Second Chances {Dramione}

Chapter Two - St. Dunstan in the East

The moment they both sat down on the Tube she turned to him and looked at him with fury in her eyes.

"What in Merlin's name is your mission?"

He shrugged and made her go speechless.

"So, why are you dragging me with you?"

Again, he shrugged and took out his mobile phone. The expression on her face was priceless. She did not expect him to possess such a thing in her wildest dreams. Not that her dreams usually were about Draco Malfoy, but you get the meaning. After a few minutes of him pressing the keys, he looked up to her and said:

"I'll take you to my favourite place and then we'll see."

She faked a laugh and raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly tells you, that I want to spend my day with you?" He shrugged again and slowly that was something that got to her.

"It's quite simple, Hermione," he began and she actually seemed to listen to him now. "Either you come with me and let me at least try to show you the person I've become, or you leave now. But don't ever tell me that I've not tried."

She didn't reply but her face told him, that she was thinking about the things he had said. When the Tube reached the station, he wanted to change lines at, he stood up and looked at her again.

"Do you want to come with me?"

To his surprise, she stood up and let him take her hand. He led her towards the right platform. Together they got into the Central Line and travelled the remaining stations until they both got out of the train at Tower Hill.

"You want to take me to the Tower of London?" she asked but he shook his head.

"Not at all. Come, we have to walk for a bit."

She followed his lead and to her surprise, she was not afraid of where he might take her. Normally, she never trusted people she barely even knew. And even though she had known who he was for nearly thirteen years, she did not know him.

His destination was a tiny little church Garden just off the main road, which had been a ruin since the Second World War. They had never renovated the church because no one ever went to it and it just wouldn't pay off. Now, it was a quiet piece of land and it was the perfect spot for him to relax and think. When he led her into the overgrown church garden her eyes lit up and she couldn't quite believe he would show her such a perfect little piece of earth.

"What is this place?" she asked, her eyes glowing like the ones of a child.

"It's called St. Dunstan In the East. It's a destroyed church and the gardens are just... well you can see it."

She smiled and his heart made a little jump at the sight. She was so beautiful it could take his breath away every time he even glanced her way. Her perfect curls swung when she walked, her chocolate brown eyes that reminded him of the hot chocolate his mother used to make him when there was a big storm. Her petite figure he would like to hug so bad it hurt.

"Why would you bring me to such a place?" she asked. But now her voice was less taunting, but more curious and really speechless. She did not understand why he would share a place like this, a place he had described as his favourite with her when she did not even believe that he could change.

He sat down on a bench under a tree and looked around.

"It reminds me of home and I thought you'd like it," he explained and she looked at him stunned.

"Why would I like to be reminded of Malfoy Manor?"

He shook his head. "No, not that home. I meant my real home. The place all of us would call home. It reminds me of Hogwarts. Sitting on a bench in the Transfiguration Courtyard, chatting, doing homework. It feels safe, like a sunny day down at the lake or a cosy night in the Great Hall of the library. It's comforting to have a place where no one judged you. You probably don't know the feeling..."

He was practically sunken in his own world, happy memories running through his head and he didn't notice her fond smile. She didn't expect him to see Hogwarts as his home. She only ever thought she and her friends felt like that because none of them really had a place for themselves.

Harry being an orphan, Ron having to share everything with his siblings and her being a muggle-born with no connection to the wizarding world. But at this moment, she realised, that during all these years Hogwarts had become a home to all students who walked the corridors and slept tight in their common rooms.

And she really liked the way he described the times he had there. Because she felt the same. She sat down next to him and followed his glance up at the sky. The trees and the church tower seemed to reach the clouds and suddenly she felt safe and looked after.

She felt as though she was back in Scotland, feeling the breeze of Scottish air on her skin whilst walking the grounds. And she suddenly felt very homesick. Not the kind of homesick she felt whenever she missed her parents. It was the terrible homesickness that no one could make better.

"Would you take me there?" she asked and he looked at her confused.

"Where?"

"Hogwarts," was all she said and his face lit up just like hers had done minutes before.

"I'll take you someday. I promise, Hermione," he said and she nodded.

"Alright, I'll give you a chance. Where do we go?"

He smiled. "Where do you want to go?"

She thought for a moment before she decided.

"I always wanted to walk over Tower Bridge. And you could tell me why you are here on our way there."

He nodded. Happiness was all he felt at that moment. Not only did the memories make him feel this familiar and yet so unique feeling, but the fact that she actually wanted him to tell her things about him really made the moment special. He wanted to get to know her, the real her, so badly, that he would tell her everything only for her to respond to a thing or two he said.

"We can do that. But first, let us stay here for a minute more. I need this really badly."

She nodded. She got what he meant. She, too, felt very alone sometimes and sitting here with him made her feel better. She didn't know if it were the thoughts about Hogwarts or his presence but something told her, that she would find exactly that out today.