Hermione sat in one of the big fluffy armchairs in the Head's Flat, trying to relax. Malfoy had been driving her mad since September and she was ready for a nice break with her family. She and her mum and dad were supposed to go to the Bahamas for Christmas vacation. The only thing that stressed Hermione out about the Bahamas was the fact that her skin practically glowed in the dark. The people down there'll probably think my parents keep me locked in the cellar, she mused to herself. She closed her eyes and imagined herself on the beach and not in the below zero temperatures that were plaguing the Hogwarts students. Before long she could feel the warm sun on her skin and the sand between her toes. Her mom sat in a beach chair next to her. They were chatting about a new book they'd read. Her dad was buying them lemonade at the snack bar.
Hermione's eyes caught on a blonde boy talking to a mate. His back was to her, but she noted his rippling muscles running up and down his back and the part of his legs that weren't obscured by a pair of very stylish swimming trunks. Her mom saw her looking and said, "It's time to eat." Hermione looked at her mother quizzically. "C'mon Granger get up." her mother nudged her softly on the arm. "Granger!"
Hermione lifted her head in alarm. Oh Merlin, she thought. It was a dream. He's still here. "Come on, Granger! I'm hungry."
Due to some sort of Death Eater rebellion, the students at Hogwarts had to travel in pairs of two or more everywhere they went. She and Malfoy ended up going to breakfast and dinner together every day, seeing as they shared a Head's flat together. Hermione wouldn't have minded if he was any other person. But it had to be him. It had to be the one person who could really affect her.Hermione stood and stretched while Malfoy crossed his arms impatiently. "Okay, okay! Keep your pants on!" she said. God, was he annoying. "I plan to. Unless you want to take them off for me," he winked at her.
Hermione put her finger part way into her mouth and made a choking sound.
"As if, Malfoy. Let's just go."
They exited the portrait of the Knight of Yorkshire and as they walked down the hall he said, "Have a merry feast, young children!"
Malfoy rolled his eyes but Hermione smiled at him and said "Thank you!" then in an undertone, "You could've waved or something, you know."
"Come on, Hermione you've seen him everyday since September. The old bloke's mad."
"Still," she retorted, "you don't have to be thoroughly- what did you say?"
"What're you talking about, Granger?"
"You just… never mind Malfoy." Hermione said, sighing. She just wanted to get rid of him and go to the Bahamas! "I'll go in first."
"Okay. See you in the common room?"
"Yeah, I guess." Hermione said and walked into the Great Hall. Malfoy waited for Hermione to sit down with her hero mates and walked smoothly in, putting on his Malfoy "I don't give a shit" face. Girls melted and boys looked down to their plates, jealous. Hermione gagged. How could one person have that much affect on a whole room? God, he'sso annoying! But one thought crossed her mind that made her feel completely different about this grown-up boy that'd tortured her all these years: He'd called her Hermione. He'd used her name as lightly as if he said it every five seconds. Hermione was used to everyone else calling her by her first name, but this was different. Something about the way that Malfoy had said it had made it sound warm and inviting, and she wanted him to say it again.
Draco sat at the Slytherin table and acted as he usually did. Pansy was is right-hand girl, Blaise his left-hand man. While he was talking, the whole table seemed to hush to hear what he had to say, and would laugh uncontrollably at his jokes. He loved the attention. Everyone seemed to adore him. Everyone seemed to want to be him. Rich, famous in fear, uncontrollably sexy. He seemed to have everything. Everything but someone to fill that cold hole in his heart. He needed to have someone to hold and to tell everything to, not just someone to shag. Pansy was good for nothing but shagging, and Draco didn't mind one bit, but he honestly needed that one special person in his life. With this thought his eyes wandered around the Great Hall nostalgically. They wandered to a very unsuspecting Gryffindor know-it-all. Goosebumps erupted on his arms and he put his fork down.
"I'm going to go start packing now." he said to murmurs of his friends.
"But Dray, you're going to miss McGonagall's speech!"
"It's okay. Crabbe and Goyle will tell me later."
