A/N: This was honestly one of the chapters I have been looking forward to writing since I began writing Tempus Itinerantur, so I hope you all like it! As always, thank you so much for your feedback and for reading my story! The fact that there are 400 reviews blows my mind!
"Five points from Gryffindor-no, I don't care, Creevey! Back to bed," Hermione ordered while patrolling. Hermione pulled her thick winter cloak tighter to her body, glad she remembered how cold the castle got during winter nights.
Draco, leaning against the wall, watched gleefully as Hermione reprimanded one of her own housemates. The two partners had been put together for patrols for the first time in a month or so, and surprisingly were patrolling the top half of the castle instead of the dreary dungeons they usually inspected.
"Shag, Marry, Avada," Draco began, continuing the game they had been playing before Dennis Creevey interrupted them. "Snape-"
Hermione made a disgusted sound.
"-Flitwick, Mad-Eye Moody."
"Really? All professors?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, fine. Obviously Avada Snape, the bastard."
"That," Draco feigned hurt and placed a dramatic hand on his chest, "is my god-father you're talking about."
Hermione made a taunting face at him as she continued, "Marry Moody, and shag Flitwick?"
Draco smirked, "I do have permission to tell all of Slytherin that you have a thing for professors now, right?"
"You're a real tosser, Ferret," Hermione crossed her arms and smiled as they kept walking. "My turn, then. Umbridge, Milicent Bulstrode and Moaning Myrtle."
"What?" he cried, "How is that fair? Avada myself and let them figure it out!"
Hermione laughed, "No, you have to play! Let's hear it then."
"For fuck's sake," he murmured to himself. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he very quickly said, "Avada Umbridge, Marry Myrtle and shag Bulstrode."
Hermione couldn't stop the laughter that came after hearing his emission.
"At least I'm not screwing Flitwick!" he whisper-shouted back, not wanting to wake anyone or draw attention to their game during their patrol.
"Oh, whatever," Hermione laughed. "I think I've had enough of your dumb game."
"But the next round was going to be Potty, Weasel-bee and McLaggen! Your favorites!" he pretended to complain.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "McLaggen is definitely not one of my favorites."
Draco sarcastically replied, "And here I thought you agreed to go to the Christmas party with him because you loved him."
"I don't even want to think about that party," Hermione shuddered, remembering how the party had gone down the first time.
"Then you shouldn't have agreed to go with him," he playfully reminded her.
"Seriously," Hermione said, "do shove off."
"Dumbledore met with me last night," Harry began to tell Ron and Hermione what had happened with Dumbledore during Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione listened disinterestedly as he described his newest findings on Tom Riddle to them, which she already had known from the first timeline.
"Hmm," Ron sighed, a curious expression on his freckled face. "Why do you suppose Dumbledore is telling you this?"
"I don't know," Harry sighed in reply.
"Whatever the reason may be," Hermione interjected, "I'm sure it's important or he wouldn't have been meeting with you."
Ron glared at her when she spoke and Hermione felt a lurch of displeasure. Their relationship was steadily deteriorating, and Hermione regretted childishly watching the practice with Draco. She hoped that eventually they would return to their original friendship, but until then, Hermione, as stubborn as ever, wasn't going to let Ron glare at her all the time.
She raised an eyebrow as if to ask 'what?' and Ron scoffed.
It was going to take quite a bit of work to get there, though, Hermione realized, fuming.
December steadily passed and Hermione found herself speaking to Harry and Ron, accompanied by Lavender, less and less, and Draco more and more.
Of course, she still spoke to Harry when she could, like during classes, or dinner or late at night in the common rooms, but seeing Ron reminded her of their immature bickering and Hermione's anger would swell. For that reason, she spent less time with Harry as he was usually with Ron and talked to Draco quite often.
Every now and then, during their playful conversations, Hermione would offhandedly notice how nice his hair was in the sun or how kind his playful smile could be. This was, of course, followed by confusion and disgust at her body's betrayal of her mind.
The night of Slughorn's Christmas Party, Hermione felt a pang of regret for her idiotic agreement to Cormac's invitation.
"Harry," she complained during dinner while Ron and Lavender were off talking to Parvati, "I can't do this. Why did I agree to go with Cormac? I hate him!"
"I know," Harry smiled.
