A/N: Cheery little Dramione two-parter around Christmas and New Year. Happy Holidays!
Disclaimer: I don't own even a shred of J.K. Rowling's universe as much as I wish I did.
"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." - Norman Vincent Peale
Hermione Granger was perched at the top of the Head Dorms staircase, a square of parchment in her fingertips. She could hear not a sound aside from the periodic turning of pages as her Slytherin counterpart, the current Head Boy, Draco Malfoy sat reading a book in the common room downstairs. The letter in her hands had been scoured several times and she had resorted to silent contemplation as she mulled over its contents. Molly Weasley had written to her for the first time in three months since she'd returned to Hogwarts to finish her last year. While her best friend Harry Potter had also decided to return, the other part of the Golden Trio had elected to take an offered Ministry position in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Despite being delighted for him, Hermione and Ron had ultimately differing views on where their futures may lie and one such difficult topic was their relationship. After the war they had excitedly agreed to see where things could go but issues began to crop up almost immediately and they were reminded frequently why they argued so much even when friends. The final straw had seen the two of them parting ways as she headed back to her studies and Ron started his new job. Consequently, they hadn't spoken properly since she'd boarded the train and she no longer contacted him, entirely unsure what to say. It appeared it was his mother who would offer the first olive branch as she had written to insist there were no hard feelings amongst the rest of the family and she was more than welcome to join them at the Burrow over the Christmas period as per tradition.
With a huff, she stood, tossed the letter onto her table and descended the stairs. Malfoy glanced up as she took a seat at the other end of the couch but she said nothing as she gazed into the flames of the warming fireplace. Hermione couldn't resist breaking the soothing silence between them, having found the Slytherin to be trustworthy and an excellent listener. She felt at ease speaking with him and he was often very insightful.
"Do you still talk to Rosie Chapman?"
Although completely out of the blue, Draco looked up from his book curiously before nodding. "Yes, sometimes."
Hermione smiled, turning to face him and getting comfortable. "You're still friends with your ex-girlfriend?"
Draco marked his place in the book before resting it in his lap. "I don't mean to be insensitive but you can still be friends after you break up. If you cared about each other or even loved one another, as long as nothing nasty occurred, there shouldn't be a reason not to try. Just because Weezlebee is too stupid to understand that, doesn't mean you should see everything the same." As the witch's frown grew and she opened her mouth to argue, he placed a hand on her arm in a placating fashion before continuing, "That wasn't a criticism of you. What I meant was you shouldn't let him warp your perception because he's too immature. You've been friends for years and you survived a war together."
Hermione calmed, relaxing under his touch. She bit her lip for a moment before deciding to ask his advice. "How do you do it? What do you talk about?"
The Slytherin took a contemplative deep breath, leaning effortlessly back into the couch. "Well, general conversation at first, how things are going, what her classes are like then lead on to a few more personal things. Her mother was sick when we were together so I ask how she's doing and her sister just got married so how that's going and then let it flow. There's no need for things to be awkward so when it has a natural end, just say 'take care' and part ways."
"That's really thoughtful of you." Despite being stunned by his honesty, she managed to raise her voice to form the words.
"The key to any good conversation is to ask the questions you want the answers to. I ask because I care about the response." The brunette witch nodded, observing him closely. After several beats of silence he spoke again more softly. "He's got a big family and a new job, there's plenty to talk about if you're interested." A pink tinge coloured her cheeks as she turned away, acutely aware that he'd figured her out.
A soft knock at the entrance shattered the light tension and Malfoy swiftly rose to see who it could be. Pansy Parkinson crossed the threshold a few seconds later and nodded politely to Hermione which the Gryffindor reciprocated. While neither girl was fond of the other, they had agreed to be civil in each other's company and Draco had in fact discovered that they weren't rude at all about one another when in his presence.
"I was wondering if you were joining us for dinner? Daphne and Blaise are already down there and Theo and Astoria are just finishing prefect duties."
Draco nodded in response, turning a little to glance at the Head Girl. "Coming, Granger?"
"Oh, no, thank you. I've got some things to take care of. A letter to write." Malfoy nodded once again in understanding, following Pansy from the room and leaving Hermione in peace.
The Gryffindor determined the letter to Molly could wait for the time being and instead, she attempted to write a letter to Ron which took far longer than she was willing to admit. In the end she took Draco's advice and kept it polite, short and to the point, asking how things were progressing in his life. Placing the completed work on her table for her to take to the owlery in the morning, she headed to bed for an early night.
"Granger? What in Merlin's name is this oversized sock hanging from the mantelpiece and more importantly why is there another one with my name on it?"
When he'd risen late the next morning, the Slytherin had been greeted by Hermione's Christmas decorations, the witch in a far better mood. Her jingling giggle came from the stairs behind him and he swivelled to meet her gaze. "It's called a stocking, Draco. I felt the common room needed a bit of festive cheer."
"Festive cheer?" He frowned, turning back to appraise the offending items once more. "Tell me this is all you're doing. I do live here too, you know."
