Title: A Very Different Christmas
Summary: It's Christmas at Hogwarts. Why is Hermione sitting outside in the cold, alone? And who will be there to join her? A Dramione one-shot.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, though I would love to. Everything written here is purely for enjoyment purposes and not to be sold for any profit.
Rating: K+
A/N: This is written for the Christmas Challenge 2010, my first attempt at participating in a HPFC. Based on the song Last Christmas. Enjoy!
A Very Different Christmas
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
It was snowing. Hermione tilted her head up to the sky, feeling the cold snow fall onto her face, her hair, her hands. She was sitting alone by the lake, hugging her knees to her chest, trying to keep herself warm. Everyone else was staying in the comfort of the castle, in their respective dormitories, celebrating the festive season together. Harry had tried to drag her along, but Hermione didn't want to join in, not at all.
And to think that she had been so excited to celebrate Christmas with Ron last year. With a wistful sigh, Hermione closed her eyes momentarily, willing herself not to think about last Christmas. They say that time heals all wounds, but for Hermione, even after all this while, she still wasn't healed. Memories from last Christmas kept flooding back to her, the pictures playing over and over again in her head as if everything had just happened yesterday, preventing her from being able to move on without Ron by her side.
And now, as Hermione thought about it for the thousandth time, she felt tears pricking her eyes again, threatening to slip through her eyelashes.
I won't cry. Not for him. She squeezed her eyes shut, telling herself to stop thinking about it, about last Christmas, and about Ron.
Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye
Tell me baby, do you recognize me?
Well it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me
Happy Christmas
A Year Ago
She had pondered and racked her brains for weeks over what to get Ron as a Christmas present. A book? No, Ron wouldn't like her buying him a book again, considering that he still hadn't finished the last one she bought him. A sweater? No, Ron had enough of those to get him by for years. A new broomstick? No, Harry already told her that he was planning on giving a firebolt to Ron this Christmas.
Finally, she settled on making a pair of hand-sewn mittens, thinking that he'd probably prefer something handmade rather than store-bought. At least, that was what she would prefer for a gift.
It had taken her over a week to finish sewing those mittens, and they did turn out pretty nicely, if she said so herself. She couldn't remember how many times the needle had prickled her fingers, or how many hours she had sacrificed on painstakingly sewing those mittens instead of studying for her exams in the library. But it was all worth it, Hermione thought with a smile, as she pictured the surprised and happy look on Ron's face when he receives the gift.
I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying "I love you", I meant it
Now I know what a fool I've been
But if you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again
Beaming proudly at her finished product, Hermione wrapped up the mittens and placed them gently in a red and green gift box, along with a Merry Christmas card that she had written herself. She had penned down all her thoughts and feelings that she was too embarrassed to tell Ron face-to-face in the card. While she and Ron had been going out for a while, they had never told each other "I love you" outright. Hermione had hoped that the card would be the first step to doing so for the both of them.
"Do you think he'll like it?" She asked anxiously on Christmas morning, as she and Ginny were climbing down the staircase from the girls' dormitory, Ron's present held carefully in her hands.
"Stop worrying, Hermione," Ginny laughed, her eyes twinkling as she reassured the girl. "Ron'll be an idiot if he doesn't appreciate those mittens that you made. You know that your sewing skills are amazing."
Managing a small, nervous smile, Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room, and took in the festive scene before her. The room had been decorated with red and green banners, beautiful Christmas lights that were changing colours every other second, scented candles, and fresh flowers. Someone had also set off a box of firecrackers, and Hermione had to cover her ears to block out the deafening sound.
She looked around, with Ginny close by her side, as both tried to find Ron. It wasn't easy, with everyone laughing and pushing each other, and some dancing to the Christmas songs playing in the room. "Ow!" Hermione winced as someone stepped on her foot. "Where is Ron?"
"There! There he is," Ginny nudged her friend impatiently as she spotted her brother's striking red hair. "He's...oh no, wait, Hermione, let's -" Her eyes widened suddenly as she rushed in front of Hermione, trying to block her view as she attempted to push her friend towards the portrait hole.
"What are you doing, Gin?" Hermione frowned slightly, puzzled, as she tried to look past Ginny's shoulders."Oh, I see him! Ron! Over here!" She called out excitedly, her face breaking into a wide smile.
That smile died down immediately, however, when she saw who he was with...and what he was doing.
Ron and Lavender were wrapped up in the middle of the crowded common room, standing beneath the only mistletoe in the room, their faces glued so tightly to each other that it would be a feat to try and pry them apart. Lavender's arms were draped over Ron, who looked as if he was trying to eat the girl's face off.
