Sunday, January 6th, 1996
Draco had spent a very awkward Christmas at the Malfoy manor. And lets just say his father didn't exactly roll out the welcome matt. On Christmas eve a huge fight had broke out between him and his father, resulting in his mothers tears. They had been arguing about the usual, and thanks to the lack of guests that year, his father certainly didn't hold back from tearing a mick out of him. Draco loved his mother dearly, so seeing her cry had been enough for him to hold his tongue for the rest of the night. But as for the next two weeks... well that was an entirely different story.
"Why isn't it done yet?" his father would snap at him over breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea, and whenever he felt like it in between. As if Draco would be able to preform the from home and give him a different answer the next time that he asked.
"Haven't found the time." Draco would mutter in answer. He was so frustrated that he didn't even know what to do with himself. He wanted to knock his father a good one, throw a couple of hexes at him. The only thing that stopped him was his white haired mother who sat not to far away. Draco could see her heart breaking in her eyes, and deep down Draco knew, that as prejudiced as she was, she had never wanted this life. Yes, his mother had never wanted to join to dark war, or rid the world of mudbloods. Sure, she didn't really like them, but she didn't see why they couldn't learn magic.
Draco knew that every day Lucius broke her hear. Every single day she shattered on the inside because of her husbands actions, because of the type of man that her husband was forcing her son to become.
She had never wanted the life for Draco either, and Draco faintly remembered her telling him so as a child, telling him that she wanted to run away with him, to protect him from his horrid family, and their beliefs, but she would never. Deep down, she loved Lucius too much to ever leave him, and she knew what being a death eater meant to him, and when you love someone that much, you are willing to go through hell in order to keep them happy.
So she put up with the killing, the murdering, the torturing, and worst of all, the arguing, and the way that a line was being drawn in the sand between the love of her life, and her beloved son.
"What do you mean, you haven't found the time? we told you that this was your main priority! even over your school work!" His father would yell, not realising that next to him, a crack would open in the heart of Narcissa Malfoy, the love of his life.
"Lucious! I don't want you arguing with Draco one the only weeks that he will be home out of the year!" Narcissa would cry. Trying desperately to keep the peace between the two. But of course she would always take Draco's side, because a mother, always loves their sons the most in the world, and would do anything to protect them, and make them happy.
But honestly the fighting didn't make that great of a difference. Christmas had never been much of a warm occasion as the Malfoy's. Even When Draco was just a child, his family would come over, and everyone would fight, and insult Mudbloods. Draco would hang onto their every words, wanting one day, to grow up to be like his family, well, maybe except his aunt Bellatrix, she had always made him fell uneasy.
Draco was now back at school. sitting in an armchair in his common room, staring into the fire that he had started because he was the first one back. taking the train back to Hogwarts after Christmas had never really been his style, so he had used the floo network to get to hogsmade , and the walked with his hands in his pockets to get back to the castle. He had only just arrived a few hours earlier, finding a nearly empty common room. Most of the other Slytherins took the train back to Hogwarts, Draco, preferring the floo network, arrived much before them.
Class would resume again the next day, and Draco was not looking forward to the early mornings, and the new mountain of homework that would be assigned. He looked across the large, green tinged room. The room always looked green because of the lake over top of it. You could see the water above them, only a think barrier of magic to keep it from falling on top of them, and flooding them up to their necks. At first, the ceiling had unnerved Draco, but now, it hardly bothered him at all. Well, it did make it impossible to get warm in the winter, when the water was freezing ice.
The common room was empty and Draco found himself feeling lonely. He thought of people that could keep him company. Pansy? No, too clingly, plus she wasn't even here. Blaise? He had stayed over Christmas, but he was probably with some girl who had stayed behind as well.
He could only think of one answer. So he pulled out a role of parchment, the brand new quill his mother had given him for Christmas, and began to write.
When he finished he rolled up the paper and headed down to the Owlry.
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Hermione sat in her usual chair in the common room. Hogwarts a History was open on her lap. She tried to read but found that she couldn't loose herself in the words the way that she usually could. so instead she took to staring into the fire. Hermione had spent Christmas at her home in London. The usual lot came. Her grandma, granddad, and many cousins. Hermione was an only child, but she never really felt like she was one because her family was so close.
She had come back to Hogwarts this morning by floo, and don't ask her how she did it because she still wasn't really all that sure. Hermione never understood how the floo network worked, but apparently it made a stop at her house because she was able to use that was to come back to the castle.
Hermione had been sad to leave home. Right now at Hogwarts, she certainly felt like an only child. The weasleys all had each other. And sure, only Ron was ignoring her, but it was uncomfortable with the rest. And Harry had been friends with Ron was before she had become his friend, plus the two boys shared a dormitory. Hermione was more lonely at school right now than she had ever felt at home. The only company she could manage to keep was that of a pale slytherin boy.
The common room was uncommonly empty. Everyone must still be on train she thought to herself. She usually enjoyed the common room when it was empty, but now it just felt vast, and col without its usual hum of voices and laughter.
Hermione had just started to dose off when she heard a tapping on the window. She looked over to see a handsome white owl sitting on the edge. She got up to let him in. The pretty bird flew in and landed on the rest of the chair in which she had just vacated.
