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Struggling Through New Beginnings	By : HarryGinny4eva Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 31236 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Disclaimer: Spoilers - I do
not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from
the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Author�s Note � Because I didn�t like where it split, I am
giving you two chapters at once. I hope it�s not too long for you.

Chapter 16

Parvati sat in her chair in the rear of the room near the door and drew tiny
hearts on the edge of her parchment. She glanced around the slowly filling
class and wondered where Hermione and Ginny were. She had waved at her sister
when she�d entered the room, but Padma stayed with
her Ravenclaw friends and moved to sit in the front right side of the room.
Since the war, they hadn�t been as close as before it; almost like they had
changed roles. Where Parvati had been known as the �fun� sister, and Padma the �smart� one, the war had taken its toll, and now
most would see them as the �studious� one and �flighty� one, respectively. Padma had come to realize that grades and studies were not
as important as finding love and having a life, and she�d dedicated herself to those
pursuits. Her innate intelligence would help her maintain her grades, but she
would never again give up a date for a night of studying. Her favorite new
phrase was, �Life�s too short and uncertain.�

Several Hufflepuff students filed in and Parvati smiled at Susan Bones and her
boyfriend, Wayne Hopkins, and nodded a greeting at Hannah Abbot. The soft smile
stayed on Parvati�s face as she recalled telling her sister over the summer
that boys could wait. It was time to become more serious and focused, as it was
her last chance to learn what she needed to be able to make her way in the
world. Together they planned to open a day spa in Diagon
Alley that catered to witches and wizards wanting a little pampering and escape
from their everyday lives. But, the war had shown Parvati that life could
change very quickly and she wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.

Glancing down she noted that she�d circled her hearts and added a few tiny
letter T�s to them. Her smile bloomed as she thought she could possibly have
more than she�d planned this year. Who would have thought she would ever have
an interest in a bookish, almost geeky man, like Theodore Nott? But, something
about his eyes made her feel a bit breathless. She had dated enough to
recognize the signs of attraction, so she was sure of where they stood, but for
the first time since she was twelve, she wasn�t quite sure what to do about it.
In previous years she would have flirted shamelessly until the object of her
affection fell at her pretty, little feet and begged her for a date. But, she
knew most Slytherins didn�t beg. She also knew she was no longer a child. As
her mother had told her and her sister from the time they�d turned thirteen, �every
date was a potential mate.� And, now, faced with potentially dating someone she
could actually picture herself being with a long while, she was stymied.

That brought her to the next small problem. He was a Slytherin and even though
she knew he hadn�t fought on the dark side, his father was known to have been a
high ranking Death Eater. Her parents would not take kindly to that, even more
than her father would hate the fact that he was not Indian.

Just as she put a tiny h next to one of the T�s the object of her musings
walked in the room with Draco, Blaise, Greg and Pansy. She briefly noticed the
lingering anger on Blaise�s face, the blank slate that was Draco�s look, the
worry on Greg�s, and the distant look on Pansy�s. But, she was drawn to the
small smile that threatened to erupt into a full fledge grin when she looked
into Theo�s eyes. It didn�t dawn on her to play coy, or look away,
she simply stared back with a matching smile and watched him move toward her.

�Is this seat taken?� he asked softly when he reached her.

She slowly shook her head no and her eyes widened when he very formally asked,
�May I?� with a small bow.

�Of course,� she breathed as she surreptitiously turned her parchment over.

�Have you had a nice morning?� he asked as he sat down next to her.

�Just fine. And, yours?� she asked, her voice a bit
more breathy than normal and she felt her hands tremble slightly when his quiet
voice washed over her. As they continued to talk, she gripped her quill tighter
to keep her hands from shaking, but felt slightly better when she noticed the
tiny bit of sweat on his brow. She never noticed the others sit down behind
them, or their interested looks.

Greg sat behind Draco and the two conversed as Blaise sat angrily a seat away.
Pansy sat one row in front and watched the flirtations of Theo and Parvati. She
wondered if there was ever a chance that she would feel what Parvati felt at
that moment; the newness, the lightness, the freedom of a new relationship.

Of course that thought made her think of both Draco and Ron. Two very different
men with so much in common, but Pansy knew they would balk at the comparisons.
She listened to Draco talk to Greg about the upcoming quidditch season and
thought again about their similarities,
man, they are so much alike.

She heard him before she saw him.

�But, you don�t have to meet with him Harry!�

She didn�t hear Harry�s response, but she heard the tone of his voice and
wondered what Professor Dumbledore might have had to say. Pansy turned just in
time to see Hermione walk in, her head buried in her bag, as she nodded at
something Ginny said to her.

When Hermione laughed softly on her way to a desk, Pansy noted that Draco
stopped talking mid-sentence. She watched in shock as his eyes followed
Hermione all the way to her seat even though he barely turned his head. She
also noticed that Greg saw it as well, as evidenced by the sudden hardening of
his features. What made Pansy smile though, was that Hermione saw none of it
and Pansy suspected, would never believe it if she was told.

