Okay so, yea I know I'm supposed to be working on "Treasure" but things are going a little slow. This story is more friendship but romance is implied at the end. First Draco/Hermione story. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: No. Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling. Not me. Sorry to disappoint.
Snow was falling all around Hogsmeade. The street was relatively empty, filled only with the people finished with their Christmas shopping and heading home for the night. The light coming from the main pub was warm and inviting on the cold night.
The Three Broomsticks was filled with its usual crowd and the laughter that came along with it. In the holiday spirit, the pub was decorated with its usual Christmas tree and other trimmings. Everyone was enjoying the joyous camaraderie. Everyone, except the young witch in the back corner.
Hermione Granger was sitting at a table in the dimly lit back corner. In front of her was a half-drunken mug of butterbeer that she had been staring at with a slightly sad expression for more than an hour. She never looked up whenever the door opened and the bell let out a small tinkling noise. So, she never saw the tall, pale, blonde-haired young man walk in. She did, however, hear his footsteps as he approached her table.
Hermione looked up to see the face of none other than Draco Malfoy. Though they had never been very close, since the war they were on friendlier terms than before.
"Where's Weasley?" he asked, sounding more blunt and uncaring than he intended. Draco's questioning look was replaced by one of panic as tears began to leak out of Hermione's eyes.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," Draco said quickly and quietly so as not to draw attention to the two. He was slightly panicking at this point. "Don't cry. Stop crying, please. Hermione, please, stop crying," he pleaded.
Hermione looked up as the tears slowed to a stop, to Draco's relief. "You called me 'Hermione'," she said, her voice quiet and slightly broken.
"Yea, well, that's your name."
"Why do you care if I'm crying?" she asked, staring at him incredulously.
"I just don't like to see girls cry. It's slightly annoying."
Hermione made a small noise between a hiccup and a laugh. "I'm sure," she said, her brown eyes still glistening with recently shed tears.
"Hey, believe what you want, but that's my story and it's true," Draco replied with a small smile of his own. It was one of his rare, natural smiles that Hermione had never seen. It lingered only a second before he put on a serious face. "But shifting the focus from me, you want to tell me what's going on?" Draco leaned back on the wall and folded his arms across his chest waiting for her response.
Hermione averted her slightly red eyes from the searching gaze of his own gray orbs. "It's none of your business," she replied with quiet anger.
Draco shrugged and put his hands up in defense. "That's fine. I understand. You're right; it's not my business. I only cared about how you were feeling," he told her carefully, before turning his back on her and slowly walking away from the table.
"It didn't work out," Hermione said quietly to herself, not expecting him to hear. However, he did hear. Draco walked back to the table and returned to his leaning position on the wall. "It didn't workout," she repeated. She brushed a strand of her bushy brown hair behind her ear.
"Would you care to elaborate?" Draco asked. He had raised one eyebrow in question, inviting her to continue.
Hermione proceeded to tell him slowly, still doubting his motives. She told him about her and Ron. They had begun to argue more often than they did before they dated. The arguments had eventually evolved into full-blown verbal fights. In the end, both Ron and Hermione had decided it would be best if they didn't see each other anymore and to go back to being friends, however awkward that might be. Like Hermione had said, their previous relationship hadn't worked out.
Draco stood in silence, processing the information before nodding his head in understanding. "I'm sorry things didn't work out." He looked down at her half empty butterbeer. "I'll get you another drink." He walked off to the bar before returning. He placed a new glass in front of her and held a mug of his own in his hands.
"Do you mind if I sit down? My feet are starting to hurt," Draco said calmly.
Hermione laughed. "Sure. Take a seat."
He sat down across her, looking grateful. "Thanks. Hermione, I really am sorry about you and Weasley, err, Ron. But you know what they say," Draco told her, giving her another one of his rare smiles. "When one door closes, another door opens."
Hermione smiled back, her eyes now glistening with happiness. "Yea, another door opens."
There you have it. Please review and let me know what you think. Reviews are appreciated.