(A/N: All BOLD letters are that person's thoughts)
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! JUST THE PLOT OF THIS STORY!
"So, you guys ready for the match?" Harry asked Ron and Ginny. They were in the Great Hall having breakfast before their quidditch match.
"Hello! Harry we've been practicing all month for this stupid match! So, I definitely think we're ready" Ginny answered him. Ron, however, was just staring at Hermione like always.
Hermione always sat a good distance away from the three of them every quidditch match as to avoid having to hear their long talks about quidditch. Ginny nudged Harry's side and nodded toward Ron. Ginny looked at Harry knowingly and Harry nodded, knowing what he had to do.
"You know Ron," Harry started by putting an arm around his friend. "Ravenclaw's chasers are pathetic, you can easily block the quaffle"
Ron responded with a mere nod, not taking his eyes off of Hermione. Ginny widened her eyes, as if saying "Go on!"
"You know Ron," Harry tried again, still not taking his arm off of his friend. "Hermione won't be able to go to the match later"
"WHAT!" Yep. That definitely snapped Ron back into the real world. "Why not?" He asked.
"Because…" Harry tried to think of something that sounded like something Hermione would actually do. Thank God for Ginny, she was able to tease Ron, of course being Ron's younger sister; she was able to do that easily, thanks to her practice of having to live with him all her life.
"Because, you're looking at her like she's roast pork"
"No I'm not! Tell her Harry!" Ron begged Harry to save him from the humiliation, but that might not have been that best thing to do.
"Yes, Ron, you were unfortunately" Harry said, trying hard not to laugh.
Harry and Ginny began laughing way hard. Harry was too busy laughing that he hadn't seen his other teammates try to approach him. Ron, however, had seen them as he was not busy laughing his head off.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Ron asked the rest of the team.
"D'you really wanna know what's up?" Cormac McLaggen asked. Cormac was the next best chaser on the team obviously next to Katie.
"DUH!" Ron said, he really didn't like Cormac.
"Ravenclaw changed their line up!" Cormac yelled and everyone in the Great Hall seemed to have stopped talking and finally Harry and Ginny had stopped laughing after the whole Cormac-yelling in the Great Hall- everyone staring incident.
"What? But all our strategies are for their usual line up!" Ginny said in disbelief.
"What do we do now?"
"Cormac, did you even get the names of the people in the new line up?" Harry asked.
"No…" Cormac said embarrassed.
"Well, GO GET THEM!" Harry yelled.
At that point Hermione decided to approach them.
"Hey guys! What's up?" She said to the Gryffindor quidditch team.
"Uhhh… W-we… we…" Ron started.
"We're having a little crisis right now," Cormac said standing right in front of her and staring down at her. He was probably, just probably half a foot taller than her. "Little lady, so if you want to go with the big boys you have to be at least taller than 5'2"
"Oh yeah? Tell me, what's this crisis of yours? And for your information, I am 5'5" She answered back. Cormac moved in even closer to her and at the same time Hermione clenched her fists.
"Okay, okay. Enough of this! Cormac, I thought I told you to get the fucking list!" Harry said trying to get his team in order. When Cormac went running for the list Harry turned to face Hermione. "Hermione, I think you'd better head out, everyone else is"
"Okay, good luck guys!" She said while giving all her friends on the team a kiss, shook hands with those of whom she wasn't so close to and then stopped to hug Ginny. "Go kick ass Gin!"
"I will; I always do!" Ginny said laughing and with another wave Hermione was gone.
After what seemed to be an hour, Cormac returned running and gave Harry the roll of parchment.
The parchment read:
Ravenclaw Gryffindor
Chasers: Chasers:
Parker, Jessie Weasley, Ginny Smith, Tom McLaggen, Cormac Johnson, Mark Bell, KatieKeeper: Keeper:
Johnson, Patty Weasley, RonBeaters: Beaters:
Evans, Liz Peakes, Jimmy Sy, Lee Coote, RitchieSeeker: Seeker:
Chang, Cho (Captain) Potter, Harry (Captain)
The list really wasn't that different the only two people who were new were Evans
and Sy. They're probably the newest members replacing Davis and Matthews.
"Okay," Harry said to his team. "Who's seen these Evans and Sy play?"
"I have!" Ritchie yelled. "They're both in my year. Pretty nasty flying, both of them, but pretty good aiming, if you ask me"
"Okay, Jimmy and Ritchie, you've both got the advantage there, just start confusing both of them. And make sure they don't get a hold of the bludger" Harry said giving directions to his team.
"No, no. That's not the way to give directions. Make sure both of you stay in the shaded areas when they're in the sunlight so that they don't see you both, then you give them a little surprise by flying in from behind" Cormac said to Jimmy and Ritchie.
"Cormac, I'm captain here, and they will only follow what I tell them to do, not you!" Harry said pissed. "But you both should stay in the shaded areas, got it?" Harry said whispering to Jimmy and Ritchie.
"Anyway, c'mon guys!" Ginny said to the rest of the team as Harry and Cormac started yelling at each other. Thank God that everyone was at the Quidditch pitch already. Everyone except the two teams. Cho then approached Harry and tapped his shoulder.
"Harry, could I talk to you for a sec?" Cho asked.
"Oh, sure, I guess" Harry said with a shrug, looked at Ginny and then they separated from both their teams.
"Harry, could you do me a wittle favor?" Cho said in her 'cutest' voice.
"Ookay…" Harry said, not so sure what's happening.
"Could you take it easy on us today? 'Coz Liz and Lee are kinda new and they're not so sure what to do" She asked.
"What? Are you kidding me?" Harry asked not sure if his ears were telling him the right thing. "Are you crazy?"
"No, not really" Cho said acting 'innocent'.
"Well, I'll have to talk to the team about it first" Harry said looking at his teammates who were also in fact looking right back at him.
"But Harry you've got to understand…" Cho started to say, but Harry just cut her off completely.
"I told you I'd think about it!" Harry screamed as he walked over to his team.
He didn't really know if it was their history or just her using her femininity to gain the advantage for the match, plus she should know by now not to be doing that kind of stuff around Harry, especially with Ginny close by.
"GRYFFINDOR… LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Harry yelled at the kinda empty Great Hall.
On the way to the locker rooms Ginny didn't say one word to Harry, she didn't even look at him. Once the team was in the locker rooms, Harry decided to have their prep talk then and there rather than have it outside right before the game.
So Harry, Ron and the rest of the team got dressed and met up in the joining lounge of the locker rooms.
"So Harry, what was Cho talking to you for?" Ginny asked Harry before going to join the team who were pumping up and stretching and doing their pre-game rituals.
"She asked me if we could take it easy on them" Harry said not looking at her. How could he?
"Wow! What kind of captain is that?!" Ginny said in utter disbelief. "Look Harry, she's just psyching us out, okay? We don't need to worry about her; we've been practicing for this first match all month! So, don't worry, okay?" She finished and then kissed him right on the lips.
"What was that for?" Harry asked grinning down at her.
"That was for not letting Cho get to you" Ginny said grinning right back at him.
"Okay… Maybe Cho should try and get close to me all the time after all" Was all Harry said mischievously to Ginny and walked over to the team then hand in hand with Ginny "Okay guys, c'mon we can do this! We've beaten them before and we can definitely beat them again! The only person we really do need to avoid is Cho Chang, so… Gryffindor on three… ONE… TWO… THREE!"
"GRYFFINDOR" The team yelled.
And well, obviously Gryffindor was leading 100 to 10. That was until…
"THE DARK MARK!" Someone yelled from the stands.
Then Madame Hooch's whistle came piercing through the air. "THE MATCH IS OVER! EVERYONE INSIDE!"
"Harry, Ron, Ginny look!" Hermione's voice came piercing the air next. When Harry was finally able to see Hermione clearly, she was pointing to the far side of the quidditch field. And sure enough, she was pointing at the Death Eaters who looked like they were gliding in their long, black robes and skull masks. The Ravenclaw players weren't moving at all until Harry yelled, "Get outta there!" But that was the other mistake Harry made. Right after he made that comment though, the field was surrounded by what looked like blue and red bees. Just then, a bright green light went out of where Hermione was standing, then Harry, Ron and Ginny's brooms were being dragged to the ground by some unseen force.
