Disclaimer: Everything besides my plot belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

Ch. 33

Dear Mum and Dad,

I miss you both terribly! But luckily, Christmas is less than two weeks away. I hope you're both doing well! Harry, Ginny, and I have become quite the new little trio. I'm still not speaking to Ron, but I'm getting a lot better with dealing that there is a possibility that our friendship has simply come to a close. Not quite the replacement, but still extremely important, I have made a new friend. His name is Draco Malfoy. I know what you're thinking. Isn't that the same boy that bullied our daughter for nearly all of her time at Hogwarts? You're right, but he's changed. Since we've been assigned Head Boy and Girl, we've gotten to be great friends, agreeing to a fresh start. Draco has been there for me all of the times that Ron wasn't. We even designed the Winter Ball together. Sadly, Draco will not be spending Christmas break with his mum, and I suspect it's because –

I bit my lip, my quill hovering centimeters away from the parchment. I had been about to tell my parents a bit about Draco's parents, and especially what I knew about his father's past. It wasn't much information, but it albeit; it could've been something they need to know. But what would make them want Draco over our house when his family had such issues? Instead, I searched my brain for a small fib that would suffice, for now at least.

– Because his mother has to attend a funeral for a family friend. He was very close to the person, and although he didn't tell me who it was, I could tell he was visibly crushed. It's quite sad, really. It was then brought to my attention that Draco would be spending his holidays here at Hogwarts, alone. I felt so bad for him that I kind of invited him to stay over our house for Christmastime. I'm sorry for the short notice, but would it be alright if Draco spent the winter break with us? If you had seen the look on his face, you would have invited him as well. I hope you agree to let him stay over. It would mean so much not only to me, but to him as well.

Much love,

Hermione.

There, I sighed. That hadn't been so hard.

I really hoped that my parents would be okay with Draco coming over. I knew my Mum definitely would, as she always loved having guests, but Dad? He was the one I wasn't so sure of.

It wasn't that he was against having friends over –countless friends had stayed over before, including Harry and Ron…but how would he react when he realized the guest of the house was the same boy that had once been snobbish and prejudiced against his only daughter?

I didn't think my dad would take to kindly to that.

Nonetheless, when Mum supplied her vote, which would most likely be an absolute yes, dad would cave in, as he always did. Sighing, I got up from my desk and got ready to settle in for the night, making my way to the bathroom for a nice warm shower.

I didn't regret my decisions.

I only wished I had thought of all this a little bit sooner.

VVVVV

It was strange really, how my emotions could contort themselves against my will sometimes.

So much for calmly debating on going to Hermione's house for the holidays, because after dinner I had practically ran upstairs to my dormitory and scribbled a quick yet exceptionally polite note of acceptance of her invitation, followed by a quick run to the Owl Post to deliver it to her. To add on to that, I didn't even know what had suddenly made me so sure of my decision. All in all, I had been ten minutes late to my nightshift Quidditch practice because of this, and as an undisclosed punishment for my tardiness, Pucey, our team's captain, was now royally taking the piss out of me.

"Malfoy!" Pucey roared as he received the quaffle from Blaise and slammed it into one of the large hoop goals. "Are you going to catch that snitch, or wait for the bloody grass to grow?"

Rolling my eyes, I swerved my broom around in the air and glided in another direction, my eyes scanning the dark, cool night air furtively.

Nothing.

Where was the familiar golden glint I was so used to seeing? It was always a tinkling flash, and by the time your eyes rolled in their sockets in its direction, it would be gone. But that's what I loved about the game, and about being Seeker.

I loved the chase.

"Oi, don't get your knickers in a bunch, Adrian", Blaise drawled somewhere below me at Pucey. "It's bloody dark out here, not to mention cold. Don't blame any of us if we're not going fast enough, because if I remember correctly, the reason why we're on nightshifts now in the first place is because you were too slow to fill in our time slots on time."

