Thursday, December 26, 2001
In the days of decadence and luxury – long before the days of Voldemort – the Malfoy family would always hold a ball on Christmas Day. It was cumbersome for some but no one would ever dare miss it, and so no one ever complained. Even after Voldemort first rose and fell, the ball persevered, now controlled by Narcissa Malfoy née Black, who had never been to a party she couldn't have thrown better.
The Malfoy Christmas ball was her second born child for all the effort she put in, and it showed.
The second rise of Voldemort, however, was the undoing of all that had been good and right in the world. No one celebrated in the largest hall at Malfoy Manor, opulence forgotten, dancing forgone, and happiness hidden away where it was safe.
When Voldemort fell again – and for good this time, thanks in part to Narcissa Malfoy née Black – the Malfoy Christmas ball remained cancelled. Malfoy Manor had been barred from entry and Narcissa had lost her family to the depths of Azkaban.
Still, the aristocratic elite and the new money needed a venue to mingle and exchange Christmas cheer, and those parties always managed to get a full cauldron of donations and a few dozen toys under the tree for the children to open while their parents drank.
The dark period lasted until Pansy Parkinson arrived.
So it was on Boxing Day that Draco, Harry and Hermione found themselves in formal attire and at the entrance to the Parkinson estate, each man adorning one of Hermione's white silk glove covered arms. Ron and Pansy stood with Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson to receive people, the latter giving the necessary pleasantries before shuffling the trio down to the former.
Ron gave a pleading face that earned a swift smack from Pansy, dolled up in an intricate silver piece that wove around her neck with delicate sparkles suggesting an outrageous price tag.
"You truly are outrageous Pans," Draco murmured, leaning in to kiss her once on each cheek. She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at Draco as a small smile crept onto her face. "Wait until you see what I got you for Christmas," she whispered back conspiratorially.
Draco shuddered and shared a wounded look with Ron, who heard the entire exchange and nodded his condolences.
The group promised to reunite once the pair were freed from their (read: Pansy's) self-imposed torture and entered the oversized ballroom decorated for the occasion.
Harry was picked off from the group early on by a handful of elderly groupies, the type who always pulled Harry in to regale them with details of his adventures and updates on his day-to-day existence and while it was embarrassing, several were influential people and all in all they were well meaning. Still, he gave Draco a look that made it difficult not to cackle.
That left Hermione and Draco alone, but not for long. Hermione spotted so and so from whatever event and so began a long string of introductions and re-introductions, almost all of which went well. It seemed, based on some of the reactions around them, that Hermione was selective on who to introduce Draco to. Thankfully, as his best friend was the architect behind the evening, no one made a truly audible fuss about his presence.
Harry rejoined the group once or twice, summoned away by a group within the Wizengamot Harry was working with on a piece of legislation and again by the star guest of the evening, the Minister himself. Draco was grateful that Hermione never left Draco to his own devices, perhaps sensing his reluctance and social anxiety from her spot at his arm.
Draco smiled and made a slight show of offering her his hand, pulling her to the centre of the room where several couples had already been dancing. The two danced a simple waltz, one that Hermione managed competently and even elegantly for one who hadn't received formal training throughout her youth.
"Tradsies!"
Draco looked up to see an impatient and expectant Pansy, who immediately slipped into the position Hermione dutifully backed out of and began to lead. Draco swiftly took over, noticing that Hermione led Ron, although doing it because he needed the help and not because she was a dictator on the dance floor.
"Little's changed, huh?" Draco asked with a smile, turning his attention back to his dance partner.
Pansy gave a delicate shrug of her shoulders, her eyes betraying her amusement at the sight of her long-time boyfriend being guided about.
"Do you remember when we were young and I taught you to have a house elf make a cranny in your room impermeable by magic? You chose the air duct above your bed," Pansy explained, her voice low but the excitement clear.
Draco nodded, remembering how difficult it had been originally to pile books on the bedside table and balance on them as he tucked every treasure he owned at eight years of age away for safe keeping from peeping parents.
Pansy continued, her smile more pronounced as she made a visible effort to keep her voice down. "I had guessed you might have stored a few things there after the end of the war."
Draco tilted his head, curious as to what she was getting at. She was right, of course, because the hiding spot had held up so well and had been improved by his own subtle additions over the years. Also, as a full grown man, it was much easier to reach.
"I called in a favor and had the hiding spot searched, the contents removed and brought to me. I have them in my study under heavy guard. It's all there: the Malfoy signet ring, your grandfathers pocket watch, your sketchbook, all of it."
