I... Um... can't write romance. At all. But this was a gift for a friend of mine so I did my best.
Hope you like it Nina! Merry Christmas! (sorry it's late XD)
Hermione couldn't remember a Christmas with the Weasleys that had been so tense.
She supposed the invitation of a certain Malfoy was to blame. The only reason the guy was there was because he was cousins with Teddy, and Mrs Weasley refused to leave any member of the family out of the Christmas festivities, no exceptions.
He'd also been having some family issues apparently, but nothing else had been said about the matter.
Just so long as he didn't stir up trouble like he normally did.
Hermione was currently in the Weasley's living room reading a book titled Tarandro Volanti: Flying Deer of the Far North. Malfoy was slumped on one end of the couch opposite her, half asleep and having his hair tugged by a one-year-old Teddy. The little rascal had a cheeky grin on his face and his hair was currently turning a fiery red as he attempted to tie his second cousin's hair into knots.
"Andromeda!" Hermione called, jolting Malfoy awake with the sudden sound of her voice. "Teddy's escaped the high chair again!"
"So he has!" Andromeda exclaimed, poking her head into the living room. "Teddy, dear, stop pulling your cousin Draco's hair. There's a dear." Striding in, she gently picked up the little half werewolf, accidently disturbing Draco from his near slumber in the process.
"Hm?!" the former Death Eater mumbled, before shooting upright into a sitting position. "I'm up! I'm up. I-I'm up." It was only when he got a good look at Andromeda when he relaxed. "Sorry," he mumbled, catching Hermione off guard.
"It's quite alright, dear," Andromeda smiled down at her nephew. "Dinner's in half an hour."
"Okay."
Andromeda left one last smile in Hermione's direction before returning to the kitchen with Teddy.
"Bai, Dwaco!" Teddy yelled over his grandmother's shoulder, prompting a small smile from Draco.
Pretty soon Hermione and Draco were once again the only people in the living room. Harry had yet to arrive, Ron and George were with Mr Weasley picking up the other members of the family, and Ginny had disappeared to her room, so the house was mostly empty.
Until the rest of the family came charging in through the front door. Startled, Draco high-tailed his way to the kitchen.
And that was that until a few days later on Christmas Eve.
"You're up early."
Hermione stood face to face with Draco. Both had found each other in the kitchen, Draco with his hand halfway into one of the cupboards, and Hermione carrying a heavy book in her arms.
"Force of habit really," Draco stated bluntly, bringing a frying pan out of the cupboard. "It's what happens when your father loses the plot and thinks you're a house elf."
"Oh," Hermione said as she leaned against the worktop and flipped open her book to the page she'd last finished at. To her surprise, Draco did the same (minus the book) and simply watched her.
"I… I never got the chance to apologise for the way I treated you back at Hogwarts," he suddenly said.
"You- you what?" Hermione stuttered.
"I-I'm sorry," Draco mumbled, his face turning red. "The things I said; they were wrong. You didn't deserve any of it. I've no one to blame but myself. I just hope you can forgive me."
Hermione stood in stunned silence as she took it all in. Had he just-?
"Y-you're serious?"
Draco nodded. Then wordlessly, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Hermione's lips. The soft tickling sensation prompted a small gasp of surprise from her, and she blushed madly. When Draco pulled away, she saw that he too was a little red in the face.
"Merry Christmas, Hermione," he whispered, before leaving the kitchen without another word.
The next day, Draco chose to sit next to Hermione. Teddy had been trying to trip him up all morning and he eventually decided he needed some space.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi," Hermione greeted in return. "It's nice, isn't it? The festivities."
"Yeah."
They sat in awkward silence for a while, before Draco reached into his pocket and brought out a small object wrapped in brightly coloured paper and handed it to Hermione.
"Merry Christmas," he said softly, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. "To new beginnings?"
Hermione was silent for a moment, thinking over what Draco had said. This person had tormented and insulted her through all her years at Hogwarts. His family had tortured her, and others like her, and he'd attempted to kill Professor Dumbledore more than once.
Carefully, she took the small package from Draco's hands, a small smile gracing her features. "Yes," she said. "To new beginnings."
Then she kissed him.
