Disclaimer: This is an adaptation of a wonderfully clever story by Thomas Raddall. It's called "The Wedding Gift." If you've ever read it, you'll recognize this plot; if you haven't you should go find it. And the characters aren't mine.
A/N: No, they will not be married in this fic. Just a bit of a twist…
Hermione who had, quite predictably, become Head Girl in her last year at Hogwarts, was sitting in her common room. It was being shared by a blonde Slytherin by the name of Draco Malfoy who she was only just beginning to be able to co-exist with. There was a faint pop, and a letter appeared on the table between them. Hermione looked up at the boy, then at the letter. He gave her a bored, condescending look, and she rolled her eyes and reached for the letter.
Ms. Granger,
I need you to complete a particularly strange task for me. It is merely a favour, I should add, and you are by no means required to do as I ask. I would ask if you would deliver a package for me to a friend of mine out in the woods. He lives far back, and the journey would take you about a day and a half to get there and deliver the package. Because the forests are so dangerous, I would ask that you would ask Mr. Malfoy to accompany you. This letter will disappear once you've put it down; please join me in my office in a half an hour to discuss your answer. Please bring Mr. Malfoy.
Sincerely,
Headmaster Dumbledore
"Malfoy," Hermione said after the letter had disappeared with another pop. "We're getting out of school."
He looked up sharply, gazing past his thin hair to look at her. "Hmmm?"
"Professor Dumbledore wants us to deliver a package to some guy in the forbidden forest. We're going. Should take about three days."
He shook his hair out of his eyes and looked thoughtful. He looked sexy when he was thoughtful, but you would never hear Hermione say it. "What is the package?"
"I haven't the faintest idea."
"Right then."
"We're to report to his office in a half of an hour."
"Right then."
"Will you come?"
"Hmmmm."
"Really, it used to be so fun to argue with you, and now all you do is mumble or repeat the same response over and over."
"You are not worthy of proper sentences."
"You're an idiot."
"Thank you."
About twenty minutes later, the two set out for the Headmaster's office. Once they had arrived, they were quickly asked to sit down. "Will you go then? I feel you two are the most capable of handling any situation that may arise."
"Yes, I think I'll be going," Hermione replied quickly, eager for a few days away from the school. Malfoy looked bored once again.
"I suppose I'll accompany her."
"Thank you, really. Here is the package. There's a horse with provisions and blankets waiting for you outside.' And with that, he ushered them out.
Hermione looked at the brown paper package curiously as Malfoy trudged beside her. He had become the proclaimed mysterious sexy indifferent bad boy of the school, and many girls lusted after him. Many girls had tried to do bodily harm to Hermione after finding out that she would be sharing a room with him.
"I'm going to change, and then we should head out. Sound good?" Hermione asked, finally stopping her examination of the small bundle.
"Right then."
Hermione sighed, and quickened her pace. He caught up to her, she walked even faster, and he kept pace. She wondered how he managed to look so indifferent while walking so fast.
They branched off to their respective rooms to gather clothes and anything else they could fit into a small pack. Hermione paused as she through her last shirt into the bag, looking once again at the package. Quickly looking behind her, though of course there was no one there, she performed a quick charm on the small rectangular parcel.
Twinkling purple letters appeared over the box, revealing what lay inside, and Hermione smiled, happy to have quenched her curiosity.
By the time Hermione and Malfoy had met up in the common room and walked down to where one horse stood, another half an hour had past.
"How should we work this?"
"Work what?"
"One horse. Two people. Any suggestions?" Hermione asked tiredly, officially bored of the monotone voice.
"Umm…."
"Oh, I know! Ride and tie!"
"What?" Malfoy asked, for once showing the tinniest ounce of interest.
"I ride for a bit, and then tie the horse up to a tree. Then I begin walking. You, meanwhile, have walked, following my tracks, and when you come upon the horse you ride for a bit. Make sense?"
"How do I know you won't just keep riding?"
"I could ask you the same," Hermione replied, fastening her bag of clothes onto the horse and reaching for his. He handed it over and nodded silently. There was an understanding between them, albeit a small one.
It began snowing about halfway into their journey, and Hermione was glad for the hooded robe she's brought. Malfoy past her as she trudged through the already-ankle-deep snow, and slowed down. He stopped the horse a few paces in front of her, and Hermione watched curiously. Finally, with a sigh even she could hear, he turned the horse around. "C'mon Granger. We can both ride from here on."
"Am I sitting behind you or in front of you?"
"In front, I guess. I'm going to speed up a bit," he replied, shaking his head to flick the hair out of his eyes. Hermione was again surprised, not this time by emotion, but by a full sentence. She quickly mounted in front of him, feeling warmer soon after.
They rode at a slow speed for a little longer, until the snow started turning to hail and freezing rain. Malfoy nudged the horse, and soon they were flying. "Look!" Hermione said, pointing to a small hut. She had barely been able to see it through the sharp pellets hitting her face, but Malfoy could see it as well and had soon turned the horse towards the shelter.
They tumbled in the door, not even bothering to knock, not that it would have mattered. There was no bed, nor any form of furniture. There were only a few skins lying on the floor.
Both of the teens quickly shed their overcoats, but they were still soaked through. They eyed each other wearily before Malfoy began to strip to his boxers. Hermione took off her long robe, throwing it and Malfoy's cloak on a wobbly hook on the wall. Then she peeled off a sweatshirt, a t-shirt, and jeans, all very wet, to reveal a plain bra, no frills, and the same type of underwear. She smirked to see the smiley face boxers on Malfoy, and he gave her a bored look. She continued smirking.
"Let's light a fire," Malfoy said, grabbing his wand. It wouldn't work. Hermione grabbed her own wand, tried the spell a few times, then tried a different spell to see what was wrong with Malfoy's. Nothing. They tried other spells, but o no avail. The wands were quickly shoved into their piles of clothes.
"We should bundle," Hermione said suddenly, eyeing the musty skins on the floor.
"We should what?"
"Bundle. It's an old term. It was something young couples did. They'd hide out in a cabin and bundle in a blanket together. They didn't actually sleep with each other though. Most adults frowned upon it. Right now, we have no warmth except our own body heat." Hermione had quickly shifted from an amused teenage girl to a walking talking encyclopedia, and Malfoy only nodded in response.
She waited, patiently, while he considered his options. "OK," he replied finally, and Hermione grabbed the biggest pelt she could find. She didn't want to know what the soft fur was from though, as she found even thinking about it made her a little queasy.
Hermione was uncomfortable, but only at first. It was odd to be wrapped tight in a blanket with a guy who every girl wanted, while every girl hated you already just for sharing a common room with him.
Malfoy, however, was having a bit more trouble adjusting to the situation.
They both fell asleep in a reasonable amount of time, and woke up to find that the snow had stopped. They unwrapped themselves, both looking a little embarrassed, and dressed with their backs to each other.
They started out once again, Hermione riding in front since the snow was too deep for either of them to walk. She clutched the parcel to her chest, and occasionally looked down at it with a knowing smile. Malfoy was a little distracted by this, wondering three things. The first, how she could know what was in the package, the second, what it was, and the third, why it had anything to do with either of them, except for being the messengers. To be honest, it was rather unnerving how she kept grinning down at it like that like she knew something he didn't. Something important.
When they reached a little shed nestled between a circle of glowing white trees, they noticed that the snow had fallen around the clearing, but no where near any of the trees, let alone the small hut.
A small man came to the door, teeth chattering and skin an unearthly blue even though the sun was beating down and it seemed like a few furnaces were working in the first room alone. He invited them in, and they pleasantly declined, maybe a little afraid of the too-warm too-cold little man. He smiled a knowing smile, much to Malfoy's horror, and wished them good luck on their journey home. They thanked him and mounted the horse once again.
The little man watched as they rode off, and then carefully unwrapped the package. All the plain brown paper was hiding was a tinderbox.
A/N: In case you don't get it, Hermione knew there was a tinderbox from the spell she performed back at the school. She chose not to use it when their wands went out (and they went out for unexplainable reasons) so she could 'bundle' with Malfoy. Please review, as I always plead.