Draco and Hermione share an intimate moment, which throws all of Hermione’s preconceived notions about Draco Malfoy into chaos. Can she truly trust Draco not to hurt her again?

So Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters or the music referenced in this chapter, as they belong to their creators respectively. There’s a bit more Dramione in this chapter...so I hope you enjoy and I do it justice.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Coming to her senses, Hermione pushed Draco away from her angrily. No matter how attracted she might be to the ferret, she wasn’t going to allow him to take control of this situation. He was too used to having things (and witches) the way he wanted them to be.

Draco looked confused for a moment before he blushed a bit in understanding. He hadn’t meant to come across like a git, but he had been so afraid that Granger was going to leave and that was the last thing he wanted right now. He truly cared for her, and wanted to be with her—but the way in which she was looking at him right now, Draco knew he was going to have a hard time convincing Hermione of his sincerity.

“I should apologize, Granger. My mother did raise me to be a proper gentleman, despite my momentary lapse just now.”

“I just want to be clear about one thing, Malfoy...I don’t belong to you! I belong only to myself! I don’t trust you—you’ve been a proper git to me for three years, and despite what you might think? Just because I’m attracted to you doesn’t mean I’m going to forget how you treated me!”

Draco nodded solemnly. “I know that, and I’m sorry, Hermione. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say it enough.”

Hermione sighed and nodded once. “I do believe you’re sorry to an extent, and I do appreciate the fact that you’ve tried to make amends this year, but that doesn’t mean you can take liberties with me any time you wish to. I’m not one of your slags, Malfoy!”

“I know, and I’m so very sorry. I panicked, okay? I didn’t want you to leave angry, and I know I didn’t handle it properly—you have my word that I won’t try anything like that again, without your express permission.”

“Fine, but if you do? I will hex you good and proper, are we clear?”

“Crystal, Granger.” Draco smiled in what he’d hoped was a apologetic manner before holding his hand out in an unspoken invitation. “Can we just talk?”

Hermione looked at his outstretched hand dubiously, before placing her hand in Draco’s and allowing him to lead her over to the couch that had been moved by the fireplace. Once they were seated, Draco released her hand and faced her head on.

“I know something is going on with you, and I want to let you know that you can trust me, Granger.”

“Why should I trust you, Malfoy? Give me one good reason?”

Draco sighed as he stared into Hermione’s amber eyes that were filled with so many conflicting emotions, and he knew that he would have to be the one to make the first move towards open honesty if he had any chance of winning his witch’s heart.

“I know I’ve made many mistakes where you’re concerned. I was a hateful, bigoted prat who only saw your blood status and not the amazing witch you truly are. I can’t go back and change the past, but you have my word that I won’t be that person again. I’ve come to truly care for you and I would like to know if there’s a chance you could come to care for me as well?”

Hermione gaped at Draco in shocked disbelief.

He was being completely serious right now, and she could sense no deceit in him.

The larger question was why now?

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer that, Malfoy.”

“You’ve admitted you’re attracted to me. Do you think you might be able to forgive me?”

“Do you have any idea what you’re asking of me?”

Draco rubbed his hands down his face before he nodded. “The impossible? I’m a Malfoy, so we pretty much thrive on the impossible, Granger.”

Hermione couldn’t help but giggle at how droll Draco sounded, like he was both parts serious and sarcastic—he smiled at her laugh and held out his hand again, which she took without hesitation. Silently stroking her knuckles, Draco couldn’t help but wonder if he could get Hermione to be honest with him.

“Can I ask a question?”

“You can, but I may choose not to answer.”

“Fair enough.” Draco smirked. “How is it you know Parseltongue? I heard you speaking with that snake a few times...”

Hermione gave Draco a disbelieving look, but to his credit his countenance didn’t change—his face was completely open and curious.

“Don’t tell me you don’t have some sort of guess?”

Draco shrugged. “Perhaps, but I’d rather not assume anything and I’d prefer it if you told me directly. No more secrets, no more lies.”

“You really are an arrogant prat! You honestly think I’m just going to share all my secrets with you?”

This caused Draco to laugh out genuinely, as his grey eyes sparkled with humor and mischief and Hermione’s breath hitched at how handsome he looked in that moment.

“Are you kidding me? I’m not an imbecile, Granger—you’ll tell me only what you think I need to know, nothing more...nothing less. With that being said, I would still hope that at some point in our future, you might trust me a bit more, with time and me proving myself to you.”

“Why do I feel like this is some kind of test?”

Draco chuckled. “Isn’t everything, love? We are Slytherin’s, so that’s pretty much standard operating procedure. I think you need someone to talk to and I want to be that someone you confide in. I want you to know you can trust me and I will never break that trust. I’d take an unbreakable vow, if I could.”

Hermione’s mouth opened in a shocked ‘oh’ as she stared mutely at Draco and he just smiled indulgently at her look of confusion.

“Yes, ‘oh’ is probably an apt response.”

“Don’t get cheeky with me, ferret.”

“Wouldn’t think of it, you vicious swot. You’d hex me good and proper, right?”

“I would.” Hermione grinned, and Draco’s smirked deepened as the two considered each other for a bit before Hermione spoke again. “I promised myself I’d never show weakness, especially to you. If I do as you ask, it leaves me vulnerable, which I’m not exactly thrilled with.”

“Understood, but you have trusted me, Granger? The snake, your ring that you keep disillusioned—if you didn’t want to trust me at least subconsciously, you wouldn’t have shown me that much. I have no doubt you could’ve obliviated me that afternoon, when I saw you with the snake, but you didn’t.”

Hermione sat back and considered Draco’s words, realizing on some level he was correct. She had placed a measure of trust in him...maybe it was some kind of test?

But whatever her motives, he hadn’t betrayed that trust and other than Lucius Malfoy and Professor Snape, it was unlikely that anyone else suspected she was the Dark Lord’s Daughter.

“If I trust you and you betray me, Draco Malfoy? Believe me when I say, that you’ll wish for death before I’m done with you!”

Draco smirked and bowed his head in supplication. “Fair enough. I’ve been properly warned and you have my solemn vow that whatever trust you place in me will protected always. I do care for you, Granger—in fact, I think I’m falling in love with you.”

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