Vengeance: A Dramione Story

Chapter Eight

Hermione's POV

I wandered out of my bedroom and stumbled into the kitchen in the dark to grab some food.

While I was passing through the living room, I heard soft sobs from the couch.

I crept closer and saw Draco's hunched figure, head in his hands. He was rocking back and forth slowly, in time with his cries.

I stood still for a moment debating whether or not to start a conversation, but then Draco looked up and saw me.

"Don't- just don't, Granger. Go to bed," Malfoy shook his head, leaning back into his hands.

I stepped over to him and squeezed his shoulder, then turned to go back to my room when Draco interrupted.

"Thanks," I heard genuine appreciation in his voice, although he still hid his face.

"Night." I returned to bed, and laid there for awhile pondering Malfoy until exhaustion caught up with me--I seem to always be so tired--and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

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I got up early, went to work, successfully avoiding Malfoy all day by hiding out at the Ministry. The following day, Malfoy was nowhere to be found. The day after, I stayed locked in my room all day, as Malfoy had nowhere to be and I didn't want to talk.

But we couldn't hide from each other forever.

Malfoy and I were trapped, seated next to each other, awkwardly avoiding eye contact while I was reading and he playing on his phone.

"Okay, Granger, this is really awkward," Draco started.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"I think we should maybe talk..."

"Yeah." I agreed again.

"About some things."

"Yeah."

Malfoy stood and went to his room then returned a moment later with an envelope. The action confused me, I thought we were going to talk about the other night, not whatever this was going to be.

"Read these." He then left the room.

I sifted through the papers, they seemed to be clippings from the Daily Prophet. Every single one of them had something to do with Lucius Malfoy or the trials of the Death Eaters.

I picked one to start from and began to read through the list.

Malfoy Family: Son Testifies Against Father

Draco Malfoy: Not the Death Eater his Father Is

I skimmed through all of them, all of the evidence that Draco was telling the truth when he said he'd changed.

I looked up, to see Malfoy looking at me obviously trying to appear nonchalant but not succeeding in hiding his anxiety.

"So?" Draco sat down, fidgeting.

"So... what?" I frowned. "Was something supposed to happen?"

Malfoy sat up. "Did you, er, read what was in the journal? You know, from Astoria?"