All four sat together a few rows over in what had become their normal seats and
continued to talk quietly amongst themselves. She sighed when she saw Harry�s
thumb sliding slowly back and forth over the back of Ginny�s hand, which he
held on top of the desk, even though his attention was fully on whatever Ron
was saying. When Ron turned to face Harry, he noticed her stare and stopped to
give her a short nod and smile before he went back to his conversation. She
blushed madly and quickly lowered her face before anyone noticed.

�Let me give you all notice, right now, that this year�s class will not be
easy, it is your N.E.W.T.S. year after all, but I will do my best to make it
fun.� The class was silenced immediately as their teacher softly shut the door.
Her hair was her favorite shade of pink and she wore gold and grey robes that
should have clashed, but somehow fit. �I know many of you, but for those who
don�t know me, I am Professor Tonks.�

When Harry and Ron snickered, she smiled over at them, and her nose quickly
turned into a pig snout and then back to its normal size. �I am a metamorphmagus and also a proud former Hufflepuff, so I
will have high expectations from those of you from my house!

�Now, let�s see who�s who. I, of course, know Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and
some of the others I, um, worked with last year. And, of course, I know my
cousin, Draco, but I��

She had to stop when several heads whipped around to stare at Draco and several
gasps were heard throughout the class. The fact that someone as cool, powerful,
and obviously on the good side was related to Draco Malfoy floored those who
didn�t already know. Even Pansy�s head turned back and forth between the two.

In an effort to save face, Draco sat up straighter and nodded his slightly
flushed face, �Good to see you, too, Cousin Nymphadora.�

It worked as several people snickered at her given name and she winced and
glared at him, �Prat!�

He smirked and shrugged his shoulders, and she smiled a bit, shook her head and
continued to meet the rest of her class.

xxxxx

They had an hour before supper after class and
rather than go back to their respective common rooms, headed to the new all-house
common room to see what it was like. It seemed most of the students had had the
same idea as the new large room was filled with students from every house and
every year. All the changes they had seen throughout the school made some feel
free and adventurous, and they sought out new people to talk to and games to
play. Some felt less sure about the changes and huddled in the groups they were
used to, but conversed easily and happily in their new surroundings. In many
ways it felt like an all-house party that everyone was welcome to attend. Those
that didn�t want to join in the party atmosphere read books or played cards as
they sat in large comfy chairs and drank juice, soda, or tea from never-empty
cups.

The entrance of the very odd mix of seventh year students, who had just
completed their first transfiguration class, was largely ignored. A year before
the appearance of Gryffindors, Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs chatting
amicably would have been not only strange, but cause for alarm. Most especially when the group included Harry Potter and his
friends, standing with a sneering Draco Malfoy and his. But, this year,
with the war behind them, and faced with so many other changes in their young
lives, it barely registered with most of the people packed into the room. A
fact that, conversely, wasn�t lost on most of the young people in said group.

�Well, that was unexpected,� laughed Ginny.

Luna smiled and added, �Well, there are a lot of people here. Maybe they just
don�t see us. Or, maybe they think this is another one of those new beginnings
the professors keep going on and on about.�

Pansy laughed, �Yeah, look at us, all four houses and no one�s hexing anyone.�

Hermione smiled and turned to say something to Pansy, but her eyes fell on
Draco first and his intense stare made her forget what she had meant to say.

Greg followed her line of vision and stepped in between them. Then he caught
Hermione�s eye and smiled as he said, �Well, maybe we should go towards the
back and see if we can get a seat.�

Her smile came back as she nodded and she turned back towards the room of
people.

Harry and Ron simply looked from one Slytherin to another and wondered why they
were still there. They knew why Pansy was there as Hermione and Ginny had both
explained their budding friendship with the pretty, dark-haired witch. But,
that didn�t explain to them the addition of Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle, or,
strangest of all, Draco Malfoy. Especially when one look at the blonde man let
anyone who looked know he wished to be elsewhere.

Susan Bones and her boyfriend, Wayne pushed past everyone and said their goodbyes
as they headed to a table-for-two in the corner. Luna drifted away from the
door and waved when she spotted some friends from her house playing games in a
far corner of the room. Everyone else stood in the doorway and formed a small
circle in their indecision.

Slowly, so as to not appear too forward, and hoping to not draw the attention
of the others around him, Theo put his hand on the small of Parvati�s back. He
felt her stiffen and almost pulled back, but when he chanced a sideways glance
at her face, he saw her smile and blush. Then he felt her shift a little more
his way, even though her feet never moved. Had anyone else in the group looked,
they would have noticed matching grins on their faces, even though they didn�t
look at each other once.

Hermione stood on her tiptoes and tried to see more of the room, but the crush
of people made it hard for her to see over them. Draco almost smiled as he
glanced across the group at Hermione and watched her try to stretch her five
foot three frame to seek out a place to sit. He stared at the back of her head
and realized her hair wasn�t the muddy brown he�d always assumed it was. In
actuality it was a mix of several shades of brown and there were even strands
of almost red in it. And, when she turned her head a bit he saw a light shine
to it that made him want to reach over and test its texture. When he felt his
hand lift, he was horrified with himself and quickly crossed his arms across
his chest and huffed in annoyance.

The sound of his almost snort made Greg, Pansy, Ron and Parvati, who stood the
closest to him, turn in his direction. Ron looked like he wanted to say
something, but instead just shook his head and turned away. Pansy and Greg both
rolled their eyes at him and turned back to the group.

