A Man Can Change - A Draco/Hermione Story

The Room of Requirements First Portrait

 I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS: J.K.Rowling owns them, this is simply a fanfic written by a huge HP fan!

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Harry and Ginny were waiting for Hermione with large grins on their faces, and Ron was digging into his meal as per usual, not even using a knife and fork.

      “Hello Hermione!” Harry and Ginny said in unison.

      “Eah! Ello Ermynee” Ron said through a full mouth. He knew Hermione hated that. She thought that sometimes he was doing it intentionally.

      “Hello, pleasant train ride?” She asked.

      “Yeah it was pretty good. Ron was asleep most of the time.” Harry said, eyes flicking to Ginny, who gave him a cheeky smirk. Hermione figured they had been making up for lost time over the holidays while Ron was asleep. Their snogging usually got over the top but they tried to keep it low down while herself and Ron were around. Hermione didn’t mind too much, it was really Ron that didn’t like to see it, but the reasoning behind that one was obvious. He didn’t exactly want to see his little sister snogging his best friend everyday of his life.

      “How about your ride? Did Malfoy give you any trouble?” Harry questioned.

      “No actually he didn’t, we just talked about a few Head Prefect things before I turned over and went to sleep. He doesn’t seem the same Harry, he isn’t himself.” She answered.

      “Well there can’t be anything bad about that, he was a right old git before the war. But he’s probably just trying to get on the teacher’s good side. That’s what Malfoy does; a guy like him couldn’t change.”

      Hermione wasn’t sure what to believe now. There were two sides, but she wasn’t sure which was right. But how could one know if he had truly changed without being a skilled Legilimens? And with Malfoy, even then one wouldn’t know the truth as he himself is a highly skilled Occlumens.

      She looked over her shoulder, towards the Slytherin table and searched for the pale blonde hair that belonged to Malfoy. When she spotted him, her face warmed quickly as she realised he was staring right at her, with a longing look on his face, a look that confused her most dearly.

      “Prefects are to escort their students to the common rooms please.” Professor McGonagall spoke over the loud ruckus of the Great Hall. Ron and Ginny got up quickly and led all of the first years out of the Great Hall and into the swarm of students leaving Harry and Hermione sitting on the bench of the Gryffindor Table.

      “It’s going to be odd without you in the common room this year.” Harry spoke quietly.

      “Oh Harry, it will be okay. Nothing will change between us. I just have to be in the Head Prefect’s common room to discuss things with Malfoy at free will. But you are right, it’s going to be odd living in some place other than the Gryffindor common room.”

      He sighed greatly “I wish you didn’t have to be in the same common room as that old git either. Malfoy’s a horrible person, so watch out for yourself.”

      A throat cleared behind them. “And that old git would like to take Miss Granger now.” Malfoy spoke loudly. It gave both her and Harry a right start and they jumped in their seats.

      She was taken aback by this, “Excuse me?” She said eyeing him up and down.

      He rolled his eyes at her, “McGonagall wanted to speak to us remember? I thought you were a bit smarter than that Granger.”