Day 1:
Hi! So this is going to be a series of festive one-shots released every day leading up to Christmas. Each of the 12 chapters will revolve around Christmas a different year in Dramione's (and eventually their family's) life, in the same universe. This first one is set the first Christmas day after the Battle of Hogwarts in an AU where everyone returned for their final year.
Hair curled rather than slicked down within an inch of its life like last time she'd attended a Yule Ball, Hermione also added a little rose lipstick and glittery gold eyeshadow beneath her extended lashes to match the gorgeous dress robes she'd bought, knowing she'd be centre stage just as Harry and his co-champions had been last time. The makeup wasn't a mask now, it was there to enhance her confidence. This time she knew her physical and intellectual value, and other people knew how well she could clean up as well. She'd had plenty of offers, including Harry and Ron, who hadn't waited until the last minute to ask her this time- although her ex-boyfriend had been a little slower, unsure if it was appropriate a month after their break-up, but that time honestly felt longer. Their feelings had manifested in the confusion of adolescence, and the war had pushed her and Ron together, but when the rosy filter had worn off, it had quickly become clear that they couldn't last in the long term. As friends debate and argument were healthier, but she couldn't imagine living with him, trying to decide how to pay bills, or dealing with the jealousy he'd surely have over how much time she spent at her job. So they'd called it off; she hadn't said no to his Yule Ball offer for that reason, but for the same as she'd said no to everyone who'd asked. Being independent had taught her a lot about herself, and if she was going to go with anyone, it would be the one person who hadn't asked her. Not that she'd ever admit it to him- or anyone.
Heading down the stairs to the common room, she found her co-head student already waiting on a sofa. Heading her footfall, he got to his feet and turned around to greet her, but his mouth hung open for a moment as if unsure what exactly to say, eventually deciding on, "huh. Not bad Granger."
"You don't look too shoddy yourself Ferretface," she said, looking down her nose, glad she had a few steps to go to complete the illusion that she could actually look down on him.
They kept their poker faces for a few moments before they both burst out laughing at how they used to treat each other. She remembered pitying his family when she saw them sitting alone at the Battle of Hogwarts. They had helped in the end after all, so she swallowed the bullet and went over to thank them for their contribution to the effort. His parents had been rather stand-offish, just muttering and nodding, but he had looked up at her broken and bruised, and in that moment she had met Draco. Malfoy was gone. Both picked as head students, they'd corresponded by owl over the summer about their policies to stitch the school back together, which continued on their compartment on the train. Harry and Ron had expected her not to use it except to give her speech to the prefects so they were rather put out at being neglected, but it had been the start of a beautiful partnership, which had only developed into first study buddy's then true friendship over the months. She started to move down the stairs, but Draco halted her, producing a small box. She raised a confused eyebrow, at which he told her "just open it!" Raising her hands in amused surrender, she then did so. Inside lay a golden magical eternally blooming floral arrangement. It seemed to give out light and hope; captivating. "It's a tradition in Pureblood families for the hosts to mark themselves out with these, I hope it's not uncomfortable for you but I thought since-"
"I don't…feel that way," she interrupted. "In fact, I love it." With a smile dripping genuineness and relief, he plucked off a piece and threaded it into his pocket to match her, then gently took her arm to attach the corsage to her wrist. If she ever thought he'd deign to touch her before, she would have assumed it would be aggressive; shoving her into a wall or something. This was the opposite: careful, almost apologetic. Nonetheless, it still made her shiver, but he didn't linger, dropping her arm when he was done. After staring at each other in silence for a moment, she gritted her teeth into a shiny beam her dentist parents would have been proud of, asking him to check there was no lipstick on her teeth even an invisibility cloak couldn't hide!
"No," he answered. "You look perfect." She felt a natural blush paint her cheeks, hopefully hidden by the artificial one she apparently didn't need after all. He dipped his head awkwardly for a moment, then extended the crook of his arm. She'd only ever walked arm and arm like that with her two best friends, but she accepted Draco's offer.
