Summary: "You could have been something. You could have been someone. But you blew it."-When Hermione Granger finds Draco Malfoy crying in the girls' bathroom, she decides to find out what's wrong. With only the girl who he despises willing to help him, things are going to change. DM/HG. Compliant up to Order of the Phoenix

Mature content and themes, explicit language.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to Ms. JK Rowling.


Chapter 31: Red

Shifting in her sleep, her eyes finally flickered open, as she found herself in a tangle of limbs.

She had gotten used to waking up in Draco's arms, falling asleep with him every night since everyone had gone home for Christmas Holidays. Their fireplace flickered in the distance, sending a gush of hot air towards her, caressing her face. When she turned to look at the clock, she realized it was already seven.

"Draco." she called.

"Granger…"

"Draco, wake up."

"Bugger off...let me sleep."

"It's Christmas morning."

Finally, with a sigh, he opened his eyes, turning to face her, shifting the blankets slightly.

"I need to go to the owlery. I'm going to be writing a letter to my parents. After that, I'll be heading to Gryffindor Tower to collect my presents. I'll bring them here, and then we can open presents together."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Definitely. We must ensure the holiday spirit is present."

"Of course. Before you go, I was wondering if there was any room to squeeze in a morning—"

"Draco! Will you get your mind out of the gutter?"

"I would, but you seem to like me this way a bit too much. So, tell me, do you want to—"

"Oh, alright. Come here." she beckoned.

With a smile on his face, he moved closer, his face hovering over hers.

"I knew you wouldn't say no."


Making her way out of the Gryffindor common room, she ran into Neville outside, fumbling her presents, spilling them onto the floor.

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry! I'll help you pick these up...Happy Christmas by the way."

"It's alright Neville," she said, bending down to pick up her presents, "Happy Christmas."

"So...where are you headed?" he asked.

The question caught her off guard, but she came up with a response.

"I'm going to meet some friends on the other side of the castle. Talking about where I'm going, where are you headed, Neville? I heard Hannah stayed back…"

"What? How'd you...how'd you know?"

She smiled at him, as she laughed at his confusion.

"You're quite obvious, Neville. Ginny and I have known this for months."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Well then…"

"You can tell us, you know. There's nothing wrong with dating Hannah, Neville. She's a very sweet girl."

"I know...it's just that it's quite intimidating, you know?"

"I'm sure it is, but that doesn't mean you will stay stuck in a shell for the rest of your life, will you? When everyone comes back, I suggest you tell them."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Leaning in to give her a hug, Neville wished her Happy Christmas one last time, before scurrying off, heading towards the kitchens.

She smiled to herself one last time, before finally heading back to the Room of Requirement.


Sitting on the couch near the fireplace, he waited for Granger to return, as he played with the fabric on his sweater. He would never admit that he was nervous, but the fear of everything not working out constantly gnawed at him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, an over enthusiastic Granger walked through the door, a tall pile of presents in her arms.

"Okay, I'm here!" she exclaimed, placing her presents down on the ground, and taking a seat on the carpet.

"I can see that." he said, with an almost amused expression.

"I guess...we could start opening them?"

Draco nodded, as he selected a random present from his bunch, and began to take off the packaging.

The first present was a beautiful silver watch, crystals on the edges, its hands moving elegantly. It almost shined red from the flames in the fireplace, as he ran his fingers over the band. It came with a note, which read:

Happy Christmas, Draco. Love, your mother and father.

Along with the watch, there was also a package of homemade sweets, which included pastries, and a variety of biscuits. They were all made by his mother...they were his favourite.

Thank you, mother. Happy Christmas. I love you...

He read the note again, and immediately could tell that although it said it was from both of his parents, it was only from one. His father couldn't care less about Christmas, but his mother included his name so that he wouldn't feel like shit.

It didn't help much.

"That's beautiful, Draco." Hermione gasped.

He looked over to her, who was sitting on the carpet, a variety of sweets and sweaters already sprawled in front of her.

"It's from my mother."

"What is she like?"

"My mother?"

"Yes."

"You care?"

"I do, Draco."

He looked over at the fireplace, contemplating what to say for a few moments, stringing together words in his head. But suddenly, he realized he didn't need to think about how to describe his mother, because he already knew.