"Well, did you end up inviting anyone?" she sighed, placing her head in a hand dismally.
"Yeah-" he began, but Luna Lovegood interrupted them as she sat down beside them. "Hullo, Harry. Hermione."
"Luna!" Harry greeted her, "I was just telling Hermione that you agreed to go with me - as friends, of course."
"Oh- er, that's wonderful," Hermione smiled, not exactly the biggest fan of Luna.
"Yes," Luna agreed, staring at the enchanted ceiling. "The snow looks rather nice, don't you think?"
"Er, yes," Harry agreed.
"I think I should get back to my room and find my dress. I'll see you both in an hour."
"Bye," Hermione smiled faintly as the blonde Ravenclaw left.
After dinner, she made her way begrudgingly back toward the girl's dormitory to get dressed in the pale pink dress she had bought from Gladrags.
Ginny, also in attendance, was already waiting to leave with Dean, her boyfriend, and wearing a dark red dress.
"Hey, Hermione," Ginny greeted her. "You're going, right?"
Hermione nodded, "Unfortunately."
"Bad date?" Ginny sympathized.
"You have no idea. I should get ready; I'll see you there," Hermione offered her a smile in return and sighed.
When Hermione entered her dormitory, Lavender and Parvati were chatting while reading Witch Weekly and listening to Celestina Warbeck.
"Oh," Lavender looked up at Hermione. "You're going to Slughorn's, aren't you?"
Hermione frowned at her annoyed tone but replied, "Yes."
Parvati hummed in response and the girls turned their attention back to the magazine, which depicted a witch wearing a sleek black dress and a handsome wizard sitting in front of her. The title was flashing, changing from 'How to Pull off Wizarding Robes and Fashions' to 'Improve Your Bedroom Life With These Ten Charms!'.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the tabloids click-baiting titles and opened her trunk to retrieve the rosy dress.
She slipped into the mid-thigh length dress and frowned. Bugger. Why didn't I try this on before buying it?
The chest dived far lower than she had expected, showing a bit of cleavage, which was far too much for her liking. She hoped dearly that Cormac wouldn't get any ideas from the dress, which was different than what she had originally worn.
Using a charm she had heard Lavender use on her hair, she tamed her curls into a slightly less frizzy mane and added a necklace for good measure.
No more stalling, she told herself.
"Bye," she said plainly as she left the dorms and ventured into the Common Room to find Cormac.
"Hermione," Cormac came up behind her and swung an arm around her. "You look pretty."
Hermione's skin crawling, she politely slipped out of the older Gryffindors hold and said, "Cormac. Er, thank you. You look handsome as well."
Despite her unconvincing tone, Cormac bought into her compliment and took her hand. "We should be off then."
"I suppose we should."
While walking to the dungeons to attend the party, Hermione pretended to listen to Cormac's boastful brags about his vastly superior Quidditch skills.
"-at the age of four. Can you believe that? It's like I was born to be a Keeper."
"Well," she interrupted as they finally arrived at the door to the party, finally releasing his hand. "Here we are."
Cormac hummed, obviously not listening. He pushed the door open and entered, not bothering to hold it for Hermione.
Charming.
The room was transformed into a beautifully decorated party, complete with draping veils hanging from the walls, and waiters walking throughout the party, holding food for the guests to take.
"Shall we find Harry?" she asked.
McLaggen glanced up at something hanging above them.
"Is that mistletoe?" he asked flirtatiously.
It was.
"I don't think so," she cringed.
"No," Cormac shook his head and started leaning toward her, "I think it is."
Suddenly, Cormac's lips were on top of hers and his hands were roaming her back. He was moving his mouth rhythmically against her unresponsive lips and it took all of Hermione to not knee him in the groin. Although their snog (if you could call it that) lasted only a few seconds, it was enough to heighten Hermione's repulsion toward the seventh year.
She pulled back, feeling thoroughly scandalized and frowned.
"I just remembered I have to, er, use the bathroom," she stuttered, and forced herself not to sprint from the smirking boy.
"Harry!" she exclaimed gratefully upon running into her friend, standing next to Luna.
"Godric, Hermione," he looked at her disheveled appearance and frowned. "What happened to you?"
"Cormac snogged me," she said, her face twisted into a disgusted expression.
