Hermione sat in front of the fire, attempting to ebb the flow of tears as they fell freely down her face, a letter clutched in her hand as she cradled her knees in the large, comfy armchair in the eighth year common room.
Already she had seen roughly five students come through the room, look to her uncertainly and then turn again to leave. Her shoulders shook with suppressed tears as she clenched her fist around the letter once again, moving to throw it into the fire before bringing it close to her as she cried, trying to stay quiet.
She straightened out the page once again, reading the words for what she hoped would be the last time,
Hermione,
To say I was surprised to not see you at the wedding would be an understatement to say the least. Ron was the happiest I had ever seen and Lavender looked beautiful and honestly I'm appalled you missed it. He was really hoping you'd be there. I'm disappointed Hermione, I had thought that Ron would be more important to you than this. I mean seriously, I understand your love for Hogwarts but to be so cruel as to not even bother showing up? A letter of congratulations is all you could manage was it? That was low Hermione. Even for you. Frankly, I'm ashamed of you. You don't deserv-
Hermione crumpled the letter again, a fresh wave of tears falling from her face. She sobbed and buried her face in her knees again, trying to stifle the falling tears.
With a trembling hand she reached for her quill to write to the last friend she knew she had.
AB,
Harry sent a letter.
She knew he would know what it meant. She was calling on him for the first time.
The owl left and she waited, hugging her knees to her as she wondered when he would send Draco. However she did not have to wait for long as nearly five minutes later there was murmuring outside the common room and then a set of footsteps leaving before he walked in.
His hair was ruffled and his face flushed, looking much as if he had just left an intense snogging session or had run all the way there to help her. He looked about the room, looking for her before locking eyes with the girl in front of him and walking towards her with purpose.
"Granger."
She wept quietly, ignoring his greeting as she wiped furiously at her eyes, brandishing the letter, "Look! Look at what Harry sent, it's all about Ron's wedding and… and…" the tears fell freely, a new sob wracking her body.
Draco's eyes softened and he moved towards her uneasily, hesitating slightly before gently taking the letter from her, glancing at it only for a moment before scoffing, "He thinks you don't deserve your status as the third person on the Golden Trio? Is he mental?"
Hermione glared at him, "You're supposed to help me, not rub it in…"
Draco frowned at her, "I'm not rubbing anything in, just stating that clearly he needs new glasses if he can't see that you are the only one who deserves a spot in the 'golden trio'."
Hermione scoffed, wiping at her tears again, "Yeah well, tell that to them."
Draco frowned and placed the letter on the table in front of them before slowly leaning in to wrap his arms around her comfortingly, feeling her stiffen before burying her face in her shirt and sobbing into him as he smoothed her hair and whispered nonsense to the crying girl.
He didn't know where the need to comfort her came from really but he felt that frankly, after having read all of her letters he knew her well enough to at least consider her a close friend. Of course, only AB could ever have a chance to be anything more with the witch.
"Honestly Granger, are you really this hurt by that buffoons words? I mean, let's face it, neither of them has ever really been all there have they?"
Hermione said nothing but continued to cry so he continued to talk, "Now frankly, I have half a mind to write a strongly worded letter to them. Let them know exactly what we think of their accusation. You've faced your fears a thousand times for the sake of them and if it weren't for you, I have no doubt they'd still be stuck trying to figure out how to get past that mangy three headed dog Snape told me about."
She laughed slightly, a broken little laugh that would drive AB insane, he knew, "Snape told you about Fluffy?"
He laugh, soothing her wild hair gently still, "He certainly didn't tell me its name was Fluffy. 'Hagrid and his… monsters…. Alwaaaays causing trouble" because you know, he always dragged out his words as if to build suspense."
Hermione laughed again slightly, "I mean let's face it, if the normal person were to speak like that without the look to go along with it they'd just look insane, 'I'd like… to buy some lemmmon drops pleaaase."
She laughed again, her shoulders shaking slightly as he continued to copy his old mentor quite well, though, true to his words, without the look he came across as ridiculous. She laughed and finally pulled away, wiping at her eyes tiredly, "Stop! Stop, it's terrible to make light of the dead."
He smirked and offered his handkerchief which she took with an amused sniff and began dabbing at her eyes, "It isn't if the slight joking is for the better good. See? We've got a smile now…. Somewhere."
She couldn't help but let the smile fill her face as he made a show of looking for it and then couldn't help but try her best Snape impression, "Are you Alllllllways this silly?"
He smirked and leaned back, surprised when she followed his movement and rested her head on his chest, still leaning on him, "Only to a few select people. It's your lucky day."
The laughed and then sat up suddenly, looking horrified, "This is the second time this semester I've ruined your shirt, I'm so sorry!"
He grinned and reached for her, pulling her back to him, "Relax Granger, my shirt will dry and be perfectly fine, I assure you."
She smiled slightly and sighed, sipping at her eyes occasionally, happy to have company as something he had said bounced around in her head, "So about that letter…"
He frowned slightly, "Which letter?"
She laughed and shook her head, "What do you mean, which letter, the letter that I was just crying over."
He seemed to relax slightly, "Oh right, of course. That letter. Mind you, if I do write a letter, it will be strongly worded and full of insults but high praise for you."
Hermione nodded and sniffed, "That would be fine thank you, and I'm sick of them treating me like dirt and won't stand for it any longer."
Draco watched her carefully before letting a large smile fill his face, "Then what are we waiting for?"
They spent a total of two hours slaving away over the letters, listing her achievements and things they never would have been able to do without her. They made up crazy insults and laughed over them together, amusing themselves to no end as they made their revenge their own.
As they worked, people trickled in, watching them cautiously, seeming confused to see them together and laughing, something they had never seem the platinum haired lad do. They all spoke quietly and finally, after hearing the two hesitate, struggling to remember another achievement offered their own observations and advice uneasily, unsure they'd be welcome.
When the first offered yet another achievement they had forgotten the two had looked at them in surprise and then excitedly written it down, asking for more.
When at last they finished the letter, Draco stood to read the letter dramatically to all the room, causing everyone to laugh and cheer them on as they finally tied it to the leg of a waiting owl, the envelope bulging from the heft of the eight page letter.
She turned to Draco when, at last, the owl flew away and threw her arms around his neck, laughing happily, "Thank you so much Malfoy…"
She did not see his smirk but certainly heard it in his voice as he hugged her a bit more awkwardly than before, conscious of their audience, "Please Granger, you've ruined two of my shirts now, I think you can call me Draco."
She laughed and pulled away, grinning, "Only if you call me Hermione."
He nodded solemnly, "Well them 'Mione, I think I'd best retire for the evening, I've had a whole two hours less time to sit in my bed and do nothing but reread a book and write to my pen pal."
She laughed and nodded, "Good night…. Draco."
He grinned and turned away, heading up to the boy's dormitories.
Hermione grinned and turned to go to her own dorm, realizing suddenly that everyone was watching her, "Night everyone."
She smiled somewhat uneasily and hurried up the steps, flopping onto her bed and sighing happily, pulling out a sheet of parchment and her quill,
Dear AB,
Today I have a list specifically made for things that I can't wait to be thankful for,
I never thought I'd say this but I'm remarkably grateful for Draco Malfoy
Insults
Bad jokes
Snape impressions
You
I know it's not much but I just wanted you to know. I just wanted to let you know that you two have made my life bearable this year. I honestly never thought I'd be happy to be friends with Draco Malfoy much less another Slytherin I don't even know.
