Past Indifferences

The Forgiven and The Sick

Hello! I'm Issy and here is the second chapter. I'm putting this in so I can say: please if you find any spelling, grammar, factual or other mistakes please tell me by commenting so I can fix it. Thank you and enjoy!(Two years after the The Battle of Hogwarts)
"Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us"- Anonymous
Hermione's POV
I woke up in my flat located in Central London to the sound of my alarm clock.
Ugh, Mondays, I thought. I then proceeded to make my bed and take a shower. Once I got out of the shower I did a quick drying spell on my hair and put it in a bun like I usually do for work. I then went downstairs to get the kettle started for my morning tea. I put some bread in the toaster and went to the bathroom to put some light make up on and change into my work clothes. Going into the kitchen, I see that the time is 7:45, work is at   8:00. I better finish up my breakfast and tea before I have to disapperate to St. Mungos, I think. While I drink some tea, I decide to call Harry and see how he's doing. I haven't spoken to him in awhile.
"Hello?", he says on the other line, sounding like he obviously just woke up.
"Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry, I thought you'd be up since you have a job that starts way before eight o'clock. Harry Potter, you have been blessed with a wonderful job and you can't even wake up on time to do it! " I lectured, wondering if he actually got the day off, That would be awkward, I mentally stated.
"Ah bloody hell, I'm going to be late. I overslept. I've gotta go 'Mione, we got a new case Friday and me and Ron were going to go over it today. Bye," Harry says very frazzled and rushed then, hangs up.
"Um bye." I say, disappointed that we couldn't have a longer chat.
I then proceed to have more of my tea and toast while reading the Daily Prophet. There are no more crazy gossip and dark wizard headlines on the front page, which makes me happy.
I see an article written by a certain Draco Malfoy, and I remember after he apologized to us two years ago, he wrote a public apology and sent it in to the Prophet to be published. After that, the Prophet decided to hire him. Good for him I suppose. I've always said everybody deserves a second chance, but it's hard to think that way when that person helped the darkest wizard known to the wizarding world. I understand that he was partially forced to become a deatheater but I still can't fully forget what he was like then. I've heard from old classmates that he really has changed for the better but I would have to see it for myself.
It's 7:55, so I disapperate to work. I work on the second floor, Diseases. I'm the head healer on this floor. We help different wizard and muggle diseases. I also help with simple hexes, spells, and cuts and bruises occasionally. When I head to the second floor where my office is located, I can't help but notice a head of striking blonde hair hunched over a chair. It was Draco Malfoy. He looked like he had been crying and if he's in the hospital, that is plausible. I don't know if I should ignore him and just check into my office or try to comfort him. I choose the latter because I'm curious as to why he is here.
I walk over to where he is sitting and he looks up.
"Oh, Granger what are you doing here?" he says with genuine curiosity.
"I'm the head healer on this floor. What are you doing here? Are you okay?" I reply, mentally cringing at how obvious it sounded that I didn't fully care.
"Well um... you see um." he struggles to find the words without emotionally breaking down. After a couple of seconds, "My mother is very sick. Nobody knows what's wrong with her, so they can't cure her. And she's in a critical condition right now." He said summoning all his courage which wasn't much since he is a Slytherin not a Gryffindor.
I was shocked and could tell he was on the verge of tears. "I'm sure we can find out what is wrong with her. St. Mungo's has the best medical and magical healers around." I said feeling even more awkward but genuinely caring now.
"She's all I have left, Hermione" he barely whispers.
I was taken back by the use of my first name but ignored it because tears were visible on his face. I couldn't take his sadness any more so I sat down next to him and put my hand on his. If I felt awkward before, right now was no exception.
"Would you want to go get tea or something right now and catch up, to get your mind off things? I don't have any appointments unil 11:00. " The words just spewed out of my mouth. I always do this. I always try and make everyone feel better even if it doesn't have anything to do with me.
"That, that would be nice" Draco said trying to regain his form due to her unprecedented words and his emotional state.
"Okay. Well um there's a cafeteria upstairs and they have tea if that is fine with you." I said not sure if wants to get tea or something stronger (He was known in our years at Hogwarts to sneak fire-whiskey into the common rooms). "Tea upstairs will be fine." Malfoy stated.
We both got up and I showed him the way to the cafeteria.

I couldn't remember a time I was this awkward before, but that awkwardness could only be matched to what Draco was feeling.
We got upstairs and got a cup of tea each.
"It's not the best thing ever, but it's better than nothing."
At Hermione's words, Draco started to smile.
"No it's wonderful. And thank you for showing me this, I would have never known there was a cafeteria here."
"No problem. So where do you work now?" I said, even though I knew the answer to this, I couldn't think of anything else to talk about.
"Well right now, I've been working for the Daily Prophet as a journalist for about two years, but they are having to downsize and there's a possibility they will have to let me go." Draco stated, not sounding as sad or mad as I would be if that was my situation.
"I'm sorry to hear about that. What will you do if you are let go?" I questioned trying to keep the conversation going.
"I'm going to apply for a paid internship at the Ministry of Magic in the Auror Division. Hopefully it will give me qualifications to eventually become an auror." Malfoy explained to me. He really has changed hasn't he, I thought to myself. We then stayed there drinking our tea talking about what we have done since our last year at Hogwarts, which wasn't much. Draco asked how Harry and the Weasleys were doing which definitely showed that he has changed. All in all it wasn't what I expected. Draco was someone I could actually have an intellectual conversation with unlike Harry and Ron. I surprisingly didn't completely hate it and I know it helped Draco keep his mind off of his mother. After we wrapped up our conversation, I told him to go home and rest and I'll make sure his mother is alright for now and knows where he is if she wakes up soon. So we then say our farewells and he disapperates home while I go downstairs to prepare for my upcoming appointments.