It was officially Hermione's least favorite time of the year, which meant that the year was nearly over. She loved the holiday season. Everyone was in a happier mood the days leading up to Christmas. But New Year's was something she simply just didn't understand. It was such an arbitrary holiday. The Earth spins on its axis and takes 365 (and a quarter to be exact) days to travel around the sun completely. Who were they to decide that this exact moment was the start of a "new year?" It wasn't as if anything was going to change when the clock struck midnight.
And yet, here she was, once again stuck at the Potter's annual New Year's Eve party. She groaned as she held a filled flute of champagne, tugging at the skin-tight cocktail dress that she had settled on wearing that evening. She had even bothered to put on heels for this thing. All because the Earth had managed to do the same thing that it had been doing for billions of years and would continue to do until the end of time.
Of course, it didn't help that everyone always romanticized New Year's. Apparently the whole evening was supposed to build up to this big climactic countdown that ended with a kiss. She scoffed at how ridiculous it all was. It was still relatively early in the night, and yet her friends had already coupled up, either permanently or just for the evening, leaving her with hardly anyone that would suit her fancy. Well, if she really wanted to pursue someone, she thought she saw Justin Finch-Fletchley somewhere in the other room, but she was perfectly content hiding in the kitchen, away from the hubbub of the main room.
Harry slightly stumbled as he walked up next to her, his drink sloshing over the brim of his glass as he grasped onto Hermione's shoulder to stabilize himself. She gave him a judgmental look, but he quickly dismissed it. "Oh, cheer up, Hermione," he said, a mild slur to his words. "It's New Year's!"
Hermione carefully pried the drink out of his hands and set it down on the counter. "It's also a Tuesday."
He swatted his arm in her direction, clearly disagreeing with her sentiment. He reached behind her and retrieved his glass, taking more than a sip's worth. "But it's New Year's!" he repeated, as if that explained everything. "We're supposed to have fun."
"I am having fun," she assured him, even though the only countdown she was focused on was how long until she could reasonably leave.
"Yeah, you're just overflowing with holiday cheer," he mocked. There was a knock on the door and Harry looked at it quickly, before returning to Hermione. Harry raised an eyebrow at her and pointed at her glass of champagne. "I expect this to be empty by the time I get back!" he directed before heading towards the door.
Hermione huffed a bit and poured it all down the drain. He didn't specify how to do it.
Hermione leaned forward to peak through the door frame and see who had just arrived and instantly rolled her eyes. She should have guessed Harry would be inviting Malfoy this year. He was too nice not to invite him.
They started to head her way, so she quickly leaned back against the counter to make it appear as if she hasn't been looking. Malfoy strolled in behind Harry, a wrapped bottle of what was probably outrageously expensive champagne stretched out to the host. "For the hostess," he stated. "Sorry, didn't get anything for you, Potter." Hermione couldn't help but conceal a stifled laugh behind her champagne flute. Malfoy turned to her and a faint smile began to creep along his lips. "Would you look at that, Granger in a dress."
Hermione set her empty glass down and pushed herself off the counter, sauntering towards Malfoy. "Better sear it into your memory. It won't be happening again for a long time."
She breezed past him and picked up a fresh glass of champagne, Malfoy grabbing one too. "Oh, trust me, I am," he teased back, scurrying after her as she headed down the hall to the main room. "And I must say, I am quite enjoying the view from the back as well."
Hermione eyed him from over her shoulder. "I'm not going to have to endure comments like that all night, am I?"
Malfoy shrugged one shoulder and smirked. "Not all night. But it's New Year's Eve, and I haven't quite hit my annual quota for annoying you just yet."
She shook her head and sighed, even if she did have to admit that she was mildly enjoying his harmless ridicule. But she had reached the end of the hallway and she needed to get back to at least faking that she was enjoying herself. Hermione entered the room and lost him in the crowd of their friends.
