The Gryffindors found themselves dragging on the morning of the Hogsmead trip. After quickly gathering their things and shoving down a quick breakfast, they joined the line of students waiting to make their way to the village. Very few older students were to be seen, no doubt sleeping in or throwing themselves into mountains of schoolwork. Apart from a small group of Hufflepuff 6th years, and a 7th year couple from Ravenclaw, the majority of the students utilizing the weekend trip were the third and fourth years, eager to explore village still fresh in their eyes.
Ron and Hermione bid goodbye to Harry and Ginny shortly after arriving in the village. Hand in hand, they started their trek to the hill on the Northwest edge of the village. The path was familiar to them; having visited it numerous times in their fourth year, yet the climb was still tiring. Ron graciously offered his hand to Hermione whenever a particularly tricky ledge fell in their path, and lifted her gently to the top when they reached their destination. He snaked his arm around her while she took in the view. For the first time in days the sun had broken free of the clouds, engulfing the couple with its bright warmth.
Settling against the far wall in the cave, Hermione rested her head on Ron’s shoulder, and pulled herself in closer. “That was great. Good we came,” she sighed. She closed her eyes lightly and relaxed, enjoying the light breeze that had made its way into the cave.
“Yeah, it’s nice to finally be alone. No people, no bloody books…” Ron peered down upon Hermione and smiled teasingly.
”Only eight more months of that you know? The books, I mean,” Hermione said, her lips twitching slightly.
“Yeah, but then we’ll have separate courses and training to go about with, won’t we?”
“I suppose that’s true,” Hermione replied lazily, her eyes still closed. “But we’ll no longer be in school, and I assume we’ll be living on our own. That should leave plenty of time for us to spend together.”
“Er, Hermione? We could always live together,” He approached the subject tentatively, not wanting to spoil their disposition.
“Oh! Uh, that’s sweet of you Ron. But Ginny and I have already arranged to live together after school.” Hermione shifted in her spot against the wall and looked up at Ron’s face.
He didn’t seem put out, but for safe measure she added, “But you can visit any time, you know.”
Hermione leaned in closer and offered him a tender kiss. It’s started slow, sweet but lasting, and she revered in its pleasantness. Kissing Ron was comfortable, but not altogether extraordinary, nothing to further ignite the fondness she felt for him. She pulled away, breathing heavier than normal, and settled her head in the crook of his neck. Ron’s arms, which had tightened their hold during their kiss, now settled comfortable around her middle.
The silence of their cherished resort was broken by a fumbling outside of the cave, soon accompanied by the shadow of a figure. Hermione lifted herself from the ground and stepped closer to the entrance to get a better view of the newcomer. An arm reached out and pulled her back as Ron moved to stand in front of her, wand in hand. “Who’s there?”
“Ah, Weasley and Granger,” stated a smooth voice plainly.
“Malfoy? What are you doing up here?” Ron said heavily.
He made his way to the front of the cave and was momentarily blinded by the day’s sun. He raised his wand a few inches higher and squinted towards the blonde headed boy.
Draco had not moved from his position at the mouth of the cave, and had decidedly not drawn his wand. Instead he stood there in his school attire looking tired and uncharacteristically disheveled, his mouth set in a slight sneer.
“Why are you lurking about out here? Trying to find a new hiding spot for your Death Eater meetings?” Ron spat, clearly agitated at Draco’s lack of response to his previous inquiries. “I would think you’d find that a little hard seeing as how they’re all dead or locked up in Azkaban.”
Draco’s eyes flashed dangerously and he took a step towards Ron.
“No doubt giving you the courage to throw insults at me Weasley.”
“Well deserved insults, Malfoy. You deserve more than that really, you and your family. The lot of you should be in Azkaban with the rest of your friends” Ron spoke in a dangerously low voice, his face steadily becoming a darker shade of red.
Hermione fidgeted uncomfortably at his side, her eyes traveling from Malfoy’s face to Ron’s.
“Ron,” she spoke gently, placing her hand lightly on his raised wand arm.
