Chapter Twenty

Christmas

The students were leaving Hogwarts, walking to the carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade so they could get on the train back to London.

Hermione was among the last to leave, with Ginny. The two shared a carriage with Luna and another Hufflepuff girl to the small town, and soon they were on the station platform.

Once inside the train, they walked between classmates as they looked for an empty compartment. They had the bad luck to come across a group of Slytherins, among which was Draco, talking to a blonde girl who couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

Hermione wrinkled her nose and looked away at the sight of them, but she couldn't fight her smile when Theo gave her a dark look and Draco nudged him.

She had to share the compartment with two Ravenclaw girls.

Mr. Weasley was waiting for everyone when they left King Cross Station. He led them to his new Muggle car (a large van that was magically modified so that it looked normal on the outside, but twelve people could sit on the inside) and, after making it invisible, they flew back to the Burrow.

They were all old enough to apparate, but he liked to go and pick them up just like when they were younger.

Mrs. Weasley and George were waiting for them in the garden. Once they greeted everyone, Harry and Hermione having received a big hug from Molly, the four of them carried their luggage up the stairs to their bedrooms.

Ginny shared hers with Hermione, like every time the two girls had been together at the Burrow.

"It's weird to have you around here again... but I like it" Ginny confessed as they both descended to the living room.

Hermione gave her friend a big smile and approached Mrs. Weasley to offer her help.

Harry and Ron were outside, degnomising the garden with George and laughing at his jokes. The two girls made dinner together with Ginny's mother and the whole family sat at the large table to share it.

All of them were silent for a moment before starting to eat. There was a candle on Fred's chair, they have left it there in his memory to remember him... it was the first Christmas without him.

Hermione was nervous, fearing that it would be uncomfortable to be with that family again after what had happened between her and Ron... but she was relieved to see that everyone acted with her as usual, with no tension or bad feelings.

Percy was even asking her about what she planned to do after Hogwarts, to which Hermione confessed that she wanted to work in the Ministry. Her dream was to become the Minister of Magic, like Mr. Weasley.

While those who hadn't cooked cleared the table, she and Ginny enjoyed a hot chocolate by the fireplace. They talked about how great her relationship with Harry was going, and how well her entire family had accepted the news.

Hermione bit her lower lip, regretting that she had not yet told her friend what was going on between her and Draco.

That night, when they were alone in her room, she would explain everything to Ginny. Hermione didn't want to have any more secrets with any of her friends... and she needed advice. She was getting more and more confused every day, and she was very angry after seeing Draco flirting with that girl on the train.

As soon as dinner was over, Draco bolted for his room. He knew he had to try to get along with his parents so that the mermaid would leave him alone, but that was going to be quite hard to do.

It was a big effort just to be near them. Hearing the voice of his father made his blood start to boil inside his veins.

Until that moment, Draco had not realised how much he hated him. When he was little, his father was an example for him to follow... but that was before he betrayed him, using him to save his own skin with the Dark Lord.

Draco opened the window and sighed as he stroked the feathers of his eagle owl, which had come from Hogwarts in case he wanted to send something. That animal knew him better than his own parents. He tore off a piece of parchment and, after writing a few words, tied it to the leg of the gigantic bird.

"Find her" he whispered, letting her fly out the window.

He stared at the snow-filled trees until late in the morning, when he finally fell asleep.

Ginny noticed that her friend had been very nervous since the two of them had put on their pyjamas and were lying on their beds. She couldn't take it anymore, so she decided to be direct.

"When are you going to tell me what's wrong with you?"

Ginny's voice startled Hermione.

"Is it so obvious that I want to tell you something?"

Ginny nodded and they both smiled.

"I'm scared you won't react well" she admitted in a low voice, looking into her eyes.

Ginny snorted.

"I'm not going to judge you, Hermione. Never have, and never will. Now tell me once and for all who that boy is."

"How do you know this is about a guy?"

Ginny arched an eyebrow and they both giggled again.

"I had no idea I was so easy to read" Hermione mumbled.

"You are to me, I know you quite well."

She sighed slowly before speaking again.

"He's not my boyfriend, actually... I don't understand what's going on between us, we've been like this for almost three months now and it's all very intense" she whispered, looking away from her friend.

"That sounds very, very interesting... Who is it?" Ginny asked, a smirk on her lips.

Hermione was about to respond when they heard a tapping on the bedroom window.

She almost fell out of bed when she saw Draco's owl there. Hermione walked over and opened it, letting the bird enter and land on the perch next to one of the trunks.

She unrolled the scroll and Ginny leaned over to read it as well, suspecting who the writer was.

I know it's Christmas, but ... Do you want to meet one of these days?

I could get away for a while and I'm sure you too

D.M.

"I don't think I need you to tell me who that mystery boy is anymore" the red-haired girl murmured.

Hermione frowned and turned the parchment over, writing only two letters. She tied it back to Dark's leg and let the owl go the way she had come.

"Did you really say no?" Ginny asked, very surprised.

