“Preferably without Harry and Ron around,” Hermione added when Ginny looked around at her friends.
“Okay. Let’s go to my room after breakfast.” They then returned to the conversation as if nothing had happened.
*************
“I don’t know what wrong with me!” They were in Ginny’s bedroom. It was small but rather cozy like the rest of the house. Ginny, of course, had already known about Hermione’s tutoring sessions, but it never occurred to her that Hermione might actually like them.
“It’s unlike me to like him. I know that sounds crazy, but it is crazy.” Hermione sat up. “I think I might have an actual disease! Yes, that’s it! That’s the answer.”
“I don’t think you have a disease, Hermione. I think you’re just in love.”
“I can’t be in love! Not with Malfoy! That’s not how it’s supposed to work!”
“Okay, Hermione you need to calm down. And you need to be a little bit quieter, love. We don’t want the whole world to hear you.” Ginny gently led Hermione to her bed. “Now just sit here and try to calm down.”
Hermione tried to take some deep breaths while Ginny rummaged through her closet. She withdrew from the messy closet clutching a bottle of Firewhiskey and two shot glasses.
“Fred and George nicked these from one of our Christmas parties. They hid it in my room because that was the one place Mum and Dad wouldn’t look. I guess they forgot about them.” She walked over to the door and placed an Imperturbable charm on it. “Might as well put the stuff to good use, right?”
She sat down on the bed next to Hermione and poured out two glasses. “Bill told me it’s a little difficult to get used to, but I think we can handle it.” She lifted her glass. “Bottoms up.”
Hermione downed it at once. It burned her throat, but it was oddly comforting.
“Have you calmed down a little?” Hermione nodded, not looking Ginny in the face. “Do you want to talk?” Hermione said nothing. Ginny took her silence as a ‘yes.’
“You know, it’s okay if you love Malfoy. It’s not against the law or anything. You just hated him to seven years. It’s hard to change after that long of a time.” Ginny turned Hermione’s face toward her. “Sometimes first impressions aren’t always right. You never tried to get to know Malfoy because he seemed like an evil git. But now that you have gotten to know him, what do you think?”
Hermione pondered over her question for a bit. “I think he’s more like Harry and Ron than they know. But he’s so different from them as well.”
Ginny looked disappointed. “And how do you feel about this same-but-different Ron/Harry?”
“I don’t know,” Hermione said slowly. “I consider him a friend, but there’s just something about him that makes me want to…. I don’t know.”
Ginny poured them both another glass of Firewhiskey. “To mixed feelings,” she said as she lifted her glass. That was a toast fit for the moment.
*************
It was Christmas morning. Hermione and Ginny were sitting in their beds, opening the sizable piles of presents beside their beds. Hermione had gotten the traditional Weasley sweater from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and a giant box of sweets from Harry. Ron had gotten her a beautiful bracelet.
“Wow, I didn’t know Ron had such taste!” Hermione said, putting on the bracelet. Ginny was smiling into her lap. Hermione, seeing Ginny’s grin, said, “He didn’t pick it out himself did he?”
“Well, of course not. He didn’t even try to. He just told me to pick something out for you.”
“It’s still beautiful, though. Thank you, Ginny.”
Hermione was nearing the bottom of her pile when she saw a small present wrapped in green and gold. They were odd colors for Christmas but Hermione opened it anyway. It was a crystal pendant. The crystal was molten silver and red. It was absolutely gorgeous. A note fell out of the bottom of the package. It was written in the comforting full script she had grown to love this year.
Thanks for you help. I’m sorry I was such a pain in the beginning. I’m sorry.
“That’s so sweet!” Ginny said.
“But I didn’t give him anything. I’m going to write a letter to him right now!”
*************
Meanwhile at Malfoy Manor
It was a rather dreary Christmas for the Malfoy family even by their own standards. They had had a little Christmas tea and Draco had opened his presents, but their was nothing really interesting. It was also quite disturbing to have his Aunt Bellatrix around him. He had never really spent much time in her company and now he was glad for that. Bellatrix was very cruel and laughed at the very mention of killing and torture. It was awkward to have her around, and Draco Malfoy wasn’t used to awkward.
After an hour in his aunt’s company, he had retired to his room. He was lying on his bed, fully clothed, staring up at the highly decorated ceiling of his room. It had only been a few nights ago that his father had come out of his study to talk with Draco. Aunt Bellatrix had been there as well, but she did nothing of consequence.
“As you well know, The Dark Lord is extremely angry with our family for not being able to hold the boy yet again. So to get back on good terms with him, you have a job to do. The Dark Lord needs a student at Hogwarts and since this is your last year, we must act quickly.” His father had repeated his mother’s letter. “You’re mother doesn’t want to put you in danger, but I think it’s high time you started taking control of this family’s future. You must kill the Mudblood, Hermione Granger.”
Draco had known this was coming. It was far too obvious that Hermione was a valuable asset to Harry Potter. But now, thinking about Hermione and all the fun (if you could call it that) that they had had, it was difficult to envision her death, let alone he, himself, killing her. It was crazy.
“I know this may seem a daunting task for you, but it will help you in the long run. If you complete this task, you will be honored with the Dark Mark.”
Draco chose his words carefully, not wanting to sound cowardly. “Can’t Snape kill her?” he said slowly.
“If Snape kills the girl, he will have to leave the school. And then at the end of this year, you will be gone as well. There will be no one in Hogwarts. And that is not good. You must do this. Please.”
His father had never said anything to polite to him at all. His father had hardly spoken to him when he was a boy. His father saying please meant that they were in deep trouble and that he, Draco, was their last hope.
“I’ll do it,” he said quietly, his eyes downward, and his heart ripping apart.
“Good.” His father sounded happy. “Your Aunt Bellatrix will train you. You may go now.”
He had walked out of the room at a normal pace, but once out of eyesight, he ran into his room and locked the door. He leaned against the door and closed his eyes. He had just agreed to kill someone he was starting to love.
Draco awoke of reliving his memories at a soft tapping at his bedroom window. It was rather dark outside the window. He opened it and a snowy white owl he recognized as Potter’s flew inside. She looked rather angry to be giving a letter to him, so she flew away the second the letter came off her leg.
The letter was from Hermione.
Dear Draco,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the necklace. It’s beautiful! I’m sorry I couldn’t get you anything, but instead I thought I’d write you a letter. I hope you’re having a good holiday. I can’t wait to see you again. Happy Christmas and have a good New Year as well!
Love from,
Hermione
Hermione’s closing was a little more than he could take. He pressed his burning forehead against the cool glass of the window. He just couldn’t kill her.