But, Parvati sighed heavily, �You know, Malfoy, no one asked you to join us.
You are more than welcome to leave.�

Pansy turned and looked at Parvati over her shoulder, �I asked him.�

Greg, still rankled from the way Draco had been staring at Hermione shrugged,
�But, if he doesn�t want to be here, you shouldn�t make him, Pans.�

Harry glanced over at them all and said, �This is just too weird for me. Gin,
come on. Let�s find a place to talk.� Without waiting for her answer, he took
her hand and moved away from the group.

Only Hermione, Pansy, and Draco saw the flare of anger in her eyes, and
thinning of her lips. But, just as quickly as it appeared it was gone and she
allowed Harry to pull her across the room. Hermione shook her head and looked
away with a sigh.

Pansy leaned in and asked softly, �Is she okay?�

Hermione shrugged and said, �I think she�s just under a lot of pressure.� Then
she looked back at Ron, Greg and Theo with a smile, pointedly ignoring Draco�s
presence, �Can any of you tall people see a place to sit?�

Draco almost nodded because at his height he could easily see several places
the seven of them could go, but as he still wasn�t sure why he was there, he
refused to help them by talking. He also was a bit busy having an internal
struggle as to whether or not he felt rebuffed by Hermione�s obvious
displeasure at him being there and, why he cared. And, why he felt like he
could still smell her subtle scent even in such a busy, filled room. In his
confusion, he fell back on what was easy, looking disgruntled and not allowing
anyone to see what was going on in his mind.

Greg stepped closer to Hermione and nodded eagerly, �I see a spot over on the
right. There�s a bunch of empty chairs.�

Hermione smiled up at him, �Lead the way then.� But, when she saw his hand move
as if he was going to take hers, she quickly reached up and pretended to shift
her bag on her shoulder, stalling his move. He didn�t seem to notice as he
continued to smile down at her.

Ron, who had finally realized that Greg was interested in Hermione, huffed a
little in indignation before he took her arm, �Come on then. Let�s grab it
before someone else does.�

Hermione didn�t particularly like being manhandled and pulled her arm from his
hand with a frown, but said nothing and followed him to the side of the room.
Theo and Parvati went behind them, with Pansy, Greg, and finally Draco
following.

When they reached the chairs, everyone flopped down in a chair and continued to
look around the room, uncomfortable with what, if anything, they should say to
each other. Hermione had honestly wanted to see the new room and spend time
with her friends. She�d also wanted to get to know Pansy and Greg a bit better
and had looked forward to some time for them to compare schedules. She hadn�t
expected so many people to join them, nor had she expected Harry and Ginny to
disappear on them.

Ron was disgruntled because he really didn�t know why he and Hermione were
sitting with a bunch of Slytherins. He saw enough of them in class. He couldn�t
think of one thing to say to any of them, and he was uncomfortable with the
looks being shot at Hermione by both Greg and Draco. After class when Pansy had
asked Hermione if she could go see the room with her, he hadn�t realized Pansy
had meant to invite all her cronies. And, he had no idea why she�d wanted to
come if all she was going to do was sit with her boyfriend, blush and say
nothing while staring at the floor.

Pansy couldn�t come up with a single complete sentence. Ron sat across the
small table from her and Draco was on her left. She had nothing to say to Draco
and couldn�t seem to speak to Ron without stuttering. Besides, as far as
everyone was concerned, she and Draco were a couple.
Hermione was on the other side of Draco and Ginny had left with Harry; without
them to bolster her, Pansy�s courage failed. So instead, she stared at the
patch of golden, greenish, brown on the carpet at her feet that reminded her of
Ron�s hazel eyes and sighed quietly in despair of what to do.

Greg opened his mouth several times, but couldn�t think of anything fascinating
enough to say that would bring Hermione�s attention to him and keep it there.
He noticed her soft, brown eyes moving around the room, and his face fell into
a half smile when a tiny grin appeared on her face. Following the line of her
eyes, he saw her staring at the line of books that lined the walls of the room.
He laughed quietly to himself and wondered what she read for fun.

Parvati and Theo sat on a small sofa together, their legs touching lightly, but
neither said a word. It was if they were at a loss as to how to break the
silence with the group, and with each other. Every once in a while their eyes
would meet, a small smile would creep across their faces, and then they would
look away. But, neither made any further move.

Draco, after watching the quiet group for a few minutes had had enough. He
could feel the sexual tension from the couple across from him; even though they
made no move toward each other and for reasons he couldn�t begin to fathom it made
him want to look over at Hermione. But, since he refused to do that, he was
forced to look at Greg�s adoring �puppy face� as he stared at the pretty witch
to Draco�s left, watch Pansy�s pathetic attempts to not look at the Weasel, and
try not to get up and hit the Weasel for simply existing. He was struck again
with the fact that Pansy somehow preferred the red-headed man to him and before
he thought to stop himself turned to her to ask her why.

