Slytherin Common Room

8:00PM

Saturday, November 30th, 1998

"Do you know what you're going to give to her?" Daphne asked Draco, the Common Room silent. Most students were at the library, forcing themselves to complete as much work as possible before the Christmas Break. The others were from the Quidditch team, Draco having enforced an unprecedented training session to get them into shape. They had come back, freezing and wet and with a few players lightly injured five minutes prior, stomping mud up to their dormitories to bathe. Being the Quidditch Captain, Draco had been able to remain relatively dry, simply instructing his team from his broom rather than being forced to fly straight into the gale.

"Pardon?" he said, propping his feet up on the coffee table and interlacing his fingers behind his head, the spitting image of relaxation. His cheeks were still stained pink from the cold but he had changed out of his damp robes and into a clean cut suit upon his return, the top few buttons of his crisp black dress shirt undone. "What am I going to buy who?"

"Teddy's already bought her a watch." Daphne closed the book she had been reading before the arrival of the team and placed it carefully on the table beside his feet. She was silent for another moment as she deposited her glasses atop the tome. "Speaking of Teddy, where is he?"

"Took a Bludger to the nose. Pomfrey will have him back in no time." Draco's shoulders lifted and fell in an elegant shrug. "Who has he bought a watch for?"

Daphne raised her brows at her friend, crossing her legs neatly at the ankle. "Hermione, of course," she said, not missing the glint in Draco's eye at the name of his crush. "It's a lovely watch, actually. A bit too elaborate for her, I think, and not all that personal, but lovely nonetheless." It was a pretty timepiece, Teddy showing it to her in secret after he bought it, asking her opinion, wondering if he should engrave it with something. She had said no to the latter, convincing him it would be too much, though her loyalties lay elsewhere. Daphne was a firm believer that Draco deserved happiness, something he had lost entirely a few years ago, and she had noted that being with Hermione seemed to make him happy. Short of breaking up her Gryffindor friend's engagement, Daphne was prepared to do almost anything to ensure Draco ended up happy with the Head Girl.

Her friend's eyes narrowed. "What's it like?" Draco asked, changing from his relaxed position and sitting up straight, legs crossed at the knee and feet off the table. "What does it look like?" His voice was gravelly from the green-eyed monster she knew to be roaring inside of him.

"Lovely, as I said," she smiled. "A bit ostentatious. A pink gold band with a few crystals circling its round face. Very pretty, though more suited to Pansy, I feel. The price range is more to Pansy's tastes, too, I think." She hadn't gone ahead and asked the cost of such an elaborate gift, though a lifetime of growing up around the finer things in life made her certain that it was to have cost Teddy more than he should be spending. "I think it's something that should be gifted to someone close to you. A lover, perhaps."

She had chosen her words carefully, eliciting the desired response. Draco's eyes flashed, his nostrils flared, and his cheeks coloured with anger. "But I think she would enjoy something more sentimental," Daphne continued, looking up at Draco through thick lashes, but she kept her head down, fiddling with a loose thread on her cardigan. "She isn't one for gifts as extravagant as Teddy's."

The wheels in Draco's mind could almost be seen through his eyes, filtering through a variety of possible gifts to give to the Gryffindor. They sat in near silence for a full minute, the only noise coming from the crackling fireplace, until he gave a triumphant smirk and resumed his relaxed posture. She lifted her brows at him but he was keeping his lips shut, just continuing to smile.

"Do I want to know why you're giving my girl a shit-eating grin?" Blaise broke their silence, sitting beside his witch and pulling her legs onto his lap. He leaned over to give her a small kiss, smelling of soap and her favourite cologne which, consequently, had become his scent of choice. "Actually, let me guess. It's got something to do with that brunette Gryffindor you're drooling over, correct?"

Draco let the air flow out between his teeth in a low hiss as his best mate spoke so freely about Hermione, Daphne watching the cool exchange. Blaise had been the first to point out Draco's feelings clearly to him, though Daphne had noted how he looked at Hermione, how his disposition changed when she was around before her boyfriend had even begun to suspect everything. It appeared Draco wasn't pleased that her wizard was aware of the situation, no doubt fearing that word would spread. But Blaise had sworn to her to keep his mouth shut and she had learned from experience that he would do whatever she asked if it was something she was serious about.

