malfoy had not planned on staying at Hogwarts over christmas break, but his father's plans had told him other wise; luscious had decided
that he was going on a business trip to ireland and did not want the burden of his only son tagging along. So he was stuck for the entire
christmas holiday at the one place he loathed more than life it's self, but what bothered him the most was that he was going to be there
all alone with no one but professor's for company; somthing he was not looking forward to. That particular day the grounds were empty,
crab and goyle had gone home for the christmas holiday and would not return until the following friday leaving poor malfoy bored and alone.
He really didn't consider the two idiots his friends, but they listened to what he had to say and usually did what ever they were told;
without them he really didn't have anybody to boss around or talk to. His eyes traveled over the great hall as he went in and sat down
at the empty slitherine table, before him appeared enough food to feed at least five people; but he wasn't hungry. his eyes scanned the
enormous great hall, which seemed to him like a giant tomb. his eyes continued to travel around the room until he spotted a student, he
looked harder and realized it was Hermione; what the bloody hell was she doing here? didn't she have somewhere else to be?" he asked
himself grimacing at the thought that she might not be leaving for christmas holiday, hermione looked up from her book and thought she
felt someone watching her. When she turned and seen that it was Malfoy who was giving her dagger eyes she frowned and then threw
herself back into her book, trying her best to ingore him. He grinned smugly and then stood as he made his way down to the gryffindor table,
"what the bloody hell are you doing here granger, don't you have somewhere else to be?" He asked with a slight hint of angitation, hermione
looked up from her book briefly then back down at it. "I don't think that's any of your business, but if you must know my mother and father
are going on a trip to iceland for the 10th annual wizard games." Malfoy sneered and sat down next to her, talking to mudbloods wasn't
his thing; but he was bored and needed someone to waste his time alone with. Hermione looked at the blonde curiously then decided to ask
him a question, "Why are you still here malfoy?" she asked watching his reaction, he looked up and shrugged. "Father is going on a
business trip to ireland and doesn't want to be burdened, or at least thats how he described it; as if i'm not important enough to go anywhere
with him." Hermione shrugged and then returned to her book, Malfoy was bored so bored in fact that he actually couldn't believe that he
was actually carrying on a conversation with a mudblood; and it was with granger of all people. He simply loathed her for the one reason
that she was one of the smartest students in hogwarts, if not the smartest; well besides himself of course. After he realized that hermione
was going to continue ignoring him Malfoy stood to his feet and turned on his heels, "see you at lunch granger!" he then disappeared out of the
great hall and down the stairs into the courtyard, a fresh blanket of snow covered the ground with a brilliant white as small white snowflakes
gently fell to the ground. Malfoy pulled his coat around him and looked up at the sky, it was cloudy but pleasant as he made his way down to
the black lake; once he arrived the lake had completely frozen solid and yet the water still teemed with life below it's murky surface. The
Mermaids where probably catching and storing fish, sleeping in their nice warm beds, and singing their mysterious songs of life, death, and
adventure. The surface of the ice was thick with snow and as he looked down at the frozen lake, it had been several years since he had
ice skated but he knew he could still do it. Malfoy pulled out his wand and pointed it toward the lake as he muttered a spell, the ice suddenly
became smooth and crystal clear, he could see strange creatures swimming beneath the ice as he pulled a pair of ice skates from his robes.
He sat down on the cold snow and removed his own shoes as he slipped the ice skates on, first one then the other tieing them securly.
once he had then snugly on Malfoy rose from the cold snow and removed his robe, he was wearing a pair of denim pants with a long sleeve
green shirt, the letter S stitched onto the front. around his neck he wore a forrest green scarf, with a pair of matching gloves; he steadied
himself and slowly stepped out onto the ice making sure he was balanced. Within a matter of minutes he was gliding around in a perfect
fashion, graceful, and elogent, it had been many years since he had done this; how he missed doing it with his mother. Hermione once
again found herself bored of reading and tried to find time elsewhere, the day was beautiful she thought to herself as she stepped out onto
the snow covered courtyard. She took in a deep breath and released it slowly a wide grin formed on her perfect red lips, her long brown
furcoat hung past her knees as she pulled it around her for extra warmth; "what do i want to do today?" she thought as she made her way
down toward the black lake, as she approached the waters edge Hermione spotted Malfoy skating ever so gracefully. She stopped behind
an old willow tree and watched with amazment, how could malfoy have any kind of fun as cold hearted as he was?" she asked herself quietly,
yet here he was skating as if he hadn't a care in the world; Malfoy was actually enjoying himself no one there to bother him or to interupt
his fun. Hermione smiled and watched then decided to make her presence known, she stepped from behind the tree into plain sight and
giggled, Malfoy heard this and snapped his head in the opposite direction. Her sudden appearence made him loose his train of thought as
he began to sway dangerously, then without warning malfoy's feet where literally swept out from under him as his butt met the cold hard ice.
