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As soon as Hermione registers that it is indeed Draco Malfoy she wonders what he is doing here, she saw his shoulders shaking and realised that he was crying. That was unexpected, she never pegged him for someone who would cry their guys out, as he was always so stoic with that damned smug smirk of his as if everyone around him was inferior to him, that this was definately a shock to her. Seeing him like this was something she thought to be very much disturbing, but then again so was everything happening in the wizarding world for the past few years, what with Voldemort and all.
She decided what she should do. ""Maybe I should just leave,"" she thought but shook the thought away. ""I would rather face him than the mourning people out there."" He must have sensed her presence as he sharply turned his head towards her. That's when she saw him, saw the pain in his eyes, the grief. She was shell shocked to see him The Draco Malfoy, who always sneered and bullied others to look so heartbroken that her heart went out to him.
Deciding that she could not stay any longer in his presence otherwise she might do something terribly awkward like hug him or anything else she started to walk away when she was halted by his voice.
""Why? why did he do that Granger."" She turned back to him, his voice was so raspy and filled with pain that her heart ached. He continued.""What did he gain Granger? what did he fucking gained ."" He was openly sobbing now, meanwhile she just stared at him unsure of what to do next.""He... he killed them Granger, he killed my parents.""
His breathing was becoming shallow as if breathing itself has become a difficult task for him. He was looking on the verge of a breakdown from his hysteria. He spoke again ""We did every damn fucking thing he asked us to Granger. From money to murder, from corruption to rape everything, and why? just so we can be in his good grace, just so that we can live our lives happily without the tension of him killing us.
She moved and crouched down next to him and hugged him tight. He placed his head at her chest and hands around her waist. She held him while he cried and clinged to her as if he were a child terrified by his nightmare who was seeking comfort from his mother.
She knew that he was her enemy and this was probably wrong for many reasons but at that time she didn't care. She was known for her nature to give comfort to everyone and she was a Gryffindor no less. She cannot watch her former enemy in such agony even if she wanted to which she did not by the way.
So, she just rocked him back and forth smoothed out his hair and marveled at how soft they were and felt a pang of jealousy. She then immediately mentally face palmed herself and thought, "" He is crying over his parents' death and all you could think of is his how soft his hair feels!!. Seriously Granger get a grip.""
She continued rocking him back and forth, rubbing her hand up and down on his back, while he just continued sobbing. Though now he was crying softly and was hiccuping once in a while. After half an hour or so he went finally silent. She gently pried his hands from around her waist and looked him in the eye. Tears were still pouring from his now red and puffy eyes, she gently wiped them away.
At that moment when she looked at she did not saw the Draco Malfoy, only heir to Malfoy and Black lines, youngest Death Eater ever. All she saw was a seventeen year old boy who had just lost his parents in war and had faced god knows how many horrors. She thought of how similar he looked like Harry and Ron at that moment. Not by the looks, no. But, the emotions his eyes showed were the same she had seen in both Harry's and Ron's eyes many a times. Anguish, pain, grief of losing parents and friends.
His hair though matted with from blood and dirt still looked gorgeous. His white button down was hanging from his right shoulder where now she saw a deep gash.
""You're bleeding."" She said noticing all the wounds and cuts he had. It was the first time she had said anything to him since sir spotted him.
He looked at her startled by her sudden exclamation and looked down at himself, again at her and said in a raspy voice"" So are you Granger.""
And that's when she finally looked at herself. Her jumper was torn from various parts revealing her milky skin which had deep cuts which were bleeding profusely. Her knees were scraped, here jeans torn from there. She knew that her hair was matted with blood and dirt but was surely looking worse than Malfoy's. She smelt of blood, burnt fabric and flesh, she smelt of spells, she smelt of death, she smelt of war. She suddenly felt nauseas and thought,"" Now is not the time for thinking about yourself Hermione, Malfoy needs you.""
So she concentrated on the boy, no on the young man before her and aimed best wand at him. She was surprised though when he laughed a humorless hollow laugh and said,"" Right Granger, that's great!!."" When she still looked at him confusingly he scoffed and said, "" Oh come on! don't look at me like that. By the way the whole confronting and comforting your enemy and trying to kill them is a tedious task don't you think. You should've killed me as soon as you saw me, but I guess this whole confronting and comforting thing will make you enjoy my death wouldn't it.?""
He mimicked her voice and said, "" Ha! Ha! Malfoy. What did you thought? hmm? that I would forgive you hmm?, as if, no I was just playing the trick. How very easy it was too fool you Malfoy.""
He stopped and clapped his hand slowly and said, "" How very Slytherin of you Granger! I wonder how did you not ended up in Slytherin, you definately would've made a fine Slytherin.""
Hermione was now standing with her hands on her hips and was slightly tapping her right foot, when she sensed that his rant was finished she looked down at him as he was still sitting on the ground and asked, "" Are you quite done now, or is there anything else you would like to add."" When he was about to open his mouth she beat him to it. "" Now you listen to me you idiot. I only raised my wand so that I could heal your wounds, because unlike you Slytherins, we Gryffindors don't know how to manipulate and backstab."" She emphasised on their houses, and continued, "" Now shut the fuck up so that I can heal you up.""