�Would you please explain to me,� he began. But, when all eyes turned to him,
he realized what he had almost done and changed the sentence to, ��why I am
here again.�

Pansy glanced over at him, her face showing shock that he had broken the
silence only to be so rude and stammered, �Well, because, I, um, well, everyone
was coming and I thought��

Hermione jumped in to protect her new friend, �Pansy thought you could be civil
long enough for everyone else to enjoy themselves for a minute, Malfoy! I see
she was mistaken.�

He bristled and turned to face her with his trademarked sneer, �And, if I�m not
mistaken, Granger, I was speaking to Pansy.�

�Why don�t you just leave?!� Ron growled as he sat
forward in his seat. �You sure as shit don�t want to be here with us and nobody
wants you here!�

Hermione saw Pansy flinch at Ron�s tone and almost groaned in frustration.
Draco simply couldn�t stay because it made her very uncomfortable, as he had
been acting too unpredictably. He was still rude to everyone, but he also
hadn�t called her any names, he�d treated her almost cordially in their recent
interactions. Then he�d sat next to her in class and not even tried to pick on
her. She still wasn�t sure what to make of that and was pretty sure she didn�t
want to examine it. But, she also knew if Draco left, then Pansy would feel she
should, too. And, Hermione honestly didn�t want Pansy to go since they hadn�t
even gotten a chance to talk or go over their schedules. A quick glance at her
watch gave her an idea of how to fix things.

�Look, we only have about twenty minutes before we supper. Pansy, why don�t you
and I go have a look at the books?�

Pansy breathed a sigh of relief as a smile lit her face, �Yes, let�s.�

The two women stood and started to move away but were stopped when Greg stood
and said, �That sounds like a grand idea. I wonder if they have any muggle
comics.�

Draco glanced over at Hermione fast enough to see the flash of irritation in
her eyes before she smiled, nodded and turned away again. He once again
wondered how many colors were actually in her hair before he caught himself and
looked away. Unfortunately, his eyes met Ron�s and he found the other man
looking back with his brows slightly raised.

Before he could look away, Ron mouthed, �Stop looking at her.�

Draco didn�t dignify it with it a response and simply looked away as if he
hadn�t seen it. But, Parvati and Theo had. And, Theo felt the need to once
again defend his friend.

He glanced around to make sure that Hermione, Pansy and Greg had moved far
enough away to not hear before he leaned toward Ron. �And, why can�t he,
Weasley? From what I understand you broke up with her so she�s a free witch.
And, Draco can look at anyone he wishes!�

Draco once again heard Pansy�s confession from earlier and realized Theo�s
words were true. The fact that Hermione was single made him feel a bit�strange, and that ticked him off, so he snapped at Theo.
�I wasn�t looking at her.�

�Yes, you were,� Parvati said, bringing his attention to the pretty Indian
girl. Her eyes were hard as she said, �But, after all the things you�ve done to
her, all the things you�ve said to her, about her, all your family did to her,
I must ask why, Malfoy. Why would you be looking at Hermione? And, why did you
sit next to her in class? What are you and Zabini planning?�

�Yeah,� Ron said as he pulled his wand slowly from its holster.

�I�m not planning anything,� he spit between his clenched teeth. He then pushed
himself up and glared at them, �And, I wasn�t looking at her!�

With that he pivoted on his heel and pushed people out of his way as he quickly
made his way out of the room. Ron stared after him, a look of suspicion on his
face. Theo looked confused and frustrated as he watched his friend�s retreating
back. But, Parvati�s face held a look of dawning awe.

�Oh, my God!� she whispered.

�What?� both boys asked as they turned to her.

She watched the top of Draco�s blonde head whip around the corner and her eyes
widened as she answered, �He�s interested in her!�

�Who?� Ron asked in complete confusion. But, Theo
quickly turned and looked her in the eye before looking back at the empty door.

�Oh crap,� he sighed and reached blindly for her hand.

She took it without thinking as if they both needed something to hold them to
reality, �Yeah.�

�He�s interested in who?� Ron demanded.

Neither got a chance to answer because right then Hermione, Pansy and Greg
returned. Both women held two books each and Greg had a small pile of magazines
in his large fist.

�Who�s interested in whom?� Hermione asked the group.

�That�s what I�� Ron began only to be cut off by Parvati.

�Greg!� she blurted and blushed. She looked a bit apologetic as she said, �He�s
interested in Hermione.�

Greg turned a mild shade of red, but nodded a little as he looked to Hermione.
She sighed inwardly, but decided this would be her best chance to get things
were she needed them.

She pasted on a smile and hit him playfully with her shoulder, �Oh, I know. I�m
interested in getting to know him and being his friend, too. It�s so nice to
finally be able to make new friends
isn�t it? I mean, I�m so glad we are all giving each other a chance this year.
I think Pansy, Greg, and Theo will be our greatest buddies soon, don�t you Ron?
Vati?�

Greg shook his head and opened his mouth to answer, but Theo was quick to jump
in, �I agree Hermione. This new beginning thing is going to open the door to a
lot of new friendships. And I, for one, am very happy to see it.�

Hermione�s smile was of appreciation as she nodded to him. But, then she saw
his and Parvati�s intertwined hands and her smile softened a bit as she looked
at Parvati. Parvati�s grin widened and she winked at Hermione before lowering
her head a bit and leaning in to Theo.

