A/N::: This was meant to be a short sweet fluffy lil one shot, but somehow it ended up being the opposite. I hope you enjoy! P.S. if you see any spelling issues, don't be afraid to message me! You can check out my ideas for this story on my Pinterest at HiCjenna
Warnings: Mention of abuse. Mentions of and attempted rape.
The first Friday in the last month of school. It was a time for students drink away their stress caused by school and enjoy the last of their free time before they are overwhelmed with studying for their final exams.
It originally started with just a small group of people going to Harry Potters family's seaside cottage down in Cornwall. The main four: Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Harry. As the years went on, their bonfire nights started getting bigger and bigger. The small group started inviting more friends. Which then led to those people inviting more friends. By the end of their schooling, Harry's bonfire night parties had become some of the biggest parties the students had gone to. These bonfire nights had come to be known as "The Last Friday".
Tonight, there was a warm breeze that was causing the grass along the shore to sway. Friends and classmates were gathered around the bonfire, some sitting on the benches that were already there, others had brought their own folding chairs that were set up around the beach. Students were meandering along the shore or heading in and out of the cottage to get drinks or snacks.
Everyone was having a good time. The music was loud, and the drinks were plentiful. This was going to be a 'Last Friday' that people would remember. From what Hermione could tell, it was the largest to date. Cheap cigarettes were being passed around, along with copious amounts of alcohol. The young adults were laughing and messing about without a care in the world.
Even Hermione was letting loose. She was stressed out from studying and all the drama. What, with Ron constantly flirting with her, and him clearly not getting the message that she was in no way, shape, or form had any intention to return the feelings. She wanted to get him to stop coming on to her without straight up telling him to fuck off, but she didn't want to lose a friend. Her friends were some of the most important things in her life. She was sat on the bench next to Harry, enjoying her surroundings. No Ron bothering her and no homework nagging at her to be finished. She was having a good time so far.
Harry's arm was around her shoulder as he talked to Dean Thomas who was on his other side, but he was paying her no attention. Not that Hermione minded. She felt comfortable enough just to sip her drink and observe the other party goers. It was weird to see classmates somewhere other than at school, but it was nice to see everyone letting go of their inhibitions for once and enjoy the company of others. Tonight was a time to have fun for once, and she was going to make the most of it.
Perhaps she would finally get the courage to talk to Draco Malfoy. Although he had been a bit of a git to her and her friends in school, she could look past that and see the good in him. She had watched him with his mates and he was nothing like the persona he put on around her and her friends. Her mother used to joke that he only did it to rile her and her friends up because he had a crush on her. Hermione though her mother was crazy, as there was no way that Draco Malfoy could ever fancy bushy-haired, average looking Hermione Granger.
She glanced around the area and saw him standing on the porch, drinking a beer. She watched him, glad he was unaware of her gaze, he was talking to his friends, Pansy Parkinson and Theo Nott. Hermione was weary about Malfoy and Parkinson. The two claimed that they weren't together, but Hermione and their other classmates had always thought otherwise. The two had been friends since they were young, and many thought they would end up together at some point. They were almost always together and seemed rather chummy.
Tonight, Malfoy was wearing a white tee that was tucked into his light washed jeans, and a pair of black high-top converse to pull the look together. It was strange seeing him in something other than his school uniform. He always looked so proper in his uniform. No wrinkles or imperfections could ever be found. The tattoo that he had gotten over the Christmas holidays stood out against his pale skin that was being illuminated by the light of the fire. God, did he try hard to look that fit, or was it effortless?
She had always thought he looked rather attractive but seeing him in such casual clothing increased his looks a considerable amount. His white-blond hair was short on the sides, but longer on the top, and pushed to one side to keep it out of his face. He had a strong jawline that made him look like a model. And his eyes were a beautiful mercury colour. Damn him for being so handsome.
"What's up, 'Mione?" Ron asked, sitting down on the bench next to her, bringing mind her back to the party and away from the blond.
He just had to come and find her, didn't he? It was like it was his goal to ruin her night. "Hello, Ron. How are you?" She greeted politely.