“Well it’s a good thing you don’t get to decide that, Weasley.” Draco said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Hermione raised her eyes to meet Draco’s, her hand still placed on Ron’s arm. In that instant she saw the same flicker of emotion she had witnessed in the Great hall; the look of suffering and shame. Draco’s body seemed to have lost all tension in his defeat; however he was quickly recomposing himself. His eyes released their hold on Hermione’s, his face quickly set in a scowl, no doubt forming the words of retaliation.
Hermione took advantage of Draco’s betrayal of emotions to grasp Ron’s arm firmly and pull him away from the entrance of the cave. Once they were comfortable distance from the cave, she let go of Ron’s arm and rounded on him angrily.
“Why do you have to start a row with him every time you see him?”
“Me? I wasn’t the one sulking around up there was I?” Ron asked. “It’s not my fault he’s a slimy git.”
”Ron,” Hermione said warningly.
“Why are you defending him Hermione?” Ron demanded.
Hermione blinked slowly several times before she answered Ron, her vice barely audible. “I think he’s changed. He’s…different. Haven’t you seen the way he let’s you defeat him whenever you argue?”
”He didn’t exactly back down this time Hermione.”
Hermione’s breathed in steadily, rationalizing her thoughts and willing her voice to be calm. “It looked more like self defense from my perspective. He didn’t say anything against you, did he? Why couldn’t you just have dropped it, and walked away? Maybe he really is trying to become a good person, Ron. Did you ever consider that?”
Ron stared at Hermione in disbelief. “A good person…? Do you recall who his father is? Do you remember the people he was loyal to just a few months ago, Hermione? Do you really think someone like him can suddenly become a good person over night? I lost a brother because of them. They killed him, and he is never going to come back! I can’t forget that Hermione. Every time I see Malfoy I’m reminded of the war, of Fred. How can I let that go?”
Ron’s voice had become very uneven and his eyes dared to gather moisture. He turned his back to Hermione and dared determinately at the ground, regretting his outburst of emotion.
Hermione bit her lip and stared at the back of Ron’s head. He can be so thick sometimes, especially when it comes to Malfoy, she mused to herself. True, she disliked the nature of Ron’s insults directed towards Malfoy, but she had heard the pain in his voice at the mention of Fred. How could she stay angry at him when he needed her comfort?
”I know how you feel Ron,” she said softly, stepping around him and wrapping her arms around his middle. “I miss him too. I miss all of them, everyday. But fighting with Malfoy isn’t going to change things; it’s only going to worsen your pain. Don’t let the anger control you Ron.” She could feel him breath in, no doubt readying a slew of protests. “I’m not saying you have to forgive him, Ron. But you can at least try to make an effort to not let his presence affect you in such a negative way.”
She pulled away from him, keeping his hands in hers. He seemed to have calmed down considerably, though his face was still flushed.
”I supposed you’re right,” he sighed. “As always.”
Hermione laughed lightly before pecking Ron quickly on the cheek and leading him back into the village.
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The week after the Hogsmead trip passed with little trouble but a continuous supply of monotonous schoolwork. Hermione found herself alone in the common room on Sunday, her usual company at Quidditch practice. She lounged lazily in the warmth of the fire petting Crookshanks, who had perched himself on the arm of her chair.
Deciding her time would be better spent catching up on her schoolwork than waiting around for her friends, she gathered her books from the table in front of her, placed them in her bag, and set of in the direction of the library.
Rounding the corner into library and breathing in the smell of parchment, Hermione headed to her favorite table to study, placed herself in a seat at the end of the table and unloaded the contents of her bag. The library was unusually empty for a Sunday; a day when the book filled room would typically be filled with students finishing their assignments in the last few hours of the weekend.
Hermione noticed that aside from a few stray first years, who looked as if they’re trying to find a way into the Restricted Section, her only companion was Malfoy, perched in his usual corner, eyes watching her intently. She lowered her gaze immediately, suddenly becoming very interested in the patterned grain of the table.
She hadn’t spoken with Malfoy since their meeting at the cave. She had stayed clear of the library for a few days after the incident, hoping to avoid any awkward confrontation that might ensue. Ron’s attitude towards Malfoy had, for a lack of a better word, improved but mostly due to Hermione, and on occasion Harry or Ginny, constantly shoving him past Malfoy every time they passed in a corridor.
