A/N: inspired by TVXQ's 'Love in the Ice' song, but this is most definitely NOT A SONGFIC. I also predict that this will be a short story, only a few chapters.
Disclaimer: What's mine is only the story =)
Chapter 1 - Alohomora
The curtains were drawn as Draco looked out into the vast grounds of Malfoy manor. In pensive thought, his face expressionless.
"Draco, you were here?" His mother called out to him when she walked in unannounced into his room. "I was calling for you for awhile now."
He turned to look at his mother who was now moving closer to him. "Sorry, I got lost in thought."
Narcissa leaned on him and gave him a tight hug, "Whatever is the matter, Draco?"
He looked straight, not even responding to his mother's affection "Nothing."
She sighed and released him from her embrace. Narcissa loved her son very much, she would do anything for him...anything but going against Lucius.
"Come, your acceptance letter for your eighth year has arrived." She said, trying to lighten up to mood and distract his son's attention for whatever he is in deep thought with, "Let's pick up your things in Diagon Alley."
Draco walked to the door without looking at her mother, however, she caught up to him and placed her hand over his back. "Your father won't be coming." She stated.
'Of course, he won't' Draco thought. His father have not left the manor since the Dark Lord was defeated. Only his mother was free to move around the wizarding world. She was now handling the Malfoy business and everything in the family externally but still under his guidance.
He cringed as he felt his mother touched his right shoulder.
"What is it, Draco?" she asked, "were you hurt?"
He brushed off her arm and shook his head in reply, "No, everything is fine."
Narcissa looked worriedly at her son's detachment towards her...towards the whole family. He even looked detached with himself. Draco barely talks when he is at home, he barely goes out of his room and usually spends his time reading or sitting by his window, always in deep thought.
She loves him so much that it pains her to see her son behaving like that. She missed his vibrant behavior, even though he was sarcastic, rude and ill-tempered, at least he was open and voicing out his feelings. Narcissa knew what happened during the war changed his son. All the pressure brought to him by the Dark Lord has put a toll in his existence as a wizard, as a person, as a child. She felt guilty that all she can do was stand at the corners and watch his son in pain and confusion. Until one day, he rid himself of such emotions. It was as if Narcissa had a new son. A cold, darker one.
She was afraid that with even a small trigger, her son would break. That she would lose him for good.
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"You go back and wait for me in the Leaky cauldron." Narcissa said to his son and he nodded in reply, picking the items they purchased for the upcoming extended school year.
Returning to the pub, Draco bumped to old classmates. Their exchanges were just a few curt nods and hand gestures. He made no attempt of conversing with them. Looking around, he saw Finnigan and Thomas from Gryffindor who were now leaving the pub with their purchases.
Choosing to sit in the most isolated area of the pub, he called for the server and ordered for some steak and kidney pie and cup of tea.
Wondering why his mother chose to stay behind to do more shopping, Draco took out the acceptance letter with the list of school supplies they needed to purchase. His eyes wandered through the details in the letter and saw one thing his mother forgot to mention.
'..furthermore, I, Minerva McGonagall, current Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Head boy for your extended 8th year in Hogwarts.
A private quarters has been set up for you and the Head girl during this term and you are expected to perform in excellence for both academic and disciplinary aptitudes..'
Draco pinched his eyes while taking in the Headmaster's letter. He sighed heavily, folded the letter and slipped it again inside his pocket. As soon as the new information bothered him, the sooner it had also left. He dug into the pie and drank his tea.
"Yes, mum, I've arrived. I'll contact you later once I finish with the purchases. I won't be able to use the phone while I'm inside."
Draco heard a familiar voice as the pub door opened. Looking up to the owner of the voice, he saw a brown bushy hair bobbing about the entrance. It was Hermione Granger, alone.
'Good thing the noisy bunch is not here.' He thought. Having them invade the current silence and peace the pub is providing him will be so much irritating. Draco focused once more on the pie he is eating.
"Is this yours, Malfoy?" he heard someone say over his head.
He looked up and saw Hermione in a brown mid length trench coat hovering above him.
"You're head boy?" She asked while reading the opened letter.
Draco swiped the paper away from her hands, crumpled it and threw it inside one of his purchases. "None of your business, Granger." He said coldly. He thought to call her Mudblood, but after the war, it was made a taboo to utter the word and immediate imprisonment for one week will be given to the one who used it as an insult.
Hermione raised her eyebrow in disgust to the way he acted towards her. It was not a big favor to help him pick up his things, but a simple appreciation would suffice. "You know, you need not be so grumpy about it." She snapped and walked away.
He shook his head in disbelief. 'Now everything's turned around, that Mudblood thinks she can talk to me in the open' He smirked to himself.
