Mistletoes
Hermione had been looking for the damn garland to hang the mistletoes around the burrow. Yet, she couldn’t seem to find anything but clutter. She knew the Weasleys liked their clutter and usually Hermione didn’t mind the mess. It was home in a way, here, with Ron and Harry by her side again things felt… right. Everything else was perfectly in place, well, almost. There still was the fact that Ronald had decided to hide something from her. She didn’t know what exactly it was, just that she was sure she would find out today, both of her friends were quite obvious when they were hiding something and right now she could see it on their faces. Ron was currently outside talking to Charlie who had flown in on Dragonback from Romania just this morning. While Harry had kept busy keeping close to Mrs. Weasley. Ginny had opted to help Hermione search for the damn mistletoe and still they had no luck. It was only when she caught George and Fred snickering in the corner did she realized something was up.
“What did you two do?” Hermione hissed.
Both boys simultaneously raised their hands in alarm. “Nothing, Hermione.”
“No nothing,” George said at the same time.
Then with a grin, Fred added, “Nothing at all—”
“Except—”
“Except—” they both said again at the same time, Hermione’s head swiveling back and forth between the twins. She placed a hand on her hip. Oh, they really were testing her patience. “Out with it!” She barked.
George flinched, and Fred snickered. “Well Hermione,” George said slowly, too slowly. “Yes?” Hermione began tapping her foot. “It’s just, the mistletoe in our house, well it’s charmed to… uh… set itself up.”
“And what pray tell does that mean?” She said as she moved some of her hair out of her face and looked both boys in the eyes.
“It means that it set itself up,” George waved his hands around.
“I don’t see anything.” Hermione snapped.
Fred smiled once again, “Yes, love, it only reveals itself when you get stuck under it. You know… with someone.”
Hermione huffed. “You couldn’t have told me that before I searched the whole house!” Now both of them were laughing, shaking her head she spun around barking, “Ginny!”
“Here.” The beautiful tall red head slid back into the room. “Did you find it?”
Hermione looked back to Fred and George who roared now with laughter. “No, it seems that the mistletoe is set up to be hidden. Charmed or whatever, only to reveal itself when you get stuck under it with someone.”
Ginny had started to turn red, “Oh, well, what if… you don’t want to kiss the person.”
Hermione sighed, “I don’t know.”
“Well, at least we found it.” Ginny beamed and turned away quickly hurrying back to Harry’s side.
Ron had returned inside and his face was even redder as he approached Hermione. Maybe it was a gift, maybe he wanted to get back together? Oh no, oh no, oh no—
“Hey ‘Mione, got a minute?”
She nodded, she didn’t think she could say anything until he did.
After the kiss happened and once they had finally settled down. And after grieving the loss of Lupin and Tonks and so many more they had a very quick rushed conversation that it… well, shouldn’t have happened. Hermione had her reasons some of them were kept to herself because she would never choose to hurt Ron that way. She told him she wasn’t ready to date, and he had told her he didn’t think it felt right. That had hurt. She never asked him what exactly hadn’t felt right and well right now with him bouncing from foot to foot and turning redder than ever she thought maybe he had “felt right” about it.
It was what came out of Ron’s mouth next that eased her but altogether shocked her. “So ‘Mione, you know how Harry and I are always joking about a bloke who we made friends with at the Ministry?” She had, Ron, and Harry, had spent many nights out with the guy, whomever he was, who worked in the Department of Mysteries. Hermione was on the top floor of the Department of Magical Creatures. For now anyways.
She never found out who it was and it was seemingly fun for them to tell her stories of the man but never his name. Their reasons were that he had to remain a mystery. Always with a wink or a laugh at the obvious reference to where the man worked. Hermione never cared to investigate it. It wasn’t as if she minded, really, after the war she could let her friends have a small game to themselves. Voldemort was dead. There would always be dark wizards. So if her friends were happy, having fun, joking around, keeping secrets. She just. Did. Not. Care.
Oh, but she did.
Her eyebrows rose a fraction, “What about him?”
“Well… uh, I wanted you to come meet him tonight. And ah, well, my girlfriend is coming here just before we apparate to… well his place.”