I smirked as Pucey remarked back, his voice nearly sheepish, but I didn't get the chance to hear his full remark, because a small, bright, golden orb was suddenly inches away from my nose. My hand swiped into the air, missing the golden ball by a millisecond. Without another pause, I dove downwards after it, veering swiftly past other players. It all seemed to be out of focus now, and the only thing clearly in my view was the shiny Golden Snitch, surrounded by a blur of emerald green robes and the dark navy blue of pure night sky. Air gushed into my eyes from the pressure of the speed, pulling my eyelids back a bit. I didn't dare reach a hand up to wipe stray watery tears from the constant blast of wind flooding into my eyes.

One false move, and the Snitch would be out of my sight again, or even worse, I'd be lying in a broken heap on the grounds of the Quidditch Pitch. Neither would be favorable.

I accelerated higher into the sky, and at the familiar tug of my body, I realized that I was close to hitting the barrier of the magical school enchantments. The feeling wasn't so bad, but it was rather uncomfortable. It felt a bit like the pre-sensation of Apparition.

The miniscule globe flew in another direction for the third time, and my urgency to retrieve it increased by tenfold. Arm outstretched, I tilted against my broom, fingers inches behind the small little thing. My brows furrowed in concentration, and my teeth hooked onto my bottom lip in anticipation.

So close.

Inches away.

Centimeters away.

With a sudden downward tilt of my broom, my gloved hand quickly smacked through the air and hit the top of the Snitch. Without a seconds haste, my fingers quickly wrapped themselves around the ball, trapping its small fluttery wings between my thumb and pinky finger. I relished in the familiar cooling sensation that erupted in my hand as my the tips of my fingers came into contact with the valuable gold, hard and icy in my palm, soaking through the hard leathery substance of my glove. I closed my eyes for a moment at the signal horn. Had this been an official game, we would have won. Eyes closed, I imagined the hundreds of screaming supporters of Slytherin, and well…the not so supporting.

Good old Gryffindor.

I could hear the booing just as clearly I could hear the adoring yells and screams of satisfaction.

Upon hearing the ending whistle blow, I slowly sank my broom back to the ground and hopped off. Blaise and Pucey approached me as the others began to get off of their brooms and release their hands from their leather clad confines.

"Finally, Malfoy! Took you long enough, eh?" Pucey smirked as he too removed his gloves. I wasn't in the mood to talk back, as the chase for the Snitch had calmed me. I only nodded, and went to move past him, but however, his hand my shoulder brought me to a halt. I couldn't help but glare a little at him.

"Next time you're late to practice", he said softly before gesturing over to the Quidditch Equipment cart, "You'll be carrying all of that gear on your back. Without a wand." He added starkly. Rolling my eyes, I shoved his hand off of me and continued to walk back to the castle. A few moments later, Blaise was beside me.

"Mate, you should really be a bit more…polite around Pucey. If any of us had pulled a little stunt like that, we would've been kicked off the team." He suggested.

I exhaled loudly, but nonetheless, I didn't stop walking. "I'm trying, alright? And thanks for the hint, but I really could care less about how Pucey wants me to act. I get it, he's team Captain, but he's really been getting on my nerves lately. He thinks it's funny to take the piss out of me."

Blaise shrugged. "Yeah, but… –"

"But nothing. If Pucey's got a problem with me, he can come talk to me about it. I know for a fact he won't kick me off the team, because let's face it, I'm one of his most valuable players." I stated frankly.

I wasn't being self-centered. It was the truth! At yearly Quidditch tryouts, I always completely slaughtered my opponents, and for the last few years, the team Captains hadn't even bothered to let me try out for Seeker again. The spot was practically mine, and as I realized that this would be my last year playing Seeker, I felt somewhat crushed. We had entered the school's corridors now, so our voices had lowered instinctively.

"Agreed", Blaise muttered. We walked quietly on for a few minutes before Blaise spoke again. "By the way, Weaselette told me that Granger wanted you to stop by."

