Summary: The plot thickens: Draco reveals a secret or two, Harry is rather
unco-ordinated, silly songs get a mention, and Ginny gets stuck inside a
giant bubble! Hey, it's the Eleventh Day of Christmas! Anything could
happen! Oh, and, as usual (yes, there is a point to this): The sea was
quite lumpy and the weather was foul...
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I own neither Seaseme Street (Seaseme Street 12 Days of Christmas) or the Spice Girls (Stop). The songs used here are from those two...outfits, and I make no money from the usage of the lyrics. I would appreciate it if the corperations that do own these things stayed far away from me, and didn't sue.
The "Alice in Wonderland" references are also not owned by me, but rather to whoever actually owns them. They just popped in my head (I think I was ranting about plot bunnies at the time, so that may have had something to do with it!)
The sea was quite lumpy and the weather was foul... is an extract from Fred Dagg's song We Don't Know How Lucky We Are, and I have nothing to do with it, apart from finding it hilarious (along with the "Phone Call" skit...'Yeah,you know that corner on the way back from Wainui mate? Yeah, the one with a cliff...yep, straight over the edge. Blood everywhere. Buggered if I know how we got home...Look, the reason I'm ringing you Trev is...can I borrow your car tonight?"). It continues with the immortal "And the bloke with the map was as pissed as an owl..."
Author notes: Endless thanks to my Beta, Robyn*, for agreeing to upload these...you're a legend. Also, thanks to my host family, for letting me use their internet. This chapter is dedicated to Mel, my partner in crime today at Kareoke...our host students dragged us along, we sung 'Stop' as a duet, it was so funny!
Does this answer everyone's questions as to 'why is Draco suddenly doing this'? The "sex scene" was once again stolen from Saber Shadowkitten...what, she's a goddess! It was taken from a Buffy/Spike story called "Humanitis", and if you follow the Buffy/Spike link it can be found here: Catulus Felinus is Latin for 'kitten' Methinks that is all...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eleven pipers piping...
How about 1 pipe,
And ten other
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?
The eleventh day of Christmas was bleak and miserable, with it deemed too cold for the snowball fight. So Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Cho sat up in the Gryffindor Common Room, trying out Hermione's gifts for the day.
"I can't believe it...some of this stuff is so new that it shouldn't be on the market yet!" exclaimed Ron, who was one of the testers for his brothers. "You can take the Twins out of Hogwarts but you never get rid of their pranks" was a comment often made by teachers.
Hermione cracked up laughing as the chocolate frog Ginny was trying to eat suddenly regenerated and started bouncing erratically around the room, not stopping after the first bounce as they normally do.
"Stupefy!" cried Cho, to no avail. Harry tried to leap on it, but his Seeker skills obviously weren't up to scratch when it came to catching runaway sweets.
"Impedimenta!" was Ron's contribution. The frog kept bouncing, stopping only when Ginny yelled:
"Stop, right now!"
Thank you very much
I need somebody with a human touch
Hey you, always on the run
Gotta slow it down baby
Gotta have some fun!
After the short song was over, the frog remained still. And Harry and Hermione cracked up laughing.
"Oh Merlin, I should never have played them those Spice Girls' songs..."
"You played Spice Girls' songs for Fred and George Weasley, two of the Wizarding World's most notorious pranksters? Hermione, do you want the whole world to suffer?"
Seeing the Pureblood wizards look a little confused, Hermione hastened to explain: "The Spice Girls are a five girl singing group, each with a nickname-"
"Ginger Spice, Scary Spice, Baby Spice, Sporty Spice, and Posh Spice," interrupted Harry.
*~ How does he know that? ~*
"But their real names are Geri, Mel B, Emma, Mel C and Victoria. They have had two CDs, and are absolutely huge with the pre-teens."
"They've had a movie and everything."
"The movie was actually pretty funny. I took my younger cousin, Cathy, to go and see it. Anyway, Fred and George asked for some upbeat Muggle music, and I'd just gotten a letter from Cathy and well..." she trailed off and shrugged
slightly.
Ginny just shook her head and picked up her frog, "Well, they are more interesting than the usual chocolate frogs at any rate."
Hermione kept looking through the gifts that she'd gotten.