Ron was still confused and leaned forward to ask how their talk of Draco and
his �evil� plans for Hermione had turned into a talk about relationships when
the bells rang for supper. Almost as one, everyone stood and began to move to
the doors, and when his stomach growled Ron was reminded of his hunger and
forgot about his question. Allowing Hermione and Pansy to move in front of him,
he hurried them towards the doors, suddenly eager to get some food.

Chapter 17

Still ensconced in their corner, Harry and Ginny
continued their discussion, completely oblivious to the people rushing the
doors of the all-house common room.

�I didn�t say that exactly, Harry,� Ginny explained again, albeit with less
patience than only a few moments ago.

Harry saw the flare of anger in her eyes and sat back a little, even as his own
anger abated. �Well, then why don�t you explain it EXACTLY, Gin. Because I have no idea what you are talking about!�

�Listen, I love you, I do. I just think we might want to spend a little
less time together. I mean, you have a lot to deal with and I don�t want to be
in your way.� She smiled a little as she said it, but he saw the continued
anger in her eyes.

�No,� he said simply with a shake of his head. �And, if this is what you want,
then why are you so angry about it?�

�I�m not angry,� she said between her clenched teeth. She didn�t notice that
her knuckles were white as she gripped the arms of the chair, �I am trying to
do whatever it is you need me to do. I want what�s best for you.�

He leaned forward and took one of her hands, �You are what�s
best for me, Gin. And, I don�t want to take a break, or give us some time, or
whatever the hell else you said. I want us to go forward. I want things to go
back to the way they were before. I want us to be us again. This past year��

She ripped her hand from his, punched the arm of the chair and jumped to her
feet, �This past year has been all about you! You, the Great Harry fucking
Potter! You, the savior of the damned world! You, you, you! It�s all about what
you want, isn�t it? Did you ever stop to think about what anyone else wanted?
What I wanted? What I want?�

�Ginny, I��

Her hands went to her hips as she glared down at him, �No! You wanted the save
the world! Bully for you, you did it. You wanted me to stay home like a good
little girl and wait for you. Stupid me, I did it! You, Ron and Hermione went
off searching for those horcruxes and left me all
alone to wait! You WANTED me to be there for you when you came home the
conquering hero and I did it! I waited for you. And, I played my damn part!
And, I was glad to do it. You know how I feel about you, Harry. I love you, but
dammit it�s my turn!�

�Gin, what�� he asked coming to his feet.

�I WANT some space, Harry! I have a lot going on right now and now, I want you
to wait! You. Will. Wait. For.
Me!� she shouted in his face. �Let�s see how well you like it!�

Before he could blink she was gone, pushing her way through the small crowd
that had gathered to watch. Harry fell back in his chair at a complete loss. He
had no idea how things had gotten to that point. Oblivious to the stares of his
fellow students, Harry thought back over their conversation. Things had been
fine. They�d talked about their days. She�d told him more about her
conversations with Pansy and Hermione. They�d laughed together over Greg�s
obsession with Hermione and where that was headed. And, then he�d suggested
they skip supper and go back to her room for some alone time and she�d lost it.

�Did we just break up?� he asked the air around him.

He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, and looked up at Neville. �I
don�t think she broke up with you, Harry. She just said she needed some space.�

Harry shook his head before he lowered it into his hands, �Things were finally
going just the way I wanted them to, Neville. Why now?�

Neville smiled sadly and stepped back a bit before he said softly, �Maybe
that�s why, Harry.�

�What?� Harry asked as he looked up in confusion.

�Just what you just said, Harry,� Neville shrugged. �And, what Ginny yelled.
Things were going the way you wanted. Did you ever ask her what she wanted?�

xxxxx

Blaise paced furiously back and forth in front of
his professor�s desk, his arms flailing as he went, �What do you want from
me?!�

�First, Mr. Zabini, I want you to calm down and retake your seat,� Snape
sneered at his student, giving him his best glare.

When Blaise dropped into a chair, but continued to grumble under his breath,
Snape continued, �Now, as I was saying, I didn�t risk life, limb and my sanity
to watch you piss on it! You need to grow up, Mr. Zabini.�

�Grow up? What�� Blaise exploded.

�SIT DOWN!� Snape barked, and watched as Blaise fell back onto the chair. �Yes,
you need to grow up. For the past seven years you have sat around letting
everyone else rule your life; your mother, Draco, the Dark Lord! You never had
to make a decision or choose a side. You did what was easy. Everyone else has
had to grow up and figure out where they stood; what they believe in, but you.
Even, bloody Potter, had to grow a set in the end. Now, you sit here sniveling
like a spoiled child because everyone is not doing what you expect of them.
Well, Mr. Zabini, I ask you. What exactly do you want? Who do you want to be?
What do YOU think?�

�Mother says we purebloods are�� Blaise began only to be cut off once again.

