Disclaimer: Again I don't own Harry Potter :)
A little note before I start this chapter,I'm really sorry this chapter took so long, I was on vacation, and I should have said something before that. I hope you guys still enjoy and please do Review. It let's me know if I'm doing something right or wrong even! Some nice constructive criticism would be great! Also characters may be a little OCC but oh well it's my fic and I like the way I've written it!
Hagrid walked into the clearing, clasping his giant hands together. "A'right, so I've been doin a bit o' lookin an' I found something interestin I never knew about hippogriffs. Now remember on the first day, I said hippogriffs never forgive or forget? Well I got part of that wrong. They do forgive but you have to truly want the forgiveness from yer hippogriff. Another special ceremony must be done to gain back the trust of yer hippogriff. So Hermione may I borrow ye?" Hermione blinked, a little confused, but nodded and stood up, facing the class. She noticed that Draco would not look at he, and she realized that for some reason, that bothered her. "An' Mr. Malfoy I'll need to borrow you as well." Draco looked up a little in shock, but again he didn't dare look at Hermione, he only stared up at Hagrid. "Listen, Professor," He said with one of his old signature sneers," I don't really feel like being attacked by your hippogriff again. So, thanks but no thanks." Hagrid grunted and walked over to Malfoy. "Get up you slimy little brat. I need you to do this demonstration for the class. " "Just leave me alone!" He crossed his arms and continued to sneer at Hagrid. "Malfoy, you realize I'm the teacher. Now, get up and come here." Malfoy growled and stood up but instead of walking towards the front of the class, he began to walk out of the forest. Hagrid growled and began to walk after him but Hermione quickly stopped him. "Let me Hagrid." She said sighing. Hagrid nodded and went back to lecturing the class.
Hermione silently walked behind Draco and caught up quickly. "Leave me alone Granger. I'm not going back. I don't feel like subjecting myself to pain any longer." "I-I wasn't going to force you to come back Draco." Draco stopped abruptly which almost made Hermione stumble and fall. "What?" He asked harshly. Hermione bit her lower lip and sighed. "I-I just wanted to see if you were alright Draco." "No, no I'm not doing this Granger. You don't really care how I feel and why should you? I'm just a dirty untrustworthy Death Eater remember? You just wanted to try and butter me up so I'd return to class." "Draco that's not true now stop!" Draco growled but in defeat turned around and headed back towards class. "You'll get your own way this time Granger." Hermione sighed and followed after him.
When they returned, they both walked to the front of the class. Draco showed no emotion on his sleep-ridden face and that scared Hermione a little. "A'right, thank you Hermione. Ok so Hermione you stand on my left and Malfoy, you will stand facin her on my right. I'll go an get Buckbeak." Hermione let her eyes wander over to the class who were all snickering and whispering to one another. She picked up on three distinct words, Malfoy, hippogriff, and die. This made her scrunch up her nose in disgust. She may have been mad at Draco and herself for trusting him, but she would never wish a very gruesome hippogriff death upon him. She scowled at the class one last time before she looked back at Draco who frowned at her and turned his head to look elsewhere. She looked away, defeated. Since when did she care about poor Malfoy's little feeling? She should have never said the things she had to him, they weren't right, and now she was feeling bad.
Luckily, Hagrid returned fairly quickly after that, and trailing behind him was a fighting Buckbeak. Hermione watched as Buckbeak's eyes locked onto Draco and he thrashed around even more violently. There was a post in the center and back a little ways from Hermione and Draco, and that is where Hagrid tied Buckbeak up. He then walked up to them, and put his massive hands on both of their shoulders. "These two are goin to get Buckbeak 'ere to accept Malfoy's apology. I've never seen two people who used to have so much hate for each other, come together, and be friends like I've witnessed these two doin since they started me class last week." Hermione grimaced at this. Had they really been building a friendship without her realizing it? She thought about it for a moment. Draco searching her out and comforting her when she had cried, why hadn't she noticed the signs? She should have known when she had begun to look forward to talking to him, and actually missed it now. She sighed and looked back up towards Hagrid. "So you two are goin to do the dance o' mates." Hermione squeaked and looked at Hagrid, appalled. She quickly stole a glance at Draco, whose cheeks had become a bright red against his translucent white skin. Hagrid laughed. "Oh come now you two, that's just what it's called. What kind of class do you think this is?" Hermione listened to the whole class giggle at this. "Besides the reason I am having you two do this, is because Hermione 'ere is the only girl Beaky really knows. If Malfoy an' you do the dance, he will assume you are mates, an' my hope is that he'll look at Malfoy a little differently. A'right so first things first, Malfoy if you will, bow to Hermione." Draco looked resilient at first and the phrase," How dare you make the great Draco Malfoy bow to an insolent mudblood." quickly entered Hermione's mind. However, when the platinum blond top of Draco's head met her, that all shook away. "Now 'Mione, you bow back." So Draco stood back up and she bowed back. "A'right know you two have to come together and hug." They both looked quizzically up at Hagrid who sighed. "Oh come now you two, it's to symbolize an embrace of wings." Hermione heard Draco's breath hitch which only caused her anxiety to rise.
