Eight
September 19th 1998:
Hermione Granger has always loved birthdays. When she was younger, her parents would go all out for each birthday she had. It was one perk of being an only child.
This is her second birthday since she’s erased herself from her parent’s memories.
She was brought out of her thoughts by a knock on the door.
“Come in.” In walked Draco Malfoy holding a large box.
“Weaslette dropped this off for you.” He handed it to her.
“Oh. Did she say anything?” He shook his head.
“Just told me to deliver it to you.” Hermione sat on her bed and unwrapped it. Hermione rolled her eyes once she saw what was inside the box. “What is it?”
“My dress for tonight. Ginny is insisting I wear it.” Hermione closed the box before looking up at Draco. “Thank you again for letting us use the common room. Whenever you want to ask people to leave, just let me know.”
“Are you trying to get me to end your party early? I can’t be the one ending the Golden Girl’s birthday party. I’m already an outcast.” Hermione rolled her eyes again.
“I just don’t understand all the fuss. It’s just another day of the year.” Hermione started to pick at her fingernails, a bad habit she picked up during the war.
“It’s not just another day of the year. It’s your birthday. Think about the impact you’ve had on the world. None of that wouldn’t have happened if not for this day nineteen years ago.”
“When did you get so wise?”
“I’ve always been wise. We’ve just never been friends before”
“So we’re friends?” Hermione teased.
“Yes, Granger. We are.” Hermione smiled at him.
“Then as friends can I tell you something?” Draco didn’t quite understand the feeling he felt as Hermione called him a friend. It almost hurt him. Nonetheless, Draco nodded for her to continue. “This is my second birthday since I took my parents' memories. Last year I didn’t even have time to think about my birthday because we we’re on the run, looking for horcruxes. My dad always said it was his favorite day of the year because it was the day his life began. My mum would smack his shoulder and say ‘what about our wedding day?’ My dad would reply that their wedding day is like the day he was born, it started his life, but the moment I was born, his life truly began. He had a specific purpose. Again my mum would pretend to be offended but then she would say she feels the same.” Hermione paused to wipe the tears from her eyes. “I miss them.” Draco didn’t know what to say, so instead he reached forward and wiped a tear that Hermione missed.
“Deep down, they miss you too. They probably don’t know what the feelings is, but subconsciously, they miss you.”
“Thank you.” He nodded. “Do you miss your father?”
“Not at all.” Draco said flatly. “I’ve told you little about him. You know of his public crimes. You don’t know even a quarter of what I went through being his son. There’s not a part of me that misses him. His trial will be the last time he’ll ever see me. I will never visit him and he’ll never get out.”
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s alright Granger. It’s not a secret that I hate my father. He deserves to rot in Azkaban.” Hermione nodded. “I’ll leave you to start getting ready.”
“Malfoy,” Hermione stopped him before he closed the door. “Thank you for listening. I haven't told anyone how much I miss them.” Draco felt a warmth in his chest. Hermione trusted something with him that she hadn't told her closest friends.
“Anytime Granger.” Draco closed the door and retreated to his own room trying not to think about the feeling that grew within his chest.
As he dressed for Granger’s party, Draco wondered about his relationship with the Gryffindor. In a short time, they went from enemies, to acquaintances, to friends. She forgave him for all his sins against her with no hesitation. Without a second to think about it, she forgave him. She made the first move to be friends, making him tea and engaging in a conversation with him. She spoke only as a friend, not someone with ulterior motives. She welcomed his friends into their shared space, talking and laughing with them. Answering their questions and asking her own. She truly was golden. She brightened up a room when she walked in. Looking back to their school years, he knew it was the same. While he would look for the trio to harass them, he still looked for the brown curls that belong to her. Even if it was to be a pain in the arse, he paid attention to her.
Draco snapped himself out of his thoughts. He finished dressing in his black ensemble. If his mother were here, she would complain that he never wears any color. He would roll his eyes at her suggestions of a green tie or handkerchief. He wore all black so if any of the cuts he had opened, the blood wouldn’t be obvious.
