Foridden

By Leah

Chapter 10

So this is Christmas Part II

"Weasley get your ass off my table and it and the rest of you out of my study." Ginny's grin never faltered as she hopped off his deep red mahogany desk and stretched.

The younger girl crossed her arms in front of her and smirked. "Now Malfoy, where is all that lovely holiday cheer and hospitality?"

Draco scowled and approached his table, dusting where she had been sitting moments ago. "That is reserved for guests who were invited."

"Well since I don't see any of those," Ginny said and moved herself to one of the leather chairs on the room much to Malfoy's aggravation. "I suppose you might as well give some to the trespassers." She ended smiling, ignoring Draco's muttered curses.

"I take it you're not just here to try my patience and remind me to close the floo network to unwelcome persons, are you?" Draco drawled coldly as he took a seat behind the desk and regarded the girl calculatingly.

Ginny only smiled knowing that her presence in his home baffled the Slytherin to no end. "And you would be correct," She began, appeasing some of his curiosity, "but first, where are these finger foods I've been told so much about?"

Draco nearly gaped at her forwardness, this girl was one hell of a piece of work. She practically invited herself into his home, made herself comfy, and was now placing food orders. She really had some nerve, and being a Slytherin, he had to respect that.

With a flick of his wand he summoned a cowering house elf and ordered the creature to get "that red headed brat" something to eat. "Now then Weaselette," He began once the elf returned with a pop and placed a silver tray of small foods in front of Ginny, "what do I have to do to get you out of my house?"

"Date Hermione." Ginny said inspecting a piece of the food before putting it in her mouth. "Lovely crab cake by the way." Draco could only stare at the Gryffindor girl, she was completely daft.

"Then you're wasting both our time."

Ginny looked at him and shrugged, "Maybe I am. Although I do know that you have feelings for my best friend-"

"I don't know what you-"

Ginny waved him off in the middle of his sentence and continued again as if he hadn't said a word. "And I also know that she harbors feelings for you."

Draco sent her a calculating look. "What leads you to these idiotic assumptions?"

Ginny shrugged once more and swallowed the food in her mouth, she -unlike her brother- did have enough table manners to know speaking with your mouth full is just disgusting. "I look."

He raised an eyebrow at her simple, yet incomprehensible response. "What does that mean?'

"It means what it is." Ginny sighed, the look on his face told her she would still need to elaborate. 'Some genius Head Boy he is.' "Any dolt with a brain cell can see there's something going on with you too." She paused for a moment to observe Malfoy before continuing. "That is, if they bothered to look beyond what is marked as right and wrong at that school.

"I'm also pretty sure there has been something going on for a few years now, only you two just haven't even noticed -or wanted to notice- what your bodies knew for the longest. I guess you've both been too ignorant and preoccupied with stupid rivalries to realize it."

Draco couldn't help but chuckle, "You sound a lot more like that old coot Dumbledore than like a sixteen year old witch." Ginny responded with a withered smile.

"I guess we've all been forced to grow up a little too soon." She muttered softly before brightening up. "Anyway, it's time for you toget Hermione. And I'm here to help."

Draco scoffed. "Leave what you know little of alone Weasley. All you have are your guesses and nothing more."

It was Ginny's turn to scoff. "I know you love her."

"Then you truly know nothing indeed." The girl made a "hmm" noise then nodded.

"Perhaps love is too strong an emotion; especially for one who has never experienced it."

Draco didn't respond, but they both knew she was right. He had always believed that love for anyone other than family -and even then it was sometimes a stretch- was something that was best left in books with damsels and princes.

"Her boyfriend is your brother." He pointed out.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I really don't get why everyone keeps bringing that up." She sighed softly, "You're smart Malfoy, surely you can tell there is no love there. Only a delusion."

"You're friend doesn't seem to think that." Draco muttered. "She believes they love each other."

Ginny shook her head slowly. "She wants to believe they love each other. Maybe at some point she did love him, although I think she just got used to the idea of being with him.