"Shit," he swore under his breath. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just in need of some serious mouthwash," she laughed, still in shock from his unwanted embrace.
Harry and Hermione, hidden behind a decorative veil, continued talking, Luna occasionally popping in to add to the conversation.
Unfortunately, Cormac became suspicious when Hermione had disappeared for fifteen minutes or so and snuck up behind her again, bringing their conversation back into the main part of the room.
"Hello, 'Mione," Cormac smirked.
"I actually prefer Hermione," she winced, hating his nickname for her.
"Potter," Cormac nodded toward his Quidditch captain. Harry looked like he was ready to shoot a very intense glare at Cormac and Hermione quickly steered Cormac from Harry, hoping to avoid any sort of fight.
"'Mione, you should really come to meet my friend-"
Cormac began to speak, but Filch burst into the party, yelling something and managed to shut Cormac up.
"Horace!" Filch barged into the room, holding Draco by his collar. Hermione raised her eyebrows at his appearance and they made eye contact.
She made a small face at him, trying to figure out what he was doing here. He shook his head ever so slightly as Filch continued yelling.
"Horace! This boy claimed he had an invitation to your party and was caught lurking around the door."
"Alright, alright, fine!" Draco yelled, "I was trying to crash the party, happy?"
"Oh, Argus, it's Christmas. I say we let him stay for the party, just this once," Slughorn announced.
"I'll take him," Snape entered the room, his robes billowing darkly behind him. "As his head of house."
Snape grabbed Draco forcefully by the arm and dragged him away, likely to lecture him on being caught.
Hermione instantly thought of Harry. She ran over to him and said, "Listen, Harry, let me go find out what they're talking about. Snape would go easier on me if I was caught, rather than you."
Harry stared longingly at the door, obviously curious about what Snape and Draco we're discussing. With reluctance, he gave in, "Fine. But make sure you tell me what you find out."
Hermione flashed him a smile and half-walked, half-jogged toward the door Snape and Draco left from. Once in the cold hallway, Hermione listened for their voices and hid behind an alcove as she listened.
"What is your plan?"
"It's none of your business!"
"If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you –"
"I've got all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"
Hermione bristled upon hearing this, knowing that she was the person he was referring to.
"You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup. These are elementary mistakes –"
"I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!"
"Keep your voice down!" spat Snape, for Malfoy's voice had risen excitedly. "If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at pres—"
"What does it matter?" said Malfoy. "Defence Against the Dark Arts – it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protecting against the Dark Arts –"
"It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Snape. "Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance on assistants like Crabbe and Goyle –"
"They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!"
"Then why not confide in me, and I can –"
"I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!" There was another pause, then Snape said coldly, "You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but –"
"Fine," Draco hissed, "I'll be more careful. But I don't want or need your bloody help, so piss off."
Snape shot a glare at Draco but left, walking past Hermione, hiding in the alcove, without realizing it.
Once the former Potions master was out of sight, Hermione stepped out of her hiding place and carefully approached Draco, who had seated himself on a windowsill.
"Draco," she softly said, not wanting to scare him. "Are you alright?"
He looked up at Hermione with a faint smile. "Fine. I suppose you heard Snape's lecture then?"
She nodded and took a seat beside him. A slight wind carried the cold air of the dungeons toward Hermione, wearing a sleeveless, short dress. She tensed up from the cold, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her goosebump-covered body..
Draco, noticing her uncomfortableness, unclasped his cloak and placed it in her lap. "You bloody Gryffindors really need to grow a pair. Every time you lot come down to the dungeons, you all freeze your bloody arses off."
Hermione ignored his teasingly sarcastic tone and slight at her house and graciously accepted the cloak. "Thank you."
Draco nodded and fell silent. He smiled, his face lighting up as though he remembered something and asked, "How was McLaggen?"
"Merlin," Hermione rolled her eyes while adjusting Draco's cloak, "Where to begin?"
"I'm sure he was a perfect gentleman," Draco winked, waiting eagerly to hear about her experience.
"Au contraire, he ignored me, boasted endlessly about Quidditch, called me 'Mione, and, to top it all off, snogged me almost instantly. So," Hermione shook her head, "not exactly an ideal date."
Draco was obviously trying to hold back laughter, "He… called you 'Mione and snogged you."
