Amicis

I’m like the water when your ship rolled in that night 

“What?” Draco Malfoy was stood at the entrance to the slytherin common rooms. It was times like this that he completely regretted his choice to come back after the war. Had it not been a huge publicity stunt to try and show that the Malfoy name was apparently bettering themselves he wouldn’t have came at all. He would have much preferred to sit on house arrest with his mother. 

He sneered down at the girl who had bloody knocked to have been allowed entrance. Only one girl would have not only been stupid enough to have came to him directly, and not just that. She bloody knocked. He pinched the bridge of his nose not only in confusion but frustration that she had sought him out. 

“Please, Draco,” she tried again. She stood outside the entrance to his common room barely containing her shivers of how cold it was. 

“Why? What is in it for you. What do you gain from trying to befriend me?” The blonde retorted. He noticed with amusement that she had started blushing. The blush started at the bridge of her nose and crept its way upward to settle on her cheeks. “Granger. God, are you blushing.” 

Hermione choked. “I- I am not blushing. Malfoy.” Hermione hissed through her teeth. 

“Oh, so it’s Malfoy now? I thought you were asking to be friends. Do you not have friends? Where is ginger nuts and the boy who I wish never lived?” He sneered. 

It was at that moment he noticed her eyes beginning to water. A telling sign he was in way to deep. He hated it when girls cried. He almost felt guilty. Almost. 

“Things are complicated,” she whispered. Oh that makes much more sense now. Ron Weasley doesent want to be her friend so she wants a pet slytherin to play with. How amusing. 

“So those idiots don’t want to be your friend so you sought out the very next thing you could find?” Draco nearly slammed the door In her face. However he was starting to feel slightly curious as to what had happened that Granger felt the need to cry just on hearing their names. Not to mention, she didn’t even berate him for the offensive names he had used in reference to the two boys. Yes something was really up.

“You are always alone.” Hermione stated matter of fact. Draco flinched at the words, they weren’t wrong, but not exactly a pleasant thing to hear. 

“That is a choice a make, Granger,” he drawled. “So what makes you think I’d change that choice to befriend you?” 

“You’re intelligent,” she admitted. 

“Clearly not otherwise I wouldn’t even be entertaining this convers-“

“I wasnt. Finished.” Hermione narrowed her eyes. “You are intelligent, as much as I hate to admit it. You would make for very interesting conversation. And you are always alone. And I’m alone.” 

“Fine.” Draco said catching Hermione off guard. She was probably expecting him to call her a few slurs and then slam the door in his face. He wondered if he should call her a few slurs. Just for old times sake. Draco wasnt all convinced that she just wanted to be friends with him because he was intelligent but he would find out the real reason later, he imagined. 

“Fine?” Hermione questioned in confusion.

“What are you planning on removing your hand in friendship now that I have accepted?” Draco smirked. He revelled in the fact that he had caught the bushy haired girl off guard. Hermione shook her head. “Come in then.” Draco opened the door wider to allow her to enter. “You know you are a witch, right? You could cast a heating charm. You were shivering out there the whole time. Hermione blushed again but didn’t reply. 

Draco sat on the couch and without offering Hermione a seat he quirked an eyebrow to ask her what on earth she was doing. When she suddenly took all of her books out of her back and spread them on the floor picking up a quill and starting her homework. 

Draco noted to himself that she didn’t engage in small talk or conversation of the sort. She just sat in a silence which Draco found wasnt entirely uncomfortable. He looked down at her and nearly. Nearly smiled. Maybe this friendship wouldn’t be so bad after all? 

Hermione walked into the great hall. He knew she walked into the great hall because her bushy hair wasnt exactly hard to miss. Especially when she was being chased by a gangly red headed idiot who was screaming at her. 

“But you are mudblood and he is a Slytherin,” Draco heard Ron say. 

“Oh shit,” Theo beside him whispered. He looked far too amused by what was happening. Hermione on the other hand… her magic was crackling around her with anger and her hair was beginning to stand up at the end. 