"I couldn't care less about who you want to date, Drake," Blaise assured him, then paused for a moment and frowned. "Unless it's Daphne," he added and she let out a giggle.

"As charming as your witch is, I would rather you didn't hex me beyond The Veil," Draco said. "And I would rather you kept your voice down, Blaise. Not everyone needs to hear about my love life."

"Or lack thereof," her boyfriend added in a mutter and Daphne dug her heel into his thigh, dangerously close to his crotch. "Fine," he amended, snatching up her foot and holding it firmly by his knee. "I won't mention it again."

Looking satisfied, Draco smirked and leant his head against the back of his chair, shutting his eyes for a few moments. Daphne looked over his form subtly, hoping to avoid detection from her beau. She was truly concerned for her lifelong friend, who had suffered so greatly during The War. They had all become social pariahs since its end, but everyone in the castle was acutely aware of just what Draco's family had done, though they remained unaware of what they themselves had been through. Consequently, he had been on the receiving ends of many disdainful glares, had been threatened, and had endured a nasty altercation with a Ravenclaw fifth year which she had barely stopped in time before the first curses were thrown.

He didn't look quite as sunken and weary as he had during their sixth year, when the pressures of the Dark Lord were heavy on his shoulders, but he hadn't completely recovered. Blaise had told her in secret that Draco would often wake up in the middle of the night or else wake their dormitory with his nightmares, thrashing and yelling in his sleep. He had confided in her about how he and Theo often had to rouse themselves out of bed and hold him down just to prevent him from injuring himself. She was certain Draco had to be using some sort of Concealment Charm on the circles which should have been present beneath his eyes. There was also his obsession with Quidditch training, dragging his teammates out at every possible opportunity and forcing them to the end of their tether. When they refused, he would go out and exercise or practice by himself at all hours.

But she had noticed when he was around Hermione, when she laughed or smiled or even looked his way, Drake's mood would brighten, his posture would straighten up. On the few occasions she had seen them communicating in private, she could see him acting like his old self, smart and witty with the hint of sarcasm that made verbally sparring with him such a pleasure. That was the Draco she had grown up with, the one she had always wanted to be close to, and if Hermione brought out it out in him, Daphne was desperate to jump to the challenge of helping him woo the witch.

Hermione's Dormitory

3:30PM

Sunday, December 1st, 1998

Daphne accepted the cup and saucer Hermione offered her, sitting in the Head Girl's quarters for the first time that year. For a fleeting moment she wished she had worked that tiny bit harder to achieve such a position, a drop of jealousy creeping down her spine at the sight of the room. But it passed when she realised how frazzled the Gryffindor was, the bags under her eyes and the mess of her appearance.

She had requested this afternoon tea as a hope of becoming closer with Hermione, wishing to be good friends with her and perhaps possess some inside information that could benefit Draco. The Head Girl had agreed and seemed rather grateful for the opportunity to stop working on assignments and her other duties, if only for an afternoon. She had gone to the effort of getting scones and a few other small cakes from somewhere and, combined with the large pot of tea which had been brewed and the crackling fire, Daphne felt quite cosy and comfortable.

"It's a lovely apartment, Hermione," she said, eyeing the careful taste of the decorator, how everything seemed impossibly tied together through small accents in pillows and throw rugs. "I envy the privacy. The Common Room is always so loud and crowded, and even the library isn't particularly peaceful anymore. You must get a lot of work done."

"Too much, I fear," the brunette said. "Not sharing a room with so many others has made me far less sociable than in the past. I only really see people if I invite them over to study. Other than that, I see Ginny in class. I suppose Draco is the person I see most of, actually."

Daphne hid a smile behind her teacup as she took a long sip but didn't press the relationship between the witch in front of her and her close friend, wanting to leave the juicier subject matter until later. "I suppose if I had this place, Blaise would be over all the time," she admitted.

"Speaking of Blaise, he still hasn't asked you?" Hermione asked. Daphne watched her fingers twist the ring on her left hand.

