The next morning was Christmas Eve. It had snowed the night before, flakes clinging to the window next to the bed that shone light into the room. It was what woke Hermione, the yellow light shining directly in her eyes.

She groaned, trying to twist and turn her head away to fall back asleep. But there was something heavy holding her down. Something warm and strong.

She opened her eyes a sliver and had to hold back a gasp at the bare arm that was draped over her waist.

She had never been much of a cuddler with Ron, always preferring her personal space while she slept. But it had also never felt like this.

She was tucked under Draco's chin, his slow and steady breath tickling the hairs on the top of her head. His arm was slung protectively over her and his hand splayed over her blanket covered stomach. It felt warm and safe and welcoming and Hermione couldn't help the way she curled back against him and let her eyes droop.

When she woke again, he was gone and the bed beside her was cold. Hermione groaned, flipping over a pillow to cover her face. She should have extracted herself from his embrace when she had the chance, he probably woke up and—

The door creaked open softly and Hermione lifted the pillow off her head and peeked up.

Draco was standing in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist and water droplets clinging to his chest. His face was still slightly flushed from the heat of the water and Hermione blushed at the sudden rush that made her nipples pucker under the blanket.

"Sorry," he said, "I thought you'd still be asleep, I forgot my clothes in here—"

"It's fine," Hermione said quickly, rolling over to face the wall, "I'll just… go ahead."

She listened to him rustle around the room, shimmying on his clothes. "I'm decent."

Hermione turned over. He looked quite handsome in his green jumper and comfortable looking black corduroy pants.

"You look nice."

Draco smirked, running a hand through his wet hair that made it stick up adorably, "So do you."

Hermione looked away, blushing. She knew she didn't; her hair was always the most wild in the morning and she knew her face was creased with sleep.

"Is everyone awake?"

She saw Draco nod from the corner of her eye, "Yes, well, Potter and the littlest Weasley are awake. So are the parents, but everyone seems to still be in bed."

Hermione nodded.

"I'll head down and let you get ready."

He grabbed his wand from the bedside table as Hermione quirked a brow at him, "You're going down alone?"

He shrugged, "They can't kill me. I'm a guest, that would be rude."

Hermione rolled off the bed and caught Draco's eyes flicker down to the line of exposed skin on her stomach as she stretched. "Have fun."

"I won't!" He bid in a singsong voice.

It was like walking into the twilight zone.

Hermione bounded down the stairs, expecting to find Draco in some sort of disagreement with one Weasley or another. Instead, he was laughing. Not only was he laughing, but so was everyone else.

Save for Ron and Astoria, who were similarly sitting crossed armed and pouting on opposite sides of the couch. A small piece of her, one that she knew was holding on to the idea of a future with Ron, was pleased that her and Draco's presence had put a rift between them.

Teddy was slung over Draco's arm, giggling and howling wildly as he tickled the child mercilessly.

"Stop it, stop it," he loudly yelled between breaths.

Draco drew his hand back at Teddy's request.

Teddy took gulping breaths of air before situating himself back into Draco's arms. "Again!"

Everyone laughed as Draco began his ministrations, the peels of innocent laughter contagious to the rest of the room. Even Hermione couldn't help but smile at the sweet picture the two of them made.

Draco looked up and spotted her at the end of the staircase and smiled. Hermione's heart constricted at the sight. It was so easy to be his fake date, it almost felt real. Like he really was happy to see her.

"Draco and Harry, dears, will you help me in here please?" Hermione heard Molly call from the kitchen.

Draco stood and walked over to Hermione with Teddy still in his arms, passing him over as Teddy whined at no longer being able to play. Hermione grabbed him and let him sit on her hip. During the exchange Draco leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Hermione's cheek.

If it were real, if this were real, it would have been second nature for him to show such an outward display of affection. But he was him and she was her. And they weren't real.

"Duty calls," he winked at her before following Harry into the kitchen.

Hermione couldn't focus on the squirming toddler in her arms or the angry scoffs Ron was sending across the room or Ginny's knowing look. The spot on her cheek that Draco's lips had touched was tingling and her heart was fluttering wildly in her chest.

He was much too good at pretending.