“YES I KNOW I AM A MUDBLOOD. WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT WHERE THE WORD IS PERMANANTLY INGRAINED ON MY FUCKING ARM?” hermione shouted. The whole room went eerily quiet and Draco recoiled at the memory of Hermione on his drawing room floor. He was beginning to slip and he realised if he didnt do something quickly he was going to be back in the drawing room re-witnessing exactly what had happened.  

Before he realised what he was doing he stood up and walked right over to where Hermione was currently brandishing her arm in front of Weasley's face whilst he stood, looking incredibly guilty. Weasley was whispering apologies but Hermione didnt seem to hear them. Either that or she was blantaly refusing to remove her arm out of Ron’s face. He gently touched Hermione’s shoulder, scared that she was going to turn around and push her branded arm in his face. 

At the touch she seemed to break out of her trance and removed her arm out of Weasley’s face. He kept his hand on her shoulder and guided her out of the great hall, using his other hand to pull her sleeve down to re-cover her arm. He did not want to see that. 

They were sat outside on a bench in silence. “Why you?” Hermione finally asked. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, confused. What on earth could she mean by why him? Why did he become a death eater? Why did he nearly murder Albus Dumbledore? Why did he let her get tortured on the same floor that he used to play with his toys- “why was it you that stopped Ron?” Hermione rescued him from his thoughts. 

“What do you mean?” Draco found himself asking. 

“Ron has been being a prick ever since i broke up with him. He has been passive aggressive constantly. He got incredibly drunk and accused me of going to meet up with another boy. He called me a-“ she choked on her words. “He called me a fucking slut and now a mudblood and not a single one of my ‘friends’ stepped in. This has been happening for ages but i just assumed i was overreacting and if he said something really bad eventually someone would step in but they didnt.” A pause. “But then you. The boy who hates me. The boy who fought on the opposite side of a war to me, who bullied me for years. You were the one who stood up for me?” Hermione sounded hysterical by the end of her monologue and draco regretted standing up for her now. He didnt expect her to read so much into it. Sodding Gryffindor’s. Draco stared at his feet. How on earth was he supposed to answer that.

 ‘Even though i bullied you for years and fought a war against you, seeing the art my aunt kindly left permanently engraved on your arm was a step too far?’ 

No. He wasnt a Gryffindor. He was a Slytherin. He remained quiet. Luckily he didnt have to answer that question because in the next moment she burst out laughing. It wasnt a charming sweet melodic laugh. No it was boisterous and hysterical and if he was right any minute now she was about to start sobbing 3…2… hermiones laughter quickly changed to big, loud, heaving sobs. Draco sighed. 

“I’m sorry,” a sob. “I really have no idea what’s going on.”

”its okay, Granger,” he tried soothing. “Do you want to know why i stepped in?” He asked. He really hoped if he could slightly change the subject he’d be able to stop her from crying. He hated crying. It made him uncomfortable and he never knew what to do in this situation. Luckily for him, she nodded. 

“We’re friends remember. You came to my door last night and knocked like the little lion you are. You were practically begging for my friendship, i had no choice but to say yes,” he smirked. She rewarded him with a small reluctant smile. “You didnt eat,” he remembered. She looked at him, confused. She clearly wasnt expecting him to say that. Merlin, he probably looked like he was watching her. Thankfully for him she didnt question it, just nodded. “Would you like to go down to the kitchens to get some food. Dont worry the house elves are paid now so you dont need to worry about contradicting your spew.”

”It’s S.P.E.W,” she corrected him. “And how on earth do you know about that?”

”Salzar, when Slytherin found out about it, we were all in tears of laughter for days.” He laughed to himself just thinking about it. 

“Well then perhaps you should have taken notes. We all saw how badly Dobby was treated.”

”Yes well look what good that did him. Perhaps if st Potter didnt free him he wouldn’t be 6ft under now.” He retorted. He was actually quite sad to see Dobby go, not that he would ever admit it. He was a good little elf and he always took care of him when he was sick. 