"Harry!" Ron yelled from his broom.
"JUMP!" Harry yelled to Ron and Ginny. And crazy enough, they did it. The next thing Harry knew he, Ron and Ginny were rolling on the ground and that Hagrid was running towards them. Harry then, without thinking, got Ginny's arm and pulled her to her feet, but then she let out a cry of pain.
"C'mon!" Ron yelled at them.
Harry carefully got Ginny and carried her husband and wife style, and ran. They were the last people to go into the castle. Hagrid had to stay outside since he was part of the Hogwarts staff. When they got in all of the students had already gone back to their respective houses, everyone except Hermione.
"Are all of you okay?" Hermione asked as she ran toward them in the Entrance Hall.
"Yeah" Harry and Ron said in unison.
"No" Ginny said.
"Yeah, you're not. C'mere" Harry said tucking a stray strand of hair behind Ginny's ear.
"What was that anyway?" Ron asked.
"What was what?" Hermione asked the three of them.
"That green light" Ginny grunted in pain.
"Oh you mean, the magnet jinx I preformed?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, wait. THAT WAS YOU?" Harry yelled.
"Yeah, I was trying to get you guys in here faster" Hermione said looking at the ground.
Ron was looking at the ground and noticed some blood on the floor of the Entrance Hall, he followed it with his eyes and it led to Hermione.
"Hermione," Ron's voice soft now after seeing the blood. "What happened to you?"
Harry and Ginny's eyes followed the blood path too and indeed they too looked concerned.
"Uhhh… I don't wanna talk about it" Hermione said still not looking at them. Ron chose that moment to go up to her and started smoothing out her hair.
"Hermione, tell us what happened… Please" Ginny whispered.
"It-it was your brooms, this one Death Eater," She started and with Ron's arm still around her, he led her to one of the benches on the sides of the Entrance Hall. "He rode one of your brooms and the magnet jinx was still in use, I tried to stop it, but my wand… It was like I wasn't controlling my wand, like the Death Eater was controlling it… Anyway, uhhh… When the Death Eater was hurtling towards me I kept on trying to stop it, but it was too late and then he took out a knife from his pocket and…" She stopped and held her stomach.
"Hermione let me heal it" Harry said, but all Hermione did was shake her head.
"Hermione, c'mon! Please just let him heal it please!" Ginny said after Harry was done healing her arm, but it still hurt.
"Wait a minute, what happened to our brooms then?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, what really did happen to our brooms?" Harry asked Hermione, but instead Ginny replied.
"Who cares about some stupid broom, when our friend just got slashed with a knife by a Death Eater!" Ginny said yelling now at the stupidity of her boyfriend and brother.
"I do" Ron said taking his arm off of Hermione and standing up and not even facing her.
"What?" Ginny yelled her voice echoing off of the thick stonewalls of the castle.
"I do too" Harry said shaking his head. "That broom was given by Sirius to me… He won't be able to get me a new one now can he?"
"I'm sorry, but I did what I had to do…" She started slowly, but she noticed her voice just became louder and louder from then on. "My friends were in danger; you three were just sitting on your brooms as if nothing was happening, what was I supposed to do? Leave the three of you there to die? Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not the kind of person who would let something like that happen! I don't know why you're both mad at me; I can easily replace those brooms in a couple of months! But if the three of you died, would I be able to replace you?!" She said breathing heavily. She couldn't believe it, she just did the right thing to do and they're the ones who got mad!
"What?" Ginny asked Hermione disgustingly.
"Huh?" Hermione asked in return.
"D'you think of us like that?" Ginny asked.
"Think of you how?" Hermione asked looking really confused by now.
"As some poor group waiting for your donations?" Ginny yelled her voice again echoing off of the thick, stonewalls.
"No, of course not!" Hermione said defensive.
"Then why are you saying that you can easily replace our brooms?" Ginny asked trying to get some information out of her so-called best friend.
Hermione couldn't believe it, Ginny, of all people, attacking her! Well, she's had enough to deal with. "You know what? Believe what you all want to believe! I didn't do or say anything wrong! And you all know that! I don't care if you're all popular and that you can all ruin me here, but… Just have fun with your lives, okay? Enjoy them for me, okay? 'Coz I definitely won't enjoy it!" She said this and just ran as fast as she could, not knowing where to go, she ended up in the Head Boy and Girl's Common Room.
She ran to her room and started to heal her wound. After that, even if it was only 3 in the afternoon, Hermione just wanted to fall asleep and try to forget everything that happened just a few minutes ago. So, she changed her clothes, made the clothes she used soak in the tub and just grab the comfiest clothes she could find. Then, she just sort of fell on the bed, she wasn't even that sure if she fell on her bed or on the floor.
When she woke up, sure enough she was on the floor. When she was sleeping, Hermione was dreaming of her friends, or should she say ex-friends. The dream was more like a flashback than a dream, really. Hermione knew what she had to do; she had to buy the three of them new brooms, the newest ones released, but where to get the money?
TWO MONTHS LATERHermione woke up from a deep sleep. It'd been exactly two months since Harry, Ron and Ginny had spoken a word to her, not one. They have, in fact, influenced the rest of the Gryffindors not to talk to her and that only put Hermione in an extremely horrible position.
After a month, Hermione was still thinking of ways to get Harry, Ron and Ginny their brooms. Gryffindor, thank God, has had no match so far. Hermione just lay in bed on a cold December Saturday, thinking, thinking of ways to repay her "friends". Suddenly, as if she was Albert Einstein saying, "Eureka!" an idea popped in her mind. There is only one person on earth, who would have that much money and not know what to do with it… Draco Malfoy…
So, after having her wonderful 'brain blast' she went down to the Head Boy and Girl's Common Room looking for a special someone. And sure enough, he was there. Oh he was there all right! He was with Parvati. And Lavender. And Cho. And it appeared that they were flirting with him. Hermione at that point wanted to call the girls all the bad s-words in the world.
"Granger" Cho said walking up to Hermione looking her up and down with great disgust, Hermione hadn't been able to shower up yet nor change as she was still in her night gown, but the same went with Malfoy.
"Ookay… Hey, Cho" Hermione said turning and heading back up to her room but before she was even able to head back someone grabbed her by the arm, it was Malfoy.
"What?!" Hermione yelled.
"What do you want?" He said looking at the floor.
Hermione looked over to where the girls were standing by the staircase, he really did look sincere, but Hermione had a feeling that she couldn't trust him.
"What do you mean what do I want?" Hermione answered.
"What is it that you need? I mean you wouldn't be down here early this morning if you weren't looking for me for rounds or something" He said now looking at her straight into her deep chocolate brown eyes.
"If you really wanna know…" Hermione started but Malfoy cut her off.
"Yes, I really do wanna know"
"Fine, I kinda needed some money…" She started but looked at Malfoy and saw that he was looking right back at her. He nodded as if to say, 'go on'. "And I was wondering, you know, if I could do or help you with anything, maybe even do your rounds for you"
Draco looked at her once more to see if she wasn't just joking around. What he saw was a tired, depressed, and lonely looking girl who was looking for some help.
"Why don't I just give you the galleons then?" Malfoy asked her
"No, I'm not some charity, you know? I don't wait around for people like you to give people like me…" Hermione said then she just sort of stopped, she now knew how Harry, Ron and Ginny felt. They felt like they were being attacked for no reason and finally Hermione had come to her senses that what she did was kinda rude.
After her long silence, Malfoy decided to try and 'talk to' Hermione more. He had this weird feeling, like he needed to protect her, but then Lavender chose that moment to make Hermione feel even worse.
"Oh, hi Hermione! Haven't talked to you in a long time!" She started and it was pretty obvious that she wasn't done yet. "Why aren't you talking to your 'friends' anymore?" She said friends with air quotes. "Do you know Ron and I are together now? Yeah. We are, and we're having a great time! And, what about you?"
"What about me?" Hermione asked scowling.
"Are you having a great time with him too, because you sure don't look it"
Lavender said laughing with her posse.
