Perhaps

Chapter Three : 1993

September

Feeling rather restless in the train cabin, Hermione excused herself, telling her friends that she was going to stretch her legs.

If only she had known that she would walk into Draco Malfoy for the third time on the train, she would have stayed in that stupid train cabin.

Although, this time she had to keep him from falling over. 

Draco seemed surprised when he stepped out of the loo and came face to face with her.  

Hermione could honestly say that she didn't even think about her actions when she reached over to steady him from falling back into the loo. She had to suppress a laugh at the way he stared at her.

Letting go of his elbows Hermione took a step back and apologized.

"Why are you apologizing?"  Draco sounded surprised himself and Hermione thought that it was a fair question. One that she herself didn't know the answer to. Maybe it was because Hermione Granger was a nice person. She didn't blame others for her mistakes. And just maybe it was her fault that she had been walking so close to the mans loo. 

"Because this is the third time we've walked into each other on this train."  She didn't know what else to say.

"And you're sorry for that?" Draco seemed genuinely curious, rather than seeming annoyed, and she was glad for it. 

"Aren't you?"  

He seemed to consider her question, leaning his back against the small door of the loo. "I'm not sorry from saving you the trouble of falling on your ass Granger."  She wasn't sure why, but that made her chuckle. A little. And he had returned her chuckle with a smile. A genuine smile.  She had only seen it directed her way once, two years ago on this same train. 

"Right."  Draco stood tall and turned to leave at that and she called out to him. If anyone was to ask her why, she would lie. Say that it was her nature. The one where she wanted to know everything and the one where she was the bigger person. When in fact, it was a simpler reason. She wanted to hear him say it.

"Malfoy."  She watched him stop and turn around to face her, her breath catching when he lifted a brow at her, waiting for her to continue. "I-you. Did you mean it?"  He furrowed his brows at her, confusion lighting his futures.

"Did I mean what Granger?"  

"The note."  Recognition lit his face in an instant and Hermione watched him take a step after step towards her until the toes of their feet were touching. She felt her breath catch in her throat for the second time and she wasn't sure why, but she was suddenly afraid of him saying no.  She was afraid that he would laugh at her. That he would tell her that she looked pathetic. 

"I meant every word of the note Granger. I shouldn't have called you that name." Before she could finish processing what he just said, she watched his back disappear down the hallway. 

Those were the words she had wanted to hear him say. The boy who had become the schools bully. The one that she was supposed to not like, yet did, had said exactly what she wanted.

She had been hurt last year. Not because she didn't expect to hear the ugly name, but because it had been him that had said it. Despite that ugly exterior that he put up, and the ugly words that he flung at her friends, Malfoy had never said anything in her direction. Until that day.

And despite knowing that she should not forgive him. That she should not even so much as believe him, she did. Because deep down, she wanted to be his friend. From the second time he had caught her two years ago she'd never wanted to be anyone's friend more than his.

And the fact that she didn't understand where that want had come from, left her feeling frustrated.

October

Hermione had stayed late in the library that night and didn't realize that she wasn't the only one there.

Until Draco had come to her table and handed her a book. On Werewolves. 

He didn't say anything to her, just nodded, put the book on the table and walked away. 

They hadn't spoken since the train incident and she had been surprised with herself when she had felt that disappointment again. They're not going to be friends.  If they were, surely he would have made some kind of attempt at it. 

She looked at the book in front of her after watching him disappear through the double doors of the library.

The Magical History of Werewolves.  

Realization hit her when she read the first chapter of the book.

Her theory had been right about their new teacher.

Professor Lupin was a werewolf. 

And Malfoy had helped her by giving her a book from the forbidden section on Dark Magic of the library. 

June

Hermione Granger wasn't the violent type. Well, verbally, perhaps, but not physically.

But Malfoy had been such a git that day. He had been laughing about Hippogriff being sentenced to death. And she had had enough.

Shed would never admit it to anyone, but she had enjoyed hitting him more then she should have. Well, she had told this to Harry, who had agreed instantly and told her that he would like to throw a punch at Malfoy as well.

But now she felt bad. Damn her and her good-natured soul. 

Today was his birthday and it took everything in Hermione to get out of her bed that morning and grab the note that she had written late the previous night. 

Slipping her body into comfortable clothes, she knew she'd find him heading down to the Quidditch pitch, getting ready for the game that was happening tonight.

She waited for the Slytherin team to start heading down to the pitch when she saw his mop of blond hair. Pulling her wand out, she enchanted the note to float straight to Malfoy and watched the note poke his arm. 

She watched him reach for it, confusion written across his face. 

She watched him say something to his teammates and then watched him stop, falling behind them.  She watched him open the note, watched as his eyes moved back and forth as he seemed to reread it. And then she watched him smile. A third genuine smile she had ever seen the boy direct at her or at something that related to her. 

She didn't want him to catch her starring at him and turned around, making her way to the great hall.

She prayed to Godric that she had done the right thing.