My walk slowed as he said Hermione's name, and my stomach turned over. Had she decided that she didn't want me over her house this Christmas? Something very close to embarrassment flooded into me at the thought of her rejecting my acceptance.

"What?" I swallowed. Blaise's brow quirked visibly as I did.

"Ginny, I mean. She caught me in the hallway before practice, said Hermione wanted to see you." He mused. Not wanting Blaise to become suspicious of anything, I quickly shook my nerves off and cleared my throat.

"Really? For what?" I asked, a cool mask seeping over my features.

"The hell if I know", Blaise smirked, before winking. "Unless… –"

I sputtered incoherently, flabbergasted that Blaise would even think that Hermione and I were having casual…relations. He didn't have to say it aloud. I knew Blaise so well I could tell what he was thinking by his facial expressions alone.

"No! No, Blaise. Hermione and I are just friends – I've told you that!"

Blaise only shrugged, his smirk growing and stretching in size. "Alright, no need to get your knickers in a bunch about it."

I then realized that although it wasn't that late, there seemed to be no one else in this area of the school apart from the two of us. Blaise began to tread up the stairs ahead of us.

"Are you going to see her now then, or later?" He asked. I shrugged nonchalantly, and as I did, my abdomen twisted with satisfaction that Hermione wanted to see me. I hoped it was for a good result, but if not…well then visiting her in itself would be quite alright with me.

"Dunno", I replied. "I think I'll freshen up a bit first. Then I'll decide if I have time or not." I replied, when in my mind I knew my decision already. By the time Blaise had gone upstairs, I had dashed for the other direction, to my room. First I would freshen up, and immediately after that, I would pay a visit to Hermione.

I had the time, and I had it now.

VVVVV

A sudden, abrupt knock at my door was the second thing that had startled me that night. I had been resting on my bed, reading calmly with Crookshanks beside me when I had heard it.

There was an abrupt rap at the door, and I sat upright immediately, causing Crookshanks to leap to the floor and scurry under my bed, his safe haven for when other people besides me were around. He hated guests.

There was a smaller, this time expected, knock at the door, and although it wasn't too late– a few minutes before 10:30 in fact – I wondered who would want something from me at this hour.

"Coming!" I called out as I made my way to the door, wondering who it would be behind it. Maybe it was Harry, or Ginny? 'No', I thought, they would have voiced themselves by now. Hands inches away from the doorknob, I decided I would just find out who it was when I opened the door. A little surprise wouldn't hurt. My left hand reached out and curled over the doorknob, and as I pulled the door open I held back a gasp.

The element of surprise had done well, for oh what a surprise it was.

Upon opening the door, I had opened my mouth to form a greeting, but now it slacked and crept silently out of my mouth.

Standing at my doorstep was Draco himself, his tall from creating a warm shadow against the side of the doorframe. Still in surprise, I looked him over and saw that he was in his Quidditch uniform, complete with arm and leg guards, his hair tousled from what must have been the harsh wind outside. Wordlessly, I kept staring at him, and under my gaze, I could've sworn I saw a flicker of hesitancy cross his eyes, but as I searched them again, his icy grey-blue orbs met mine head on.

"Hi", he said breathlessly, and a small smile graced his upturned lips. Gaining my senses back, I closed my mouth and ignored his smirk as I did. I was too busy trying to form coherent words.

"Draco?" I said, surprised. "What are you doing here? It's past curfew!"

At my questioning, Draco's brows raised quizzically. "You wanted to see me?"

I stared at him for a moment, confused now more than ever. Where had he heard that? I had never asked to see him…had I? No, I remembered firmly. I hadn't.

Out of habit, a hand went up to perch on the arch of my hip.

"Who told you that?"

Draco was now looking thoroughly puzzled. "Ginny, of course! Well, actually she told Blaise, who then dropped the message to me… –"

As he explained, realization sank into the pit of my stomach, and I felt a hard, heated blush emerge on my face and chest. At my embarrassment, Draco cut his story short and became quietly perplexed again.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and I couldn't help but be reminded of a little innocent boy at tone of his remark.