Hermione had tears in her eye sockets, but she didn't want anyone to know that just talking about her ex-friends easily broke her. Oh yeah, she tried, believe me, she tried like crazy to fight back but the tears were just too much for her to handle and she just broke down right in front of them. Hermione was sitting on the floor, in a fetus like position, her hair covering her face. Crying, sobbing, shedding tears of grief, sorrow or pain, weeping… Whatever you might call it Hermione was doing just that.
"Girls, could you please go already?" Malfoy asked as he looked down at Hermione, but funny enough they left, just like that.
Malfoy bent down and started fixing up her hair; he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her tiny ear. He just sat right next to her waiting for her to give in and just tell him what was wrong. She didn't stop crying, nope, not for another 10 minutes. When Hermione finally looked up, Malfoy saw how thin she got over the past two months. She must've skipped a lot of meals seeing as almost everyone in Gryffindor was either not talking to her, because they were told to, or they just plain didn't like her, so how could she eat in the Great Hall?
Malfoy got up and pulled Hermione up with him, led her to the fireplace and got something from his room. Hermione was breathing heavily and didn't know exactly what was going on, but Malfoy got back with some water and food in hand.
"Here…" He said handing the glass of water to her and she just drank and drank and drank. "You okay now?" He asked taking the now empty glass.
"Yeah, thanks" She replied wiping her face with the back of her hands.
"Hermione," Malfoy started handing her the food. "When was the last time you had a meal?"
Instead of answering, Hermione started laughing and he followed suite as well.
"What's so funny?" He asked her in between laughs.
"Your question" She said after laughing. "Thank you, though"
"Why?" He asked.
"I haven't laughed like that in such a long time…" She said starting to laugh again. "Thank you…" She said again, but this time she was hugging him.
Malfoy's face was in her hair, it still smelled like the shampoo she used last night before heading off to bed, like roses and, is that honey? Malfoy had never experienced hugging a girl before that was because his mom wasn't really the maternal type and well, Pansy was never one for hugging, she was more on making out. Thank Merlin they broke up already!
"Why do you need the money anyway?" He asked pulling away and looking for some sort of answer behind this 'mystery'.
"Long story" Was all she said.
"Well, it's a dark and freezing Saturday morning and we've got tons of time…" He pointed out to her.
"It's a Hogsmede weekend, don't you wanna go out with your friends?" She asked him trying to get out of this awkward situation.
"Nope, not really. I'd rather stay here than go outside and entertain the questions of my wannabe 'friends'" He said laughing.
"Fine," She said and she told him the story and he didn't look cocky the whole time too; he just looked like he really wanted to listen. "And that's why you haven't seen me that much in the Great Hall, because I'm scared that they might do something that they might regret"
"Wait a minute. You're more scared of them getting into trouble than you, yourself getting on the chopping board?" He asked in astonishment.
"Yeah, I mean, deep down they're still my friends, you know? I don't care about what they do to me, just as long as they don't do anything to hurt themselves," She answered without hesitation.
Malfoy thought about this for a while.
"Yeah, you're right. If they're happy treating you this way then just let them be happy because they're your friends and you'd do anything to make them happy, right?" He said considering the point of view of Hermione in this whole thing.
"Exactly" She said locking her eyes on him this time. "It's like you read my mind or something!"
They just sat there the whole day talking about what idiots their friends were and why Professor McGonagall so uptight all the time, talking about their classmates and just talked about their lives really. Malfoy was telling Hermione how much of an ass his dad really is and how his dad wanted him to be a Death Eater but he said no and Hermione was talking about how the muggles act and how they used things like the cell phone or the beeper or the telephone.
"So what kind of brooms were you planning on getting them anyway?" Draco finally asked, he'd been holding that question for quite some time now.
"The newest ones… What do you call them again?" Hermione said, when it comes to quidditch Hermione had absolutely no idea.
"Thunderbolts?" Draco asked.
"Yeah, that's the one!" Hermione said.
"Well, the newer ones are really Lightning bolts, but if you compare Harry's old broom to the Thunderbolt, the thunderbolt is definitely better…" Malfoy said drifting off.
"Well, tell me this, how much do they cost?" Hermione asked.
"Well, the fire bolt was 1,500 galleons…" Malfoy said hesitating a bit.
"I guess I could fit that into my budget…" Hermione said sarcastically.
"Last time I saw it, the thunderbolt was 3,500 galleons…"
"You've got to be kidding me!" Hermione shrieked.
"The lightning bolt though costs 5,000 galleons… Each"
"How the hell am I going to get them those fucking brooms!" Hermione yelled while lying down on the cushion that she got from the couch. "Draco, I have to get them those brooms! I just have to! Please, please let me let mo do anything"
"But I thought I was going to just give you the money to get the brooms?" He asked looking confused.
"No way am I getting the money without working for it, Draco!" Hermione said getting up from her 'seat'/ cushion. "I'll just have to head over to Hogsmeade right now and see if there's a store or a shop that's looking for help since you don't want to just make me work for it!" Hermione said while she got her scarf, mittens and coat because it was snowing outside.
"Hermione!" Draco yelled after her. "You can't just go out to Hogsmede tonight! Have you looked out the window? It's snowing Hermione!"
"That's why I have my coat!" Hermione yelled right back at him.
Draco ran after her. She was a pretty fast runner if you ask me, Draco thought. Still not able to catch up to her, Draco sprinted this time and he was finally able to catch up to her outside the castle. Once he was right next to her while she was running he flung his body to hers and they both fell on the ground. They were sent rolling down the hill and headed towards Hagrid's house. When they finally stopped, Hermione's coat was taken off and Draco's watch had cracked and snow had gone inside. Hermione was shivering; imagine rolling in snow in a tank top and jeans. BRRRRR! Draco did the unimaginable he gave her his coat.
"Th-than-thanks… D-D-Draco…" Hermione said apparently still shivering even with the coat of Draco.
"Don't worry about it, I feel kinda hot anyway. What were you thinking?" Draco asked helping her get up.
"I have to get them those brooms…" Hermione said rubbing her hands together.
"I thought I told you that I'd give you the money for those brooms?" Draco asked.
"Fine, but I have to do something that will equal to your paying me, deal?" Hermione said still shivering, stretched out a hand.
"Deal," Draco said taking her hand and not shaking it but holding onto it. "You can go with me to the Three Broomsticks"
"Okay, but that's not enough for you to be paying me 15,000 galleons" Hermione said shaking her head.
"Fine, I'll think of something else later" Draco said rubbing her shoulders.
AT THE THREE BROOMSTICKS
"What will you have?" Draco asked Hermione.
"A Butterbeer please and a veggie special" She told the waitress.
"Same for me please" Draco said and the waitress took out her wand and said something under her breath and then, there they were, their orders in font of their very eyes.
"Can I pay for this?" Hermione asked him but he just shook his head. "Please?" She asked again but like the first one he just shook his head. "PLEASE?!" She asked again and again he just shook his head. "Fine… If you will excuse me I need to go to the Ladies' room" She said and he nodded for her to go on and she smiled him her nicest smile and stood up to go to the restroom.
What Draco didn't know was that Hermione was on her way to the counter to pay for the two simple meals and two plain Butterbeers. As soon as she was done, Hermione headed over to her table with Draco.
"That was quick…" He said under his breath when he saw her heading towards him.
"Hey," She said sliding into her now freezing seat, but then she saw his face and said. "Did you see?"
"See what?" He asked not really sure of what she just said.
"Nothing…" Hermione said looking down at her very warm Butterbeer.
Draco just shrugged and, like Hermione, looked down at his warm Butterbeer and fresh green salad with deep fried tofu. He then looked up from his food and looked over at Hermione, he saw her doing the same thing; she too was just staring at her food. Then she looked up and saw him staring at her and they just sort of locked eyes for at least a minute or two, but it was Draco who broke their special lock.
They ate in silence for the rest of the meal. Until…
"Yeah, they were…" Came a very familiar voice, this voice just sort of drifted.
When Hermione looked up, she saw the people she was expecting she was expecting, Harry, Ron, Ginny and surprisingly, Lavender Brown. They were all staring back at her, but then Hermione saw that they were actually staring at Draco and not really her. Hermione did the unimaginable; she got up and walked over to where the four were standing. They looked just as surprised as Draco.