Hermione helplessly looked at the time as she concealed yet another yawn. 11:40 pm. Just twenty more minutes until this was finally over. Or realistically, more like thirty. She couldn't leave immediately after midnight, but at least it would all be done soon.
For the past hour, she had been stuck floating between groups, each one discussing different, but equally as boring topics of small talk. Some of the conversations weren't too awful. Neville had recently proposed to Hannah, and Hermione was delighted to share in their excitement. But besides that, most of the other conversations were meaningless dead ends, often started by asking about Christmas and what presents they had received. She tried to feign interest, but there was only so much faking she could endure.
She desperately needed a break, even if just temporarily. It wasn't as if she was contributing much to the conversation, anyway. Her present company was discussing the latest racing brooms, and she honestly couldn't care less. She dipped out of the circle completely unnoticed and made her way out to the balcony, breathing a literal breath of fresh air when she finally escaped.
She set down her still full glass of champagne and traded it for her wand. Hermione muttered a spell under her breath, and blue flames wisped out of its tip and into her free hand. The vibrant fire tickled in her cupped hands until she placed it on the stone railing, hovering her hands above it for warmth. In the dead of winter, it was bitterly cold outside, but at least she was no longer stuck with everyone eagerly anticipating the world's biggest nonevent.
The glass door to the balcony slid open, and she hoped whoever it was would feel the frigid temperature and simply return inside, but the steps came closer and stopped beside her. Next to her was Draco Malfoy, and she released a massive sigh at the sight of him.
"Clearly we need to get more alcohol in you if that's still your reaction to seeing me," he commented with a smirk.
Hermione rolled her eyes at his inane remark. "Trying to get me drunk, Malfoy?"
Malfoy shrugged and stuck his hands out to join her over the flames. "Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Would it kill you to let loose for a night?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" she sternly defended.
"Physically being here does not qualify as 'letting loose' if you're not going to actually do anything. It's a party, and I have yet to see you take a single sip of champagne. You've been nursing that thing all night."
Hermione looked down at her now room temperature champagne. It was true. She hadn't bothered to touch it all evening. Although, she was surprised that Malfoy had noticed. She grabbed her wand again, and after returning the drink to a chilled state, she took a sip. "Satisfied?"
Malfoy shrugged in modicum approval. "A bit, but I have to ask. If you were just going to sulk all evening, then why bother dressing up?" It was a valid question to ask, especially when she took into consideration how much her feet were starting to cramp up in her shoes. And the dress wasn't exactly her first choice either. His eyes looked her once over and then returned to the blue flames. "I know it may have come off as sarcastic before, but you do look rather… ravishing tonight."
Hermione bit down on the inner edges of her lips to prevent herself from smiling. Okay, so maybe there was an upside to her having bothered with all of it, despite her grievances. She took another sip of the champagne, while Malfoy's eyes remained plastered to the fire. "Well, um, thank you," she said sheepishly. She wasn't accustomed to getting compliments when it came to her looks, especially from the likes of Malfoy, and although she'd never outwardly admit it, it felt nice to hear something positive from time to time.
They remained silent for a second and then Malfoy slightly nudged Hermione's side with his elbow. "This is the part where you say I look handsome or something," he said out of the side of his mouth followed by a smug grin.
Hermione actually smiled this time. "Fishing for compliments now?" she toyed.
Malfoy raised a cavalier shoulder. "Not necessarily. I really just wanted to hear you laugh, but I wouldn't complain if you did end up saying something flattering."
To his amusement, she did laugh a bit, but then they quickly returned to silence. Her toes were starting to lose feeling, but it was hard to determine if that was because of the cold, or because her entire weight was being pushed onto them. Either way, she still didn't resort back inside. She knew what laid within those walls, and given her options, she'd much rather freeze to death out there with Malfoy. At least their conversation provided her with some enjoyment.
She sipped on her champagne, and before she realized it, her glass was empty. "Congrats, Granger," Malfoy observed. "You managed to finish a full glass." He took it out of her hands and picked up his own. "I'll go get us a refill."
