Chapter III
“Furthermore, in the spirit of inter-house unity, some new additions have been made to Hogwarts.”
Hermione listened as McGonagall’s voice droned on, talking about all the steps she was taking as Hogwarts’ new headmistress.
Normally, she would’ve hung onto her every word, but today, she was distracted - for obvious reasons.
She was sitting at her usual spot at the Gryffindor table which felt incredibly strange without her two best friends. And from her location, she had an unobstructed view at her twin brother who was currently laughing with his friends, namely Blaise Zabini and, of course, Draco Malfoy. How she would deal with him when she made good on her promise to get to know him, she had no idea.
Theo caught her eye and gave her a small smile. She returned it hesitantly before quickly looking away, lest anyone noticed the two of them appearing friendly. She wasn‘t ready for everyone to know yet.
Trying to focus on something else, she latched back onto McGonagall‘s speech, just in time to hear her mention something about a shared common room for 5th years and up.
When the headteacher finished shortly after by telling everyone to enjoy the meal, Hermione began to panic. Had she missed the whole thing?
“Ginny? What did Professor McGonagall say?”
The ginger looked at her incredulously.
“This stuff with your family must have had a way bigger impact than I thought. First you don’t listen to something a teacher is saying and then you assume I did?” She sounded really offended.
Hermione laughed at her friend’s antics and, after making sure that everyone else in earshot was occupied with something or someone else, she lowered her voice to say, “I told Theo I would try to get to know his friends if he didn’t tell them the truth about my blood status.”
“What? Why would you do that? You know his friends include the little ferret, right?” Ginny hissed.
“Yes, I know. That’s the reason. Theo claims that after the war, they all have reformed views on blood purity and the like and that may be true for Zabini and Greengrass. But Parkinson and Malfoy? There’s no way. She was ready to deliver Harry to Voldemort and he bullied me for being a Mudblood my entire time at Hogwarts. If they found out I’m actually a Pureblood and then act civil, I would never know if they have actually changed.”
If her use of the slur affected Ginny, she didn’t let it show.
“Hermione Granger,” she grinned. “You sly little witch.”
***
“Granger.”
Hermione was in the process of packing up her stuff after double Potions with the Slytherins. Some things never changed, did they?
Looking up, she found that the hoarse voice belonged to Malfoy who was currently standing in front of her desk.
“What do you want, Malfoy?” she asked, a little more rudely than strictly necessary, especially since she had promised Theo to at least try to get along with him.
“Do you have a moment?”
Seeing as this was their last class of the day, she couldn’t exactly tell him she needed to hurry to the next lesson, so she nodded sharply.
After having stuffed the last of her things in her bag, she left the classroom with him, his steps matching hers perfectly.
Hermione looked at him expectantly and he cleared his throat, looking uncomfortably unsure of himself.
If you had told her two years ago that she would bear witness to a Malfoy being unsure of himself, she would’ve found it as believable as Trelawney’s prophecies in Divination class.
“I wanted to apologize for my actions during and before the war.”
“If this is for your probationary program, yes, I forgive you.”
She increased her pace, hoping to be rid of him now that that was done. Harry had told her a few days ago about a letter he had received from Pansy Parkinson, apologizing for her behavior towards him during the Final Battle. Though he had said that it had sounded genuine, Parkinson had also explained that it was a requirement for the probationary program.
“It’s not.”
She shot him a disbelieving look.
“Well, it is, but I mean it. Really, Granger, I am truly sorry for bullying you and especially for not stepping in when Bella-“
“Don’t,” she hissed. Assuming a slightly more friendly tone, she continued. “The bullying is in the past. We were kids and you didn’t know better. That doesn’t mean it’s okay, but it feels silly to be hung up on such childish things. So yes, I do forgive you for that.“
The words she left unspoken hung heavy between them. After a few seconds, Malfoy broke the silence. “And… the other thing?”
She stopped, causing him to pause beside her rather abruptly. “I get that you were too young, Malfoy, to be caught up in a war like that, especially on the side you were on. Everyone of us was too young to be a part of it at all. I know that you were scared and I understand that, I really do. I don’t want to blame you for what happened.”
“But you do, don’t you?”
“Yes. I do.”
And with those words, she left him standing alone in the dark hallway.