"Hey guys," Hermione said barely above a whisper.
Even with her friendly greeting, no one paid her any attention. It was like she wasn't even there.
"Do you guys wanna go and sit with us?" She asked again this time out of awkwardness and nervousness.
And again, like the greeting, no one answered. Around that time, Draco got up, got Hermione's arm and pulled her out of the pub. Apparently, before leaving the pub, Draco had gotten her coat and his and decided that enough was enough. When they stood outside of the Three Broomsticks, Draco got her coat and helped her put it on. The snow outside was even worse than the storm earlier, everything was white and it was freezing like hell. What they didn't know was that four people inside of the pub were looking outside and at them.
"Draco…" Hermione said as they were walking, trying to catch up with him. "What was that all about?"
"What was what all about?" He answered by repeating her question looking frustrated and angry. "You know Hermione, I think you should look for friends that would and will actually be there for you no matter what. Friends who would look out for you…"
Hermione thought about this and realized something…
"Do you consider yourself mine?" Hermione said looking down at the ground while speed walking with Draco, but then she realized what she had just said then tried to recover quickly by saying. "I mean, my friend…"
Draco thought about this for a while then said.
"Well, today's the only day we really sorta talked, right?" He said looking at her now very pail face. "But… I realized today that we sorta have some things in common"
"Oh yeah?" Hermione said raising an eyebrow smiling. "Tell me, I'm all ears"
"Well, let's see… Our parents, they never really cared about us…" He started but she cut him off as soon as possible.
"Hey! My parents cared for me!" She yelled so he could hear over the tiny snowstorm.
"Oh, you mean by hiring nannies to take care of you? Giving you a credit card for your birthday at the age of 10, because they because they had meetings all day on your birthday?" He said defending his place in all this.
Hermione didn't say anything at all. When Draco looked over at her, he saw that her head was down and that she had tears in her eyes. Upon seeing this, he swung one of his arms around her shoulders and just pulled her closer to him. They walked in silence for the rest of the walk back to the castle. Until…
"Yeah, I do" Draco said to her.
After hearing this, Hermione asked him, "You do what?"
"Yeah, I do consider you one of my friends…" He said looking down at her, she was at least two inches shorter than him. Draco found her shortness cute. Upon hearing this, Hermione looked back at him.
"You really do?" She asked smiling up at him.
"Yeah, I really do… But next time, you shouldn't sneak around the place where we'll be eating just to pay for the extremely cheap meal" He said returning her smile with one of his.
CHRISTMAS EVE
"Hey," A voice came booming into the small Common Room.
Hermione spun around and saw him standing in the middle of the stairway.
"Hey to you too!" Hermione said with a big smile as Draco made his way to Hermione still in his pajamas.
It was pretty early in the morning and Hermione had wanted to wrap her gift for him at that time 'coz she thought that he wouldn't be up that early.
"So, what are you doing up so early in the morning?" Draco asked taking a seat at the only couch in the common room.
"What are you doing so early in the morning?" Hermione asked him as well.
"Well, if you must know…I was about to wrap my gift for…" He said but decided to just stop mid sentence to make her curiosity play.
"For who?" Hermione said sitting up a little straighter, her usual indication that shows that she was getting suspicious of something.
"Nah… I'd rather not tell you… You might get jealous…" Draco said with his signature smirk.
"Now, why would I get jealous?" Hermione said not looking at him but at the Fake Wands she bought at Zonko's.
"Because you're obviously into me" He said with such pride and comedy that Hermione couldn't contain it any further. She burst out laughing and Draco ended up sulking while she was cracking up.
Hermione, for the past month, had been hanging out with Slytherins. To her surprise really, they weren't all that bad. They were quite smart and happy go lucky really, they told her that they had to act mean, because they had to live up to the name of Slytherin and that of their parents.
"In your dreams, Draco" She said still cracking up.
"HAHA… Very funny 'Mione" Draco said into this pillow he got and put on his face. "And who are those for?" He said pointing to the big silk boxes in Hermione's stash.
"I'd tell you, but… You might get envious…" Hermione said finally looking up at him with a playful smile on her lips.
Draco then took the pillow off and said, "Hermione, you better make sure that you give me a present"
"Oh, and why is that?" Hermione took her eyes off of him and started wrapping again.
"Without me you'd have never been able to buy those…" Draco said pointing at the three lightning bolts she was going to give Harry, Ron and Ginny. The school cancelled all quidditch matches until break was over so that the students would have time to practice and freshen up a bit.
He was right. Hermione did owe him for buying those brooms.
"Well, don't worry about that! I already have one for you anyway…" Hermione said still not looking up at him, she was too scared that she might have blushed, because she definitely felt something warm crawl up her cheeks.
"Oh really…" Draco said getting up and sitting right next to her playing with his smile a bit, he made his sexiest smile ever.
"Yeah… I hope you like it…" Hermione started as she started looking at him again. "I didn't know what to get you… I mean, what do you get someone who already has everything?"
Draco shook his head and looked down at the ground on which he was sitting. He thought about this for a while and he too started asking himself the same question. Then he thought of something, "Why? What'd you get me?"
Hermione started laughing and just said, "Sorry, you'll have to wait 'til Christmas!"
"You do know that I'm spending Christmas here, right?" He asked her while really looking at her up and down. What he saw was something he'd never ever seen Hermione wear. She was wearing a tank top and short shorts and she tied her hair in a bun with chopsticks. Normally, you'd see her wearing a tank top, but always with a jacket and jeans with her hair down.
"Oh? Cool! I'm spending it here too! My parents are going to some trip to the Caribbean…" Hermione said sighing and looking down at the next gift she had to wrap.
"I'm sorry…" Draco said under his breath because he didn't want Hermione to know he said it.
"No it's fine," She said all of a sudden. "You were right, you know? My parents really don't care…"
After Draco saw her face he just didn't know what he had to do. He was definitely sorry, but he was a Malfoy and a Slytherin, two very dangerous combinations.
"What do I know? I had no right to say that, especially to you" He said looking at her bare neck.
They just sat there for what seemed to be a lifetime, until they saw the sun rising. Well, Hermione at least.
"Ohmigawd!" Hermione said as she saw the sun through the window. "I'm so sorry Draco, but I need to rush to Hogsmede…" She got up and got all her stuff and placed them by the little Christmas tree they had, went up to her room and changed.
"What, so early?" He asked looking at his hands then lay down on the fuzzy carpet.
"Yes," Hermione's voice came from her room.
"Why?" Draco said rubbing his eyes with his knuckles.
"Because I'm going there to pick-up your very lovely present!" Hermione's voice loomed again from her room sounding more excited this time.
"Really???" Draco said putting his hands behind his head sounding interested as he rested on the rug.
"Yeah," Hermione said while heading down the stairs putting on her earrings. "I really do hope you like it"
"Oh I know I will" Draco said again playing a little smirk on his face.
"Okay… So I'm heading out now, you need anything?" She asked.
"No, no I'm good…" He said rolling onto his belly.
"Okay, see ya later!" She said with a wave.
AT HOGSMEADE
"Excuse me miss, do you have this kind?" Draco asked pointing to the picture in the inventory of the store.
"Yes, we do. Would you like to get one, sir?" She asked him.
"Yes," He said smiling nicely at her.
"Okay, if you could wait for 5 minutes, we will arrange it properly to your liking" She said returning his smile. "You may take a seat if you would like"
"Thank you" He said to the girl and sat down at the back where the girl was going to make the one he ordered.
DING! That was literally the sound that the door made when someone entered. Then…
"Excuse me miss, can I have my order please?" A familiar voice said to a
different sales lady.
"Okay miss, may I have your name and receipt?" The lady said.
Draco couldn't see this person but he could recognize that voice anywhere.
"Oh sure, my name is Hermione Granger and…" She drifted off looking for something in her bag. "And here is my receipt!"
"Okay Ms. Granger, I will just go get your order and if you would like to sit, you are most certainly welcome to" The sales lady said headed off into the backroom.
