Flames

Chapter 4 - Draco's POV

I walked alongside her in silence for almost an hour. As we continued walking the hallways for our patrol, I tried to think of a way to come up with a conversation piece.

"So… um… how are you adjusting to being back at school?" I asked shyly. She looked at me with a blank expression and shrugged.

"I have good days… but for the most part I have bad days" She answered after a while.

"And by bad days you mean?" I asked. She stared straight ahead, thinking of an answer.

"I get nightmares... And flashbacks... When I hear loud noises I jump and draw my wand because I feel like I'm getting attacked again, and nothing helps me forget" She answered truthfully. I nodded my head in understanding.

"I get nightmares too… and I've developed an unhealthy habit of sleeping with lights on because the dark now scares me" I told her, not knowing what came over me that this spike in honesty. She nodded quietly. We continued in silence for a while longer before I finally broke it again.

"You know Granger… I just want to say… I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I'm sorry for calling you such horrible names. I know nothing can ever justify what I did but I'm still sorry, and I promise, that's not my way of thinking anymore. After my trial I was forced to spend 3 months in the muggle world with no magic and I really learned to appreciate them and everything they stand for. I was actually thinking that, after my probation, I would move to muggle London and work over there. Make life simple. I am really and truly sorry…"

She continued to look forward but I could almost see the internal battle inside of her. I knew she was as tired of fighting, if not more, as me. We were both tired and just wanted to be done with everything already. She stayed silent for the rest of the patrol, and when we reached our housing area she walked straight to her room. Before walking in, she stopped and turned around to face me one last time.

"I forgive you Malfoy… Thank you for apologizing" She finally said before turning once more and retiring to her room.

That night, I could hear her crying in her room. I wanted to check on her but decided not to push her. We continued October like that. We'd do our patrols, talk a about the war and life and then she'd go back to her room and lock herself in there. Some nights I could hear her crying. Other nights I could hear her having nightmares.

The entire month, I had been working on finding the courage to ask her to the Halloween Ball as a friend but, I was scared she'd close up again. Two nights before the ball I had told myself to either man up and ask her, or stop worrying and completely forget the idea of asking her.

When the time to patrol came, I waited for her at the door. When she walked out of her room she kept looking at the floor, and when she finally looked up, she gave me the smallest smile, but a smile nonetheless. It was in that moment I figured, that I needed to ask her to the ball.

Two hours had passed of us patrolling the hallways and I still hadn't asked her. I was scared to break the silence. After a while, it was her that broke the silence.

"What are you thinking about so hard over there Malfoy?" she asked curiously.

I looked over at her and swallowed hard before answering, "I need to ask you something and I don't know how to proceed."

She chuckled lightly and looked over at me, "Go on. Ask away. I don't bite. If it's what I think it is, then the answer is yes."

I gasped lightly and looked at her with wide eyes, "Will you go to the ball with me? We can go as friends… if you want."

She nodded as a genuine smile formed on her lips. I smiled back at her, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel any darkness around me.

We finished our patrol and just like always she went straight to her room before stopping in front of her door and turning around, "I want to go as Poison Ivy and Batman. So if you don't know who that is, I'd look into it."

I nodded in understanding, "I actually learned who they were while I lived with the muggles. I like the idea."

She smiled again and turned back around, "Good night Malfoy."

"Good night Granger."