12. Weeping Willow (Part One)

"You are utterly impossible!"

"I'd rather be impossible than an insufferable…

"…don't you finish that sentence!"

"…KNOW-IT-ALL!"

"You are such a jerk!"

"Oooh, that one hurt, Granger."

Hermione shot daggers at Malfoy through her glare. "Why are you being like this?!"

"Because I can be."

"Real mature," Hermione murmured. "What happened to you? What happened to the Malfoy that was actually pleasant?"

Malfoy scoffed, "You believed that bit, did you?"

Hermione's mouth sat agape for a few moments before she snapped it shut. "I hate you."

"My sentiments exactly," he drawled, folding his arms over his chest, letting a sneer spread across his face.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh and stormed off.

I am such a liar, Malfoy thought.

---

One day earlier…

Hermione woke with a start. She had just been kissing Malfoy, had she not? She rubbed her head lightly and let herself fall back on her pillow. No, Hermione thought. It was all just a dream…

There was a soft knock at her door.

"Come in?" Hermione called.

Her mother was at the door, smiling softly. "How was your night?"

Hermione frowned, eyeing the dresser that held the empty wine bottle and dirty glasses. "Dull… we had wine and talked about school and other menial things…"

"Oh," Jean replied. "Well, where was he headed this morning?"

Hermione frowned yet again. "He left?"

She nodded. "Just this morning. With Adrianna."

"Hmm," Hermione murmured. "I don't know…"

Jean patted her knee. "At any rate, you need to get up. There's a letter for you on the table downstairs… and I made you breakfast as well. So, come along."

Hermione sighed. "Alright…"

---

Hermione,

Today is Christmas Eve and I really want you to come to the Burrow. You and Ron will be fine and I really miss you… So does Gin and Molly… even Percy. So please, come out here… even for just an evening?

Love,

Harry

---

Harry,

I would, but I invited Malfoy to my home this Christmas because he was all alone with his daughter… Unless he can come too, I don't think I can make it. Send Gin and Molly my love.

Love,

Hermione

---

Don't worry about it. It's fine. He can come too. Honest. See you at four o' clock.

Harry

---

Hermione bit her lower lip. She was definitely not pleased about the way her conversation with Harry went. She expected to see him back off and tell her that it wasn't such a good idea… but no, he told her it was fine. What the hell? Hermione slumped back further on the couch.

"What's gotten you so fidgety?"

Hermione jumped. "What? Why? What are you talking about? Where have you been?"

Malfoy frowned at her. "Everything alright?"

She shook her head and dismissed him, sinking back into her thoughts. It was twelve o' clock… she only had four hours to get her act together.

"Seriously, Granger… What's gotten into you?" Malfoy asked as she took a seat next to her on the couch.

"Nothing," Hermione replied. "Where have you been?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You're not excused… you can't just leave unexpectedly for half the day, doing Merlin knows what…" Hermione trailed. "Really, what were you doing? Where were you?"

"Well, Mum, I dropped Adrianna off with her grandparents…" Malfoy replied and saw confusion strike Hermione's face. "Astoria's folks place."

She was still confused. "But I thought…"

"…Just because Astoria doesn't give a rat's ass about her child, doesn't mean her parents don't either."

Hermione nodded. "I'm sorry… I was just…"

He shrugged, no worries etched on his face. "Doesn't matter, really. They love her and that's all that matters… I love the girl, but I now have some much needed me time… Why are you so anxious?"

Hermione shot him a look. "Why are you so complacent?"

"Touché? I guess…" Malfoy looked at her. "Really. What is bugging you?"

Hermione sighed and reached into her pocket and shoved him the letter. He scanned through. "Oh…"

She groaned. "I know…"

"You want to go."

Hermione's gaze met his. "I…I don't want to put you in that situation…"

"Again, doesn't matter. You're going." Malfoy patted her knee. "Besides, you know I get great pleasure from watching Weasels twitch…"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but was muffled by the sudden touch of his lips to hers... and then he was gone.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. What had just happened?

---

"Are you sure she's coming, mate?" Ron asked, nervous as hell.

Harry nodded. "I'm sure. She can't just ditch my plea like that…"

"Why's that?" Ginny asked, eyebrows raised.

Harry suddenly became very nervous. "Oh, hehe, you know… erm, like… we're best friends. It's not like there's anything going on."

Ginny snorted. "Oh please, Harry… you're good looking… but face it, Hermione has become a bombshell and she is way out of your league… I'm surprised she even stayed with R… OW! Damnit, Harry," Ginny grumbled and rubbed her side where Harry had elbowed her.

