You can do this. It's not the bully from school, he's changed. At least give him a chance to prove it. "Malfoy."
She sounds so dry and tense, it's almost reminiscent of one of Hogwarts' old Potions professors. She wears different robes than him, at least - not the dark and fully buttoned up Potions robes, but something in pale green that reminded her of scientists in old films, with the cloak on top for good measure; no hat, only her hair braided into submission, to keep it from accidents when brewing.
The bottom line is, she has been accused of being dry and tense before, when the engagement was dissolved. Not by Ron, who would not have had the guts to do it, but by his mother, who blamed Hermione for the fact that a whirlwind romance born in the middle of the war did not immediately push her into a matronly role. Disappointment had always been a sore sentiment in Mrs Weasley's control, and toppled with the fact that her parents' memories were never going to be returned...
It had rankled. It has stayed with her.
But that's not entirely why she's tense, when greeting Malfoy. She doesn't expect him to look - well - good. Not just well, not just healthy, but rather more at ease with where he is in life right now. She can't say she begrudges him that, though; he's not the one who doled out the torture. She'd been at the trial, standing as witness for him and as witness for his mother (respectfully she'd declined to be a witness for Lucius Malfoy, because fuck him).
She is rather pleased to see that her testimony achieved more than just Draco's freedom of the errors of his youth. He's done something for himself.
That's what pushes her to awkwardly stick out her hand, offering a truce. "Welcome to Hogwarts again."
damn damn damn
She sounds so dry and tense, it's almost reminiscent of one of Hogwarts' old Potions professors. She wears different robes than him, at least - not the dark and fully buttoned up Potions robes, but something in pale green that reminded her of scientists in old films, with the cloak on top for good measure; no hat, only her hair braided into submission, to keep it from accidents when brewing.
The bottom line is, she has been accused of being dry and tense before, when the engagement was dissolved. Not by Ron, who would not have had the guts to do it, but by his mother, who blamed Hermione for the fact that a whirlwind romance born in the middle of the war did not immediately push her into a matronly role. Disappointment had always been a sore sentiment in Mrs Weasley's control, and toppled with the fact that her parents' memories were never going to be returned...
It had rankled. It has stayed with her.
But that's not entirely why she's tense, when greeting Malfoy. She doesn't expect him to look - well - good. Not just well, not just healthy, but rather more at ease with where he is in life right now. She can't say she begrudges him that, though; he's not the one who doled out the torture. She'd been at the trial, standing as witness for him and as witness for his mother (respectfully she'd declined to be a witness for Lucius Malfoy, because fuck him).
She is rather pleased to see that her testimony achieved more than just Draco's freedom of the errors of his youth. He's done something for himself.
That's what pushes her to awkwardly stick out her hand, offering a truce. "Welcome to Hogwarts again."