Hermione choked on her words, “Your— Ron, Har—” She screeched but then his name died on her lips. “Ron, just, give me a minute.” She paused holding out a hand. Harry and Ron were keeping a girl a secret as well. A girl that had won the heart of her best friend and past whatever that was relationship. And she didn’t have any idea, she hadn’t seen the signs? Of course, Ron had been busier than usual. But they still always met up for drinks on the weekends and she’d gone to their shared flat at Grimmauld Place many times. She’d never seen signs of a woman. Who was she becoming?
“I’m happy for you Ron… I just think I expected to notice that you had someone new in your life is all. Who is she? Will she be here soon?”
Ron glanced at the front door. His eyes scanned her face. “Yeah, I think so. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you ‘Mione. I think you’ll be even more surprised who she is.” He visibly grimaced. “I just want to say, I promise she’s changed, and well we met in the Auror department as she was getting a restraining order against her parents. And well… I don’t know at first I was being biased, prejudiced—”
“Why would you be prejudiced against your own—”
Ding Dong.
“She doesn’t even have access to the floo? Who is this woman Ronald!”
“‘Mione please, just give her a chance, trust me. I… I love her.”
With that he was moving quickly, Hermione didn’t miss Mrs. Weasleys look of disdain or Bill and Fleur’s rushed whispered conversation. Harry was watching her warily, and Ginny was smiling at Ron heading to the door to greet the mystery woman. Mr. Weasley was whistling away in the kitchen a conversation with Charlie, undisturbed by the sound of a new guest arriving. Whilst on the stairs Fred and George sat smiling and giggling like schoolboys. What was that about?
As the door opened a mistletoe appeared above Ron’s head and— and— Pansy Parkinson? Hermione’s eyes turned into saucers and Fred and George began to howl with laughter, Mrs. Weasley turned her back on the show and whispered harshly under her breath as she made her way back to the kitchen. Ginny was smiling ear-to-ear and Harry smiled but then turned a glance back in her direction and the smile fell from his lips. Bill and Fleur looked worried but continued to watch Ron. Ron! She was going to get him. But he loved her, her Pansy Parkinson. She’d called Hermione a mudblood, she’d tried to give Harry up! How had this happened and no one told her, not only that how had she not realized!
She scowled turning it on Harry who had the grace to give her a meek smile and rush off into the kitchen. Ron was still talking to Pansy in rushed whispers before they kissed and the mistletoe disappeared once again. Pansy was dressed in a skirt with a nice cardigan overtop her slim body and short black hair all alluring as she stepped inside the burrow. Her eyes flicked around to the furniture and the walls then to the faces. George and Fred both walked up to her and Pansy smiled at them. “Hello.” Both of them said in unison.
“Creepy,” Pansy said softly as a reply.
Both of them laughed and snickered rapidly talking about her and Ron as they made their way into the kitchen. One of their words echoed in her head, ‘I like her.’ Bill and Fleur were now greeting Pansy and Hermione could do nothing but watch. Ron leaned into her his hand on her back and he… he seemed happy.
Cherries
Hours later as they all sat around the living room Hermione paused. Shocked a new guest was in the house and she didn’t even get her a gift. Shit, shit, shit. Hermione stood and whispered to Harry she’d be right back. She rushed up the stairs flinging her suitcase open. She’d planned to stay with Harry, Ron, and Ginny at Grimmauld Place until the New Year was over.
She pulled out a few items of clothing. Definitely not. Pansy would never want something so muggle. A bottle of perfume unopened sat at the bottom of her suitcase a bottle of perfume Cherry Bombshell that’d cost her over a hundred euros. Perfect. She scooped it up and made her way to Ginny’s room where they’d wrapped presents only the night before. Quickly, Hermione wrapped the gift in red and white wrapping paper and tied it with a red bow.
As she made her way back into the room a young Victoire grabbed Hermione’s hand. “It’s your turn ‘Mione!” Making her way back to her seat her face flushed red she put the newly wrapped gift under her chair. Opening the gifts from each one of her friends. A book from Mr and Mrs Weasley about the history of unicorns, something she hadn’t read before. Ron and Harry got her a book about Quidditch and Ginny had gotten them all tickets to go see the Harpies. The team in which she’d been with for the past six months. It’d be her first game. Hermione beamed at them and thanked them all. Fleur and Bill had gotten her a book about raising magical children, Hermione flushed crimson but thanked them.
