Chapter Seventeen

Hermione woke up to the sweet smell of tea and the sound of laughter coming from the common room. She sat up and saw that Draco was gone. It was 7:12, too early to be up…but it was Christmas and people love getting up early on Christmas to open presents.

She got out of the bed realizing she hadn't changed her clothes from the night before. She quickly slipped on some flannels and then entered the common room where Harry, Blair, Jessie, Draco's cousin Marissa and…Ron had been playing Scrabble. And then there was Draco looking out the window feeling so wrong in the moment.

"Merry Christmas," Hermione said tiredly. They all looked over and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione!" They chirped. Draco turned and walked towards her. He kissed her cheek and handed her a letter.

"What's this?"

"Just open it." Draco told her with a hint of sorrow. Hermione looked into Draco's sad eyes for a few seconds, unfolded the letter and then read it.

Dear Hermione Granger,

We would like to congratulate you on becoming the smartest and brightest witch of the ages. You have showed confidence and wits in so many ways. But that is not the reason we have sent you this letter. We, being the Magic Ministry of America, are pleased to ask you if you would take the position of our Minister next year. It is a tough job and that is why we have asked you to take it.

Hermione inhaled and then exhaled. She trembled and then looked up at Draco. "Merry Christmas." Draco said.

If you choose not to take the job here in America, that will be fine but you will be passing up many chances to go all over the world, try new things, meet new people and be a hero to many young witches and wizards. Perhaps this might be the greatest opportunity you will ever have in life or maybe it may be the worst, but we can assure you that your time here will be greatly worshiped.

Sincerely,

Timothy Baits

Representative of

The Magic Ministry of America

"So, what do you think?" Draco asked.

"It's the opportunity of a life time, Draco. But it's too early to tell. I'm only 17. This is only the 17th year I've been alive. Later on in my life, if I don't take this chance, it'll be all the things left undiscovered that I will regret." Draco nodded.

§¤§

"What do you think the letter said?" Blair asked Harry as he sipped on a soda outside in the snow.

"To fly down to Antarctica in five minutes. I don't know."

"Be serious," Blair said watching Ron chuck a snowball at Jessie's snow man that she had been pretending to dance with. They were like two little kids; couldn't get enough of each other but hated each other to pieces.

Jessie took the carrot out of the snow man and threw it at Ron. He caught the carrot and then broke it in half. Jessie snarled and then dodged another snowball coming her way. Ron walked over and then punched he snow man's head off. "Weasley!"

"What?" He asked.

"I took a lot of time making that." Jessie whined. Ron smirked and then kicked the snowman's lower level. He took a chunk out of the snowman, rolled it into a ball and threw it at Jessie's almost frozen hair. She squealed and then kicked him in the leg.

"Ow, that really hurt." He said sarcastically. Jessie smiled at him and he smiled back.

§¤§

Draco looked in the mirror at his stern face as he tied his tie. He then felt a pair of hands slither around his waist and lips touch his neck. He looked in the mirror and saw Hermione looking at him. He pulled away and went into his room. Hermione licked her lips and tried to grin off what had just happened.

Hermione stood in the door way and watched Draco fix the cuffs on his coat. He seemed like he was ignoring her for no reason. Did he really think Hermione would just leave him there? Hermione smirked at the thought. Draco turned and then walked past her, heading for the portrait hole.

"Where are you going, Draco?" Hermione asked. Draco stopped and turned his head slightly.

"Out…Blaise just got back from his parent's house." He responded.

"Merry Christmas, huh?" Hermione said, beginning to get angry. Did Draco think he was really going to ignore her on Christmas day after she had almost gotten killed by his weirdo father? Sounded like an awesome way to spend Christmas.

"Look, I've got friends too. I haven't talked to Blaise in about…forever. You get to talk to your friends all the time because they know. Now that you and Jessie are friends, I've got no one to talk to. When all of your howdy-doodie friends came in all happy like today, I knew today wasn't going to be about us. I knew it was supposed to be happy, but couldn't it just be a little bit romantic?"

Hermione couldn't believe it. "If you wanted sex so bad, you should have told them to go away, Draco. But sense sex is off your mind now, why don't you go smoke some pot with Blaise. Sounds like the perfect Christmas to me." Draco shook his head in utter disgust and left, stomping down the hall.

Hermione felt tears burning in her eyes and walked out into the hall. "Draco!" she yelled. "Why can't we be happy for one day?" Draco turned around, picked up a torch and threw it past Hermione.

"Because, you have too much shit going on in your life, Granger! America wants you to become the minister!"

"America wants that, Draco…but I…I OF ALL PEOPLE…I want you."

"Then show me."

"There's nothing I can give you that could show you, Draco. There's nothing I can say to make you understand." Hermione sniffed the cold air and looked back at the torch. The fire hadn't spread, only stayed with the torch but still the smell made her senses tingle. Hermione turned back and saw Draco in front of her.

"I couldn't even give you the world." She told him.

"But you gave me everything you had." She nodded feeling his hot breath run over her face. Her hands trembled as she put them on his face and then went to kiss him, but he put a finger to her lips.

"You're too damn beautiful when you're mad and if we kiss, then I can't see you."

"Draco, I just want my one bad day to end. Just kiss me." She persisted.

"No," Her lips were weak and her stomach was empty. This kiss was what she wanted and it was what she needed.

"Please," She begged. Draco kissed her forehead and then pulled her into the common room.

§¤§

Ron flopped his hat down on the table and then grabbed a cookie. Jessie glared at him as her jaw dropped. "How can you stand to eat one of those after last night? We ate like a billion." Harry sat next to Ron and Blair next to Jessie.

"Is that all you did last night, eat cookies?" Blair asked mischievously, giving Harry a wink. Jessie put on a face that looked grossed out.

"Yeah, what did you two do last night?" Ron asked coolly.

"Ate cheese," Harry said real quickly. Blair burst out laughing and Harry blushed.

"I see," Ron said rolling his eyes. Jessie smiled at him, Blair looking at her. Her eyes were once again sparkling from the candle light, but this time she looked happy, not sad. Ron looked at her and grinned a little more.

Blair grabbed Jessie's hand and got up. "We're gonna start getting ready for Christmas dinner. Come on, Jessie."

"Why, we haven't even had lunch yet?"

"Christmas dinner is huge you dumb ass. We don't need lunch." Harry and Ron watched them as they left the Great Hall.

Jessie pulled out of Blair's grip and Blair turned on her heel to face her friend but Jessie kept walking. Blair grabbed Jessie's wrist, turning her around and smiled at her. "You like Ron."

"That's absurd! Ron Weasley is a loser and he thinks he's the coolest because Lavender Brown is in love with him!" Jessie said pulling away again. She huffed and stomped her feet. "You- you- YOU- UHG!" She stomped up the stairs and Blair laughed watching her.