"I'm great. This has to be the best 'Last Friday' bonfire night ever. It's crazy how many people have shown up. Can you believe that this started with just four of us?"
"This is quite a large amount of people. I'm glad that it has increased to be the amount it is, it's more fun this way, and we can get to know our classmates better." She said, glancing over at the blond who was in her thoughts.
"I guess, but it's more of a time to get wasted and hook up with birds that you normally wouldn't have the courage to." He argued.
"Perhaps for you, yes, but for others, it's just a time to be around friends outside of school. Yes, it's nice to be a bit inebriated, but I don't think that's what the 'Last Friday' is about. I think it's more than that." She retorted. Was he really here just to get shagged? If that was his aim, then he could have just asked a girl out tonight. They were in the presence of others for God sakes. She was repulsed.
"Oh, come on, 'Mione, you and I both know that that you don't really think that," He put his hand on her knee. "Be realistic. Half of the people are here to have a shag."
"Please don't be like this, Ron. I just want to enjoy myself tonight." She said quietly.
"I'm only kidding Hermione," he said. He then leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I wouldn't want you to be drunk if we were actually doing anything." Hermione laughed as if it were a joke, but she was honestly frightened. She didn't want anything to do with the boy any longer. She moved closer into Harry's side to move away from Ron, putting her hand on Ron's arm to try and put some distance between him and herself, making sure he wouldn't move closer to her.
"Come on, 'Mione, I fancy you. Why don't you quit being an uptight bitch for once and have a bit little of fun. Enjoy yourself." He grinned at her. Hermione was appalled. Did he really just call her an uptight bitch? No one had ever called her that before, not even Draco Malfoy when he was being particularly gitty.
She stood up to get away from him. "I'm going to go get another drink, maybe then I'll be less of an uptight bitch." She spat at him and stormed off to the inside of the cottage where the drinks were. That boy had some nerve. She grabbed a Hooch from the refrigerator in the kitchen and jumped up onto the counter. Why would she ever want to be with someone who was so blatantly disgusting and oblivious?
Draco stared at her from the porch. He had never seen the bushy-haired girl so relaxed and happy. He had fancied her since 4th year, so he had observed he quite a bit. With her being more comfortable than normal, this was the perfect chance to talk to her, rather than spew insults at her and her friends. However, he could tell that all the other blokes were trying to do the same, each looking for an opening to try to get with the girl. She didn't even realise how attractive she was, and it drove him mental. Not to mention how she always had to best him. Perfect little goody-two-shoes, loyal to all her friends, a know-it-all swot. Damn her for being the way she was. She just had to be the perfect girl.
The little things she did infuriated him. The way she bit her lip or pen when she was contemplating something. How she gets all passionate when people try to prove her wrong, but it's Granger, so of course, she's always right. He looked forward to the times they pass in the hall, so he can see the look on her face when he insults her. She's just so sexy when she's angry. She drove him crazy.
And here she was, no inhibitions. She continuously ran her hands through her unruly locks, seeming to be unhappy with how the continued to bounce back to where they had been not even a second before. Just watching her do these little things that she seemed to do subconsciously turned him on so much. He wondered what it would feel like to run his hands through her hair, or better yet have her hands running through his hair, over his chest, maybe even down his-. He stopped himself before his thoughts could get too far. It would do no good to be walking around with an issue.
He sipped on his beer as he watched her interact with her friends. Her best friend, Harry Potter, had an arm around her. Draco would be more jealous if he didn't already know that Potter was already dating some girl, and they were quite smitten with one another. However, her other best mate, Ron Weasley, was a concern. There were rumors going around that the Weasel fancied her, and that he was going to make a move tonight. Meaning that Draco had to act first if he ever wanted a chance to be with her.
But Weasley was over on her other side, whispering something into her ear, causing her to giggle. His hand was on her knee, and her hand on his arm. The two seemed awfully cosy. It pissed him off. Maybe he didn't have a chance after all, but there was no harm in trying, right? If they were already together, he would just get turned down in an awfully embarrassing way.