He really needed to stop thinking about the past.
Lucky for him, someone was banging on their door.
“I’ll get it!” He shouted so Granger could continue getting ready. When he reached the door, he opened it to reveal Weaslette, Pansy, Daphne, and Millicent. “Hello?”
“We’re here to set up.” Pansy pushed her way past him.
“Did you give her the dress?” Ginny asked him, shoving the bottles of firewhiskey into his arms.
“Yes”
“Where should we put these?” Daphne asked aloud. Her and Millicent were holding one crate each with, from what Draco could tell was various alcohol.
“Over here” Pansy directed them.
“What do you need us for?” Blasie and Theo walked in holding boxes of decorations.
“To hold things for me.” Pansy said as if it were obvious.
“I’m going to make sure Hermione doesn’t come down until it’s time for her party. She’s gonna want to help and I will not let her.” Ginny went up the stairs to and into Hermione’s room.
“Draco! Stop just standing there. Help us decorate.” Pansy was not to be messed with when it came to parties, so Draco did as he was told.
Hours later, the head’s dorm was fully decorated. Tables had been set up with food and drinks. Music was playing and people were starting to arrive.
Ginny just went to giver Hermione the okay to come downstairs.
“She’ll be down in a moment” Ginny announced before walking over to Pansy. The two of them becoming friends is a thought that terrifies Draco Malfoy.
He couldn’t spare Pansy and Ginny one more thought as he saw Hermione Granger walk down the stairs from her room. The red dress she wore hugged her chest and her waist before flowing down to end at her thigh. She wore a little black cardigan over it. Draco’s eyes moved down looking at her long legs, finding her wearing a simple pair of black heels. Draco’s eyes moved back up her body. Her hair was wild and free. Her brown curls let loose. She wasn’t wearing any makeup from what Draco could tell. Her lips were painted red and her eyelashes held little mascara. She looked absolutely beautiful.
“You’re drooling.” Pansy whispered to him.
“No I’m not.” Draco wiped his mouth just in case.
“Go tell her how beautiful she is.” Pansy pushed him towards Granger, who was currently getting compliments from Daphne and Millicent.
“Granger,” The conversation between the three girls ceased.
“Malfoy”
“You look beautiful” She blushed. He smirked. “I have something for you.” He summoned her present to his hand.
“I specifically said no one was to buy me a present.”
“I didn’t buy it.” Hermione took the gift from him and unwrapped it. She let out a gasp when she saw what it was.
“A First Edition of Hogwarts: A History” Ginny came and stood next to her. “This is, this is too much, I can’t take it.”
“You can, and you will. Happy Birthday Granger”
“Thank you Draco” She handed Ginny the book and threw her arms around Draco’s neck. He was taken aback for a moment. By the time he recovered, Hermione removed herself from him. “I’m going to put this in my room to make sure it doesn't get damaged.” She went back up the stairs with Ginny following behind her.
“Quite the gift from Malfoy.” Ginny said watching Hermione place the book on her nightstand.
“Everyone knows how much I like reading.”
“And does everyone know that you’ve read Hogwarts: A History ten times?”
“Nine.”
“Still more than the average person” Hermione rolled her eyes.
“Come on, let’s go back downstairs.”
About twenty minutes later, the dormitory is packed full of eight and seventh year Gruffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. The only Slytherins in the room were Draco, Theo, Blaise, Pansy, Daphne, and Millicent, who were all standing in a corner.
“Enough of the social awkwardness. We are here and they need to get over it. Draco lives here so we have every right to be at this party right now. Come on Blaise, we’re dancing.” Pansy pulled his arm and pulled him into the dance floor.
“How long till they tell us they're together?” Theo whispered to Draco
“I give it another month.”
“Theo, wanna dance?” Millicent asked him.
“I would love to.” Theo and Milli followed the path their friends just took and started dancing.
Draco and Daphne looked at each other.
“I’m not dancing.” Daphne stated. Draco nodded and finished his drink.