Hermione turned her attention to Ron, who was now sneering and refusing to meet her eyes. It made her feel guilty. As much as this was the reaction she craved, it wasn't fair to be rubbing it in his face, especially at his family's home during the holidays. She felt like a real bitch.

Draco noticed her change in demeanor right away. He found her sitting on one of the porch swings outside looking over the garden where Teddy was ripping up long grass from the ground.

He took a seat next to her and nudged her foot with his. Are you okay?

"I feel guilty."

"Whatever for?" Draco's face twisted up in confusion.

Hermione sighed, "For lying. I've basically ruined Ron's entire Christmas and Ginny is practically planning our wedding already," Draco snorted, "and I've dragged you out here when you could be doing… whatever it is you do."

Draco looked at her for a long moment, "You're so stupid sometimes."

"Excuse me?" Hermione huffed and Draco waved a hand to dismiss her.

"You're not lying. I'm your guest, your date for Christmas. We're friends, aren't we? And friends spend the holidays together sometimes. You don't have to confirm or deny anything, and you certainly don't owe Ronald Weasley an explanation."

Hermione looked away and tucked her bottom lip into her teeth. Except friends don't hold each other like you did last night. Friends don't feel the way I feel for you.

The thought shocked her so much her eyes widened.

"Look Granger," he continued. "If you want me to leave so you can enjoy your time here, that's fine too. But everyone is having a good time. We're all getting on, yeah?"

Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak after her revelation. Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Draco slung an arm over her shoulder and squeezed gently. Hermione wanted to melt into his strong, warm touch.

"You and Teddy should come inside before it gets cold. They have a fire going."

Hermione snickered.

"What?"

"You called him Teddy."

Draco rolled his eyes, standing from the swing, making it move slightly back and forth, and extending his hand to help Hermione up. "You're a cheeky witch, you know that?"

Hermione took his hand and hoisted herself up. Perhaps it was her newfound feelings influencing her, but she could have sworn he kept his hold on her for just a second longer than needed.

The rest of Christmas Eve went by without much incident. Draco had become a welcome guest in the Weasley home and it warmed Hermione's heart.

He and Harry found common ground with Quidditch and he stole Molly's heart with his love for Teddy. Ginny, Arthur, and George were easy enough to come around after that and Hermione felt herself feeling happier and more relaxed than she had in days.

They were currently sitting in the Weasley living room, a fire roaring and hands filled with drinks and leftover food from dinner.

Ron and Astoria had locked themselves away in Ron's room and periodically they could hear their muffled arguments through the thin walls of the Burrow.

Draco and Teddy were gone as well, the little boy's yawns coming too close together and too loud to ignore. He had requested Draco take him to bed to read Mr. Pickle and the Sleepy Dragon because, as Teddy claimed, Draco always did the voices right.

Harry had grumbled good naturedly that it was because "Malfoy has a flair for the dramatics" to which Draco offered to read him a bedtime story so he could see how it was "really done."

She didn't know where to go from here. She knew her feelings for Draco were growing stronger than just somewhat-friends who pretended to date each other to make their exes jealous. Did he feel the same? Did she dare tell him and ruin whatever relationship they did have if he didn't reciprocate?

The rest of the house had begun to sporadically leave and head up to their own bedrooms to turn in for the night. Soon it was just Hermione and George, who had fallen asleep on a plush chair with a pastry lying on his chest.

She sipped her cider and watched the fire dim and die out. She wanted to wait for Draco to come down from tucking Teddy into bed but as the room got darker and colder from the lack of fire, Hermione decided to head up to bed without him.

She crept quietly around a snoozing George and felt her way through the dim light to the staircase. She made it a few steps up before colliding with a strong, warm wall which made her tumble backwards and yelp as she began to fall from the stair.

A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Hermione tensed at the unfamiliar contact, but her shoulders relaxed when she heard Draco's familiar snicker and saw the striking blonde hair above her.

"I was just coming down to get you. I'm sorry, Teddy is a bedtime story hog and a very good bargainer. I was no match."

Hermione snorted, "He gets it from your side of the family."

"That he does, Granger. That he does."

Even though she was now steady on her feet, he had yet to let go of her arm. His hand wrapped gently around her wrist and his thumb pressed against her pulse, which she was sure was thrumming wildly.

She cleared her throat, hoping he couldn't see her blush in the low light, "I was just heading up to bed."