"Did you see Granger tonight?" his oldest friend, Pansy, asked. He looked at his friend, his attention no longer on the girl he fancied.
"Yeah, why?"
"I know how you feel about her, Draco. I always catch you sneaking glimpses of her. You should go talk to her while you have the chance," She pointed out. "Plus, she's looking rather fit if you hadn't noticed."
"Look at her, Pansy. She's practically hanging all over that red-headed buffoon. I have no chance of getting her." He sighed, truly feeling that what he just said was true.
"Oh please, you can tell that she's annoyed by him. She's practically revolted, but she's trying to be polite." Pansy claimed. Draco leaned against the railing, trying to get a better look at Granger and Weasley.
He looked at the girl in question and tried to see what Pansy was trying to show him, but nothing stood out to him that she was being anything but flirtatious towards the ginger. "I have no bloody clue as to what you're talking about, Pansy." Granger seemed to be putting her hand on his arm as he spoke to her, a smile plastered on her face.
"Seriously? Look at how uncomfortable she looks. That smile is so fake, I'm not even friends with her and I can notice that." Draco focused on her smile. He could barely see anything out of the norm.
"What about the way that she's putting her hand on his arm? She's clearly flirting with him." Draco tried to argue.
Pansy shook her head. "I didn't think you were this oblivious, Draco. Once again, she's trying to be polite. Granger is essentially trying to push him away. Look, she's moving closer into Potter, attempting to create space between her and Weasley. She's uncomfortable. If she were accepting Weasley's advances, then she would be moving closer to him rather than Potter. It's subtle, but you can see it."
Draco watched the people in question and could see where Pansy's argument was coming from. But that being said, he wasn't sure if it was just a girl's perspective on the matter, or if it was how the scene before him was actually playing out. He was praying that Granger really was uncomfortable being around the Weasel, as Pansy had said.
He saw Hermione get up, say something to the red-head, then go into the cottage. Maybe this was his chance. She was finally alone. No bodyguards to put him off. Nothing could stop him now. "Fine, I'll go talk to Granger and prove to you that she fancies Weasley." He said to Pansy. He chugged the rest of his beer then walked into the kitchen and saw her perched upon the counter top.
"Granger," Draco greeted, nodding his head. He opened the fridge and grabbed a new beer. He couldn't believe how easy it was to find her, let alone in an empty room. He figured he would have had to look around the building a bit.
"Malfoy." She returned, taking a sip of her drink.
He walked over to the island across from her and leaned against the fixture. "How are you enjoying tonight's 'Last Friday' celebrations?" he asked.
"Quite well, thank you. And yourself?"
"It's nice to be around so many schoolmates for once without having to worry about school. So, I'm having a lovely time. Potter's cottage is nice. I wish I had come to one of these before." He claimed.
"This is your first 'Last Friday'?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, I usually just spend tonight at home doing homework or something, but some of my mates came last year and said how much fun they had, so I figured I'd give it a go." Which was true. He was always busy on 'Last Fridays'. But he also knew that she came to these parties, so he avoided them.
"Glad to hear you're enjoying yourself. It's always nice to see a new face." She smiled.
"I'm surprised you're even here if I'm quite honest. This doesn't seem like something you would normally partake in. Not to sound rude, but you seem like a girl who would enjoy a cosy night in rather than going to a party." Draco pointed out.
"I suppose not, no. But we all need to have some fun and live like the age that we are every now and again. Plus, my friends and I were the ones who started this, so it only seems fitting that I attend."
"Ah, I should have known that if Potter were involved then you would be too." He smirked.
"Unfortunately, yes," She laughed. It was like music to Draco's ears. He could listen o her laugh all day. "I try my best to keep low, but Harry is always wanting to be the centre of attention. Honestly, I'm not even sure how we've stayed friends for so long with how different we are."
"I understand how you feel. My best friend, Pansy, and I have completely opposite personalities. While of course, we're similar in some ways, we couldn't be more different from what we want in life and how we think of situations and other people. It's probably because we've been with each other through thick and thin. But other than that, I've no idea how we have stayed so close." He grinned.