*~ Not as expensive as the other gifts, but they are rather cute, shows that the person has a brain, not just a wallet. Who could it be? ~*
Without thinking, Hermione blew a bubble from the pipe she had received as one of the gifts for the day. The brightly coloured bubble floated over to Ginny, where it enlarged itself so that Ginny was trapped inside it.
"Eep!"
"Ginny!" Harry ran and tried to pull her out of the bubble, but his hands couldn't penetrate it.
"It's okay, I can breathe. I was just surprised." She tried to move, and ended up bouncing the bubble over to the window. "Hey! It's clearing! We can have that snowball fight after all!"
**********
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve uh... twelve... oh dear, I can't remember
Eleven broken buildings
Ten wind-up rabbits
Nine sacks of bird seed
Eight counts a-counting
Seven rusty trash cans
Six rubber duckies
Five argyle socks
Four woolly bears
Three footballs
Two baby frogs
And one delicious cookie!
Draco entered the Great Hall to see the Gryffindors (plus Chang) sitting around the only table there, laughing as Hermione's Concentus played a rather silly song. He walked slowly over to them, and took an empty seat two
spaces away from Hermione. He thumped his head on the table in exhaustion, and only moved when Professor Snape walked over.
"Some chocolate, Mr. Malfoy."
Thanking Snape, who was already halfway to the door, Malfoy broke and slowly ate it as he reached for the jug of hot chocolate.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?"
Draco looked up. "I'm having a hot drink. Is that all right with you, Weasel? I'm cold, tired, and fucking fed up. So don't mess with me." His tone brooked no argument, and when Ron opened his mouth, Hermione kicked him.
Hard. He got the hint, and re-asked his question.
"So what was your favourite Christmas, Hermione?"
"It would have to be the one that I spent in New Zealand, during first year. It was wonderful to be able to walk around in shorts and a T-shirt on Christmas day. The hotel we stayed at was right on the beach, and lunch was a
Barbecue while people went swimming or sunbathed. The hotel gave everyone a bouquet of flowers too, as a Christmas gift."
"What kind of flowers?"
"Well, there was some of the native Pohutakawa Tree flowers, some Kowhai...But my favourites were the Christmas Lilies. I don't think they're indigenous, but they smelt so good...Really beautiful too."
As the conversation turned to Cho's Christmas that she had spent in China, Draco stood up, rather unsteadily. He walked slowly to the door, as Hermione watched him go.
*~ I wonder what's wrong...His robes were dishevelled, his hair was dirty, his eyes were bloodshot and he had huge bags under his eyes. Hmm.. I think I'll find him later*
**********
Draco was wandering through the stacks in the Library after dinner, looking for something to take his mind off yesterday.
** 10 Easy Steps to Becoming an Animagus, Men Who Love Dragons Too Much, 500 Muggle Plants for Use in Everyday Potions...where is 'How to Deal with Your Bastard Father'? ** He heard a noise behind him, and spun quickly.
"Hermione!"
"Draco...could we talk?" Seeing that he was about to refuse **She is going to tell me how much she hates me, I know it. I could never be with her...*,
Hermione asked: "Please?"
Acquiescing reluctantly, he let her lead him to a couch.
"What's wrong, Draco?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Bullshit." He had never heard her swear so vehemently before. "There IS something wrong, I can tell. You look a mess, your eyes are bloodshot, and you disappeared for over a day! I...I care about you Draco, I consider you one of my friends, and when something is bothering my friends I like to know what it is!"
**She considers me a friend? ** Seeing the truth in her face, Draco decided to respond. Sighing, he said softly: "I went to see my father yesterday. He's in Azkaban."
"Azkaban? Why? I never heard anything."
"Mother asked them to keep it secret. He's not in the main part, with the Dementors as guards, just in one of the side wings. Where they keep all the other... " He stopped, his throat closing painfully. For a few seconds, the only movement he made was a sort of gaping, like he was going to be sick.
Hermione shifted so that she was sitting right next to him, and gently put her arms around him. "It's all right, you can tell me. I won't judge. Your father is your father, he's not you."
