Everything Changes (A Dramione fanfic)

Chapter Six

It wasn't a surprise that on a weekend, nobody was in the library. Draco was staring at a shelf and pulling out random books to look through the contents, when Hermione came back with a stack of books. She placed them on a table between them, letting out a bang. "There. Those are all the books I could think of that would talk about vanishing cabinets. You can put them back yourself." she added with a scowl, and turned to walk away. Hermione thought she heard a thank you, but didn't stop to acknowledge it, after all this was Malfoy, what she thought was a thank you could have easily been a snide comment. She didn't know why she was fooled into thinking he had changed and was polite in Diagon Alley and on the train. Hermione decided to stay in the library, once she was in she found it hard to leave, and she really didn't want to go back to Quidditch tryouts. She wanted to investigate this "Half-Blood Prince" that Harry had been taking orders from in potions. She picked up a copy of Potion Masters before settling down at a nearby table and losing herself in the book. Half an hour later, Hermione had no luck, she was about to pick up another book when she felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned to find Malfoy behind her. "What is it you want now, Malfoy?" she asked. "I- um couldn't find where this one belonged." he mumbled. Probably worried someone is going to hear you talking to a mudblood, She thought. Hermione let out an impatiant sigh before snatching the book out of his hands. "I'll just do it myself." she said, getting up and taking her own book with her, to put on the shelf. She hadn't realized that he had followed her, until she turned down an aisle to put the book away. "What do you want now, Malfoy?" she asked as she pulled out her wand to levitate the book to the top shelf, where it belonged. "Well, the thing is I couldn't really find anything in those books that I needed." he said. "Perhaps you don't know how to read." she replied. "I assure you I can read, Granger." he replied rolling his eyes. She turned to him. "Well I'm sorry, but those were all the books the mud-blood was capable of finding with information on vanishing cabinets. Perhaps the help of a Pure-blood would give you a better result." she snapped. 

...

Draco wanted to apologize, to say that he wasn't the same person she believed him to be. He wanted to tell her he was wrong, and that she was the smartest person he knew, and it had nothing to do with her blood. Even if he said these things, there was no way she would believe them, and what if she did? She would question him, ask why he still acted the way he did. He could never tell her why. He could never tell her his reason for needing her help at this very moment. Draco suddenly felt extremly guilty, more than before, because she didn't know that by helping him, she was helping Voldemort. "Never mind." was all he could say before turning from her and walking away.

...

What? It wasn't the reaction Hermione expected from Malfoy. He almost looked hurt, and sad, as if Hermione's words had any effect on him. She should just find another book and forget about it. McGonagall  had only told her to help him find a book, and  she had given him several. It wasn't Mher fault he didn't find the information he needed. Why did he even want information on Vanishing Cabinets anyway? She was in almost all his classes and they had never been mentioned. She had so many reasons to forget about this incident and move on, which is why she would never understand why she felt bad so suddenly. Why should she feel bad? She had done nothing wrong. She wasn't going to help him, but before she knew it she was looking for him. He was just walking out the library. "Malfoy!" she called, there was no point in being quiet in a library with no readers. Malfoy turned and looked at Hermione with confusion and disbelief. . What was she doing? "Is it important? The vanishing cabinet?"  she asked. Malfoy nodded. "It really is." he replied. She sighed, and turned. "There might be a few more places we can check." she grumbled, and in an instant Malfoy was by her side. She told herself that she was doing this for Harry, for his peace of mind. She could tell him later that he had wandered off the Marauder's Map and into the library. She would tease  Harry and say it was a special secret that only book worms could understand. 

She looked at titles and began pulling out books she thought may be useful, and put them in Malfoy's hands, a small stack began to form, and soon she was placing books in his hands without thinking about it. "What are you doing?" he asked when she began reaching her arms behind the books. "Sometimes people hide books, when they want to come back to them, or if they've already checked out to many." she said, pulling out a book. "By people do you mean you?" Malfoy asked. "Don't push it Malfoy, I'm doing you a favor, and I don't quite understand why, but I am." she snapped.

...

Draco hadn't meant to offend  Hermione, it was his attempt at a friendly joke, but what did he know about humor? If all his jokes growing up had been ones making fun of other people. Still, he didn't think what he had said was that bad. Perhaps if Potter or Weasley had said it, it would have been okay, but Draco needed to remember his place. Hermione would never consider Draco a friend, he made to many mistakes to change that. He also didn't understand why she was helping him either, and he felt guilty at the same time as he did grateful. What Hermione didn't know wouldn't kill her, and the vanishing cabinet was going to happen anyway,this was just speeding along the process. "Thank you." he allowed himself to say. Hermione looked at him surprised, then nodded, looking away and saying nothing at all.

...

It was strange, not that she hadn't heard a "thank you" from Malfoy before, it was just odd, because this one seemed sincere, not just polite. It was very unusual behavior for Malfoy, so it shocked her, but then again what she was doing shocked her as well. "You can look through those, I have a few books I need to look for myself." she said quietly. "Okay, thanks." he replied, moving to sit down at a table. Once Hermione found a stack of her own, she walked out of the the aisle to get to her favorite reading area in the library. It was by a window letting in warm sunshine and plenty of natural light, it was perfect and it was....occupied. Malfoy had found his way to the very table she was heading to. Malfoy lifted his head to look at her, just as she began to turn away and find somewhere else. "You can sit here...if you want." Malfoy said pointing to the seat in front of him, and stopping Hermione in her tracks. "Just don't be to noisy." he added as if it was an afterthought. Hermione hesitated. "Pure-bloods don't bite." he joked. "I know," she said sitting herself down in front of him. "You forget my best friend is pure too." thinking of Ron. "Right." Malfoy said, nodding.

...

Baby steps, Draco thought with a smile, as she read her book in front of him. Maybe one day, after all of this we could be friends. That day, Draco felt a little less disgusted with himself.

Okay! There's chapter six! Ooooh seven is a special number to us Potterheads...maybe something special will be in the next chapter! I hope all of you are enjoying it, thanks so much for the votes, I really appriciate them. Leave a comment and let me know what you think...thanks!! -jazzyjstar*