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It's been 4 years since the last time I spoke to Draco. News of him has been spreading like wildfire recently in The Daily Prophet. He's been giving back and donating some of his fortune to the funds used to help muggle wizards buy their supplies when introduced into the wizarding world. He's been volunteering to help students at hogwarts and even has been transforming Malfoy manor to house students during the summer if they don't have somewhere they can go home to. The house elves that work are given a wage and clothing rather than forced into his employ, he had actually started doing that before Hermione's law was passed. It's rare now to not find a column in the prophet about his exploits. During my recent lunches with Hermione she told me that Draco has even scheduled a meeting with her to ask if she was okay with him applying for a job at the ministry. I was only slightly surprised when she told me he was thinking about applying to Wizard and Muggle relations, considering how long he had been donating to some of their causes.
The rumors surrounding Draco only grew when he started to try to make amends for his past. Many thought it was just an act, that he was playing for sympathy when he really hadn't changed at all. But those who had seen him and what he was doing up close and personal knew that he was sincere and he really had been working to change. He refused to give interviews as well, all the articles written about everything he's done have come from the people that witnessed it and that would rather have the small amount of fame they get from being in a newspaper than his privacy.
After he gained his job at the ministry Hermione would mention to me that he would ask about me sometimes, just general things, like how I'm doing and if I'm happy. She always responds the same way, that I'm doing great and that I'm happy. But she knows I could be happier. She knew I wanted someone to spend my time and my life with, but dating was hard for a professor. Headmistress McGonagall had accepted my request to teach Transfigurations, she even made me the new Slytherin head of house. It was a dream come true but it was also lonely. Most other professors were the same ones that taught me when I was a student, except for Neville, he was like me.
Neville was the only professor my age who had been through the same experiences as me. I think that's why he gave up on being an auror. Herbology was always his passion anyway. We became fast friends at hogwarts and occasionally we would joke about how if someone had told us while we were in school about how good of friends we were now that we would never believe them. But it was nice to have someone to talk to that was a peer and not one of your previous professors. He would listen to what I had to say and he understood it, most importantly I told him about my relationship dilemma and it wasn't weird to talk about with him. I told him all about how no matter how hard I tried to get over Draco that I still hadn't, and that when I tried to date it went up in smoke, one time literally, and he listened and gave me advice. "Follow your heart and be happy Y/N." Is what both Neville and Hermione would always tell me, so it was time I did that.
"He asked about you again." Hermione said, putting her cup down. We were having our usual lunch together where we catch up on our busy lives. "He did?" I asked. I try not to look too interested when she tells me but she knows me too well for it to work. "I told him the usual, that you were fine and happy and at Hogwarts." She sighed and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms as I sat just tapping my fingers against my cup. "Can you do me a favor next time you see him?" I looked up from my cup and into her eyes, I don't think she expected this sort of reaction this time. Usually I'm quiet for a moment before I change the subject. "Y/N you know I'd do just about anything for you other than break a law." She smiled, receiving a small chuckle from me before she sat up a bit and became a bit more serious. "What is it?" She inquired. I took a breath and smiled at her before speaking. "Next time you see him will you tell him that I eat lunch at the Three Broomsticks on Saturday's and that if he happened to show up there while I was eating I... I uh wouldn't hate to see him." Hermione looked stunned for a moment before taking a sip of her drink and looking back at me. "You're ready to see him again?" She seemed a bit concerned as she spoke but I knew she was just looking out for me. "Yeah. I think I am. I've talked about it with Neville and with how each time we have lunch now you mention that he asks about me I thought maybe it was time I talked to him again. Possibly save you from having to tell him the same thing over and over again for a bit." She got a laugh out of the last part and set her drink on the table and grabbed my hands. "If you're ready to talk to him then I think this will be good for you. Either you get the closure you truly needed or maybe he gets a second chance, and don't tell him I said this but maybe he's earned a second chance." Surprisingly to me she didn't look pained to say those words at all, that's how I knew she was genuine. "I think you're right... Thank you Hermione."