Draco started getting suspicious. Was this 'order' of hers really for him? She did tell him a while ago that she was going to get his very lovely present. Well, at least there was a seat right beside the counter or else she would've had to sit in the back, with him.
"Here it is Ms. Granger… For which handsome lad is this for?" The sales lady said handing her the order. "Your boyfriend?"
"If I had one," Hermione started staring down at the order. "And I'm not so sure if he's even handsome… Anyway, thank you and Merry Christmas!"
And that was it; she left, just like that. Why'd she say that this guy she was giving it to wasn't handsome? Excuse me, but Draco indeed finds himself very handsome.
BACK AT HOGWARTS
"Where've you been?" Hermione asked Draco as he tried to sneak back in to the Common Room, but apparently, no such luck.
"I was out shopping…" Draco replied trying to sound ditsy blonde mall rat.
"Okay, I don't think I wanna know anymore" She said with a laugh looking at her loot once more.
"So, you don't wanna know what I got you for Christmas?" He asked teasingly waving the little bag in which encased her present.
"No, I, unlike you," She started with a laugh. "Can resist until tomorrow"
"Well, we guys can't wait to see what the girls give us!" Draco said finally sitting down on the couch right beside Hermione who was laughing while shaking her head.
"Well, we gals don't really expect anything from guys" Hermione stated a fact.
"Really?" Draco asked. "But now that I told you, I guess you'd be expecting a little something, right?"
"I guess…" Hermione said sighing, she looked really sad, Draco had no idea why she would be.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked walking over to her while she sat on the floor.
"Nothing…" Was all she said.
"C'mon, tell me" He encouraged her.
She took a deep breath and just told him anyway. "Well, uhhh… I'm not just that used to being mad at Harry and Ron during Christmas. "We usually patch things up by now, but…."
"No such luck" He finished for her.
"Yeah" She said still not looking up.
"Well…" Draco started, but by then they both noticed that they weren't alone anymore.
When Hermione looked up she saw her favorite teacher standing before them smiling and all.
"Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger, Merry Christmas!" She greeted them and they returned her greeting. "I have here the list of those students who are staying over for the Holidays" She indicated to the list in her hands.
Malfoy got up and got the list that his professor had so gracefully given to him.
"Thank you professor" Hermione said to her professor before she left them.
"Enjoy the Holidays, both of you" The professor said looking back at them before the portrait closed shut in front of her.
"So who's on the list?" Hermione asked Draco moving closer to him.
"Well… There are quite a few people on the list…" He said getting up from the couch and heading for the staircase to their dorms.
"Hey!" She yelled before he went up. "You need to show me that list! I need to know who's here and who's not"
"Fine" He said as she went up to him and grabbed the piece of parchment from him with a sincere smile.
"Why didn't you…." Hermione started but drifted.
Malfoy looked at her worriedly. She hadn't said anything for about two minutes now.
"Hermione?" He asked her as she started to look up and move towards the couch. He followed suit. "That's why I didn't let you see it"
They both sat in silence for a few minutes until Hermione broke the awkwardness.
"I'm okay… I just…" She started shaking her head the whole time. "I was just thinking of how much harder it's going to be to give the presents to them"
Draco understood her. She was finding it hard to give it to them personally
since they weren't heading off to The Burrow for the holidays.
Them meaning, Ginny, Harry and Ron. On the piece of parchment where the list was written, the Weasleys and Harry Potter was only some of the few that were staying, some of them included:
H. Abbot, L. Brown, M. Bullstrode, C. Chang, H. Granger, L. Lovegood, P. Parkinson, P. & P. Patil, G. Weasley
C. McLaggen, H. Potter, D. Malfoy, R. Weasley, D. Thomas, S. Finnigan, B. Zabini, E. McMillan
Just to name a few. And Draco couldn't blame her either, those students staying at Hogwarts over the Holidays were almost practically all Gryffindors. And if you all remember, Hermione and Gryffindors – right now – are a bad mix. This was going to be an interesting Christmas.
"It's okay, Hermione… I know you… You'll figure something out" He said reaching out to grab the parchment once more, but ended up grabbing her wrists.
Draco felt like there was a sudden jolt of electricity that ran through his body when her skin touched his and he was so sure that she had felt it too. He looked down at her once more and found that she was looking right back at him.
It was he, however, who broke the connection.
"Uhmm…" He started and looked at his watch. "It's time for dinner"
He got up and headed for the portrait, but he stopped, looked back and stretched out his hand for her to take. Hermione got up off the couch and took his hand and they both walked down to dinner hand in hand.
Seeing as most of the students who were staying over for the holidays were Gryffindors Hermione and Draco received quite a lot of stares as they walked into The Great Hall hand in hand.
The Great Hall was covered in snow, but it was surprisingly warm. The 4 long tables were replaced with 4 short ones.There were 4 big Christmas trees, one representing Slytherin, another Gryffindor, and then one for Ravenclaw and one for Hufflepuff. They were all decorated with the house colors. The Slytherin tree was decorated with different shades of green. When she looked up at the incredibly tall tree she sort of missed home, she remembered how her dad would leave it up to her to put the star at the top of the tree and let her mom and her decide the theme for that year. This was the first year Hermione spent Christmas alone and she definitely didn't like it. She was starting to tear up.
She then felt a hand at her shoulder and looked up and saw Draco looking at her adoringly. She showed him a small, forced smile, but she knew that he would see past it. Draco started steering her towards the Slytherin table.
Hermione could feel cold glares focusing on the small of her back as Malfoy was pushing her to the Slytherin table where Blaise and Pansy were waiting for them.
"Finally!" Blaise yelled to Hermione and Draco but he might as well have yelled it to the whole Hall.
"Hey" Draco said putting his arm around Hermione. And once again, Hermione felt stares and glares at the small of her back.
"Hey?" Blaise returned but stared at where Draco's arm fell.
Realizing this Draco retrieved his arm and made a gesture to Hermione to go ahead and sit.
"Hey Blaise, hey Pansy" Hermione greeted the two Slytherins and they greeted her right back.
"So are you two going to spend Christmas Eve at Salazar Slytherin's fine Common Room?" Pansy asked the two.
"Why not?" Draco answered with a shrug.
"I'm sorry, I don't wanna be a downer, but I don't think I'd feel too…" Hermione started but Blaise and Pansy didn't need to hear all of it.
"How's about you twos wonderful place then?" Pansy suggested.
"Fine with me!" Blaise and Draco said at the same time.
"Cool with me too!" Hermione agreed.
They chatted as they ate, but Hermione told them that she had to do something. Draco offered to come and help her, but she told him that she had to do this alone. Immediately Draco understood what she was going to do. She was going to give her ex-best friends the brooms that she bought for them.
HARRY'S P.O.V. / AT THE GRYFFINDOR BOYS DORMS
"Yeah, and then the seeker for the Chuddley Cannons zoomed past him and…" Ron was telling Harry as they were heading up the stairs and entered the room, but stopped right at the doorway.
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Harry asked the girl standing in the middle of their dorm.
HERMIONE'S P.O.V.
Hermione had gone to Gryffindor Tower when she saw that all the Gryffindors were down for dinner.
She had decided that the best way for them to actually talk to her was to just appear right before them and for them to have nowhere else to go.
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Harry asked her, but all Hermione did was take her hands away from her back to unveil what she was hiding behind her.
Harry and Ron's mouths both hung there open. Hermione stretched out her arms to give them the brooms that were wrapped in Chuddley Cannon's wrapper. The presents didn't look like brooms at all; Hermione had bought boxes that were big enough to hold the brooms in.
"We don't want it" Ron said to her.
Hermione looked Harry straight in the eyes, but he broke the meeting of eyes. She hadn't moved until Ron's cold voice came ringing back into her ears.
"I said, WE DON'T WANT IT!"
Hermione couldn't say anything else, I mean, how could she? So all Hermione did was nod and muttered the spell Wingardium Leviosa under her breath and both boxes fell on their beds. Once the packages got settled in properly Hermione decided it was time to leave the boy's dorms and head over to Ginny, so she had to walk past the two boys.
"Hermione! WAIT!" Harry called and ran after her.
Harry had been able to get to her (Duh! He's an athlete!) in just a few strides. He grabbed her by her arm and turned to face her.