"She's amazing. To me, she is the kindest being on this planet. She loves me more than anything else. She would always keep to herself, and never bother another person. Her aura was...tranquilizing. Every time she passed me, even though she was my own mother, a sense of elegance would radiate off of her, brightening up the entire room. She doesn't smile much, but when she did, it was...more beautiful than anything else."

He realized that he had begun rambling, and trailed off, looking back to the fireplace to hide his face.

"You really love her."

Turning his head back to face Granger, he nodded, closing his eyes. He imagined that his mother was there with him, smiling in his direction, as he opened his presents. He imagined she was running behind him, trying to feed him a sweet, while his innocent, carefree self ran throughout the halls of Malfoy Manor. He imagined that he was in his mother's protective arms, as though there wasn't a trouble in the world.

But alas, this was all just imagination.

Opening his eyes, he found himself in the Room of Requirement with a cheerful Hermione Granger, protected by the four walls of the room and the warmth of the fireplace.

At least it was better than being alone. At least he had her.

Watching her inquisitively open a box, to lift out a book, and then laugh to herself, he finally snapped out of his thoughts.

"What's that?"

"It's a book from Harry." she laughed, showing him the cover.

A Book For Girls Who Are Constantly in the Presence of the Male Specimen: Your Guide For Survival.

Shaking his head, he turned back to his own presents, picking out and opening the next few.

He got a stack of quidditch magazines and three boxes of chocolate frogs from Blaise, and assorted sweets from different relatives. Opening his last present, he found a potions book from Snape. He sneered, pushing it to the side, not wanting to look at it. instead, he turned back at Granger.

She had a silver bracelet in her fingers, holding it ever so delicately, looking at it in fascination.

"Who is that from?"

"Oh...this? It's from Ron."

He didn't know why, but suddenly, his blood began to boil, as his palms fisted. A sudden wave of rage rushed through him, and it bothered him to the core.

"That's why it looks so fucking tacky—"

"Draco—"

"Cheap as fuck. I should have known—"

"It's a Christmas present. He's my best friend, Draco."

"Best friend? Or—"

"Draco...I don't know if you haven't realized this...but I'm not someone who would play with two people like that. Right now...I'm sleeping with you. That's all there is."

The rage in his veins decreased significantly, as his body let go, and relaxed against the sofa. Her words were...assurance to him.

"I'm sorry."

It was the second time he'd apologized to her, and it had affected her just as much as the first time. Her features softened as she smiled at him, her grin brightening up the entire room. She remembered back to when he had apologized to her for the first time...it had been back in Hagrid's pumpkin patch. They had kissed for the first time, right after.

"It's okay, Draco."

When she had finished opening uptake remainder of her presents, she finally decided it was time to give Draco his.

"Granger, you are grinning like a fool."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I guess there's no point in waiting. Here's your present."

She pulled out a little box from behind her back, and handed it it over. It was wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper, with a green ribbon. Slowly, he ripped off the packaging.

Inside was a small black box, small enough to hold in his palm. He looked over to Granger, who was nibbling on her lip, watching him as he opened her gift. Raising an eyebrow at her, he finally lifted the top of the box open, and looked down to see what was inside.

Inside, was a little golden snitch. He slowly lifted it from the box, and the moment it touched his fingertips, his entire arm warmed, almost as if there were fireworks buzzing on his palm.

It was just any snitch. It was his snitch.

"Granger...this can't be…"

"The very first snitch you caught as a seeker? It is."

Staring at her in disbelief, he looked down at the tiny ball in his hands, it's wings fluttering ever so gently, as the snitch danced in his hands, almost as if it was reading its owner's mind. It remembered his touch.

He allowed it to fly a bit, before reaching back up to grab it again. It obeyed his every wish: the moment he'd thought of it, it was back in his palm.

Gifting a snitch in the wizarding world meant so much...it told the recipient that the giver cares about them. It told Draco that Hermione cared about him.

And...this wasn't just any snitch. This was the very first snitch he had ever caught. He remembered the day as if it had been yesterday. It was a match against Ravenclaw...he smiled as he recalled the exact moment he grabbed the snitch. He couldn't remember feeling more victorious than he was in that moment.

"Granger, how did you get this?"

"Remember a few days ago, when I went out early in the morning? I had actually gone to the old shed down by Hogsmeade. I knew they kept some old quidditch balls in there, thought there was a chance it could be there. I used a spell on you in the morning, so that I could use my wand to check the snitches to find out which one was yours. This one got all fluttery when I used the spell, so I knew it was it."