Lastly, Fred and George gave her a bottle of Amortentia. She looked up at them shocked. “We were wondering if you could test how to make it into a perfume of some sort for our shop. Not something as strong as what it had dear old Ron trying to do to Romilda Vane.” They both began laughing and Hermione smiled too, she looked at Ron who was whispering something in Pansy’s ear. Pansy looked angry, then relieved, and then she laughed. It all started with a snort. Which caused everyone to laugh and Pansy to blush.
When it was Pansy’s turn to open gifts she started with Mrs. Weasley who had gifted her with a signature sweater. Pansy looked down at it for a long time, it was Slytherin green with a white P engraved into it. She looked like she had tears in her eyes as she thanked Mrs. Weasley. Then surprising everyone she shucked off the cardigan her black tank underneath it and opted to put on the sweater. Mrs. Weasley’s eyes visibly softened.
At last, it was Hermione’s turn to give a gift the group was already moving on to Fred and George as Hermione approached and held out the gift. Pansy and Ron both seemed surprised but didn’t say anything as Pansy took the gift and began to open it. When the perfume was out and in the open Pansy’s eyes flicked as she read over the title and slapped a hand over her mouth as she once again snorted as she laughed. Hermione began to turn red with anger, when she went to say something however the girl handed out her hand with a gift in it. Her eyes flicked to it quite surprised.
“I was going to wait until we were at Dra—” Ron nudged Pansy hard and she just shook her head. “But here, you’ll enjoy this.”
Hermione unwrapped the gift only to reveal a perfume that said it was made by Chanel and it was… Cherry as well. Hermione laughed and smiled at Pansy. Pansy smiled back.
Later, the trio gathered together along with their witches by their sides. “So we’re going to head over now, to our friends, if you want to meet him—”
“Of course I do Harry. You talk about him all the time. Practically in love with him, I’d say, the both of you.”
Pansy snorted at this but didn’t say a thing.
Ron however added, “Well I wouldn’t say you won’t fall in love too. He’s been dying to meet you.”
Harry gave a warning look at Ron.
“Oh, don’t play coy, Potter. You know exactly what the plan is. Actually, well all know you’re the brains of this operation. I mean seriously—” she rolled her eyes, “you’ve been setting them up for ages.”
“Setting who up?” Hermione snapped, hating to be left out.
“You of course.”
Hermione snapped her head from Ron to Harry. Both wore similar expressions of being caught.
“What have you both been doing!” She squealed.
“‘Mione—”
“Don’t ‘Mione me, Ronald. What does she mean you’ve been setting me up!”
“You like… our mystery man,” Harry said quietly.
Hermione stood quietly, trying desperately to understand their meaning. Yes, it was quite true that Hermione had a… crush. On a guy she’d never even met before. He was intelligent, he made witty jokes that sometimes Ron nor Harry could understand so she’d have to fill them in on his meaning. They told her about his work in the Department of Mysteries. The organizations to which he donated, a few of them being hers, thank you very much. He loved to read, although Ron and Harry never remembered to ask him what she could only guess. He was a charming man. She could tell, and he seemed quite kind and Hermione always did wish they’d accidentally let it slip who it was through being drunk.
The closest she ever got was when she was walking down the corridors in the Ministry and heard Harry talking to a bloke. She quickened her footsteps, although they were quite loud being heels and all. Surely, she thought that she’d catch them they were near the Department of Mysteries, but as she rounded the corner she only caught a silhouette of a man. He was tall. He was tall. That’s all she could think now as she envisioned him. And yes, she was a woman, she could admit when she had a crush.
“So you both have been going between us and… and what. Making us like one another so you could get us together at the end of it all. Really Harry, Ron? I don’t even know his name.”
Pansy shocked them all squealing with delight and wrapping Hermione in a hug. “Oh, you admit you liked him, so now you’re practically married. Dra—”
“Pans!” Ron hissed.
“Oh, yes, sorry, the allure of it all. My bad. Anyway, he loves his possessions. He’ll never let you go.”
“Excuse me. I am not a possession.”
Pansy grinned, “Oh, but you won’t mind being his.”
