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Beyond the Veil	By : Marionne25 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 7964 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am not making money from this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Author's Notes:
Greetings!!!
Happy Friday from my end of the world.
I am well and better recovered now from the accident that I've endured about two weeks ago.
I've rested and did some of my chores and errands and writing for the week and am happy that I'll be fully back to work by next week.
Hope everyone else is doing alright and fine.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!!!!
Lots of love and tell me what you think!!!!

xx

Chapter V
Fridays

It was a few months since the Battle of Hogwarts, 1998.
Hogwarts has just been rebuilt and the year that was cut short was reopened on that academic school year.
Hermione Granger returned to Hogwarts to finish her academic life.
Harry and Ron were still undecided if they will fully return to the school and so this week that it was reopened, they were at a Ministry of Magic Auror Seminar that they preferred to attend that the school’s reopening.
The week was irregular and yesterday, she arrived boarded the Hogwarts Express together with some old friends that were returning to school to resume with her.
Today was the first class and it was Charms.
They were only now asked to sign up for the classes for their NEWTs for the careers they planned for.
She had been battling what she wanted and it seems she had a calling at the Healer position.
She could have gotten any job she wanted without finishing school but she wanted to finish school.
And signing up for that career, there was a lot of major classes she had to take but none she hasn’t taken since their school days.

As usual as ever, she preferred to take a seat the front row and was glad to find Luna earlier who was also taking the same class as Neville.
They were going to get something at the library since Neville forgot to order a book for this class that he also forgot that he has to take to become an expert Herbology professor someday.
Some things never change.
Hermione agreed and said she’d reserve three front seats for them.
It was still early in the morning and she thought she was the first to get to the classroom.
But upon arriving there, even if professor Flitwick wasn’t there yet, someone was already in the room.
Draco Malfoy was seated at the farthest seat at the back of the room that was overlooking the window at the very end of the classroom.
He was in full school uniform, a black sweated over himself and he was staring out of the window and not realizing that someone else had arrived.
Hermione’s eyes narrowed.
Despite the war that has been and the way he had saved Harry’s life at the battle when he threw his wand back at him, there were things that couldn’t just change.
Hermione wondered what career he was going to take after Hogwarts because he was taking one of the major classes at the school.
It took him a while to notice her when she was already seated at the front and was taking out her things.
But he didn’t say anything.
He knew she’d be there.
He knew she’d be taking all the major classes – all the same classes he would be taking for the year.
Hermione heard Draco sigh heavily at the back and then heard him arranging his things as well.
It was fifteen minutes later that Luna and Neville arrived and sat next to her and sooner, more students came and flooded the room in and filed inside just as professor Flitwick arrived five minutes to class time.

He greeted them cheerfully and made a long fifteen minutes speech of how life has been for him and how the war has changed him and how he was glad to be there with the rest of the familiar faces.
He made other speeches that bored most of the class but also made the rest enjoy as it was eating the class time and that would mean there weren’t much to be done on the first day.
Draco on the other hand looked like he was at the verge of jumping out of the window if the professor doesn’t stop speaking any moment.
And that was when Hermione noticed something.
Draco was different.
Before, when he was bored or had some disagreeable feeling in a class, he’d have say about anything.
He would make unwanted or negative comments or would be snickering at the back with his friends.
But something was amiss.
He was at the very back, seated far from the rest and even from the two other Slytherins who were also taking the class.
He was patiently waiting for the class to begin but was obviously disinterested with the rest of the world.

It wasn’t until professor Fliwick asked them to pair themselves for the school year’s project that Hermione turned back her attention to class.
She quickly reached to Neville to offer herself as his partner since he always wanted her as partner to help her in any class as before.
But to her surprise, Neville politely declined.
She smiled and listened to his explanation that this year, he would step up his game and brave up the classes and try to do things the other way – partnering himself to other students and not depending totally on her help.
He told her that he didn’t want to offend her but wanted to be independent as soon enough, they’d all be in the outside world.
Hermione was glad for this change and was actually happy for him.
He partnered himself with Luna.
Hermione looked around and saw that most had paired themselves to the classmate already next to them and just as she was about to reach to Seamus who was also taking the class with them, he had partnered himself with a Hufflepuff that she knew he had been trying to date since last year.
He gave her an apologetic look as he transferred to the girl’s table and had realized that not partnering with her would leave her with no other choice for a partner.
“Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy, please gather your things together in one table.” Professor Flitwick said as he enlisted the last of the pairs.
Hermione’s eyes widened at the realization but Draco only looked bored.
She huffed and was to turn to get her things when Draco slowly stood up and gathered his scarf from the back of his seat and grabbed all his things from the table.
“I’ll transfer.” Draco quietly said without even meeting her gaze.
Hermione only nodded quietly wishing that this wasn’t happening on the very first day.
But it was.
Sooner, Draco had settled next to her.
Despite that they seated next to one another, he kept a good distance between them and instead of putting his things between them, he had placed them over the floor next to him at his other side and settled a small notebook and quill on the table and edged at the edge of the chair to keep himself as far from her as possible.
She gazed at him.
He wasn’t paying attention to her but was attentive to class and he didn’t look anywhere near interested into mocking her or having to say anything like his usual self.