"Honestly, you act like you don't adore Christmas, but I know the truth."
"Hmm." Turning away from the fireplace, Malfoy strolled around the couch to the space beside her and admired the tree that filled the corner. "This is satisfactory. You can stop now."
Hermione flicked her wand and sent a garland floating into the air before securing above the stairs. "You're fooling no one." She spun to face him with a satisfied smirk. "Rosie is in my History of Magic class."
Draco opened his mouth to respond but simply threw his head back and groaned instead. "Let me guess, she told you about Christmas at my house. I knew I couldn't trust that devious little Ravenclaw."
"Oh, please, that's exactly why you fell for her."
The Slytherin grumbled an "I suppose" under his breath before flopping down onto the couch with her joining him a moment later. "Go on then, what's the damage? What did she say?"
Hermione tucked her legs under herself as she faced him with a grin. "Well, you have a massive Christmas tree in the foyer and tinsel and garlands along every wall of the house and you even have one in your room that you kept her present under and another huge tree in the living room with all the other presents and this amazing Christmas dinner cooked by the elves and-."
"Okay! Breathe Hermione! Stop gushing." He leant his head back as he gazed at her with an amused half-smile. She merely chuckled in return, nudging him.
"Rosie said you were really sweet and thoughtful with your gift. She had a good time with you."
He hummed lightly. "You should have high hopes for your present then, eh Princess?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at his nickname but the corners of her mouth twitched upward. "You've got me a present?"
A frown grew as he studied her. "You didn't expect me to?" She shook her head lightly, her chestnut curls swaying gently. "Ever so slightly offended, Granger. I'm not a total ass. I imagined with your enjoyment of gift giving you'd feel the need to procure me something and I saw it as only fitting to reciprocate." An abrupt knocking at the portrait entrance had him standing in seconds and pulling it open to reveal a warmly dressed Blaise Zabini.
"Afternoon, Granger." He addressed her cheerfully as Draco collected his scarf and swung it round his neck before pulling on his fleece coat. Hermione greeted him in kind, having become friendly with the Italian since herself and Malfoy had become head students.
"Right, we're off, as usual he's left his shopping until the last minute and hasn't a clue what to buy Pansy." Draco looked at his housemate pointedly but he merely earned a smirk in response.
"The blue satin dress at Pennyworth's in Hogsmeade."
Draco paused at Hermione's statement, his hat halfway on his head. "As surprised as I am that you know that…" Resuming his actions, he then perched beside her again. "I already bought it for her. Any other ideas?"
A smile came to her face, pleased by his perceptiveness, before she explained. "I overheard her excitedly telling Astoria the other day. But if that's not an option, she wears that Rose Blossom & White Tea perfume from that place on the corner." There was silence for a moment before the two Slytherins broke out into identical grins.
"You. Are. Amazing. We've been trying to figure that out since third year. Is it a girl thing? That you just know these kinds of things?" Blaise asked excitedly, unaware of Draco suddenly frowning up at him.
Hermione glared at him sceptically. "Ginny likes the same one."
Nodding like it was obvious; Draco stood and headed for the exit with Zabini in tow, waving on his way out. "Thanks, Granger, have fun with Wonder Boy."
Hermione shook her head at the retreating figures, standing and ascending the stairs to grab a warmer jumper before Harry arrived. While Draco hadn't asked about her writing endeavours, she had found he never attempted to pry into her life and she was rather pleased once again that he'd respected her privacy. She contemplated mentioning it to him but instead concluded to simply take his advice and leave things to their own accord.
"So you like Draco Malfoy? Is that what you're telling me, Hermione?"
Bright green eyes stared at her over the rim of his butterbeer glass as her mouth dropped open. "I have said no such thing. You're jumping to all sorts of conclusions here, Potter."
"Right, of course. Except the evidence is overwhelming. You've mentioned twice that he looks great in his quidditch uniform, you know full well he loves Christmas festivities as much as you, he gave you some pretty solid advice on relationships and he's ever so thoughtful. Did I miss anything?"
Her shoulders slumped as he laughed heartily, knowing he'd cornered her. "Am I an idiot, Harry?"
Becoming more serious, he patted her hand sympathetically. "Look, he and I buried the hatchet long ago. While I doubt we'll be going on holiday and sharing mojitos together, he seems like an alright bloke. From what I remember of his and Rosie's relationship, he was a perfect gentleman. You could do a hell of a lot worse. That being said, I'm not a mind reader 'Mione, I don't know him well enough to tell if he has any sort of feelings for you."
Hermione leant her chin on her hand, sighing heavily and processing his words. "What about Christmas then? Do you think I should go to the Burrow?"
"I can't really answer that for you either." He shrugged sadly, draining some of his beverage. "Only you know how you'll feel. Ginny and I will be there of course but neither of us will hold it against you if you don't make an appearance. Word of advice though, if you do start seeing Malfoy, that will not go down well. You're quite aware of what Ron's like and their families have been at odds for years." Nodding along in agreement, the brunette witch knew all too well that her best friend was right. "Do what your heart tells you. Even if it's a Slytherin." The Boy Who Lived nudged her playfully as a smile graced her face. Gathering their coats, the two departed for the castle, Hermione extremely glad she'd had time to talk things out with her almost brother.