"You didn't get caught?"

"I had Harry's invisibility cloak with me...I also happen to know about quite a few secret passages." she added in, with a devilish smirk, almost good enough to rival his own.

"...thank you."

Words couldn't express her happiness to hear his gratitude, and just see how happy he was receiving his snitch. She felt like she would conquer the world if she needed to, just to see him smile like that once more. Moving from her spot on the carpet, she joined him on the sofa, leaning in for a kiss.

His lips were soft like velvet, and his hands were like a sedative, toying in her hair, lifting her up into a cradling position. In between their kisses, Draco could feel her smiling against his lips, which made something in his stomach turn. Maneuvering them into a lying position, so that Draco was on top of Hermione, they kissed in their secret little room, the fireplace blazing in the distance. Pulling apart just a bit, he rested his forehead against hers, both of them catching their breaths for just a few seconds.

"Happy Christmas, Draco."


"Why in Morgana's saggy tits did you think it would be a good idea to come out here without a scarf? It's fucking cold, Granger, you'll get sick—"

"Oh, live a little, will you? Just feel the wind against your throat—"

"You know, I've had enough of your deep shit—"

"And I've had enough of your aristocratic ass—"

"Bookworm."

"Snob."

"Know it all."

"You're a vain little cockroach, you know that, right?"

Draco couldn't help but laugh at her final remark, as he immediately remembered the day in Third Year, when she had first called her that name.

"If I'm not mistaken, I think it was foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach, but vain works as well."

Stopping to kick a large chunk of snow, she smiled as she remembered the exact moment he was referring to.

"I think that was one of the best moments of my life. Punching you. It felt bloody fantastic."

"Gosh, Granger, thanks a lot."

"You deserved it then. You were an absolute arsehole. Not to say you aren't one anymore." she quickly added, when she saw his lips begin to curl.

"I still have the scar." he said, pointing to a faint mark on his nose.

Smiling, they both walked a bit further, before Draco finally broke the silence.

"Granger…after dinner, meet me outside of the room...and wear the green dress you wore to the Hallowe'en ball."

"How come?"

"Just do it. You know, to get into the holiday spirit, as you said."


Combing her hair one last time, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, standing in her emerald green dress. She had no clue why Draco had asked her to wear it, but she didn't want to question it. She simply allowed things to happen.

Finally, deciding she looked quite presentable, she tossed the invisibility cloak above her head, and made her way to the Room of Requirement.


He waited for her outside the room, wearing a white collared shirt, and black formal pants. He felt so cheesy, standing there, yet a rush of adrenaline rushing through his veins made him more excited than ever.

Suddenly, he heard a pair of footsteps, but couldn't track where they came from. They seemed to be getting closer, which put him on guard. He reached for his wand, just when a piece of fabric waved in front of him, and Granger appeared.

She was beautiful.

The green dress on her olive skin, her coffee coloured curls dancing down, while her skin glowed in the dimly lit hall.

"How come you asked me to—"

"Let's go inside. You'll see."

Giving her his signature Malfoy smirk, he slowly opened the door that formed in front of him, hoping that everything would turn out how he had planned.

She followed behind him, slowly entering the room. A sudden blast of light caught her eye, so she used her hand to shade herself from the...sunlight?

Opening her eyes, and slowly adjusting to her new surroundings, she found herself on a street, the sun setting, homes lit up for the holidays. She felt Draco's hand grasp her wrist, guiding her to him. Taking a good look at where she was, she realized that he hadn't just brought her to any street.

It was her street.

Realizing they were outside, a blast of chilly wind hit her, causing her to shiver slightly.

If only I had something to keep me warm…

Suddenly, a warm cloak appeared out of nowhere. Draco grabbed it, and draped it around her, protecting her from the cold.

Together, they walked on, until they had reached their intended destination. It was a place Hermione knew so well…

Her home.

The house she had grown up in. The place she had spent her childhood. Suddenly, images of her running around in the front yard, while her father chased her from behind filled her thoughts. This place had been...her everything.

"Draco…"

"It's just an illusion. It's not real, although it seems like it. This is the most that the Room could give me."

She felt the need to embrace him, as she flung her arms around his neck, throwing him off balance a bit. When she retracted, she saw that with a smile on his face, he was gesturing for her to go inside the house.

"I can go..."

"You can go inside. Your parents will not be there, but everything inside will be the same. Go on."