"You know what they say, opposites attract," Granger stated.
"I couldn't agree more," he said. It was quiet for a moment as they drank their drinks. Draco took a deep breath. "Listen, Granger. I want to apologise for being such an arsehole to you when we were growing up. I had a pretty rough childhood and I didn't really know how to deal with my emotions back then, so I took it out on you. I'm sorry that I was such a git to you."
"I forgive you, Malfoy. I-"
"Draco" he corrected her.
"Huh?"
"Call me Draco." he smiled.
"Oh, okay. Uh. I forgive you, Draco. I know how it is growing up being an only child. All the pressures that are put on you. We all make mistakes growing up, but it takes a mature person to admit their wrongs, let alone apologise. This shows me that you've grown up." She grinned at him, causing butterflies to flutter in his stomach.
"Thanks, Granger." It meant a lot to him that she forgave him. Considering how much of an arse he had been, he thought she was going to say that she could never forgive him and to fuck off.
"Hermione. My name is Hermione."
"Thank you for forgiving me, Hermione," He smiled, glad she was being so friendly. "It means a lot to me."
"You're welcome," She glanced over his form and her eyes landed on his arm. "Can I see your tattoo? I've always wanted to get one, but I've been too nervous to actually go through with it."
"Sure." He took a step closer to her and held out his left arm for her to examine.
"Did it hurt?" she asked.
"Yeah, a bit, but nothing too bad. I've had injuries from playing football that hurt worse. It's more like a bunch of little stings rather than if you were to break a bone or something." He claimed.
"Do you mind if I-" she held out her hands, wanting to look at it closely. He nodded, and she gently grabbed his forearm and brought it closer to her. He felt his skin tingle where she was touching him. She examined it for a moment. "Why this? Is there a meaning behind a snake coming out of a skull? Sorry if I'm overstepping my boundaries by inquiring, I've just always been curious. And I've heard rumours that it's a gang symbol. Well, mostly from Ron, so it's probably not true, but still."
"I don't mind at all. No, it's not a gang sign. I'm not that daft," he chuckled. "The Malfoy family symbol is a snake. The family crest and most of the Malfoy heirlooms are riddled with snakes. So, that pays homage to my family, mainly my mother. And the skull, while most would think it symbolizes death, I think of it as the opposite. The skull is what keeps you alive. It keeps in all your bits," He joked. "So basically, the skull is keeping the snake alive."
"Do you see yourself as the skull and your mother as the snake?" Hermione asked. Draco gazed down at the brunette. How had she put that together? Most people just thought it was cool then moved on with their lives. This girl was too smart for her own good. He was amazed.
"How did you put that together?" he questioned.
"Well, you seem like you wouldn't get your just because it looks cool. You're a smart guy, Draco, I assume you want things to have meaning behind them. You said that the snake represents your mother, and the skull symbolizes life, keeping the animal alive. Also, you mentioned you had a rough childhood. I don't know exactly what happened, but I remember that on some days, you would come in with bruises that seemed far too big or just the right shape for it to be an accident. Sorry if I sound rude and I'm making an incorrect assumption, but I'm sorry that your father abused you and your mother when you were growing up."
"Wow. I didn't think it was that obvious." He muttered, running his hand through his hair.
"It might not have been to others, but I'm fairly observant. And some days you seemed off. On those days, you were usually the worst. You wouldn't hold back on your insults."
"Shite, Hermione. I never realized that I did that. I'm so sorry." Had he really done that? He knew he had been a git to her but didn't realise that his father had made him more of one. He was always scared he would turn out like his father.
"It's okay, Draco. Like I've said, you've grown up. You've been forgiven. Are you okay now, with your family and stuff? Do you mind me asking what he did to you and your mum? I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I'm here if you want to."
