Hidden Feelings - A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 7: Family

Hermione woke up surprisingly late, the grin from last night still cemented on her face. She couldn't be happier; she could finally tell Harry how much she loved him, whenever she wanted! Hermoine was glad Harry had said it first, though. She didn't want to come off as strange for saying it too early. After readying herself, she headed down to the common room, where she spotted that all too familiar messy head of raven hair she loved.

"Good morning, Harry," Hermione said, attacking him with a tight hug and a barrage of kisses, which Harry didn't object to.

"Morning, gorgeous," Harry chuckled, wrapping his arms around Hermione, "What a wake-up call!"

"How are you?" Hermione pondered, "Do you still want to talk to Malfoy?" She considered the fact Harry may have changed his mind overnight.

"I do," Harry affirmed, "I honestly feel sorry for him and want to help him. I don't know what it is; I just can't bear to see him doing things against his own will," Harry explained, although even he didn't understand his sudden desire to help the boy who bullied him for years.

"I do too," She smiled in agreement, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "We should go and find him in the great hall. We don't have long before we break for Christmas, and we need a plan before then," Hermione said with urgency, pulling Harry up with her. They walked hand in hand to the great hall, which was nearly empty. Seeing as it was only 7 in the morning, that wasn't surprising.

Malfoy was easy to spot. He sat alone at the Slytherin table, dark circles underneath his eyes, clearly indicating his lack of sleep. The pair made their way over to Draco and sat opposite him.

"Good morning, Draco," Harry announced in greeting, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I just want to get this plan done," Draco murmured, picking at his breakfast, "I don't want to be controlled anymore."

"Okay, I had a quick think last night," Harry began, "I think you should talk to your mother about what you're feeling. Even though I don't know your mum, I know she will do whatever it takes to protect you," Harry said, placing a supportive hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Alright," Draco nodded, but his shaking was apparent, "What happens if she tells my father... or Voldemort?" Draco prompted, glancing up from his food with a fearful gaze.

"Then you find a way to contact Hermione or me, and you run," Harry said, nodding to Hermione.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden," Draco said, slightly frowning, as he recalled how horrid he had made Harry's life, not to mention his name-calling of Hermione, "... I don't deserve saving,"

"Draco, we save people; it's kind of our thing! Of course, you deserve saving," Hermione said reassuringly.

"Thank you," He said with a small smile, "I'm going to go and pack. I'll owl you when I've spoken to mum, hopefully with good news. Have a good Christmas, lovebirds," Draco explained, dipping his head respectfully as he left.

"Well, that went better than expected," Harry said enthusiastically, turning to face Hermione.

"Yeah, I hope it goes well for him. On another note, what's happening over Christmas?" Hermione questioned. Considering how busy the year had been, the pair hadn't had any time to discuss what was happening over their break.

"Well, I'll be going to the Weasley's, but I'm sure you'd be more than welcome to come up at some point. You know, if you wanted to," Harry said, hoping for a positive answer.

"Are you joking? Of course! I would love to come and see you. Would late Christmas day be okay? So that I can celebrate with my family beforehand?" Hermione asked, her smile widening as she did.