(February 21, 2010)
"I know I left too much mess and
destruction to come back again
And I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"
then I'm sure that that makes sense
I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be"
White Flag- Dido
~Hermione Granger~
I changed into my formal red strapless dress that went down to my knees my mother bought me last year. I put on a pair of black heels, I put my hair up in a braid and put on some mascara and lip gloss.
-I don't want to be too much.
I thought to myself as I was looking at the mirror.
I let out a deep breath.
"Time for you to face all of those people that you haven't seen since you were little," I said to myself.
I took my time while walking down the stairs to the party.
"Oh Hermione, you look so pretty!" I heard my mother coo as she took my hand and walked me to the living room. She was wearing her black pencil skirt with a red ruffled blouse which was tucked in her skirt and she had on some red high heel pumps that were over her black stockings; her hair was straightened and was up to her mid-back; her makeup was natural. The same as mine. I looked at some of the recognizable faces and nodded towards their direction. She stopped walking as we were in the entrance way to the kitchen. She turned to face me.
"I have a surprise for you. I have an old friend of yours here today," she whispered in my ear.
I raised my eyebrow.
-Old friend? Who was she talking about?
We walked into the kitchen and reached my father who was talking to a middle aged couple. By the looks of them, you could tell they were both doctors. They still had their hospital ID cards attached to their clothes. I studied their faces trying to figure out who they were.
"Hermione, why look at you. You look exquisite," said the man. He leaned forward and kissed my check. He had pitch black hair and pale blue eyes; he was probably six foot one; he looked like he was aging like my father and he wore a black tuxedo.
I smiled.
"Thanks Mr…"
I leaned in closer to read their ID tags.
"Oh, you can't tell me you don't remember who we are," said the woman. I looked at her. She was a lot taller than me; had curly pale blonde hair with brown eyes; she looked like my mothers age; she was dressed in a fitted red slip on dress.
I started to blush.
"I'm sorry but I don't," I said as nicely as I could.
"Well, let me remind you. The last time we saw each other was probably ten years ago at Christmas Eve. We're Mr. and Mrs. Donverge," said Mr. Donverge.
"You were little back than. I don't think you will remember us because we haven't been around with each other much, but we surely do know who has," Mrs. Donverge said with smile.
-Christmas when I was seven…
- I know you remember.
- All I remember was me crying the whole night because someone threw my stuffed bear, Teddy, out of the window…
- You almost got it.
- Wait a minute… Donverge… NO WAY. If they are the parents then that means he's here…
-Bingo.
My mother tightened her grip on my upper arm. That knocked me out of my mind.
"Hermione, you should remember our son Nathaniel," Mr. Donverge said as he held his hand out to present a boy that walked up to the gathering. My mouth fell.
"Nice to see you again, Hermione," he said.
I looked up at this… man. It wouldn't be appropriate to call him a boy anymore. He most definitely changed in the past ten years. He was no longer this awkward, glasses wearing, half missing teeth, fat boy. He was a six foot tall, floppy medium brown haired, blue eyed, athletically buffed, no more glasses, straight white teethed god who looked way too good in those dress clothes.
Nathaniel reached out his hand for me to shake. I looked down on it. I crossed my hands over my chest.
He looked surprised and put his hands in his pockets.
"Well, we will leave you two to catch up," my father said and left us.
-Thanks.
I watched them leave and when they went away from my sight I looked around me, anywhere but at the person in front of me.
"So," Nathaniel started.
Finally I looked up at him.
-Damn, why does he have to be so tall? I mean Draco is five foot ten, but this guy makes him look like a midget.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"We came back to town. Your parents and mine happened to bump into each other and well, yours invited mine to this party," he said it like it was nothing.
I arched my right eyebrow at him.
"Don't look at me like that," he said. "Anyways, I don't even get a decent welcome? I mean, we haven't seen each other in ten years."
I uncrossed my arms and took a couple of steps towards him; our faces were close and his blue eyes were burning into mine.
I picked up my foot and stomped on his left foot that was covered with highly expensive dress shoes.
"Oww! What was that for?" he muttered under his breath, trying not to cause a scene.
He was my height now because he was somewhat kneeling.
"This was payback for when you threw my bear, Teddy, out of the window ten years ago," I said. I turned on my heel, crossed my arms and left him with his now bruised foot.
~Draco Malfoy~
"No! My son is not going to Azkaban! There was no way in hell I am going to let this happen!" my mother screamed. She was standing now and the armchair had fallen on the floor.
