Draco sighed in relief at finding an empty train compartment. He had attempted at first to sit with his fellow Slytherins, but Draco had quickly realised that it just wasn't going to work. The entire time he was in there with them, all that they would talk about was the many prejudices that they had inherited from their parents.

Draco had managed to hold his tongue while they were bashing Dumbledore and Gryffindors in general, but once Pansy had started in about how Granger didn't deserve her grades, or even to be allowed to study at Hogwarts at all simply because she was a muggle born, Draco had finally decided he had had enough.

He had tried enlightening the others on how wilfully blind they were being, but they had just accused Draco of having developed a crush on 'the know-it-all mudblood' over the summer. Draco had made a wasted attempt to clarify that he had no feelings good or bad for Granger (other than quite a bit of guilt for how nasty he had been to the poor girl the previous year) as he hardly even knew her, but they refused to see reason and eventually, Draco gave up. He had gathered his trunk in resigned frustration and left to go sit somewhere else.

Draco was currently in the middle of searching through his trunk in an effort to find Riddle's diary in order to complain to him when he heard the compartment door open. He turned quickly, hoping to see one of his friends had come to admit that they were wrong, and that Draco had been right. Draco was very surprised to see that the intruder however was not one of his friends, but was instead, Neville Longbottom.

The timid boy had a look of terrified determination on his face. He was clutching a letter in his hand. Draco knew without asking that it was the apology letter he had sent to the other boy earlier in the week.

"W-what are you playing a-at, M-malfoy?" Longbottom demanded shakily, brandishing the letter in Draco's direction.

"Longbottom, I see you got my letter." Draco suddenly felt a lot more nervous talking to Neville Longbottom than he had ever imagined he would. "I wasn't trying to… I mean, I wasn't playing at anything. I'm serious… I honestly just wanted to apologise. I shouldn't have treated you like that last year. I'm just… I'm really sorry. Anyway. I promise I'll leave you alone this year Longbottom."

Neville eyed Draco suspiciously. "Why?"

Draco shrugged. "As I said in the letter, I did a lot of thinking this summer and suddenly it all seems so pointless. I was really only so mean to you last year because it was expected of me. And… also, maybe a bit because… Well, look," Draco dithered, feeling ridiculous while staring intently at his feet. He wished the letters had been enough, so he wouldn't still need to explain himself aloud. This was so much harder when he couldn't just edit his words until they were perfect. "I guess I was a bit jealous." He admitted. "I mean, you're just as pureblood as I am, and yet you get the freedom in life to be anyone you want, whereas I am expected to be a carbon copy of my father. It's not fair. That's not your fault though, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Anyway, I'm sorry for how I treated you, and it won't happen again."

After a moment of awkward silence, Draco looked up and was surprised to see Neville shaking his head in what looked like a mixture between disbelief and sadness. Draco quirked an eyebrow in question and Neville scoffed looking away.

"You're wrong." Neville curled his fist in a show of uncharacteristic anger and turned his body completely away from Draco facing the window instead. Then, he continued. "My gran… well… she's made her expectations of me abundantly clear, and there's only one person that I am ever allowed to be." He paused. "Let's just say that I know exactly how it feels to be expected to grow up and become your father. I know what it's like to fail at that too." Neville hung his head in apparent shame for a moment before taking a deep breath and raising it again.

In the reflection of the window Draco could just make out Neville's self-deprecating smile as he continued. "You can dress an ass up like a horse, but inside, it's still just an ass. Even with his old room, his same choice in pet, his same haircut, and even his old wand, I am nothing like my father. And I never will be. I don't even really look much like him." Neville shook his head again, seeming lost in his thoughts. Draco would be surprised if Neville even remembered he was currently talking to his enemy.

"Wait." Draco said in alarmed confusion. Neville startled and turned back around to look at him. "Did you just say his old wand?"

"Well, yes. Why?" Draco ignored the way that the other boy suddenly hid his wand slightly behind his back as if he were afraid Draco might try to break it and continued.

"As in, she makes you use his old one instead of getting you a proper wand of your own?" Neville nodded looking a bit lost. Draco valiantly fought the urge to face palm and failed.

"No wonder you're so terrible at magic." Draco groaned shaking his head. Seeing embarrassment and hurt in the other boy's eyes, Draco quickly continued. "It's not your fault. See," he explained, "everyone's magic is different, just like every wand is different. You need your own wand so that it can properly channel your magic, otherwise, your spell work will be ineffective. It's really not your fault. Most kids don't know, but your gran really should know better. You should tell McGonagall after the feast. She might be able to persuade your gran to get you a different one. I bet you're loads better at magic, and you just don't know because you aren't using the proper materials."