A loud clatter was heard as the parcel that she held in her hands dropped to the floor. "Ron…" She whispered, her voice trembling, her eyes full of disbelief. She trusted Ron, she thought he loved her the same way she loved him, that they were meant to be together. Apparently, she was wrong. Completely wrong.
A crowded room, friends with tired eyes
I'm hiding from you, and your soul of ice
I thought you were someone to rely on
Me, I guess I was a shoulder to cry on
Tears welled up in her eyes then as she turned abruptly away from the oblivious couple, pushing away Harry and Ginny as she ran out of the common room. She could vaguely hear Ginny shouting "Ronald Weasley, you stupid git!" as she fled from the room, her vision blurred. How could she have been so blind?
She ran, not caring where she was going at all. She just wanted to escape from the scene she had just saw and wipe it away from her mind completely. She pushed open the giant oak doors as she ran out of the castle, snow falling lightly onto her hair.
It was cold outside, but Hermione didn't care. She continued running, the cold wind blowing against her face, numbing her senses. Finally, too tired to even walk anymore, she stopped, leaning against a large pine tree. Closing her eyes as she tried to catch her breath, Hermione slowly sat down, curling into a ball at the bottom of the tree, and cried her heart out.
"Why are you out here alone on Christmas? Potter and Weasel decided to abandon you at last?"
A sudden voice behind her made her nearly jump out of her skin in fright. Recognising the drawl almost immediately, Hermione sighed inwardly to herself, mentally steeling herself for the insults that she knew would soon follow. Malfoy. Nothing good ever happens to her when Draco Malfoy is around; he was probably here to make her Christmas even more miserable than it already was.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione demanded as she crossed her arms and stared up at the silver-eyed boy.
"Oh, don't be so hostile, Granger. It's Christmas! Lighten up." He smirked, plopping himself down onto the ground beside her, earning an annoyed look from the brunette. She scooted away from him, turning her face away and staring out into the lake. They sat for a while in silence, with Hermione trying to ignore the presence of a ferret beside her, and Malfoy, for once, actually looking thoughtful.
Finally, Hermione couldn't restrain herself anymore. "Why are you sitting here? Aren't you going to celebrate Christmas with the other Slytherins?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Is there anything wrong with me sitting here? And for your information, Granger, I asked you the same question, and you didn't answer me either."
"Well, I...that's none of your business, Malfoy. And I suppose you can sit here, except that I find it strange that we have been here for at least ten minutes and you haven't thrown me an insult yet."
To her surprise, Draco Malfoy actually laughed, a light, melodious sound that was nothing like the snigger that she was used to receiving from him. "Surprised, Granger? Figured that I could let you off a little on Christmas. I am in a pretty good mood, after all."
Hermione rolled her eyes disdainfully. "Malfoy, in case you are unaware, I -" She started, but was cut off abruptly with a wave of the hand by the boy. "Now, now, let's not spoil the festive season by arguing, shall we, Miss Gryffindor Know-It-All?"
Before she could open her mouth to protest, that he was the one who started teasing her first, Draco turned to her and surprised her with an unexpected question. "Got a Christmas wish in mind?"
"No." She huffed out an answer, still irked at how she had just been interrupted rudely.
"Really? You don't want to get your dear little Weasel back from Lav Lav?" He teased.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Hermione whipped her head around as she glared at Malfoy, who was grinning back at her. "Ron and I are over. Period. Now, if you'd just leave me alone - "
"Relax, Granger," He laughed again, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "No need to get so defensive. I was only asking, after all."
But Hermione wasn't listening. Her head was bent down as she stared at the snow beneath her feet, her hair covering her face to prevent Malfoy from seeing that she was on the verge of tears again. She hated feeling this way, this weak, this vulnerable, all because of a boy. But it wasn't just any boy. It was Ron. Ron, who had been her best friend for seven years; Ron, who made her heart flutter everytime she saw him; Ron, the only boy she had ever loved and kissed.
"Hey, Granger?" Malfoy frowned slightly when he didn't get a response from the girl next to him. Peering down at her, his jaw dropped when he saw tears running down her face. "Whoa, Granger, I was just kidding. I didn't expect...that you...hell, you really liked him, didn't you?"
Hermione turned her head away from him to avoid his gaze. "Yeah. Yeah, I did." she whispered, her voice cracking.
Malfoy was silent for a few seconds, searching for words that usually came easily to him. "It's his loss, Granger. Can't believe you forgave him after the Brown affair in the sixth year, and look where that got you now," Malfoy started, then stopped, realising that what he was saying would probably hurt the girl even more. "You deserve bet- I mean, Weasel had always been a jerk anyway, even more than Potter was."
"As much as I am annoyed with Ron, I don't appreciate you talking about my friends in that way."
"Seriously. Granger? After all that he did, you still consider him as a friend?" Raising his eyebrows, Malfoy stared at her incredulously.