Ron was paled. "She really is beautiful… I don't know why she even dated me in the first place…"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Come off it. You're good looking… Hell, if I weren't a bloke, I'd snog you…"

Ron and Ginny blinked several times at him. Harry looked down at his drink champagne and then back up at the red heads. "It's the alcohol."

"Weird," Ginny breathed.

Ron started laughing. "I always thought you had a twinkle in your eye for me."

Harry blushed. "Fuck off, Weasley." And then he downed the remaining contents from his champagne flute. "I was just trying to build up your confidence."

"Oh, you did that alright," Ron joked. "I think you actually got me all hot and bothered."

Ginny was giggling and Harry shot her a look. "What? You brought it on yourself talking about how good looking my brother was…"

"Wow, did I really miss that much? Harry? You jumped ships?"

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed and ran over to her, giving her a hug. "Don't listen to them… I made one little comment and they won't let it go."

"You said you'd snog Ron because you thought he was attractive!" Ginny shouted out.

"No," Harry said through gritted teeth and turned to look at them both. "I said… if I weren't a bloke, I'd snog him…"

Hermione sniggered. "That's still awfully weird, Harry."

"Right?" Ron laughed, catching Hermione's eye for the first time. They smiled slightly at each other and quickly looked away.

"FUCK YOU ALL!" Harry bellowed and stormed past them, up the stairs, slamming his door over dramatically.

"Oh Hermione!" Ginny laughed. "You should have been here! It was so funny!"

Hermione smiled. "I wish I would have been," she replied and welcomed Ginny's embrace.

Hermione then turned to Ron who looked at her sheepishly. Hermione took in a small breath and held out her arms to hug him. Ron gulped and quickly shoved out his hand. Hermione frowned, rolled her eyes and let her hand grasp his. She felt rejected and kind of embarrassed.

"Nice to see you, Hermione," Ron said and quickly retracted his hand and shoved it in his trouser's pocket.

Hermione had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, Ronald, nice to see you too."

"And we all know it's nice to see me," Malfoy drawled and walked towards them. He took Ginny's hand and kissed it. Hermione noticed a blush creep across her cheek and Ron's only visible fist to clench. "And so nice to see you, Ronald." He stuck out his hand, waiting for Ron to accept it.

Ron glared at Malfoy's pale hand and with nostrils flaring he turned on one heel and stormed up the stairs, he too slamming his door dramatically. Hermione let her eyes roll freely now.

"Hermione? What is he… uhm, doing here?"

Hermione blinked. "What? Harry didn't tell you? He said… he said it would be fine."

"He did, I read the letter," Malfoy chimed in.

Hermione closed her eyes and mentally kicked herself for bringing him. She knew he was going to cause troubles… Merlin, why don't I think sometimes? Hermione pondered.

Ginny frowned and shook her head. "Harry never told me he sent you a letter… I mean, I sent you a letter… and you never responded."

Hermione blushed. "Gin, I'm sorry… I was really busy…"

"…you know what she means?" Malfoy jeered.

"Shut up," Hermione snapped and punched him in the arm.

"Ow! Merlin, woman…" He muttered and rubbed his arm. "You…"

"…hit like a man, I know. Now, shut up."

"Okay. Okay."

Ginny smirked. "You seem to have him completely tamed."

"No, just house trained," Malfoy replied. "Get me in the bedroom and I'm… OW! DAMNIT HERMIONE!"

Hermione glared in his direction. "Stop acting like such an idiot."

"What is a Malfoy doing in our home?"

The three of them snapped their gaze to see Percy, clad in the most hideous sweater ever seen and matching socks.

"Nice get up, Weasel," Malfoy snorted.

Percy looked rather indignant. "I'll have you know that I will not be treated in such a manner."

Just then, a pillow collided with his head.

"Stop being such a prude, Perce," Bill commanded cherrily. "Oi! Hermione! Long time no chat!"

"Bill!" Hermione hugged him. "Where's Fleur and the kids?"

"They're in France, visiting the parents," Bill replied with a shrug. "What up, Malfoy?"

Malfoy blinked a little. "Uhm, not a whole lot… Bill?"

Hermione laughed. "Wow, I think you might have almost killed him with kindness, Bill."

Bill smirked. "That was the point."

Malfoy shook his head. "Er, right…"

"Just messing." Bill ruffled Malfoy's hair and jumped over the back of the couch and slid into a seat, propping his feet on the coffee table.

"Did I hear correctly?" A voice resounded from the kitchen as Molly emerged from behind the door. "Is a Malfoy really… Oh! Merlin's beard… why is there a Malfoy in my home?!"

Malfoy shifted uncomfortably. "Erm, hello, Mrs. Weasley."