“Hey” Lavender Brown stood in front of us. “It’s Daphne right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m Lavender. I just wanted to come introduce myself.”
“Hi Lavender.” The two quickly started chatting. Feeling like a third wheel, Draco excused himself. The girls, not even noticing he left, kept chattering on.
At the drink table, the Birthday girl was refilling her drink.
“Shouldn’t you be out there dancing?” Draco picked up the firewhiskey she had just sat down.
“I don’t have a partner.” Her face was flushed, indicating she was most definitely not sober. “You’re not going to leave the birthday girl without a dance partner, are you?” She asked innocently.
“I suppose I can’t” Draco finished his drink before holding his arm out for Hermione to take.
Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco’s neck and started swaying to the music. Draco’s hands respectfully sat on her waist, not moving.
“Dancing means moving your body Draco. You can’t just stand there stiff.” he smiled at the use of his first name, liking how it sounds coming from her.
“That’s the second time you’ve called me by my first name.”
“I like your first name.”
“Thank you.” Draco started to get more comfortable and actually started dancing with Hermione. He spun her around, which caused her to fall into him.
The pair were laughing and dancing when suddenly, someone pulled on Draco’s shoulder.
“Leave her alone, Malfoy. It’s her birthday and she’s drunk. I bet she doesn’t realize she’s dancing with a Death Eater.”
“I was pardoned, Finnigan. That means I was not convicted as a death eater. So if you could refrain from calling me as such, I’d appreciate it.”
“We all know you have that mark. As long as that’s on your skin, you’ll be a death eater.” Theo and Blaise made their way over.
“Look, it’s Granger’s birthday. No need to fight” Blaise tried to reason.
“I’ll stop when he leaves.”
“I live here. You are standing in my common room.” Draco pointed out.
“You never should have been allowed back here. Who knows, maybe you’ll let others like you in again. Dumbledore should have kicked you out. Maybe he’d still be alive.”
“Maybe you should get your facts right. Snape killed Dumbledore. Not me. Yet Snape has a portrait hanging in the headmaster’s office and I’m receiving the blame.”
“It’s your fault Snape had to do it”
“Seamus, just leave. Please.” Hermione said from behind Draco. “It’s my birthday and I don’t want anyone to fight.”
“You heard the birthday girl, get out.” Draco spat the words in Seamus’ face.
“I don’t take orders from a death eater.”
“I swear to Merlin, call him that one more time.” Hermione said and Draco put his hands on her hips to stop her from charging at Seamus.
“Don’t touch her.” Seamus swung and punched Draco.
“Get the fuck out Seamus.” Hermione shouted. “Party is over. Everyone get out!” No one dared defy the Gryffindor Princess. Blaise looked at Draco who nodded for them to leave as well. Once everyone was gone, Hermione turned to Draco. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“I don’t believe you.” Hermione took his hand and guided him to a chair before pushing him down in it. “Let me make sure.”
“Granger, you are too drunk to be playing Healer right now.”
“I’m not drunk.” She grabbed a napkin, using her wand to wet it. She went to clean a cut next to his eye. Before he could stop himself, he grabbed her hip, squeezing it. They both froze for a moment. “It doesn’t look bad. Just a small cut with a little blood. A simple healing spell will do.”
“You are not using a wand, on my face, while you are drunk.”
“I’m not drunk.”
“Yes you are.” He stood up, increasing their proximity.
“No I’m not.”
“Keep telling yourself that Granger.”
“Just watch, I can prove it.” She moved away from him, attempting to walk in a straight line. When she failed, it was Draco’s arm around her waist that stopped her from falling.
“Told you.” Draco helped her stand up straight.
“If I was drunk, would I do this?” She extended her neck and kissed him. A moment of shock passed before he kissed her back. It was only a moment later that he pulled away.
“Yes. That seems like something only Drunk Granger would do.”
“I guess we’ll find out. Goodnight Draco.” Hermione stumbled to her room, leaving Draco to wonder what in hell just happened.