Hermione groaned dramatically. "Honestly, could you be more immature? And yes. Much to my displeasure, might I add."
Draco started chuckling to himself and Hermione stuck her tongue out at him with fake annoyance.
"'Mione," hiccup, "where are you?" Cormac's voice was calling out for her down the hallway.
Draco continued laughing to himself and Hermione shoved him, pushing herself off the windowsill.
"Cormac," Hermione said, the distaste evident in her voice, "Are you drunk?"
"No," Cormac scoffed, his voice slightly slurred, whilst holding a goblet full of a clear liquid. "Come on. Let's go back to the Common Room. You look pretty."
Hermione stared at Cormac disapprovingly. "No, Cormac, I think you should go. And don't call me 'Mione."
Cormac grabbed Hermione's arm tightly, and pulled her along, stumbling slightly. She tried to draw her arm back, but he was too strong and his grip was too tight. He was obviously trying to get her to walk with him back up to the Common Room, but Hermione wasn't having it.
Apparently, Draco wasn't either.
"Oi," Draco stood up, walking over to Cormac with a glare. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Fuck off, Malfoy," Cormac sneered.
"Stupefy," Draco cast the spell as Cormac went flying into the wall, now knocked out. Hermione wasn't sure if it was from the numerous beverages he must have been drinking throughout the party or the impact of the stun that knocked him out, but nevertheless, she was grateful.
"Fucking wanker," Draco spat.
Hermione turned appreciatively toward Draco. "Thank you. Really. Cormac really is a vile git, isn't he?"
"You could say that again," he sighed, looking at the Gryffindor Keeper's unconscious body. "I should go. I expect Snape is searching for me again."
"Well, thanks again. I'll see you later, I guess," Hermione smiled and turned on her heel, walking away from her relatively new friend.
"Oh, and Granger," Draco called before Hermione stopped to look back at him, "McLaggen was right. You do look rather nice."
Hermione couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks. "Goodnight, Draco."
Walking away, a small smile captured her face and she felt slightly better about her horrible choice for a date. She realized, as she entered her common room a few minutes later, she still had Draco's cloak. Truthfully, she didn't mind the expensive wool fabric covering her or the oddly familiar scent surrounding her.
Harry and Ron, along with most of the student population, left Hogwarts the following day and Christmas break began. Hermione estimated that only twenty-five students or so actually stayed for the Holiday.
In fact, Hermione, Draco, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Lisa Turpin were the only sixth years who stayed at Hogwarts, meaning that nearly every day Hermione had spent with Draco.
Using the excess time, Hermione managed to finish the Runes assignment a few weeks early, meaning that their attention could now be wholly devoted to the Cabinet and repairing it.
"Let's take a walk," Hermione stood up on the first day of the holiday, bored of working tirelessly on the cabinet.
Draco looked up at her from where he sat on the ground, his back leaning against the front of the sofa. She stared at him, hands on her hips, waiting for him to stand up. He complied, grabbed his cloak (which Hermione returned earlier that morning with a blush and a quiet thanks) and fell into step with Hermione.
"Where are we going?" he asked Hermione, sliding his cloak on.
Hermione, already wearing winter clothes, led him to the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room. "I need to check something in the Common Room, but afterward I have a surprise."
"If you found a new book in the library or something, I don't care," Draco rolled his eyes. Hermione, however, wasn't listening to his drawling voice, and said the password.
"Who's that?" The Fat Lady eyed Draco with suspicion, "A Slytherin, I see? Hermione, how very scandalous."
"He's a friend," Hermione glared at the Fat Lady, who begrudgingly swung open. "Er, would you like to come in? Otherwise you can just wait out here, I suppose."
Draco made a face, "I'd rather wait in the Black Lake than willingly step foot in the house of the Gryffindors."
"Godric, you're dramatic," Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped inside, running quickly into the deserted boy's dormitory. Harry had left his trunk here, luckily, and Hermione rummaged through it, in search of the map.
She grabbed it with a noise of triumph and searched it, hoping that Filch wasn't guarding the statue of Gunhilda of Gorsemoor. Thankfully, it appeared he was scolding a few first years in the courtyard, and Hermione closed the map, placed it back into Harry's trunk, and left the dormitory.
