Happy New Year everyone! This is my Better-Late-Than-Never New Year's Fic :D I hope you enjoy!
Pop
a DraMione by mspolapotter
New Year's Eve.
It was that one day when everyone was allowed to drink alcohol and get wasted at Hogwarts. Well, whoever was left anyway.
Draco Malfoy had no home to go to. His father was in Azkaban and his mother was trying to calm herself with a vacation around the world. He had no friends to speak of. Most of the Slytherins avoided each other these days. And he wasn't that chummy with anyone from the other houses anyway.
So, what was he doing outside the Great Hall when he could be snuggled up in bed, not having to see everyone else having fun while his world crumbled slowly? Well, Draco was never one to miss on free booze without having to hide it from the prefects.
Draco managed to sneak away a bottle of Firewhiskey and was sitting outside on the courtyard, watching the few early fireworks.
"Aha, I knew you were the one who stole that bottle," a familiar voice said behind him. Hermione Granger was approaching him with a smirk on her face. "You do know that the bottles were counted. You are Head Boy after all."
"Sue me," Draco shrugged, opening his arms wide and taking another swig from the bottle.
"I'll take that," Hermione said. Draco was about to protest when Hermione took a swig.
"Naughty tonight, are we?" he said. Hermione said beside him and leaned on the pillar beside the bench.
"Ah, it's one night," she shrugged, handing Draco the bottle. "What brings you here? I thought you'd be with your Slytherin friends?"
"Friends," Draco scoffed. "How about you? What's a prissy little prefect like you doing out here drinking stolen alcohol with the son of a convicted Death Eater?"
Hermione was silent for a while. Draco handed her the bottle. "For courage," he said with a smirk. Hermione smiled and took another swig. She cleared her throat from the sting and began talking.
"Well, for once I thought things were gonna go my way," Hermione said.
"Such as?" Draco prodded.
Hermione shook her head. "This is gonna sound silly," she said.
"Try me."
Hermione looked at him and then to the skies and smiled back at him.
"Mum and Dad have this…tradition," she began. "At midnight, on new year's eve, the person who…kisses you would be the one you'll spend the entire year with. But the catch is, that person has to make the girl's foot pop. If not…well they'll break up before Christmas.
"Pop?"
"You know, when the kiss is just so great that your knee bends upward and makes your foot…pop."
Draco stared at her in disbelief. "It's how my parents got together," she added.
Draco smirked at her. "Well that is a stupid belief," he joked. Hermione slapped his arm playfully.
"And were you hoping that Weasel would in fact be giving you this pop-inducing fantastic kiss at the stroke of midnight?"
"Yes," Hermione admitted, hiding her face behind her hands in shame. She couldn't believe he just told Malfoy this stupid story.
"What made you think otherwise?"
Just then, the doors of the Great Hall opened. Music blasted from the Hall noisily and it was shut as soon as it was opened. The sudden loudness was replaced by the shrillest of giggles. Draco looked around and saw a girl dragging a boy with her, his red hair caught by the light of the moon.
"I see," Draco said sympathetically. "So you think you could come here and drown your sorrows in alcohol. Not a very wise choice. I expected more from you, Miss Granger."
"Hypocrite," Hermione said.
They were silent for a few moments, exchanging glances and the bottle of Firewhiskey. When they were down to the last swig, the faint music was replaced with a countdown. Hermione handed him the bottle.
Ten!
"Take it," she said. "I'm this close from being hammered. I better go back inside and make sure no one's throwing up yet."
Eight!
Draco took the bottle from her and drained it.
Seven!
"Happy New Year," they said to each other at the same time.
Hermione walked away, unable to keep a straight line. Draco grabbed her to keep her from falling.
Five!
Her face was reddened from the copious amount of alcohol she had, and the fact that her system was not used to having any in it.
Three! Two!
Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the sadness. Whatever it was, Draco was not sure what made him press his lips to hers just as everyone shouted One! and the Hall erupted into the loudest of cheers.
The music played even louder. Fireworks exploded in the air and behind Hermione's eyelids as Draco kissed her. It was surprising at first, but after a few moments, she melted into the kiss.
Unconsciously, her foot popped.
P.S. The next chapters will be shorter than this. This is one-shot-ish because it's sort of the introduction. Okay? Okay.