Slow Grenade

Chapter Fifteen

There was a faint light beginning to creep into the room when Hermione stirred, noticing someone sat in a chair at the side of her bed. Through heavy eyelids she murmured, "...Hello?"

A head shot up. "Thank Godric, you're awake."

"Draco?"

"It's me", he said, reaching for her hand.

"You shouldn't be here, what if someone sees you?"

"Honestly at this point I really couldn't care less."

Hermione gazed at him. "I thought we hated each other?"

"These are not the first words you're supposed to say upon awakening from your lengthy, glorified nap!"

"What am I meant to say?"

Dramatically, Draco pretended to swoon. "Woe is me, where on earth am I? Please someone, I beg of you, tell me how long I have been under!"

She laughed weakly. "Merlin, give me a Basilisk any day."

"Don't say that," he replied, suddenly serious.

"Sorry," Hermione whispered. "So how long has it been?"

"A long time, weeks. Too many weeks."

She sat up suddenly, attempting to ignore the room spinning around her. "WEEKS? I'm going to be so far behind on my work. And EXAMS? Draco, when are the exams?!"

Laughing Draco said smugly, "Okay, better. That's more what I was expecting from this exchange."

Hermione scowled at him and lay gingerly back down. They were silent for a few moments.

"I can't stay much longer," he said, noticing that Hermione was already beginning to tire. "Potter and Weasley will be here soon and they'll want to tell you all about their ridiculous escapades, I'm sure."

She nodded. "Will you come back? I - I'd like to talk properly."

"Of course, I'll be here as soon as I can."

Draco watched as her eyelids fluttered shut. His heart clenched.

Hermione was exhausted but happy. She had spent hours with Harry and Ron in the hospital wing whilst they filled her in on everything that had occurred over the weeks she was petrified. Hermione was so relieved that everyone was okay and that the boys had found her torn out library book page. She couldn't believe Harry and Ginny had each communicated with You-Know-Who through a diary.

Later that evening Draco had been able to sneak back in to see her again.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Not bad, tired though."

"Have Potter and Weasley been catching you up on their death-defying stunts?"

"Yep, all up to date now," Hermione nodded.

Draco paused, looking at her carefully. "Are you sure you're alright? You look like your brain is running two conversations at once right now."

Biting her lip she said, "Draco... did you know anything about a diary?"

"A diary? What do you mean?"

Hermione reflected on her last conversation with Harry. He had told her that it was Lucius Malfoy who gave Ginny the possessed diary which had, ultimately, led to the Chamber of Secrets being opened. Since then, Hermione had been worrying that Draco had known what was going on all along.

She told Draco everything she had heard. He stared at her incredulously.

"My father did what?"

Hermione tilted her head slightly and considered the boy in front of her. "It's true, he hoped to 'cleanse' the school."

Draco struggled with how quickly he believed her accusations, he was a terrible son. Why couldn't he muster up even the slightest indignation? He put his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said quietly. "I know you told me, but... I don't think I quite realised the sort of man your father was, until now."

"Does it make me a bad person that I don't hate him?" he asked. "I've grown up wanting to be exactly like him, all I ever wanted was for him to be proud of me. But, to do that, is this the sort of thing he'd have me do?"

Hermione's heart ached for him and she wished there were something she could say or do that would take his pain away.

Reaching out for him she said, "No, Draco, of course it doesn't – he's your father. I think that the type of person you are depends on how you act and how you treat other people. It's your choice whether you want to be like him or not, as is whether you want him to be proud of you, or to be proud of yourself."

Draco didn't know what to say so he just squeezed his friend's hand. The more time he spent away from home, the more he came to acknowledge the naïve bubble he had grown up in. And whilst he no longer saw the world in black and white terms, there was something much scarier about this new grey.

Eventually, Hermione interrupted the silence, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know, I'm not used to questioning myself so much," he replied honestly, and then chuckled. "I'm used to being right all the time and constantly curse the day I met you, so keen you are to rid me of my title."

She grinned. "It's a sad truth everyone must eventually face, I'm afraid."

Draco pulled a lock of her hair playfully. "Your modesty is something I like most about you, you know."

"Oh, hush."

It was the final day of term and Hermione had been released from the infirmary a few days prior. The entire school were in high spirits due exams having been cancelled.

Both Draco and Hermione were so pleased to have gone back to how they used to be around each other that neither wanted to bring up the 'Quidditch Incident'. However, summoning her Gryffindor courage, Hermione broached the topic at their last meeting before the summer holidays.

"I'm sorry, you know, about saying you bought your way onto the Slytherin team."

"I know you are," Draco replied. "You knew how much effort I put into training and you chose to say the one thing that would hurt me most in that moment. I snapped and did the same thing to you. I wish I hadn't."

She nodded. "Please don't say it again?"

"Never."

Sighing, Hermione said, "Sometimes I feel like all we do is fight. What's it going to be next time?"

"Something ridiculous, I'm sure," Draco confirmed. "I imagine you'll fling yourself into whatever dangerous situation befalls Hogwarts next year. It really is quite distressing, you realise, being your friend."

"Well you're argumentative, challenging to be around, and always have to have the last word!"

"Sorry, are you describing yourself?"

Hermione snorted. "No, then I'd be saying I'm hard-working and logical."

"Ah yes, my two finest traits. Don't forget intelligent!"

"You're incorrigible, Malfoy."

"Hence why we are destined to remain friends," he smirked.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione changed the subject and they stayed talking for a while longer. Eventually it was time for them both to finish packing and head for the Hogwarts Express.

This year, Hermione gave Draco a kiss on the cheek as well as his usual hug. He thought it might just be enough to get him through the summer without her.