healed (dramione)

30 : Draco

Song for the Chapter: Christmas Lights ~ Coldplay

Draco's POV

Usually, I hated Christmas.

Every Christmas I'd ever had had been spent with my family - which was why I was looking forward to spending the holidays at Hogwarts, with Hermione - if she wanted to. Most students had gone home now. It was three days until Christmas day, and Hermione was looking more anxious than if she'd just had a dream about failing charms.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. We were eating breakfast in the great hall, but since there was practically nobody in school, all the students were seated along a single table. "Seriously. You look like you've - well, I was going to say 'seen a ghost', but that's considered normal here."

Hermione smiled faintly. "I practically have," she replied grimly. "It's Viktor. He's coming. Today. To the castle. I think he loves me."

"Viktor? As in, Krum?" I exclaimed in surprise. "Jesus, but he hasn't been here since --"

"Fourth year, I know," fretted Hermione, chewing her lip. She always looked cute when she did that. "It surprised me, too. He wants to meet in Hogsmeade, in the three broomsticks." She hesitated, then turned to me and grabbed both of my hands. "Oh, will you come with me? It'll be a lot easier if you're there. As a friend."

"As a friend," I repeated firmly. "Yeah, I'll come."

Hermione smiled gratefully, and for a moment looked like she was going to hug me, but thought better of it. "Thank you," she grinned. "That'll make it much better. I'm going to have to turn him down, of course. I mean...it was lovely while he was here, but - I just don't really..."

"Hermione and Viktor, sitting in a tree --" I started maliciously. Hermione jabbed me in the ribs.

"Hey!" She snapped. "I'm so worried about the whole thing. I don't want to let him down, poor thing."

"Hermione, he's a multi-millionaire Quidditch player," I reasoned, slumping over my coffee. "He's not exactly poor."

↟↟↟

"Hermio-ninny!"

"Jesus, is that how the lumbering idiot says it --"

"Yes. Shut up. Hello, Viktor!"

The Three Broomsticks was way too empty for Christmas, but then again, most of the kids had gone home. That made it even worse when Hermione and I squeezed ourselves around the tiny circular table with an enormously broad-shouldered Bulgarian Quidditch player who took up most of the space.

"You got my letter," he smiled broadly. He eyed me darkly and frowned, knitting his dark, thick brows together. He leaned towards Hermione and whispered, "Who eez he?"

"Viktor, meet Draco," said Hermione, flustered. "Draco, Viktor. Draco's my - er - friend." She fell silent for a moment, her cheeks pink. "I just thought I'd bring him along."

Krum shifted uncomfortably in his chair, which creaked dangerously under his weight. "Vell, I thought you vere coming alone, Hermio-ninny."

Hermione pursed her lips, and I beckoned over a waitress to break the awkward, nervous tension between the two of them, ordering three butter-beers. Hermione cleared her throat and Viktor stared blandly at her.

He wasn't a man of many words.

"Hermio-ninny, it has been a long time," observed Krum, taking her tiny, frail hand in his enormous one. Something burned in my stomach, but I assumed it was hunger. It was usually hunger. "But my love for you has not faded."

Hermione swallowed nervously. "Yes," she squeaked timidly in reply. I was halfway between laughing and turning down Krum for her, but was saved the decision when the waitress returned and placed three large butter-beers on the tiny table.

"The European Championships are being held here, thees year," Krum continued awkwardly, placing another hand on Hermione's and staring at her fondly. "And I vill be staying here for some time. Vill you do me the honour of being my...girlfriend?"

Hermione groaned at the back of her throat, too quietly for Krum to hear but loud enough for me to. "Well, Viktor, the thing is..."

This was not going to end well for Hermione.

Author's Note: Hi! Vote and comment as always :) Also, make sure you check out my first book, Dramione, featured on the "binge from start to finish" reading list! It's officially entered into the Light Awards 2020 and the Spring Awards 2020, and I would appreciate more reads on that too!