It was wonderful to see the Great Hall looking like such a magical fairyland after they'd spent so long planning it; hypothesising that it would be a brilliant way to bring the students (in Fourth Year and above- or those invited by someone older) together. Those of that age were still the ones with the most prejudice against each other. She'd almost doubted this day would ever come, but here she stood on the stage with a microphone welcoming her fellow students, telling them how awful last year had been, that they all deserved a celebration for pushing through to save the Wizarding World and then coming back the next year to complete their education. But learning wasn't what today was about, she reminded them, and so Draco told them to toss away those textbooks and remove the word examination from their vocabulary, because this was going to be the best night of their lives! As laughter bounded around the room, The Pumpkin Pasties began to play and he led her to the centre of the ballroom, placing one hand on her waist and the other in her own, beginning to dance a slow waltz. She could hear some whispers, but she just kept her eyes fixed on her partner, determined not to stumble whilst half the school was watching her every step. Draco's smile was encouraging; she could feel him guiding her in a supportive, but thankfully not stifling way as neither would it be very pleasant to be dragged around by the Slytherin, and if he did so she suspected he'd have her two best friends to handle. She didn't even notice as others joined them on the floor, neither would she have noticed the song ending if not for Draco stopping. He bowed, a twinkle in his eye and she curtsied back, trying to push back a smile that would split her face if she let it.
The musicians switched to a jazzy number, which people started to laugh and cheer at, McGonagall throwing her hat in the air freely. The two Head students jived along for a little while, until Draco asked if she wanted to head outside for a breath of fresh air. He tried to hide his glance around, but she spotted it, following his gaze to see her two friends glowering at him, and there were plenty of others who looked suspicious or unhappy with him leading them. Nodding, she followed him outside. There were a few other people outside, and she could hear Peeves cackling somewhere, but they were relatively secluded behind some bushes, so she didn't feel like she would upset him by ruining his tough guy reputation when she asked "are you alright?"
It took a moment, as if he were considering it, but then he turned to her with a smile and replied "of course! It's exactly what we wanted- and everyone seems to be enjoying it."
"But are you okay?" She repeated, not allowing him to get away with that deflection. "If I of all people can move past our well... past, everyone should be able to."
He smiled slightly. "You're not everyone Hermione."
At that moment, the school's mischievous poltergeist decided to appear over them with a sprig of mistletoe, chanting for them to snog. "No!" Hermione declared, her face getting redder by the second. Taking Draco's arm, she attempted to move away, but found herself pushed back as if by an invisible forcefield, evoking evil supervillain cackling from the ghost.
"I believe the demon isn't going to let us free until we do as he orders," said Draco without inflection. If she hadn't known him so well by know she would have thought it meant he didn't care, but now she could read a little more into it, fear, or maybe just nerves. Peeves began shrieking, trying to drum up an audience by yelling that the two head students were about to smash faces, so she quickly told Draco to do it. After a moment's breath and a glance at her lips, he dove down, crashing into her. She couldn't hear Peeves jeering, it was all just white noise while she threw her arms around the back of Draco's neck, melting into him in a way that she never had Ron or Viktor. Her moan seemed to give Draco the impetus to slip his tongue into her mouth in a slow tango, with a few Argentinian flicks. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before; every sensation under the sun. This was what kissing was supposed to be like; she realised. This was why she hadn't ever enjoyed it before. Hearing loud whoops and cheers, they parted, but before he could run away she reached out and took his hand, keeping him close as they turned to face their audience, who quickly dispersed before they could be identified.
After a few moments of awkward silence she turned to look at him with a half-smile. "What do you think this'll do for your reputation then?"
He glanced down at their joined hands, then squeezed gently, filling her with a warm fuzzy feeling as if they were in front of a fireplace roasting chestnuts and drinking hot chocolate, rather than in the freezing Scottish grounds. "Them linking me with you? I'm going to be the most popular guy at school!" With both their sides aching from laughter, they leant in again for another warming embrace, unsure how they'd managed to get through the winter months beforehand without it.