Draco's heart sank as he realized the sensitivity surrounding Hermione's scar. He immediately regretted his actions, realizing he had unintentionally touched a raw nerve. He gently withdrew his hand, his expression filled with empathy and concern. "I'm sorry " Draco whispered softly, his voice filled with genuine remorse. "I didn't mean to open up old wounds. I understand that it's a sensitive topic for you, and I should have been more careful." Draco then slowly looked down at his arm and remembered how he went through the same struggle " I always tried to scrape it off... whenever i was under the shower or simply sitting under a tree.. whenever i laid in bed" He took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing, his eyes focused on his arm for a moment before he looked into her eyes. His tone gentle and sincere. "But you..no we don't need to hide our scars, Hermione. It doesn't define us, remember?"
" it doesn't hurt anymore if that's what you think. I didn't mean to pull away .. I just .. I never showed anyone before. Never talked about it either. I feel like we shared a similar experience .. I didn't know who else I can talk to about this. I think that whole night is burned into my memory and I won't let that happen again. I won't " she said and didn't pull down her sleeves this time. He was right after all , it didn't define her. Ironically he was the first to ever call her a MudBlood and she spent every day since to prove him wrong. To be better than what everyone thought. Mostly she was an overachiever because of it. It could have been worse. She just wanted somewhere to belong. " yea I know .. you're right. We both are more than what these scars represent " Draco's gaze held warmth and compassion as he met her eyes. " I am glad that you trust me this much... that you told me about it and ...that we finally have the chance to speak out our thoughts. " He reached out to gently brush his thumb against her scar "You don't have to face this alone anymore. You have me by your side, and I'm committed to being here for you through it all. Our scars may serve as reminders of the past, but as i said... it is past " Draco swallowed as he remembered the first time he called her mudblood. Infront of her he really tried to act strong and positive rightnow but the thought of everything he did, everything he said in the past really made him feel guilty.
Hermione moved a little closer to him and linked her arm with his and rested her head on his shoulder closing her eyes for a moment hearing what he had to say to her. It meant the world to her at how comforting he was about this. She knew she didn't have to talk about and everyone tried to force it out of her and she refused for so long. " I do trust you. More than you know " she said looking down at his hands as he rubbed his thumb over her scar. She just wanted his touch , how soothing and comforting it was to her. There was so much more she wanted to tell him , she knew what the intentions were with her that night and it never completely came to pass , it was just half way through. She sat up a little more lifting her head to look at him.
She saw that look of guilt in his eyes. " thank you … for all of it. " she said looking him in the eyes. She had to admit it had hurt a little the first two times he had called her a MudBlood when they were just kids. She will admit she did cry a little. After a while she learned to roll her eyes and prove him wrong and not pay much attention to it. She knew deep down those words weren't his own , it came from his father. She slid her hand all the way down his arm and into his hand as she laced her fingers with his.
Draco felt a sense of solace and comfort as Hermione nestled closer to him, linking her arm with his and intertwining their fingers. Her touch brought a warmth that permeated his being, and he cherished the intimacy of their connection.
"No , i thank you, Hermione," Draco responded softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "Thank you for all that... It means more to me than words can express." He gazed into her eyes, his own filled with a mix of gratitude and a desire to make things right. He understood the pain he had caused her in their past encounters, and he wanted to be the source of healing and love in her life now. "I'm sorry for the hurtful words I said in the past," Draco admitted, his voice tinged with remorse. "I was blinded by the beliefs ingrained in me by my family, but I've come to realize that those words were wrong, and they don't define who you are. You are so much more..." He tightened his grip on her hand, offering her a small, heartfelt smile. "I'm grateful for the person you've become and for giving me a chance to make it better."
She couldn't help but smile as she met his gaze. It meant the world to her to hear him actually apologize to her after all these years. It was only verbal torment she knew in her heart he could never really hurt her. " Everyone deserves a second chance right? I know .. I know it wasn't you. Not entirely. You just didn't know any better. " she kissed his cheek as an attempt to say that she accepted the apology and squeezed his hand affectionately. " I understand it now. Where it all came from. Trust me I get it. That night changed a lot of things for me and I think it actually helped me understand you. "
"I guess you are right.. everyone deserves a second chance.." Draco repeated. Years ago he always caught himself looking over at her whenever they were in the same class. Not only did he feel like insulting her, there was something else. Some feelings he slowly developed deep in his heart. With the age he finally understood what those feelings were but it took many years for him to actually admit his inner desire. Draco got way too blinded by the standarts of his family and there was no chance to listen to his heart. Not only when it came to Hermione, but also when it was about making other choices. He brought her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on her knuckles, a gesture of affection and commitment. "Hermione, you have my wholehearted devotion. I will always strive to be a better... " Draco paused. He didn't know what he would be for her but he knew exactly what he wanted. He looked down at their hands and sighed " Hermione..." It was the weirdest thing in the world to her to hear him call her by her first name. She would get used to it eventually. She could tell he meant every word. No one had ever looked at her the way he was now , it was something new to her and took a moment to figure it out. She didn't let go of his hand though as he brought it up to his lips to give her hand a kiss. She blushed a little and couldn't help but smile a real smile. " what ? I'm over doing it again huh? Sometimes I come on a little strong. "
"No, you're not overdoing it at all," he reassured her gently, giving her hand another comforting squeeze as his eyes remaind on their hands. Alot of thoughts and questions came into his mind. The urge of telling her about his actual emotions grew more and more but he still wasn't sure if he would be able to speak out those words. As known, Draco has never been good in talking about his feelings. His gaze slowly wandered to her eyes again. He studied her side profile while he tried to find the right words. But instead of saying what he wanted to say he suddenly spoke in a very soft tone, almost lost in his thoughts " You are so beautiful...do you know that?" Hermione smiled and blushed a little " no.. no one has ever said that before. Usually I'm told ' you're great ! Really? But I see you as a sister " she said with a little laugh like it didn't bother her " story of my life " she kept her eyes on him and kept her hand in his wondering where he was going with this. She found it best not to pry. She was so certain this was it , where everything came crashing down around her. That it was all in her head of how she was feeling right now. Like it was just her and one sided. Maybe she just misread some signals. She just didn't want to let go. If she did, reality would set in. Draco's heart ached at her words, realizing the impact that past experiences had on her self-perception. He wished he could erase the hurtful comments and make her see herself as he saw her now... extraordinary and unique. "Those people who couldn't see your true worth, they missed out on something truly remarkable.." His voice was still soft and while she was kind of laughing it off as if it didn't bother her, his expression remained serious. Draco turned his head a little and looked at the school in the distance. A moment of silence followed. Malfoy took a deep breath before he continued quietly "You're so much more than just a friend or a sister figure. You have a strength, intelligence, and compassion that is unmatched. You've always stood up for what you believe in, and that's one of the things I've always admired about you. I am ashamed that it took so many years for me to notice.."