"Okay," Hermione greeted Draco once she was back out of the Common Room. "Do you have galleons on you?"
Draco smirked, "Granger, I think you're forgetting who you're with. Malfoys always have money."
"Of course," she deadpanned, "How could I forget how rich you are. It's not like you constantly shoved it in everyone's faces for the past six years."
Draco scoffed, but followed Hermione as she led him down to the third floor.
"Seriously, Granger, where are we going?" Draco said once she stopped in front of the statue.
She ignored him, instead whispering, "Dissendium."
The passage revealed itself, a dark, black tunnel that appeared. Harry told her it stretched for miles and took an hour to walk through, and Hermione could believe it.
She heard approaching footsteps and instinctively grabbed his hand, pulling him into the passage and sealing the tunnel shut.
"Lumos Maxima."
Draco's wand produced a small ball of glowing blue light that followed them. Hermione looked down at her hand, intertwined with Draco's, and released his clammy hand.
"Okay," Draco said, a look of panic on his face (that would explain the clamminess of his hands), "Seriously, where the hell are we."
"Don't worry," Hermione brushed his question off. "It's perfectly safe down here. The walk is only a few miles, it shouldn't take us more than an hour."
Draco sighed at the lack of an outright answer and walked up to Hermione, strolling beside her. The tunnel wasn't very wide, though, and the two were forced to stand closer than they would have hoped for.
"So," Hermione said after a few moments of silence.
"So."
"I know that normally you would ridicule me for asking such a 'girly' question to you, but seeing as there's really no one else to talk to, I'm going to ask you," Hermione began.
Draco smiled, hoping whatever she asked would be good.
"Am I supposed to give Ron a Christmas present?"
Draco snorted, "Typical."
"What?" came Hermione's affronted reply.
"That's what you're worried about. Your friend's Christmas present."
"I'm serious! I bought one, but I'm honestly considering returning the bloody poster and buying myself a new book or something," Hermione laughed.
"If it were me, I would drop him because his company is dreadful and his orange hair makes me think of Babbling Beverage," Draco admitted, making Hermione frown. "But, as you are not me, I think you should give him the bloody present and make up and go back to being best friends."
He said the last part with fake enthusiasm.
"Fine," Hermione gruffly agreed, "Despite your annoying sarcasm, I think you're right."
"Now that you've gotten to ask me a dumb question, it's my turn."
"Dear Merlin," she rolled her eyes, waiting to hear what ridiculous hypothetical he would come up with.
Forty-five minutes or so later, the tunnel came to an end, and stairs replaced the dirt walls.
"Okay," Hermione whispered, "be quiet because technically, we're breaking about fifteen school rules right now."
"I'm surprised, Granger. I didn't think you had it in you," Draco whispered from behind her. Hermione listened carefully for any footsteps, and when the coast was clear, she pushed the trap door open. Emerging from the tunnel with Draco behind her, the two came out in the basement of Honeydukes.
"Come on," she beckoned Draco toward her, slowly creeping up the stairs and toward the door, which opened to the shop.
"Wait," Draco grabbed her arm before she pushed the door open. "Disguises."
"Good idea," she said in a surprised tone.
"I think I have just the spell for this," Draco said. "I read it in my- in a book."
Hermione scoffed, knowing that he was referring to the Half-Blood Prince's book.
"Abscondo," he circled his wand around the two of them. A sensation not too different from the Disillusionment Charm covered Hermione and she turned toward Draco with a confused look.
"It didn't work?" Hermione said, gesturing to his blonde hair and pale grey eyes.
He shook his head, "Any outsiders who see us will see someone else, and not us."
She nodded and pushed the door open, revealing Honeydukes. Wizarding Christmas songs played from a speaker and candy shaped like Christmas trees and snowflakes lined the shelves. Garland hung from the ceilings decoratively and Hermione smiled.
"Don't you just love Christmas?" she asked Draco, who was inspecting an ornament shaped toffee.
"I prefer Halloween, but yes," he said, looking contently at the falling snow and cheery spirits, "It certainly is different from the dreary Runes assignment we're doing at Hogwarts."
She frowned slightly. She had planned this trip as a distraction from the assignment, noticing that his spirits seemed more down than usual. "What do you say to a butterbeer?"
"I won't say no," he smiled, following Hermione out the door happily.