This was written for the Fairest of the Rare's advent, Day 13

Well, Antonin thought to himself, I really should have seen this one coming. He was currently stuck under the mistletoe at the Malfoy's Annual Samhain Ball

He still wasn't exactly sure why the mistletoe appeared as soon as the clocks flipped to midnight; the festivities would continue through to sunrise. But it had, and here he was. He was in the middle of a particularly biting statement about the stupidity of mixing Yule traditions into a Samhain ball when he heard the footsteps approach.

Draco, the snarky brat, had found him. After a great deal of laughter, he had walked away, casting a few charms that Antonin was sure actually hid him more than he already was. The charms seemed rather unnecessary- he was down the visitor's hall three floors up from the party.

He could just barely hear the songs below him, he stopped counting after the third one. Perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to just bring the boggart without warning him… But how else would the wizards work through their fears? Wasn't the ministry always going on about that Muggle thing with the couches and the talking?

He heard footsteps and turned to see Narcissa escorting a very drunk Thorfinn to his room- though perhaps levitating would have been a better word… She briefly paused near him, narrowing her eyes at what he figured was a shimmering wall currently hiding him. It wouldn't do any good to try and yell to her, the little brat had remembered to silence him.

Before he had a chance to come up with another plan, she had moved on.

He slumped down to the floor, figuring he'd be waiting for the festivities to end so he might as well get comfortable. Maybe it was a bad idea to send the young Malfoy heir into the re-education centre without warning him about the boggart…

He wasn't sure how long it had been when he heard the voices coming up the stairs. He recognized both of them and was suddenly not sure if he wanted to curse the blonde or kiss him. Though, her reaction to the situation would probably be the deciding factor on the outcome.

"-Harry always sets me up in the family wing, Draco… I haven't stayed here since you two got engaged."

"I know, but you saw Rowle, Mother might not have been gentle with him."

She snorted, "Well, after that stunt he pulled- can you blame her. I mean really of all the asinine ideas-"

"Yeah, probably grabbing Madame Greengrass wasn't so smart."

"And of all the Greengrass women he picked the matriarch. There's liking your women a little older and then there's three steps and then that."

He chuckled, "Yeah. If his vaults weren't already overflowing I'd call him a galleon-chaser."

Their conversation halted when Draco motioned towards Antonin sitting on the floor. Her eyebrows pulled together as she noticed the shimmering edges of Draco's spellwork. He quickly stood and fixed himself as much as possible before the apparently drunk idiot could come to realize she couldn't see through his spellwork.

She placed her hand against the barrier and he wondered for a second if she was studying the spellwork like she used to at the centre, but before she could start to unravel them, Draco seemed to realize his mistake.

She was looking back at Draco and turned when the spell lifted, tingling over her hand as it disappeared.

"Oh!" she gasped as she came face to chest with Antonin.

"Hello, Miss Granger."

"Er, hello Mister Dolohov."

"How many times have I told you, Antonin works outside the centre."

"Probably about the same amount of times I've told you to call me Hermione."

Draco gave her a quick shove into Antonin's space before tipping his glass and walking away, calling a quick have fun over his shoulder.

She went to back up, "I'm sorry Antonin, I don't know what- oh…"

They were both looking up at the mistletoe now.

"Yeah… I'm so sorry he dragged you into this. We can wait, there will be other guests coming up shortly. I mean- it wouldn't be the first time I ended up kissing a- er former associate thanks to this festive tradition Lucius never was able to override."

She bit her lip and looked down at her feet.

"And I mean, then we can go and get your date… the young Mister Longbottom"

"Oh, um, he already left."

"Left? I thought-"

"So did I… but his mark said apple peels and, well… He certainly did not see an H in his. It was a P. And Pansy was rather happy to see Neville make that conclusion. I mean, we weren't here as an actual date, so it's not like… But I mean. Even if we were I wouldn't. I- I'm rambling."

"I don't mind. Who would you want me to get then?"

"I- there's only one person here I'd… but I don't think it'd be the best idea. I mean…"

"Hermione-"

"I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"A little. Not that I mind, but we might want to figure this out," he said, motioning at the mistletoe.

He knew, and he was fairly certain Draco knew as well, that the mark right below his collarbone read a very simple Hard to Remember. It had appeared halfway through the war and had caused one very awkward month with Thorfinn Rowle considering they woke up with what he had assumed was a killer hangover.

Everyone knew that a soulmate mark would appear shortly after a moment you could build your future love on.

So… waking up, completely out of it, with a searing pain in his head and on his chest meant they both assumed it was meant to be.

Neither would admit that it took a very, very drunken night in the company of a certain witch who happened to pop into their bedroom (and perhaps even a Troubling threesome mark on Thorfinn's thigh and an apology dinner that brought a beautiful nourriture magique sur la rivière on her shoulder for them to realize that they were wrong.

