How Do I Comprehend (Dramione)

Chapter Eight- Forwarding Time

It had been two months since I last spoke to Draco. I hadn't been going to meet him and I had been avoiding his as best as could. Ron was leaving for the holidays; going to spend Christmas with his family, as was Ginny, Fred and George. This left me and Harry at Hogwarts. We hugged Ron and wished him a Merry Christmas. As we waved goodbye outside the Hogwarts gate, I realized how much me and Ron had a connection, and how much I would miss him. Harry urged me to get to class, but I decided I was going to skip classes today and 'run a few errands', as I had told Harry. Instead of giving Malfoy a Christmas gift, I was going to finish making the love potion in the abandoned classroom. I said bye to Harry, then made my way back down the halls and into the classroom. It took me almost an hour to decide how I was going to do it: if I was going to steal ingredients from someone, or buy them from Hogsmead, but all I knew was that I would finish making the potion before Christmas eve.

I spent the rest of the day making the potion, and it wasn't until about 3:45 and I was sitting cross legged on the floor next to my cauldron and books, when something happened. I heard the door of the classroom open, and to my surprise, I saw Malfoy standing there. Thinking fast this time, I stood up and inched back slightly, but I stood my ground.
"What do you want?" I spat at him, folding my arms. Malfoy didn't smirk, he didn't laugh, but he just winced at my words.
"I've been coming here everyday." Malfoy stood where he was, unmoved, staring me right in the eyes. "You know, like we agreed?"
My heart sank from guilt. Malfoy had been keeping the promise I made, but I hadn't.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't think we would be doing this anymore." I nodded my head towards the cauldron and the brewing potion.
"But I can see you've made a start already?" Malfoy finally moved, taking a few long strides and sliding onto the floor until he sat with on leg under a bent leg, elbows leaning on his knees.
"I'm not even halfway yet..." I answered, cautiously and slowly sitting down, but opposite him, so we were around five feet apart. "It's harder then I thought."
"If I helped we would get it done a lot quicker." Malfoy suggested. I frowned, confused as to why Malfoy was acting so sweet. I decided to question him.
"What's going on with you? You're being all..." -I gestured at him- "nice!"
Malfoy sighed. "I'm sorry about what happened last time we spoke. I realized how weird I was acting, and I honestly didn't mean for it to be like that."
"Did you just apologize to me?" I asked, shocked.
"Well, yeah, I guess so." Malfoy shrugged. "But... change of subject." I saw a hint of embarrassment on Malfoy's face. Had he ever apologized to anyone in his life? "What were you doing in the library that one time? You know, out after curfew."
"Oh, uh... I was, um..." I mumbled, trying to think of an excuse.
"Returning a book?" Malfoy suggested.
"Ha, yeah, that." I sighed with relief, but I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks. Malfoy's smirk returned, although you could clearly see on his face that he was trying not to laugh. "How are you family?" I changed the subject altogether.
"They're okay, I guess. Father is having problems with me... he says I'm 'acting too different'. He can be freaking weird sometimes. You?" Draco played with his thumbs.
"My parents are okay- but I guess you don't really want to heard about muggles, do you?"
"No, I do want to hear." Malfoy nodded his head and made eye contact with me, causing me to look down.
"Okay, well. My mum and dad are going to Australia for Christmas, so I'm staying here. I assume you're staying as well, seen as you haven't taken the train back?"
"Yeah, I'm staying." Draco nodded, but he looked a bit distressed. "I just want to get away from the parents for a while. You know what I mean?"
I nodded in response and we sat there for a few seconds, in awkward silence.
"So how are things with you and Pansy?" I asked, honestly curious.
Malfoy grimaced and frowned at me. "Um... they're... fine? Why do you ask?"
"It's just... I overheard you telling her about something, in the library that night."
"Oh, that. It was nothing." Malfoy looked out of the window that was behind me.
We spent the most of the day, chatting and not really doing anything about the potion, but it wasn't that awkward once we got into the conversation. I actually learned quite a lot about Draco: he loved baseball just as much as quidditch, he could play the guitar, although he didn't think he was very good at it.
"You'll have to show me show me sometime." I said, smiling.
"Maybe, if you're good." Malfoy smirked and with that, we left each other's pathways.