I shook my head tiredly. "Ginny", I bit out. Draco was smart, and when I didn't continue, he quickly figured out the gist of the situation himself.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Well this was awkward, not to mention embarrassing. Here stood Draco, standing on my doorstep past curfew, because of a little trick that Ginny had decided to play on us. What had she been playing at, anyways? As much as I loved Ginny, frustration and confusion pulsed through me at the thought that it was her fault we were now in this awkward situation.

"I'm going to kill Blaise. He probably had a part in this as well!" Draco hissed, before turning to me again.

For once, I found the situation slightly amusing. "You probably won't have to. It seems Ginny has conned him too." I pondered, and at my small smile, Draco lightened up slightly. Before we knew it, we were laughing quietly at the awkward position we had been placed into. In fact, we were giggling like little girls. After a moment or two, I realized how rude I was being for letting Draco stand outside of my doorway.

"Do you want to come in?" I asked softly, and to my surprise, Draco didn't pull back in any way. Instead, he took another step towards me.

"Why not?"

Stepping back, I let him pass through the open door and into my quarters. As he passed me, the familiar and alluring smell of his musky, citrus hinted cologne traveled into my nostrils. Discreetly, I greedily took in another breath. If there were things I absolutely loved about Draco, it was his scent…

I managed to catch the thought before it traveled too far away.

Absolutely loved?

Why had I used the word loved? I hadn't meant it, had I?

Taking me from my thoughts, the sound of Draco whistling brought me back to the settings of my room.

"Well, well, Hermione, your room is much better than I thought it would be. For one, I thought it would be completely plastered in Gryffindor colors." He mused, looking around the room.

Instinctively, I curled inwardly with embarrassment. Having Draco in my room made everything seem so private all of a sudden, and the unnecessary nervous expectation that he would find something inappropriate for him to see clouded my head. What if I had left a bra lying around, or if a spare knicker was hanging out of my dresser? Draco would never let me live it down!

"I'm almost pretty sure your quarters are everything Slytherin", I replied dryly as I walked past him to fix my bed covers. I heard him laugh a short distance away. As I adjusted my frazzled bed sheets, the back of my shirt lifted slightly, exposing an infinitesimal part of my lower back to the air that contrasted greatly to warmth of the rest of my cloth-covered skin. I reached to pull it down, feeling the need to blush again. Looking down at my clothing, I realized that I had nothing on but a think v-neck sweater and striped pajama bottoms. I wondered why Draco hadn't commented on my clothing choice yet. He was probably saving an especially snarky comment on it for later. It was then that I realized he hadn't answered yet, something that was quite uncommon for him. Anyone that knew Draco also knew that he constantly had something to say – especially if it gave him a chance to express his witty qualities.

"Draco?" I questioned again. No answer.

Letting go of my finally smoothed out sheets, I turned to see where he had stopped in my room. Interest plagued me as my eyes finally found him again.

Not too far from my doorway, Draco had stopped at the large bookshelf that took up a hefty portion of the wall in front of me. He seemed to be quietly entranced in something, and as I watched, a long pale hand reached out into one of the shelves and gingerly lifted out a rectangular object. I couldn't see what it was from my part of the room, and as he stared at it even longer, I couldn't restrain the urge to see what was distracting him so much.

Quietly, I walked over and stood beside him. He was taller than me, and as we stood side by side, my head rested a bit higher than his shoulder. Wordlessly, as I tilted my head to see the item, my throat tightened.

In Draco's hands rested the only picture I had taken the night of the Winter Ball. I watched as it moved, and in my head, the memories came flooding back.

The picture was a simple one. Ginny, Lavender, Padma, Luna, and Parvati surrounded me as I stood in the middle. We had been standing in the middle of the dance floor, when we had suddenly decided to take a picture before the party became too rowdy. We were all smiling.