Hermione’s eyes hardened turning to face her friends.
“Does he know who I am?” She barked out.
Ron began shuffling his feet again, “Ronald! Harry!” She rounded. “So what he gets to know who I am this whole time, whilst I sit here and wonder?”
“It’s best this way ‘Mione. He… he’s liked you for a long time. He wanted to meet you himself so many times. He just thought if it was best… if well you knew him first without well, really knowing.”
“Hermione,” Harry’s voice was soft when he spoke. “This man, he, he’s a good guy, and well, Ron and I hated working with him at first. Anytime he’d show up to help us with a mystery or take an unknown object, well we hated him. He was on,” he turned facing Pansy, “Pansy’s side during the war. You know so we spent the last year getting to know him and then Pansy came along, and they’d already been friends. So well… we got to talking one day and he was quite drunk and we were talking about women.” He cast a look behind him at Ginny. Hermione scoffed. “No, no, Hermione, I spoke about Ginny first, they were all jealous I had someone, and well this was before Pansy. And well he admitted he’d always liked you. We blew up and had a big fight.”
“I remember that,” Hermione murmured. “Ron said next time they had a project together he’d break his jaw.”
“Yes, well, that’s not what happened. Instead, he explained himself, and well Ron had already started liking Pansy. So he gave him a chance to explain and well we understood. Why he liked you, even though he was on their side. It’s now time for us to give him a chance to meet you, and give you the chance to hear him out or not.”
“You’ve both been meddling in my love life for months then?”
“Closer to a year,” Ron quipped.
Hermione shot him a look causing him to descend into silence.
“Would you like to meet him?” Harry asked her his eyes soft and understanding. This would be her choice. Meeting the guy she had a crush on, despite hating her blood, despiting hating muggles. Yet, Ron and Harry would never befriend him unless they thought he’d changed. Clearly, they both thought he’d changed so much that they tried to make Hermione like him before knowing him. Simply because they thought them a good match before even revealing to Hermione his identity. She trusted Harry and Ron, but this all around shocked her that they cared this much to get her together with this specific man. Why? That was the question, so she asked it.
“Why?”
Both of them cast a glance at one another and then back to her.
“What do you mean why ‘Mione?” Ron asked before glancing to the side at a Pansy who still couldn’t stop grinning.
“I mean why him? Why not Dean, Semus, or Oliver? Any other bloke you’ve both worked with or know? Why this guy specifically? Why a man on the other side of the war?” She said crossing her arms and staring at them for a reply.
“Well—” Harry began.
“We—” Ron had started.
Both fell into heavy silence before Harry spoke up again. “Well, his reasons for liking you are his alone. I think you should hear him out first. But what I can say is I’ve never seen two people more alike but different. You’re clever but you react rashly. He’s clever but levelheaded.” He held up a hand knowing she’d retort, she huffed, but let him continue. “You’re loyal to all, he’s loyal to a select few.”
“Okay, I’m not quite understanding where you’re going with this.”
“You would balance each other well ‘Mione,” Ron spoke up rolling his eyes. “Just talk to him will you, I’m starving.”
“We just ate!” She all but shouted, causing Ron to look down at the floor. Huffing she slung her coat on from the rack behind her, “Fine, let’s go. If I don’t like his answers I’m hexing both of you bald.” Both boys flinched.
“Harsh Granger, I like it.”
As they went outside to apparate Ginny was running down the steps with a pie in her hand. “Wait, wait, I’m coming, I almost forgot the pie!”
“The pie?” Hermione said in confusion. Harry just grinned before taking her hand and apparating them.
Pies
When they arrived Hermione took in the estate there was a modestly sized manor that sat down the long gravel path in which they now walked after entering the gate. It was modest if a manor could even be modest. But Hermione knew it was, she’d seen larger, she snickered at her own joke causing Pansy to cast her an odd glance silencing her. As they arrived the door opened and Theodore Nott stood there smiling and greeting Pansy first with a kiss on her cheek. Ginny and Theo shared a joke as the tall, curly-haired wizard took her coat. Next, Ron walked in clapping him on the back. Harry shook his head at Hermione’s question that showed on her face. It wasn’t him.
