I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM THAT SERIES BECAUSE THEY ALL BELONG TO JOANNE KATHLEEN (J.K.) ROWLING!

Chapter Five

Draco and Hermione walked out of the shop at the same time. It was their lunch break and she told them that the two workers had an hour for lunch. Hermione was planning to go to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with Hagrid. It was something that they would do every Friday. Ron and Harry would also try to do the same thing, but this time Hermione guessed that Ron wouldn’t come because he was at the Ministry. Harry was away so he couldn’t come anyway.

As Hermione was putting on her black coat to keep her warm, she looked at Draco and asked him to make conversation in the silence that she has had all day, “so where are you going?”

“Home. No place will serve me with all of the media attention.” Draco said, surprised that Hermione would talk to her.

“Oh…well…I honestly don’t know what to say to that.” Hermione admitted, “I just don’t think that it’s fair that you are being discriminated against because of your father.”

Draco looked at her and asked, “you don’t think I’m like my father.”

“No.” Hermione answered.

Draco twisted his face with a mixture of surprise, shock, and suspicion.

“Why? How? I was a Death Eater too.” Draco said.

“Draco it’s not what you were, its how you act. Snape was a Death Eater too. So was Regulus.” Hermione said.

Draco nodded.

“I’m going to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with Hagrid. Do you…do you want to come?” Hermione asked.

She wondered what in the world she was doing. As Draco thought about her offer, she remembered the Draco that she had hated ever since she met him. This was the same Draco that called her Mudblood and kept her captive in his house basement. This was the Draco that made her feel self loathing of herself and it was him that made her feel worthless as a person and who made her hate herself for being smart.

Although this was the Draco who grew up in a family where this was normal. It was his parents being as they were that if Draco thought differently, he would’ve been disowned. He was constantly around murders and people who were into Dark Magic.

She couldn’t possibly blame him for that. She wondered what Draco would’ve been like if he had parents who were the same, but acted differently. Draco wouldn’t be rude and he wouldn’t have ever hurt her, or at least not as much.

Though this was a milestone that she was going to have to overcome, Hermione realized that she was going to be working with Draco. She couldn’t ignore them forever and by looking into his eyes, she could see that Draco was in pain to talk to someone, to be talked to.

So, is that why I am talking to him? Hermione thought. Do I pity him?

And then the thought hit her hard and she did her best to hide her reaction from him as he looked at her and thought of her offer.

It was empathy.

The word bounced I her mind that she had to focus on her new co-worker as he then told her, “Why would you want me to come with you? Why me out of all people?”

“I…I just thought that you could use the company.” Hermione answered, saying the first thing that came into her head.

Draco stared at her.

“I would because my mum and I have just about nothing at home, but I don’t think that I will get any service.” Draco said.

“Why on earth not?” Hermione asked surprised.

Draco looked back inside the shop that they were standing in front of before he looked back at her and said, “Madame Glirsh is the only one not offended by me.”

“That’s….I can’t believe that!” Hermione whispered, “just because your father is on trial, or at least has been convicted?”

Draco nodded.

“That’s insane!” Hermione said.

“My mum is trying to get work, but no one will hire her. I’m lucky that I got a job here. No one will even let us into some stores and if they do, all we hear are people talking about us behind our back.” Draco answered.

“That’s awful!” Hermione said, “I know that…it’s just…what your father did wasn’t right, but once you’re in, you can’t get out so you and your mother were also forced in. It’s your father not you.”

“I don’t need you to defend me, Granger.” Draco told her.

“Come on. It sounds like you could use some time out of the house.” Hermione said.

“Granger, I really don’t think it is a good idea…”

“Malfoy, come on. If it doesn’t work out then we’ll get Hagrid to say something.”

“Hagrid! Granger you are mental if you think that Hagrid is going to stand up for me, let alone want my company.”

Hermione stared at him.

“Okay. If you aren’t going to come then I guess I’ll see you in about…,” Hermione started looking at her silver watch that her mother gave her for Christmas, “fifty-five minutes.”