Hermione was barely listening to the professor’s instructions on the project that was to be done and realized that Draco was already taking notes and she must as well.
She was about to raise her hand to ask the book the professor had just mentioned as she scavenged for another quill to write down the rest of her notes but Draco answered her without even looking up at her or turning to her direction.
“Middleton Charms Book Seventh Edition.” Draco muttered to her as he continued writing the fast instruction of professor Flitwick.
“They don’t have this at the library.” Hermione muttered remembering that two years ago she was looking for this particular book and was sure that it wasn’t available.
“They don’t.” Draco answered her as he continued to scrawl down. “We have a copy at home. I’ll owl to have it sent by tomorrow morning.”
Hermione opened her mouth to say something but he already moved a little away from her and looked up at the board as the activity was about to begin.
And for the rest of the lesson, Hermione had to choice but to participate and listen to class with as much focus as she can while the rest of her attention and body anticipated and waited for any form of attack that Draco could do against her now that they were only inches apart and would be partner for the rest of the semester.
But nothing came.
“I’ll see you again later and we must finish all the schedule and planning on Friday then.” Draco agreed to her given schedule. “See you after lunch.”
He was quiet and agreeable that Hermione couldn’t help but wonder if he was alright as he was not his usual broad, proud and annoying self.
But after an hour and a half, Hermione only found herself agreeing to meet Draco at the library after lunch since their classes will now be different until three that afternoon.
They agreed to have the free period after lunch to work on the library for the projects they would have to enlist things together and plan the semester schedules ahead.
And as they parted ways at the corridor, Hermione realized that some things never change and some maybe, could have sudden and drastic changes.
And she would have the rest of the school year to find out exactly all about it.

Hermione reluctantly stood in the midst of his apartment for a full ten minutes without moving any part of her body except her eyes as she observed her surroundings.
Whatever she had in her mind for Draco’s present apartment to look like, it was nothing she’d really expected.

It looked comfortable and cozy but it was small and it looked like he had been moving things around.
There was a narrow foyer when she entered, a door to the left that she supposed was his small kitchen and dinning and a door that led to what was supposedly the living room.
But it wasn’t.
Instead, it was replaced by a room with a paint stained carpet, two long couches, a couple of half empty bookshelves and a large table and the place where the window should have been was covered in what looked like different empty boards for paintings.

“Did you just move in?” she wondered out loud as she entered the small living room.
She could hear Draco opening drawers at the kitchens as he offered her some tea that she already declined to drink.
“Uhm.. not sure..” Draco called back at her and she heard another drawer as he fidgeted for what she supposed were teaspoons and small jars for sugar and milk. “I think a few months.”
“You’re not…sure?” Hermione slowly asked back as her eyes narrowed when she stepped on and nearly trip over what looked like a small empty case of brushes and a couple of empty cans of paint next to it.
She looked down and stared at the empty cans and jars of paint, used brushes, half empty glasses of water that had been used to painting and cleaning brushes and other materials.
For a moment she thought he had been painting the apartment, until she realized the half empty and empty canvasses around the room.
Her eyes moved around the room where little light came through the gaps of the window and the table that held the Victorian looking lamps that must’ve lit the room at night.
She walked to the empty canvasses and half used where Draco seemed to have been using and painting on for quite some time now.
“I didn’t know you paint.” Hermione said half to Draco and half to herself as she stared at the colours expanding and reflected upon the boards of canvass that piled up the windowsill and the wall at the other side of the room.
“I didn’t know it either.” Draco chuckled without a thought and Hermione shot him a look.
He only inclined his head that she could continue viewing all his scattered materials.
Mostly showed what looked like random visuals of abstract colours and shapes and some, the ones who actually had something relevant or meaning in them, were the half-finished ones.
“What do you want to drink?” Draco’s voice called back as she heard him stir what sounded as a pitcher. “Do you want this cold or hot?” he called back at her.
Hermione didn’t answer as she then moved to the half empty bookshelves and stared at the stuff that Draco had been reading.
There were freebie Muggle magazines, a couple of newspapers of both the Muggle world and the Daily Prophet and stacks of old Hogwarts books and reference books.
Nothing in the books in his shelves told her that he had been reading recently but rather organizing the shelf.
She moved across the room and her leg hit three boxes across the floor and when she checked them, they were actually more books.
Hermione bent down and read the label for each box just as Draco came into the room holding out two tall glasses of cold tea.