‘Yes well if Harry hadn’t of freed Dobby, i would have died on your drawing room floor that night,” Draco flinched at her words. “I’m sorry, i didnt mean it like that,”

”Yes you did.” He said bluntly. He hated when people mean to say something and then upon realising that they’ve hurt you they take it back. “And dont apologise. I’m glad Dobby got you out of there. I have enough nightmares thinking about what happened before. I wouldn’t want to think of what would have happened next, if you hadn’t been rescued.” Hermione looked like she was about to say something. But luckily they were already at the kitchens and they were cut off by the elves running to say hello to her. 

“WINKY,” hermione said with a big smile on her face, pulling the elf who was allegedly named Winky into a hug. Of course Hermione would have befriended house elves. 

“What is missus wanting?” Winky finally asked. 

“Um we would like…” she looked at him for help clearly not knowing how this worked. Him on the other hand. He had been here many times after many mental breakdowns. Especially when trying to fix that bloody cupboard. 

“One bowl of strawberry and chocolate ice cream and a pitch of pumpkin juice.”

”Please,” Hermione corrected him. 

“Please,” he finally said with a scowl. Much to the amusement of Hermione.

He finally returned to the common room hours later. They sat in comfortable silence and finished the ice cream and pumpkin juice. Luckily there were no more tears after Hermione’s previous outburst. 

“If it isn’t the lion rescuer,” Theo smirked behind him. 

“Bloody hell Theo. Is there any need for you to creep up on me,” Draco shook his head. 

“Ron is a right twat. I thought Gryffindor’s were all supposed to be bleeding hearts and loyalty. He publicly called her a mudblood after she went and bloody fought a war for his best friend. For her alleged best friend. And how come no Gryffindors stood up for her? And what was Ron on about when he said ‘he’s’ a Slytherin?” Theo asked. Draco was beginning to get a headache from all of Theo’s questions. He really wished Theo would shut up. 

“Wait,” things were beginning to make sense now. “Repeat to me what Ron said again. I only heard the mudblood.”

“Look at you acting all reckless and jumping to save the little cub. How very Gryffindor,” Theo drawled. 

“Oh just shut up and tell me what he said,” rolling his eyes. 

“Say please,” Theo smirked. 

“Please.” He scowled. 

“He said ‘But you are mudblood and he is a Slytherin.” Everything clicked into place. He almost felt guilty but then again this was all Hermione’s fault. Anybody would have been able to tell her that sparking up an unlikely friendship with Draco Malfoy, ex death-eater, wouldn’t be approved of by the general consensus. He sighed. 

“Care to explain?” Theo shook him from his thoughts. Draco launched into an explanation of how she came to him yesterday asking to be friends and how she came and studied in here. 

“How come I didn’t see her?” Theo asked. 

“I’m guessing because you were out snogging Blaise somewhere?” Draco quirked an eyebrow waiting to see if Theo would deny the claims. Theo merely blushed and looked at his shoes. “Fuck me Theo-“

”No Thank you, your not my type.”

“Shut up you wanker. Is this why you and Blaise have been avoiding me? Do you think I’m houseophobic or somethi-“ Draco was interrupted yet again by Theo laughing. “Why are you laughing you dick?” Theo didn’t answer just laughed louder. Blaise entered the common room, leaving his dorm. 

“What are you laughing about?” Blaise smiled at Theo seemingly amused by Theo’s random outburst. “I could hear you all the way from the dorms?” 

“Repeat,” a laugh. “What you just said Draco.”

”I said I’m not houseophobic.” It was Blaise that laughed this time. “What is wrong with you two?” Draco was getting pissed off now. He hated being laughed at. 

“It’s homophobic not houseophobic,” Blaise finally told him. He was out of breath from laughing so hard. Draco’s pale cheeks were stained red. 

“Okay fine. I’m not homophobic then. Can you stop laughing at me now. Merlin. You both missed the point. You can stop pushing me away now. I don’t care who you like or what you like,” he gestured towards Theo who was very much acting like a non-human. “I’ve known for ages. It doesn’t bother me at all,” Draco pleaded. Hermione wasn’t wrong when she said he was always alone. He was finally finding out the reason for why he was always alone now. 