"Rapists." The word was so quiet that Hermione nearly didn't catch it. She held him tighter, silently urging him to speak. Suddenly, the words flowed out thick and fast. "It was over the summer, all these girls went missing
from the village near where we were staying. We were out walking in the park one day, and this girl suddenly started screaming and pointing at Lucius, saying 'That's him! That's him!' and within seconds this Muggle policeman
was restraining him. He didn't have his wand, and they hauled him off...My mother contacted the Ministry, she was so sure that there had been a mistake. Aurors and Muggle Policemen searched the house...there were five girls tied up in the basement, and they had deep cuts all over them...they were covered in blood, dirt and dried cum...his cum, they tested it. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban, no parole, no kiss. Rapists don't get the Dementor's Kiss...but he should. As soon as my Mother is no longer alive, I'm going to make sure he gets it...she doesn't want the media circus that would be sparked by a Malfoy getting the Kiss. But the bastard deserves it, he deserves to rot in hell."
That wasn't all though. Draco had left out the most important part, the part he had vowed to never tell Hermione, or another living soul.
**I saw him one night...the night before his arrest. I woke up and heard screams, so I followed them, and saw him with a girl. A girl around your age, with wavy brown hair and cinnamon eyes. **
A feeling of overwhelming sorrow filling him, Draco's rage abated and he started to sob in earnest. Hermione hugged him tighter, placing a soft kiss on his head as she moved him so that he was lying on her as he cried.
*~ Oh my lord...* circled around her thoughts as she watched the proud young man cry himself to sleep. She dozed off; her dream filled with a smiling silver dragon telling her that everything would be O.K.
**********
At midnight, Hermione awoke to find Draco fast asleep, his arms and legs wrapped firmly around her, and his breath coming in small puffs against her neck.
*~ He looks so peaceful...* Hating to break his sleep, but knowing that if neither of them was in their beds in the morning, the results could be disastrous.
"Draco...Draco wake up." she said as she gently shook his shoulder.
"Back already, kitten," he mumbled sleepily, his dream world running over to the real world. He reached out his own hand instinctively and slid it under her shirt, then began to lightly rub her abdomen. "What did the doctor say?"
*~ Mmm, that feels good, ~* she thought as his cool fingers brushed over her skin. "About what?" she asked, debating on whether to stop him or not.
"What do you think, luv?" he said. His hands got more adventurous. "It's not going to hurt the baby, is it?"
"Baby?" His hands were definitely wandering now. Not that she didn't mind, but she wanted him to be awake when they did stuff.
*~ So now I want him awake to do stuff to me...I'm going insane. He doesn't even like me! ~* Annoyed by the thoughts running through her head, she shook him harder this time.'
"Draco, wake up. We need to get to be- OUR beds before someone finds us gone."
"Stop your bloody shaking," Draco responding, coming awake. "I'm up." He had been having one of his favourite dreams, where Hermione was pregnant with his child, even though that was impossibility- **I don't have a snowball's chance in hell with her.** -and as usual, it had started to become erotic.
She managed to slide out from underneath and gave him a hand up. "Let's go, sleepy head."
She walked him down to the dungeons, as he still looked unsteady on his feet. They stopped in front of a portrait of a young Salazar Slytherin.
"Catulus Felinus," said Draco. The picture swung open. "I'm fine from here, it's my room."
"So this is where the Prince of Slytherin sleeps," Hermione commented as she stretched to see inside.
"Yes, and I'd invite you in if I wasn't so bloody tired. Goodnight, Miss Hermione." Blushing slightly, he moved forward and placed a small kiss on her cheek before turning and going inside.
Once the portrait had closed, Hermione's hand instinctively moved to her cheek where he had kissed her.
*~ He kissed me, he kissed me! Maybe he likes me after all! Ooh boy, add that to those hands and I know I'm going to have a restless night. ~* So lost in her thoughts was she that she didn't even hear the door opening behind her.
"Ms. Granger." She stopped and spun around quickly, nearly losing her balance.
"Professor Snape! Sir! I'm sorry, I know it's late, I was just walking Draco back as we fell asleep studying and he's still kinda shaky."
"Relax Ms. Granger, I'm not going to yell at you. You and your friends have proved that you are somewhat capable of taking care of yourselves, as much as I am loath to admit it. I just wanted to talk to you."
*~ Okay, where's the white rabbit? I think I've fallen down the damn hole. ~*
"Sir?"
He sighed. "Please be careful with Mr. Malfoy. He's a wonderful person, very kind. I don't want to see him get hurt; he's like a son to me. I know that he holds you in high regard...just be careful around him. You may go."
As Hermione walked up to the Gryffindor Tower, she pondered over Snape's words.