“I didn’t put milk incase you didn’t like.” Draco said smiling at her and offering her one of the glasses.
Hermione looked back and was relieved to see that he had worn a nice black wool jogging pants and a shirt over himself.
She couldn’t help but think that he looked like a Muggle in his choice of downtown clothing.
“Thanks.” Hermione said taking the glass and not intending to drink its contents. “How long have you been painting?”
“Dunno.. not long enough, I guess.” Draco casually said as he took a sip from his glass and walked across the room to straighten one of the canvass before settling himself onto one side of one of the couches.
He looked up at her as he took another sip and waited for her to join him.
“I didn’t put anything on that if you must know.” Draco said with a smile pointing over her glass.
“Oh, no.. I didn’t..” Hermione quickly said blushing as she slowly moved towards the other couch and sat quietly down. “I didn’t want one.”
Normally, Draco would have found it rude and normally Hermione would not have said that.
But she didn’t care in this case, well not really.
It was Draco Malfoy so there wasn’t really any formality or politness needed – not that he had been nice to her all their lives for her to do that.
“Well, suit yourself.” Draco said finishing half of his. “It’s just that it’s nice to drink when it’s cold and all.”
Hermione just nodded at him and watched him finish his drink as her eyes moved around the room – anywhere but at Draco’s direction.
“So why are you here?” Draco asked her as he reached forward to get her glass of untouched cold tea.
“I thought we’re doing this therapy here.” Hermione said with a slightly annoyed look over her face.
“Therapy?” he asked with a raised brow.
Hermione sharply turned to him with another raised brow.
“Your therapy.” she simply repeated nodding towards the small bandage that was still over the left side of his forehead. “You didn’t want to do it at St. Mungo’s so you requested for a special scheduled treatment, yes?”
Her voice was cold and she looked like she wanted to finish this as fast as she could possibly do so without having much to do with him – which was close to impossible.
It was obvious that she didn’t want to do it but her job calls for it and that as a Healer in Training, she was required to do this job.
She looked back at him and he was now drinking from her untouched glass.
“Well?” Hermione impatiently said. “I do have other patients after you, Malfoy.”
Draco only nodded at her as he lowered the glass to stare back at her for a few moments as if appreciating her very presence in his apartment.
“Does Potter know you’re here?” he asked her slowly with a coy smile over his face.
“I can do whatever I want without Harry’s permission, thankyou.” Hermione snottily told him. “And he knows I’m at my job at this hour.”
“Does he know I am your job?”
“I beg your pardon?” Hermione shot back at him as her patience were slowing thinning at the boy she he hated most of her academic life.
“I ask if Potter knows I’m your new client.” Draco slowly asked her as if she wouldn’t understand what she was saying.
“Harry knows you’re my new patient.” Hermione answered him with a tone.
“I’m not your patient.” Draco shot back and for that very brief moment, a spark of annoyance became evident from his tone.
He drained the second glass and settled it back down then stood up.
Hermione was slightly alarmed but she remained calm and seated as she merely watched Draco move around the room.
He took a large box from the table and opened it up to reveal a couple of half over-used pastels and grabbed one of the half-painted canvasses and he began to draw slowly, smoothly over it.
Hermione quietly watched from the back as he moved his arms around the canvass creating lines, shapes and shading a few areas with various of colours from the box he had opened.
She remained still, observant of Draco’s actions and movement and Draco was well aware that she was already taking mental notes and records of each of his movements.
He knew what she was and why she was there.
But he wasn’t demented or traumatized from the accident and yet there he was, doing his usual personal thing that he barely shared with anyone in the world.
“How long have you been painting? Drawing?” Hermione’s voice interrupted his thoughts as his light blue shading continued at an upper part area of the very large canvass.
“Long enough but not long enough.” Draco shortly answered her as he continued to share the same spot of the board.
Hermione noted the change in his tone as he started to work on his art.
It was odd to watch Draco Malfoy in a different kind of activity and spectrum – he looked and felt like a very different person.
Hermione’s eyes narrowed as she tried to move a little from her spot to see what he was creating but it was hard to tell because of his body and height that covered most of the canvass.
“You don’t know?” Hermione slowly asked taking further mental notes. “You don’t remember?”
“I don’t know.” Draco honestly answered her. “Nothing serious, possibly just a hobby.”
But Hermione thought that was a lie.
The way the room and area looked, it seemed to her that he had been painting – and painting in frustration – for weeks and months now.
The way the room was set, the boards and canvasses and the conditions of the materials in the room told her a rough estimate of a few weeks and months of when he began this newly so-called hobby of his.
“What do you usually paint?” Hermione slowly asked in genuine curiosity.
“Nothing specifically.” Draco said as he took another blue shade and added to the area he had been shading. “Whatever comes to mind.”
“Whatever comes to mind.” Hermione quietly repeated as her eyes continued to move around the room.
“Are you writing my answers down?” Draco asked as he suddenly looked back at her.
She heard the clatter of pastels down the floor as he sharply turned to her with eyes that moved from her face to her hands and back.
She had shuffled her hand back over her knees as she had almost reached for her bag to indeed write these all down.
“Write what?” she asked him looking straight at him thankful that she haven’t yet reached for her bag and notes.
“I thought you were writing it all down.” Draco said as he calmed himself and turned back to his work. “That’s what you usually do, don’t you?”
Draco slowly turned back to her again.
“No.” Hermione quickly said, surprised at the movement as she was halfway moving to the other side of the couch to see what he had been doing.
Draco stared back at her with keen eyes.
He smiled and put down the pastel and moved away from the board.
“You can come closer and see what I’m doing.” Draco said stepping away from the canvass. “I don’t mind that you see it.”
Hermione stared at him, reluctant to get anywhere closer Draco.
She wasn’t taking notes anyway – just mental notes.
Hermione nodded and walked towards him as she found craning her neck to see it was stupid enough to do.
She neared the canvass and her eyes narrowed at what he called himself as ‘art’.
There was nothing in the large canvass that made sense to her.
There were seemingly blurry lines and shades of dark shades but there was nothing visually evident in the artwork that made sense to her.
“Do you like it?” Draco asked her with a smile.
She stared at the painting, cramming in her head to comment what she was seeing because as far as she could tell, there was nothing in it that made sense.
“Is this abstract?” she slowly asked not wanting to offend him.
“No.” Draco answered her as he stood next to her, arms folded and staring back at his work. “I don’t think so. But it’s neither Victorian art.. I’ve been trying.. but Renaissance isn’t likely my style either.”
Hermione stared back at him.
How did he know much about arts?
When did he ever read books about our? Let alone the specifics of arts and everything else in between?

