Emma didn't react she stood still absorbing what Draco had told her. He was a wizard? Of course part of her wasn't shocked they'd suspected right? What did this mean for her promise not to tell? She looked up into his eyes. He looked nervous she wanted so badly to reassure him that it was ok. That she was a witch and it was fine. But she held back.

"Draco I", Emma began but was cut off as David and Max rounded the corner.

"Draco, Emma!" The twins said together. "You don't usually take this way home do you?"

"Uh no" Draco said.

"Just thought we'd try a different way today." Emma agreed.

The twins went on oblivious to the obvious tension. "Well we'll walk with you then." David said. "Our house is just about a block after Emma's."

"So what did you think of professor Manaell's lesson today?" Max asked. "Personally I thought he was losing it everything can't be a conspiracy."

Emma agreed, "im sure not everything is a conspiracy no."

"True but people do have secrets." Draco said looking pointedly at Emma, "sometimes the people you'd least suspect of keeping something from you."

Emma gave him a look pleading for understanding. "Sometimes people don't keep secrets to be mean or because they don't trust someone. Sometimes their secrets might affect more than just them."

They stared at each other neither saying more but both seemed to be having a silent debate. One pleading for patience and understanding, the other desperate to be trusted.

The twins shuffled nervously "well guess it's my stop now" Draco said quietly. "See you later Emma."

"Yeah see ya Draco." Emma replied sadly.

..............................................................

Draco threw his bag down in his room. He buried his face in his pillow and let out a frustrated bellow. That wasn't how he'd wanted that to go. He'd pictured her relieved and jumping into his arms thrilled to know she didn't have to hide things from him anymore. Instead she'd stood quietly and when she'd finally been ready to respond the twins had shown up. Draco didn't know them well they only had the one class together. He knew they hadn't purposely interrupted things still he couldn't help but feel irritated at them. Draco growled and threw his pillow at the wall knocking his desk light off in the process. It fell with a satisfying clang.

Draco heard a soft knock at his door and sighed. "What?!"

"Draco? Is everything ok?" Hermione's voice questioned through the door.

"Yes fine, great, wonderful!" Draco said sarcastically.

There was a long pause, "Draco can I come in?" She asked quietly.

Draco sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "Sure fine come in."

Hermione quietly entered the room. She gave him a disapproving look towards the fallen light and quietly placed it back on the desk. Draco rolled his eyes same old Hermione.

"So wanna tell me what's wrong?"

Draco looked at her incredulously. Why should she care what was wrong with him? He'd been horrible to her for years she should be the last one to care if anything was wrong with him.

Hermione seemed to pick up on his thoughts and laughed quietly. "I know we haven't always been friends or even civil to each other Draco, but if something's wrong I truly am willing to listen and maybe help."

"Why do you care at all?" Draco asked suspiciously, "why not leave me to suffer?"

"Because I'm not that kind of person Draco." Hermione replied seriously, "anyone could see you're trying if they only looked. If you can try to better yourself surely we all can. Besides, I have to believe that professor Dumbledore would have wanted that. He never did give up on you..."

"Lot of good faith in me did him." Draco said with a self deprecating sigh, "I wimped out the first threat to my person and my family and I did whatever I was asked regardless of wether I believed it to be right or wrong."

"You were young it's a lot to ask of a teenager to make choices with such drastic consequences." Hermione started.

Draco cut her off, "don't give me that Hermione! You, Harry, and Weasley were just as young with just as much to lose yet you didn't give up! You didn't attempt to kill a mentor! You didn't let friends and teachers die in front of you for fear of acting! You didn't grovel at 'his' feet even when confronted with him!" Draco nearly shouted then in a strangled whisper he said. "You wouldn't have not you three or Ginny even Neville ended up braver than me. I'm a coward! I'm not worthy of a second chance, not worthy of friendship...im definitely not worthy of Emma" Draco sighed sadly.

"Who's to say what you would have done in our places. Ron and I both grew up in very supportive environments I suspect you never had that?" Draco gave a slight nod at her questioning tone. "As for Harry well the murder of loved ones is a very good motivator, not to say that was the only reason, it wasn't, but I will say it probably helped. I won't go into it but we had our questioning moments where we'd rather have hidden than continue fighting what seemed like a lost cause. Draco if we only ever got the things we deserved nobody would get anything good. We all have moments where we aren't good friends or worthy of another chance. As for Emma when you truly care for someone it's common to feel they are way out of your league. Id venture to think Emma probably has thought the same of you. It's rather presumptuous of you to decided what she's worthy of and what she needs.."

Draco ran his hands through his hair and sighed again. "Thanks Hermione."

"Sure, now wanna tell me about Emma?" She smiled reassuringly.

"I told her, I told her we're magical." He said quietly.

"Draco!" Hermione gasped, "what did she say?!"

"Nothing she paused for a long while then when she finally went to respond the Effridge twins interrupted." Draco growled frustrated again. "She didn't seem shocked or scared though."

Hermione sat quietly thinking. "You took a big risk Draco."

"I know I did I just", Draco sighed, "I couldn't handle the silence between us anymore I didn't know what else to do!"

"Well hopefully it will turn out ok." Hermione paused. "Draco if it doesn't if she's a muggle and doesn't handle our secret well she'll have to be obliviated. You won't be able to see her anymore."

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Hello there peoples finally getting over being sick. Have a lot of sinus pressure in my cheekbones which has led me to wonder what my skull looks like lol my family thinks I'm weird 😄 anyway finally got another chapter for you I hope you're enjoying the book would love to get some comments...

Alrighty see you in the next chapter laters