They walked into a large lavish living room where a large table sat to the side drinks around it in front of everyone and cards laid out on the table. However, there were also assortments of pies. Ginny laid her pumpkin pie in the middle and Hermione took note of the apple, cherry, pigeon pie, and a few others.
Blaise Zabini had his arm thrown around Daphne Greengrass. Pansy slid into a seat next to Daphne and began speaking to the beautiful blonde. Hermione looked for the younger Greengrass sister, Astoria, but found no sign. Next, she took in Neville sitting with his wife Hannah Abbott a sweet witch who’d recently become a healer. Hermione smiled at them. Theodore was now pulling Luna Lovegood in for a kiss, she smiled at him and bopped him on the nose.
Hermione looked at Harry who shrugged. “They love each other.” He said as if that made all the sense in the world. When had that happened? Why had every single one of their friends made their way into the Slytherin circle but her!? She would’ve screamed if she could. The most shocking of all things was when her eyes fell on Draco Malfoy in deep conversation with Percy Weasley of all people. Percy had told them he would be too busy with work to attend Christmas! She turned to Ron who turned red once more but said nothing. It wasn’t until she turned back and saw Astoria Greengrass approaching. Who promptly dropped herself in— Percy’s lap! What was happening!?
“Harry Potter you better tell me what’s going on and how much I’ve missed.”
“Well… it’s a long story. Let’s grab a drink.” They did and took a seat at one of the couches far away from Draco, Percy, and Astoria. “You see it all started with Ron and me befriending Draco—”
“You’re on a first-name basis!” She hissed.
“So after that, we started hanging out at bars and well the manor. It’s Draco’s.” Hermione took in her surroundings once more. No skulls, no darkness, as compared to his parent’s manor. It was bright, festive, and for Merlin's sake, he’d decorated for Christmas. No, Hermione chastised herself. He’d probably had his house elves do it. “Anyways,” Harry continued, “Well Blaise and Theo both come around here a lot so we met them along with Blaise’s girlfriend Daphne, her sister Astoria, and Pansy hadn’t been in the group. They stopped associating with her since she’d still stuck by her parent's side. It wasn’t until Ron yelled at them one night saying they didn’t know the truth of it all— you know how he gets. He was defending her honor.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Draco had just smirked and told him to bring her next time. So he did.”
“Astoria and Percy?” Hermione bit out, “Nott and Luna?”
“Well, Astoria and Percy met on their own, I guess they both work in the ministry in the same department. All that paperwork for the Minister and I guess Astoria was Percy’s assistant. It was hilarious he’d come here to hang out with Ron.” Harry made air quotes. “In reality, Percy was trying his hardest to remain professional but… he finally gave in.”
Hermione looked back to where Percy and Astoria were. Astoria was watching Percy speak with an expression Hermione couldn’t say was anything but adoration. “This is all so… Harry why didn’t you ever bring me? I don’t understand why I’ve been kept in the dark, I would’ve understood, I would’ve—”
“We’ll get to that. Let me tell you about Luna and Theo.”
Hermione beamed.
Harry blushed, “So Ginny started coming middle of last year. After learning that we’d befriended Draco she had to see everything herself. She was the one who ended up pushing Percy to make a move on Astoria.” He chuckled, “I also think she had something to do with Theo and Luna as well. Since two months into her coming to these get-togethers, she’d brought Luna with her. Theo was enraptured. He believes in wrackspurts and other things Luna does, like feeding the thestrals and such.” Hermione nodded along, “It didn’t take long, by Christmas last year they were together. Luna and him… well they work, he’s got humor like no other and he is super kind to those he loves. But with Luna, I mean he looks at her like she’s the sun. I’m just happy that after everything…”
“That they all have someone, that they’re happy?” She questioned.
“Yes, Hermione, and that’s why I want you to be happy too.”
“I have you, Ron, and the Weasleys. I don’t need anything else.”
Harry sighed, “Yes, Hermione, but you want it. You want children. Fleur only gifted you that book today because anytime Victoire comes around you, you get all happy, and weepy, and just— you want a family. When Ron and you spoke you said you wanted a ton of kids just like his family.”
Hermione chuckled, “Yes, but he only wants three. His limit.” She rolled her eyes.
