~Perfect Harmony~

Disclaimer: Me no own Parry Hotter. Can't stress that enough times.

Please enjoy!

~Friends~

It had been roughly a month since their first encounter down by the lake; since then, whenever they needed privacy away from their friends they found themselves meeting there. It wasn't as though they planned it, and it certainly had nothing to do with them actually wanting to see the other...it just happened. At least, that's what they told themselves. After all, what would their friends think if they found out they were getting chummy with the 'worst sort of person'? Anyhow, little Hermione Granger seemed to always have a book in hand-a rather large one at that-and one day Draco Malfoy coughed up the courage to ask exactly what she and her little friends were up to. It took some persuading, but eventually she confided in telling him about the trap door and someone trying to break in and take whatever was being guarded. She kept from him the fact that it was Snape; that was his house head and she didn't want their...companionship to end so soon. He surprised her by offering his help; this had made him quite curious as well.

That had been a few weeks ago. Now he sat in the library of his house across his mother. She had been nagging at him ever since his father had left for work about everything that had happened during the first half of his first term at Hogwarts. "The first bit had been a bit exciting, I'll admit," Draco had shrugged. He went on to talk about what the first week had felt like, the flying lessons-he intentionally skipped over everything he had done after Longbottom was out of the picture, hoping she wouldn't ask him about it- and then went on to speak about how all his classes were going.

Then there was an eery silence and Draco knew exactly what his mother was about to say before she even said it. Leaning forward in her chair with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she said the name. "Hermione Granger." Draco's shoulders slumped and he put his head down-he would never admit that he did this partially to keep the small smile on his face hidden long enough to recompose himself. When he lifted his head again, though, his mother just smirked. She may have been the kindest soul in the entire world, but she was still a Malfoy; it was their trademark. "First of all, how did you two meet? It was on the train, I presume?"

At this, Draco pursed his lips together and shook his head. "Well...you see..." And then Draco went on to explain how he had lingered after getting his wand and bumping into her to watch as she got her wand and then told his mother what Ollivander had said to her about the wand. "After that, I couldn't get her out of my head. Stupid, really, but true."

"Ah, so that's why you were going around the rest of the summer in a daze every time you thought I wasn't watching," Narcissa Malfoy smiled, teasing her young son. "Then I suppose you both encountered each other in classes? She was placed in Gryffindor, correct?"

Draco nodded. He replayed his thoughts of her when she had first stood up for herself and Neville on the train, and then continued to talk about what it was like to be in class with her. "It was a nightmare, I tell you. Every thirty seconds, her hand would fly up. When a professor asked a question, her hand would be the first thing you see. She was so eager that one time the poor bloke sitting next to her got a slap in the face without so much as a glance over her shoulder as an apology. I will admit, times like those I thought were a bit hilarious."

He knew that eventually they were going to get to this flying lesson business, so he just opted to say it all very fast and hope his mother didn't catch it all.

That was a stupid idea. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, you did what exactly?" The narrowing of her eyes and the frown of her lips was something not even You-Know-Who would want to be at the receiving end of. Draco was cowering in his seat, hands tightly clasp together. "You're telling me that you laughed at poor Neville Longbottom for breaking his wrist, tried to break something that clearly did not belong to you, attempted to expel Harry Potter, and hoped he had broken something as well? All in a span of 5 minutes? That, young man, is quite a record. And this was on your third day of classes, correct?" All the poor child could do was nod and hang his head in shame. "So then, what? You tried to rub it all in Hermione Granger's face and you got your behind handed to you on a silver platter? Tell me exactly what she said."

"She said...she said..." He really didn't want to relive this, but there was no way out. "She said 'Have some sympathy like a normal human being, you selfish, childish, stuck up, snot-nosed little prat! After all, it was your aunt that caused him to lose his parents before he truly got to know them. Have you absolutely no common decency, you stupid pureblood?! Someone could have been seriously injured and you have the gall to laugh about it? If something had happened, it would have been your provocation that caused it! How dare you attempt to harm a fellow student! Just because Neville is easy prey and Harry is so much better than you that you feel the need to try and have him expelled...you coward. You are a coward, Draco Lucius Malfoy, and you are a disgrace to the wizarding race! I sincerely hope you realize your mistakes before you end up in a worse condition than your father'..." He said it all monotonously, but he said it word for word. How could he not? Her words had been playing on a loop in his head for weeks after she spoke them.

