Unexpected Union

Chapter 5

"What do you want Malfoy?" an obviously crying Hermione called out over her shoulder, "Just leave me alone."

"Just stop," Draco said with a plea in his tone as his fingers gently gripped her upper arm and spun her to face him.

"Why did you help me?" She asked.

"You needed it," Draco answered.

"You've never helped me before," she sniffed.

"I should have," he responded sadly, "Look. I know I can't make up for what happened that night, or for all the things I've done in the past, but I never did say thank you for testifying on my and my mother's behalf at the trials. You didn't have to, yet you did. You gave us a second chance."

"You and your mother are the only reason we got out of there alive Malfoy," Hermione said sadly, "You may have been a slimy git to me through most of our school years, but you went against Voldemort. You didn't kill Dumbledoor. You deserved that second chance."

Draco looked down at his shoes, his hand still gripping Hermione's arm lightly. Shame coursed through his veins as he recalled all of the horrible things he'd done. "I'm the reason Voldemort got into the school," he admitted.

"I know. Look Malfoy, you've done some bad things. More than most. You were manipulated though. I know you were. Not everything you did was your fault," Hermione said softly.

Draco scoffed, let his hand drop away from Hermione's arm, and then he stalked off down the hallway without another word. Hermione looked after Draco as he disappeared down the hall. She rubbed the back of her hand across her still teary eyes and then headed to the girls bathroom to splash some cold water on her face.

Draco wandered aimlessly for a while. He didn't know where to go or what to do, but he knew he didn't want to go back to class, and he knew he didn't want to go back to the Head's common room. Hermione might be there, and he didn't want to face her. He kept playing her words over and over in his mind. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to come to her aid in class, and he certainly wasn't sure why he'd thanked her the way he had.

He had intended to say something to her a while back, but he never meant for it to be as heartfelt as it ended up being. Seeing her emotions so raw had impacted him in ways he wasn't ready for. Then her damn Gryffindor optimism shined though, leaving him feeling undeserving of her faith. He had to get out of there. Had to get away from her. He didn't deserve for her to forgive him. He had just stood there while she was tortured.

It took him a moment to realize where his feet had taken him. He stood looking around the Slytherin common room. Apparently old habits really do die hard. "Draco?" a feminine voice called out behind him.

He turned and saw Pansy walking down the stairs from the girls dormitories. "What are you doing here?"

"Walk with me?" He asked.

"Of course," she purred.

Pansy sauntered toward him, and attached herself to his side as they left the common room and went out into the hallway. A plan formed in his mind as he walked along listening to Pansy prattle about something inane. He didn't care what came out of her mouth. He had one use for the witch, and that wasn't for her conversation skills.

When they arrived at the Heads common room, Pansy looked up at him with a sly smirk. "Going to show me your room?" She asked.

Draco uttered the password, and then pushed in the door, towing Pansy along behind him. He rushed to his bedroom, slammed the door shut behind them, and tossed Pansy on the bed. He was on top of her before she could even bounce.

Hermione had decided not to go back to class. She couldn't face the teacher and her fellow students after her utter failure against the Boggart. She ended up going down by the Black Lake for a walk, and then sat under her favorite tree for a while before deciding she was cold and should head back in.

She arrived back in the Head's common room, and set about making herself some tea. She wondered briefly where Malfoy had gone. Then she heard a sound. She set down the kettle and went to investigate. There is was again. What was that noise? She went up the stairs to where her and Draco's bedrooms were, and then heard something again. She wondered if Malfoy was in his room. Was he injured or something?

Hermione knocked on his door, "Malfoy? You okay in there?"

There was some shuffling around and was that a giggle she heard? Then the door cracked open, and before her stood Pansy Parkinson. She was wearing one of Draco's Quidditch jerseys, and it looked like nothing else. "You need something Granger?" Pansy asked with a smirk.

"Uhhhh..." she was staring at the girl in front of her in shock. She could see Draco lounged out in bed behind Pansy. He was shirtless, with the blankets puddled up in his lap gazing at her with an unreadable expression.