"For memories", Lavender had said.

Unfortunately, taking the picture seemed to be the only memory I had that hadn't been plagued and tinged with alcohol. My eyes mentally burning holes through the picture, I watched as my dressed marvelously picked up the lights in the room, making the small rhinestones embroidered around the bust shimmer. I smiled brightly as Ginny brought me closer to her. Hilariously, she winked, and I heard the faintest laugh emerge from Draco's lips, so small it could have been confused for a breath. I looked away then. I couldn't stand to see my friends and myself so happy when I knew that I had ruined what would've been a wonderful night not many hours after that very picture had been taken. Tears threatened to erupt in my eyes, and I glanced downward, blinking furiously. I wouldn't cry in front of Draco, and especially not over something we had already talked about and figured out together. After a few moments, Draco cleared his throat quietly.

"Are you…?"

"You don't have to say anything", I stopped him sharply, and although I spoke diffidently, I felt completely the opposite. Draco nodded.

"Well, even with that in mind…you looked pretty. Really pretty." Draco sighed softly. I looked up at him, unsurprised as his eyes brazenly stared into mine. The famous unfathomable expression had returned.

I then realized how close we were, not only to the bookshelf, but to each other. Our bodies had somehow ended up facing more towards each other than side to side, and as Draco looked down at me, I felt the flush of anticipation run over my skin. I seemed to have blanked out when he complimented me, something I had never imagined him to do again after that night on the steps by the ball. Pleasure whirred in my chest like a ticking clock, and I felt as if I was about to burst. Draco stepped closer and my breath caught in my throat, and as he licked his lips, I watched as after his teeth swiped over the edge of his bottom lip. Tentatively, I raised a hand to his silky, green, fabric-covered bicep. He was closer than ever now, and I didn't feel the need to restrain him. My mind felt dazed, cloudy.

High, almost.

Draco's hand was inches away from brushing against my hip. Why wasn't I stopping him? I didn't know. I ached to feel the familiar electricity between our lips, and the feeling of drowning in him.

Suddenly, Draco jumped away with a yelp, knocking over a book from my shelf, and nearly tripping over the edge of the rug at his feet. I jumped in surprise, my breath finally returning. I gasped.

"What's wrong?" I asked cautiously, and in the back of my head I wondered if he would have a break down for almost trying to kiss me. Red hot embarrassment hit me in the face like a brick.

"Shit", Draco muttered, placing one hand to his heart while the other ruffled through his already wind tousled hair.

"What?" I asked urgently. I wanted to slap him. Did he really have to make such a big deal about it? I was embarrassed too! Couldn't he just have acted like it hadn't happened? I fought back another blush as I realized what a hit to my dignity it had been that he had had to stop himself short of kissing me. Not to mention that he was flailing around over it. I had half the nerve to ask him to leave…

Draco did nothing but suck in another breath and point an index finger to my feet.

Looking down at the carpet we stood on, I had to suppress a laugh, for Draco's sake. My embarrassment and anger at him floated away at the sight of Crookshanks purring and prowling about inches away from my feet. If anyone was to be embarrassed now, it would be Draco. Cooing, I leant down and took Crookshanks into my arms, placing a kiss on his left ear.

"Aw, Crookshanks! Did the pale, mean little boy scare you?" I playfully asked the cat while I watch Draco's reaction from behind my lashes. He was standing a few feet away, staring at me incredulously as I petted the cat.

"Me scare him? That bloody pig with hair nearly made me go into cardiac arrest! He was practically crawling up my leg!" He retorted, gesturing to the small scratches that Crookshanks had left on his shin guards. I chuckled.

"He likes you, Draco. It's not my fault you don't know how to deal with animals." I sniffed before turning my attention back to Crookshanks, deciding to play with his soft little paws. Draco snorted.

"That thing is not an animal. It's a furry, ginger, monster."

