Come, happy December, who shall observe you, who shall preserve you?
T.S. Eliot
She was feeling utterly dreadful.
Despite firm promises made by her two, idiot companions, she would be all alone for the holidays. Harry and Ron had hurried over to the Weasley household, leaving a wrinkled note on her desk that read:
Sorry Hermione! Mum sent a howler and you were at the library so we couldn't reach you. We'll be back, we promise! Harry says sorry too.
The nerve of them. To abandon her on one of the most significant occasions of the year. She shook her head angrily, managing to braid the strands of her hair delicately. The Gryffindor dormitory was empty. She could practically feel the silence crawling on her skin. Pursing her lips, she sauntered out into the common room, her stomach growling.
x
A howler? Ron had probably lied to her. Her eyebrow twitched involuntarily. What would Ron be in trouble for anyway? Molly was not one to bust her gears just before Christmas. The aroma of cooked meat filled her nostrils. For a moment, she forgot about her lack of company and slid onto a table at random.
Hermione didn't bother glancing around. She knew for certain that the only upperclassman remaining in Hogwarts was herself. The rest were unlucky first years who didn't know where else to venture and reside.
She stabbed her fork into a slice of hot turkey. While she chewed, she cracked open a book, determined to learn something. Her friends would regret disappearing so abruptly. An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms. She sucked in a breath, her brown orbs scanning the pages fervently.
x
The large trees in the hall did not brighten her spirits. Nor the mistletoe that hung lazily on the ceiling, threatening to fall any second. Nor the colorful ornaments and the streamers of holly. She shouldered her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck. Perhaps if she took a walk outside, she would not dwell on the fact that she had no one to accompany her for the holidays. Her parents were out on some trip to an island far away. They loathed winter and longed for a vacation to somewhere sweltering and warm. At least they had given her a notice, all Harry and Ron left was a note. One that made her want to scream and stomp her boot on Ron's pretty hair. Or Harry's glasses.
Snowflakes drifted from the sky slowly, catching onto the material of her clothing and melting there. She shoved her face into her scarf. If only Hagrid was not on business with Dumbledore for the evening, she would have rather enjoyed his company.
The soft steps of someone trudging behind her caused her to halt. Hermoine whirled, expecting to see a lost first year who didn't have any directions. Instead, her gaze met glints of silver. Inside her pockets, her hands fisted.
Draco Malfoy.
x
He was alone.
No smug-looking Crabbe and Goyle. Or giggling Pansy Parkinson.
Hermione was almost glad he appeared so defenseless, but then again, she was in the same circumstance.
He spoke before she could ignore him, "Granger." It came out curious and amused. Whatever came next, she was certain would be harsh. "Looks like Potter and Weasley came to their senses. Took them awhile, I see."
Her emotions took the best of her. She flushed and spat out, "Shut up, Malfoy! At least I have friends who care for me, not ones who tag along because they're scared of me."
To her satisfaction, he grimaced, a frown setting on his mouth. In the dull winter, he appeared too pale to be tarnished. He didn't bother with a hat, so his white blond hair drifted with the movements of the wind, never really lingering on one spot. She pondered why he was still here. Didn't he, of all people, have someone to go home to?
Hermoine took his silence as a cue to leave. She scampered into the girl's dormitory and shut the door hastily. She'd have to barricade herself in if she didn't want any run-ins with Malfoy. Good thing she had a pile of unread books beneath her mattress.
x
She awoke when the corner of a novel poked into her cheek painfully. Groaning, she rubbed her skin and sat up. She had drifted off while reading, which wasn't unusual after all. Outside, crickets hummed and called. She yawned and rose to her feet, stretching out her limbs and sighing when she heard familiar pops.
It was strange waking up to a completely quiet atmosphere. If it was an ordinary day, she would have heard the booming voices of Lavender and Parvati, each gossiping to one another about the daily acts of boys they were fond of. She missed them. She missed the chaos of the gryffindor house and the closeness of Neville and Finnigan and Thomas. They had a habit of starting fights from thin air.
She dragged herself once again to the common room. This time, she swallowed pieces of her pie slowly, not bothering to read on the side.
x
She didn't react when someone decided to sit a few feet away from her. She simply took a sip of her eggnog and sent a sideways glance in that direction. She willed her eyes not to fall from her sockets. In a tone that was both disbelieving and haughty, she started, "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"
He rolled his eyes. "I know you can be quite slow, but I'm disappointed in you, Granger." He lifted his spoon up with a dramatic swirl. "I'm eating."
She huffed.
Who in the world could have predicted that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy would occupy the same space on Christmas night?
x
She dabbed her mouth with a napkin and grabbed her bag, sliding the strap over her shoulder. It was then that she heard him distinctly mumble. "What?" She asked, thinking that she was spending too much time alone to be noticing voices.
He peered up from his plate. It was still full with loads of ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. "Everything feels stranger when no one is around."
She studied him for a few seconds. Was there no bite to his words? Was he saving an insult for later? She nodded and replied nonchalantly, "Yes. Christmas isn't a time for seclusion."
x
He surprises himself by walking beside her down the halls.
She surprises herself by not complaining.
x
"Care to explain why you're alone, Malfoy?" She smirked when he sent her a scowl. "I promise I'll be nice."
He pushed his hair back recklessly. "Whatever, Granger. Nothing a Mudblood would understand."
His words don't strike her. They bounce off of her like flies. Hermione shrugs. "Alright. Sore subject, I can tell."
x
She doesn't tell him where she's heading.
He doesn't ask her what direction to follow.
x
It's only when Hermione decides to rest near a window sill that they actually stop their wandering. Draco takes a seat beside her, leaving about a foot of space between them. "Have you been studying for upcoming exams?"
He scoffed. "What are you talking about, Granger? Those start in months."
She blushed. "You can always get a head start."
Draco startles her by chuckling lightly. "Some things never change."
x
Mistletoe.
Inches atop their heads.
They both notice at the same time.
x
"I am so not kissing you, Malfoy!" She shrieks, backing away from him with a helpless grin.
"In your dreams, Granger!" He winks playfully before disappearing into the slytherin dormitory.
x
Just something a little fluffy for the holidays. Review, guys.