Chapter Text
If you were to ask Hermione Granger how she became friends with her school time arch-rival the answer would be simple: The Draco Malfoy Apology Tour. At least, that’s what Hermione referred to it as when talking to Ginny. It started when he began working in the Ministry just after the war. Hermione had been late to join Harry and Ron in the workforce, deciding that finishing her education at Hogwarts should take precedent. She had been one of the only eighth-year students to return, the number being so small she spent the entirety of the year with Ginny and Neville. She found out through letters from Harry that Malfoy had also decided to become an Auror. Hermione was just as surprised as everyone else when she learned that Harry and Draco had been partnered up by Robards in the Auror department. It was a discovery that, at the time, she did not know would mean that she would be spending a significant amount of her time in the presence of her former bully, as Malfoy seemed to get along quite well with Harry - which was the biggest shocker of it all.
One weekend, Ginny had returned from meeting Harry at Hogsmeade with a solemn expression on her face. When Hermione had asked Ginny what had happened, Ginny simply shrugged her shoulders and let out a long sigh before telling her that Malfoy had apologized to her for his part in the war. “It was hard to believe, but Harry told me that he’s really trying to change.”
Throughout the next two years, Hermione had seemed to check off countless names of people who had been approached and apologized to by Draco. However, throughout that time, none of those names was hers. It wasn’t until Ginny and Harry had both managed to drag her out of her flat for Friday night drinks, did the opportunity present itself.
“Ron is over the whole break up, ‘Mione, he’s with Susan now anyways,” Ginny assured her, sitting on Hermione’s living room floor, with Harry by her side. Hermione had just moved out of her parent’s house, the discovery that her parents would not be recovering from being Obliviated made the house feel suffocating and empty. She snagged the first decent flat she could find, which left her with no time for purchasing furniture.
Hermione rolled her eyes, going back to her makeshift towers of books. “Ron is hardly the reason that I don’t want to come out.” The couple had been broken up just before her graduation at Hogwarts and it had caused their friendship to become a bit rocky, to say the least. She waved her arm around the flat, which had boxes piled higher than their heads. “I obviously have too much to get through here.”
“You told me that you were going to have furniture delivered here tomorrow. And judging by the lack of food in your house you’ll be ordering takeaway regardless.” Harry pointed out as he helped himself to the bag of trail mix sitting on her counter. Hermione scowled as she watched him pick out all of the chocolate, leaving her the nuts and raisins. She marched over to him, taking the bag from his hand and shoving it into a cabinet.
“Just because Ron isn’t the reason I don’t want to come, doesn’t mean I enjoy the company of your other friends.”
“Come on Hermione, Malfoy isn’t that bad. You’ve got to give him a chance to show you he’s changed.” Harry lightly scolded, finishing off his handful of ‘trail mix.’
“Besides, if you don’t come with us I’ll be forced to send out that picture I have of you at last year’s Christmas party.” Ginny cut in with a teasing smirk. Hermione opened her mouth to argue, an indignant rebuttal at the tip of her tongue, but the look on Ginny’s face told her that she was quite serious about blackmailing her. With another roll of her eyes, she stomped to her bedroom to return with a jacket in hand.
Hermione shoved her hands in the pockets as she made her way into the Leaky Cauldron. Her eyes scanned the crowded vicinity until she caught sight of the group that she, Ginny, and Harry were meeting up with. She made her way over to the booth before easing herself in, raising an eyebrow at Ginny who already had a butterbeer waiting for her. One by one Hermione greeted Ron, Susan, Neville, Hannah, and Luna. A sigh of relief fell from her lips as she realized that Malfoy was nowhere to be found. It was something she did too soon, as Malfoy sauntered over to the table while Hermione was laughing at something Hannah had said as she sipped on her second Butterbeer. . She noticed his cheeks held a pink tinge from the cold air outside, and it added a human touch to the Malfoy heir Hermione was not used to. It left her with a pit in her stomach...
“Sorry, I’m late, got stuck on paperwork,” Draco explained, looking over at Harry as if there was a secret joke between the two. Harry laughed and Hermione felt the urge to vomit all over the table. Harry and Draco walked over to the bar giving Hermione the opportunity to adjust to the new guest. She hated herself for needing the time, hated herself for feeling so small in the presence of him, but more importantly, she hated her friends for forcing her to spend any of her time with him. She didn’t care if he had changed, didn’t care that he had apologized to her friends. If he didn’t deem her worthy enough of an apology, why should he be worthy of her civility?