"I'll join you."

He began to remove his hand and turned, but found he couldn't move up to the next step. He gave Hermione a puzzled look when a glitter of light began to form above them. Green stems and bundles of red berries were growing slowly from just above them. Hermione gasped softly as the plant began to emit a soft, golden glow around them and kept them firmly in place.

Hermione's stomach flipped as Draco slowly followed her gaze up the ceiling. She expected him to sneer at it or even perhaps try to charm it away, but he assessed the mistletoe silently.

"If… I think a kiss on the cheek would-" Hermione began.

Draco looked down from the plant to meet her eyes and she swallowed harshly, cutting off her own sentence. Tentatively one of his hands slid up to her shoulder and then, when she didn't protest, cupped the back of her neck gently.

He was taller than her, nevermind the extra few inches being a step above her gave him. He tilted her head back until her neck was almost completely taut and shivered as his long fingers unconsciously played with the small curls at the nape of her neck.

She couldn't breath. She didn't know if she should look at his lips, which were parted slightly; pink and lush and wet as he poked out his tongue to moisten them. Or his eyes, which were the color of fresh ash from a warm fire; burning and intense.

He closed his eyes, leaning forward just slightly so that Hermione knew he was waiting for her to meet him half-way. He wanted her to want this, too.

With one quick, shaky breath she stood on her toes, the hard wood of the stairs digging into her feet. But when she finally pressed her lips to his, her toes curled and her heart hammered in her chest.

Draco pressed forward even as the golden hue of the mistletoe began to dissipate, pleased with its job well done. The fingers on the back of her neck gripped tighter, pulling her impossibly close as he deepened the kiss.

Hermione was warm all over. It was like taking a drink of the finest whisky; burning in your throat until it tingles your entire body. Getting you drunk. Drunk on this.

Draco parted his lips slightly, flicking out his tongue to run across the seam of her lips and ask for entrance. Hermione granted it eagerly, letting him take control of her mouth as his tongue dipped in to swirl against hers. She playfully nibbled on it and felt him smirk into the kiss, letting his hand reach forward and cup her jaw.

Almost as soon as it started, it was over. The space was once again dark and cold without the light of the mistletoe guiding them together. Draco cleared his throat while Hermione licked her lips nervously, afraid of how he'd react.

But he just smiled softly and took her hand again, "Merry Christmas, Granger."

"Happy Christmas, Malfoy."

She couldn't sleep.

Even as her body begged for sleep, her heart and mind raced wildly with the aftermath of the kiss.

Draco was sleeping quietly next to her, an arm thrown over his eyes and snoring softly. How could she go back to the way things were after this?

It was supposed to be so easy. Draco was here to make Ron jealous, realize his mistake, and come crawling back to Hermione. And it would be a funny story they could share privately about their "fake Christmas dating experience."

She could have never imagined it would end up like this.

Slowly, careful not to wake him, Hermione rolled from the bed and silently padded to the door. She needed some fresh air, some time to think about how she'd venture into this new territory with Draco.

She passed George, who now had a stitched quilt thrown over him and was rumbling loudly in his sleep, as she made for the back door.

Hermione jumped as she stepped outside and spotted a figure sitting on the porch swing.

"Merlin, Ron, you scared me."

He gave her a sheepish, guilty smile but said nothing. Instead, he gazed out over the garden. Hermione walked towards him, taking the seat on the opposite end of the bench and pulling her coat tightly around her.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Ron snorted.

"I couldn't sleep, obviously. Now you."

Ron sighed, fiddling with his thumbs, "Astoria left. I think… I think it was a bad idea that I brought her. I guess I didn't really know her."

Hermione placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Sorry-"

"No, I'm sorry," He covered her hand with his.

"Ron-"

"I was stupid. I-I-I got cold feet. I thought 'could I really marry the only real girlfriend I've ever had?' and that was so stupid and I'm sorry."

"Ron, look-"

He turned to face her suddenly, clasping both his hands over hers, "I know I was. I know. But I realize that now. And… And you can't be serious with Malfoy, I mean-"

"Seriously, Ron, I-"

He lunged forward, smacking their lips together almost violently until Hermione reared back in shock.