*~ Be careful with Draco...what does that mean? ~*
Once she was in bed, another thought came to her.
*~ It's Christmas tomorrow...Merlin, what about my true love? ~*
~ Fin.
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I own neither Seaseme Street (Seaseme Street 12 Days of Christmas) or the Spice Girls (Stop). The songs used here are from those two...outfits, and I make no money from the usage of the lyrics. I would appreciate it if the corperations that do own these things stayed far away from me, and didn't sue.
The "Alice in Wonderland" references are also not owned by me, but rather to whoever actually owns them. They just popped in my head (I think I was ranting about plot bunnies at the time, so that may have had something to do with it!)
The sea was quite lumpy and the weather was foul... is an extract from Fred Dagg's song We Don't Know How Lucky We Are, and I have nothing to do with it, apart from finding it hilarious (along with the "Phone Call" skit...'Yeah,you know that corner on the way back from Wainui mate? Yeah, the one with a cliff...yep, straight over the edge. Blood everywhere. Buggered if I know how we got home...Look, the reason I'm ringing you Trev is...can I borrow your car tonight?"). It continues with the immortal "And the bloke with the map was as pissed as an owl..."
Author notes: Endless thanks to my Beta, Robyn*, for agreeing to upload these...you're a legend. Also, thanks to my host family, for letting me use their internet. This chapter is dedicated to Mel, my partner in crime today at Kareoke...our host students dragged us along, we sung 'Stop' as a duet, it was so funny!
Does this answer everyone's questions as to 'why is Draco suddenly doing this'? The "sex scene" was once again stolen from Saber Shadowkitten...what, she's a goddess! It was taken from a Buffy/Spike story called "Humanitis", and if you follow the Buffy/Spike link it can be found here: Catulus Felinus is Latin for 'kitten' Methinks that is all...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eleven pipers piping...
How about 1 pipe,
And ten other
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?
The eleventh day of Christmas was bleak and miserable, with it deemed too cold for the snowball fight. So Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Cho sat up in the Gryffindor Common Room, trying out Hermione's gifts for the day.
"I can't believe it...some of this stuff is so new that it shouldn't be on the market yet!" exclaimed Ron, who was one of the testers for his brothers. "You can take the Twins out of Hogwarts but you never get rid of their pranks" was a comment often made by teachers.
Hermione cracked up laughing as the chocolate frog Ginny was trying to eat suddenly regenerated and started bouncing erratically around the room, not stopping after the first bounce as they normally do.
"Stupefy!" cried Cho, to no avail. Harry tried to leap on it, but his Seeker skills obviously weren't up to scratch when it came to catching runaway sweets.
"Impedimenta!" was Ron's contribution. The frog kept bouncing, stopping only when Ginny yelled:
"Stop, right now!"
Thank you very much
I need somebody with a human touch
Hey you, always on the run
Gotta slow it down baby
Gotta have some fun!
After the short song was over, the frog remained still. And Harry and Hermione cracked up laughing.
"Oh Merlin, I should never have played them those Spice Girls' songs..."
"You played Spice Girls' songs for Fred and George Weasley, two of the Wizarding World's most notorious pranksters? Hermione, do you want the whole world to suffer?"
Seeing the Pureblood wizards look a little confused, Hermione hastened to explain: "The Spice Girls are a five girl singing group, each with a nickname-"
"Ginger Spice, Scary Spice, Baby Spice, Sporty Spice, and Posh Spice," interrupted Harry.
*~ How does he know that? ~*
"But their real names are Geri, Mel B, Emma, Mel C and Victoria. They have had two CDs, and are absolutely huge with the pre-teens."
"They've had a movie and everything."
"The movie was actually pretty funny. I took my younger cousin, Cathy, to go and see it. Anyway, Fred and George asked for some upbeat Muggle music, and I'd just gotten a letter from Cathy and well..." she trailed off and shrugged
slightly.
Ginny just shook her head and picked up her frog, "Well, they are more interesting than the usual chocolate frogs at any rate."
Hermione kept looking through the gifts that she'd gotten.
*~ Not as expensive as the other gifts, but they are rather cute, shows that the person has a brain, not just a wallet. Who could it be? ~*
Without thinking, Hermione blew a bubble from the pipe she had received as one of the gifts for the day. The brightly coloured bubble floated over to Ginny, where it enlarged itself so that Ginny was trapped inside it.
