The Truth Behind The Mask → ᴰʳᵃᵐⁱᵒⁿᵉ

f o u r t e e n

[ R a t h e r  L a u g h a b l e ]

Hermione sat on the floor after reading the note, smiling sweetly. She had originally skimmed it in case there was something embarrassing she needed to hex him for but as she reread it, lots of memories came flooding back to her.

(a/n the note is on chapter 9 in case you wanted to reread it)

She giggled slightly remembering the first time Draco had used "weasel-bee", she felt herself blushing ferociously at his comment on how she looked and she nodded in silent agreement wishing they had been friends earlier. She smiled sadly at the thought of the war, all those people she loved not with her anymore. She laughed out loud remembering Buckbeak and Draco's scratch. She smiled again reading the final paragraph.

She shook her head with a smile at just how cliche the Draco Malfoy could be. She decided to stick this letter in her diary. She had kept this diary after her first year, it was no secret. She didn't realise just how much she'd miss her parents or what would've happened at Hogwarts so whenever there was something important she'd take a picture or something of significance to what happened and date it, so she'd never forget.

She then changed into a pair of black leggings and an oversized grey hoodie, tying her hair into a messy bun before quietly exiting her room. She closed the door and locked it before walking across to Draco's room, eyeing Blaise who was still fast asleep on her couch.

He had kept it slightly open ajar but she still knocked quietly, she heard soft snores coming from inside the room still and decided to just enter. She cautiously walked towards Draco's bed and saw him peacefully sleeping on his side.

He was hugging one pillow, covering his left arm while sleeping on another, he was shirtless and his bottom half was covered by his green sheets. Her room was almost all Gryffindor colours while his was in Slytherin colours.

She cleared her throat louder than usual and Draco began to stir, his eyes opened slightly and caught sight of Hermione. His eyes close again and he smiled, "Miss me too much?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Woke up and chose sass, Mr. Malfoy?" She challenged, she sat down at the foot of his bed and tucked a stray strand of hair from her bun behind her ear.

Draco had now sat up, his left arm was still covered by the pillow as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked back at her and raised an eyebrow at her, "Everything alright? Why are you back early?"

Hermione nodded. "Yeah everything's fine, Harry and Ginny got together and I didn't want to be disrupting the two couples, so I decided to head back, but I just got back and realised I didn't get a chance to read your note. So I read it in my room."

Draco sighed, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm guessing there's something from the letter you wanted to talk about?"

Hermione nodded slowly, "Well I had a lot of mixed feelings reading it, of course I was happy that someone with a big as a head as yours could write a letter to someone's you've hated for so long. However, the letter also brought up some rather sad and laughable moments."

Draco raised his eyebrows, "Laughable? And I've never hated you."

Hermione nodded, "Oh yeah, hard to forget. Do you remember everything you wrote?"

"Yea of course, I complimented you a few times, I was annoyed at Potter and Weasley, I showed off to you in front of the big chicken, wished we were friends earlier and that I'd stop writing in the letter before I got in trouble."

Hermione smiled, "Well you remember the letter rather well."

Draco smirked again, clearly happy with the compliment. "Of course I do! I don't find anything laughable though."

She rolled her eyes with a laugh, "I guess it wouldn't have been for you, but you standing up to the bloody chicken than faking your injury so that you wouldn't have to play against Gryffindor. Also you addressed Ron as 'Weasel-bee' and after the first time you said that, Harry in the invisibility cloak attacked you with snowballs."

Draco's eyes went wide and started to blush with embarrassment. "How was I supposed to know he was there."

Hermione laughed, "You weren't, that's why it was rather laughable."

Draco rolled his eyes, unable to hide his smile. "I know this was mentioned in the letter but I really do appreciate you being my friend." Draco said sincerely.

Hermione smiled, "I do too, but there's one thing I'd change." She said with a solemn look.

Draco's brows creased, looking slightly scared at what she might say, "And what's that?"

"That due to our pasts, my friends don't exactly accept whatever relationship we've formed." She said sadly.

"Well they'll get over it, I'm sure it's only cause they don't understand I've changed. Also they hold grudges, much more than you."

Hermione laughed and nodded, "Very true, at least you have Blaise and I have Luna."

Draco smirked, "That's right princess, if you're ever stressed, talk to Luna or me, I'd hate for you to be upset over a relationship with me."

Hermione blushed slightly again, Draco calling her princess always gave her butterflies. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss Draco on the cheek, "Thanks Draco."

Draco grinned at her kiss then asked, "Are you struggling with sleep?" As the thought had struck him.

Hermione eyes went wide, she couldn't exactly sleep last night, ever since the war, nightmares continued to haunt her, "How did you know?"

"Well last night I could hear you still reading till about 2 in the morning, on the train you said you 'didn't get much sleep last night' and I can't assume being Voldemort's most wanted Muggle-born for a year is calming."

Hermione was ashamed of disturbing Draco, she didn't want Draco to be worrying about her, "Sorry, I'm assuming you have something to help with that?"

Draco smiled, "Well of course, I got sleeping draughts from a while ago that my mom gave me since I often had nightmares about everything."

He got off his bed, pulled on a random hoodie from his chair, walked over to his trunk and pulled out a small dark purple coloured potion, to hand to Hermione. "Only drink about half, otherwise you'll be wiped out for much longer."

Hermione laughed and she drank what she thought was about half but Draco pulled the potion out of her hand with an alarmed expression, "Hermione!" You've drank so much of it! It's almost all gone."

He lifted the bottle up in front of her to discover about one quarter of the potion left, her eyelids immediately began to feel heavy and she fell to the ground, but just before hitting her head on the floor, Draco caught her.