Neville looked as if he couldn't decide whether Draco was having him on or not. Draco was going to continue to reassure him when a voice sounded from the open compartment door.

"Oh, Neville. He is right you know. That's why a wands wood, length, and core are all so specific. I wish you had told me last year that that wand was your Dad's, so I could've told you. Then maybe you could have gotten a new wand before term started." Hermione Granger fretted in her well-meaning, but slightly overbearing, know-it-all way. Since neither Draco nor Neville had noticed the door opening, there was no way of telling how long the girl had been at the door listening in, or what all she had heard.

After sensing Neville's awkward embarrassment, Granger's eyes grew wider and she was quick to explain, "I'm so sorry Neville. I really didn't mean to eavesdrop. Only, it's just that I noticed you were alone with Malfoy and well… I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." She eyed Draco in nervous suspicion.

Neville looked slightly less abashed at her apology, and clarified, "No, it's fine. Malfoy was just explaining a letter he sent to me and apologising about how he treated me last year. Thanks, though."

At this, Granger's eyes narrowed, and she turned to Draco, "Yes, about that. I received mine as well. I was going to write you a reply, but I ran out of time before today, so I may as well just tell you in person. While I think that it is very big of you to admit that you were wrong, and though, based on how you were speaking to Neville a moment ago, it seems that you are truly attempting to change your attitude, I'm still not sure that you fully understand the magnitude of what a change like this entails. So, while I can accept your very thorough and well written apology, I hope that you will understand that I will definitely need some time observing your behaviour before I can fully forgive you and/or give you a second chance."

Draco swallowed harshly against his suddenly dry throat and nodded feeling suitably chastised. "Well, regardless, thank you, for your consideration." He clasped his hands tightly behind his back and looked towards his feet again for a moment before steeling himself and meeting her eyes, trying his hardest to show that he was sincere. "I truly am sorry, Granger. I hope that you know that."

She gave him a half smile and offered her hand. "I can see that you're trying Draco." She assured him as he clasped her hand in a quick, but firm, handshake. "That means a lot in and of itself. Just keep it up long enough to prove you really mean it."

"Neville," Granger said, turning towards the other boy. "You haven't by any chance seen Ron or Harry have you?" Neville shook his head in an apologetic no. "It's odd." She laughed. "I've been looking for ages now and I can't seem to find them anywhere. It's almost as if they aren't even on the train… Oh no!" Suddenly her eyes widened at the thought, and she rushed out of the compartment muttering something about needing to find Percy Weasley.

"You don't think they've actually missed the train, do you?" Neville asked Draco in nervous surprise.

Draco tilted his head in thought, "Surely not…" They caught each other's eyes and suddenly they were laughing. Because, of course, if anyone could miss the train to Hogwarts it would be Harry Potter. And Weasley would absolutely be right alongside him. In fact, the only truly surprising thing was that Granger had managed to get on the train and halfway to school before noticing that they were missing.

The rest of the train ride passed much easier than Draco had anticipated. Neville was much more pleasant company than Draco had expected and somehow before the journey was over, Draco had decided that he somehow liked Neville Longbottom's company much better than he ever had his 'friends.'

By the end of the train ride they had discovered that they had several things in common and Draco had even lent Neville a few of his muggle fantasy novels when the other boy had seemed interested. An hour into the ride Draco had eventually agreed to stop calling Neville by his last name, as really, it was a bit atrocious. He had also at some point suggested that they meet up a few times a week in the Library so that Draco could help Neville with his potions homework. Neville had looked sceptical and seemed likely to brush it off until Draco had requested that Neville meet up with him after breakfast the next morning so that they could compare their schedules to find a proper study time.

After the train had stopped, Draco and Neville even shared a carriage with Granger and the Patil twins, and they barely even noticed the weird looks they were getting from the girls as they were so engrossed with their conversation. When they finally reached the Great Hall, Draco was disappointed to have to part with the other boy so that they could sit with their respective houses.

After trying for 12 years to impress others into liking him, Draco had finally figured it out. People like you much easier when you aren't trying to prove that you're better than they are. After 12 years, Draco finally had made a friend.

A/N: I was going to wait and post this on Monday as it will be Harry Potter's birthday then, but I have an MRI scan that day which is going to take around 3 hours (they technically have do 3 back-to-back both with and without contrast dye which means they have to scan 3 places, pull me out and inject the dye into my I.V., and then send me back in and scan the same three places a second time so it takes a really long time for me.) and I knew I wouldn't feel like posting this afterwards as being so still that long always puts me in a cramp, so instead you get it early. Let's all hope the giant magnet doesn't fry my brain this time and I'll be able to continue writing this fic. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.