Trust Me (Drarry)

Chapter 35

DRACO POV

All too soon our exams were nearly upon us. The teachers had talked about them constantly all year, but it had still felt like something of a dream; like they weren't really going to happen. But May came faster than we could have imagined, and we discovered very quickly that the worst part about the exam period was not being able to spend our days relaxing outside in the wonderful summer weather.

We no longer received homework or learnt anything new; lessons were spent revising topics that the professors thought were most likely to come up. They were constantly lecturing us about working hard and revising and all that, and they had also started to get us to think about careers that we might want to have in the future. Our chances of being able to achieve these relied wholly on our OWL results, which was a terrifying thought.

I wasn't even sure what I wanted to be when I left school. My father had always been pretty insistent on me becoming a Ministry employee, just like him. "It's the only way you will be respected and listened to by your inferiors," he always said. It had certainly seemed like an appealing career when I was younger, but now it seemed... Repulsive. Not only would I be following in the footsteps of my foul father, I would be condemning myself to a life where everyone would look up to me simply because they had no choice: I would be feared and respected, yes, but I would also be hated and judged by all those who were below me.

I almost laughed at my train of thought; when had I become such a soft touch? It was something to do with Harry, obviously. Before he became my friend, the phrase "guilty conscience" wasn't even in my vocabulary. I never hesitated to call Hermione (or anyone else for that matter) a Mudblood, but now it never occurred to me to use the insult. I had pretty much stopped insulting people altogether, if I was being perfectly honest. It just didn't seem like a fun pastime anymore, and only earned me disapproving looks from Harry.

At least it HAD. He hadn't spoken to me since that Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Last time we had decided not to be friends, we had still shared smiles in the corridor, and talked quietly about lessons or homework or the weather if we happened to find ourselves alone.

But not anymore. He wouldn't even look at me anymore. He was so hurt by the fact that I was one of Umbridge's... slaves. I hated the job, I hated the woman, but I had to do it. If I didn't, my father would question it and no excuse would be good enough.

"This will improve your chances of getting employed at the Ministry," he had said in the Easter holidays. "God knows your grades aren't going to get you anywhere..."

I had clenched my fists at that, but bit my tongue to stop from retaliating. He wasn't wrong, my grades weren't as bad as they could be, but they certainly weren't GOOD. I knew I had to do something about them if I wanted to choose my own career path.

"Hermione?" I was relieved to find her alone in the library. She jumped and looked up in surprise at her name.
"Draco?"
"Can we talk?"
She looked around nervously. "Harry and Ron are going to be here to revise any minute..."
I nodded, making a mental note to be long gone by then. "This will be quick. I just wondered, how would you feel about doing some revision with me? I can't figure it out by myself and I could really use your brain."
She opened her mouth but then shut it again quickly. "Draco, I can't-"
"I understand that you have to do some yourself, but I can test you and we can help each other-"
"It's not that... It's Harry."
I cast my eyes downwards. "I know. I just hoped... You're a really good friend, Hermione. I don't want to lose you as well."
Her eyes widened in suprise. "What did you just say?"
"I'm not saying it again..." I muttered. I may have softened a bit, but I wasn't a complete pansy.
She sighed. "Fine, but no one can know, ok? Especially not Harry. Take this, I'll tell you when and where to meet using it."