"Please, Narcissa, calm down," Snape started and put his hands on my mother's shoulders.
"Don't. You. Dare. Tell. Me To. Calm. Down," my mother hissed.
"Sit please, let me explain," Snape said.
After a couple of moments my mother lifted the armchair back to place and sat down on it.
"The Ministry of Magic believes that he should be going to Azkaban for all of the things he did last year. He had become a Death Eater and the Mark on his arm proves it, he tried multiple attempts to kill Albus Dumbledore, and he is the son of a Death Eater, " Snape said.
I looked down on my left arm. It was true; the death mark was still on my skin. More noticeable than ever.
"Whose side are you on Severus?" my mother asked.
"Yours, of course."
"Then why are you telling me this like you made the reasons up yourself?"
"What the Ministry of Magic doesn't understand is that Draco Malfoy was barely considered a Death Eater. He didn't complete the dark tasks, he didn't kill Albus Dumbledore, and that whatever his father did doesn't mean that he would do it too," Snape said.
-I tried to do those fucking tasks! I would've been a one hell of a good Death Eater!
I felt myself heat up.
"Severus, this can't happen. I can't bear another loved one going to Azkaban. I don't think I could even hold on a bit longer till Lucius comes back in spring, permanently," my mother said softly.
"Do you know how it feels like to be left alone? I don't have anyone to talk to me; people don't even want to look at me as I walk past them at the streets. I'm begging you to not say anything tonight. I just want to have a happy Christmas Eve night for once," she continued.
"Lucius is coming back for sure? He won't be in Azkaban anymore?" asked Severus Snape.
My mother nodded her head.
"He will stay in Azkaban for a year like he promised. He will be home in spring and we will be a happy family again," she said, muffling out a smile.
I smiled.
"But Draco-"
"No. Nothing will happen to Draco. I won't let it. I will fight this if I have to. Like you said, they think he should go. It's not set in stone."
Snape shifted himself in his chair.
"So, you don't want me to say anything?"
"No. when the time is right I will do it myself."
"Now, it's almost time for his arrival. I believe you should go home and change if you want to be present tonight," my mother said.
Snape nodded his head. My mother quickly left the room leaving Snape behind. He stood up and turned off the lights. The only light that was in the room was coming from the doorway. He walked up to the door and stopped.
"You may come out now, Draco," he said.
I froze.
"You can't possibly think I'm that stupid. I know you're hiding behind those curtains," he sneered.
I slowly revealed myself from the curtains.
"So, you heard everything," Snape said.
I nodded my head.
"Be easy on your mother; she has too much on her mind," he said and left me alone in the dark.
~Hermione Granger~
"Hermione, wait!"
I kept on walking.
He caught up to me and grabbed my hand. I jerked it off.
"Don't you dare touch me," I said.
"Look, you can't still be mad. That was ten years ago when I was eight. Back then I thought girls were icky and it was fun to mess around with them," he said with a sly smile.
"Humph."
"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry for throwing-"
"Teddy," I said
"Teddy. I'm sorry for throwing Teddy out the window ten years ago," he said apologetically.
I smiled.
"I was, um, wondering since this party is getting a bit wasted, that you would like to go to your backyard, you know so we can catch up."
I took a look around me and he was right. The parents all had too much to drink so they were dancing to the music off beat, talking too loud as if the person in front of them were deaf, and the children ate way too much cake so they were running around the place like it was a playground.
-How could all of these people fit in my house? There must be a hundred people here.
"Sure, let's go."
He extended his arm and I linked my arm into his. We walked from the front of the house through the kitchen and into the backyard. While passing everybody I couldn't help but laugh.
-Why are people so damn funny when they're drunk?
Once we reached the backyard it was already nightfall. The only source of light was the white Christmas lights that was twinkling around the roof. There was a simple patio table with chairs but I didn't take a seat in it when he did. I kept on walking to my old tree house.
"Where are you going?" I heard Nathaniel yell.
I turned my neck.
"Are you coming or not?" I asked.
He got off of the chair and walked up to me. To get into the tree house you have to go up the stairs; the only problem it was dark, and I barely remember where the steps were. Apparently Nathaniel noticed.
"Lumos," he whispered and pointed towards the ladder.
"What the fuck?" I screamed and stumbled backwards and fell on the snow.
He laughed.
I lay on the floor and looked up at him.
"Don't tell me that you forgot?" he said while he extended his hand, which I took.
Once I was up, I cleaned my bottom off.