Hermione lifted her head slightly to see if Malfoy was still looking in her direction, only to find his seat vacant.
“Granger, can I talk to you?”
Hermione jumped in her seat and turned to find Malfoy standing behind her, looking slight bemused.
“Merlin, Malfoy! You almost scared me half to death,” she said, placing her hand over her heart.
”Sorry,” he stated plainly, taking a seat next to Hermione.
“Er, can this wait? I really should catch up on my studies, seeing as how it’s Sunday.”
“I assure you, this is much more interesting than typical school studies, Granger.”
“Is that so?” Hermione questioned, eyeing him suspiciously, her heart rate slowly returning to normal.
“Yes,” Draco began. “You know that we have to submit a project at the end of the year, on a subject of our choosing?”
“Of course, it’s required for our N.E.W.T.S assessment. We’re scheduled to start them after the Christmas holidays, aren’t we?”
“Generally speaking, we don’t have a specific timeline, but yes, that’s typically when we would start them. However the topic I am really interested in will be quite a challenge and I’ll need to start it as soon as possible.”
“Malfoy, why are you telling me this?” Hermione asked, clearly annoyed with the situation.
Draco lowered his eyes and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Well, I was thinking that perhaps you’d like to work together. On the project, I mean.”
Hermione eyes widened in a brief of moment of shock; had she heard him correctly? “I’m sorry. You want me to be your partner for the project?”
“Well the topic is Animagi, you see? And who would be more suited for the project than you? You’re the best at transfiguration in our year. Not to mention, we get to bypass some restrictions and gain special allowances for studying the topic. I’ve talked it all over with Professor McGonagall. She’s willing to help us, which is a great point of reference since she herself is an Animagus.” The words came out of Draco’s mouth in quick jumble. He breathed outward, clearly having held his breathe for the entirety of the speech, and stared at Hermione expectantly.
There was a long pause. Draco watched Hermione face as she processed the request, his mind racing with doubt. What was I thinking, asking Granger to be my partner? She’ll never agree to it.
Draco felt a bout of self loathing rise inside him. He had spent several days researching every aspect of this project, and several more preparing to involve Hermione. Had he honestly expected her to just up and agree to his plan?
Hermione stayed silent, absorbed in her own thoughts. There were a lot of variables to consider, and she needed time to think this through properly.
“Malfoy, this is a big dedication. I need some time to think about it.”
Draco’s face flooded with relief. She was at least giving it some thought; that’s all he could ask for at this point. “Yes, of course. You know where to find me when you’ve made up your mind.”
Hermione watched as he lifted himself up from the seat at her table and made his way back into his corner. She looked down upon the book in front of her, but her mind was in another place, refusing to let her absorb anything from its pages. Sighing in defeat, she closed the book and placed into back into her bag, deciding that the library was no longer conducive for a good night of study.
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After entering through the portrait hole Hermione dropped her bag off into a chair and went to stand by the window. She gazed down and the Quidditch pitch, just barely visible from the high tower. Her brow furrowed and her mind busied itself with thoughts.
Was Malfoy’s offer worth considering? True, her best subject was Transfiguration, and she had thought about doing her project on something in the field…but with Malfoy? Did she even like Malfoy? Or rather, did she like him enough to be able to work with him? Ron would never stand for it, and she doubted Harry or Ginny would be particularly thrilled.
On the other hand, if it was going to benefit her in the future, and possibly in her career, the why shouldn’t she do it? Certainly she could bear Malfoy for a few months. And with some persuading, Ron could be all right with it, right? She needed someone to help her with this decision, a third party whose feelings would not betray the logic of the choice. She decided to talk with the Headmistress right away.
Second chance: The Dragon and the Lioness by Vginny
Chapter Notes: Draco asks Hermione to give him the chance to prove his worth... Again many thanks to my amazing beta vivalavita. :)
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the amazing J.K.Rowling.
Chapter Endnotes: This is the initial important part of the plot of the story... Hope you like it.. let me know...:)