Pansy settled, defeated, back into her chair as she watched Draco exit hurriedly.
When Draco got back to the Head's dorm, the Knight of Yorkshire started to scold him for walking about the castle alone until he saw the tent in Draco's pants. The portrait swung open and Draco ran upstairs to the bathroom. What the hell is she doing to me?
Hermione had noticed Malfoy's abrupt departure. She was also very confused about what she'd felt when he left. Was she actually worried about his walking around the corridors at night when said Death Eaters were on the loose? Yes, she actually was. And she couldn't shake it either. She had to find out what was wrong. She began to stand just as Headmistress McGonagall did. She cursed silently and settled back down, waiting expectantly, but she still thought of Malfoy in the back of her mind. The slender professor began her short Christmas speech, though Hermione had a hunch that it'd be longer this year.
"Happy Christmas, students and faculty! I can wish you nothing but the highest safety and well being as you reunite with your families once again for the holidays." There was scattered applause and murmuring amongst the students.
"I have some very, very grave news, so pay careful attention. As most of you know, last year Harry Potter vanquished Lord Voldemort right here in this very room." she gestured to Harry as cheers and applause invaded the large cathedral-like room. "Quiet now." All sound died away quickly. "As great a deed as that was, many of the surviving Death Eaters were outraged and began fighting back without their master, and have been wreaking havoc since last June. We have confidential knowledge that said Death Eaters are planning a raid on Hogwarts castle after the holidays."
Gasps and murmurs slid through the hall and people started to stand and call to each other. "Enough!" McGonagall screeched. The students quieted, but did not cease looking for loved ones and friends in their seats. "Our plans- that is, the decisions of myself and the Ministry of Magic- are to move all wizarding school students to America to attend public schools there while our Aurors hunt down the remainder of the rebel Death Eaters. The day you come back from the holidays will be used for cleaning and packing all your belongings and preparing to move. We will then use Portkeys to reach out destination. I'm so very sorry. Our decision is primarily in the idea of your safety." With that, the Headmistress was seated again at the faculty table.
"I don't like the sound of this." Hermione voiced.
"I fucking kill him and his followers run out to finish his business. Didn't anything we do last year help? Everyone's in just as much danger as they were last year." Harry said, almost trying to suppress tears.
"Harry, are you daft?" Hermione scolded impatiently, feeling pulled to Malfoy but feeling the need to console Harry. "Without Voldemort, the Death Eaters are just blind rats." She put a consoling hand on his shoulder, "You should feel proud of what you did, just like the rest of us."
"Thanks." Harry half-smiled and picked up his fork.
"Don't worry, mate. We'll only be in Muggle schools for a short bit. The Aurors will take care of the remaining slime while we get to stare at American girls all day. It'll be bloody brilliant!" Ron said.
Harry's face lit up. "Well when you put it like that…" he grinned and went back to his food while he and Ron talked about the sort of girls they would meet in a short time. They didn't even notice Hermione slip out of the Great Hall.
She ran to the Head's Tower and sped down the corridor. When she reached the portrait he tried to delay her but he only made her more curious. She said "Bogart!" and he was forced to let her in. Looking around the small common room she noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Malfoy was asleep on the sofa; hair flopped messily over his eyes as his chest moved evenly up and down. Hermione walked over and sat on the edge of the sofa, a little lower than his chest. She watched him lying there peacefully for a moment and then draped a blanket over him. Surveying him, she couldn't help but smile. She knew he was Malfoy, but it couldn't hurt to look at him when he didn't know she was looking.
She reached down and brushed the hair out of his closed eyes, gently whispering, "Remind me to tell you all about it tomorrow." she whispered. As she walked up the stairs and Draco heard her door shut, he grinned with all his might. He might not know what she was doing to him, but he couldn't help wanting more of it, whatever it was.
A/N: I moved the battle to sixth year, and completely wiped out HBP, although I threw Dumbledore's death in. In order for my plot to work, I still needed a year of Hogwarts. I hope you liked it! (: