A shadow fell across Hermione's book as she sat reading at breakfast. It was the beginning of the Christmas holidays and she was left all alone. Ron and his family were visiting Charlie in Romania and Harry had gone with them. Looking up Hermione saw Draco Malfoy looking down at her in a puzzled way.

"How come you're stuck here? I would have thought you'd be off with Weasley and Potter." He said smirking.

"They're in Romania."

"And they didn't take you? What did you do?" Draco sat opposite her without waiting to be asked.

"Nothing. They just forgot to invite me."

"What about your parents?"

"Skiing and they forgot to send my ticket. Again."

Draco actually looked sympathetic. "Bummer."

"What about you? Why aren't you home for Christmas?"

"I had a fight with my dad."

"What about? Or don't you want to share?"

"No I don't mind. He wanted me to do something that I really object to."

"What was it?"

Hermione looked into Draco's grey eyes and saw anger there. "He wanted me to help him torture some muggles."

"But I would have thought you would want to do that."

"Not into that. Are we the only ones in our year staying?" he said changing the subject hurriedly.

"Probably." Hermione laughed lightly and glanced around the hall. "Not many in any year."

"I wonder why." Draco liked Hermione's laugh, mainly because she hardly ever laughed near him.

"No Yule Ball."

"You think that's what it is?"

"Statistically the students stay in droves for the Ball but when nothing much is happening at school they flee from it."

"Hermione, do you think about anything other than statistics?"

"Of course. I just observe stuff. Without Harry and Ron I'm a wallflower."

"I don't think so."

"How come you're being so nice?"

Draco laughed to avoid telling the absolute truth. "Well I just figured that we live together effectively in the Head's apartments but I don't know that much about you as a person." And I want to know more because I have the hugest crush on you, he thought and then told himself to be quiet.

"I think we spent too many years fighting for that to even be an option. You've spent most of our school career picking on me."

"You got your own back though. You've got a heck of a right hook."

"Thanks. Comes in handy sometimes. Especially when I have to cover Harry when he decides he wants to be a hero."

Draco laughed. "That happens a lot doesn't it?"

"He really does have a hero complex. It would be quite sweet if he wasn't always dragging me into danger with him. With him around we can never have a quiet year at Hogwarts."

"Lets see if I've got this right. First year it was the stone, second year the basilisk, third wasn't it that thing with the marauders? Fourth was the tournament, fifth you had that thing with the ministry. Last year we had to fight Voldy. What about this year?"

"Nothing yet. Lets just hope they don't bring a dragon back from Romania. Although Hagrid would love it."

"He does have a thing about dragons doesn't he?"

There was a lull in the conversation. Hermione turned her attention back to the book wondering at this change in Draco. They'd lived together for a term, her as Head Girl and him as Head Boy, but they never really talked in their common room. She was surprised he was taking an interest in her of all people. Maybe it was just something to pass the time.

"Hey, Draco, you want to go make snowmen?"

"Sure! Let's make them look like people we know."

They had fun piling up the snow and couldn't stop laughing when they made them look like their friends and teachers. Draco made a funny one of Professor McGonagall which was made even funnier because it was a bit caricatured. Hermione then made one of the Weasley twins getting told off by her in front of the snowman. They were re-enacting the scene with shrill voices and penitent apologies when Hermione stopped dead. As Draco was imitating McGonagall the professor herself had come up behind him.

"Draco stop!" Hermione hissed hoping like hell he would.

"No I will not Hermione!" he said as McGonagall. "There are some things that canno- she's standing right behind me isn't she?"

Hermione nodded and lowered her head so they wouldn't see she was trying hard not to laugh.

"I assume, Mr Malfoy, that this means you would like to spend most of the holidays writing lines?"

"No ma'am. I'm sorry. It was only a joke."

"I can see that."

"Please don't punish him, professor. It was my idea to make them look like people we know. Would you care to join in? I can do a very good Professor Snape impression." Hermione said charming her way out of trouble.

"I never thought I'd see this day. Hermione Granger covering for Draco Malfoy. It's the kind of thing you usually do when you want friends, isn't it Hermione. Thank you no. I have some essays to grade." McGonagall walked away chuckling slightly.

"You could have told me she was behind me!" Draco burst out chucking a snowball at Hermione.

"I did tell you to stop!" she said lugging one back. "You're the idiot who didn't stop!"

He threw another lump of snow. "You might have said something more! You could have done something to stop me blundering on!" He dodged as Hermione threw another snowball at him.

"Let's not quibble about it now. You really were a prime fool."

He chucked a lump at her, not even bothering to shape it. "I know! Thanks for getting me out of trouble though. It was really decent of you."

"Don't be an idiot. I didn't do it for you. I was in just as much trouble."

Draco knew that she didn't mean it. He really appreciated that she had done it, and he knew she had done it for him not for her. "What did she mean when she said you usually get people out of trouble?"

"The way I became friends with Harry and Ron was because I got them out of trouble after they saved me from the troll at Halloween. McGonagall was really getting into her stride so I took full responsibility and said that I had put myself into danger thinking I could take care of the troll by myself because I'd read about them."

"What was the real reason?"

"Ron had insulted me and I had spent the afternoon weeping in the bathroom the troll happed to go into. I'm going in I think. Can't feel my fingers."

Draco watched her go. Surely she wasn't still sore from that. It was seven years ago, and only good had come from that. Then he realised that she was insulted because they had forgotten her and were now having fun without her. Well he would make sure she had fun this holiday without her best friends.