Okay so this is rather rushed as I've had so much homework to do having started back this month, so I apologise if the quality is poor or whatever.
Anyway, this is for a competition set by my friend NikkiJane21. Go check her out.
Finally, sorry for the long intro and, I hope you Enjoy :)
"It's beautiful, thank you!" Hermione took herself by surprise at the volume of her reaction as well as Madam Pince who immediately shushed her from behind a book case. After a quick little embarrassed glance up at Malfoy, she looked back down at the beautiful bronze bracelet in her hands. It was a chain of leaves, and after staring at it for half a minute she noticed how it resembled her wand; she couldn't help but smile.
"Draco I..." Hermione started as she looked up, but she turned her head to the right at someone's interruption.
"Hey Hermione!" It was Ron, with Harry close behind.
"Shh!" Madam Pince stared angrily at Ron. He held up his hands in apology and started to over exaggerate his steps as if he didn't want to make the floorboards creek, now deliberately trying to wind up Madam Prince.
Harry walked up to Hermione.
"Hey, who gave you the bracelet?" Harry asked, generally curious.
"Oh er..." Hermione looked around the Library. Draco had gone and the boys obviously hadn't seen him.
"It's er, from my parents. I got it this morning." She quickly changed the subject. "You two slept in late. I didn't see you at breakfast."
"Oh yeah, well, Ron and I had a rather heated chess game last night that went on pretty late. Anyway..." Harry starts, but then gestures at Ron to come over. He came and stood next to Harry.
"Yeah?"
Harry gestured to Hermione and patted him on the back.
"Ron.."
"Oh, right" Ron pulls out a present from his bag and holds it out as they both say, "Happy Birthday Hermione."
That afternoon, while Harry and Ron were having a chess rematch because somehow Harry had won the previous game and Ron was determined to defend his title, Hermione took the book Harry and Ron had given her as a present, Merlin's guide to Merfolk, and wandered down to the lake. After about half an hour of reading, a September chill started to set in the air so Hermione took a little jar out of her bag and pulled out her wand. She conjured up some blue flames, put the jar at her feet and held up her hands to it.
"Room for one more?"
Hermione looked up.
Draco.
Hermione hesitated, "...sure"
Draco lowered himself next to her and lent forward, also stretching out to warm his hands.
Neither of them said anything for a while. They just sat in silence. Eventually Hermione reached for her bag. She retrieved the bracelet and started to play with it gently. Draco hesitated before asking, "Do you, want me to help you put it on?" He rushed the last part, obviously out of his comfort soon.
Hermione looked up at Draco, their eyes meeting for the first time since he'd sat down. She looked back down at the bracelet, "Okay."
Hermione handed it to Draco, then shuffled slightly closer to him and held out her left arm. He reached out his finger and pressed it to her wrist, "I now pronounce you a death eater!" He says triumphantly.
"Draco!"
"Alright okay that was a terrible joke, I'm sorry" He sighs.
Draco pulls the ends round Hermione's wrist and joins the bracelet with surprising grace. He turns her hand round and says "I now adorn you with bronze for a very special day" He kisses her hand softly.
After a moment of awkward silence, Hermione pulls her hand back and quickly turns back around to the jar. Once again they sit in silence, Draco slouching against the tree in annoyance with himself. This time the silence is broken by a giggle.
"What?" Draco says surprised as he looks at Hermione. "Something funny?"
"No, well, yes. Your joke. I..."
"Ha!" Draco laughs, pleased with himself, "I knew you found it funny"
"Oh did you now?" They look each other in the eye, then start laughing and fall back against the tree. It was the ice breaker they needed for both of them to feel immediately more at ease. From that moment on, their evening was full of conversation and laughter.
"We should get going before it gets dark." Hermione said as she put out the flames and started to collect up her things.
"Oh, Yeah, of course." Draco hadn't realised how late it had gotten. They stood up together.
Draco took a deep breathe, then held out his hand. Hermione looked at it.
"I'm not asking you to dance" Draco laughed. Hermione sniggered. Tentatively, she took Draco's hand in hers. It was warmer than she'd expected and his touch made her abnormally even more shy. She smiled sheepishly up at him.
"Come on." Draco lead her away from the tree and they walked slowly up to the castle.
They stopped outside the entrance hall. Draco dropped Hermione's hand and turned to face her, smiling. Hermione looked at him. She'd barely ever seen Draco smile until that evening. It made his face look a lot more gentle when he was genuinely happy. She smiled back. "Thank you for the bracelet, Draco. It's truly beautiful. I'm sorry I made you miss the feast, we should have left earlier. My time keeping is usually spot on. I don't know how..."
Draco wasn't really listening to her. He just looked at her as she fumbled out a pointless apology. "Hermione."
"I mean, I even forgot to wear my watch, how careless can you..."
"Hermione!"
"Yes?"
He leant down and kissed her softly on the cheek, pulling back and brushing her hair behind her ear.
"I wouldn't have changed it for the world." Draco kissed he hand again. "Happy Birthday Granger."
Hermione nudged Draco's shoulder playfully. "Thank you, Malfoy."