Snape slammed his hands down on the desk as he pushed himself to his feet,
�You! I didn�t ask what your mother thinks. Did I? I asked what YOU think. Are
you even capable of such a thing? You are pathetic! You dare judge Mr. Malfoy,
Mr. Goyle and Mr. Nott on their thoughts. You dare judge me! You have no right
to judge anyone, Mr. Zabini. You haven�t earned that
right! And, I will not be your ally in this need you have for vengeance against
those who have done you no wrong.�

Blaise pushed himself out of his chair and slammed his own fists on the desk,
�Done me no wrong?! You speak of judging Professor, but who judges whom here?!
You do not know what I have suffered because of them! What my mother has
suffered. I will not sit by and watch Potter, Weasley and Granger, especially
Granger, reap rewards while my mother suffers for simply being!�

With a flick of his wand, Snape sent Blaise flying back into the chairs. He
rounded the desk as the younger man struggled to right himself and pointed the
wand at his throat. His voice was a hiss as he spoke.

�You will stay down!� He met the angry man�s eyes and held his stare, �Your
mother suffers for her past stupidity. Her whoring ways, sadistic choices, and
frivolous lifestyle have finally caught up with her. That is not the fault of
anyone but herself. Your hatred of the three of them is misplaced.�

Even from his place on the floor Blaise glared up at Snape, �How can you defend
them?!�

�Did you hear me defend any of them?� Snape snapped as he leaned down. He
sneered, �The story of my past may have come to light, Mr. Zabini, but that in
no way changes my feelings on Mr. Potter, his idiot follower, Mr. Weasley, or their
loud-mouthed, know-it-all friend. But, unlike you, my reasons for not liking
them have nothing to do with something as STUPID as the circumstances of their
birth!�

Blaise sighed and moved back from the angry man over him. �Then I don�t get it.
If you can hate them, why can�t I?�

�You sound like a damn Hufflepuff with all this whining!� Snape said as he
moved back and lowered his wand. �Tell me then. What are your reasons for
hating the little trio of Gryffindor horrors? And, I mean your reasons, not
those spoon fed to you by your cronies.�

�Well, Potter is�And, Weasley, well�he�s, well I can�t think of anything
specific for him, but, Granger. She�s too�nice!� he finally spat, embarrassed
to the marrow of his bones. �And, they�re Gryffindors!�

Staring at Snape�s black eyes he found himself unable to come up with one real
reason he hated any of them. It was simply a habit. All his life he had been
told that his house and theirs were not to get along. And, all through his
years of schooling, he and his friends had followed the dictates of their
parents and hated Potter and the Weasleys. It had
been expected; it had been what was done. Hating Granger had been easy as she
had been such an anomaly that her sheer difference had been enough to inspire
his feelings. As a young boy, her brilliance had scared him. As they got older,
her burgeoning good looks and upbeat personality had made him feel things he
felt he shouldn�t. And, then, her well-lauded bravery had finished him off. It
made his run to South America seem like a
flight of fear. She had made him admire her, and he hated her all the more for
it.

�Nice,� hissed Snape, breaking into his thoughts as he resumed his seat behind
his desk. �You hate Ms. Granger because she�s nice and you can�t think of anything
worse to say of the other two than they are Gryffindors. Well, then Mr. Zabini,
maybe you should try to think what that says of you. Regardless, you will cease
embarrassing yourself and your house. And, you will not jeopardize your Head
position any further. Understood? Dismissed.�

Blaise sputtered and stared at his Head of House for a moment before his
dismissal registered. With a depressed sigh he turned and left the room. As he
got closer to the Great Hall, he heard the sounds of dinner and knew everyone
would be there. Snape�s derisive words ran around his head and mixed with
Pansy�s and he knew he would not be able to eat. He just wanted to be alone.
Pivoting on his heals, he headed to his room to do as
Snape had suggested, think.

xxxxx

Draco glanced up as Professor Snape swept into the
hall. He had noticed the absence of both Blaise and the professor when supper
began and as he took in the sneer on the older man�s face he wondered what had
happened to Blaise.

Draco sighed into his plate as he said to himself, �Couldn�t
be as bad as mine with Dumbledore.�

That took him mentally back to moments before when
he�d fled the All-House Common Room and run, literally, into the very much
alive former Headmaster.

Draco was ticked. And, upset. And,
confused. Which pissed him off! Why had he been
staring at Hermione so much? Why couldn�t he get that scent out of his head
even when she wasn�t around? And, why, for the sake of all that was magical,
did Weasley have to be the one to notice it? This was HER fault! If she didn�t
smell so damn good or have all those stupid colors in her hair, none of this
would have happened. He could have ignored her kindnesses. He could have just
not looked into her expressive eyes. Then he wouldn�t be in this predicam�

�Oomph!�

Draco felt his breath whoosh out as he hit what
felt like a solid wall and then he was falling. Just as he would have hit the
ground a strong hand grasped his and pulled him upright. He came face to face
with the twinkling eyes and kindly smile of Albus Dumbledore.

�Mr. Malfoy,� he began when Draco righted himself.

�Uh, sorry. Um, Sir,� Draco mumbled as he quickly glanced around for an escape.

�Nothing to worry about, young
man. You seem to be in quite the hurry. Where are you
off to with supper about to be served?�

Draco just stared at him for a long moment and then
seemed to shake himself. �Um, nowhere, Sir.�

�Good, good. I am actually glad we ran into one
another,� Dumbledore laughed at his own joke and then turned and indicated
Draco should follow. �Walk with me for a moment?�

Although it was posed as a question, Draco was
relatively sure there was no way to say no, so he simply nodded and fell into
step with the wizard he was supposed to have killed.

