Strange magic. (Dramione)

Chapter three-Corridor conversations

Chapter Three

'Granger?!'

'Malfoy!?'

'What the hell are you doing here?'

Draco demanded, straightening his robes that had been knocked askew by the fall.

'Well I could ask you the same bloody question!'

Hermione snapped, rubbing her shins; they were sore from when Draco had fallen over them. She was in no mood to be messed around with tonight. Especially not from the man who had not only taunted and teased her for the past seven years, but had also just interrupted her sleep by stomping on her shins and then had the audacity to yell at her!

'Alright, Granger, no need to bite my head off!'

'Well not that it's any of your business, but I was going for a nice, relaxing stroll around the castle. Alone. At night.' she answered unconvincingly.

'Oh, really? I'm surprised that Weasley wasn't trailing after you like a lost puppy.'

'Don't talk to me about that cretin!'

Hermione replied bitterly.

'Trouble in paradise?'

Hermione could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

'Why should you care, Malfoy?'

'Well, Granger, I am very interested to find out why a lovers tiff between you and Weasel-bee ends up with you asleep on the floor at this ungodly hour.'

He was still smiling, but the odd thing was it wasn't bothering Hermione nearly as much as it should have.

She sighed heavily and placed her head gently in her dainty hands.

'Fine, just... don't tell anyone?'

She found herself telling Malfoy everything; from her punching Ron to Nick's kind words and ending with her collapsing of exhaustion right in the place she still sat.

Draco let out a long breath and there was a moment of silence before he finally said,

'You actually punched Weasley?'

'That's what you took from that?!'

She practically yelled, despite the fact she was trying not to smile.

Why was she trying not to smile?

'Well, I've wanted to punch Weasley for years, and you beat me to it!'

Hermione found herself stifling giggles again.

'I'm just saying, Granger, you have quite the left hook: I should know!'

Hermione lost it. She was full on belly laughing on the floor, and she had to cover her mouth with both hands just so she didn't wake the whole castle.

Her outburst earned a small 'Hey!' from Draco, but he didn't sound too offended.

It was strange, she had never seen this side of Draco before. It was nice, before she recalled the happenings of last year. She composed herself, remembering who she was in the presence of.

'Anyway, come on.' Malfoy said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the two.

'Come where?' Hermione asked.

'Slytherin dorms.'

'Why?'

'Well I don't know about you, Granger, but i don't think that the gap between two statues is a particularly fabulous makeshift bed- no offense- and there are bound to be plenty going spare in the Slytherin

dorms. Hence, you actually getting some sleep before lessons actually start.

'Why would you care about a mudblood like me?' Hermione whispered.

She heard a shuffling sound and assumed that Draco had got down onto her level.

'Now you listen to me, Granger. I know what I did was wrong. I know that I will probably never be forgiven for it and I know that it will haunt me for the rest of my life. I wish I could take it all back, I truly do. I wish that I didn't do any of those stupid things I did last year, or my whole life. I can't actually take them back, but what I can do is change myself for the future. I can stop thinking the way I was taught to, stop behaving in the way that has been drilled into me ever since I was born. And you should know that all of those times I called you...that... It was my father's prejudice acting out. And I am sorry.'

Hermione had sat practically mesmerized throughout the whole of Draco's "speech" and it was all she could do to say,

'Lead the way.'