Draco nodded as he then stepped back and Hermione saw him disapperate out of her sight. Hermione sighed and began walking to the Leaky Cauldron. As she made her way there, all she could think about was Draco.

Was she empathetic to him?

As of now, Draco was an outsider and people hated him because of he was raised. Multiple times Hermione had felt the same thing in her life and most of it was at Hogwarts. Though she liked to believe that it was only some of the Slytherins that would do this, but she knew that there were some others who felt the same thing as the Black family did. Of course those people were never to say it to her in the face, but she could tell by the way that they would sometimes look at her and what they would hiss about behind her back. There were Gryffindors and Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Everyone can discriminate.

Draco was only starting to feel it now.

Hermione knew exactly how that felt. She knew what it was like to be hated because of who she was, her blood status, her family. Draco’s being hated because he is a Slytherin, he had to become a Death Eater, and he is a pureblood. Hermione was hated before because she was muggle-born who was smarter than Ravenclaws, and she had muggle parents. She was a freak in some people’s eyes.

But it was now Draco.

She knew what it felt like to be hated for being yourself.

Was that why she pitied him so much?

*

Hermione smiled as she saw Hagrid already sitting at a table. He looked up from the paper that he was reading as he waited for her and he smiled. He was at a table that had four seats so that Ron would have a place to sit if he came. The pub was almost empty except for two pairs of couples who were at the bar drinking. Hermione didn’t know them so she ignored them and sat at the wooden table in front of Hagrid.

“Good day, Hermione.” Hagrid told her.

“Hello, Hagrid. How has your day been?” Hermione asked.

“Good. I ‘aw Ron at ‘ee rallee.” Hagrid said.

Hermione looked surprised.

“You were at the rally?” she asked.

Hagrid nodded and a waitress came up to them and then gave him a menu. Hermione and Hagrid thanked them and the skinny, blonde waitress then asked them what they would like to drink. While Hermione asked for some water, Hagrid ordered a Firewhiskey.

“Ron said that he ’ouldn’t ee able to come.” Hagrid told her.

“Oh…okay.” Hermione said a little disappointed.

Hagrid noticed.

“ ’ermione, you know how im’orant this is to him. He ’ost his brother.” Hagrid told her.

“Of course I know that, Hagrid.” Hermione said.

“Then why do yer sound dis’oppointed?” Hagrid asked surprised.

Hermione looked at him.

“Hagrid that is none of your business. I don’t need to tell everyone what I think, I just wish that he would stop living in the past. It can’t be changed and the Minister can’t change his mind so I don’t see why people are doing this.” Hermione said, surprised as she opened her mouth to the words that she had just said.

Hagrid’s eyes darkened.

“Why are yer on yee Malfoy side?” Hagrid asked shocked.

“I’m not, but I’m saying that things can’t be changed. It would be a crime for the Minister to change his mind based on the public opinion. It wouldn’t be justice.” Hermione said, wanting to let all of her anger out now that the sprinkler was already turned on.

Hagrid shook his head and Hermione sighed. She looked at Hagrid and saw the shock in his eyes.

“Tell Ron that if he wants to spend time with me then he can see me tonight. If I don’t see him then I guess he just doesn’t care.” Hermione said pulling her chair out, angry.

“That’s not ’air, ’ermione!” Hagrid growled.

“It is since I’ve barely seen him all summer. This is something that people can not change because it has already been done! The Minister can’t and won’t change his mind.” Hermione said getting up, “Good day, Hagrid.”

With that she stomped out of the shop and apparated to her apartment. She didn’t care if a muggle saw her. She was much too angry to care.

Though, she didn’t know what she was angry at.

Was she angry at Ron for never spending time with her anymore? Was she that selfish?

Or was it Draco? Had she out of nowhere started to care for him because of her empathetic connection? Was that why she was sorry for Draco and why she was standing up for him?

And then she suddenly remembered the sadness in his eyes and figured out what the reason really was.