"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Ginny asked, pulling her maroon scarf tighter around her neck. The wind blew harshly in the opposite direction they were walking, and both Ginny's and Hermione's noses were a light shade of pink.

"A chess set," Hermione said. Ginny froze.

"You don't play chess," she stated. Hermione walked a few steps ahead before reluctantly turning around.

"Oh come on, Ginny. Will you just walk with me?"

Ginny sighed. "Fine. It isn't like a have a paper to write or anything," she muttered, following Hermione into a rather crowded Dervish & Banges. "Okay, seriously," she said. "Why do you need a chess set? Harry and Ron already have one, you don't play, I don't play, so who could you possibly…" Her eyes widened as realization set in. "You're buying it for Draco, aren't you?" she whispered.

Instead of responding, Hermione increased her pace to the corner of the shop that held multiple boxes of chess sets, along with a few on display.

"I can't believe you're ignoring me," Ginny muttered, dragging behind.

The first chess set consisted of red and yellow pieces and Hermione shook her head. Definitely not. The second was typical black and white—way too plain for Draco.

"There's a wooden one over here," Ginny said, but Hermione didn't even bother to look. Behind all the other sets, something shiny caught her eye. She moved a red and black set out of the way and gasped at what lay behind. The pieces were silver and crystal, completely unlike anything Hermione had ever seen.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, and Ginny came up behind her, nodding in agreement.

"It's perfect—if it's for Malfoy, I mean," Ginny said. "It looks like him."

Hermione smiled. "It's not too much?" she asked timidly. Ginny shrugged. "This is crazy," Hermione said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Why am I even getting him a Christmas gift? It's not like we're even friends."

"Are you sure about that?" Ginny asked. "I've heard a lot less complaining about detentions these past couple of weeks. It almost seems like you're having...fun."

Hermione smiled slightly. "Not fun, but it's tolerable," she said. "He's a lot different than we thought."

"He's different because of you, Hermione. Surely you've noticed."

"Because of me?" Hermione questioned, scoffing. "I doubt it."

"I've seen him in class. It's like he's a completely different person. People aren't scared of him anymore."

"That has nothing to do with me."

"And can you prove that?"

"Well, no, but—"

"No buts," Ginny said. "Now get the damn chess set so I can go finish my paper."


"You're late," Draco drawled as Hermione entered the potions classroom.

"Well spotted," Hermione said, placing a package wrapped in silver paper on a desk in the back of the classroom. Draco's eyes were drawn to it, but he said nothing. "So what shall I do today?" Hermione said, walking toward his desk.

He shrugged. "Don't care."

Hermione's eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "What?"

"I don't care, Granger. Do whatever the hell you want," he muttered.

"What's your problem?" Hermione asked. "You're the one who wanted me here. I should've been done with detention a long time ago."

"I never said I wanted you here," Draco said, but his tone had softened. Hermione had the oddest feeling he was lying.

"What's wrong, Draco?" she asked, startling him with the use of his first name. "You can talk to me, you know."

"And why would you care?" he snapped, standing up from his desk.

"Because believe it or not, I thought we were friends," she said, crossing her arms across her chest. "Excuse me for getting the wrong idea."

Draco stared at her, his face forming expressions she'd never seen before. His stance softened and he sat back down.

"After everything," he whispered, looking directly at her forearm as if he could see the scar beneath, "you want to be friends with me?"

Hermione smiled and walked to the back of the room to grab the package she brought in earlier.

"What's this?" Draco asked as she set it on his desk.

"It's a Christmas present, dimwit," she told him. He stared at her without blinking. "Well, open it," she said impatiently.

He slowly moved the package toward him and tore off the silver wrapping paper. Inside was a medium-sized black box. Hermione bit her lip as she watched him lift off the lid. Draco gingerly lifted the chess set out of the box and set it on his desk. He'd never seen anything like it.

"I know you lost yours a while ago, and I just figured you might want another one to play," she said nervously. Draco just stared at it.

"Christmas isn't for two weeks," he muttered.

"I know," Hermione said quickly. "But I'm going home for the holidays and I wanted you to have it before you left . . ." she trailed off, suddenly incredibly self-conscious. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. "Anyways, I'll—uh—just be going." She quickly retreated out of the door, leaving Draco still staring in awe at the chess set.


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