"Not yet. I have an inkling it will be over the Christmas Break. He's taking me to his family's estate in Italy for some time alone together. I imagine we'll announce our official engagement sometime after the New Year. We would do it sooner, but Blaise doesn't want to interrupt Narcissa's celebrations," Daphne said and returned her cup and saucer to the table. She took a scone from the tiered rack and smeared it lightly with strawberry jam, nibbling on it thoughtfully. "Blaise mentioned Narcissa wrote you an invitation."

"I don't think I can go," Hermione said with distant eyes. She was looking over Daphne's shoulder, out a window which faced over the grounds. Daphne took the opportunity to note the heavy sadness which rested on her friend's shoulders, the same defeated posture Draco had, the same exhausted face and blank eyes. Their weary bones were hidden behind facades of cheer, only exposed when one took the time to seek the discoloration below their eyes.

"That's a shame, but it's very understandable." Daphne shared a look to let her know she was aware of what had occurred in Malfoy Manor and that the secret was safe with her, told in a night of confidence by Draco. He had awoken from a nightmare and she had been studying early in the morning in their Common Room. Overwhelmed by his dream, he had confided in her what kept him awake at night. "Do you and your fiancé have any exciting plans for the holidays? A romantic trip away, perhaps?"

Hermione laughed. "Hardly," she said and finished her tea, replacing the cup and saucer on the table and pouring them each a fresh cup. "Ron isn't one for romantic gestures. We're spending the holidays at his parents' place. It's not much, but I suppose it's a bit of a tradition. His family lost a lot during The War and I think it comforts his mother to have as many people around as possible."

"That's sweet that you're spending Christmas with his family. Blaise doesn't get on particularly well with his mother so we normally spend the period either in private at a villa or with my family," Daphne said. "I feel a bit bad, honestly, like I'm going to be an awful daughter-in-law before we're even married."

"Hasn't Blaise's mother been married a few times?"

"Seven," Daphne clarified. "She's a character, honestly, but don't believe the rumours about her. She's beautiful and arrogant, yes, but she could never kill anyone. Her ex-husbands were all elderly when they married."

"May I ask why Blaise and her don't get on?"

Daphne raised her brows at her friend, tone dry: "She re-married two weeks after Blaise's father passed. He was a wreck and for a short while he was convinced she had murdered his father. But Aurors got involved and it was proved that his death had been caused by a particularly strong case of Dragon Pox and no case of foul play was found. Blaise has never really forgiven her for getting over his father so quickly."

"Understandable," Hermione mumbled and looked to her tea. Their conversation changed onto the subject of their classwork, eventuating onto their Potions assignment after a half hour. Hermione brought up Draco again and Daphne saw her opportunity.

"I'm jealous that you get to work with him," she admitted. "He's so passionate."

The brunette smiled, her lips turning up gently and softly. "Honestly, it was such a nice surprise when we were partnered. I hadn't expected him to be so enthusiastic about it, let alone come up with such an ingenious task. I certainly didn't expect it from the Draco Malfoy I've known since I was eleven."

Daphne gave a dainty laugh. "Drake's changed a lot," she said. "I suppose he always had a bit of a superiority complex as a child, but if he respects a person, he'd go out of his way to be good to them. But he was still under a lot of pressure from his father, forced to uphold the family name and all that rubbish, so he just acted like a complete twat." Hermione chuckled. "But he's a genuinely good person now, and he's so apologetic for what he's done in the past. It's a bit creepy to see him like this, actually."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "When I was partnered with him in three classes this year, I thought it was going to be a complete nightmare," she admitted. "But like I said before, he's so enthusiastic, and we get on surprisingly well outside of the class scenario, too." She paused, biting her lip and carefully choosing her next words. Daphne could almost see her testing them on her tongue. "I suppose he's become a good friend of mine. We can talk about things I couldn't even begin to discuss with Ron, who doesn't seem to pay attention unless the topic is food, sex, or Quidditch."

Daphne offered the witch a smile. "Most men are the same," she said. "Blaise is only concerned with discussing educational subjects if it might lead to me working on his essays for him. He tried it with Draco once and ended up with a nasty hex to his nether regions."

Hermione's face scrunched up. "Ew, remind me never to annoy Draco."

