Hermione,

I'm so sorry that I never noticed anything before Malfoy contacted us. I'll admit I have been keeping myself as far away from the castle out of classes as possible for fear of being dragged into an argument with Ron. In fact Harry and I have both been ridiculously absent from you recently. There is no excuse that would make excuse us so I won't attempt to make any.

Ginny

Draco read the letter Hermione had handed him when she arrived at his room the next day. She was busying herself rubbing cream into Draco's back and murmuring apologies as he hissed in pain, his body already noticing the previous day's lack of treatment.

"And what did you write back?" He asked. Hermione stayed silent and busied herself with the last dollop of cream on his back. "You did write back, didn't you?" He probed, turning around to look at her.

She blushed and looked down at the tub of cream she was putting away. "You shouldn't turn around while it soaks in" she said quietly. Draco merely raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed "what do you write back to something like that?"

Draco stared at her "you've known her for years and you don't know what to write back?"

She waved her hands around as if to grasp an idea from the air around her "well she didn't exactly ask me any questions, and I'm still far too angry with her to just forgive her for running away from trouble with Ron. Just because she got married and gets to have a house in Hogsmeade away from him doesn't mean she should have just abandoned me!"

She was pacing now, waving her hands around more frantically than he'd ever seen her do so, and her eyes were becoming suspiciously glassy and red with what Draco suspected to be tears. He sat awkwardly watching as she paced around faster and faster, her breathing becoming more erratic as she fought the tears threatening to show themselves in front of Draco.

He had a sudden flashback of when Bellatrix was torturing Hermione in his house last year. This was how she had been – trying not to show weakness in front of those she viewed as a threat. He remembered how she had only crumpled when Ron had broken in and grabbed her in his arms.

Taking a deep breath Draco pushed himself up from his chair and took Hermione by the shoulders, stopping her pacing. Her eyes registered surprise before some kind of emotional shutter went up and she glared at him "what?" She said moodily, folding her arms.

Draco said nothing and instead pulled her into a hug. Hermione resisted at first but eventually Draco felt her relax and her arms unfold. After a couple of silent minutes Hermione slipped her arms around Draco's back as she returned the hug, taking care not to squeeze him too hard and hurt his scarred back. Draco blinked in surprise as her arms tightened around him and, although he hadn't realized he'd been doing so beforehand, untensed his shoulders.

She sniffed a couple of times before pulling away, deliberately avoiding his eyes. "Thanks" she mumbled, grabbing her bag and leaving before he had a chance to react.

And yet again Draco Malfoy found himself staring at his shut bedroom door, wondering why she never seemed to stay as long as he wanted her to.

Never mind that, he thought to himself as he realised where his mind had headed, since when had he wanted Hermione to spend time with him?

"I think I need some help" he muttered to himself, pulling on his shirt and heading to his destination before he could change his mind.

"Draco, how can I help you?" came the startled response when Draco was revealed behind the closed office door, "surely not a home work problem?"

Draco shook his head and shifted awkwardly "no professor, not home work" he said "this is more of a personal matter, may I?" He asked, indicating the room behind with a nod of his head.

The professor still seemed stunned at Draco seeking him out and simply stepped back to let his student in. "I must say Draco," he said as they sat down in his office "I'm rather perplexed as to why you chose to seek me out as opposed to someone else."

Draco took a deep breath, still partially doubting his decision to seek the professor out. "It's about Grange- I mean, Hermione" he said.

This grabbed the other man's attention "what about her?" He asked sharply "is she okay?"

"As okay as anyone can be after what happened." He said, pausing to weigh up his next words before he spoke again "it's more, she seems to be occupying my thoughts recently. I find myself intrigued by her. I figured that, short of headmistress McGonagall, you're closest to her out of everyone here professor…"

A light chuckle met him. "You've come to me for advice and yet you've barely addressed me properly. Please, call me Remus."

Draco ran his hand over his hair and forced a smile "apologies, er, Remus. Hermione has always been somewhat of a fascination for me, but just recently she's been present in virtually every other thought I've had. I don't understand."

Remus smiled kindly at Draco, a knowing glint in his eyes "Draco, how exactly do you feel about Hermione?"

The pale boy coloured at Remus' question. "Well I guess she's a lot less annoying than she used to be" he started "and she's smart, and is probably the only person who's nice to me." He sighed in frustration as Remus let out an amused chuckle "what exactly do you want me to say?" He demanded impatiently "she's bloody amazing alright! She's far too kind for her own good, even her crazy hair looks good when it's framing her face, she can out-argue me but won't hold anything I say against me as long as I apologise when I say something stupid. She spends an age every day applying special healing cream to my back because Pomfrey couldn't do it every day and she didn't want to see me suffer. She doesn't pry but she knows how to get me to talk when something's bothering me. She's essentially perfect and therein lays my problem."

Outside somebody knocked on the door. Remus cast an anxious look at Draco before going to the door. Draco strained to hear from his seat but couldn't make out who it was.

His curiosity was answered when the person outside the door exclaimed "oh Remus, really!" and pushed past the flustered man. Hermione Granger, blazing eyes examining the room, strode in and stopped at the sight of Draco. A slight flush came upon her cheeks and Draco realised she had believed Remus to be lying to her when he'd told her that he had company. "I'm so sorry Remus, you must think awfully of me" she said humbly when she finally spoke.

"Not at all Hermione, I can admit my actions and refusal would appear suspicious to anybody. However, as I said, Draco and I have matters to discuss."

Draco wanted to shout at him to stop, to let her stay, but waited for Hermione to make some sort of acknowledgement towards him. Instead she simply inclined her head and smiled bashfully at Remus "of course, my apologies for disturbing you Remus" she said as she slipped out of the door.

Remus remained standing and watched Draco struggling with himself. "Go" he finally said. Draco frowned. "Go after her" he elaborated. "Although not planned, Hermione's visit and her reaction to you would imply she may be having similar confused thoughts and feelings to you. The two of you were raised to dislike each other but wars change things. Go after her and work out what it is you feel."

He watched as his student ran after one of his dearest friends. "Oh my darling Dora" he sighed, addressing their wedding picture where his beaming bride danced around him with rainbow hair, "I hope I did the right thing."

She winked back at him in reply.