But that left Antonin trying to figure out what else he forgot for close to five years after the war.

Until Hermione had come to him during his re-education course and admitted that she had altered his memory that day.

And once the charm was reversed, it all made sense.

He had admired her spellwork at the Department of Ministries but in that cafe… his soul had found a worthy opponent.

Not that he could exactly tell her that since he had overheard a conversation with a grumpy old witch who was at the reception desk one day. Her mark hadn't appeared yet. The lady insisted that if it's not there before you turn twenty it might as well never appear.

Antonin wasn't shocked when the "kind" old lady was never scheduled at the same time as Hermione after that.

All that didn't help his current situation- trapped with his soulmate under the mistletoe when she had no clue what she was to him. So he was awkwardly waiting for one of the other reformed death eaters he was rooming near to come up for bed so they could snog and then go find a person for his soulmate to snog to get her free.

Because that wasn't going to feel like a knife to the heart.

"So, it will probably be a while. It was only 3 when Draco dragged me up here…"

"Oh. Well, the floor is- not comfortable but it can do in a pinch."

Hermione bit her lip and looked towards the stairs. Obviously, Draco had decided to get in one last joke before the new season started. He was always insufferable during the end of the summer, insisting that the fairies would leave him alone each year thanks to the little tricks he pulled from midsummer on. A cute little tale one usually outgrew by the time they were able to practice magic.

Though, she would have to warn Harry… this was not a funny little harmless prank. This would require payback.

Antonin was watching as Hermione's expression went from defeated to downright frightening. "Hey, whats on your mind? You look a little…" he asked, hoping to bring her out of the mood she was in.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about how Draco used some information he knew the wrong way. I think I need to remind him not to piss me off again."

Oh, Antonin thought, she already knows she's my soulmate. And she doesn't seem happy about it. "Well, it's not-"

"It's not what? I slip up once thanks to the twins newest product and he uses that information against me."

"Wait, what? I thought-"

He was cut off by a shower of sparks as Hermione tried to destroy the mistletoe. Which worked, a little bit… but now they were pressed closer together. He reached up from where he was sitting and grabbed her hand before she could try again.

"Little one, unless you want to end up on my lap, I suggest you stop. The charms on the plants get very aggressive after the first few tries. Trust me… whichever Malfoy designed it was creative in their strive to make people kiss."

She went to take a step away but was pulled right back where she was.

"And I suggest not trying that too often either. It is a fickle little spell."

"Sorry."

"Why? I know it's probably not how you pictured your night, but I'm not that bad, am I?"

"No, no… It's just…" she let out a sigh and sat on the ground next to him, "I just… it's awkward."

"So, need help plotting? I've been told I'm pretty good at the whole being evil thing."

She laughed, "Sure. I was thinking since he's a meddling snake perhaps a day as-" she cut off with a gasp.

"Are you okay?"

"I… I think so… I feel like a just got burned though. Can you check my back for me?"

As soon as she turned, he spotted the last thing he wanted to explain to her- a deep brown mark reading meddling snake. He reached out and ran his fingers over it before he could think twice and a heat spread from his fingertips to his own mark, making it burn like it had that first night.

"Uh, it's-"

He was cut off by the sounds of footsteps. Great timing… at least I don't have to tell her now. As the footsteps continued, he realized he wouldn't be so lucky.

"Well? What happened?"

"It's your, uh…soulmate mark."

"Oh," she paused, waiting for him to continue. When a minute passed in silence she whispered out, "Well, what does it say?"

"It says meddling snake."

She laughed, but it wasn't quite right. It was hollow and defeated. "Of course it does."

"So, is Draco-" He knew it happened sometimes, he was almost positive it had happened to him… Some people just never got their soulmates.

"No, not Draco. Definitely not Draco."

"Then…"

"Are you really going to make me say this?" She said, hiding her face in her hands.

He was silent for a while, trying to think through who it would be.

"Who am I trapped with because of a meddling snake?"

He looked over as her question hung in the air when it clicked "Me?"

She peeked over at him before nodding and hiding again.

"Mine says hard to remember."

"Oh."

"You know why?"

She shook her head, still not looking up.

"Well, you see, there was once this infuriating little witch who managed to beat me in battle twice. The first time I'm still not sure how she lived- but the second time… she easily held us off. I'm not even sure she was injured."

"Oh."

"And then… then the little witch erased my memories. I ended up in bed with a damn Viking before she told me what happened and let me remember."

He smiled as she turned her head to him.

"And then, we get stuck by some mistletoe and-"

She cut him off with a quick kiss, looking up as the mistletoe disappeared and snow gently floated down on them. "Maybe, maybe we can kick off the holiday season…" she left the statement open, gently waving her hand down the hall.

"That sounds wonderful," He replied as he pulled her to her feet and headed to his room.