"I doubt he'd ever do anything like that to you," Daphne said, ensuring the emphasis on her words did not go amiss. Hermione's eyes widened for half a second at the implication before she jumped up and hurried to the kitchenette to brew another pot of tea. "Oh, I wish I could stay for another pot but I really must get back to studying," the Slytherin said, wanting to leave Hermione with her hint. Daphne rose to her feet and collected her coat from the stand, fastening it around her body. "It was really lovely to spend time with you, Hermione. We really must do it again sometime soon."

The Gryffindor seemed to have calmed herself, turning to Daphne with a bright smile and no clear concern over what she had just said moments ago. "It really was quite an enjoyable afternoon," she conceded. "You should come over for lunch one day, perhaps after the Christmas Break."

They parted with a brief hug, Daphne filtering through every word her friend had said regarding Draco, plotting her next move as matchmaker extraordinaire.

Hogwarts Express

1:00PM

Friday, December 20th, 1998

Daphne watched sheets of rain pound the train's windows, an icy waterfall skidding down the glass. Her feet propped in Blaise's lap, a book open on her lap. The bench opposite in their compartment was shared by a tense Draco and Theo, both acting overtly cordial. Her beau passed a concerned look in her direction at the atmosphere caused by their friends.

"I think I hear the trolley coming, Draco," she said, closing her book and getting to her feet in a swift movement. "Let's go get some lunch for everyone."

Daphne ignored the withering stare her friend gave her as she tugged him to his feet and into the corridor, waiting for the approaching rattle of the food cart. "It's nowhere near us yet, Daphne," Draco drawled, turning back to the compartment. Before he could get very far, she caught a fistful of his robes, tugging him back.

"Why are you acting like a complete twat towards Teddy?" she asked, shoving him into a nearby empty compartment and shutting the door with a flick of her wand. "Is it because of Hermione? Because he likes her, too? Are you really going to let a girl come between you when you've been friends since before you could walk?"

His eyes narrowed and he crossed the compartment in one long stride, facing the wild weather which continued to batter the train. She broke into his thoughts for a few seconds, saw him replaying a scene which he had seen earlier in the week. Teddy had pulled Hermione into a tight hug, the witch laughing as he dropped her into a pile of snow, the white powder fluffing up around her. "Get out of my head, Daphne," he snapped, darkness shooting her out of his mind and back to reality.

"You were there when she hexed him for that, right?" she asked, sitting on one of the compartment benches and crossing her legs beneath her. "She didn't let him get away with it."

She hugged him back, he thought so loudly that it bounced into Daphne's mind. The scowl on Draco's face was so pronounced it looked carved by a sculptor, chin jutted out haughtily.

"I hug Teddy, too, and if you weren't as cold as a Freezing Charm then I'd hug you, too," Daphne said, nodding at him to stop brooding and take a seat opposite her. "You have to stop interpreting every interaction she has with him as romantic in nature. No matter what his feelings are for her, she's still engaged and Hermione would ever do anything that could be seen as cheating on Ronald. A hug is just a hug at this point, and Teddy is still one of your best friends. Honestly, your jealousy is completely irrational."

He glared at her as she jumped up from her seat, actually hearing the approaching food trolley as it rattled its way down the train. Daphne ordered several pumpkin pasties, a pitcher of pumpkin juice and an assortment of sweets to share with her group of friends, Draco lagging behind and helping with the menu. Blaise looked up expectantly at her, the environment of their compartment feeling much lighter without Draco's heavy thoughts. She nodded once, passing out the food and resuming her seat.

Draco stared at Teddy for a few moments and took his seat. There was a tense few seconds as no one said anything before Draco made a wry joke at Blaise's expense and the stressed mood which had existed for the first few hours of their trip vanished. The group lapsed back into easy conversation, Daphne sending a mental thank you to Draco who nodded in answer.

She returned to her book as the boys talked about Slytherin's success on the Quidditch pitch so far in the year for a few hours, the rain turning to snow and the world outside turning to night as they approached London. They pulled on heavy coats and wrapped scarves around themselves, Blaise taking her luggage with him and shrinking them down to fit neatly into his pockets. Draco and Teddy opted to be less lazy, carrying their trunks behind them as the train screeched into the station and students filed up and down the corridor, eager to get home for the Christmas Break.