Draco couldn't believe the risk she'd taken, especially not knowing the contents if any before committing to it. Without much thought he leaned down and hugged her tightly, kissing her right cheek. She laughed, glad to have earned a positive response from him, before smacking his shoulder and forcing him to release her.
"Jeez, put you up with a pair of lions for a few months and you get all touchy-feely."
The two continued to dance, Pansy regaling Draco with tales of the near disasters that could have ruined the evening. His joke about cracking the whip earned a betraying tint to her cheeks that made Draco equal parts disgusted and amused, fighting the urge to gag in order to tease her mercilessly.
When Ron peeked up over Hermione's head several feet away at the angry screeching sound Pansy was making, Draco mimed cracking the whip over her head with an all knowing wink that immediately turned Ron a devastated shade of puce, which only served to make Draco laugh even louder.
When Ron and Pansy left to find 'more mature people', Draco found his way back to Hermione, who had long since abandoned Ron and his two left feet to sit at an empty table on the dimply lit balcony just beyond several sets of French doors, magically charmed against the elements and surprisingly empty.
"I imagine it will fill up out here when they launch the fireworks," Hermione said as Draco joined her, gesturing over her shoulder where Draco could barely make out a set of men preparing what was likely explosives from Weasley Wheezes, a safe bet given that one of the proprietors was dating the hostess.
"I spoke with Harry yesterday, while you and Mother were out," Draco began, taking a seat next to Hermione and looking her over. She looked a little tired but the forest green lace ball gown she had on and the expensive diamonds at her neck distracted from the emerging bags beneath her eyes. Her hair was pulled into a chignon, a look Draco was growing fond of on her, pinned back by yet more diamonds.
I wonder if I had known Hermione first as a grown women, powerful and exquisite, if things would have gone differently than meeting her as a nerdy little girl with hair too big for her body…
"I don't know how he can be so okay with what happened to him. I used to hate him and I'm absolutely livid on his behalf," Draco muttered, not quite ready to acknowledge or discuss the kiss. Hermione didn't seem to notice his mind wander at the end though as she nodded, reaching out and grabbing Draco's hand and giving it a light squeeze.
"He's a weird one."
Draco smiled at her attempt at humor and was suddenly transported through memory to the day she walked him home for the first time, the claws of Azkaban still deeply embedded in him, and she made some stupid play on words and it was like every horrible thing he had done had been absolved in that moment. She wasn't looking at him the way so many others did: a terrorist. A killer. A monster.
She was looking at him with those beautiful brown eyes and before he could control himself, he'd leaned forward and softly kissed her lips. Her response was instant, leaning into him while a small whimper escaped. She stood to try and break free but Draco was faster, standing with her and kissing her all the while, his hands snaking up to her arms as he pulled her in and forced her lips apart.
Kissing Harry had been like lightning; earth shattering, magnificent, and over too quickly to appreciate the beauty until later. Kissing Hermione though was all consuming and Draco was able to pour all of his hate and his love and his confusion into the kiss that was definitely not over too soon.
They didn't stop until both were breathing raggedly, struggling to catch their breaths. One of Hermione's hands found itself tangled in Draco's hair and the other gripped the side of his neck, holding him down at her height. His hands had moved from her arms to cradle her at the small of her back, her beautiful, lithe frame being pulled tightly against his own slim form.
"Draco… this isn't right… we can't do this," Hermione whispered, her voice broken. Draco leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, enjoying the silence pierced by their heavy inhaling.
"Because we live together? Because you saved me? I can make this decision, Hermione. You're not forcing me into some perverted servitude or using me against my will. Let me show you how right this is…" he tried, leaning in to kiss her again.
At first he thought he had succeeded but she pulled back, his bottom lip slowly scraping through her teeth as he discovered the carnal pleasures of this delicate woman's nibbles. She shook her head, kissing along his smooth, pale neck.
"Neither of us can make an adult decision here…We should just go back inside, pretend this didn't happen," she whispered, although the pair remained entirely undisturbed on the balcony.
Draco shook his head, pulling back in order to look Hermione in the eyes and demonstrate his seriousness. "I absolutely refuse to pretend that this didn't happen. I would much rather go home and discuss for hours why this should absolutely be allowed to continue on. I happen to believe very firmly in my side of the argument."
Hermione blushed lightly, unable to argue with a wonderfully confident Draco. He had that cocky grin she memorized from their youth but without the malice, it had a certain charming quality. She figured she would regret it but what would be the harm in just discussing the idea?
"Okay. Let's go home."
By the time the French doors reopened, the couple that had been entwined on the balcony had disappeared with a quiet pop, their disappearance only noticed by one man.
Authors note: One more guys...