Hermione gasped and threw her hands over her mouth trying her best not to bust out laughing, Malfoy saw her amusment and his face
grew red as a beat from anger. When he was back on his feet he turned and looked at Hermione angrily feeling humiliated as falling, "You
stupid bent, what the bloody hell did you go and do that for?" He asked angrily, Hermione dropped her hand from her mouth with a grin on her
face still trying to stifle a laugh that escaped every now and again. "Your not very good at stopping are you?" She asked, Malfoy frowned and
turned his back to her as he began to skate in the opposite direction, "stupid mudblood!" he said just loud enough for her to hear, Hermione
frowned as an angry look swept across her face, "yeah well, i hope you fall through the ice!" Malfoy smirked and shook his head, "yeah like that
will ever happen!" Just as he said this there was a sound of cracking ice, malfoy stopped dead in his tracks and froze listening to the sound of the
ice beneath his feet. Hermione heard it to as her frown turned to a look of shock and worry, Malfoy could feel the ice cracking beneath him and
knew there was no where for him to go. "Don't move i'm coming out to get you!" shouted Hermione from the other side, she began to step out
onto the ice but stopped when Malfoy objected. "No! don't take one more step, if you come out here well both fall in; the ice isn't strong enough"
Malfoy slowly made his way across the ice almost painstakingly slow, the whole time cracking sounds reverberated off the trees. Just when he
thought that he was almost to safety the ice finally gave way beneath his feet as he plunged into the icy lake, the feeling was to painful to bear;
he felt as though a thousand knifes where stabbing him all over his body. Hermione screamed and shouted for him but there was no reply, Malfoy
shot out of the water grappling for anything he could get his hands on; but he was getting weaker and weaker from the bitter cold.
"Help!!! help!!!" he managed to shout as he was pulled further and further down into the water, Hermione had to think fast no amout of magic
was going to save him; she had to do somthing. Finally with what brains she had Hermione pulled her wand out and aimed it at the willow she
had been standing under and shouted, "finete agrous" the vines on the tree began to grow and grow as she grabbed one and tied a slip knot
into it. "Here put this around your waist!" she shouted as she tossed the vine into the water, Malfoy grabbed the vine and with what sense he
had left slipped the vine around his waistes, once he had done this Hermione tapped the tree with her wand and the tree began to pull it's vines
from the water. Malfoy felt his body being dragged from the icy water until he had been pulled safely to shore, malfoy was in shock from the
cold and fear that he was going to die. The cold was so intense he could no longer feel his body, and suddenly without warning Malfoy's world
went dark; when he awoke Malfoy was lying in a nice warm bed in the hospital wing of the castle. across from his bed a roaring fire blazed in the
stone fireplace making the room extra cozy, Malfoy groaned his fingers and toes tingled uncomfortably but he was warm. Madame pomfrey
emerged from the next room and smiled, "well i see you have finally rejoined the living, you had a bit of a nasty fall through the ice; lucky for you
miss granger was there." Malfoy said nothing he was still in shock, Hermione peeked her head inside the hospital wing and sighed with relief;
Malfoy spotted her and turned his eyes away from her. "May i come in Malfoy?" she asked waiting for his reply, Malfoy looked down at his sheets
and reluctantly agreed for her to enter; she made her way down the long line of hospital beds until she reached Malfoy's. "Are you all right?"
She asked waiting for his reply, Malfoy frowned and shot his dark green eyes in her direction; "what does it bloody look like, i'm lying in a
hospital bed and all because of your stupid little outburst down there" Hermione felt hurt and angry. "Well if i had not have been down there
you'd still be in the water, probably dead by now" Malfoy snapped back just as quickly as she had, "yeah well don't do me any favors!" Hermione
jumped to her feet knocking the chair over with a loud thud, "ooh! you are absolutly impossible; next time i'll just let you drown!" and with that
Hermione stormed out of the hospital wing slamming the door behind her, Malfoy knew he should have been thankful for her saving his life
and he was; but his stubborn will and pride would not allow him to thank anybody. It had surprised him that she would take the time to save
him; someone who had done nothing but put her down and humiliate her the whole seven years he had known her. Maybe she wasn't so bad
after all, he thought to himself as he sat there pondering, the important thing was that he was alive and kicking; and tomorrow he would
tell her thank you.