"She's comfortable and safe with him. But love has little to do with it. She's afraid to see that maybe the world isn't as black and white as she thought." Ginny looked at Draco from the corner of her eye and dropped her voice, but it was still loud enough for him to hear her next words. "Just like you're afraid of what could be."

Draco's reaction was almost instantaneous. His jaw clenched and his hands fisted as he fixed her with a harsh glare. "Get out."

"Oh, seems like I've hit a nerve." Ginny grinned and made no move to get up, instead she pressed on. "You're afraid to admit that you like Hermione, and you're afraid that maybe these feelings could escalate to something more."

Draco's glare intensified ten fold, but could not think of a word to say in his defense.

"You're afraid that she might have feelings for you too. Afraid that she might leave Ron for you. You're afraid that she would make you feel; that she would show you that you really do have a heart." Ginny stood up during her speech and was now standing in front of Malfoy's desk, ignoring the daggers he was glaring into her.

"You're afraid to go against centuries of ingrained Malfoy tradition bullshit. But most of all, I think you're just afraid that you won't be good enough for her."

Draco had heard enough, he sprung from his seat, causing his chair to fall to its back with a dull thud.

"You make some very good guesses Weasley." His voice was as cold as ice, and he towered over the younger girl. But Ginny wasn't intimidated in the least. "Too bad none of them are correct. Now get out of my home!"

The red head sighed. "It's sad isn't it Malfoy," She didn't wait for him to respond, "that everyday girls throw themselves at your feet, that you can win over nearly anyone with your charm, looks and money, and that so many girls wish they could be the one for you. Yet the person who won't have you, just might be the one."

"GET OUT!" Draco roared again, this time Ginny listened, but not before glimpsing at a scroll of parchment on his desk. 'His mothers will?' The pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together.

"You've a large mansion Malfoy," The red head gave him a pitying look, "too bad you have to live in it alone." Ginny took a handful of floo powder and was about to step into the fireplace when,

"Wait." She turned to the boy who let out a long sigh. As she looked at his form she couldn't help but pity him even more. Here, standing in the great study with papers strewn all around him, she realized that he was not a boy like all of her friends at Hogwarts. No, he grew out of that stage long ago. He was an adult now, had to deal with adult problems. Given his upbringing she doubted he had ever had a carefree childhood as most children. Even now his eyes looked aged and hollow; even he, Draco Malfoy, didn't deserve this. He needed happiness now, happiness which Ginny was sure Hermione could bring to him.

"Do you..." He licked his lips nervously and hesitated. "Do you love Potter?"

Ginny smiled softly, "Yes, I do."

Draco nodded, still not looking directly at her. "How do you know that you l-love him?" Draco mentally cursed himself for sounding so curious in front of the girl, but he just needed to know.

Ginny's smile stayed on her face and her eyes flashed with joy, and for a brief moment they connected with Malfoy's pale blue eyes and he could see her devotion and love for the other boy shining brightly. "You just know."

With that she stepped into the fireplace, "Happy Christmas Malfoy" and with a yell and a puff of emerald flames, she was gone leaving Draco along in his study.

Draco sighed and began straightening his desk once more, but out of the corner of his eye he caught a piece of balled up parchment on his immaculate floor. He picked it up and unrolled it slowly, a small smirk found its way to his lips as he read the few lines written on it in the Weaselette's curved script.

With a sigh he dropped back into his chair after righting in and looked to his mother's envelope. But his mind was no longer focused on whatever its contents could be and what impact it would have on his already twisted future. Instead he couldn't help but think of a certain bushy haired know-it-all and her red headed busy body friend's words.

"You just know."

Ginny coughed loudly as she stepped out of the fireplace, reflexively she dusted off her clothes, though there was so much soot on her that it made little difference. "Bloody wonderful way to spend my Christmas Eve. Arguing some sense into that bloody git's hard head."

