Saving Mr. Malfoy

Chapter Four

Hermione

The party yesterday had gone off without a hitch. Harry had a good time and Ron still thinks I don't know about him and Lavender. Harry is starting to get snappy at him and has informed me that Ron has told Harry and swore him to secrecy to not tell me. Which he did.

We woke up early to eat breakfast and do last minute packing, which was all the packing Ron needed to get done. After breakfast and packing we bid Mr. And Mrs. Weasley good bye. We also said good bye to Teddy, even though we would visit them all over Christmas.

~*~

Arriving at the platforms 9 and 10 we decide who will go in first. While the boys argue over it, I secure Crookshanks in my arms and run towards the wall between the two platforms, entering platform 9 and 3/4. I wait near the entrance, for Ginny comes next, then Harry, then Ron.

We all push our carts to the drop off station and I bring Crookshanks with me and I find an empty compartment that we can all fit into.

After settling down there is a knock at the compartment door, it slides open to reveal Neville.

"Hey Hermione? McGonagall is requesting to see Head Boy and Head Girl in her compartment."

I nod, "Thank you, Neville." I turn to the others and grab my cat, again, "I may or may not be back you guys."

Just before I exit the compartment, I feel Ron grip my wrist, spin me around to face him, and he kisses my cheek.

"Be safe, Mione." I blush and nod. Maybe he broke it off with Lavender, and realized his mistake. Maybe I can have a real relationship with him. Maybe I can actually have sex with someone I trust. And there goes the blush again. I an thinking all of this as I make my way to McGonagall's new compartment, so she may monitor student's safety on the train.

I knock three times and hear her answer, "Come in."

I slide open the door and turn to close it, the Head Boy had not made it yet so I set Crookshanks down to let him roam a bit while we wait.

"How are you Ms. Granger? How was your summer, once normalcy started setting in?"

"I'm a witch Professor, there is no such thing as normal." We both laugh at this and I am about to say more when I hear a knock, most likely from the Head Boy.

"Come in." Professor McGonagall says, I turn just as he opens the door and am met by the same grey pools that I knocked into yesterday. Draco Malfoy is Head Boy. I intake a sharp breath, partially from shock, and partially because of what is in front of me.

Draco's hair is causally tossed, not it's usual slicked back. His face clean shaved, and he isn't in uniform yet. He is wearing a dark blue v-neck that is like a second skin and shows off his muscles, and black jeans. He is also wearing muggle shoes, black high top converse. He looks good in muggle clothes. He looks good in wizard robes, hell he looks good in our school uniform. I bet he would look good naked... I mentally slap myself. I'm with Ron, I love Ron. Even though Ron may not love me...

I turn back towards McGonagall, knowing there's blush across my cheeks. Malfoy takes the seat next to me and Crookshanks rubs against his legs.

"Now, first off, I would like to congratulate you both for making Head Boy and Head Girl. Secondly I would like to talk to you about your responsibilities." We nod in understanding. Draco scoops my cat into his arms and pets him. You can hear Crookshanks purring from where I sit. "You will be sharing a dorm. It's the head dorm and the common room is conjoined into a secret passageway to the kitchen and a study will also be provided. Your rooms will be up the stairs. I trust you can sort which room is which." Again we nod. "You will do rounds together every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday night before you head to bed. You will schedule the prefects for the rest of the days. Lastly, you can hand out detentions, and give and take points. Any questions?"

We shake our heads.

"Good, I would like you to head to the Head's compartment and when we are half an hour away from Hogwarts inform everyone to change. Have a good rest of the ride." She dismisses us. Leaving her compartment I hold out my hands offering to take my cat.

"It's alright. I don't mind him, I can carry him." He scratches Crookshanks chin. I nod and start to head to the very back of the train towards the Head's compartment, Malfoy just a step behind me. When we arrive at the compartment I stop him at the door.

"So we will be working with each other all school year, and I would really appreciate it if we didn't argue about everything. So I would like to say that I am willing to forgive and forget, if you are willing to be my friend and start over." I hold out my hand to him. He eyes it for a moment, a flash of excitement crosses his eyes and he grips it firmly.

"I'm Draco Malfoy. Pleased to meet you."

"Hermione Granger. The pleasure is all mine."

With that, we enter our compartment. It's larger than the other and has a black leather couch instead of booth seat. There's a coffee table with a bowl of fruits and the daily prophet sitting on top of it. Draco sits Crookshanks down after closing the door and stands beside me.

"Luxurious, right?" He laughs. A sound I don't hear from him often without an insult to start it.

I nod and sit down, picking up the prophet. Draco, now that we are friends I'm going to start referring to him as such, makes me nervous. And not like he'll hurt me kind of nervous. Like he's watching me, ready to take a killing curse for me. He takes a green apple from the fruit bowl and slides it across his shoulders with a smirk. In one swift movement he catches it and takes a bite.

I laugh and shake my head at him and begin to read the daily prophet. Most of it is news on the recovery since Voldemort's attack. But one column catches my eye, it's got a picture of Narcissa Malfoy on the cover with her smiling and hugging Minister Shaklebolt. I read the title of the article.

Narcissa Malfoy, Owner of New Magical Gardening Store in Diagon Alley.

Narcissa Malfoy has come a long way over the summer on her road to redemption. She opened up about the abuse her husband put her and her son through. She remodeled their mansion and started to garden, later realizing the passion she had for it. She enlisted the help of her sister Andromeda Tonks née Black and bought a small little store next to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and filled it with everything she could think of that has to do with magical plants. Narcissa has also changed a lot herself. She wears brighter robes and smiles more. She lets her hair be it's wild blonde curls and tells the prophet that she is finally allowed to be herself with the help of her son and sister. The biggest change though, is she has changed her last name back to Black and was seen flirting with a certain Minister himself. Will it spark into a relationship, will her shop be a success, will she continue redemption? The answer to the last two is yes. Yes they will.

"Draco. You didn't tell me your mother changed her name?"

He plops down on the other end of the couch, examining his half eaten apple.

"Yes well, I find it great for her. She and Kingsley have also been having dinner quite often. After he lost his wife, Mother helped him maintain his late wife's garden, and developed a friendship."

"Oh, well, that's lovely. I'm happy for her." I give him a genuine smile.

He returns it, "Thank you, Hermione."