"What?" She asked coldly avoiding his deep green eyes.
"I'm sorry…" He said as he tried to get her to talk to him normally. "I mean…" he started again but she cut him.
"I got it Harry, Ron made it pretty clear… Why don't you guys open your presents before you go at me like that, huh? 'Coz I worked like hell to buy you those stupid fucking gifts" She yelled all in one breath, stomped her way out of the boy's dorm and made her way to the girl's dorm.
GINNY'S P.O.V. / GIRL'S DORM
It had been about an hour since Harry and Ron went up to their dorms. Ginny had decided to stay with Lavender and the Patil twins, but eventually Ginny gave in and went ahead of her 'so-called-friends'. On the way up she started thinking of Hermione and how every Christmas they'd talk about hot cocoa, the new designs of their sweaters that Mrs. Weasley made especially for her 'special girls' and of course boys. Hermione being the intellectual one of the two never really cared for guys… Until recently… Harry, herself and Ron had been seeing a different side of Hermione and they were sure that the rest of the Gryffindors agreed with them…
Hermione Granger had changed and they didn't like the changes. Hermione had befriended the Slytherins and was actually with one. Ron had been right all along (recall HP & GOF); Hermione was fraternizing with the enemy. She was with a potential Death Eater. Ginny missed her older best friend. Lavender, Padma and Parvati have been great, but they just didn't fit the void in Ginny, Harry and Ron's hearts.
Ginny slowly made her way up the stairs to her dorm; she walked through the doorway, but stopped dead in her tracks. The person of whom she was thinking of was right there in the middle of her dorm, hands behind her like she was hiding something.
"Hi" Hermione said as she let out a nervous breath.
HARRY'S P.O.V. / BOY'S DORM
"I got it Harry, Ron made it pretty clear… Why don't you guys open your presents before you go at me like that, huh? 'Coz I worked like hell just to buy you those stupid fucking gifts" Hermione yelled and stomped out of the small corridor.
Harry turned to face Ron. Ron was at the side of his bed looking down at the huge box that was supposedly for them. Harry then noticed that there was a card stuck on it. He opened it and told Ron to do the same. The note read:
Dear Harry,
Happy Christmas! I hope you, Ron and Ginny accept this little gift I'm giving you guys and that you all know how sorry I really was and am about the incident… And that I still consider you all my best friends, and that no one will ever – ever replace you guys… Not even all the Slytherins… But they're all that I have right now and they are all the only people who are willing to have me… I hope you guys understand… Have a Merry Christmas, all of you! D
With Love,
Hermione
Harry felt really guilty about doing that to one of his best friends. Leaving her out, I mean. She really is one of the best people Harry's ever – ever met and doing that to her was definitely unfair.
Harry reread the letter and finally looked up and saw Ron staring at his face, full of emotion.
"So… What do you think she got us?" Ron asked as he didn't know what else to say.
"I have a feeling I know, but I hope to Merlin that I'm wrong" Harry said looking down at the present and reaching down and smoothing out the bright orange wrapper with brooms, quaffles, snitches, bludgers and bats all over the place.
"So… When do you think we ought to open it?" Ron asked after Harry's reply.
"Do you think Ginny has one?" Harry asked avoiding Ron's question.
"No idea" Was all Ron said.
HERMIONE'S P.O.V. / GIRLS' DORM
"Hi" Hermione said upon heaving a nervous breath.
"Hey" Was all Ginny replied.
Ginny looked down at the ground and apparently at everything else except Hermione.
"Here, Happy Christmas" Hermione said as she shoved her present to Ginny as she walked past her ex – best friend.
Upon realizing what Hermione had just done, Ginny tried calling after her, "'Mione! Wait up!"
But it was all too late and Ginny knew it.
Hermione had ran as fast as she could just to get out of Gryffindor Tower and get back to her and Draco's Common Room, but she ended up wandering through the empty and quiet halls. It was when she looked down at her watch that she realized that she had to get back to the Common Room.
She was panting when she had finally walked through the portrait. Just to find that the three Slytherins had fallen asleep on the one and only couch of the room and on each other.
Pansy's head was on Blaise's shoulder, while Draco's feet were on Pansy's lap, it appears that Pansy had been drooling the whole time as there was an extremely wet patch on Blaise's shoulder. It was hysterical; Hermione had wished that she had brought her camera to school.
She had started laughing out loud, but stopped as she remembered why she found this whole picture in front of her funny. Harry, Ron and Ginny had done this themselves a couple of times before when Hermione would return late from the Library.
She leaned against a wall and thought about what had happened earlier. She slowly slid down to the ground now with tears in her eyes. She missed her friends like hell; they knew it and tormented her with it.
Hermione heard some movement and looked up from her fetus – like position. She saw that Draco had already awoken and had been studying her for quite some time now.
He walked over to her and hugged her like there was no tomorrow. She had returned the favor and hugged him until her crying stopped. They pulled away after hearing her last sob.
"You okay?" He asked, but rethought about his question. "Sorry, stupid question…" He said with a smile that vanished almost instantly.
"I am now…" Hermione answered nonetheless. "What time is it?" She asked trying to move to a more happier and lighter tone.
"11:37… Why'd you ask?"
"It's almost Christmas…" Hermione said barely above a whisper. "Should we wake them up?"
Draco shrugged and said "I guess so… But why don't you get dressed first?" He asked as he saw that she was still in her school clothes.
She nodded as he helped her up and went up to her room to change. She chose her usual jeans and a white tank top with a light blue sweater on top of it. She then chose her rubber shoes because she didn't feel like wearing anything uncomfortable during Christmas. She went down and helped Draco wake them up.
Hermione definitely felt like she just came from a work out. Admittedly, Hermione isn't the most fit person in the world all she does basically is flip through the pages of books, so basically trying to wake up two Slytherins who could sleep through anything was a lot of work.
Draco and Hermione shook them for another 5 minutes until Blaise finally woke up.
"What? Who got my pancake?" Blaise asked Draco as he woke up.
"Don't be a git Zabini, get up! It's almost midnight!" Draco yelled at his best friend as he headed over to the tree.
At hearing the midnight part, Blaise immediately got up and went over to join Draco by the tree as if he was awake the whole time.
Hermione on the other hand was having a difficult time waking up a still sleeping and still drooling Pansy.
"Draco! Blaise!" Hermione yelled over her shoulder for the two friends.
"What is it?" Draco asked kneeling beside Hermione.
"I can't wake her…" Hermione said as she knelt down beside Draco and shook Pansy vigorously.
Draco had tried shaking her too and they saw Pansy starting to stir.
"Thanks…" Hermione told Draco as she got up and headed over to the tree where Blaise was waiting.
"No problem… Uhhh… What time is it?" Draco said as he helped Pansy get on her feet.
Blaise looked at his watch and saw that it was already 11:58.
"11:58" Blaise answered the question Draco asked.
"Okay… Just a couple more minutes" Hermione said as she went over to the food table that Professor McGonagall had given them.
She got a glass of water for Pansy.
"Cool… Thanks" Pansy said and nodded at Hermione as she got up.
"When should we open our presents?" Blaise asked the latter.
"After midnight, duh" Pansy said walking over to Blaise. "Will you be my
Christmas kiss?"
"Nah, I think you should just kiss Drakey over there" Blaise said teasingly to his girlfriend.
"Nah, you're better of kissing Hermione" Draco said with a playful grin on his
face.
"No, I don't think so, Pansy I think you should just kiss yourself a Happy Christmas" Hermione said shaking her head.
"You guys are mean!" Pansy said pretending to be angry and folding her arms across her chest.
Hermione, Draco and Blaise all looked at each other with smiles of enthusiasm on their faces and they yelled at all the same time, "JUST KIDDING!!!" Laughingly Blaise went over to his girlfriend and kissed her on the cheek.
"That's just a little something before midnight" He whispered in her ear.
Pansy was then suddenly in such a happy mood and asked excitedly, "What time is it?!"
Hermione and Draco laughed and looked at each other and their smiles left but their eyes were still on each other's. They locked eyes until…
"30 seconds left!!!" Pansy squealed into Hermione's ears.