She was too busy grumbling to notice the other person in the family room who regarded her with a queer expression. "Bit early to be flooing don't you think Gin?"

Harry couldn't help but grin when his girlfriend jumped and spun around to face him, her cheeks as scarlet as her hair and her hand over her heart. "Gosh Harry, don't do that again!"

The boy gave her a sheepish smile and patted the seat next to him on the couch. "Where were you off to anyway?"

Ginny muttered a quick cleaning spell to rid herself of the ash before taking a seat and curling up to her boyfriend. "Nowhere important." She stole his cup of hot cocoa and took a sip before handing it back to him. "Isn't it a bit early for you boys to be awake anyway?"

Harry laughed and placed his cup on the table then circled his arms around Ginny. "Yeah, it is, but Ron's snoring kept me up all night, you'd swear it was some sort of beast from the Forbidden Forest sleeping in there sometimes. " Ginny giggled and nodded. "So after a while I just came down here and your mum started bustling about and fixed me with more food than I could ever eat, saying I was much to skinny for a boy my age."

Ginny grinned and nuzzled into Harry's warmth. "Yep sounds like mum."

"But honestly Ginny, why were you sneaking around so early?" The girl looked up at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and Harry couldn't help the exasperated groan that escaped him. She was definitely up to something.

"Sorry Harry, but all plots are between me and my fellow plotter until everything has worked out."

"Ginny-"

"Now if you'll excuse me," She pulled herself from his grasp and stood up, "I have to go borrow Pig."

Harry also stood, "Why?"

"Well you don't expect my Pigmy Puff to sprout wings and deliver a letter for me now do you?" Harry rolled his eyes at her very Ginny like answer before grasping her shoulders with both his hands.

"Gin, just make sure no one gets hurt. The war just ended, try not to start anything to cause any more animosity."

"Harry-"

"G'mornin'" Ron grumbled as he bounded down the stairs, cutting off whatever it was Ginny had to say.

"Oh Ron!" Ginny quickly pulled out of Harry's grasp. "Can I borrow your owl for a bit?"

Ron nodded and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Yeah, the little blighter's been flapping around its cage since we got back from Hogwarts. Bloody annoying you know." Ginny nodded and bounded up the stairs, but not before giving Harry a look that clearly said 'Trust me.'

After scowling at how messy a room two boys lived in could be, the only female Weasley child set out to capture the annoying bird that couldn't stay still for more than two seconds. Pigwidgeon was just so happy to get out of his cage that he felt it necessary to take victory laps around the room, and was so excited one would think he freed himself from his own cage.

Moments later Ginny was holding the bird tightly -but not too tightly- under her right arm and holding its beak shut with her hand all the while trying to scribble a note to Blaise with her left hand. But with the bird flapping and wiggling, and she not being left-handed, her writing came out terribly slanted and barley legible. 'But it'll have to do.'

'Balise,

I just visited your lovely friend Malfoy and tried to talk some sense into him. Which proved to be as easy as giving directions to a blind man. But I did drop the note for him. The rest is left in his hands, I'll keep you as informed as I can.

Ginny,

P.S.- Happy Christmas'

Ginny sent the letter off with Pig -after pleading with the bird to not loose the letter or drop it at the wrong house- and waited for his reply, she guessed it would be a while since Italy was a bit of a way for a bird.

A little over an hour later a large dark brown owl, that Ginny recognized as Blaise's flew into her room and dropped a letter on her lap before perching itself on her vanity. Moments later a very exhausted looking Pig flew in and tried to land near to the other bird only to receive an owlish glare and an annoyed hoot from the older owl.

Ginny arched an eyebrow and shrugged before opening the letter.

'Ginny,

What happened, did you have a bloody seizure while writing that letter? And if you ever send that annoying blighter with the post to me again, I'll feed it to Mum's cat. And that's a guarantee. Anyway, yes please do keep me posted, I just had a very interesting chat with Draco via floo.'