Her eyes then ran up and down and he looked like a laid-back Muggle artist by the way he dressed himself.
“What is it?” he asked as he noticed her staring intently at him as if questioning his taste of style.
“Nothing.” Hermione quickly said as she looked away and stared back at the painting she didn’t understand. “Why are you using dark colours?” she asked then.
She realized that was a relevant attribute to her patient’s case.
“I don’t know.” Draco said. “It calls to me.”
She only nodded.
That was indeed a relevant information, suggesting something about his subconscious that was refusing to come out fully and may perhaps be commuting through and out of him through his arts.
But why did he not remember and know when he started doing this hobby?

“Is there a particular subject in your art?” she asked biting her lower lip and mentally taking note to herself that she has to read about Muggle arts tonight when she gets home because she has absolutely no idea about the important aspects of arts.
“I don’t know.” Draco replied with a thoughtful look over his pointed face. “Just whatever comes to my mind.”
Silence took place as they stared at the unknown subject for Draco’s painting.
There was really nothing in it that suggested any other relevant information for Hermione about his thinking.
“Do you wanna talk about your art?” Hermione quietly asked him.
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?” Draco asked her back and his face spread into a coy smile. “Is there anything else you would like to talk about?”
Her eyes narrowed and she turned away from the painting.
“We can talk about your work or your life or post Hogwarts life.” Hermione said although the last topic would be sensitive enough as she knew half the story of what happened to his post Hogwarts life.

