A/N: I forgot to mention it in Chapter 1, but in this world, Voldemort did not come back at the end of Year 4 at Hogwarts. The Death Eaters are either in Azkaban or have been reformed. The worst that Draco has been is a bully and a jerk.
Chapter 2
Hermione woke up early the next morning. It had taken a while for her to fall asleep. Was she nervous to spend time with Malfoy? Maybe. But she wasn't sure why. It's not like it was a date… right?
Even though she convinced herself it wasn't, she found herself taking more time than usual in front of the mirror. She hadn't done that beyond her second month with Colin. Hmmm…Maybe that was why they weren't together anymore. She shook her head at that thought. Now wasn't the time. She was going to have a nice day outside, breathing in the fresh air… with Malfoy. She sighed, reminded herself it wasn't a big deal, and left her room.
She was walking down the stairs when she saw him. He was sitting on a chair, reading a newspaper, looking really good in his obviously expensive winter gear. She was suddenly glad to have splurged on a new coat. She took a deep breath and walked up to him. He looked up when he heard her coming and smiled. "Morning Granger! Ready to go?"
She smiled back. "Absolutely! I haven't skied in so long; I didn't realize how much I've missed this."
He opened the door for her, and she breathed in the early morning mountain air. It felt like a dream. I should send Colin a bottle of wine for making me do this, she thought jokingly.
"When is the last time you went skiing?" Draco asked her. "When we were still in Hogwarts, she answered, with my parents. You?" "I go a few times every year, usually with Blaise Zabini, but he has a new girlfriend, so he cancelled at the last minute."
After putting on their skis, they made their way to the chairlift. They sat down and while they were slowly heading up, she took in the sights. She looked at the mountains, the trees, the snow. "It's so beautiful! she said". "Yeah, it is." They sat quietly for the rest of the ride. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence as she was appreciating the scenery. When they got off the lift, Draco told her to follow him to one of his favourite runs.
That first one was a nice blue run, a good way to get used to being on skis again. While going down the slope, she watched Draco's technique. She could tell that he skied often. Being the perfectionist she was, she took mental notes, and tried to ski like him. She was probably not as graceful and smooth, but she knew she would get better as the week went on.
When they arrived at the bottom. Draco looked at her and asked, "So? What did you think?" "It was great! she replied. The snow was perfect, it was a nice first run." "May I show you another one? Draco asked. It's a bit harder, if you're up for it." "Sure, let's try it".
When they were back on the chairlift, they asked each other questions about their jobs and the books they'd read recently. Hermione noticed how easy it was to talk to him. That's something else that hasn't happened with Colin since the beginning of the relationship, she thought.
She was taken back to reality when she saw the next run. It was still a blue run, but it was much steeper than the last one, and it wasn't as wide. Draco turned to her and asked, "Do you want to try this one? It looks scarier than it really is, I promise." "Okay, she replied after a small hesitation, but I'll go slow." Draco smiled, "Don't worry, I've got all day." Hermione blushed, wondering when he got this considerate.
Draco started to ski down the slope, slow and steady. He stopped after a few turns, then he looked up at Hermione, waiting for her. She took a deep breath and used her poles to pull herself forwards. She went slow at first, but then she realized it wasn't so bad, so she let herself go faster. Draco kept going a few turns at a time, then he would stop and wait for her. Even though she was going faster, it still took them a while to reach the bottom of the slope.
When they met at the end of the run, Hermione told Draco, "I am definitely doing that one again. I know I can do better." Draco laughed, "Can't stand not being the best at something Granger?" "No! she replied somewhat defensively, knowing he was teasing her. I just like to always do my best and that was not it." "Okay, said Draco, let's go back." She hesitated slightly, not really believing her next words, but she still said, "You know Malfoy, you don't have to come with me if you want to do another run. I don't mind going by myself."
She saw that he looked hurt and disappointed, which she did not expect, so she quickly said, "I'd prefer if you came of course, but I'm just saying that you don't have to feel like you have to come with me on every run today. You're still free to go wherever you want." He looked relieved, then she saw his smirk come back. "I knew you couldn't resist me Granger!" She rolled her eyes, making him laugh again, then he said in a more serious tone, "But really, I want to come with you, if you really want me. It's much more interesting skiing with someone than without." She replied with a smile, "That's true. Okay, let's go!"
They spent the rest of the day skiing together, only taking small breaks in the lobby to warm up and eat something. He showed her the runs he did when he was at the resort by himself, and they tried new ones, even taking on a black run that didn't look too hard. They talked about everything from school memories and their friends to new hobbies, books, and even movies. Hermione couldn't remember a time when she laughed as much, and she found herself opening up to him about things that she would normally only tell Harry, Ron, or Ginny.
At the end of the day, they found themselves sitting on a sofa in front of the fire, drinking tea. Hermione was feeling sleepy after her long day and she began to snuggle up more and more against Draco who had his arm on the back of the sofa, making her feel very safe and comfortable. He was playing with her curls and had been quiet for a little while.
She was just going to say that she was getting hungry and was going to get something to eat, when Draco cleared his throat and said "Hermione?" "Yes? she replied". "I was thinking… We had a great time today and I would hate to see it end…" She thought she knew where this was going, and she began to feel butterflies in her stomach. She could hear his hesitation again, and she thought it was the sweetest thing.
She missed this, having someone who always wanted to spend time with her, and who wanted to tell her. She noticed, for the third time, that it was something she hadn't felt with Colin for a while. But she was back in the moment when Draco finally said, "So… would you like to have dinner with me? Tonight?" Hermione smiled. "I would love to." She heard him let out a breath he probably didn't know he held. "Good, he said. We should go get ready and meet back here in, let's say, an hour?" She nodded. He stood up, making her miss his warmth already, and offered her his hand. She took it with a smile, and he helped her up.
He didn't let go of her hand as they walked, until they had to separate to go to their own rooms. "Alright, so I'll see you in an hour? she asked." "Yes, see you soon." They smiled to each other, then Hermione turned the knob of her room and went inside. She was so glad at that moment that she listened to Ginny and brought a few dresses.