Hermione sniffed. "Well, you have done much worse to me than he did, and I'm still talking to you now, aren't I?"
"And why is that so?" He asked, looking bemused, as he waited for her reply.
She looked away. Malfoy was right. Why was she even talking to him? What was she thinking thinking? It wasn't like she could expect any words of comfort to come out from his mouth, she thought with a humorless laugh. He was, after all, the boy who constantly called her a mudblood, insulted her bushy hair everytime he saw her, and had been nothing but mean throughout all her years at Hogwarts.
"Don't look so solemn, Granger. Hey, you want to know what my Christmas wish is?" His voice interrupted her thoughts, bringing her back to reality and the fact that he was still sitting closer to her - too close for her comfort, actually.
"I don't care." She answered shortly, though she was slightly interested in what Draco Malfoy could possibly want for his Christmas gift. He had practically everything that money could buy - Lucius Malfoy was filthy rich, she had to admit to that.
"Oh, but I'm still going to tell you," He smirked, blatantly ignoring Hermione's irritated look. "See, I like this girl, and I want a kiss from her this Christmas."
"Big surprise, Malfoy. You're actually liking someone for a change," She snorted, but was unable to mask her growing curiosity. "Who is she?"
"I can't tell you, Granger, it's a secret, you see." He replied annoyingly, shaking his head as he raised a finger to his lips with a grin.
"Fine. Why are you telling me then?" Hermione gritted her teeth. She was feeling more and more annoyed as the conversation went on, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly why it was affecting her so much. It wasn't just because Malfoy refused to tell her about his secret crush; it was something more, but she didn't know what it was.
"Asking you for advice, maybe." He shrugged again, as if he saw nothing wrong with him asking one of his arch enemies for advice, instead of someone like, say, Zabini or Parkinson. "You're a girl, after all."
"Well, Malfoy, have it ever crossed your mind that you should just tell her?" She told him exasperatedly, her mind flashing back to her fifth year with Harry and Cho. Honestly, are boys always this clueless?
"You think it's that easy, Granger? What if she doesn't like me back?" He scoffed back, looking at her as if she was dumb.
"Oh, don't be such a coward, Malfoy. You never know until you ask." She shot back. Since when was Malfoy worried about whether a girl likes him or not? Merlin, I'd love to know who she is - not that I really care, but this girl must be something to have him acting like this.
"You think so?"
More than ready to end this discussion, Hermione replied with a simple "Yes", hoping that Malfoy would just drop the subject.
A friend to discover with a fire in her heart
A man under cover but you tore me apart
Now I've found a real love, you'll never fool me again
"Good." He said, looking uncharacteristically nervous as he took a deep breath. "Alright then, Granger, I like you."
"Wh-what?" She spluttered after a moment of shocked silence, certain that she must have heard him wrongly.
Malfoy sighed exaggeratedly, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Granger, you know you heard me the first time round."
Laughing nervously, Hermione tried to brush off what he had just said, ignoring the warm, fuzzy feeling that was spreading through her body. "Well, I - Oh, don't be ridiculous, Malfoy. You can't possibly -" Before she could finish her sentence though, she was abruptly cut off, once again, by Malfoy. Only this time, it was because he had just placed a hand of her cheek, pulled her gently to him, and covered her mouth with his own.
Hermione's eyes widened in shock. Was Draco Malfoy actually kissing her? This can't be happening! What am I supposed to do? But she didn't have to answer that, because before she knew it, her eyelids had fluttered close, and she was kissing him back. It was slow and sweet, perfect for a first kiss, and nothing like what she had experienced before. Hell, Ron's kisses weren't even half good when compared to what she and Draco were sharing now.
When they finally broke apart, Hermione found herself staring at a pair of beautiful silver eyes. "I wasn't joking." He said seriously, leaning his forehead against hers. "I meant it, what I said just now."
Lost for words, Hermione only managed to whisper, "Why?"
"I don't know, Granger," He replied, his arms encircling her waist and pulling her closer to him. "Sometimes love doesn't have a reason. That's what makes it so magical, isn't it?"
"Thank you, Draco. You're sounding strangely philosophical now." She teased, as she allowed herself to rest her head against his chest.
"On a first-name basis, now, are we?" He smirked good-naturedly at her. "Well then, Hermione, thank you too, for fulfilling my Christmas wish." His silver eyes locking on her warm, brown ones, he hesitated slightly before continuing. "And I want to spend every Christmas of my life from now on with you as well, if you'll allow me to."
"Merry Christmas, Hermione."
Hermione finally smiled for the first time that day. She had a feeling that this Christmas was going to turn out to be much better than she had expected.
"Merry Christmas too, Draco."
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
A/N: My first song-fic! Hope you liked it :) and please leave a review, thanks! :D