"I'm sorry, I guess I did forget. I mean you parents are Muggles after all," I said.
He gave me a look like I was an idiot. Finally it caught up to me.
"You're a Muggle-born," I murmured.
He nodded his head.
He helped me up the steps and we sat down on the moldy wooden tree house.
"Are you sure this is stable?" he asked.
"Of course it is! Remember when we were little, this tree house right here survived through every one of our stupendous ideas," I said.
I faced him and saw his perfect smile.
"Why did you leave? I mean where did you go for all of these years?" I asked.
"Well, the minute my parents found out I was a wizard, the day I burned down their precious rug because I was mad, we moved to New Zealand where I attended New Zealand Academy of Magical Beings. It was a wizard and witches school. I graduated the top of my class last year."
"How come I have never heard of it?"
"That place is sacred. Not many people want to go there."
"Oh."
We sat silently next to each other and watched the kids play inside of my house; we could see them through the glass doors.
I got up on my knees and crawled towards the ladder.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Swings," was my simple reply.
I cautiously took my time going down the steps and when my shoes hit the ground, I bent down and took them off.
-No way am I getting these shoes dirty.
I walked barefoot on the snow towards the swing set and took a seat on the right one. Nathaniel climbed down the steps and walked over to where I was and took a seat on the left one. We started to sway back and forth on the swing. I felt the cold breeze rush towards my face every time I swung forward.
-Damn, I wish I brought my sweater, or at least wore some boots.
I looked down at my frozen toes.
"You cold?" he scoffed.
I looked at his smirk. I gave him my evil look and he quickly put that smirk away.
I smiled to myself.
-The advantage of being a girl.
"You want to make this more interesting?" he asked me.
"Sure."
"The person that jumps the farthest from the swing wins."
"And what does the winner get?"
He put his finger to his chin and did a fake impression of a person thinking.
"The winner gets to," he started.
"Have the loser do something the winner wants," I finished with an evil grin.
"Deal," he said.
Both of us tried our hardest to make the swing go as high as possible.
"Okay. Ready. Set," he yelled.
"Go!" I finished.
I jumped and flew off the swing and pushed myself forward. I fell on the cold snow and started to roll. While rolling I started to laugh. My rolling stopped until I hit my side against him. We both lay down on the snow laughing.
"I won!" I yelled.
"Did not! You rolled yourself to where I am!"
"Okay, okay. Fine, it's a tie."
"Tie my ass," he laughed.
Both of us cooled down a bit from the laughing and stared at the sky above us.
I was completely in my element but then it got interrupted when Nathaniel moved beside me. He moved closer to me and he reached my hand and held it.
-Wha-
"I can't believe I'm telling you this but I had thought about you. I always wondered how you where doing and how you looked like throughout these years. And now that I have finally seen you, I hope it's safe to say, I like you, Hermione Granger," he said.
I looked into his deep blue eyes and felt guilt rising in my stomach.
-Oh no, he likes me! What do I say?
-Tell him you like him too.
-But I don't, I mean I like him but as a friend.
Nathaniel leaned in closer to my face, my lips.
-Oh God.
"Hermione," he whispered and he closed his eyes.
-He's going to kiss me!
-Let him.
-Hell no… Draco.
-What, ferret boy? He stood you up. Get over it and kiss this hunk of a man.
Nathaniel's lips where millimeters away from mine and when he was just about to crash his lips to mine I turned my head and he kissed my cheek. He opened his eyes in shock.
"I- I thought you liked me," he stuttered.
-You thought wrong.
I sat up and got on my knees.
"I do, but not like that. I'm sorry but I have someone else waiting for me back at school. It wouldn't be fair to him if I kissed you."
Before he could say another word, I grabbed my shoes and ran inside. I ran past all of the drunken parents and all of the crazy children.
"Hermione!" I heard Nathaniel yell. I finally reached my staircase and sprinted my way towards my room. I got hold of the doorknob and slammed my door followed by locking it.
I don't know why, but I started to cry. I slid down my door and my butt landed on the floor. I threw my shoes at a near corner and took off my dress.
-Why on earth are you crying?
-I thought Nathaniel was Draco the whole time. I don't care if we're in a fight; I want him here with me on Christmas Eve.
-Selfish much?
I went into my bathroom and took a long hot shower. The hot water felt so good as it was defrosting my cold skin. After my shower I changed into some gray sweatpants and a red long-sleeved shirt. I stood in front of the mirror and watched myself as I brushed out my damp curls.