"Eep!"
"Ginny!" Harry ran and tried to pull her out of the bubble, but his hands couldn't penetrate it.
"It's okay, I can breathe. I was just surprised." She tried to move, and ended up bouncing the bubble over to the window. "Hey! It's clearing! We can have that snowball fight after all!"
**********
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve uh... twelve... oh dear, I can't remember
Eleven broken buildings
Ten wind-up rabbits
Nine sacks of bird seed
Eight counts a-counting
Seven rusty trash cans
Six rubber duckies
Five argyle socks
Four woolly bears
Three footballs
Two baby frogs
And one delicious cookie!
Draco entered the Great Hall to see the Gryffindors (plus Chang) sitting around the only table there, laughing as Hermione's Concentus played a rather silly song. He walked slowly over to them, and took an empty seat two
spaces away from Hermione. He thumped his head on the table in exhaustion, and only moved when Professor Snape walked over.
"Some chocolate, Mr. Malfoy."
Thanking Snape, who was already halfway to the door, Malfoy broke and slowly ate it as he reached for the jug of hot chocolate.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?"
Draco looked up. "I'm having a hot drink. Is that all right with you, Weasel? I'm cold, tired, and fucking fed up. So don't mess with me." His tone brooked no argument, and when Ron opened his mouth, Hermione kicked him.
Hard. He got the hint, and re-asked his question.
"So what was your favourite Christmas, Hermione?"
"It would have to be the one that I spent in New Zealand, during first year. It was wonderful to be able to walk around in shorts and a T-shirt on Christmas day. The hotel we stayed at was right on the beach, and lunch was a
Barbecue while people went swimming or sunbathed. The hotel gave everyone a bouquet of flowers too, as a Christmas gift."
"What kind of flowers?"
"Well, there was some of the native Pohutakawa Tree flowers, some Kowhai...But my favourites were the Christmas Lilies. I don't think they're indigenous, but they smelt so good...Really beautiful too."
As the conversation turned to Cho's Christmas that she had spent in China, Draco stood up, rather unsteadily. He walked slowly to the door, as Hermione watched him go.
*~ I wonder what's wrong...His robes were dishevelled, his hair was dirty, his eyes were bloodshot and he had huge bags under his eyes. Hmm.. I think I'll find him later*
**********
Draco was wandering through the stacks in the Library after dinner, looking for something to take his mind off yesterday.
** 10 Easy Steps to Becoming an Animagus, Men Who Love Dragons Too Much, 500 Muggle Plants for Use in Everyday Potions...where is 'How to Deal with Your Bastard Father'? ** He heard a noise behind him, and spun quickly.
"Hermione!"
"Draco...could we talk?" Seeing that he was about to refuse **She is going to tell me how much she hates me, I know it. I could never be with her...*,
Hermione asked: "Please?"
Acquiescing reluctantly, he let her lead him to a couch.
"What's wrong, Draco?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Bullshit." He had never heard her swear so vehemently before. "There IS something wrong, I can tell. You look a mess, your eyes are bloodshot, and you disappeared for over a day! I...I care about you Draco, I consider you one of my friends, and when something is bothering my friends I like to know what it is!"
**She considers me a friend? ** Seeing the truth in her face, Draco decided to respond. Sighing, he said softly: "I went to see my father yesterday. He's in Azkaban."
"Azkaban? Why? I never heard anything."
"Mother asked them to keep it secret. He's not in the main part, with the Dementors as guards, just in one of the side wings. Where they keep all the other... " He stopped, his throat closing painfully. For a few seconds, the only movement he made was a sort of gaping, like he was going to be sick.
Hermione shifted so that she was sitting right next to him, and gently put her arms around him. "It's all right, you can tell me. I won't judge. Your father is your father, he's not you."
"Rapists." The word was so quiet that Hermione nearly didn't catch it. She held him tighter, silently urging him to speak. Suddenly, the words flowed out thick and fast. "It was over the summer, all these girls went missing
from the village near where we were staying. We were out walking in the park one day, and this girl suddenly started screaming and pointing at Lucius, saying 'That's him! That's him!' and within seconds this Muggle policeman
was restraining him. He didn't have his wand, and they hauled him off...My mother contacted the Ministry, she was so sure that there had been a mistake. Aurors and Muggle Policemen searched the house...there were five girls tied up in the basement, and they had deep cuts all over them...they were covered in blood, dirt and dried cum...his cum, they tested it. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban, no parole, no kiss. Rapists don't get the Dementor's Kiss...but he should. As soon as my Mother is no longer alive, I'm going to make sure he gets it...she doesn't want the media circus that would be sparked by a Malfoy getting the Kiss. But the bastard deserves it, he deserves to rot in hell."