The balcony door slid open, and Hermione watched him leave from over her shoulder. For as hard of a time she liked to give him, she really didn't mind his company. But on the other hand, she certainly didn't mind watching him walk away either. His suit pants hugged his arse nicely, leaving no doubt that the man still managed to keep himself fairly fit. She might not have said anything, but he did look quite handsome that night, and every night for that matter. She found it hard to believe that any witch would deny that fact. But he managed to look especially attractive that evening. His suit was elegant and slim cut, with a subtle pattern in the light. She normally didn't focus on superficial things like this; she was merely an observant person. However, it didn't hurt that what she was observing was also so appealing.
When Malfoy returned, he had both glasses delicately crossed in one hand, the bottle from earlier in the other, the wrapping already half undone. He set the glasses down on the ledge and ripped the rest of the paper off. Just as she had expected - a ridiculously expensive bottle of champagne. She smiled to herself. At times, he could be so predictable.
"I thought that was a gift for the hostess?" Hermione asked, even if she did have no objections to them drinking it instead.
Malfoy brushed off her comment, opting to ignore it. He twisted the cork and it popped off the mouth of the bottle, the golden drink cascading over the lip. Hermione quickly grabbed a glass and placed it under the waterfall, the flute filling up with majority bubbles. They filled the second glass, and then topped off the first one once the initial bubbles settled. Malfoy raised his flute for a toast. "To the New Year. May it not be as shitty as the current one." They clinked their glasses and both took a generous sip.
Hermione patted away some of the excess drink from her lips and looked at Malfoy. "Your year really that bad?"
Malfoy chuckled in self-pity. "Well, let's see. My fiancé dumped me, the Ministry forced me into being partners with Potter, and just this morning, I got a bloody stain on my robes!"
Hermione tilted her head and teasingly glared at him. "I would only consider one of those bad."
"I know!" Malfoy instantly responded. "They were my favorite robes!"
Hermione cracked a smile and hit him in the arm with the back of her hand. "You know exactly what I meant!"
Malfoy smiled along for a bit, but then he stared at his glass and shrugged, his jokes subsiding. "It's been a long time since March. I've come to terms with it by now. And besides, there are other witches out there." His eyes met hers for only a second before she quickly looked away. Hermione felt her cheeks turn a subtle shade of rose, and he forced himself to clear his throat. "But what about you, Granger? Any good riddance moments for this year?"
She paused to recompose herself and consider his question. It hadn't been a particularly spectacular year for her either. She'd had her share of relationship woes, and a couple work snafus here and there, yet nothing that quite compared to Malfoy. "I guess, in general, I'm just hoping for a better year," she eventually settled on.
"Aren't we all?" He raised his glass again for another cheers and she took another drink, tipping her head back and letting the drink fall past her lips until she rendered her glass empty once more. He picked up the bottle and filled it back to the brim. She gave him a tight-lipped smile for a thanks, and they fell back to mutually agreed silence.
Perhaps the supposed holiday, or more likely the champagne, was starting to get to her head, but for some reason, she couldn't stop looking at him. She may not have been his biggest fan growing up (to say the very least), but if even Harry had learned to tolerate him, that counted for something, right? And besides, he really did look good that evening...
Hermione eventually tore her gaze away and laid her hands down, having grown stiff after holding them over the flames for so long. She rested her hands on the stone railing, the cold radiating from underneath. Suddenly there was something warm against her. Right beside her hand was Malfoy's, just barely brushing up against hers. It wasn't much, but it was still enough to make her heart flutter. She furtively glanced at him from the corner of her eye, but his attention was locked on their hands. His pinky slowly raised and just barely grazed her own before Hermione snatched her hand away.
Thinking that she could potentially be interested in him was one thing, but acting on it was another. She grabbed her wand off the railing and took a step backwards closer to the door. "We, uh, should head back inside," she stammered.
Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her. "If that's really what you want to do."
Hermione nervously ran her fingers through her hair, although she got stuck halfway down and had to awkwardly pull them out. She peered through the glass and checked the time. "I mean, there's only five minutes to midnight. They're going to notice we're not in there."
"I highly doubt that," Malfoy said as he took two steps forward so he was right in front of her.
"Well, yes, but -"
Hermione wasn't able to complete her feeble protest. He grabbed her by the hand, closing the remaining distance between them, and connected them in a momentary kiss. He lingered for only a second before he pulled away. He looked at her with a smug air of success, and she felt her cheeks heat up again. She pressed her lips together, savoring the sensation that he had left behind and disregarding any part of her that had once wanted to leave.
"Aren't you supposed to wait until midnight to do that?" she asked.
Malfoy smirked. "Couldn't wait any longer."
He took her head into his hand and pressed his lips against hers again, only this time, it was more than just a single peck. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and she more than willingly let him continue. The cold weather was the last thing on her mind as he wrapped his arms around her and encapsulated her in his own body heat, his ever-present touch warming every part of her body. While he remained completely focused on her lips, she managed to get her wand out and flicked the blinds shut and locked the balcony door, ensuring themselves at least some privacy.
Malfoy tore himself away and ran kisses up her jawline. "Fuck, Granger," he groaned. "The moment I saw you in this dress, I wanted to rip you out of it." He nibbled her earlobe, and Hermione's mouth gaped open.
"Not that your ego needs fueling, but you do look devilishly handsome tonight," she added, fully aware that he would absolutely let that bolster up his already high impression of himself. Her fingers fiddled with his suit button and when she managed to slip it through its hole, she yanked his suit off his shoulders, grabbing onto its lapels to draw him in even closer.
Malfoy seized back control and rammed her against the windowed door, causing a pounding sound to echo from beneath her. Their friends inside must have been able to hear it, but at the moment, she didn't care one bit. His lips traveled down her throat, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake. He kept one hand bunching the fabric of her dress while the other traveled up the length of her body and grabbed hold of her breast. "Has anyone ever told you what great tits you have?" he growled before he sunk down to her chest and began to kiss the exposed skin of her cleavage.
Hermione's head knocked back against the door, and she felt the first wave of heat travel down her body and her knickers start to dampen. She clenched her legs together to try to diminish just how turned on she was by the whole ordeal. If he kept touching her like that, she wouldn't object if he threw her over the railing and fucked her right there.
But Malfoy didn't seemed to be going that far, just yet at least. He pushed himself up against her and Hermione could feel his bulge pressed to her hip. Her hand wandered up his thigh and palmed him over his pants, eliciting a hiss out of him.
Through the glass she could hear the muddle chants of their friends begin the countdown.
10…
He kissed her.
9…
He bit down on her lip.
8...
She yanked his hair.
7...
He groaned.
6…
He kissed her again.
5…
He slipped his hand under her bra.
4…
He twisted her nipple.
3…
She gasped for air.
2…
He kissed her.
1...
She kissed him.
0...
"Happy New Year!"
Malfoy pulled away from her as fireworks boomed overhead not too far away in the distance. He ran a finger over his lips with a satisfied smirk. "I think it's safe to say that we got more than our fair share of a New Year's kiss this year."
Hermione couldn't help but blushed under the dazzling lights. "I'd say so." She adjusted her dress hem and ensured that her bra wasn't sticking out.
He rebuttoned his suit jacket and picked up the half empty bottle of champagne. "We should head back inside. They're going to notice we're not in there." He shot her a quick wink before he returned to the rest of the party.
Hermione smiled to herself. Maybe New Year's Eve wasn't such a terrible holiday.
The door slid open and Malfoy peaked his head out. "You wanna grab drinks Friday?" Hermione didn't even hesitate to nod. "Great. I'll owl you."
She could already tell that she was going to like this year.