Ginny glared at the letter for a moment, 'He couldn't just use the floo network all along. I bet he just didn't want to deal with Malfoy's temper.' She shook her head and continued reading.

'Shockingly enough he actually has a high opinion of you Weaselette; you should be proud. I guess from here we can't do much more, it's all up to those two hard heads now.

Zabini

P.S.- Happy Christmas to you too.'

Ginny sighed 'It's all up to those two.' She grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled a quick note to Zabini and sent it off with his owl.

A while later the brown owl flapped into the open window in Blaise Zabini's Florence villa.

"Grazie Maria." Blaise took the letter from the owl and stroked its feathers before letting it swoop into its cage.

He unrolled the parchment and grinned. That girl was one piece of work.

'Then I guess we better start on plan B.

Ginny'

'Hey 'Mione,

I know we haven't really talked much or have gotten to see each other since you've been busy with so much family stuff, so I was thinking about coming over later. The muggle way of course, I know your parents haven't quite gotten used flooing.

Love,
Ron'

Hermione groaned and tossed the letter into her wastebasket. She never had "family stuff", at least not anything so important that it would cause her to be unable to see her boyfriend and friends. She had been lying to Ron since they arrived home for Christmas.

He made the effort to see her, but she just couldn't bring herself to want to see him. Yes, she Hermione Granger, the essence of morality, was avoiding her boyfriend Ronald Weasley whom she had pined after for nearly six years.

'Because I might have feelings for Draco Malfoy.' Hell had just officially frozen over.

Hermione pulled a quill and piece of parchment to herself and scribbled a quick note telling Ron he shouldn't come because she was feeling a bit under the weather. She tried to attach the note to Hedwig's leg only to have the owl pull back and send her a reproachful glare.

"I know I'm lying to him Hedwig, but- oh, you wouldn't understand. It's just...complicated." The owl let out what -to Hermione- sounded like an understanding hoot and stuck out her leg for the letter. "Thank you Hedwig." The snowy owl hooted once before spreading its large wings and flew out of the window.

'Now even an owl is mad at me.' Hermione sigh and left her desk to lay on her bed, her eyes automatically rested upon the present wrapped in green laying innocently on her bed table. She groaned and diverted her eyes to a piece of paper on the floor.

Christmas would be the next day, and she was still unsure as to what to do about the present. She was unsure as to what to do about anything nowadays.

'I don't have to do anything, my life is perfectly fine without Draco Malfoy. This is just a faze or something, it will go away in a few days. It has to.' But her words did little to actually comfort her.

She knew her life wasn't perfect. It was steady. Everything was as it should be, and was the same everyday. It was what was safe.

She didn't change, and neither did Ron. She always knew what he would say and what he would do. He was reliable, he was what she wanted. Some would think that to be boring, but to her it was perfect. There was nothing unexpected or spur of the moment. He would always be short-tempered Ron, no matter what.

'So unlike Malfoy.'

She flipped onto her back and stared at the ceiling with blank eyes. Malfoy and Ron were so different, practically polar opposites. He was unpredictable to say the least. He was a complete mystery to her, and she had learned that trying to figure him out would only lead to more mysteries.

She had never before met someone like him, and she doubted she would ever meet someone like him again. He was a maze, filled with twists and turns and unexpected surprises, and just when you think you've got it figured out, turn a corner and you've found a whole new path.

For six years she had thought that she knew the real Draco Malfoy, a snobby little brat who used his money and social standing to boss around others. But now...

'Now I don't even know what to think. He is still a bossy annoying little snob, and for six years he was the Slytherin prat whose nickname for me was Mudblood. But he's grown up now, and matured. He's a young man who's had to deal with the death of two parents. He's not just the same Malfoy anymore.' Hermione looked to the present wrapped in green paper and smiled softly. She knew what she would do with it now.

"Hermione?" Aby called from outside of her door before knocking.