That wasn't all though. Draco had left out the most important part, the part he had vowed to never tell Hermione, or another living soul.
**I saw him one night...the night before his arrest. I woke up and heard screams, so I followed them, and saw him with a girl. A girl around your age, with wavy brown hair and cinnamon eyes. **
A feeling of overwhelming sorrow filling him, Draco's rage abated and he started to sob in earnest. Hermione hugged him tighter, placing a soft kiss on his head as she moved him so that he was lying on her as he cried.
*~ Oh my lord...* circled around her thoughts as she watched the proud young man cry himself to sleep. She dozed off; her dream filled with a smiling silver dragon telling her that everything would be O.K.
**********
At midnight, Hermione awoke to find Draco fast asleep, his arms and legs wrapped firmly around her, and his breath coming in small puffs against her neck.
*~ He looks so peaceful...* Hating to break his sleep, but knowing that if neither of them was in their beds in the morning, the results could be disastrous.
"Draco...Draco wake up." she said as she gently shook his shoulder.
"Back already, kitten," he mumbled sleepily, his dream world running over to the real world. He reached out his own hand instinctively and slid it under her shirt, then began to lightly rub her abdomen. "What did the doctor say?"
*~ Mmm, that feels good, ~* she thought as his cool fingers brushed over her skin. "About what?" she asked, debating on whether to stop him or not.
"What do you think, luv?" he said. His hands got more adventurous. "It's not going to hurt the baby, is it?"
"Baby?" His hands were definitely wandering now. Not that she didn't mind, but she wanted him to be awake when they did stuff.
*~ So now I want him awake to do stuff to me...I'm going insane. He doesn't even like me! ~* Annoyed by the thoughts running through her head, she shook him harder this time.'
"Draco, wake up. We need to get to be- OUR beds before someone finds us gone."
"Stop your bloody shaking," Draco responding, coming awake. "I'm up." He had been having one of his favourite dreams, where Hermione was pregnant with his child, even though that was impossibility- **I don't have a snowball's chance in hell with her.** -and as usual, it had started to become erotic.
She managed to slide out from underneath and gave him a hand up. "Let's go, sleepy head."
She walked him down to the dungeons, as he still looked unsteady on his feet. They stopped in front of a portrait of a young Salazar Slytherin.
"Catulus Felinus," said Draco. The picture swung open. "I'm fine from here, it's my room."
"So this is where the Prince of Slytherin sleeps," Hermione commented as she stretched to see inside.
"Yes, and I'd invite you in if I wasn't so bloody tired. Goodnight, Miss Hermione." Blushing slightly, he moved forward and placed a small kiss on her cheek before turning and going inside.
Once the portrait had closed, Hermione's hand instinctively moved to her cheek where he had kissed her.
*~ He kissed me, he kissed me! Maybe he likes me after all! Ooh boy, add that to those hands and I know I'm going to have a restless night. ~* So lost in her thoughts was she that she didn't even hear the door opening behind her.
"Ms. Granger." She stopped and spun around quickly, nearly losing her balance.
"Professor Snape! Sir! I'm sorry, I know it's late, I was just walking Draco back as we fell asleep studying and he's still kinda shaky."
"Relax Ms. Granger, I'm not going to yell at you. You and your friends have proved that you are somewhat capable of taking care of yourselves, as much as I am loath to admit it. I just wanted to talk to you."
*~ Okay, where's the white rabbit? I think I've fallen down the damn hole. ~*
"Sir?"
He sighed. "Please be careful with Mr. Malfoy. He's a wonderful person, very kind. I don't want to see him get hurt; he's like a son to me. I know that he holds you in high regard...just be careful around him. You may go."
As Hermione walked up to the Gryffindor Tower, she pondered over Snape's words.
*~ Be careful with Draco...what does that mean? ~*
Once she was in bed, another thought came to her.
*~ It's Christmas tomorrow...Merlin, what about my true love? ~*
~ Fin.