Theo pretended to wipe imaginary tears from his eyes and Blaise over-dramatically swooned. 

“Now that we have your permission to date,” Theo drawled. “I thought granger was supposed to be smart. What is she doing going around telling people you two are friends for? Surely she knows people wouldn’t exactly be pleased with that?” 

“Maybe she was trying to piss Ron off?” Blaise offered. This didn’t please Draco much. He knew that Granger wasn’t being honest when she said she wanted to be friends because he was “intelligent” but it’s still pretty shit that she’s using him against Weasel. Then again he hates Weasel so he might make a show of being overly affectionate around Weasley to piss him off. 

“Why did she say she wanted to be friends with you again?” Theo provoked. Blaise looked up intently. 

“Because I’m ‘intelligent’” he mumbled hoping they wouldn’t hear. This set them both off again. Not wanting to deal with there annoying laughter he walked up to his bedroom to get his bags. After a free morning the lessons begun in the afternoon and he had potions first. Potions were boring now that his godfather had left. His replacement was shite and he made sure to tell his godfather during their regular correspondence.

He walked to potions alone. Gryffinbore were already in the classroom. He noticed that Granger was sat by herself and the whole of her house were non-too-subtly glaring at her. He didn’t want to make it worse but then again he really didn’t give a fuck. This was her own doing. What if he didn’t want it made common knowledge that he was friends with her. 

He sat down next to her clearly startling her. He raised an eyebrow at her daring her to object but she simply nodded. Perhaps in gratitude? Perhaps because she knew she had nobody else. 

Pansy was the next who walk in, she was usually his partner. She didn’t seem too happy at the arrangement but she wouldn’t dare say anything in public let’s somebody reported it. Her family really couldn’t use another scandal in the prophet. He on the other hand, he stopped his subscription to the prophet a long time ago. She stuck her nose up in the air and sat at an empty desk far away from him, waiting for the rest of the house to file in. Blaise and Theo sat in the adjoining desk next to them, much to his despair as they were still giggling. Draco’s despair didnt last long when he had a very welcome, nice surprise. Severus walked in. His cloak sweeping dramatically. 

Some groans were heard from Gryffindor but Hermione seemed to sit up higher. He guessed that she also hated their previous professor for how inadequate he was. Snape raised an eyebrow at him upon seeing him sat next to Granger. It didn’t escape his notice though that part of his mouth seemed to quirk up in…amusement? 

“I’m sure it is quite a shock seeing me back. However after much begging from some senior members off staff we have some new professors,” Snape seemed not the happiest at this revelation. This escaped nobodies notice. 

“What other teachers do we have, sir?” Theo asked. Draco was sure that if anyone in Gryffindor would have asked he would have easily docked points. But then again Snape always did have a soft spot for him, Theo and Blaise. 

“Black and lupin,” Snape looked like he had just swallowed acid. However the witch sat next to him looked like she had just won the Quidditch cup. Cheers erupted from Gryffindor. “Five points from Gryffindor for behaving without decorum,” as per usual was left unsaid but heavily implied. 

They worked through the potion In silence and it Draco happened to notice how in sync him and Granger were. He would chop and she would stir and then they would swap seamlessly without anything at all being said. He much preferred working with Granger than Pansy now. Pansy refused to chop any potions ingredients as she claimed “proper pure blood witches do not get their hands dirty.” Hermione on the other hand looked like the complete opposite of a pure blood princess. Her hair had all frizzed out from the fumes and was quite literally sticking up everywhere. 

“What.” The witch snapped at him. He realised he’d been staring at her hair. 

“Nothing it just. Is it soft?” Draco was mortified. He hadn’t meant to say that at all. She grabbed his hand and wiped it on himself before pressing his fingertips to her hair. It was in fact soft. Very soft. When he realised he had attracted the attention of Pansy, Theo, Blaise and Snape. He quickly removed his hand and didn’t look at her for the rest of the lesson.