Hermione's heart quickened as she began to come closer to Draco, who hadn't at all moved from his spot in the dirt. She heard Buckbeak let out a soft coo and thought this might just work. "'Mione, go ahead and stop. Malfoy ye've got to go the rest o' the way." Draco's eyes met Hermione's and she instantly noticed they seemed to be tearing up. She immediately understood, he didn't know how to come back to her now that he was defeated and broken. She decided to smile softly at him, which in turn made him start to inch slowly towards her.
She wasn't prepared for his hug to be so warm and inviting, she for some reason always thought Draco would be cold to the touch for some reason. The way he was holding her now made it seem as though he never wanted to let go. She sighed in content and heard the soft sniffle from him. Maybe he'd thought that she would hate him forever? Heck, she had even thought that. However, maybe, like a hippogriff, she could forgive. No, she could never forget all that had transpired between them, but forgiveness, maybe that was an option.
Hagrid cleared his throat and brought their attention back to him. "A'right, now Hermione, take Malfoy's hand and spin him so that he's facin Buckbeak." Draco made a most undignified face, which made Hermione giggle. His eyes quickly snapped to her and he faked a scowl at her, which in turn only made her laugh a little harder. Hermione watched as a smile soon made it's way onto his face, and he finally spoke to her. "Well you heard him Hermione, take my hand." He held it out for her and threw in a curtsy just to make her laugh. Hermione couldn't help the giant smile that was now plastered on her face and the loud eruptions of laughter that poured from her mouth. She earned one of Draco's signature smirks as she took his hand and lifted it into the air to spin him towards Buckbeak.
Buckbeak looked at Hermione and then to Draco, a little confused. He cooed and stepped towards them. "Hermione, bow to Buckbeak and Draco you do it after her." They both did as they were told and were surprised when Buckbeak almost immediately bowed back. "Now Hermione, take Draco and lead him up to Buckbeak. Make sure to keep your hand in his at all times." She felt Draco flinch and his hands begin to shake quite violently. It amazed her that a creature she loved and respected so much could frighten him this badly. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, and slowly moved him towards Buckbeak. Draco was surprised as to find how safe he felt because of Hermione's small gesture. Buckbeak first went over to Hermione and nuzzled into her neck, and then he stared intensely at Draco. "Stare back." Hermione whispered urgently to Draco. "Oh right." He responded, tearing his gaze away from Hermione.
Draco's eyes met Buckbeak's and the hippogriff cooed softly. "Malfoy, you'll need to be makin yer apology now." Hagrid said from off to the side of him. Draco blinked and stared deeply into Buckbeak's eyes. "Hey there um... Buckbeak. Listen, I'm sorry I called you an ugly chicken. I was only jealous of Potter and I took it out on you. Do you forgive me?" He felt Hermione's hand tighten around his as he reached out towards Buckbea's beak. He let a small smile form on his lips, which only grew into an even bigger grin when Buckbeak lightly placed his beak onto the palm of Draco's hand. He chanced a glance at Hermione as he stroked and patted Buckbeak. Hermione was looking up at him with admiration and little tears were pooled just underneath her eyes. He wished he could have taken a picture of her in that moment because her smile, her face was the true definition of beauty.
Only once Hagrid had told them well done and backed the two of them away from Buckbeak did Hermione notice that their hands were still intertwined. She smiled and pulled him to her, giving him a giant hug. "I'm so sorry Draco, for lashing out at you, for even brining up sixth year, and...and for calling you a Death Eater. I am just so... so proud of you right now." Draco's heart stopped and he looked into her eyes, shocked. No one had ever been proud of him before. Is this how it felt to be accepted? "It's...it's alright Hermione, I forgive you. And I am sorry I even dared to raise my hand at you." He quietly spoke back to her. She smiled, and looked straight into his pale blue eyes. "Also Draco, like Buckbeak, I forgive you for the things you've done in the past. I may never forget the events that have transpired between us, but I do forgive you. Now I've missed the one person who seems keen to talk to me. Would you join me at dinner tonight?" Draco couldn't contain the chuckle that flowed from his lips. "You're really that lonely Granger that you'd even settle for as poor of company as me?" She slapped his arm playfully, but he stilled winced at the contact anyway. "Damn Granger, alright I'll eat dinner with you, just don't abuse me anymore." They both laughed as they started to walk back up to the castle. "Though I have to say, aren't I then one who's supposed to ask you to dinner?" Hermione's cheeks flushed. "Dr-Draco, I wasn't asking you out. I just..." She was at a loss for words, which made him snort out a laugh. "I'm kidding with you Hermione." She laughed and hit his arm again in the same spot as before. "Ow!" "Oh stop being such a big baby Malfoy." She laughed as she broke out into a run towards the castle. Draco narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Oh no you don't Granger, get back here!" He called out to her as he quickly sprinted after her.