“Yes, but, look, Neville came here with Hannah after he became friends with Draco on his own. Draco still makes potions, he’s quite good at it and after buying Neville’s plants for some time he’d invited him and his wife here. They were surprised to see us here and they became a part of the group. Hannah even got Draco an extra job supplying the healers with healing tonics.”
Hermione blinked. Then blinked again. “You’re setting me up with Draco Malfoy.” She all but whispered. But yes, it was clear now. Blaise was with Daphne, Theodore was with Luna, Neville had a wife, and glancing around no one else was here but the coupled-up Percy. Draco Malfoy had glanced her way quite a few times now. Now she realized why.
Harry looked at her and cleared his throat but it didn’t help when he meekly said, “Yes, surprise.” And waited.
Hermione looked back to Draco who now had his grey eyes fixed on her own and she flicked them away quickly. Looking back at Harry, Ron had approached now with Pansy slung around him. “Oh, don’t pout Granger. You should be happy you have a wizard such as Draco Malfoy in love with you.”
“In love?” Hermione asked quietly.
“Yes, yes,” Pansy rambled on. “Granger’s hair is quite large today, Granger got a new book, Granger bested me once again, I don’t understand why father wants me to hate Granger so much— oh and the saddest part of it all Granger is never going to forgive me, I just sat there and watched.”
“Okay, Pansy that was a bit much.”
“What I think she should understand is that he has always loved her even when he had me. So she should be happy.”
Clearing his throat everyone spun and turned, “Mate—” Ron began but Draco shook his head. When had she ever started referring to him as Draco in her head? She asked herself quickly, but she knew the answer when she testified that Draco had saved them all by saying he didn’t know who they were. Oh, but she knew he did.
She glanced up once again his eyes were fixed on her. “Walk with me?” He asked reaching out a hand, similar to the one he reached out when he asked Harry to be friends in their first year. Nodding she stood and took his hand. They left the room and went back down the hall, he slid open the glass door and stepped out into the chilly night air. Casting a warming charm on them both before Hermione could even think to do so herself.
They both didn’t let go of one another’s hand as he began guiding her along the garden’s path.
It was cold, everything was dead, but it didn’t stop the beauty of the moonlight bouncing off the snow. Hermione could feel her heart picking up in her chest. Before he finally broke the silence, “I never believed in the pure blood ideology, I admit when I was young before our fourth year, I still believed in it. My mother and father taught me nothing more, nothing less than we were pure-blooded and that meant the world. I noticed you then, and I noticed you even more as it got clearer and clearer that I was to be the replacement in the Dark Lord’s circle. I was to be marked, I was to kill Dumbledore. I didn’t want to. Harry knows as much now. Although, I never got to tell you, and you,” he paused glancing around and vanishing snow from a nearby bench he guided it to her and they sat. “You have been someone that I’d admired long before I was marked, as Pansy put it tonight, I liked you. I always have, and it’s maybe because you were forbidden to me at first. You were besting me in every subject, but I couldn’t like you because of your blood. I couldn’t let myself think about it, because when I did it drove me insane. Yet, when the Dark Lord called for me, I knew I’d lost you, before ever even getting to know you. When you came in that night with Ron and Harry, I wanted to kill them both. Because they made me choose between my family and you. That night I chose you, they didn’t know it then.” He chuckled, “But they certainly know it now.”
Hermione softly asked, “What do you mean?”
“The day after the war ended, I walked away from the manor, I had already bought this place, in case the day came that I could flee. I warded it, had Theo become the secret keeper. It was hidden and… and the day I got home my parents weren’t relieved that we were safe. My mother was… but she’d never leave my father. I told her to choose that night and she chose him. So I left when my father went to Azkaban the first time I became head of our estate. When he went back this time I gave my mother enough to get by, but well—” He chuckled. “I guess she might have to get a job someday.” Then he frowned, “Knowing her though she’ll likely be fine.”
“What does this have to do with me?” She asked.
“Everything.” He sighed. “I wanted to become a better man for you, I got a job, I donate to causes that I think you’ll like— don’t give me that look I like some of them too, although the protection on hippogriffs are still a bit touchy for me.”