"Draco," He heard his mother's voice call out to him. She smiled to him as she slipped onto the chair across him. "I got you a present." She exclaimed, lifting up the small cage she carried and placing it on the table. Inside was a two-toned cream and white Ragdoll cat. It was small and furry, its blue eyes locked to Draco's.
He opened the cage, grabbed the cat and petted it. Feeling it purr against his touch. He felt its soft fur and warmth as it snuggled into his body.
"Give it a name." Narcissa said to her son. "It's a she."
The cat stayed curled up in his hands, it was so small that it fitted in his two hands. He caressed its head once more, "Moonlight" Draco said.
Narcissa smiled at her son. Upon getting all the items in the school list, she thought of getting her son something he could be with when he go back to school. Something that would provide him the comfort he needed, a thing he could openly voice out his pent-up feelings to. What better decision is for him to have a new pet. Not an owl or a toad, but one that is silent and he can snuggle. She smiled at the thought and hoped that one day, her son would return and even change for the better.
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"Drop the cat, Granger!" Draco yelled as he pointed his wand to Hermione.
She sneered at him, "Why are you so selfish, Malfoy! I was just petting her!" she retorted "And besides, Crookshanks likes her!"
" .Now!" He repeated.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, confused as to why Malfoy was so selfish as to even let her pet Moonlight. She didn't knew he was so attached to her, but she thought that he was crazy for reacting in such a way. With one final glare at him, Hermione petted the cat, gave it a kiss on the top of its head and set it down on the table. She stuck out her tongue to him and left the shared common room they had as Head boy and girl. Draco gritted his teeth, grabbed Moonlight and went back to his room.
They were always like this, bickering once they see each other. Draco didn't knew Hermione was the Head girl until they met in the train. They didn't talk all the way to Hogwarts, not even glance at one another during the long train ride.
Classes have been crazy as well when professors keep pairing them up together for joined homeworks. They need not talk to each other as their moves and thoughts were academically identical. Meaning to say, they both already knew what to do in lessons that each of them need not remind one another what to do. They were perfectly in sync that made it more incredulous to other people.
Draco heard a knock on his door.
"Malfoy..." He heard Granger's voice say, "Look..I'm sorry"
He shifted in the bed as he hugged Moonlight. He himself wasn't sure why he wouldn't let anyone near her.
"..It's just that.."Hermione spoke again, "..I find her cuteness...irresitable..I'm sorry."
Draco placed the cat down on his bed and went over to the door as Hermione kept going on and on and on about how she can't resist to pet Moonlight. He opened the door and saw her cheeks flushed.
"Um.." She started to look for words but none would come up.
Stepping outside his room, Draco sighed and closed the door. He leaned against it and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you keep talking to me, Granger?" He asked.
She looked up to him and shrugged, "I don't exactly know...maybe.." she hesitated for a bit, "..maybe, you're not really that intimidating." She grinned.
"You think so?" He leaned forward closer to her.
"I know so." Hermione replied as she raised an eyebrow.
"Listen, Granger. Don't be too cocky because you and your friends 'saved' the world. Don't even think that a person with your stature would match up to me. Ever. And don't casually pet or touch my things to your liking." He said to her menacingly and returned to his room, slamming the door behind him.
Enraged once more, Hermione kicked the door and shouted, "I hate you, Malfoy!" and stomped her way out of the common room.
Outside, she huffed and let the steam from her face subside. "You've really become worse!" She mumbled to herself and walked her way to the library and occupied herself by reading books until it was time for dinner.
Hermione looked irritated as she pierced and pierced the steak on her plate, mumbling to herself about a despicable blond man. Harry and Ron can't help notice her and they were also bothered by her behavior.
"'Mione, what's wrong?" Harry asked worried.
"If it's Malfoy, you know I can just blast him into thin air" Ron said smugly.
She looked up from her plate and glared straight at the Slytherin table across them. "I'm just a little irritated."
Ron smirked at her reply, "A little? Yeah right."
"Don't add anything more, Ron" Harry warned him. "Hermione is already irritated enough as it is."
She gulped the last bit of her pumpkin juice and said to Harry, "I don't get it. You said he's not really a bad person, Harry. That's why I'm trying my best to approach him. But he's always shutting me out!"
"Maybe he needs some more time." Harry replied. "We were enemies before weren't we?"
Hermione shrugged again. She looked to Malfoy who was directly across from him. She observed him. He doesn't seem to be talking to anyone in their table and just kept focusing on his meal. Even when Blaise nudged him to join their conversation, he put it off and smiled weakly.
'What's his problem?' She thought. Hermione wasn't the one to pry on other's business, but if they will he living together, it would drain her energy if they can't at least have a proper conversation or be civil towards each other.
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There was pure utter silence once more when the Head boy and girl made their rounds for the night. Draco wasn't at all cooperating with Hermione's attempts to talk or discuss anything with her. Not even about their duties.
Coming back from the rounds, Draco went straight to his room and left Hermione standing alone in the common room, dumbfounded to how Malfoy is just so out of the world.
It has only been a few weeks and their relationship as Head boy and girl is going down the drain. Hermione sighed heavily and went to her room to get her Advanced Potions book. Unlike him, she would like to finish her homeworks for next week, even if it was just a Friday night. That way, she'll have more time studying other lessons and spend time with Ron and Harry.
Hermione was fully concentrated on her work and had not realized that it was already past midnight. Her eyelids were drooping and even a cup of coffee proved to be of no use. She leaned back on the couch to shut her eyes for 5 minutes and resume her studies. But she dozed off right away, collapsing on the couch with a soft thud. Crookshanks jumped at her feet and nested beside her.
It was already dark in the common room as the flame in the fireplace receded. Soft breathing and the occasional purring from Crookshanks was all that can be heard in the common room.
Until at one moment, Hermione was awoken upon hearing scratching and hissing from inside Draco's room. She sat up yawning and brushing her eyes with the back of her hands. She moved her cat closer in the couch as she stood up.
"Malfoy?" She said in a low voice in front of his door.
Hermione pressed her ears against the wooden door and she could still hear the scratching. But hearing more closely now, it wasn't just scratching and hissing from Moonlight. She heard groaning and heavy breathing. This totally woke her up and she immediately fumbled through her pocket for her wand. "Alohomora!" she chanted and a there was soft click from the lock then the door was open. She slowly moved the ajar door and was surprised when Moonlight came dashing out of the room. The cat jumped on the couch and snuggled with Crookshanks.
Now inside the room, Draco's heaving groans were louder. He was also mumbling in his sleep.
"No...no...Please..."
A look of worry flushed down on Hermione's face as she came over his bed and saw Malfoy drenched in his sweat. Putting aside the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt and only has sweat pants, She knelt beside him and started to wake him up.
"Malfoy..." she shook him, "You're having a nightmare, wake up!"
"Let me go! Please—!" Draco screamed.
Hermione grabbed his shoulders and shook him harder. "Draco Malfoy, WAKE UP!"
Draco gasped for air and swiftly opened his eyes. A tear rolled down his eyes. His breathing was heavy and his eyes were wide open as he stared blankly at the ceiling.
Hermione's worry was replaced with confusion and fear. He looked to Draco's pale face and continuous sweating. She took out the handkerchief from her pocket and started wiping off the sweat from his forehead. But Draco grabbed her hand and held it firmly.
"Malfoy, you're hurting me!" she exclaimed at him.
"Get out." He said without looking at her.
"I'm trying to help you—
"I said get out!" He shouted again. Looking to her, he saw that she was hurt and confused and was only acting out of instinct to help.
He pinched his eyes as he sat up on the bed. Realizing that he went overboard, he softened his grip on her and said, "Sorry, Granger..."
Hermione pulled back her arm and massaged it, "That hurt, you know..." she said with a pained expression on her face.
"I said I'm sorry", Draco cupped his face with both of his hands.
Hermione can't help but feel sorry for him. She again wiped the sweat dripping from his chin to his neck. Only to find herself blushing when she realized now that he is shirtless and she is seeing his pale, toned body covered with sweat.
She gulped and cleared her throat. "Um..sorry too for barging in your room...I...I was worried." She explained to him.
Draco sighed and straightened himself. He looked to Hermione but she averted her eyes. He smiled to her weakly and said, "Thanks, Granger"
Hermione's head snapped to him when she heard him say thanks. 'Is this really the Malfoy?' she thought to herself.
However in Draco's mind, he was really thankful to Granger from waking him up from his nightmare. It pained him just to try to remember it. It pained him to be experiencing this every night and even Moonlight distances herself from him during his nightmares.
He felt the handkerchief again on his face and looked up to Hermione.
"Malfoy..Why are you crying?" She asked.
'Was I crying?!' He thought confused and touched his damped face. Tears kept falling from his eyes and he felt his throat being blocked by building sobs. His body, trembling.
Hermione sat on his bedside and moved closer to him. "Hey..What's wrong?" She asked as she leaned down to meet his eyes.
"Granger.." He started to say but hesitated. "Nothing.."
"Tell me. It's alright, were not enemies anymore, right?" She said smiling to him.
Draco looked to her and their eyes met. Hers with worry and confusion, his with pain and sadness. "I'm not lowering my pride...but..for just this night..
...can you stay with me and wake me from my nightmare?"
Slightly surprised and taken aback by Draco's unusual request, Hermione was at a loss for words. But she looked at him again and can't help but feel sorry for him and be worried that something bad might happen if he had nightmares again.
Still with hesitation but fueled with compassion and purpose to help him, she replied,
"Alright, I'll stay with you..."