That broke their connection, but Hermione definitely felt something there and she knew that Harry, Ron and Ginny wouldn't take this lightly.
"15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Merry Christmas!!!" They all yelled to each other as they all pulled their party poppers.
Hermione cast a glance at Blaise and Pansy and saw them kissing each other to death. Hermione looked down at the ground as some of the streamers from the poppers that were supposedly enchanted to stay afloat until the next day were floating down to the ground like regular muggle poppers, she didn't want to see her two friends making out. But she had to look up as she bumped into someone's familiar chest.
Hermione looked up to find Draco Malfoy looking down at her smiling, and then he pointed to something on top of his head. It was a mistletoe dangling above them. He had started to lean in but Hermione stepped back.
Draco looked hurt at what she did but instead of walking away he pulled her closer and settled the kiss firmly on her lips. She hesitated at first but eventually kissed him back stronger and filled with more passion than he first did.
HARRY'S P.O.V. / GRYFFINDOR TOWER / 11:37 p.m.
"No idea" Ron replied.
"You think we should go look for her?" Harry asked.
"I guess we should… It's almost midnight" Ron answered with a shrug.
They walked down as fast as they could with presents in tow and saw that Ginny was already on her way to their room with the same present in her hands.
"I guess you guys got the same thing" Was all she said when they saw each other.
"I think we should open it all together…" Ron said continuing to stare at the huge box that was his present.
"Yeah, agree! But the question is where & when do we open it" Ginny chimed in starting to look at her present as well.
"Ginny have you read the card on your present?" Harry asked the fifth year as he saw that there was still the orange envelope on the wrapper.
"No, I didn't know that there was a card…" She drifted off as Harry and Ron walked past her and sat down on a couch at the comfy Common Room that Gryffindor Tower had to offer.
Ginny had opened the card up and slowly made her way to sit down between her boyfriend and her brother. Harry could see that Ginny's card was definitely longer and more full of emotion than his or Ron's. He could also see that Ginny was starting to tear up, so being the sensitive guy that he was, Harry got his girlfriend in his arms and just let her cry it out. Whatever it was that made her cry.
Ron on the other hand asked if he could read her letter, with red and puffy eyes she nodded. Ron read it out loud so Harry would know the contents of the letter as well.
Dear Gin,
Merry Christmas! I hope that you accept my present as a sign of defeat to you and Harry and Ron. I have given up trying to make you guys accept and forgive me… I want you to know that you've definitely made life a whole lot easier for me these past couple of years… I really hoped that we could fix and work this out but it appears as though you lot don't want to sort it out… I hope you do accept this because trust me, I had to work a lot to get you guys these awesome presents… They might not be what you expect but please, please understand… I want you guys to have the best and be the best too… Kick butt with these, okay? Kick butt for me… Even though I might not get to talk to you because that'd be social suicide for you, you should know that I still love you… I still love you guys, no matter what… You've taught me a lot and I know that you've learned a lot by seeing the mistakes I make all the time… Also, please understand that I still consider you all my best friends and that no one can ever replace you guys, but the Slytherins are the only people who are willing to have me and all I have now… Please, please stop all this teasing you guys have been doing because I have seen you get into trouble for it and I hate seeing any of you get into trouble… Especially with Snape… So, I hope that your arm feels better and that you guys go on to win the quidditch cup for us Gryffindors and I'd be so proud to see you score with this little thing that I got you… D Merry Christmas! Enjoy Christmas for me, okay? 'Coz without you guys, I won't…
With Love,
Hermione
Harry looked up and saw that Ron himself had started to cry…
"Wait… There's a P.S." Ron said through his tears.
P.S.
I'd like to see all of you find out what my presents are in the one and only place where we all go when we have problems… The Room of Requirement… At exactly 12:00 midnight…
Ron looked up from the note and saw that Harry and Ginny had already gotten up from the couch and to the tree.
Harry had seen presents under the tree, which usually never happens. When Harry had gone close enough, he saw his name on not one but three of them.
Three for each of them, three for Harry, three for Ron and three for Ginny. Ron, who finally realized what Harry was looking at, bent over to get the gifts and looked at the Christmas card to find out who gave them the presents.
You could say that they got shocked. They got shocked when they read the card. The gifts were signed Malfoy, Zabini and Parkinson.
"Why would they give us presents?" Ron asked as Harry got the present from Ron to examine.
"Why don't we open them then?" Ginny suggested naively.
"No!" Harry and Ron yelled at the same time.
"Why not?" Ginny asked just as naively as her suggestion.
"Because it could be…" Harry started but Ron finished it for him.
"A trap"
"Look, I am going to open my gifts because Hermione trusts them… I don't know about you but I miss Hermione a lot and if she trusts them then I trust them as well…" Ginny said grabbing the tree gifts they got and walked over to the couch with her head down, afraid to look at the expression of the two boys.
"Fine" Was all Harry said and bent down to get his gifts as well and walked to one of the chairs close to the fireplace just in case the gift was from the dark side so he could just chuck it in the fire if ever he found something wrong.
He knew Ginny was right. Hermione must've trusted them for a reason. Hermione was always the right one when it came to stuff like this, so did Ginny. Maybe it was women's intuition, or whatever you call it.
Ron soon followed suit and they all opened their presents there. Harry had gotten a brand new sweater from Mrs. Weasley with a scar on the sleeve, brand new seeker gloves from Ron (Harry's old ones got lost when the D.E.s came to Hogwarts) a book entitled "World Famous Seekers" was given by Ginny, a big box of golden snitches for practicing from Malfoy, a book entitled "How To Get Rid of Scars" from Pansy and brand new rain protection glasses from Zabini.
Ginny had gotten another one of her mom's sweaters with hearts all over it, a heart shaped locket from Harry, a bunch of Zonko's products from Ron, a couple of albums from Pansy (with some snippets from The Daily Prophet of how she and Harry were together) a pair of beautiful earrings from Blaise that changed colors to match the top you were wearing and a letter from Malfoy with a picture of him and Hermione laughing and smiling.
Ron got a sweater again from his mom with brooms everywhere, a Chuddley Cannons poster with autographs of every player from Harry, a whole lot of candies from Ginny, brand new protective gear from Malfoy, a bunch of figurines of the Chuddley Cannons from Blaise and a book called "Chuddley's Best" from Pansy.
And a whole bunch of other presents from their other friends.
That only left the present of Hermione for each of them. Harry looked at the two Weasleys at his left and at his right and saw that they were also looking at him, waiting for instructions.
"What time is it?" Harry asked Ron but Ginny answered.
"11: 54"
"I say we get a move on if we want to open these huge things," Ron said mentioning to the huge packages they had from Hermione.
"Yeah, I second that" Harry said punching an arm in the air and brought the gift with the other hand.
They made their way up to the Room of Requirement and all sat in a chair for each of them.
"Why don't we open them all at the same time?" Harry suggested.
"Yeah, at 12:00 a.m. sharp" Ron said agreeing with what Harry said.
"Well, what time is it?" Harry said, his voice sounding more and more impatient.
"15 seconds left" Ginny said focusing her eyes on the huge present in front of her. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… NOW!"
Ginny yelled as she saw the second hand of her watch strike 12.
"I knew it!" Harry yelled as he saw what Hermione had given them.
Lightning Bolts. Hermione had bought them Lightning Bolts. Harry had seen how much these Lightning Bolts cost, and they weren't cheap. 5,000 galleons each was a definite rip – off. Sure, all the professionals had them, but they were only going to be using them at school and at home so, what's the use of buying them the expensive ones?
"What? That's it?" Ron asked as he saw his present.
"Ron," Ginny said before Harry could say anything. "Do you know how much these things cost?"
Ron glared at Ginny and looked at Harry and just shook his head.
"It costs 5,000 galleons" Ginny answered her own question.
Ron was about to say something until Harry got what he was about to say.
"Each"
There was a long awkward silence that had fallen on them and Ron was the one who broke it.
"I think we should go and say thanks," Ron suggested.
"You think?!" Ginny asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, c'mon! Maybe if we're lucky the they'd open the portrait" Harry said as he stood and looked at the beautiful broom that was now his.