He was about to retort when she looked at him through narrowed eyes and said, "" Shush"".
He was in complete shock, so shocked infact that he let her heal him up without any fuss. No one has ever shushed him before, never in his seventeen years. He looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes. She was still fusing over him muttering incantations time to time. He looked at himself and was happy to notice that he was not looking like shit anymore. Satisfied with her work she sat back on her heels and pursed her lips in what seemed to be a silent contemplation.
At long last she said, "" There all better."". He looked at her again then suddenly aimed his wand at her. She showed no outward emotion except a quirk of an eyebrow and a slight smirk as of daring him to curse or hex her. "" Come on Malfoy what happened? see your enemy is crouching in front of you come on kill me. Awww how very Slytherin of you."" She mocked him with his own words. But when he merely looked at her and healed her up she tusked and said, "" Woah!! did you actually just healed me instead of killing me. Not very Slytherin of you now now is it. Healing the enemy and all. It seemed rather Gryffindor-ish to me. Hmm? what say you.""
He realised that she was mocking him, the fucking bitch was mocking him, the Draco Malfoy. But then he mentally snorted and thought, "" Fat lot of good it did to him to be a Malfoy.""
He sensed that he should say something in his defence so he said, "" I am a Malfoy Granger. We never keep any kind of debts and specially not a life debt. I did what I did to even out the things, not out of some sudden change in my heart.""
She scoffed at him and said, "" Fat lot of good it did to you for being a Malfoy. ""
He almost choked on his breath and thought, ""How did she knows what I was thinking? is she a legilimenes? No she can't be. "" They gazed at each other for what seemed like an eternity before she stood up abruptly.
"" I... I need to go! Harry and Ron must be waiting for me."" She said as an explanation. In reality though she stood up because she could no longer bear his intense gaze. His face hardened and donned a blank mask one which he has perfected long time ago at the mention of her best friends.
"" Ofcourse! they must be waiting for you."" He said bitterly.
Side nodded and turned to leave before she turned back to him and said, "" You're a good guy Malfoy. And I'm sorry for what happened to you."" She paused, took a deep breath and said, "" Good bye"". She was about to leave when she heard his voice hard and strong.
"" I'm not a good guy Granger. I never was, I'm the baddest of the lot and it would be wiser if you learn it soon."" His voice was as cold as ice but she knew that he was lying.
Instead she said, "" Everyone has some good in them Malfoy, believe it or not.""
He sighed and said, "" Oh for fuck's sake! you are sounding like Dumbledore and stop calling me a good person. I am not a good person. I killed more people than I can count. I raped young girls, some of them were not even thirteen. I was the one who repaired the vanishing cabinet and let the Death Eaters in. It was me who had to kill Dumbledore and maybe I would've killed him had Severus not intervened. You don't know anything about me Granger. I am a fucking bad person. "" He was panting by now. She started at him with her wide doe like eyes and then smiled slightly and shook her head and started walking towards him.
"" You're insane Malfoy! I am sounding like Dumbledore to you cause this is what he would've said had he been alive and this is what he said to professor Snape about you. He knew you were assigned to kill him and it was one of the reasons he instructed professor Snape to kill him cause he knew that you had good in you. He knew that even if your hands were tainted with various atrocities you were still pure, innocent and a mere sixteen year old boy at heart."" She was standing right in front of him now and he was starting at her unblinking.
She continued on, "" You're not the only one who has killed someone and you know it. Merlin only knows how many I have killed. This was a war Malfoy and one can neither survive nor win it with mere hexing and spells taught in first year. I have used more dark spells than half of the Death Eaters combined.""
She cupped his cheeks and looked him dead in the eye. She knew it was an intimate gesture, but right now it was the only way she knew of keeping him away from hysteria which he seemed prone to. But as soon as side cupped his cheeks he visibly relaxed as if the human contact was all the medicine he needed to stay away from hysteria.
"" I am not saying that what you did was right thing to do and who am I to even judge you when I myself have committed so many crimes. But, you did what you did for your family's safety. I've done fair share of things to keep my family safe. The people out there in the battlefield fought for their family."" She sighed and said, "" The war is now over Malfoy, you can't stay hidden away from the wizarding world. Let bygones be bygones and start your life from a new thread. Weave the thread carefully and see what a cosy jumper your life would be.""
She turns away and starts walking towards the castle this time not turning back. He silently watches her retreat and thinks how odd it was of her to console him as if he was her own. As if he was not the boy who has called her a mudblood for the first time in her life and continued tormenting her and her friends. As if he is not the youngest Death Eater, as if it was not his house where she was tortured for hours by his crazy aunt while he just stood there unable to help her. She truly was a bloody Gryffindor to the core, he thought with am amused smirk his respect for the witch increasing a notch.
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A/N- That was chapter 2... How was it ... Please review it would hardly take you a couple of minutes but it will really make my day... pretty please (( puppy dog eyes )).
Anyone waiting here for the release of Crimes of Grindelwald?? I am super excited for it yay ... we can see Hogwarts again in it's full glory not the ruins and such.. Do tell me what you think about this story as well as about the movie..
That's all for today.. see you guys soon... love you all...
- Mickeywickey...