Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.
Draco hadn't meant to make her cry. He really hadn't.
It was just…every time he looked at her, he saw his sworn mortal enemy for the last eight years. He saw the girl who had indirectly made his life miserable. It used to enrage his father that she would beat him out for the best grades, and then of course, she would have the nerve to rub it in his face that she was right by always raising her hand and answering questions correctly. Though his later fights were focused more on Potter and Weasley, she'd always been there. Or associated with them in his mind, at last. The Golden Trio, hell-bent on making his life miserable.
But then…she'd speak. And he heard Baby Granger. He half expected her to pronounce her name wrong the next time she started talking.
Draco leaned back in his bed. He could hear her in the next bed, sniffling quietly. He could tell she was trying to control her sobs, but he had to admit that if he was in her position, he'd be handling it badly, too.
He tried to convince himself to ignore it and go to sleep. He just wasn't that good with crying girls. Besides, by the time he woke up, Potter and Weasley would probably be breaking down the door to comfort their friend.
Draco was almost out when he heard the door to the bathroom creak open. He figured the room would get quiet – except the bathroom seemed to amplify her bawling. She seemed to have decided to sit right next to the same spot of wall that his bed was pushed up against. He heard her whimper softly, then sigh, and then choke through another wave of sobs.
Draco sat up and sighed heavily. There was no way he was getting to sleep now.
Using his fist, Draco lightly rapped against the wall. "Hey, come out here, will you?"
He heard her shuffle around, and then the bathroom door swung open. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you! I'm all right, I'll be fine in just a moment."
"You can't see me, but I'm rolling my eyes." Draco grumbled. He used his wand to light up the room again, then immediately almost put it out. Hermione Granger looked bad. Her eyes were brilliantly red and puffy, and her face was so splotchy. Her hair was a natural disaster, tangled and frizzed that didn't look natural, if it weren't that no human being would ever do that to themselves on purpose.
"Oh." Draco said, startled.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Why did you call me out here? Just to make fun of the way I look? Don't worry, I'll spare you the trouble of being seen with me! See how you like it when I don't leave the bathroom for a week!"
Draco put his hands up in surrender. "No, no, no! Don't – I just wasn't expecting it, that's all. I'm sorry."
She looked surprised at his apology, which was to be expected. He'd just gotten so used to apologizing to Baby Granger, it kept slipping out.
"Okay, fine. What do you want?" She settled on, crossing her arms over her chest.
Draco sighed. "Just – do you have any questions about the last few weeks? I can tell you what happened, and maybe you'll feel better." And stop crying, he silently added.
He could practically feel her hesitance. He couldn't fully blame her, but he was getting a little desperate for some peace and quiet.
She bit her lip, then silently traipsed over to her bed. "What was I like?"
"Annoying." Draco said immediately. When she raised an eyebrow, he amended, "You asked a lot of questions. You were a quick study, though. And you really loved watching anyone do any form of magic." It was refreshing, he wanted to say, to watch you be so in awe of something most of us take for granted.
"What happened while I was a kid?"
"We had about a week of classes – no exams though. I'm actually rather convinced the professors changed their plans to accommodate you. After that, we went to the Manor for the break, and the Christmas Ball. We spent the next day at the Weasleys' home, and then right after then, you took a potion to get your memories and age back, and so we were in the Manor during New Years' – or maybe St. Mungo's, I can't remember. Either way, you were actually unconscious during that part."
"Where was my wand during this? You didn't let me use it, did you?"
"Professor McGonagall held onto it, then I got it and kept it in the bottom of my trunk for safe-keeping. No, we're not all daft, Gr – we're not all daft. No one let you use your wand."
"Good." She said, generously ignoring his awkward slip-up. "Do you know if I'll get my memories back?"
"I have no idea. I imagine you were supposed to, but…uh, something went wrong."
"Who was I around while I was young?"
"Well, all of Hogwarts, of course. In the Manor, you met my mother. We held the Christmas Ball, but we didn't disclose who you were, obviously. You were around the Weasley family. Longbottom, Lovegood. My friends, too, of course. Blaise, Pansy, Daphne, Theo."
"Right. Were we still…connected? While I was little?"
"Yes. I mean, if we weren't I wouldn't have taken you home. But…the thing is, I think our range might have been stretched a bit. I'm almost certain I noticed you further than twenty feet away from me a couple times, but I never got the chance to test it."
"Let's try it out tomorrow." She suggested. "Before the other students arrive. Next question: why are you having so much trouble saying my name?"
Draco stared at her. He'd almost started to answer before he caught himself. "I don't – I don't know what you're –"
"Draco Malfoy, if you don't give me a solid answer right now, I will go back into that bathroom and cry for the next three days straight." She threatened. He knew she was bluffing, but the idea of sitting in the bed listening to her cry through the wall for the next few days made his skin crawl.
"Look, it's not a big deal." Draco started defensively. "When you were little, I called you 'Granger', or, if you were being particularly pesky, 'Baby Granger.' I just got used to thinking of little you as Baby Granger, and now I can't think of you as also being Granger."
Baby-Granger-All-Grown-Up put her hand over her mouth, but he could tell she was holding back a smile. "That's it? I thought…wow, you are the most dramatic person I know."
Draco scowled at her, and she actually had the gall to start giggling.
"Sorry." She hiccupped. "Listen, why don't you just call me 'Hermione'? That's my real name, you know."
"It just sounds so strange to say without your last name." Draco complained. "Hermione…Granger. That's normal. Just Hermione is…I'm just going to call you Hermione Granger from now on."
Satisfied with his plan, Draco watched Hermione Granger roll her eyes. "That's six syllables, Malfoy. It's too long to say on a regular basis."
"Hey, you just called me by my last name." Draco pointed out.
"Yeah, because I don't have a problem saying it." Hermione Granger retorted. "But it doesn't even matter. I don't have trouble saying your first name, either."
"Then say it." Draco dared.
"Draco." Hermione Granger pronounced. Then she wrinkled her nose. "Draco Malfoy. Draco…Malfoy. Draco. Draco. Draco."
Now it was Draco's turn to roll his eyes.
"Hey, it's not my fault your name is so weird!" She protested.
"Yeah, look who's talking, Hermione Granger."
She didn't say anything, but the giggles were back.
Draco moved to turn off the lights again, and in the pitch black, listened to her try to keep from laughing at him.
At least she wasn't crying anymore.