�And, how are you adjusting to being back this year?�

Draco glanced over at the older man�s face quickly
before he answered, �Just fine. Thank you. And, how are you adjusting to, uh��

�Being alive?� Albus laughed lightly. �Quite well. Quite well.�

Nothing more was said for a long while and Draco
realized they�d walked down an empty corridor leading to the Great Hall and were almost there. Thinking
himself almost safe he heaved a sigh. But, it was then that Dumbledore stopped
walking and turned to face him.

�I owe you an apology, Mr. Malfoy.�

Draco blinked at the absurdity of the statement and
blurted, �But, I attempted to kill you!�

The twinkle stayed in the man�s eyes, even as his
face became more solemn, �You would not have gone through with it, of that I am
sure. It is not in you to kill an innocent person, no matter the reason. And,
no, that does not make you a coward. It makes you a person who was in a very
bad position, who was faced with the death of his parents, but still couldn�t
cause that much suffering to someone else. It makes you someone who, regardless
of your prior actions or plans, chose the correct path in the end.�

Draco tried to close his mouth which he knew was
hanging open in a gaping fish fashion, but he couldn�t do it.

�And, that leads to my apology to you. I knew much
of what you faced two years ago and I did little to stop it. I tried my best to
protect you in my limited capacity, but I should have been more diligent. I
should have tried harder to make you see the grander scheme. My only excuse is
I truly felt you would not have heard me at that time. You were not ready. But,
for my part in not trying harder and thereby allowing you to experience such
pain, confusion and loss, I am truly sorry.�

Draco felt the man�s hand on his shoulder and
trembled slightly under the warmth he felt through his clothes. He didn�t know
what to say, and he was sure his voice would crack under the strain of simply
trying to remember to breathe, so he simply nodded.

Dumbledore stepped back a step and looked at the
sad young man in front of him, �I understand you and I have our meetings
together.�

Draco swallowed heavily before he answered, �Yes,
sir. Every other Thursday.�

�Well, I would understand your refusal to attend,
but I would like you to know that I think we would both benefit from them. Maybe a way to have our own new beginning.�

A habitual and immediate sarcastic refusal came to
Draco�s lips, but he bit them back. Maybe time with Dumbledore would be
beneficial. Talking to someone so completely opposite of himself could possibly
help him better understand this new world he found himself in.

A miniscule smile flashed across his face, �I think
it could be�good. Sir.�

Dumbledore smiled and slapped him on the shoulder
as he turned and began walking once again toward dinner. �Good. Now, it�s time to
fill our stomachs, don�t you think?�

�Yes, sir,� Draco nodded as he fell into step
beside the man he�d once thought of as an idiot, old crackpot. He thought maybe
he should say something to show his newfound tolerance and understanding. �Uh, Professor?�

�Yes, Mr. Malfoy?�

�In the letter to the students it was mentioned
that we should let you know our thoughts on the changes.�

Albus turned to look over his half-moon glasses at
Draco, �And?�

�Well, I like them. I mean, the additional privacy
is nice. And, I think others like it, too.�

�That is good to hear. Thank you. You are the first
to comment to me directly. I have heard tell of others believing the same, but
it is nice to have it confirmed.�

They reached the doors of the Great Hall and Draco
felt the stares of the other students as they witnessed the unbelievable
picture they made. His discomfort turned to shock when Dumbledore opened the
door but turned his head to pierce Draco with his stare.

�Oh, and Mr. Malfoy, these new beginnings are
nothing to be alarmed about, I assure you. Sometimes things happen as they are
supposed to, even if we don�t understand them at the time. That is the beauty
of life. Each new day brings new and amazing things to surprise us.� There is nothing to do but accept, and even
embrace them. They, like the people we surround ourselves with, help us grow as
individuals. And, there is no shame in expanding one�s social circle. It gives
us a chance to get to know people we otherwise might not. Even those we think
we already know.�

Just before Draco could ask the man what he meant,
Dumbledore stepped away and entered the hall. Draco was left to wonder what he
was supposed to take from those words. And, was Dumbledore trying to tell him
something about someone specific?

Draco had then entered the Great Hall and taken his seat as he continued to
think about what had been said. He never noticed the others joining him at the
table, as none of them spoke to him directly, and he saw little else but the
food on his plate as he pondered the meaning or meanings of the Professor�s
words.

His thoughts were finally pulled back to the here
and now when Ron leaned forward, �Oi, Malfoy?�

�What Weasel?� Draco sneered without looking up, his thoughts still on
Dumbledore�s words and their meaning. It hadn�t helped when the group had
trouped in for dinner and he�d noticed for the first time the fact that
Hermione seemed to be wearing some sort of color on her lips. That had set him
to wondering if the Professor had somehow gleaned his confused thoughts on the pretty
Gryffindor.

�Now that we�re alone,� Ron began. �I think it�s time for us to come to an
understanding.�

Draco glanced around the table and realized they were in fact alone. He had no
idea where everyone had disappeared to and looked around the room for the other
occupants of their table. He didn�t particularly like the new table set up, but
at least with the others there, he could be forgotten and left alone to his
thoughts.