She just squinted her eyes at him, not replying. Just then, Harry and Ron began coming back downstairs just as George walked through the door.

"Oi! What is it? Halloween? Is someone trying to be funny and dress up like a Malfoy?!" George chortled.

Hermione shot a glance at a very uncomfortable Malfoy. "He's… he's actually here with me."

Everyone turned to look at Hermione.

"What?" Ron hissed.

Hermione groaned. "No! Not like that! I just mean… he was lonely… and I was just being nice…"

"Right…" George droned, smirking at Hermione who was now blushing.

"So you dumped my brother for the likes of him!?" Bill laughed. "That's classic!"

"Sod off, Bill!" Ron shouted.

The door swung open again and Arthur Weasley was walking in. "I got news that Remus is going to be… Holy hell! There's a Malfoy in my living room!"

Ginny sighed. "Dad, he's with Hermione."

"Wh…what?" Arthur sputtered. "But… what about Ron?"

Hermione wanted to scream, even though this whole situation as quite comical. "What about Ron! I'm not dating him! Nor am I dating Malfoy! Just lay off!"

George shrugged. "You're right, 'Mione… I mean he did save Ron's life… Harry's too…"

"GEORGE!" Ron and Harry growled at the same time.

Everyone was staring at the two of them now.

"He what? Ron? Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione breathed.

"It was almost six months ago… not a big deal," Malfoy muttered.

Molly's eyes widened. "Not… not a big deal?! If it weren't for you, apparently, my son would be dead!"

"Oh, come off it, Mum… I'm fine," Ron replied, irritated.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yea… okay… so Death Eaters attacked us and we all would have died if it weren't for the fact that Malfoy warded them off and incapacitated about four of them… on his own… without any help… okay, okay… we get it. He's our savior… blah, blah, blah. We owe him our lives. Jeez, I'm rambling."

Ginny laughed. "You really shouldn't have had that third glass of champagne."

Hermione began giggling too and pretty soon the whole room was laughing at nothing in particular… but it sure washed away any weirdness or awkwardness. Malfoy relaxed a little, allowing himself a few chuckles as well.

"What the fuck is he doing here!"

Everyone turned to look at a flabbergasted Charlie standing in the doorway. Everyone started roaring with laughter again.

"Oi, Charlie! He's with Hermione!" Bill laughed.

Charlie frowned and looked from Ron, to Hermione then to Malfoy and then at his hysterical family, still laughing as if Malfoy was one of their old friends and he just told the most hilarious joke. "You are all off your rockers…" he said, shrugging and walking into the kitchen.

The laughter eventually died down and soon everyone just went back to normal. Hermione waited Ron was out of the room and then she grabbed Malfoy's hand and drug him outside, through the snow, underneath the secluded willow that her and Ron used to steal kisses back in the day.

"What's this all about?" Malfoy asked, still allowing himself to be dragged. "It's fucking cold out!"

Hermione stopped and turned him to face her. "What was that all about earlier?"

"What?" Malfoy asked.

"You know what."

"No, I really don't…"

"Yes… yes you do."

"What do I know?"

"You know what you did."

"I've done a lot… refresh my memory?"

So she did. He grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him, hard, quick and smugly. "That."

"Oh… you mean this?" Malfoy grabbed her by the waist forcefully and pressed her up against the trunk of the willow, dipping down to capture her lips on his. His body was pressed firmly up against hers and he felt her give in and snake her arms around his neck, her left leg snaking up and hooking around his waist. He began sucking on her neck, taking in her every scent. Relishing in her taste and the feel of her warm, soft body tangled up him his. He pressed his hips up against her and she let out a soft, sweet moan. He smirked against her neck and then he pulled away.

Hermione breathed heavily and wiped her lips. "Yea, I meant that."

"I told you last night why."

Hermione frowned. "What did you tell me?"

Malfoy smirked. "You weren't that drunk, Hermione."

She bit her lower lip. Was her dream in fact a reality? "You… you lo…"

"Hermione?"

She looked over Malfoy's shoulder instantly to see Ron standing there with the worst expression in his eyes. Disappointment.

"Oh dear god…" Hermione breathed and pushed Malfoy off of her. Ron shook his head and began jogging back to the house. "Ron! Wait!" She ran after him.

"Yes, Hermione… I am in love with you." Malfoy sighed and turned to watch her run after the one guy that was always going to be in his way. "Fuck you, Granger."

A/N: I am really liking where this is going and YES… I know I am completely biased when I say that… but oh well. Can't wait to start writing part two… it's going to intense… unless, of course… I just drag it out… =P But, erm… well. Just… READ AND REVIEW!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Even if you hate it, I would appreciate the feedback. =]