Narcissa Malfoy raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed not only by the words chosen but by the fact that her son had memorized it all. "Well...while that was definitely a harsh sentiment, I believe you did deserve it, Draco. And since she did such a good job punishing you, I no longer have to worry about grounding you so close to Christmas. Well, continue on."

Draco nodded, trying not to show just how relieved he was that his mother had let him off just like that. When he saw a barely concealed smile on his mother's face, however, he groaned inwardly. She's enjoying this. "Well, after that she was definitely on my mind a lot more. And she wasn't making friends well, due to her stuck up, know-it-all attitude, so when she mastered a charm on her first try that no one else seemed to be getting, no one cheered. In fact, they all ignored her, including her own house. Can you imagine being ignored by the people you were supposed to be living with for the next 7 years? I admit, I was annoyed with her attitude as well and wanted to show her that she wasn't the only one who could do it, so I did it, too, and everyone in my house cheered for me. But when I looked back at her, she was just...sad. When I walked out I realized she was moving really fast and there were tears on her face. She skipped class, didn't show up all afternoon...I really shouldn't have cared but I did and I just felt so stupid for even thinking about if she was alright or not. I thought she was blowing things out of proportion, but again...I can't imagine being an outcast in my own house. Then this troll thing happened on Halloween-"

"Excuse me?!" Narcissa had gone pale with shock. "A troll?! How could Dumbledore not notice a troll?! Has he gone mad, letting children-"

"Mum, it's alright," he groaned, rolling his eyes. That was yet another thing he hated about getting to know the mud-muggleborn...he'd picked up her eye rolling habit. "As soon as it happened, Professor Dumbledore got us all back to our dormitories safely...well, most of us. But no one was hurt!"

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean by 'most of us'? Did you try to take on the troll, Draco Malfoy? Because if you did, I will-"

"Mum! No! Will you please just let me finish the story?" Taking a deep breath, and encouraging his mother to do the same, he continued on with the story. "I just heard Weasley and Potter mention Granger's name before running off and realized she wouldn't know about the troll because she was too busy crying in the bathroom like an idiot, so I followed them to make sure she was alright. Lots of chaos ensued, they knocked the thing out, I stood in the hall so no one knew I was there. Then the professors came. They were in trouble, I assume-couldn't hear anything-then I followed Granger back to her common room before pulling her aside and screamed at her about how stupid she was."

There was something about the way Draco paused that urged Narcissa to ask, "And?"

Still looking at the spot on the ground he'd been gazing at, he answered, "And she thanked me. She thanked me for saying she was the stupidest person ever and that she was a total idiot. It was...mental. Completely mental. After that...I couldn't even make a good enough plan attempting to expel Potter anymore."

Then he started going on about their encounter at the lake and how things got revealed and the like. He told her about their argument, how she wanted to just be herself and have people accept who she is and not someone they want her to be. The more he spoke about it, the more he realized just how much she reminded him of the woman sitting in front of him. Their values were the same. Their wills were strong. And they were both sad...very sad.

"We've met there a few other times," he wouldn't specify how often. "She's a big help when it comes to homework. We'll compare answers and whatnot-don't worry, I don't cheat and make her do it for me. If I'm to be a leader I know I need to at least be able to do these sorts of things on my own. I just meant she's a big help because I can actually have an intelligent conversation with her. I don't have to dumb anything down." He tilted his head in thought with a slight frown as he said, "I suppose she's on my mind more often than not because...she's challenged everything I've been taught about her kind, like you said. Although I still don't understand that whole analogy with the strawberries. Do they really taste like vegetables to you? It doesn't really matter. What I'm trying to say is that you may have a point..."