"No, I don't mind telling you about it. I actually think it will help to tell someone who isn't a close friend. But just to warn you, it's fairly morbid," He downed the rest of his beer and let out a sigh. "My parents had tried for years to have a child, but my mother couldn't have children. Somehow, they were lucky enough to have me. They thought that if they were able to have one, then they could get another one, but my mother went through miscarriage after miscarriage. It was hard on their relationship. They argued constantly. He accused her of getting abortions just to spite him because he wanted another child so badly.
"When I was young, my father was the best. He supported me, practically spoiled me. I was his only son, hell his only child. He had loved me unconditionally at one point. But then he started drinking. He would come home from work and drink. At first, it was just a little bit, but then he kept drinking more and more. He was so stressed. He just wanted my mother to be happy, but with all the arguments and miscarriages, she was constantly on edge. All the stress was taking a toll on her. One night, my mother and father got into an argument while he was drunk, and he slapped her. It only escalated from there. Mother didn't want to keep trying to have more children, she was tired of being disappointed, and disappointing my father. But Father wouldn't have it. So, in order to get what he wanted, he started raping her. Whenever I tried to stop him, he beat me, saying that I shouldn't meddle in something I was too young to understand." He took a deep breath.
Hermione took this time to chime in, "You don't have to continue if you don't want to, Draco. It was enough for you to tell me that much about your past."
"Does it make you uncomfortable?" he asked.
"A bit, yes. But I want to learn more about you, so I don't mind hearing more." Draco felt his face warm at hearing her say she wanted to know more about him. He knew that his childhood had been fucked up, but he fancied Hermione and wanted to ask her out. Therefore, he was going to tell her and one time or another, so why not now.
"Then I will continue. The drinking started when I was nine, and the physical abuse to my mother and I started when I was about 10. It got worse for me when I started attending secondary school. That's when my grades started to matter, and that's when I started going to school with you. I was expected to be number one in all of my classes, work hard, and partake in extracurricular activities. So, I started playing football, I spent all of my free time studying and practicing. I wanted to be the best to make my father happy. Because I thought if I made him happy, then he would stop abusing my mother and I. But then you came along. You bested me in every class, no matter how hard I studied. You always seemed to get a point or two more than me. My father was disappointed in me that I couldn't be the best, especially because the one who was beating me was a girl. He thought that I wasn't studying hard enough, so he kept me in my room at night, making sure I studied hard enough to beat some stupid girl.
"If I would come home with a test score that he was unhappy with, he would beat me, saying I wasn't trying hard enough. That I was ungrateful that he was trying to improve my life and make it easier to get into university. He would say, 'Why can't you be more like that Granger girl? She clearly cares about getting into a good university and doing something with her life.'. My mother would try to defend me, but then he would beat her too for supporting a son who was useless. About a two years ago, when I turned fifteen, I decided enough was enough. I called the police to report him, my mother and I packed up our things, and we moved house. She wanted to get out of town, but I convinced her to wait until I was done with school, then we could get further away from the monster. So, for the past few years, it's just been my mum and I. And we've been happy ever since."
Hermione reached out and pulled him towards her, wrapping her arms around him. He froze at her touch, unsure if he should embrace her back. "Draco, I'm so sorry that you had to live through that. If I had known that your father was beating you, I would have gotten lower test scores. I could've helped you." He slowly wrapped his arms around the girl.
"It's okay, Hermione. You didn't know. You earned those grades fair and square. I would never have let you intentionally get a bad grade just to help me. You work hard to get them, and you deserve them. Like I said, we're better now." He hugged her tighter to reassure her.
"If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me, alright?" he nodded. It was at this moment that a voice started calling Hermione's name from somewhere nearby. She sighed and jumped down from the counter she was sat upon. "That's Harry. I guess I should go see what he needs. I'll talk to you later, yeah?"
"Yeah, go have fun being hostess. I'll talk to you later. Bye, Hermione." He watched her as she left the room. He couldn't process all the emotions he was feeling at the moment. He couldn't believe how understanding and supportive Hermione was. How forgiving she had been even though he had been a massive git to her and her friends. He grabbed another beer and headed out to find Pansy.