[eight]

Hermione woke to the melodic sound of Chopin's Nocturne in E. As a child, she had learned to play the piano through the lessons her parents had enrolled her in. Hermione playing the piano. There was something about the gentle movement of the hands through the keys that always relaxed her. With a contented sigh, she grabbed her shoes from the corner of her room and put them on. Was Draco playing music? Where was the piano coming from?

Surely he wasn't awake yet? Casting patronus charms is rather tiresome, and Draco tried it quite a few times before retreating to his room.

Hermione's question was answered as she quietly exited her room to descend the stairs. Draco, who was gracefully playing the piano next to the couches, hadn't heard her footsteps.

Hermione watched him play, his back poised so perfectly as his fingers ran through the keys. When Draco hit the final note of the piece Hermione loved the most, she rewarded him with a slow clap and a smile "I didn't know you played."

Draco, startled, turned to look at her " Are you questioning my breeding?"

Hermione rolled her eyes "Oh,. I wasn't aware pureblood wizards were required to learn the piano. I think Ron lost the memo."

"First of all, he's a Weasley, . That should be enough to answer your question." Draco rolled his eyes "It's customary for most pureblood families to put their heirs through several lessons. Instruments, languages, dances, you name it."

"I wasn't aware you knew a lot of things." Hermione smirked

"You are bordering offensive now, Granger, watch it." Draco tutted

Hermione laughed "This is payback for that comment on pet names, Malfoy."

"Aren't we supposed to be making the prefect pairs now?" Draco asked, changing the subject

"That depends, are you ready for the DADA class tomorrow?" Hermione raised a brow

"Perhaps."

"Yeah?" Hermione crossed her arms

"I'm Granger." Draco rolled his eyes

"Okay, and if I see you in class tomorrow? What would your consequence be?" 

"Why do you care?" Draco asked, but his question was void of any negative emotion, just curiosity 

"I forgave you, didn't I?" Hermione sighed and sat on the seat facing Draco's piano bench "This is me actually trying to attempt our do-over." 

"Accio parchment and quill." Draco said, surprising Hermione with his wandless magic "If I'm not in class tomorrow, you can dare me to do anything. However, if I do show up for class, you give my friends a chance too." 

"Fair." Hermione smiled and caught the parchment and quill before they flew to Draco's hands "I'm in the mood for more forgiving." 

"I'm not sure you'll be hearing a verbal apology from Blaise, let alone Pansy." Draco chuckled "Theo, perhaps, but that's about all you can get." 

"I'll take what I can get." Hermione said "If they're as into this project you've got going on, I guess it's worth giving them a chance." 

"Why?" Draco asked. He really still can't grasp the fact that Hermione Granger was willing to give them a chance. Maybe, from Harry he expected it, but Hermione? If anything, she was the one they've hurt the most. Next to Harry and Ron, maybe. 

"I'm just tired of the negativity, Malfoy." Hermione sighed and began writing on the parchment "We spent almost in living hell. People died, fought, and resented each other. I don't want to hold grudges anymore, it's." 

"Glad we're on the same page." Draco sighed and took the parchment from Hermione before he walked over to the long mahogany table, earning him a glare "Weasley should be more like his girlfriend." 

Hermione sighed and sat next to Draco "Ron lost a brother, Malfoy. I don't know about you, but is very hard to get over." 

" lost someone, or something. Potter's lost more than he has and I don't see him wanting to kill everyone."

"As sad as it sounds, Harry has gotten quite used to the pain." Hermione said quietly "Ron, on the other hand, grew up with but his family. He literally had nothing but, as you said, hand-me-down robes. I know it sounds like I'm just saying this because I'm his girlfriend, but Ron only ever cared about his family and losing Fred-- it was very painful for him and I can see that he doesn't know how to handle it." 

Draco frowned 

"I know you hate him, Malfoy, but you should've seen him when we went for that horcrux hunt. I thought he was going to go mad listening to the guy on the radio list the names of the missing people every night." Hermione shook her head as she wrote the Ron's name next to Neville's. She figured Neville would be a good enough pair for Ron. 

"Is why you're with him, then?" Draco asked and wrote Pansy's name next to Theo's. If he placed her with Blaise, who knows what they'll be doing instead of the rounds? "Do you feel the need to take care of him?" 

"I thought I could, but that isn't going quite well either." Hermione laughed bitterly "Even Harry's noticed." 

"I understand what you mean about Weasley's pain, Granger." Draco said and wrote Blaise's name next to Ginny's, earning him a suspicious stare from Hermione "But like I said, everyone's lost something or someone to the war." 

"I get your point, too." Hermione sighed and placed Anthony Goldstein with Hannah Abott. Surely, a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff would make a sensible pair? Certainly better than pairing a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, that's for sure. 

"Well look at us, discussing this like mature adults." Draco snickered 

"I thought I'd never see the day." Hermione laughed genuinely. If she had told her thirteen year-old self that she'd be laughing with Draco Malfoy in the future, she was pretty sure that the old Hermione would just laugh in her face. 

"Patil with MacMillian, then." Draco muttered and wrote their names on the parchment in perfect script. "You've got a nice handwriting, Malfoy." Hermione began 

"You're being , Granger, it's really scaring me." Draco raised his brows "No, really, it's making me ." 

"You didn't let me finish, ." Hermione smiled "It's nice, but it's taking up." 

Draco laughed heartily "There she is." 

They quietly scribbled down a couple more pairs, taking turns in picking names, before they proceeded to assign each of them to a date and location. "We should keep these pairs for the whole year. I don't want to stress over shuffling them after the holidays." Hermione said and signed the bottom of the page before motioning for Draco to do the same 

"I agree." Draco said and signed his name next to Hermione's in an obnoxiously large script. He knew this would bother her, and he was right because as soon as he looked up she was scowling. 

"I'll get this to McGonagall. I have double Transfiguration next." Hermione stood up

"Perfect, then I'll see you tonight for our rounds. I don't get out of Charms until before dinner." Draco said before sending the rest of his parchments and quill back into his room. "Actually, wait." he called out just before Hermione exited the portrait hole