Narcissa watched as her son became lost in his thoughts before she began to escape into hers. On one note, she feared how nasty he had become towards others just to keep up appearances. She feared part of this was truly his nature and not just an act. She desperately wanted him to stay her sweet little boy, but she wasn't blind. She had seen him changing during the summer, especially as he spent more and more time with his father who had suddenly peaked an interest in his son due to him growing and entering the 'real' world. And even before then, she noticed how rude he could be to children he didn't like when he thought no one was looking.

On another note, she had hope. Hermione Granger. This girl could very well be the thing Draco needed to come back to who he was before his father began brainwashing him. Granger had a long road ahead of her, but Narcissa was clinging onto the very small sliver of hope the muggleborn girl had given her. Never before had she seen her son so animated when talking about a particular person. He always kept things vague with a 'They were nice' or 'I didn't quite like them' but he never went into full detail. Even if she hadn't hounded him for answers, she had a sneaking feeling that he would have poured out his thoughts to her anyhow. After all, this girl had been plaguing his mind since before they even boarded the train, and that was saying something. A Malfoy never dwells upon something for too long unless it is genuinely important to them.

"Well, have you thought about writing to her during the holidays?"she asked, pulling Draco from his thoughts in shock. It was obvious he hadn't. "Well, perhaps you should. It would help you get your thoughts together and figure things out. Now, on a different matter..." She narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward, and Draco became very afraid of his mother. "What was that about attempting to expel Harry Potter...again?" Yes, he was very, very afraid.

Hermione Granger sat on her bed reading through all of her school books again. She was trying desperately hard to find anything on Nicholas Flammel. Ever since Hagrid mentioned his name along with Professor Dumbledore's when discussing the trap door, she's been trying her best to figure out just who this bloke is. So far, none of them were coming up with anything. It got to the point where she even asked Malfoy if he knew anything during one of their study sessions down by the lake.

And that was another thing. She and Malfoy had become...she wanted to say friends but she thought that might be a bit much especially for a pureblood with certain beliefs about anyone who wasn't. She knew it had more to do with how he was raised, but it still upset her. She never said anything to him about calling her a mudblood, but she didn't have to. Most of the time when he caught himself saying it, he would turn to her and correct it. It touched her. He never did say sorry, but she had a feeling that if she pointed it out he would go on some long spiel about how a Malfoy never says sorry to anyone, no matter who you are. It was the same with saying thank you. He only ever said it when he was trying to kiss up to someone. She had learned that much about him.

Anyway, Malfoy had told her to try the Restricted Section in the library. It was a good idea and she had thought of it before, but she really didn't want to get caught. She also knew that she wasn't very good at sneaking around, so she had told Harry and Ron who were staying at school for the holidays to do it while she was away. It wasn't because she was scared. Well, maybe a bit, but it wasn't the fear of getting caught that made her reluctant to do it herself. She just knew that if she were caught, questions would be asked and then they may never find out who Nicholas Flammel is or what Fluffy is guarding in time to stop Snape from getting to it.

As she flipped another page, she heard a pecking at the window. Who could that be from? she wondered once she saw the beautiful black and white owl hovering outside with a roll of parchment tied to its leg. She thought that perhaps Harry or Ron had found something for her, or perhaps they just wanted to write and wish her a happy holiday.

Scooting off the edge of the bed, she opened the window and let the owl in before closing it. Then she untied the parchment and pet the pretty creature, giving it a small treat from her desk drawer. She'd been told it was common courtesy to give an owl compensation for their services, so she picked some treats up in Hogsmeade Station before boarding the train back home.

There was a fancy seal on the roll of parchment when she found the end to open it. It took a moment to study before she realized who had sent the letter. With heightened curiosity-and a blush she was happy no one was around to see-she undid the seal and read:

Hermione,

Did I spell that correctly? Your name's a bit weird, no offense. Well, I was just writing to say Happy Holidays. Is that weird? This whole...befriending a mudb-muggleborn is still new to me, so it's a bit weird. And I keep saying weird...Um...right.

This writing thing is awkward, but my mother put the idea into my head so I thought I'd give it a go. I've re-written this at least a dozen times, trying to make it sound more smooth and elegant instead of choppy and awkward, but it's not working. As stated before, this is all new to me. I don't quite know the level of formality I'm supposed to have in these sorts of letters. And you've probably noticed I almost put down the word mudblood. Well, I wasn't meaning to write it, but it kept happening-old habits die hard, I suppose-so I just put a dash after it because I didn't feel like writing this again. And you better not write me back scolding me on being lazy or I'll hex you!