"Quiet or I'll make you pet him!" I threatened with a smile. As I set Crookshanks back down on my bed, I looked down at him in surprise when he didn't scurry back underneath the bed. He must have really liked Draco, because he didn't cower or hiss. In fact, he continued to purr.

"I think a likes you, a lot." I murmured confusedly. Draco scoffed.

"Well I can't say the feeling is mutual", he sneered disdainfully. "I'd rather not get too friendly with it."

"You don't understand!" I replied fervently. "Crooks has never liked any of my friends! Not Ron, Ginny, or Harry. Well, except Luna, but then again everything with some sort of deficiency seems to be attracted to her…"

Draco paused before laughing at my joke. "Really?"

I nodded. "Well…yeah, for the most part. I remember one time there was a three legged Hinkypunk that Hagrid had trapped on the grounds…he snarled at everyone, but he loved Luna to pieces… –"

"I was talking about your 'cat', Hermione", Draco reminded me, drawling sarcastically as he made air quotations with his fingers. I shrugged.

"Oh. Well, yeah I guess it's the truth. He usually just hides until guests or gone", I glanced over to see Crookshanks rubbing his head against my pillows, "But there's a first for everything isn't there?"

Draco looked over at me again, his eyes looking darker than before.

"Yeah. Yeah there is." He answered quietly. I smiled, and he returned it with a warm grin. There was a moment of silence, but it was not awkward like the others of the night had been. This silence was peaceful, soothing even.

"So? Since we've both been pranked, and I'm still here…should we discuss the plan for the holidays?" Draco asked, breaking the stillness. I grinned brightly, eager to discuss and make plans with him.

"Sure! I've actually just sent a letter to my Mum to set everything up. She's really glad we're having a guest. Not to mention it's someone new she can pester and feed humongous amounts of food to", I quirked. Draco smirked humorously, and a small piece of me edged with anticipation for my parents' reply to return. Along with the anticipation came a twinge guilt, for getting Draco so seemingly animated about the trip.

'No need, no need', I told myself. Mum and Dad would be perfectly happy having a guest…

"Sounds bearable", Draco teased before becoming serious. "By the way, if I haven't mentioned this to you before, I'm mentioning it now. I'll be leaving on Christmas Eve…I've decided I'll spent the two most important days with my mother", He stated.

I wondered why he had suddenly decided to return home when he had been so adamant about doing quite the opposite all of this time, but I didn't question him about it. If he had something to tell me, he could tell me when he was ready. Draco could trust me, and I hoped he knew that as well as I did. I was still very proud of him for being so open about my invitation, but now my pride swelled even more at the thought of him finally visiting his mother. He hadn't seen her or rarely spoken to her since the summer, he had told me that himself.

"That's really great", I smiled. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

Draco nodded in agreement, a small smile plastered to his face. "Yes, she will."

My eyes softened at his expression. He rarely wrote his mother letters, and when I would ask why, he would continually brush me off and say that he was too busy, or that he didn't want to bother her. But there had to be so much more to that story, right?

"She must really miss you." I told him, and I watched his eyes as they mysteriously glazed over.

"Yeah", Draco replied, and his voice cracked a bit. He coughed once before his eyes turned hard again.

"Well I should get going, it's getting pretty late." Draco stated. I glanced over at the small clock on my desk.

11:11

Before Draco could make a move towards my door, I closed the gap between us and grabbed his arm. "Wait!" I cried out, bringing him to halt. Draco glanced down to where my fingers were gripping his forearm tightly. I released him and fought an oncoming blush.

"What?" He asked curiously, but his tone was a bit more irritated than amused. It didn't faze me, however.

"Draco, its 11:11! You've got to make a wish!" I explained eagerly. Making wishes at 11:11 P.M. had always been one of my favorite things when I was little, and the habit had grown with me. It was a bit childish, but with everything going on in my life, I sometimes needed that one minute to give me hope. Draco scoffed.

"Sorry?"

"It's a Muggle thing – Draco you've got to hurry up and make a wish–!"