Raising his chin proudly, he glared at Ron, �An understanding about what
exactly?�

�I don�t know what you and your pal, Zabini, have planned that involves
Hermione, but trust me when I say you will never be successful at it.�

�Oh really,� Draco drawled despite the fact that he felt his stomach lurch at
the mention of her name, so soon after thinking about her. �And, if in fact,
Blaise and I did have something in mind for your ex-girlfriend, how do you
think you would stop us?�

�Leave her alone, Malfoy!� Ron snapped, his face growing red in his frustration
and anger. �You will have to go through me, Harry, and the whole of our House,
before we�ll let you hurt her.�

Draco stood up and braced his hands on the table to stare Ron down, �Weasel, I
would like to see you try and stop me from doing anything I want to do! And,
besides, you don�t own her anymore, remember? She�s free now�for anything I
might have planned!�

Ron stood and mimicked Draco�s stance, �You don�t scare me, Malfoy. And, you
will stay away from her!�

Draco�s voice was a hiss, �The day I listen to a freckle-faced, idiot like you
is the day they snap my wand! I do what I want, when I want. And, if I want to
go out with Hermione, I will, and you can�t stop me.�

Both men stood straight in shock of what Draco had said. His faced filled with
color as Ron�s drained, neither looking away from the other.

�What�s going on here?� a voice asked from the side of the table.

Both turned to look down at the trio of witches standing beside them, but
neither moved to answer. Ron was still in shock that Draco would think, much
less admit to, wanting to date Hermione. He remembered Parvati and Theo�s
conversation and almost swallowed his tongue in dawning understanding. Draco
felt horror and panic swell in his chest as his eyes flicked from Ron to
Hermione to Ginny and finally to Pansy.

The last placed a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side, �I asked
what was going on.�

Ron sputtered, �Noth�nothing. We were, uh, nothing.�
He chanced another look at Draco and felt a tiny thrill at the look of almost
fear on the blonde�s face. But, he didn�t want to take the chance that Draco
might feel the need to say it again, so he reached out and grabbed Hermione�s
arm. �Let�s get out of here.�

�Would you please stop grabbing me?!� Hermione snapped
as she pulled her arm away. Then she shook her head and said, �Look, we only
came over to tell you that we need you to help us find��

She glanced over at Draco, who hadn�t moved an inch, and turned a bit away from
him as she spoke softly for only Ron to hear. ��Harry. He and Ginny had a fight
and he never showed up for supper.�

Ron�s eyes flew to Ginny�s, but she refused to look at him. �Ginny, what did
you��

�Why is it always me?!� she shrieked, shocking all those around her. �Maybe,
just maybe, it�s not my fault, Ronald. You know, Mr. Perfect can make mistakes
too!�

She turned and ran from the room. Hermione shot Ron a look and then raced after
her. Pansy looked torn. She wanted to be of help to Ginny, but for some reason
she couldn�t pull her eyes from Draco. He looked like he was in pain.

�Draco? Are you��

�Oi!� Millicent�s voice
boomed out from behind her. �What�s going on over here?�

Ron was glad for the interruption. He didn�t know what Draco would have said to
Pansy, but he was pretty sure he didn�t want to hear it. With a growl of
frustration he stepped back from the growing group of Slytherins and after
casting one last glance at Draco, hurried from the room to find Harry. His
thoughts raced as quickly as his feet as he tried to figure out how so much
could have happened in only their first day back to school.

Only two days ago he and Hermione had been a couple. Harry and Ginny had been
happy together. And, all the Slytherins in their lives had been well and truly
hated.

Tonight, Harry and Ginny were fighting, he and Hermione were no longer
together, Parvati and Nott were showing interest in one another, Ginny and
Hermione were insisting they give Goyle and Parkinson a chance, and Malfoy
wanted�

NO! Don�t think it. He didn�t mean it
like that. He couldn�t have. No, he meant something else. He had to! Stop
thinking about it and find Harry.

Ron shook his head as he ran out of the front doors and aimed for the quidditch
pitch. He knew Harry liked to fly when he was angry and hoped he would find his
friend there.

xxxxx

Author�s responses � A very happy,
safe, and healthy New Year to all of you! Thank you for continuing to read this
story. And, hugs to each of you who have reviewed. I was reminded while reading your reviews and then this chapter (via
Ron�s thoughts) that many of you have been writing about hurrying up the
Draco/Hermione relationship, but it�s only the first days of school. Give them
time. lol They will get there. :-)

bLondpierogi: Thank you, hon! I will post again on Sunday. :-)

Musey: You made me smile
like a loon. Thank you! I am glad I was able to even make you think about Pansy
and Ron together.� Hugs to you, hon!!

Stella: Thank you, as
always!!

kazfeist: Glad I was able
to surprise you. And, yes, I think Snape is the only one who could have
possibly gotten through to Blaise. But, it will take a bit more time before
anything really sinks in for him. lol Thank you, hon!

Mrs.Malfoy: Good gracious!
Did you have nothing else to do? Lol No, seriously, I am shocked and humbled
that you read it all! And, I am thrilled that you liked it so far. Thank you
very, very much!
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Struggling Through New Beginnings