Afraid to Love You (A Dramione Story)

Chapter 9

December 1998

"Why are we studying 'Mione? We leave for holiday tomorrow!" Ginny asked exasperatedly, slamming her book shut.

Hermione glanced up at her redheaded best friend over the top of the book she was reading. "I'm not studying. I came here to read in peace. Besides, you leave for holiday tomorrow; I'm staying here."

Ginny snorted. "Oh, whatever! You dragged me in here so hoping you would run into Draco." She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Are you on this again? How many times do I have to tell you that he and I are just friends?" she groaned.

"Sure you are, Hermione," Ginny said with a smile. "Are you sure you don't want to come to the Burrow with me for Christmas? I don't want you to be alone."

"I'm sure. Things are still really awkward with Ron and I'm sure he'll want to bring his new girlfriend round to meet the family. And I won't be alone. Neville and Luna are staying and so are Draco and Blaise. I'll be fine."

Ginny sighed. "If you're sure..."

"I am," Hermione replied, squeezing Ginny's hand. "Don't worry about me."

"Okay. Well, I'd better go finish packing. See you in the common room later?"

Hermione nodded and went back to reading her book as Ginny left. She was so absorbed in her book that she didn't notice Draco sit down across from her. He sat and watched her read for a while, amused by her expression. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration and she was chewing on her thumbnail.

"What's your favorite thing about the Christmas season Herms?" Draco asked, looking out the window at the rapidly falling snow.

Hermione jumped and looked up from her book. "Oh my God Draco, you scared me! How long have you been sitting there? And will you PLEASE stop calling me that?"

He smirked. "I haven't been here long and okay since you insist, I won't call you Herms anymore. I'll call you Hermy instead."

She rolled her eyes. He leaned forward and pulled her book out of her hands. "Come on! Take a break and answer my question."

"Okay," she sighed contently and looked out of the window. "There are so many things, to be honest, I can't pick just one. The way the snow crunches underneath my boots or clings to my eyelashes when it falls. Catching snowflakes on my tongue and making snow angels. Snowball fights until your fingers are numb with cold. Coming inside with rosy cheeks and warming up with homemade apple cider. And the music! Christmas carols that make you want to smile. My favorite has to be Waltz of the Flowers by Tchaikovsky, a muggle composer, although it's not really a carol.

"And waking up on Christmas morning to the smell of hot cocoa, running downstairs to see mum and dad waiting by the tree--" She stopped talking abruptly with a gasp, reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Sorry, I just really miss them," she said with a sad smile.

Draco nodded understandingly. "You want to talk about it?"

Hermione shook her head quickly and tried to change the subject. "What about you? What's your favorite thing about Christmas?"

"It used to be playing in the snow with my mother," he said wistfully. "There's this really big hill at the manor and on every Christmas morning when I was small, Mother and I would wake up really early and go sledding without telling father. I remember it being great fun. Father found out about our little tradition the Christmas before I came to Hogwarts. He was extremely angry. He told us we were undignified and my behavior was unsuitable for the 'Malfoy heir'."