With a twinkle in her eyes, she ran forward, and twisted the doorknob to open the door, entering her home. Draco followed right behind her, stepping along her footsteps.

She entered to find the hall, which branched out to different areas. First, she went to the kitchen, where she found every cup and every plate in the exact place it should have been. Then, she ran upstairs, and went to each and every room. Every doll in her room was in its place. She picked up a particular elephant she was quite fond of, smiling down at it. Her bed was in the centre, while her bookshelf was full of all her textbooks from previous years. She looked over at Draco, who was watching her with an amused expression. Together, they slowly made their way back downstairs, to the living room.

"Draco...I can't believe..."

"It's not over yet, Granger. There's more."

Out of nowhere, he conjured up a stereo, and pulled out a tape from his back pocket.

"I got this from Oberon's, during our trip to Hogsmeade."

He seemed to be struggling to insert the tape, so Hermione rushed forward to help. When she pressed the play button, the same time that she had been so accustomed to hearing flooded her ears.

She felt Draco take her hand in his, and guide them both to the centre of the living room.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful.

But the fire is so delightful.

And since we've got no place to go.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

They moved to the rhythm together, gliding throughout the room, hand in hand. Draco twirled her around, causing her to smile the brightest smile she had smiled in months. The entire room lit up, as happiness radiated off of her features for miles.

Man it doesn't show signs of stoppin'.

And I brought me some corn for poppin'.

The lights are turned way down low.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

He couldn't help but allow a smile on his lips to form. Seeing her like that, her happiness was contagious. They swayed together, using each other as supports, to guide them through the room.

When we finally kiss good-night.

How I'll hate going out in the storm.

But if you really hold me tight.

All the way home I'll be warm.

Turning her head to look out of the window, she realized that it had actually begun to snow outside. The snowflakes did their own dance, dancing down to the ground, making this day just a bit more perfect.

And the fire is slowly dying.

And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing.

But as long as you'd love me so.

Let it snow, let it snow, and snow.

He looked down at her amber eyes, flooded with emotion. He had never seen her this happy, and it made something in his stomach flutter. Her smile was everything…

When we finally kiss good-night.

How I'll hate going out in the storm.

But if you'd really grab me tight.

All the way home I'll be warm.

His eyes were so beautiful...the most captivating shade of grey…

Oh the fire is slowly dying.

And, my dear, we're still goodbye-ing.

But as long as you'd love me so.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Even when the song had ended, they stood in their spot, holding each other, swaying back and forth. He dipped his head down so their fringes touched, his hands on her waist while her arms were around his shoulders.

Until the moment she died, Hermione could confidently say that that day had been one of the best days in her life.

And it was because of him. He had made it special,

It was then when Draco had realized that their relationship had finally hit a turning point. It wasn't just useless shagging. It was something more. They had something more.

But then again, it had always been.

Leaning down, he captured her lips once more, taking his time to savour her taste. Savour her presence. Make his time with her last longer. Everything could be taken away from him in the blink of an eye.

He knew it wouldn't last. It couldn't. He was Draco Malfoy, and she was Hermione Granger. They were on opposite sides in a battle that they had been a part of since they were eleven years old. They would never be okay.

It would all come back to bite them.

One day.

But for now, it was okay to walk with her in the snowy Hogwarts grounds, or kiss her by the lake. It was okay to hold her in bed, by the fireplace, and dance with her to muggle music. It was okay to be like this.

For now.

Pulling back to stare into her eyes, she gave him the more sincere smile ever, breaking him. He didn't want her to get hurt.

But he knew she would.

In that moment, to him, Hermione Granger was more beautiful than anything else.

And most importantly, he didn't care that it was wrong. He didn't give a fuck about pureblood ideologies. He didn't care that she was a muggleborn.

His blood, her blood. Everything was the same.

It was all red.


a/n: ahhhhhh done this chapter! Christmas break has been fantastic so far. I think I've gained three points already.

Just to make sure this is known, the song used in this chapter was Let It Snow, by Dean Martin. I do not own this song in any way shape or form. It's a beautiful song, never fails to get me hyped for the holidays.

I made some chocolate cake the other day, it was delicious, highly recommend baking. Give it a try, even if things don't turn out good, it's such a fun experience.

Once again, pleaseeeee review and comment. They mean the world to me. I read each and every one.

Stay safe, wear a mask, and remember to continue social distancing,

Sydney.