A Man Can Change - A Draco/Hermione Story

Finding The Hidden

I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS: J.K.ROWLING OWNS THEM. This is just a fanfic written by a huge HP fan!

Hey guys! Here is the new chapter. Once again sorry for the big wait but life is hectic and im extremely busy. Thanks so much to those of you who have been extremely patient with me and who have been great. To those of you that got annoyed with me and have lost interest in the story, well...theres not much i can do about that. Its hard trying to write new chapters and do the things i need to outside of the "wattpad world". Hopefully you come back to read some more. ENJOY! btw, Hermione's P.O.V

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“I don’t think I should leave you though.” Hermione heard the effort in Draco’s voice, he was trying not to yell. Half an hour of convincing him she would be alright at his departure, and Draco was still pestering her about it.

      “Look, you need your mother right now. She is going to need you for a wee while and how about I make a compromise. If I have Harry, Ron or Ginny stay with me tonight, will you feel better?”

      “I won’t feel better at all knowing you aren’t beside me, safe with me. But I don’t want to argue, not today. Owl me love, when you know who will be with you. I’m sorry for leaving you like this, even though I don’t want too. You should be coming with me really.” Hermione sighed, knowing within herself that it really wasn’t an option. Watching Lucius have his soul sucked out of his body had been a relief, but she knew at the time with Narcissa’s sobbing in the background that Draco would need to go off to comfort her. But she also knew that the words would disturb Draco, ‘You’re Dead Mudblood’.

      However, Hermione hadn’t realised he would be so protective of her over these three words that had been written by a now, soul-less man, unable to take care of himself one bit. She had wondered if something more had been said when Draco had been speaking to his father. He had seemed paler than usual and shocked when he was pushed from the kiss room. She would need to find out.

      “No, I shouldn’t. This is a moment for you and your mother. You know as well as I do that she will be mourning him now as if his physical body had been killed. And...and you need your time too. I will be on the other end of a letter anytime you need me Drake.” She reached up his now clothed form and kissed him softly. He didn’t speak, and merely pecked her softly back. Hermione looked up into those eyes of his and knew for certain something was wrong, he was looking worried now, scared almost, and that was something she hadn’t seen on his face since Harry saved him from the Room of Requirement all that time ago.

      Stepping back from her slumped and exhausted looking man, she embraced the sobbing form of Narcissa, and embraced the comforting figure to the crying woman, Andromeda. Turning back to Draco, she saw him talking intensely to the Minister. Draco had a burning intensity in his eyes along with that scared, worried look.

      She watched him as his fists kept balling up at his sides, as if he were readying him for a fight that hadn’t even presented itself. They would turn stark white, before opening again as if in a sudden realisation that nothing was going to jump out and attack him.

      She turned her eyes away, unable to keep watching him tense up for no reason, it was unnerving. However, the thing her eyes landed on was not better in itself. The bloodied words that Lucius had written, now dried over the passing of time, stood out on the glass against the white backdrop of the wall behind it. She didn’t feel scared, he was gone and it was over, he couldn’t hurt her now. But she had this feeling in the pit of her stomach, that somehow it wasn’t over, and that she wasn’t okay. And thinking about Draco’s body language since he came out of the chamber, she came to the conclusion she wasn’t.