It really was a beautiful owl. What, and silver. It had startling green eyes, and Hermione had a good guess at whose it was, based on the colour scheme. She was shocked that he would write. She removed the letter attached to its leg to see that it was addressed to her, of course it was. She gave the owl a treat, which had been in a jar by the window for this very reason, and it set off. She watched it disappear then sat down to read her letter.
Dear Hermione,
Meet me at the usual place, 8:00 pm. Don't be late.
PS: Don't bring anyone with you, for it would be rather awkward if you did, yeah?
Sincerely,
D.M
She looked over it again to make sure that she had read it correctly, but the letter still bore the same words. She nearly burst out laughing at the note. She had to clamp her hand over her mouth in order to hold back the bark of laughter.
Draco Malfoy had summoned her to the Astronomy tower at 8:00 that night, and he had asked her not to bring anyone.
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Draco showed up at 7:30, not wanting to be in the Slytherin common room with everyone else, who was just arriving from their Holidays. To his great pleasure, Hermione, Around 7:50, walked in.
"I have to admit, I was a bit surprised receiving your letter." She said suspiciously, a smirk playing along the corners of her mouth. He couldn't help but smirk himself.
"Sorry, I just needed someone to talk to." He watched as she walked over, and took a seat next to him. They sat on the benches that students usually sat in during classes, and looked out into the night.
She paused, considering her next words. Draco watched as her face contorted, and he read her mind like a book, she was confused. "No need to apologize, So what bothering you?"
"What makes you think something's bothering me sweetheart?" he said with a sly smirk on his face. He saw her momentarily pause at his last word. Sweetheart, huh, he had never called anybody that before.
"Well, I didn't think that you called me up here just for the pleasure of my company." She batted her eye lashes at him, and Draco knew that she had done it teasingly, but it still made the hairs on his arms stand up on end. She really was lovely.
Little did she know, that had been the exact reasoning behind his owl. He had needed someone to talk to, and he couldn't get that from any of his slytherins, and Hermione was a good listener.
He looked at her for a few moments with a blank expression on his face, he hadn't called her up here just to stare at her though, so he told her what was on his mind. "I had a rough Christmas. Father wasn't exactly pleased to see me. I left with him forbidding me from returning until I have fulfilled my task."
"That's terrible." Hermione replied softly. Draco was suddenly overfilled with gratefulness for her. She had come, she was comforting him. That was more than anyone had ever cared to do for him, well, maybe except Narcissa, but she wasn't here now. Hermione looked at him with genuine sympathy, and although he didn't really want it, it made him feel better that he was in the presence of someone so sincere, and if she was lying, he would be able to tell, just by the flicker of emotion on her face.
"How were your holidays?" he asked, breaking the silence. He had been staring again, and he was growing uncomfortable.
"Quite average." Said Hermione. "Mother nearly had a heart attack for fear that she over cooked the turkey. I had to calm her down, and prove to her that it tasted perfectly fine, even though it was a tad bit dry.
The cousins came over and they got me to perform magic tricks for them. They especially like the cool things that I get a the joke shop in hogsmade. I really wasn't supposed to tell them about my magic blood, but I did anyways, and so far, they haven't told anybody.
Grandmother per usual wouldn't pass the mashed potatoes, we had to pry them from her grip. Grandad just sits back and laugh, he gets a sort of kick out of the fact that now that she is old she is going batty."
Shock filled Draco, that sounded like a zoo. But as the same time it sounded warm and wonderful, something that he had never experienced before. Draco, as a child, had never craved a Christmas full of presents, Santa Claus, or roasting chestnuts over the fire. Sure, as a child he had gotten more presents than he knew what to do with, but his Dad had never let him believe in the fantasy of Santa Claus, calling it a Muddy traditions that was best to stay with the muggles. Draco had never experienced a Christmas where everyone talks happily around the table, and sings Carols at the end of the night. Not that he had ever really cared much for singing, but a nice diner around the table sounded pleasant.
"It's been a while though..." She continued quietly. "Since I've spent Christmas at home."
"How come?" Draco asked curiously.
"Well, for the past few years I have spent Christmas with the Weasleys. I probably would have been there this year too, if me and Ron hadn't been fighting."
"Still no luck?" He asked.
"Nope." She replied, shaking her head. Draco could see that sadness behind the brown pools that were her eyes.
"Well... that's his loss." he assured her.
She looked over at him, and smiled. He could make out the gratefulness behind it.
He smiled back at her, trying to keep that look on her face for just a little while longer, desperate to see her face contort with emotion that way that it always seemed to do.
After a bit more small talk, Hermione declared that she was going to bed. Draco followed her shortly after, happier than he had been in a long time. That is until he remembered the reason why his father was mad at him and the road that laid before him.
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And there you have it! Part 6! if you like this story follow me so that you can keep up with it! Comment what you think!
Very Short Chapter!!! It was a filler though, if you hadn't noticed! I am really just taking this part to just build the relationship, because they were enemies, and you cant just become friends over night, and keep in mind that it is still following the plot of the Halfblood Prince, so a month has already passed since their first encounter in the astronomy tower.
Cheers x!
Mickey