Hermione laughed, and Draco beamed a smile. She paused and cast her eyes downwards. He lifted her chin and she met his cool grey eyes in a new light. “So what you bought the manor for me too?”
He smiled shaking his head and letting his fingers drop. “No, I didn’t even expect to ever be that man for you. I promise you I never befriended Harry and Ron to get to you. I quite like them, Ron is still a bit hot-headed at times, but Harry has a way of soothing me when I’m angry. Or Ron. The peacemaker golden boy and all that I suppose.”
“Harry’s just a nice person.”
“I know.”
“And Ron is just passionate.”
He grimaced, “Yeah, I know.”
“What was that?”
“What, the grimace? It was for when I found Pansy and Ron pressed up against a wall in my study having—”
“Okay, okay, quite enough.”
“Please never mention Ron and his… passion.” Hermione laughed. Surprising herself, she didn’t think she’d ever be Draco Malfoy’s muse, or whatever she was to him. She never again saw herself laughing at his jokes or holding his hand or— or thinking about him as her crush. She had to remember that, he was the mystery man, he was Harry and Ron and Neville’s friend. Not to mention Percy, Ginny, and Luna. It surprised her, this conversation surprised her. She had no idea that he hated being a part of the war, there was a time when she’d defended him against Harry but then Harry was right. The death eaters got inside the school and then her high opinion of him died.
Now it was reignited in a whole new way, a whole new light. Hermione could probably ask him a thousand questions but she only had one.
“Why did you choose to tell me now?”
He sighed, “Because this is the best man I can become on my own, now I need you by my side to make me continue to wake up and strive to be the best man I can be.”
Hermione’s eyes lit up at his sentiment. “You were only supposed to be a silly crush,” she whispered and it seemed his face fell at her words, “however, you are so much more than that.” Then without allowing herself a second to second guess herself she leaned over and kissed him. He made a grunt of surprise and then deepened the kiss. His lips were soft and his body was warm. Pulling her closer into his chest she felt the moment his hands slid into her hair and his body relax into her.
As they pulled away cheering came from inside of the house, Hermione spun facing the manor and all of their friends were standing there, the light inside showing the happiness on their faces. Ron was spinning Pansy in a circle both laughing and beaming. Harry had a grin like the one he’d always worn when he was happiest as a boy. Ginny was clapping and doing a happy dance with her feet. Theo was hooting like a madman but then she looked and saw Luna doing the same thing. The Slytherins all wore expressions of pride but were subtle. The only two grinning in response to Draco and Hermione’s kiss were Astoria and Percy.
She watched the wizard drop to his knee and then all the attention from their kiss began all over at the sight now happening in front of them Percy was asking Astoria to marry him. Hermione’s eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away as Draco’s hand slid up her back. She turned to face him he stood and reached out his hand pulling her to her feet. “Merry Christmas, Hermione.” He whispered pulling a box out of his robe pocket. He flicked it open with wordless magic and Hermione took in the necklace staring back at her. It was a beautiful sapphire gemstone surrounded by tiny diamonds, the blue dancing in the glow from the moon.
Hermione turned around giving him the chance to put it on her. He did so the feeling of his fingers on her neck and shoulders sending shivers down her spine. She turned to face him once again and she whispered, “Thank you Draco it’s beautiful.”
“Don’t accept it yet.” He cast a look of shame. “It’s uh, it’s just, I expected you to ask about it first, it’s uh, it warns me if you’re ever in danger. The necklace can pick up on your heart rate and if you’re ever in danger I can apparate right to you even if I don’t know where it is.” He waited a moment but she couldn’t even explain how kind it was, how— “The gemstone in the necklace is from the Black vault it was just an idea, I know it’s a bit much, maybe a bit stalkerish, but I just want you to be safe but I understand—”
Hermione flew into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing his mouth again. After the kiss had softened and she pulled away she whispered, “I love it.”
Draco blinked and smiled. Taking her hand and guiding them back towards the door. “Oh, but I didn’t get you a gift,” Hermione said feeling upset.
“You’ve given me enough but—” a coy smile came to his lips. “Let me take you out, on a date.”
“Deal.” Hermione beamed.
“Draco, Hermione,” Ron mumbled between some bites. “You have to try some of this pie. It’s delicious!”
Everyone burst out laughing.