked her. She looked up at him and smiled ruefully. He blinked a bit but still held her gaze. His eyes, that had seemed distant were alive for what seemed like the first time. Pretty, she thought.

"I just didn't want to deal with them for now, why aren't you with your friends?"

"Same," he answered. He was still looking at her, questioningly. "How can you forgive?" he finally asked.

"Pardon?" she asked, confused.

"How can you forgive him? You looked so…sad or maybe mad, when he said that. How do you forgive someone who makes you feel like that?" she sat up straighter before she replied.

"Because he has been my friend for seven years, I yelled at him for keeping a grudge that was long passed. How much of a hypocrite would I be if I did the same toward him over a loose word?"

"So you did that because it was right? If you were still mad and hurt, would you still have done that?"

"I did that because I wanted to. I am hurt, but he doesnt need to know that, why cant we just forgive without forgetting?"

"Because its the ones who forgive who suffer," he said, he said it with such finality she was almost afraid. "Its the ones who lift the burden of another that suffers because they'll never forget, while the forgiven can forget because you had taken their burden away."

"Thats not true!" she said, her blood rising out of passion. "Forgiving is always best, unless your strength to forgive is not there, but as long as your alive you have enough strength."

"So you feel no animosity toward me? When I used to call you that for years?"

"No, the fact that we are talking right now, of past hostilities is proof we can live together without the terror of war and bloodshed." he still looked at her incredulous.

"But how can you forgive me? How can you not blame me, it was, after all, my fault that Dumbledore's dead." his voice was bitter now, but Hermione could hear the remorse he felt.

"Draco," she said, the name funny on her tongue. He jerked his head up, looking her straight in the eyes his fierce gaze had the same sharpe edge and glittering quality that diamonds had. "Draco, it was not your fault he died, choices were made from a place above yours. Think of us as pawns in this elaborate game. There were two people out of all of this that you can rightfully blame, but what is the use?" he seemed unsure, but before he could reply, the lady with the trolley came.

"Anything from the trolley dears?"

Hermione bought some chocolate frogs, and pumpkin pasties. When she walked back inside, Draco had disappeared within himself again, and for the first time, Hermione wondered if that was indeed a good thing.

The Great Hall was alive once more, there wasn't a single thing that showed that a battle had taken place only a few months ago. Well other than the unnatural cleanliness that comes with new things.

"The place looks wonderful," Harry commented from beside her. She nodded her head in agreement before looking at the staff table once more. Professor McGonagall was Headmistress of the school so Andromdea Tonks was the new Transfiguration professor. It was startling, her resemblance to Bellatrix, but she had a kind yet stern face, similar to McGonagall's. Hermione briefly wondered if it came with the job. Next to Andromdea, was the biggest shock of the night. Remus Lupin had returned to once again become their DADA professor. There had been a roar of applause when it was announced and even some Slytherins smiled.

Hermione's gaze shifted toward Draco with the thougt of Slytherins. He was surrounded by his old friends, Crabbe, though, was absent from the whole table. Good riddance, the back-stabbing oaf she thought. Draco looked like he wasn't there again, everyone who had tried to engage him in conversation had failed to get more than a few words in reply. While looking at him, her thoughts wandered once again into the past

"Harry? are you talking to someone?" she heard Ron say.

Hermione started to quicken her pace as she heard someone snarl.

"I don't take orders from you, Malfoy!" she heard a bang and started running now. As soon as she reached Harry, she saw Malfoy, cowering from Crabbe, and Goyle, unconsious. She aimed her wand at Crabbe but was blasted off her feet.

"Don't kill him! Don't kill him!" she heard someone yell. . .

"Mione? You alright?" Harry asked, from next to her.

"Yeah," she breathed. Blinking, she came back to the present. Draco was looking at her now, but as soon as she turned her head to make sure he was just looking at his plate, his expression dazed.

Is this what healing is like? she wondered.

A/N: well I hope you liked it.

Remember that reviews are greatly appreciated

-A

11-16-08