Angel of Love
This is a story I wrote for a writing challenge and I won!
Copyright information: I do not own Draco or Hermione, that belongs to JK Rowling.
The chilly February air struck her face as she walked, making it sting slightly. Her long bushy brown hair had snow flakes in it, for it was winter, and the snow was coming down gracefully, like a thousand angels dancing.
To Hermione Granger, the snow felt more like devils and complimented her chilly and foul mood nicely. It was Valentine's Day, and the young Gryffindor found herself alone, heading into Hogsmeade village. She hated Valentine's Day, all the pathetic cooing couples, it made her sick.
Hermione sighed. She wasn't sure where Harry and Ron had gone off to, but they had left her alone and angry in the process. She saw the small village come into her view, and she smiled slightly, hoping that she might find someone there that would ease her mind.
She felt something behind her, and turning around she saw a small child standing before her. His hair was platinum white, just like the snow that fell around him. His eyes were a sharp rippling blue, and she felt a mysterious air come around her.
She knew he was different by the way he was dressed. He wore deep forest green robes, and had a Celtic pendant dangling around his neck. It was three circles, each shimmering with a different color, but met in the middle of the pendant as one color, red.
Hermione found her brown eyes drifting to the Pendant and lingering on it. The colors danced and shimmered, and she found herself entranced. When the boy finally spoke, his voice was soft and gentle, like the falling snow, and held a faint Irish accent.
"Pardon me, miss. But could you come into Hogsmeade with me? I need to find a shop there." He said, gazing at her with a soft smile on his round face.
Hermione shook head and held out a gloved hand. "Sure. What's your name?" She asked as he took her hand and they walked to the village.
"I am Ronan. I was looking for a shop called Celtic Magic. It's supposed to be really cool. You want to come in with me?" He asked excitement filling his soft voice.
"Sure." Hermione said, as they entered the village. Her mind was troubled. He was a little boy, no more then eight years old, and he was alone. Before she could ask him why he was all alone, he pulled on her arm and shouted, "There it is! There it is! Come on, Hermione, let's go!"
She allowed him to pull her towards a small shop, where a Celtic knot hung as the sign outside the door. The shop itself was brown wood, and looked to be an ancient cabin. Before she even entered the shop, she felt that same mysterious air again.
Ronan wrenched open the door, which was stained glass green and blue, and pulled Hermione inside. The smell of roses and pine greeted her. The shop was small, but cozy. On one side of the shop, Hermione noticed candles with different scents, and what they could do for a troubled witch or wizard. On the other side of the shop, between a couch were two shelves. One held trinkets made from Ireland, while the other held remedies and teas.
Hermione's brown eyes ventured to the back wall, where she felt an immediate pull. There was jewelry there, pendants and necklaces, all for different purposes.
Hermione looked down to tell Ronan that she was going to the back wall, and found him gone. Panic went through the young Gryffindor, and she began moving around the small shop, looking for him.
"Ronan!" She called, her mind frantic. He was only eight years old, he couldn't have gone far, she thought.
"Over here, Hermione!" She heard his soft voice say back. Hermione sighed with relief, before she realized that he knew her name. She knew she hadn't told him, she knew she hadn't.
She found him along the back wall playing with a broomstick. The pendants and necklaces shimmered to her left, and Hermione felt the urge to touch them. Instead, she looked at Ronan sternly.
"Ronan put that useless broomstick down. You gave me a right scare." She said. Ronan's rippling blue eyes met hers, and she felt herself take a step back.
"It's not useless, it's magical. He even says it's magical." He said pointing behind him.
Hermione looked, and felt her knees go weak. Standing behind Ronan, blonde hair falling into his face, grey eyes deep and intense, stood none other then Draco Malfoy. She gazed at his pale face, and could see pain etched on it. His grey eyes locked onto hers, and the famous smirk snapped in place.
"Hello, Mudblood. What are you doing here?" He asked voice deep and not at all cold. Hermione tried to shake herself, and found that she could barely move. Ronan stood between them smiling.