"Come in mum." Hermione called, her mother opened the door and popped her head into the room.

"Honey, one of your friends are here to see you from school." Hermione nodded and mentally groaned. Of course Ron would want to stop by to see how she was doing. "And your father and I are popping out for a bit to visit your aunt. We'll be back later tonight." The older woman regarded her daughter carefully before continuing. "I trust you not to do anything while I'm gone."

Hermione nearly choked and covered it up with a laugh. "I know mum."

Her mother nodded and was about to leave but turned back around. "You may want to save the boy soon. I left him with your father."

Hermione groaned and practically flew down the stairs and into the family room.

"Zabini get your scheming head out of my fire place and bring your soon to be dead arse over here."

Blaise chuckled and his glowing green head shook in the fireplace. "As heartfelt as your words are, I think I'll be staying on this side of the flames. For safety purposes of course." Draco clenched his teeth at that idiotic grin on his friend's face. Did that boy not realize who he was playing games with. "So how are things at the Manor?"

"Cut the act Zabini." Draco barked, glaring daggers at the boy who still remained unfazed to the amount of danger he had gotten himself in to. "I know it was you who sent little Weasel to the mansion."

Blaise took on a curious expression, "I don't know-"

"What are you playing at anyway." Draco pressed on, "I know you well enough to know that you're too Slytherin to do something without some sort of ulterior motive."

Blaise chuckled and shook his head, then made a tsking noise. "Ah, ah, ah, that is where you are wrong my friend." Draco arched an eyebrow. "You see Malfoy, you are too Slytherin to do something without some sort of ulterior motive. I, on the other hand, am actually human and can tolerate doing things like this for short amounts of time. And Ginny just happened to be the perfect help."

"You want to bed Weaselette!" Draco exclaimed and smirked at his friend's shocked expression, before he covered it with a mask of indifference.

"Do you ever pay attention when people other than yourself are speaking?"

Draco ignored him and went on. "Too bad for you that she's too in love with Potter to notice you." This was turning out to be the happiest moment of Draco's day. Someone else being crushed was exactly what he needed to cheer himself up.

"Malfoy! We're talking about your fucked up love life here, so stay out of mine!" Blaise mentally groaned, 'We're talking about our love lives? This is pathetic.'

But once again, Blaise was ignored. "Damn shame for you though that those Gryffindors don't like getting too chummy with Slytherins."

Blaise knew he was mocking him, but now was the perfect time for him to jump in about Hermione. "All but one it seems."

Draco's happy mood almost immediately deflated and with a broken sigh he dropped onto one of the couches in the study. Blaise's head disappeared from the fire and moments later the hearth roared to life and he stepped out of the green flames, dusting himself off with aristocratic poise.

"Why'd you come out now? Thought it would be best to jeer about my troubles in person?" The other boy grumbled and ran a hand over his face.

Blaise smirked and dropped into the seat next across from him, instantly calling a house elf to bring them some Brandy. He, like Malfoy, wasn't to big on muggle things -what with being raised a pureblood wizard and all- but he did appreciate a fine liquor, be it muggle or of the wizarding kind.

"Partly," he began. The elf appeared with a tray containing a bottle of the amber liquid and two glasses before disappearing again. "But I also figured that a depressed man is much less likely to hex me when I tell him that he's being a complete idiot. Brandy?" Blaise held out the snifter.

"Offering me my alcohol in my home. How very kind of you Zabini." Draco drawled but took the glass anyway.

"This is stupid." Draco sneered after emptying his glass. "I'm a Malfoy. She's- Well it's just not done!"

Blaise nodded and drank from his glass before placing it on the table. "The way I see this is you're that last remaining Malfoy in England; why still stay with stuffy old traditions that should have died out with these fellows." He motioned to the portraits adorning the room, some of which muttered indignantly. "It's time to let go of those old views. Don't let things from the past stop a great future."

Draco smirked and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "You're starting to sound an awful lot like a woman Zabini. Anything I should know?"