They walked out of the Room of Requirement and looked at the long hallway.
"Should we run there?" Ginny asked with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Or should we use these beautiful, fast and elegant brooms?" Ron said playing along.
"There are no prefects or Head boy or girl guarding the corridors now…"Harry said as he hopped onto his broom and away they went.
DRACO'S P.O.V. / HEAD'S COMMON ROOM
Hermione and Draco had stopped kissing when they heard an 'ahem'. They both looked up and saw that Pansy and Blaise had been smiling at them.
"FINALLY!" Pansy and Blaise squealed as Pansy rushed over to Hermione and hugged her, Hermione, who totally didn't expect this, tumbled as Pansy flung herself onto Hermione.
Blaise had gone to Draco and patted him on the back while stirring him to the Christmas tree.
"So… How was it?" Blaise whispered to Draco as they sat down by the tree.
Draco looked behind him to make sure the two girls couldn't hear, and sure
enough Pansy was asking Hermione a lot of questions.
"Do we have to talk about it now?" Draco asked as his best friend. "I don't think this is the right place to talk about it Zabini"
"Fine, we'll talk about it tomorrow…" Blaise whispered looking final with his words. "So can we open our presents now?" Blaise asked like a little kid who couldn't wait to open his presents.
"Sure, why don't you open the one I gave you first" Pansy said as she and Hermione walked over to the two guys by the tree from their chat by the corner of the room.
"Cool" Was all Blaise said as he started ripping and shredding and opening presents. He was the only one who was opening presents because they had made a deal that only one person at a time would open presents.
Hermione sat down on the ground beside Draco and looked up at him and saw that he was once again smiling down at her.
"What?" She asked him.
"Nothing… It's just that… Why didn't I see it before?" He asked himself.
"Didn't see what?" She asked looking confused but not taking her eyes off of him.
"You" He said as he leaned in closer to her.
They were about to kiss again but there was another 'ahem', but it wasn't Blaise or Pansy who'd said this.
HERMIONE'S P.O.V.
Hermione looked behind her and saw Harry, Ron and Ginny standing at the entrance of the portrait hole. She got up, looked at her watch and walked towards them. It was 12:13, had they opened their gifts yet? Hermione looked at them again and saw that they were in fact holding their Lightning Bolts. She stopped when they were just a couple of feet away from each other.
"So…I see that you guys actually opened my presents" Hermione tried to say without showing any emotion besides anger.
"Thank you" Ginny said looking straight into Hermione's eyes.
"No problem" Was all Hermione said softening her look.
"Look, we're sorry for what happened before" Harry blurted out and was about to say something more until Blaise, Pansy and Draco arrived all with their arms crossed.
"What are you lot doing here?" Blaise asked looking at Ron.
"None of your business" Ron answered glaring back at Blaise.
"Actually, we're here to say thanks to all of you…" Ginny said trying not to look at any of them.
"What do you mean all of us?" Hermione asked looking confused.
"We gave them presents" Draco answered her.
"You did?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, we did…" Pansy said glaring at Ginny.
"Look, we just came here to say thank you, not to look for trouble" Harry said as he could see Draco at the corner of his eye glaring at him.
"Your welcome then" Pansy said impatiently.
"And," Harry continued as if Pansy never interrupted him. "To say we're sorry… To Hermione"
Everyone turned to Hermione. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do?
"It's okay… Don't worry about it…" Hermione said looking down at the floor as she started tearing up.
Hermione felt an arm go around her shoulders and expected to see Harry, Ron or Ginny, but saw that it was Draco.
"And since when do you comfort muggle borns?" Ron asked while glaring at Malfoy.
"Ever since you lot hurt them" Pansy answered for Draco.
Hermione had enough. This was all going wrong.
"Please, please stop" Hermione said desperately as she looked up. She didn't want to see her friends fight. "Enough please… It's Christmas for crying out loud!"
"She's right" Ginny said walking towards Hermione.
Hermione felt Draco's arm slide off then hugged Ginny.
"I'm really sorry…" Ginny said into Hermione's hair.
"It's okay…" Hermione said as they pulled away.
Hermione looked back at the group of Slytherins and saw them looking crest fallen. She turned to them and looked at each of their eyes.
"Hey…" She said to the lot, but no one had wanted to answer. "Look, I understand if you guys don't want to talk to me ever again"
She had said this and turned back to the Gryffindors still by the entrance of the portrait.
"You okay?" Ginny asked as Hermione walked towards her now best friend again and as Ginny tucked a stray strand of hair of Hermione.
"Yeah I am, don't worry about me… I got through two months with almost everyone here not talking to me…" Hermione said in a very soft tone.
DRACO'S P.O.V.
"Yeah I am, don't worry about me… I got through two months with almost everyone here not talking to me…" Hermione said in a very soft tone that Draco had heard, was that disappointment in her voice?
"Hermione have you had any sleep at all?" Harry asked as he started to look at Hermione's face.
Why? Why'd she have to just go back to them? Especially after what I'd done for her…
"On and off… Mostly off…" She said looking down at the ground so that Harry couldn't look at her anymore.
"Why don't you head off then?" Harry asked her still trying to look at her face again.
Hermione hadn't been able to reply for quite sometime and Draco had that feeling of taking her into his arms again. He sensed something wasn't right. And sure enough… BAM!
HARRY'S P.O.V.
"Why don't you head off then?" Harry asked her still trying to look at her face again.
Hermione hadn't been able to answer for quite a while now and then the next thing everyone knew… BAM! Hermione apparently had fainted and was too far away for anyone to catch.
Harry tried lunging for her, but as I had said, she was too far away to catch. As Harry was on the ground he looked over across Hermione's very fragile looking body and saw that Malfoy too had tried catching her.
What was with Malfoy's change of heart? Had he actually had feelings for Hermione? Why was Malfoy looking at Hermione that way when they walked in?
"Hermione? Hermione…" Harry said as he started shaking her.
Everyone, by now, was surrounding Hermione's limp body on the floor trying to wake her.
DRACO'S P.O.V.
"Hermione? Hermione…" Harry said as he started shaking her.
Draco's focus had been completely set on Hermione until someone pulled him up to his feet.
"What the hell?" Draco asked as he saw who'd pulled him up and it was in fact Ron Weasley.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HER?" Ron asked as he pushed Malfoy against the wall.
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HER!" Draco yelled trying to get Weasley's paws off of him.
"LIAR!" Ron yelled back at him.
"I WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING HER!"
"Stop lying!" Ginny yelled over her brother's shoulder.
"GIVE ME THE ANTIDOTE NOW!" Ron yelled to Draco once more.
"WHY WOULD YOU NEED AN ANTIDOTE?" Draco yelled.
"BECAUSE YOU PLACED POTION ON YOUR LIPS WHEN YOU KISSED HER!" Ron yelled and the whole room fell silent.
"You kissed her?" Harry asked looking up from Hermione to Draco and getting up as Ron let go of him and walked over to Harry.
"Yeah, so?" Blaise answered and walked over to Draco as well.
"What do you mean by so?" Ginny then answered for Harry and Ron.
"Well, what else do you want to hear? That he didn't do it on purpose?" Pansy said now answering for Draco.
Everyone stopped as Hermione had started to come around and Draco was the first one by her side.
"Hey… You okay?" He asked as he held her.
"Yeah, what happened?" She asked him as he held her and gave her a glass of pumpkin juice.
"We were hoping you'd answer that for us" Harry said from the other side of the room.
Draco had helped her get up when she had finished her glass.
"I don't remember anything happening…" Hermione started as she tried thinking of ways of how she could've fainted.
"Can I make a suggestion?" Ron said all of a sudden.
"Yeah, go ahead…" She replied before Draco could cut in.
"You were slipped a little potion by your friend over here…" Harry answered instead.
"What? How could he have slipped me a 'little' potion?"
"When you were kissing" Ginny said with her arms crossed across her chest.
"How'd you find out about that?" She blurted out.
"Yeah, how did you find out?" Draco chimed in. "When we were kissing the only people in here were the four of us…"
"Yeah, how did you find out dear brother?" It was now Ginny's turn to chime in.
"I'm not sure…" Was all Ron said drifting off.