Unfogging a Cloudy Past

You can feel the agony of panic, or the rushing sensation of relief, but when the two elements come together, you walk that very thin line between insane and bordering insanity. These were the anxious thoughts of Hermione Granger as she sat outside her dormitory, back slapped against the wall, hair cascading over her knees, and head lodged into the great abyss that was her chest. Inside her head, thought after perplexing thought trespassed her mind, good (he's probably fine, just playing a trick on me as usual) and then feelings that are not so good, (Ohmigod!! I've damaged him for life). Among everything she was feeling disbelief ranked top three.

Yesterday afternoon, she would have scowled at just the mention of his dreaded name, and now she sat and every thought that crossed her mind had him, as it's subject. How rapidly, the roles had been switched on her, without the slightest of her consent. With that she made a very hesitant entrance into the room.

There she found Draco sprawling out on the bed, apparently in deep thought. Fearful of possible results if he were interrupted, she timed her entrance to what appeared to be just right.

"Can I ask you a question?" he breathed very seriously. "Who am I?"

She approached this question with extreme caution.

"Do you mean who are you to me?"

He nodded momentarily.

"Well Malfoy, I don't know if this will be too harsh so--"

"No! It won't just tell me," he interrupted very calmly.

"Well ok. You are my enemy, my worst enemy. You are my tormentor and the cause of a number of shed tears. You are the reality check when I think that I can actually fit in here. You are the stone thrown, shattering my window of hopes and dreams. You are--"

"Ok! I get the point. Am I really that bad?" he questioned earnestly.

"You're worse," she replied sadly, "but why do you care, anyway?"

"I-I-I don't know who I am?" he replied solemnly.

"What are you talked about?" she asked clearly confused.

"I mean exactly what I said, I don't know who I am. I don't know who my mother is. I don't know where I was born. I don't know who my friends are, although judging from your description of my personality, I doubt I have any."

"Crabbe and Goyle."

"What?"

"Your friends, their names are Crabbe and Goyle."

"Oh... what are they like?"

"Well... they don't exactly look like the best friends you could have, but I have never seen you without them, so I guess it's a hidden friendship," she said as she made her way over to the bed where Draco now sat listening intently.

"You're name is Draco Malfoy, this is your sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your parents are Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. You are a Slytherin, and you take pride in it." At this comment her face uplifted in a slight frown. "You are bossy and have an amazing amount of power in this school. And to tell you the truth, M-M-Draco, I know very little about you in truth. I was never on your favorites list as you can see."

"Oh... I see. While, I can't figure out why I hated you. I'm different now, and this Draco wants to be your friend."

"Well, nice to finally meet a Draco I won't have to hate," she said with a slight smirk, "as your new found friend may I make a very rare offer."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Since I would feel wrong in all ways possible if I didn't do this, I'm offering to be your personal tour guide and confidence."

Taking his hand with tremendous force, she jumped off of the bed, and dragged him through the door "We have a lot to do in just one day."

After about ten minutes, Hermione felt an urgent tug on her shoulder. She swerved to see Draco.

"Yes?" she answered impatiently. She had been explaining the history of Hogwarts and had gotten so into it that any interruption annoyed her.

"Umm... what is your name?"

"Oh!" The expression on her face quickly changed from impatience to embarrassment. "How could I forget that? My name is Hermione, Hermione Granger."