Blaise chuckled and picked up his snifter. "I've been forced to spend everyday, all day, with mother. I think it's all that motherly feminine brainwashing." Draco forced out a bark of laughter and put on a small, pained smile.

Blaise grimaced and reached over to pat his friends shoulder. "I'm sorry, I forgo-"

"It's fine." Was Draco's curt reply, though Blaise still looked uneasy.

"So how are things here without-" He broke off nervously. Being Slytherins they didn't talk much about any problems or issues that involved real emotions that may arise. Instead topics like that were looked over, not to be insensitive, but because none of them really knew how to deal with it. "You know you're always welcomed to stay at the villa. Merlin knows there needs to be another male in that house."

Draco chuckled but shook his head. "I think I should stay here for a bit. Tell your mother next Christmas I'll be there."

The Italian boy offered him an uneasy smile. "I will...she worries about you mate." Draco nodded and finished off his forgotten second glass.

Blaise cleared his throat to break the uncomfortable silence before standing, automatically his hands ran over his robes to right any wrinkles. "So mate, just out of curiosity, why would you say that I would want Weaselette?" He tried to sound nonchalant, but from the smirk on his friend's face he knew he had been found out. 'Merlin! I'll never hear the end of it.'

Draco also stood and took to staring at his nails. "Just a hunch. She's a smart girl though, no wonder she doesn't feel the same."

Blaise arched an eyebrow, "You are aware that you can be a bloody ass when you want to be."

Draco shrugged. "It's a Malfoy thing."

"I'm sure it is," Blaise began, then wearily turned his gaze to the fire place. "I best be going, mother's probably about to set the hounds loose to search for me."

Draco smirked and patted the boy on his shoulder. "I'll see you around Zabini."

"Yeah," Blaise paused for a moment in front of the fire and looked to be contemplating something. He sighed and turned to face his friend. "Look, Draco, I know you want to be alone and all, but maybe you should give people a chance." He paused before smirking. "Besides, mum's been bothering me about when she's ever going to get to see you again. At least have dinner with us for Christmas tomorrow."

Draco shifted his weight from one leg to the other for a moment. "I'll...I'll see."

"Thanks mate. And try and have a happy Christmas." Blaise gave the boy a weary smirk before grabbing some floo powder and disappearing into the green flames.

Draco waited a moment after Blaise's departure before letting out a deep sigh and running a hand through his hair. He looked down at the envelope that was tightly clutched in his hand. He wasn't sure exactly when it happened, but at some point during his and Blaise's conversation he had picked it up and broke the seal. 'Might as well read it now then.'

He took a shuddered breath before brining his eyes to the neat script that was his mother's. A myriad of memories of the woman bombarded him and for a moment he felt as if he would choke on all the emotions stirring within him.

He swallowed the lump that had inexplicably formed in his throat as his eyes skimmed the parchment.

The suffocating silence of the room was suddenly broken by a choked chuckle, which turned into a snort of laughter, which grew to howling bursts of elation. He shoved the letter into his pocket and ran to his desk, pushing parchment after parchment of important documents to the floor. A small smile slid onto his face when his eyes rested on the small torn sheet he was searching for. He glanced over the few scrawled lines for a moment, his gaze stopping on the last line.

'Sometimes the muggle way works best.'

He stuffed the paper into his pocket and ran out of the room, ignoring the portraits' shouts of: "Malfoy's don't run!"

He made it to the entrance to the Grand Ballroom and pushed open the large golden double doors. His grey eyes scanned the room before landing on a large life sized portrait hanging on the wall to his left.

He walked to it and smiled slightly at the woman in the golden frame. She was rather tall, though he remembered he was still a good inch or so taller than her. Her hair was bone straight and was the same blonde color as his but reached a little below her waist. Her eyes were not the mellow grey that his was most times, but were a startlingly bright blue that always reminded him of the sky on a cloudless day. Her features were aristocratic, but lacked the biting sharpness of most.

