"Just remember that sometimes, the way you think about a person isn't the way they actually are." - John Green
Hermione's POV
When I arrived at my flat, I realized how hungry I was and decided to go out. I put my books on the shelf and get ready to apparate to the Leaky Cauldron. I grab my jacket because it's mid-autumn and I get my bag with my money. Because I've had enough of apparition today I decide to use the Floo network that goes straight to the Cauldron's fireplace. I grab the Floo powder in one hand and say clearly, "The Leaky Cauldron."
I feel the familiar, semi-unpleasant feeling of Flooing and I find my self staring at the crowded pub. I get in line at the bar planning to order a butter beer with steak and kidney pie. I look ahead of me to see how long the line is and sigh. Everyone must go here on Mondays I guess. Suddenly I hear my name come from someone behind me. I immediately recognize the voice to be Draco Malfoy's.
"Hello Malfoy, are you feeling any better?" I say.
"I'm feeling quite better thanks to some rest. Thank you for this morning, I was very emotional and you helped me get my mind off things." He said smiling.
It wasn't his usual smirk but a genuine smile and I realize that this is maybe the first time I've seen a full, meaningful smile from him. And I have to admit, a smile looks good on him.
"You're welcome, it was the least I could do. Do you want to eat with me? If this bloody line ever shortens." I angrily mutter the last part.
"That would be way better than eating alone as I was planning on doing tonight." He tells me.
"Ok, what do you plan on getting?" I say.
"I plan on ordering the steak and kidney pie. It's my favorite dish they have here." He said surprising me because that too was my favorite dish they served at the Leaky Cauldron.
"That's my favorite dish also..." And that's how we started to converse for the 30 minutes we were in line without even realizing how much time was passing. We spoke with each other about mostly everything. I told him I always wanted to live in a big apartment looking over a city instead of my lousy flat and that I always prefer to do things the muggle way. I learned that he always wanted to live in a big city and have a pet cat, which was something I never would've guessed. I also found out he is actually quite fascinated by muggles.
"Ahem. What will it be?" The 'bartender' said.
"Could we have two Butterbeers with two steak and kidney pies." Draco said taking the initiative to speak up first.
"That'll be 27 galleons."
"Here you go." Draco stated handing over the right amount of galleons.
"You don't have to do that. Please let me pay." I pleaded with him trying to stop him from having to pay for my meal. It was really too nice for us to have been just acquainted for a day since many years ago.
"No no it's fine Hermione, really. You paid for my tea and helped earlier, the least I could do is pay for your meal." He insisted.
"Are you sure?" I state. "It seems like a lot of money for 2 meals." I mutter quietly so the bartender didn't hear.
"I can pay. It's no problem. Just please let me do this. I can never repay you for the years of torment I made you suffer through and the niceness you showed me after all of it." Draco explained, obviously really determined to pay.
"Hurry up the line is waiting!" Some stranger behind us aggressively yelled.
"O-oh ok." I say quite startled by the surprising outburst. I've never been the kind of person to take strangers talking (0r yelling) to me that well. So, I decide to let Draco pay so the line can keep moving.
Draco pays and we find a table and wait for our food and converse about more things.
30 minutes later and we are having a wonderful conversation.
"-we have not enough rights as we should have in this day of age!"
"I know! Witches are still paid less than wizards now a days. When my father had his company, he found it fine to pay witches less and it made me sick. I mean even muggles are trying to get women equal pay."
"Thank you! Someone gets it. I try to talk to Ron and Harry about these things, but they never understand." I say, ecstatic that someone gets some of the struggles I have been trying to convey to people.
Our food finally arrives and we dig in because we've been waiting to eat for what seems like forever.
We've finished eating and I've found that I have thoroughly enjoyed tonight's events even though they were not planned. It's been awhile since I could talk intellectually to someone who cared. I come to the conclusion that I would want to do this again another time, but I would never admit that to anyone.
"I had a wonderful time talking to you Hermione, I would love to do this again."
"I would love to do this again, also." I reply, glad that he feels the same way
"Great! I can owl you when I find out a good time. Unless you have a cellphone because that would be much faster and hassle free." Draco said slightly amused by my surprised expression. I knew he was interested in muggles but I didn't expect him to have a cellphone when not even every muggle has one.
"Um o-of course. Here's my phone, you can add your number to the contacts and I'll text you soon so you know my number also. I never thought you, out of all people, would have a muggle cellphone." I say taken-back by the all and holy pureblood man having a muggle device.
"Well, after the war I realized that blood prejudices were absolutely unnecessary and that just because of my heritage, doesn't make me a better person. It actually makes me a worse person. And a cellphone is so much easier than an owl though not many wizards have them so I can't communicate with most people." Draco explains, determined to make me realize that he is a changed person and isn't prejudiced anymore.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's pretty hard to forget the past, but I know you've changed for the better." I apologize regretting my silly comment. I never really thought about how the past can hurt him just as much as it hurt me.
"It's fine really, I just want you to know that I've changed and I'm terribly sorry for the past." Draco sincerely apologizes with regret gleaming in his eyes.
"I accept your apology and I'll try my best to forget the past because I would like to get know the real Draco, not the arrogant, cocky one I knew back in school." I tell him, smiling to help him understand that I truly mean it.
"Thank you, you truly are an amazing person. Well I must be going now. I'll make sure to text you once I figure out a plan." He explains to me while I blush at the compliment.
"Ok. I'll text you when I get home so you'll have my number. I really enjoyed today and I hope your mother will recover soon." I state, standing up while he does the same. I shake his hand saying goodbye and use the Floo to arrive to my flat. Once I'm there, I decide to go to bed. I change into my pajamas and slip into bed and text Draco, "Hello, it's Hermione. Hope we can meet up again soon. Goodnight." I then plug my phone up and fall lay my head down on my pillow. I think of earlier today at the Weasley's where Harry and Ron told me about their new case. The fact that they have no suspects at all confuses me. Even though most deatheaters are in prison, that doesn't mean there isn't someone else that would be targeting muggle-borns. I go over the case in my head trying to figure it out and gradually fall asleep.
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Hello, I hope you enjoyed this, sorry for the very long wait. Remember to comment if you find any mistakes so I can fix it (grammatical, spelling, or factual) and I also wrote a 'poem' that had nothing to do with this but after I wrote this chapter, I realized it could go with it. So here it is:
The Haunting of Past Memories
Time
A concept applied to everything
Everyone says time can heal almost anything
But to me,
Time is a prison sentence lasting an eternity
Consisting of overthinking, wallowing, and wondering the impossible
No one can fully heal with just time as their aide
You can never look back and feel nothing
Though your wounds became less painful over time, they are still there
Like a real injury, time still leaves a scar that will never go away
Your wounds can still be opened up again with little effort
You may think time has allowed you to heal
But it only infused you with all the pain you felt
So when someone says, "time can heal you"
Realize that nothing is truly healed with just time,
But with love, forgiveness, and acceptance
YOU ARE READING
Past Indifferences
Fanfictie*The journey of Hermione two years after the Battle of Hogwarts took place* Hermione works as a head Healer at St. Mungo's and comes across Draco Malfoy in the waiting room looking quite distraught. She then finds out that his mother has been in the...