"I'm not a Muggle, Hermione."

"Well obviously", I retorted with a roll of my eyes. "It's just a fun thing to do. Besides, you don't have to be a Muggle to make a wish!"

Draco sighed exasperatedly, but began to do as I said. "Fine. I wish… –"

"No! If you say it aloud it won't come true!" I exclaimed. Draco jerked his head in the direction of the clock on my desk.

"Too late now anyway." He shrugged. It was true. As I glanced at the clock, I saw that it was now 11:12, and that the one precious moment of the night had been wasted. "Oops." Draco added sarcastically.

I stared at him, hard, for a moment. Sometimes Draco was so uncaring that I wondered if anything was really important to him at all. He couldn't even lose himself in a childish belief, whether his wish would've come true or not! He seemed so wound up that at times that I would actually be concerned for him.

"Draco?"

"What now?"

"Have you ever made a wish before?" I asked quietly. There was a slight pause before Draco answered the question.

"No", he replied firmly.

At his answer, I wanted to ask him why, and a series of questions. I felt stupid for wanting to do so, but still, his reasons intrigued me. "Why not?"

"Because", Draco answered with a roll of his eyes, "They're absolutely pointless. Either things happen, or they don't, Hermione. You're not going to get anywhere in life by believing that some undetermined higher force of power is going to magically solve your problems for you. Trust me on that." He finished, and a dark, stern glare appeared on his face, making his eyes turn a cold, pewter color.

I stayed quiet. I didn't know what to say to him. Draco had obviously had a difficult adolescence. I decided I wouldn't question him any further. He had such a dour outlook on life sometimes. His personalities often varied on his mood, and I guessed that he had had a difficult day. Whether he had expected a rabid outburst at his views from me, I didn't know, for he continued to walk out of my room. I didn't stop him.

Upon reaching the doorway, he turned back to me, only to find me staring down idly at the carpet. His eyes softened once more as he spoke to me, and I wondered if maybe he felt slightly guilty at his choice of words.

"Sleep well, Hermione." He stated, but it wasn't with confidence, but instead, a murmur. When I didn't answer, Draco turned away again and finally exited my room.

"You too", I responded, more to myself than to him as the door closed softly behind his form. Once he was gone, I sighed quietly, and went over to lie in my bed again, becoming swallowed once more by the warm, comfortable covers. I wondered if Draco would really sleep well.

Would he? Or would he be plagued by unpleasant visions and dreams of his pressured life? I wondered what Draco thought about, when he was alone, wrapped in his own covers in the dead of night. Did he think of his father? Or his cheerless, abandoned mother?

I didn't know.

He wouldn't tell me. I wanted to help Draco, but how could I possibly manage to when he shut himself away from the world, when he compartmentalized his emotions the way he did? I turned in my covers, cocooning myself within their plush depths. I wished that he would open up to me. Draco didn't have to share everything with me, we weren't a couple or anywhere near it, for that matter –but I had still given him so much of myself. He knew more about me than I knew of him. A thought flashed through my mind, and I thanked my inner genius.

The holiday break.

With a definite possibility of Draco spending time with me for the holidays as friends, I would have about a week and a half to spend with him. Mentally planning, I decided that the time would be used for Muggle activities that Draco could enjoy without being too freaked out. With a hint of magical influence, of course. With the slightest bit of hope, I closed my eyes and began to settle in.

I would get Draco to open up to me, and Christmas break would be the perfect time to do it.

VVVVV

Hey guys! This chapter was a big fluff-ball for me to write! Don't you just love Ginny? We'll see why she played that prank later and whether Blaise knew her motives or not. Christmas break is nearly here for Draco and Hermione, and she is determined to get him to open up to her! Will she succeed? What would you like to happen during their vacation? Any specific events? If so, please feel free to message me or leave a review, ideas, or constructive criticism! Love to all and for those of you in the states, HAPPY MLK DAY! x