"Ron, I'm serious," she snatched her hands away from him. "I- I like Draco. I really do. You left. You got cold feet. You second guessed our relationship, not me. Draco, he-"

Ron gave her an expectant look and Hermione sighed, defeated, "Draco doesn't make me feel like I need to be something different to be good enough. He likes how much I value work because he does, too. He understands my passions, he never judges my ideas even if he thinks I'm crazy for them. He's a prat, I mean of course, he's Malfoy. But he's… he's different. Different than he was. Different… different than you."

Ron frowned, a look that at one point would make Hermione drop everything to make it go away. But now she could only feel pity.

"I'm sorry, Ron. It's over. Really this time."

His face was a cross between a grimace and a thin-lipped smile, "I know. I think I knew that. When… when you first came in yesterday. I haven't seen you look like that in years, 'Mione. Just happy. And I was so mad that it was Malfoy, I just ignored that it was because of him. He… The way he looks at you, I mean I don't remember the last time we looked at each other like that. I don't know if we ever did."

For as much as her heart went out to her friend beside her, it sang at the thought of Draco feeling the same way for her. Perhaps she could make something out of this.

"You'll still always be my best friend, you know that right?" Hermione said gently, nudging his shoulder with hers. "No matter what. Even when you break my heart or ruin Christmas," she teased him.

Ron snorted. After a moment he said, "I'm happy for you."

"I am, too."

They reached for each other, pulling themselves into a familiar hug that felt so different now. There was only platonic love left between them.

Ron jumped back suddenly, his face pale and wide. "Ron, wha-"

Hermione turned to where Ron was staring behind her and jolted when she saw Draco standing there shaking slightly in the cold or maybe, with the way he was sneering and glaring at Ron, in anger. He was still in his night clothes: barefoot with no coat on as if he rushed outside. He was clenching his fists at his sides.

"Draco-"

He turned his attention to her, the sneer slipping from his face into something cold, indifferent. Her chest constricted.

"You weren't in bed, I came to make sure you were alright. I see you are."

"We were-" Ron began, but Draco cut him off.

"You were exactly where you wanted to be, Weasley. No matter."

He turned on the balls of his feet and stormed inside, the heavy slam of the door knocking a few inches of new snow from the shingles. Without a backwards glance Hermione raced to follow him, the cold and wet ground seeping into the ankles of her pajama pants.

By the time she made it inside, he was nowhere in sight. George was now awake and blinking frantically.

"Wha'appened?"

"Did you see where Draco went?"

George pointed up the stairs and opened his mouth again to speak, but Hermione blew right past him and up to their shared room.

Draco was stuffing his clothes back into his luggage. His shoulders were tense and he was seething quietly.

"Draco."

He hunched up more, if that was even possible. His hackles rose in defense, but he continued to pack his bags silently.

"Draco, it wasn't what it looked like."

He snorted loudly, it made her flinch, "Of course it wasn't. You sneak out of bed with me to find a lonely, groveling Ron Weasley and you got exactly what you wanted," he snapped the case closed. "Well, I'm very happy for you. It's a Christmas miracle."

"He kissed me," Hermione stepped forward and cautiously placed a hand on his shoulder. He tensed further, a small grunt coming from his mouth. "But I stopped him."

"Hm." Draco's back relaxed just slightly, but enough where Hermione could feel the muscles under her hand flex.

"That hug… it was a goodbye. I don't… he's not who I want. Not anymore. And I told him that tonight."

He turned to face her. The sun was beginning to rise outside their window. The orange and pink hues bouncing off the pristine white snow and casting shadows in the room. His face was guarded and unsure, he was vulnerable.

"You mean that?"

Hermione stepped forward. In the light his eyes danced between hers, his cheeks still rosey from sleep and the cold. She pressed both palms against his chest and sighed.

"I mean that."

He licked his lips, his eyes flickering back and forth between hers to try and detect any deceit. "I don't believe you."

Hermione clasped his shirt more tightly in her hands, tugging slightly to bend his shoulders down before rising to meet his lips.

"I'll prove it." she whispered against them.

A/N: I seem to be getting a lot of complaints/concerns that this fic is not finished even though it is marked as such. Is it finished! This was written for the DFW Trope fest and the ambiguous ending is written on purpose. So it is finished! My other work however does not have ambiguous endings if you'd like to check those out instead 3