Chapter Three - Storytelling

Hermione's head snapped up as such speed, that Draco was sure she must have broken it.

He smiled at her as she looked at him. She obviously didn't recognise him.

Hermione wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. She didn't know anyone here except her parents, yet he had said her name. She looked at him, trying to figure out if she could remember him, if he looked familiar, but there was nothing. She had no idea who this person was.

He was attractive so surely she would have remembered meeting him before.

"Sorry" she said "Do I know you?"

"Maybe I should have called you Granger" he smirked

Hermione looked at him and then it kind of clicked, "Malfoy?" she questioned uncertainly.

Draco smiled, "I prefer Draco"

"You, you've changed your appearance"

"Yeah, I felt like a change"

Hermione just looked at him, maybe this wasn't a good idea, maybe he should have kept running.

He was debating leaving, when Hermione smiled at him and said "I heard about your mum. I'm sorry"

He looked at her, and he could see in her eyes that she meant it.

"Thanks, but she was dead already, my father saw to that. He destroyed her" He answered more honestly than either of them expected, and still with hint of bitterness.

Hermione looked a bit stunned and Draco again wondered what he was doing.

"So, um, what are you doing here?" she asked hesitantly

"Trying to figure out who I am I suppose, plus I didn't really know what to do after the war."

"I don't think any of us did"

He looked at her, and again her eyes betrayed her. He could see that she looked a bit lost too.

"So why are you here?" he asked, deciding being blunt might get him the answers he wanted.

At that moment, his coffee arrived, as did her food.

Hermione looked at her food, picking up and eating one of her fries, as Draco ordered some food.

Hermione used this time to look at Draco, now that she knew who he was. Yes his appearance had changed slightly, but he still looked like Draco. He had kept himself fit, just as Quidditch had done at school. His eyes were still grey, but she could see emotion in his eyes, which she couldn't recall seeing before.

She hadn't heard anything about him for a few years, not since his mother died. At first there were reports in the gossip columns of the Daily Prophet wondering where Draco Malfoy was, and what his disappearance meant, but then other stories and scandals broke and the story was forgotten, and so it seemed was Draco.

Hermione shook her head, to refocus herself as to where she was and she saw Draco smirking at her. He'd caught her staring at him.

"So are you going to answer my question Granger?"

"I prefer Hermione" she countered, taking a bit of her sandwich.

Draco smiled, "Ok, are you going to answer my question Hermione."

Waiting until she swallowed her bite "I'm on holiday" she answered.

Draco looked at her waiting for more, but he realised it wasn't coming as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"I'll make you a deal, I'll tell you my story while you eat, if you tell me yours once my food arrives"

Hermione looked at him, and looked interested. He had hoped she would be curious, and it appeared she was.

After having a drink of her juice, Hermione nodded her head, and said "Ok, deal"

Draco had a sip of his coffee, took a deep breath and started.

"I don't really know where to start, but I guess you've met my father. I grew up being taught all about the Dark Lord and all of the prejudices that went with that, including how purebloods were superior, and lets just say from an early age I learnt not to argue or question him."

Draco took another sip of coffee.

"So once school started, he realised that he could use me to gain influence with the Dark Lord. I was to treat Harry Potter as the enemy and to make sure his school life was as hard as possible. Obviously Weasley was soon added to that, as were you."

Hermione looked at him at this point.

"What is surprises you that Lucius Malfoy didn't like the fact his son was coming second to a muggle born" he asked

Hermione swallowed her mouthful and said "You didn't say mudblood"

"No, its not a word I use anymore"

She looked at him with a slightly shocked expression.

"You asked me earlier why I was here, and I said to try and find myself" Hermione nodded "Well once the war ended, my father was sent to Azkaban, and then my mother died, and suddenly I was alone, but I was also free. I could do what I wanted, there was no one else in control anymore. I didn't know what to do at first. If I'm honest I still don't".

The waitress arrived again, this time with Draco's food. After she had left the table, a silence fell over the table. Draco couldn't believe how honest he was being, or how easy it was to talk to Hermione, while Hermione couldn't believe that she was sitting talking to Draco Malfoy, and it wasn't hard or uncomfortable.

"I think everyone found it hard at the end of the war" Hermione said quietly, "it had been a focus of our life for so long".

Draco nodded, as he started to eat his fries.

"I feel like its when my life started, in a strange way. I guess I just haven't quite figured out what that means". He smiled

"Would you believe me if I said I understood?" Hermione asked.

Draco looked at her, and realised he actually did believe her. There was something in her eyes, something he couldn't put his finger on it.

"In what way?" he replied

"When the war ended there was the initial relief that it was all over and we'd won, but as time went on I realised that since I entered the magical world my life had been defined by Voldemort. I was a mudblood and I had to put up with those prejudices, and the fear for myself and the family".

She took a sip of her drink.

"Once I realised it was all over, once all the Death Eaters were rounded up and sentenced, I realised that I could finally live and experience the magical world for what it was."

"I suppose that makes sense" Draco replied.

"Really cause some of my friends think I am talking crap".

Draco laughed, "Imagine what they'd say if they could see you now"

Hermione laughed too.

"So what gossip have I missed?" Draco asked, as he continued to eat his meal.

Hermione spent the next hour or so updating Draco on all of the gossip from home. To anyone watching they looked like two friends having a late lunch.

Eventually the time came for them to leave.

"Will I see you again before you go home?" Draco asked.

Hermione smiled, "As I don't know when I'm going home, I guess so"

Draco had a surprised look on his face.

"I'm trying to find myself too" she said, answering the unasked question.

They said there goodbyes and made arrangements to meet for lunch in a couple of days time.

As Draco walked away he wondered if helping Hermione find out who she was, would help him realise who he was?

AN: Pls review and let me know what you think.

I'm still working on the next chapter, so feedback would be fantastic :)