I walked out of the bathroom and entered my room. I looked at the digital clock on my side table. It read in bright red letters, 9:30 PM
-Can this day be over already?
I took a look back at my door. There was still a party going on downstairs. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, which thankfully was empty, to get some water.
"Hermione, you changed?"
I suddenly dropped my glass of water on the floor. I put my hand to my chest.
"Jesus mom, you almost gave me a heart attack," I said while picking up the shattered pieces of glass.
"Why did you change?" she asked me with a stumble here and there. She walked up to me unevenly and I smelled the alcohol in her breath. I took a step back and walked to the garbage can.
"I'm going to bed," I said.
"But honey, I want you to enjoy the party," she said while extending her hand to the crowd that were dancing, laughing and having a great time.
"Sorry mum, but I'm really tired. I had a long day." I kissed my mom on the cheek and managed to escape the kitchen successfully.
I walked back upstairs but then I tripped over someone on the hallway.
"Shit!"
I caught myself and looked down at the idiot that was sitting at the staircase entryway.
"Nathaniel, can you move please?" I asked, wanting to get to my room quickly.
"I-I just really like you, I always have, that's why I threw your bear out of the window," he said while moving his head side to side. I looked closer at him and his eyes where red and I instantly smelled the alcohol coming from his mouth.
"Nathaniel, did you drink?"
He nodded his head.
-Why the fuck are people drinking during Christmas Eve? Have people lost their mind all of the sudden?
"Here, have a drink of water." I handed him my glass of water. He drank the whole glass and gave it back to me and I put it on one of the steps.
"Um, I better go," I said and started to walk around him but he grabbed my ankle.
"Don't leave me or else!" he yelled at me with evil eyes.
I looked down at the man that I knew for so long and at that moment I didn't see the little awkward eight year old boy, or the gorgeous teenager in front of me anymore. What I saw was a drunk, desperate loser. I kicked my foot free and ran towards my room and locked the door.
"Hermione!" he yelled while he banged his hands on my door.
"Go away!" I yelled back and ran to my bed.
After a couple of minutes the banging on the door stopped and the only thing around me was silence. I got off of my bed and walked to my sitting area right next to the open window. On the cushion there was a letter. I quickly tore open the envelope and read the letter.
"Dear Hermione,
I know you're probably pissed off at me but I just want to say that I'm sorry for not writing back to you. A lot has been going on through my head today. The time says 8 o'clock now so I'm supposing you're having a great time tonight and you won't be getting this letter till later. I'm counting down the days until we get to go back to school and hopefully things will go back to normal. I miss you.
-Draco"
"I miss you too," I mumbled to myself.
I walked back to my bed not bothering to write back to him, knowing that he wouldn't even reply, so I placed the note under my pillow.
~Draco Malfoy~
I lay on my king-sized bed and stared at the white ceiling in darkness.
-Father's coming.
-And why are you depressed?
-I'm not.
-Yes, you are. You're in the dark. Alone. Aren't you happy that your father is coming home?
-…
"Draco, honey, your father is here," my mother said, trying to sound confident, but there was a small panic in her voice.
I turned to face the doorway where she stood. She had changed into one of her red gowns.
"I advise you to change into your tuxedo."
I got up and walked towards the clothes my mother picked out and put them on my end bedpost.
I picked up the coat.
"Why do we have to get all dressed up?" I asked.
"It's Christmas Eve, darling, and your father is coming home from… Azkaban."
"Still, it's not like were going to have guests, other than Snape, come to our house. They're all dead anyways. Are we going to show off for the Dementors that are going to wait outside our home?" I muttered.
"Please Draco, don't make this harder than it is," she said and closed my door.
After I put on my tuxedo, I heard a noise come from the outside. I walked towards my window and saw the Dementors holding my father. My room started to become really cold and when I exhaled a breath I saw my breath. I squinted to get a better look at my father but I couldn't because I was on the sixth floor. I saw them walk my father towards the front door. I heard my mother greet my father downstairs. I was still looking out of the window and stared at the full moon. Just then a Dementor appeared in front of my window.
"Shit!" I yelled and stumbled backwards and fell over my luggage.
"Draco, come downstairs please!" I heard my mother yell.
The Dementor was still looking at me through my window. I stared at it.
"Coming!" I yelled back, not taking my eyes off the Dementor. I got off of the floor and cleaned myself up. I took a one last glance at the Dementor.
-I swear that thing looked like it was going to kill me.
I went down the spiral staircase and faced my father.