Just able to see out a window, Daphne could see parents of younger students lining up on the platform and she spotted an unmistakable crop of bright orange hair. Draco followed her eyes and she felt him stiffen beside her. The view only got worse for him as Hermione jumped off the train further down, running across the platform and into Ron's waiting arms. Daphne could almost hear the anger in Draco's chest threatening to burst his seams at the image of the happy couple embracing.

Draco, she thought at him, using Blaise as a pretext for squeezing in front of the seething Slytherin and blocking his view. Calm down. Throwing a tantrum won't impress her. Daphne placed a reassuring hand on Draco's forearm and squeezed it lightly as she manoeuvred herself beside her boyfriend. Stop.

Draco's cool grey eyes looked down at her as the queue started to move, students released into the freedom of the winter holiday. She could still see the anger in his eyes but he had masked the emotions on the rest of his face, curling his lip in the contempt he had worn so proudly for most of his boyhood. "Move it, Blaise," he said, nudging the Italian wizard in the back. "I wouldn't mind getting back to my Manor sometime today."

Blaise did as he bade, pushing past slow moving students until the group emerged onto the platform. Daphne noticed that Hermione had already vanished with her wizard, deeming it safe for Draco to continue after them without him bristling any longer. They each parted ways, exchanging promises to catch up after Christmas. Theo was the first to apparate away with a loud crack, Draco melting into thin air seconds after that. Blaise took Daphne's hand in his own before pulling them into the tube of apparition.

Hermione laughed as Ron lifted her off her feet on the platform, peppering her cheeks with small kisses. Entirely absorbed in the presence of her fiancé, she ignored the flashes of cameras, the audience which followed the couple whenever possible. She let out a quiet giggle before seeking his lips out with her own, tangling her fingers in his hair for a moment before pulling away with a frown.

"First thing I'm doing when we get home is giving you a haircut," she said, pulling lightly at the long strands interlaced with her fingers.

"The first thing?" he asked with raised brows. "Really? Because I have a new bed in the flat which is calling our name."

A smile crept up the side of her face as he kissed her again. "Maybe the second thing, then."

Harry and Ron's flat, London

Later that evening

Hermione hummed to herself as she prepared dinner for everyone, wearing one of Ron's large shirts with her hair up in a frazzled bun. She could hear her fiancé and Ginny sparring over a game of wizard's chess in the next room as Harry moved to join her in the kitchen, clearing his throat to announce his arrival.

"What's up, Harry?" she asked, flicking her wand to start a wooden spoon stirring the pot of soup on the stove. The smell of minestrone penetrated the whole apartment to give it a cosier feel than that which the boys had given it with a few Quidditch posters and a large amount of mess.

"Can I show you something?" His voice was more serious than she had heard since The War, brows furrowed and hair sticking up all over the place. She nodded and moved closer, sensing he had no desire to be overheard by their significant others in the next room as he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. She restrained a gasp, opting for a wide smile as the hinges creaked open and she saw the dazzling ring displayed. "I'm thinking of giving it to her on Christmas Day. I know we haven't been back together for long, but I'm sure about this."

Hermione struggled to keep the smile off her face. "She's going to love it, Harry," she said, catching him off guard and throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy for you!" He patted her back softly, grinning when their embrace concluded. "Now make some use of yourself and set the table."

His green eyes rolled as he collected cutlery and bowls, setting them out on the small table. He removed the clutter and pushed it onto the floor, ignoring her admonishments. "You don't think it's too soon?"

She looked up at him, ladling the soup into a large bowl and levitating it over to the table. "I'm not one to talk. Ron and I were only officially 'together' for a couple of weeks before he proposed. You and Ginny have so much history and I know for a fact that you're the one she wants to spend her life with. I don't think she can wait much longer, either."

"Molly's going to go crazy planning the weddings," Harry laughed. He stuck his head into the next room to collect the siblings who had moved onto Exploding Snap.

Hermione passed Harry secretive glances and tried to hide her beaming through dinner, successfully avoiding detection from their beaus as they argued about who had really won their pre-dinner card game.