In her life she had been sought after by many men, even after she was married, and she always accredited it to her Veela mother. But Draco always thought that though she was breathtaking, she was also more brilliant than anyone he had ever met, and that was also why men lusted after her.

"Mother." Narcissa looked down at the boy with a loving smile and waved. Draco felt his heart clench knowing that looking at this portrait would be the only time he'd see his mother again. "Thank you."

"Dad! Stop!" Hermione bounded down the stairs and came to a stop at the scene before her.

Her father was sitting in what had been designated as "his chair" with his back to her, and in front of him was Ron, who looked about four shades paler and had a fearful expression on his face. The moment his eyes landed on her she could practically feel him begging for her to rescue him.

"Ah, darling, there you are." John, her father, stood and smiled at Hermione. "I was just talking to your friend Ronald here. We were having a lovely chat now weren't we?"

Ron, who was still obviously shaken, only nodded his head, not trusting his voice.

There was a long awkward pause in which Hermione tried very hard to think of something to say to ease the tension in the room. Thankfully Aby chose that time to appear, smiling brightly, completely oblivious to the mounting tension in the room.

"Come on now honey," She placed a hand on her husband's arm and led him to the coat closet. "We've really got to be leaving. My sister is probably already wondering what happened to us."

They both put on their coats and scarves -after John fussed on how his pregnant wife shouldn't be going out in such frigid temperatures- and left Hermione alone with Ron.

"Your father is bloody terrifying Hermione." Ron muttered and let out a long deep breath of air, finally relaxing.

Hermione smiled nervously and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Yeah, he can be."

The redhead stood and stretched and Hermione felt herself take a step back when she thought he was approaching her. 'What is wrong with me.'

"Look Ron," She began, her voice wavered a bit. "I think you should leave. I am very sick, and I'm in no mood for company right now. Maybe another time."

Ron gave her a once over before shrugging and coming to stand in front of her. "You look perfectly fine to me."

'There's a difference between how I look and how I feel Ron; a big difference.' Hermione faked a smile when he caressed her cheek, and nodded. "I know, but I really just feel under the weather. And I don't want you to get sick also."

Ron smiled, that smile of his that she used to love. It wasn't that lazy smirk that Malfoy had, no, Ron's was a perfect broad smile that used to make her insides flutter every-time it was directed at her.

Now it only made guilt bubble inside of her. 'I don't deserve him.'

"Alright, me, Harry and everybody at home were wondering if you could come over for dinner tomorrow though." Hermione smiled at the grammatical horror of his words, typical Ron.

"I'm spending Christmas with my family, but the next day I'll be there." She reassured when she noticed his crestfallen expression.

Ron nodded and smiled brightly, then planted a long kiss on her lips. She couldn't help but compare it to Draco's kisses, which made her skin light on fire and sent her whole body into a fit a shivers.

"I'll see you then." She nodded and led him to the door.

"Wouldn't it be easier to floo?" She asked when she saw him put on his thick winter coat.

He shook his fiery red head. "Nah, Fred and George dropped me, they should be waiting on the corner, but you know how those two are, especially in a muggle neighborhood. Worse than dad sometimes."

Hermione giggled and nodded. "Bye Ron." He bent down and kissed her once more and muttered a quick goodbye before leaving.

'I'm so sorry Ron.' Hermione groaned and went up to her room, she desperately needed to go lay down and read a book. She felt drained, she hated herself for what she was doing to Ron and every-time she saw him she felt her conscience eat away at her.

Unfortunately, she only made it to the fourth step before there was a knock at the front door. 'What did he forget now?' The Gryffindor girl let out a sigh before going to the door.

"What hap-" Her words caught in her throat and her eyes widened. 'No.'

There in her doorway wrapped in a black coat with a green and silver scarf was Draco Malfoy.

"Do you mind Granger, in case you haven't noticed it's winter out here!"