"I could ask you the same thing, Malfoy. Celtic Magic doesn't seem like it's your thing. Besides, I was escorting young Ronan into Hogsmeade village." She said haughtily.
Draco shrugged and stepped forward. "It just so happens that I was meeting young Ronan here. I met him the other day, and he said that he wanted me to meet him here. Ronan, this will be our secret, just ours. No one in Slytherian will know." He said, touching Ronan's head. Ronan nodded and looked at Hermione, who felt another shimmer of mysterious air flow through her.
"Well, since it's your little secret, I will be going now." She said, turning to walk away.
"Where's Potter and the Weasel King, did they leave you to go kiss each other?" Draco said evilly.
Hermione turned her head slowly and glared at Draco, "I almost liked that, but it's too corny. I'm actually having a rather rotten Valentine's Day, Malfoy. Not like you care." She snapped.
"Hermione, wait! Draco does care, he just won't admit it! Hermione, don't leave!" Ronan said.
The words stopped her, and she gazed down at Ronan, her mind churning. "Ronan, he never cared about me, he always makes fun of me and Harry." Hermione replied.
"Ever think that I liked you before, and you just...well, didn't see it? Did you ever think I made fun of you because I like you? My Valentine's Day has been miserable too, Hermione. I'm alone in the world. No one cares about me." Draco said angrily. With a soft growl, he grabbed Hermione's arm and jerked her forward.
She gasped as her hands hit his chest, and she felt the hard muscle beneath. She looked into his grey eyes and she saw her own pain and longing mirrored in his. She felt herself go weak as he pulled her tighter against him, and that mysterious air rippled through her once more.
"Draco.." She began, she was going to argue this absurdity.
"Don't say anything, Hermione. Let Draco hold you, and love you." She heard Ronan say. She looked up into Draco's eyes, and found them filled with love.
"I love you Hermione Granger, and if it wasn't for Ronan leading you to that useless broomstick, I would have been alone." He said, as he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
She smiled warmly at him, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers.
"Oh Draco, I love you too. If I wasn't having such a miserable time, I wouldn't be here."
Their lips met in a soft delicate kiss. At once Hermione heard soft Celtic music playing, and a gentle swirl of air. Her mind became aware of Draco's mouth on hers, and she sank deeper. The Celtic music became louder, and the swirling air more vibrant.
Draco broke the kiss, but held onto Hermione. She felt cold air greet the side of her cheek and she looked around.
They were in Hogsmeade village, standing in front of an old worn down cabin. Hermione recognized the shop, but it wasn't a shop. She gasped, and her brown eyes went wide.
"Draco, Where's...?" She began.
"I know. I was in the shop too, I could feel it, smell it, touch it. He was an angel of love, Hermione, one that brought us together. He ran into me on my up to the castle from Quidditch practice one night. He said his name was Ronan and that there was this really cool shop I just had to see. I agreed to meet him here on Valentines Day. He gave me the chills. Then you walked in." he said.
Hermione laughed. "He met me as I was coming into Hogsmeade, and he said I had to see this shop."
"Good thing." Draco said, putting his arm around her. "Let's head up to the castle and have some coco."
Hermione nodded and the two began to leave the worn down cabin. Hermione heard soft Celtic music again, and a soft voice she recognized say, "Look down."
She looked down and found the pendant Ronan had been wearing around her neck.
"Draco, did you just.."
"I heard it too, Hermione. It was Ronan's way of letting us know he's here. Don't worry about him, I love you."
"I love you too." She said.
As they walked, Hermione felt the mysterious air one last time, and could have sworn she heard soft laughter behind them.
"Happy Valentines Day, Hermione." Draco said
"Happy Valentines Day, Draco." Hermione replied. She mentally thanked Ronan for being Draco to her, for if wasn't for the little boy who was an angel, she never would have found him at all. It was truly a good Valentine's Day.