It never added up to make sense to her. She heard it all the time how amazing she was. It always ended up with her being just a sister type. " man .. where were you during that damn ball?" She looked away for a second. " I tried soo hard for people to notice. I wore a dress for crying out loud ! Changed everything about myself and I still ended up alone on the stairs crying. Typical teenage night huh? " It took a lot for her to trust someone and he was doing such a good job sweet talking her that she believed every word. "My two best friends didn't even want to dance with me. Let alone notice what I was wearing. "
When she reminded him of the ball, his lips formed a slight smile. Little did she know that Draco noticed her and the dress she was wearing. It was the first time Draco really noticed how he has grown. From a know-it-all annoying little girl , to a beautiful young witch. He took his gaze from the school and looked at her again " I had to dance with Greengrass... but i remember every single detail of your outfit " Draco raised his eyebrow and slightly tilted his head " For a while i really thought you and Krum had a thing"
" you noticed ? Even with her?" She asked turning back to look at him. " she was all over you. You would think a girl would have a little more poise to be seen with you " she said "what? Oh .. no… hardly. I grew bored of him actually. Not much to talk about. Mostly he watched me read all day. It was better than going alone I suppose.. it wasn't all for nothing. " she cringed a little thinking about the age difference now.
Draco shrugged his shoulder a little and raised his brows. " I didn't have any choice but to ask her if she would go with me to that stupid ball " He wrinkled his nose a little thinking about that evening "To be fair, i am pretty sure she also had no other choice than accepting " Draco noticed her cringing and couldnt help but chuckle quietly " For some time you really seemed in love with him " He said and cleared his throat, giving her his typical arrogant and mean smirk. Of course he still had to tease her now and then. She smirked and nudged him " no .. when did you get so vile? More than usual?" She laughed " no I wasn't in love. Might have been a pawn .. to make someone else look at me differently for a change. That I could be girlfriend material. And that backfired so .. had to start over." It surprised her how comfortable she was becoming with Draco. Never in her wildest dreams did she picture them being civilized. Draco chuckled at Hermione's playful nudge, appreciating her ability to find humor in difficult situations. He admired her resilience and the way she was able to move forward despite past disappointments. "Well, I must admit, I've had my fair share of vile moments," Draco replied with a smirk, joining in her laughter. "But I suppose we've both learned from our mistakes and grown from them hm?" She smiled and chuckled a bit " I suppose we did. So much has changed in so little time. I definitely don't feel like the girl I used to be. Finding it difficult to get back to her .. at times. Certain qualities will never go away " she rambling a little knowing anyone could still find her curled up in a library in a little fort pillow all cozy with ten books surrounding her and a nose stuffed in a good book.
"Well...you know, some things about you will always remain constant, and I think that's a good thing," Draco said sincerely. "Your passion for learning, your intelligence, and your unwavering commitment to what you believe in... i have to admit ,those qualities have always inspired me." Suddenly it got a little windy since they were high up on a little mountain. Draco took off his black jacket of his suit and wrapped it around her shoulders. " really? You don't think I'm crazy?" She smiled moving a little closer to him as a gust of wind came through. She pushed her hair back and bit her lip blushing a little as he placed his jacket over her shoulders. She pulled it tight around her holding in place. " sometimes I think you had it easy. Everything was just handed to you. " she said with a touch of jealousy in her voice.
Draco looked away for a moment. It was clear to notice that he wasn't happy about the way he grew up. He lowered his gaze a little and pulled on the grass infront of him. "true.." Draco said in a soft tone while he played with the grass he just pulled off the ground. " I did have certain privileges and advantages growing up," Malfoy admitted, his voice filled with sincerity. "But that doesn't mean I didn't face my own challenges or have my own battles to fight. And in the end, it's not about what's been handed to us, but how we choose to navigate our circumstances and the choices we make." She did see flickers of hope for him. " I have to say I have notice a change in you. So far I like what I see. " she said not being able to take her eyes off him as she spoke. " I think you're kinda perfect. " she said softly looking him up and down a few times just enjoying the view
Draco felt a warmth spread through him as Hermione expressed her appreciation for the changes she had observed in him. He couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of validation and acceptance. Draco then looked back at her again and replied, his voice filled with gratitude. "It means a lot to me that you see the changes I've been striving for. I've been working hard to become a better person, and knowing that you appreciate it makes it all worthwhile but i'm far from perfect." He studied her face for a while then leaned in, his lips forming a playful smile. "And as for you, Granger, I find you absolutely captivating"