“Nothing about me is interesting.” Draco said as he followed her back to the couch. “But I am interested to know more of you.”
Hermione looked up at him and he was staring down at her as if she was some gift of the gods to him.
He settled down next to her and had his leg stretched out that he was blocking her from moving out from him.
Her eyes shot him another look.
“Tell me about you, ‘Mione.” Draco said with a smile. “Are you dating anyone these days?”
“Excuse me?” Hermione snapped at him as she began reaching for her bag.
“Are you dating anyone these days?” Draco very slowly repeated as he inched closer to her for every word that he had said.
“I think that’s none of your business. And don’t call me that.”
“Why not?” Draco asked him. “Everyone calls you that.”
Hermione stared at him.
Everyone she was close to called her that.
But Draco Malfoy?
She’s never remembered ever being close to the son of the Dark Lord’s most loyal servant.
Draco sensed her indifference and he quickly looked regretful.
“Sorry.” Draco quietly said. “That was out of the line. I should call you Healer Granger?”
She stared back at him, trying to read and sense his genuine intention.
“You can call me Hermione if you would like.” Hermione said after a thoughtful moment. “I’m still in training.”
“So would you like to go out with me, Hermione?” Draco then coolly asked.
She grabbed her bag from near his arm and placed it over herself as if using it as some form of shield from him.
“Are you uncomfortable?” he asked inching another gap closer her. “With me?”
“No.” Hermione said although she inched a movement away from him. “I would just like my personal space.”
Draco stared at her, a smile spreading across his face.
He was obviously relishing that moment.
“You’re enjoying this.” Hermione commented and she suddenly stood up. “You know what, you’ll see me at my office at St. Mungo’s. If you don’t want a group therapy, we’ll do it there. But we’re not doing it here.”
Hermione began to move and walk away from him when Draco suddenly grabbed her wrist back.
She stared back at him and both of them stared at their hands that was attached to one another.
Draco quickly let go as if he wasn’t himself when he did it.
“Sorry.” Draco said yet again. “Reflex.”
Hermione stared up at him and he was giving him an ashamed look that was very evident from his eyes.
She sighed, trying to calm herself and understand that he had been traumatized by the explosion from the accident and he was probably not himself.
“I’m sorry too.” Hermione quietly said. “I should be handling this better.”
She stared at him and he looked somber as if Christmas had been canceled.
“Okay, if you’re really not comfortable at St. Mungo’s that’s understandable. But I’m not comfortable at your place. Can we do it then at a coffee shop?”
His eyes suddenly lit up and a bright look appeared over his place.
“Are you asking me on a date?” he asked her with a genuine smile.
“No.” Hermione said with a restrained laugh. “We’ll do your therapy with me at a coffeeshop. A neutral ground for the both of us. You don’t like it at the hospital and I don’t like it here – at a coffee shop then?”
“Well, maybe.” Draco thoughtfully answered. “When?”
“I’ll fix my schedule.” Hermione said slinging her bag around her shoulders as she began to make it to the door with Draco following her like a dog that didn’t want his master to leave. “I’ll let you know.”
She was about to open the door but Draco placed his arm over it and closed it at her face.
She looked back at him.
“How about Friday, eight in the evening? Coffee and dinner and I’ll pick you up at St Mungo’s?” he offered her with an assurance in his tone.
“I’ll fix my schedule-“
“Should you be catering to my needs?” he asked her with a confident look.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Hermione asked with a smirk.
“Don’t I get that privilege?” Draco asked her back with a smile, folding his arms and settling himself against the door to ensure that she doesn’t get out.
“You are truly enjoying this, you prick.” Hermione commented folding her arms and standing straight in her attempt to match his height which was close to impossible.
“Well, we can not do this.” Draco offered her as he settled his head back over the door with a fake smile over his face. “But I think this is a requirement for your job entry as in your training, yes?”
“You’re a mother fucker.” Hermione snapped at him unable to control herself.
Draco laughed at her.
“Language, Healer Granger.” Draco said and then his smile turned kind and genuine. “Seriously. Please?”
Hermione stared at him.
Something was nice when he said the world ‘please’.
“Fine.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “I’ll meet you at the lobby near the pharmacy at the ground floor of the hospital. There are benches there you can wait for me.”
“Great then.” Draco said as he straightened himself up from the door and reached for the knob to open it for her. “I’ll see you on Friday. It’s a date then.”
“I’m sure it is.” Hermione muttered rolling her eyes and forcing herself out of the apartment as fast as she could get herself out.
“Take care.” Draco called out at her and she only waved back at him without turning back.
Draco called her back.
“Yes, yes, Friday!” Hermione called back down as she descended the apartment corridor.
“Take care, Granger!” Draco called back at her with an obvious chuckle in his tone. “Cause I care!”

Hermione rolled her eyes and chuckled and didn’t turn her head back until she heard him close his door and lock back its metal locks.
And in herself, she’d never admit it but it was indeed a date on Friday.
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Beyond the Veil