Hermione closed the window and climbed back into bed with a scowl.

"Don't you remember he was flirting with a girl this morning on the train?" She growled angrily through her teeth.

"Flirting? I don't know... they were talking" her friend replied.

"Everybody thinks he and I just 'talk', too" Hermione said, making air quotes with her fingers.

Ginny pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"If he thinks he can have me whenever he wants, he's wrong. I'm not his toy" Hermione added in a deep voice.

"I think it's time for you to tell me everything that had happened between you and Malfoy" Ginny said, lifting both eyebrows.

Hermione sighed, mentally preparing herself for a long talk with her friend.

Five days later, Christmas Day was over and everyone had received their presents from Mrs. Weasley.

They all were wearing their new jumpers with initials on them, and they spent the afternoon playing Quidditch in the garden.

Hermione was the worst flying with the broom, but no one dared to criticise her because almost all the Weasley brothers and Harry were or had been members of the Gryffindor team, and therefore they had a lot of advantage.

After sunset, they went back inside to made dinner. That night it was Harry, George and Percy's turn to take care of everything, though Mrs. Weasley did not leave the kitchen, controlling what they were doing.

"How little trust you have in us, mother" George protested with a mocking smile.

"I don't have any, that's why I'm here" she grunted.

The three boys laughed and so did Hermione, who was sitting on the living room sofa, reading a book as she listened to them.

A knock sounded on the front door and Ron stood up to open it.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?"

Hermione closed the book when she heard the annoying tone of her friend's voice, leaning on the arm of the sofa and trying to see who was at the door. Her heart stopped beating once she saw a blond boy glaring at Ron.

"I didn't come to see you, Weasley" Draco replied, narrowing his eyes.

Hermione ran to the door and closed it behind her, so the rest of the family wouldn't hear them.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her gaze fixed on Draco and Ron, who was grimacing.

"I can't let him in, Hermione… I can't do that" Ron said, huffing and crossing his arms on his chest.

"I don't want to go into your bloody house" Draco said curtly.

"So why did you come?" Hermione asked again. She was still very nervous and couldn't believe he was there, with his broom in one of his hands.

"I just wanted to talk to you" he murmured, straightening his scarf and shooting Ron a dirty look.

"I'd better go... if you need me, call me, Hermione" the redhead said, giving one last look to his friend.

She nodded and smiled, grateful that he hadn't reacted much worse to seeing Draco at his front door.

Once they were alone, he frowned.

"Why did he tell you that? Is he now your best friend or what?"

Hermione sighed and descended the three steps until she was on the ground next to him.

"Yes, he is one of them."

Draco pursed his lips and clicked his tongue.

"I wasn't expecting a simple 'no' as your answer to my owl."

"And what did you expect? Do you think that, just snapping your fingers, I'll be there whenever you feel like it? If you are so desperate, you better write to your blonde friend from the train" she replied, crossing her arms and lifting her chin.

Draco tilted his head slightly and watched her, a little smirk curving his lips.

"Is this all because you're jealous?"

"I will never be jealous of you, Draco. Do not even think about it."

He propped his broom against one of the trees by the house and walked over to her, still smiling.

"As long as there's something between you and me, I won't be with anyone else."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm not lying, I don't like being with more than one girl at the same time."

Hermione glared at him and he leaned closer, brushing her lips with his.

"Did you fly all the way here?" she asked quietly, holding his green scarf with both hands.

"Of course not, but I needed an excuse to go out... and besides, I can't apparate near a wizard's house. There are always wards around it."

She nodded. After the war, all the families had put up wards around their homes, and no one could apparate within five hundred meters away.

Draco pulled away and looked up, seeing a glimpse of red hair in one of the second floor windows.

"It seems that your little friend likes to spy on us" he murmured, taking a step back.

Hermione followed his gaze and saw Ginny trying to hide behind a curtain. They both chuckled.

"Does she know?" Draco asked.

She nodded.

"I think all my friends already know about us."

"What a surprise. I thought you'd be ashamed to admit that you like me in front of them."

"Why? It's not like you are a Death Eater" Hermione replied with a mocking smile.

"I was."

"Because they forced you, not because you wanted to be one of them."

Draco smiled and pulled out a small package from his coat pocket.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione" he said as he handed it to her.

Hermione paled.

"I... I have nothing for you."

"Never mind. I bought it because it reminded me of you. I'm sure you'll like it... because we were together in that class too."

Without another word, he kissed her lips again for a couple of seconds and, after grabbing the broom, Draco got lost in the clouds at full speed. Hermione heard the noise of the front door behind her, and shortly after her friend was next to her.

"Can I tell you something?" Ginny asked, looking up at the sky just like Hermione.

"Sure."

"A boy who only wants you for sex... doesn't come to see you on holidays just to bring you a present."

Hermione opened the package, finding a silver chain that had a small rune hanging on.

She smiled. Draco remembered being with her in Ancient Runes class, when they still hated each other. Hermione went back into the house behind her friend, more confused than ever.