The nudge of her foot was enough to cause her to look up. When her eyes met those of Harry’s she realized that he had been trying, unsuccessfully, to speak with her. “Sorry, what?”
“I was asking how the werewolf legislation was coming along?” Hermione smiled, some of the tension easing out of her shoulders. She took a drink of the fresh butterbeer that someone had placed in front of her and began telling him about the recent developments in her work. As she spoke she couldn’t help but feel a pang in her chest as she realized that the interest in Harry’s eyes began to slip away, it wasn’t a secret that Harry didn’t care too much for the paperwork and mundane activities that her job entailed, but it hurt that he couldn’t give her ten minutes to listen as she spoke of things that she cared for deeply. Hermione always showed Harry that she cared for his interests, being out tonight was proof enough of that.
“Wow, Granger, that seems pretty impressive.” The praise came from the voice across from her, and her brown eyes locking with the gray ones of Draco. She hadn’t realized that he had been listening, hardly anyone else was. The gaze that he held was intense, and Hermione found herself struggling to keep it. Heat began to creep on her cheeks and Hermione cleared her throat before responding.
“Thank you, there’s still a lot of work to be done before presenting it, but it’s a start.”
“You’re a smart witch, Granger, if anyone knows what it takes to see this through, it’s you.” Hermione was speechless, never did she think that she would be sitting in a pub talking about her work on werewolf rights with Draco Malfoy of all people. She sent him a small, close-lipped smile before the sound of something Ginny said pulled her attention away.
As the night came to a close, Hermione gave her friends a hug goodbye before heading out of the Leaky Cauldron. She lived close enough that she didn’t need to Floo home, and the weather was nice enough that she thought she ought to walk home. “Granger, can I talk to you for a moment?” The sound of Malfoy’s voice stopped Hermione in her tracks. She turned to face him, stuffing her hands inside of her pockets.
“What do you need?” The uneasy feeling in the pit of Hermione’s stomach returned. She could understand Malfoy speaking to her in the booth, saving face for Harry, but talking to her while she was alone? She didn’t understand.
“I wanted to-to apologize for the way that I treated you in school.” Draco rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “I was- the way that I treated you,” His voice died in his throat as he stared down at Hermione’s shoes.
Silence fell over them for a long moment before a bitter laugh tumbled from her lips. Malfoy’s eyes met hers and it didn’t escape him that her eyes were filled with tears. “That’s it? That’s your apology? You’re going to need to be a bit more specific, what exactly Malfoy are you sorry for?” Hermione shook her head, brushing an eye with her sleeve. “You took every chance you could when we were in school to make my life miserable and you can’t even give me the decency of an actual apology? You’ve been friends with Harry for three years and in that time you’ve apologized to Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Katie, even Hannah, and Susan got better apologies than this.” Another mirthless laugh burst from her lips as she held back her tears. She would not cry in front of him. “If this is the apology that you believe I’m worthy of, keep it.” She turned on her heel and made way to leave, but his hand on her arm stopped her.
“Wait, no, this isn’t-” He let out a heavy breath and closed his eyes. “That isn’t the apology I wanted to give you. I know it isn’t the apology you deserve - It’s just,” His hands rubbed his face as he let out a deep breath. Hermione had seen Draco many times, but she could never remember seeing him anything other than composed.
Draco seemed anything but composed at the moment.
“I’ve tried to come to you and apologize after I spoke to Harry. I knew that the next person who deserved an apology just as much, hell maybe even more than that, was you. But when I tried to think of what to say about all the things that I’ve done, all of the ways that I hurt you... The longer I put it off, and the more people I apologized to, it just seemed harder and harder to apologize to you.” He shook his head and straightened his posture.
“Hermione Granger, I am sorry for making your life miserable. I’m sorry for all of the times that I made fun of your hair, your teeth, your blood status. You’ve always been a better person than me and no matter how many times I tried to bring you down, you’ve never let my words or actions get to you. I know that my apology isn’t enough and nothing that I say or do can take away the pain my actions or my family’s actions have caused, but I hope one day you can forgive me.”
Hermione stared at Draco for a long while before deciding to give him a small smile. “As far as apologies go, I’ll admit I’ve heard better, but you can bring me lunch tomorrow and try again.”
The answer to how Hermione Granger became friends with Draco came easily to her. The answer to how she fell in love with him is a little more convoluted.