Mistletoe now occupied the entrance to the stairs within the dorm in a feeble attempt by Hermione to get a more up-close and personal experience with Draco Malfoy. The Gryffindor had taken her friends advice after a fashion and devised a plan in the hopes of better determining if the blond wizard actually felt anything towards her. Ever since they began sharing the Head dorms, any previous altercations had been swiftly dealt with, apologised for and forgotten about. They had grown relatively close in a short space of time and Hermione had admitted to herself not long ago that she did feel a small something for the Slytherin but wasn't willing to investigate how much or what exactly. Blaise had once told her that Draco could charm any woman he wanted and this had immediately suggested to her that the Head Boy was in no way directing his advances toward her. Firm in her decision to take things into her own hands, Hermione proceeded to wait for the opportunity to present itself and finally uncover the truth.
She concluded after three days of no success that he wasn't, in reality, avoiding the mistletoe and her secret trap but that it was merely coincidental. With classes over, they no longer had similar schedules and with people leaving for the holidays there were no prefect meetings for them to attend together. Additionally, they were spending time with their individual friend groups, ate together only occasionally and headed up to their rooms in the evenings separately.
After another couple of days, the Gryffindor had completely forgotten, resigned to her plan failing and being so caught up in packing for Christmas holidays. After no response whatsoever from Ron, Hermione had concluded that he simply didn't want to have any sort of friendship in the future and she'd written to Molly the previous day to inform her that she would be spending all of Christmas with her parents. It was two days before Christmas Eve and the head students were to be heading for their respective homes the following day when luck finally struck.
Hermione was headed down the staircase on her way to the Great Hall to meet Ginny for the final time before the two girls parted ways over the festive period. No longer comfortable attending Boxing Day celebrations at the Burrow, she wouldn't be seeing her friend until they returned in the New Year. Draco, on the other hand, had recently finished up a friendly game of quidditch with his housemates and was on his way up to his room to change before lunch with Daphne and Blaise. Wrapped up in their own thoughts, unaware of the presence of the other, the two head students nearly collided at the bottom of the stairwell.
Hermione started in shock as Draco blurted "Merlin" in surprise, causing her to smile and retort sarcastically as her pulse slowed. "No, just little old me, I'm afraid."
The Slytherin rolled his eyes before his expression broke out into something between a grin and smirk. "Well, well, well. Looks like you've finally caught me, Granger."
Hermione followed the flick of steely grey eyes upward and spotted the mistletoe, she herself placed. Distinctly aware she was stood a step up at the perfect height, their eyes level; a bright blush crept up her face and neck as she tried to casually shrug it off. "It's an old tradition, I mean you probably don't want to…I get it."
His smile turned more genuine as he happily stated, "I'm never one to shirk a Christmas tradition." And without another moment's hesitation, he kissed her with more passion than she could ever have imagined.
Unable to resist, her hands gripped the front of his quidditch uniform, tugging him closer. Easily grasping the hint, his hand delved into her curls and the other to her waist, definitively closing the remaining distance between them.
While Hermione had been vying for a potential snog from the handsome Slytherin, she certainly hadn't expected a nearly full blown make out session with the Head Boy. Having completely forgotten her plan, the Head Girl wasn't in the slightest prepared but she deduced that even if she had been ready, she wouldn't have expected that reaction. When they finally parted, Hermione bit down on her kiss-swollen lip and she immediately noted his eyes darken before he cleared his throat and chuckled, forcing a blush back on to her face.
"I thought we might never get the chance."
"You figured it out, didn't you?" She asked, her voice quieter than she'd intended.
"You put all the decorations up the same morning, except this mistletoe. That, strangely enough, made an appearance after you had that afternoon with Potter. Since I'm aware you don't see him in that way and you and I are the only ones to use this staircase, it wasn't such a leap."
Mortified she'd been deciphered so quickly, Hermione hid her reddened face behind her hands. Pulling them away into his own, Draco placed a soft kiss on her cheek and smiled when her warm brown eyes met his gaze. "I've got something to ask you, Granger." A chuckle escaped him as she groaned, wanting to disappear, terrified of what he'd say. "Christmas is a time for family, but we always have a big New Year's party at the manor. I'd love it if you'd be my date."
The Gryffindor witch's mouth popped open in surprise, completely floored when she was sure that he was being genuine. "I'd be delighted."
"Excellent." He beamed, kissing the back of her hand which she was reminded he still had a hold of. "Now, unless you want a repeat performance, which I wouldn't object to in the slightest, I noticed Red waiting at the end of the corridor, presumably for you."
Hermione gasped, "Ginny!" She gratefully smiled at him as he stepped aside to let her pass but before she moved she had to ask. "See you later?"
"Absolutely."
A/N: I'll be posting part 2 next week. Look forward to gift giving, Christmas fun, Ron-related drama and of course, that New Year's date!