It was the 24th of December 1998. Hermione Granger was cuddled up on the couch with Draco Malfoy. It may sound bizarre to most people, but the unlikely duo had stuck up a close friendship when they had returned for their eighth-year at Hogwarts. They had spent Christmas Eve watching scary movies on a Hermione had charmed to work within a magical home. She had been working on the project all year and finally completed it on the 20th of December. She then spent the next four days convincing the blond Slytherin that it was not, in fact, dangerous and was actually something he might enjoy.
The last horror film they had chosen for the evening was one that neither of them had an opportunity to watch, yet, was called 'The Haunting in Connecticut.' The movie had terrified Hermione. She had seen some horrific scenes in her life. However, she had never thought anyone could be as gruesome as to carve runes into dead bodies (clearly necromancy). If that wasn't bad enough, the man then took the eyelids he had cut off with a scalpel and carefully stored them in a wooden box full of other eyelids.
The scenes were burned into her eyes. Biting her lip worriedly, Hermione glanced at the boy sitting next to her. She noticed he looked like he was about to get up and leave. Quickly deciding she cleared her throat lightly, and began nervously, "Dray? Cou-Could you? Oh, never mind, I am being ridiculous."
"Mimi, what's wrong? Nothing you ever say is ridiculous. You are too smart for that. Besides, you know you can say anything to me, and I will never judge you for it. How could I? I couldn't, not after you forgave me for being a spoilt little prat," Draco Malfoy stated with such conviction, it made Hermione's eyes water.
With a watery smile, the bushy-haired girl flung her arms around the Slytherins' neck, before quickly letting go with bright red cheeks, and exclaimed, "Of course I forgave you! I may have wanted to hit you when we were younger, and even did once, but you, Draco Malfoy, have matured into a magnificent man."
With a small smirk, Draco replied, "As much as I love to hear you compliment and flatter me my dear, I know you are changing the subject. What has you so worked up?"
Blushing at the blond's words, Hermione quietly confided, "it was the movie. I can't explain why, but it scared me so much. Maybe it's because I know magic, and ghosts are real, and it is based on real events. I don't think I will get a wink of sleep tonight. I don't think I could even go into my room by myself, let alone sleep there."
"Oh darling," Draco breathed, gathering her delicate hands in his own. "Fear not fair princess, your knight in shining armour has a plan," he finished cheekily, with a sly wink.
The two may have become close, in the last year, however, Hermione was a Gryffindor, and typically a bit suspicious of the Slytherin at times. Her face must have betrayed those feelings because she saw the look of hurt flash through Draco's eyes before she had a chance to respond.
Luckily the Slytherin boy understood Hermiones' mistrust, he still had a lot of making up to do. Deciding on his best course of action, Draco says, "Mimi, I am not going to do anything that may cause you physical OR emotional distress. That is something I hope to never be the cause of again. My plan is to first call one of the house-elves to make us a scrumptious hot-chocolate with baby marshmallows. Then we will stay up together, either out here in our eighth-year common-room or in one of our rooms and talk."
Hermione was gobsmacked and bewildered, she thought to herself 'TALK? What could he possibly mean talk?'
"I mean... I mean we talk about anything. We could talk about school, or politics, or religion, or play a game to get to know each other or something. Anything you think will help to distract you from that horrid moo-vee," Draco clarified, obviously she had not just thought it but instead said it out loud.
Hermione was touched by his words, she kept forgetting what he was really like, at least now that the war was over. "Oh Dray, I am so sorry I was sceptical of you. I should know you better than that by now! That sounds absolutely perfect to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you," she finished by pulling him into yet another hug. This hug though was accompanied by a kiss on his left cheek.
And so that is what they did, they spent the rest of the night, sitting on Hermione's bed, talking. They played games like truth or dare and twenty questions. They asked each other questions about their childhoods and just wasted the night away, really getting to know one another.