Draco stood by the Hogwarts Express at half past ten in the morning on the first of September. He had been there since ten fifteen, and had finally succeeded in dissuading Narcissa from staying with him until the train left. He watched as the other Hogwarts students began to file around Platform Nine and Three Quarters. He remembered when Hogwarts was the only place he had ever wanted to be; it was a secret that he had kept to himself, after all, he was a Malfoy and was above enjoying the time he spent at Hogwarts. But now, now he could imagine anywhere in the world he would rather be.
Draco sat alone in a compartment as he waited for the Head Girl to arrive. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. It was all a hoax, wasn’t it? He just knew it. No one in their right mind would make him Head Boy. He stood up angrily to make a dash for the door. He had better get off this train before anyone recognised him. Just as he reached the sliding glass door, a bushy head of hair appeared in front of him, a shiny Head Girl badge pinned to her chest.
He abruptly sat back down on the seat, as if a great force had knocked him down. Hermione Granger was standing threateningly in front of him, poised with her hands on her hips. He stared at her wand suspiciously, half expecting it to betray signs of spells that might be used against him. She eyed him up and down for a moment and then safely stuffed her wand in her pocket. They stayed silent as they waited until it seemed safe to speak. Draco cleared his throat nervously; sometimes he was more afraid of Hermione Granger than he was Lord Voldemort. She tapped her foot impatiently.
“Granger, surprised to see you here,” Draco said silkily.
Her eyes flashed dangerously.
“I could say the same about you.” She glanced at his badge. “What is this, some sort of Slytherin joke?”
“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?” He smirked.
“Who did you pay to get that title, huh Malfoy? I didn’t think anyone in Hogwarts took bribes,” she said, as she circled him menacingly.
He crossed his arms and sank into the seat comfortably.
“Things change, Granger. I believe we had this discussion not too long ago.”
Spark seemed to emit from her eyes, causing Draco to sit back up.
“Seriously, Granger, I was just as surprised as you are about this whole ordeal.”
They spent another few minutes in stony silence, staring in opposite directions.
Draco sighed in defeat.
“Granger, this is ridiculous. We are mature people and we have some sort of responsibility here. Shouldn’t we get past our differences and try to work together?” he suggested.
Hermione scoffed disbelievingly. “Please, Malfoy. You don’t mean a single word you say.”
He smiled brilliantly, flashing his white teeth.
“Suit yourself. But don’t you think a person can change?”
She eyed him doubtfully.
“Yes, I do. Of course I do. But you have to want to change. That’s the difference.”
“Who says I don’t want to change?” he asked seriously.
Hermione looked as though she were about to retort, but stopped herself. She continued to observe him critically, as if she were expecting him to give up the façade.
“Yes, Granger? Is there a problem?”
“No, no, not at all.”
Hermione didn’t seem to realise she was staring unabashedly at him.
“Granger, are you sure there’s not a problem?” he probed.
She shook her head idly, and then shook herself out of it.
“No, really, let’s just go patrol.”
She brushed past him quickly, and for some obscure reason, hiding her face with her wild mane of hair. Draco found himself gazing after her as she left. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was a strange sensation in his abdomen. Something had changed between them. He didn’t know what it was, but he was sure it was for the better.
Draco shook his head. He was acting like an idiot; absolutely nothing had been shared between them. Granger was still Granger, with her wild bushy hair and annoying voice; and he was still Malfoy, and he hated Granger. That would never change.
He took a deep breath and followed her out of the compartment, willing himself not to curse some first years to let off some steam.
* * *
Draco sat alone in the dark compartment and gazed out of the window. Hogwarts was only a few minutes away and he dreaded every moment it grew closer. He was alone, utterly alone, and that was all he could think about. He would be alone at mealtime, during classes, at Hogsmeade. The only letters he would receive would be from his mother. He could not imagine a more terrible year at Hogwarts. How would he survive? He couldn’t. He just couldn’t. It was too much. Draco sighed and sunk his head into his hands. He would allow himself one moment of weakness, one single moment of weakness; then he would have to be strong.
A split second later, the compartment door slid open to reveal Hermione, clad in her robes. She looked shocked to see tears uninhibitedly leaking out of Draco’s eyes. He wiped them away furiously with the cuff of his shirt and cleared his throat.
“We should be arriving at Hogwarts soon,” Hermione said awkwardly, carefully avoiding his gaze.
Draco stared at the floor. “Right, thanks.”
She dithered helplessly for a moment.
“Could I just have a moment to change, please?” he asked, his voice shaking. Draco stood up and walked over to the window, trying in vain to inhale and exhale slowly and steadily. He shuddered with the effort; now he had started he couldn’t stop. It was the first and worst time he had shown the effects of his grief, and he couldn’t find it in himself to control it. He tried to calm himself; breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. He attempted to breathe at a slow and steady pace, but to no avail. Draco hadn’t changed enough for this, he hadn’t grown up at all, and he just wasn’t able to handle this.
Suddenly, he felt a small, warm hand on his shoulder. He jumped, startled, and the hand was removed as if it were hexed off. Draco spun around to find Hermione Granger approximately three centimetres away from, and in all his life he was sure his heart had never pummelled so fast.
Reflection by Nitwit Blubber Oddment Tweak x
Chapter Notes: Draco is finally on his way to Hogwarts!
Chapter Endnotes: A million thanks to Lauren for being my Beta. She is, quite simply, a prodigy.