That is...if you write back at all. You don't have to if you don't want to, you know. Actually, it might be better if you don't.

You can if you want, though.

Okay...anyway. Have you found anything else out about the Nicholas Flammel bloke? I've been keeping an eye out, but I haven't seen or heard anything pertaining to him. Have you tried the Restricted Section yet?

Well, have a nice holiday. I'll see you at school in a few weeks.

Draco Malfoy.

P.S. Also, the whole calling you by your first name was something else my Mum came up with. You don't have to call me by mine if you don't want to. Actually, that would be really weird. So actually, please don't. It would make everything so much more awkward if you did. And what if you slipped up and said it in front of everyone? That would be bad.

Right. This was a bit of a long p.s. I suppose. I'm ending it here. If you write back, you had better not start talking about more schoolwork. I really will hex you, you know.

Hermione found herself laughing halfway through this; she could almost see him writing this, getting frustrated and wanting to tear out his carefully placed, shiny blonde hair. He certainly used the word 'weird' a great deal more than necessary. Was it really that awkward for him? However, she would admit that him calling her by her first name was a bit...odd. Different. If he actually said it to her in real life, she was sure she'd go red in the face.

And he had actually said he thought of her as a friend. In so many words, yes, but he said so nonetheless. And it felt...nice. Liberating. At least now she knew where they stood. It had been a bit annoying wondering whether he viewed her as a friend or just some...study buddy.

After giving it some thought, she set the letter aside to find some parchment and a quill so she could write him back. She wrote, read, rewrote, and read again. Her final outcome pleased her well enough, so she rolled it up, tied it to the lovely and quite patient owl on her desk, then sent it on it's way back to the Malfoy Manor. Things were beginning to get interesting. As she looked out to where the owl disappeared, she smiled contently. Then she realized something. "Malfoy told his mother...!"

Draco,

Thank you for wishing me a happy holiday. I give my best wishes to you, as well. You are correct, however. You wrote the word 'weird' exactly 5 times in your letter, not counting the many times you wrote it in your discarded letters that you found unsatisfactory. You also used the word 'awkward' 3 times in addition to those 'weirds'.

I would like to mention that you are a lazy, cowardly prat and would kindly ask that you imagine me sticking my tongue out at you in a teasingly childish manner-although, technically, we are still children. And as for you hexing me, you'd be lucky to even graze my cheek. Although, I do find it adorable that you seemed genuinely worried about whether or not I would write you back.

And no, I haven't found anything on Nicholas Flammel as of late. I'm having Harry and Ron check the Restricted Section while I'm away. I honestly don't expect them to find anything, though. They're not very good at finding things in books, you see. I would have done it, but I myself am not very good at sneaking around and not getting caught. It's definitely not a specialty of mine...yet.

Thank you again for the holiday wishes. Have a nice holiday, Draco.

Hermione Granger

P.S. Your letter really made my day. I haven't laughed like that in quite awhile. It's a bit strange, how you keep managing to do that to me. So thank you for brightening up my morning. See you soon.

He couldn't believe it, she had actually written him back. Once he read it, though, he wasn't sure whether to be insulted or amused. She was clearly mocking him. She even called him adorable-

She called him adorable..."How dare she call me adorable!" he hissed, unaware of the house elf at his door.

"Erm...young Master?" Draco whipped his head around to see Dobby the house elf standing timidly at his door frame.

Clearing his throat, he tried to hide his blush from earlier as he breathed, "Nothing. Just some stupid letter from that Pansy Parkinson girl." She'd been clinging to him like a lovesick puppy so hers was the first name he could come up with. "Did you want something, Dobby?"

"Dinner is ready, young master." Dobby bowed his head and vanished, leaving Draco to read through the note once more. She called me adorable.

He suddenly wanted to write another letter.

I know it's a bit shorter than the others. I'm sorry. Please don't forget to write your reviews and tell me what you think so far! Thank you!