Everything Changes (A Dramione fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-One

"Where were you last night?" Harry asked Ron, after pointing out that he had gotten back past curfew. "Lavender." he mumbled with a shrug, and eating a fork full of egg. Hermione scanned the Daily Prophet and took a sip of orange juice, paying only half attention to their conversation, until the conversation was about her. "And what about you Hermione? Where were you last night?" Harry questioned. "...at the library." she said with a shrug, returning back to her paper and orange juice. "With Draco." Harry added, and suddenly Hermione wasn't drinking the juice rather than choking on it. When she finally got a hold of herself, much to Harry and Ron's amusement, she said, "I was helping him study." Harry was laughing at her. "What?" she exclaimed, and the heat grew to her cheeks as she realized she was acting much like a child. "I mean...I don't see what is so amusing. He is a friend now, why shouldn't I help him? I help you two all the time." Ron and Harry gave each other a look Hermione couldn't quite read. "Oh don't be so immature." she scoffed. They continued to laugh silently to themselves as Hermione returned to the Daily Prophet. "Tomorrow is the beginning of winter break." Harry said suddenly, and Hermione nodded in response, glad that the conversation at hand was no longer about her. "If only our holidays were as long as Dumbledore's." Ron grumbled with a mouthful of bacon, and Hermione reminded him once more to eat with his mouth shut. "He must be doing something important." Harry replied shaking his head.  "He is." Hermione reassured him, shooting Ron a  look. If anyone in this wizarding world had the right to fear, it was Harry, and although Hermione knew he was brave, she also understood that her best friend was proud, and most likely not showing all his emotions, not letting out the weight he felt. "And when he comes back...we will be able to warn him-to save him." she said, and noticed the tension she hadn't noticed, leave Harry. She set down her paper, folding it over and putting it on the seat beside her. She added an egg to her empty plate and smiled at her friends. "So...what's the plan for tomorrow?" "Tomorrow?" echoed Ron. "Winter break!" she exclaimed, Hermione would be spending her Winter Break at Hogwarts, to advance on her studies and to prevent burdening the Weasley family, who had kindly offered their hospitality, but she was very aware of tight money and little space since Harry would be spending his winter break at The Burrow. She kindly declined, but agreed to having dinner with them on Christmas.  "You have a day before returning to The Burrow...let's make it count."  

...

        Draco laid in bed, not wanting to think about winter break. It was an odd thing, to mourn while everyone around you celebrated. Breakfast had been served but Draco was not hungry, so here he would stay until his first class would start, which wouldn't be for a while now, since his first period was free. He reached to his bedside, and his hand met his scarf. A walk, he decided, would make him feel quite better.

        Draco had to travel to the furthest end of the Quidditch field to sit in the Slytherin stands, and although he was all alone, and could really sit wherever he pleased, the Slytherin stands is where he would go. He first stood at the center of the field, looking up and all around him at the great colors presenting house pride. He found himself grinning, grinning at the colors of the stands and his scarf moving upward slightly in the small breeze. 

        "You know, I always did like the Slytherin colors." said a voice coming from behind Draco, startling him slightly. He turned to find Hermione walking across the Quidditch field to him. "Oh really?" he replied. "The green in particular...it just seems so....so...vibrant and...proud." she concluded. "Proud?" Draco asked, not quite understanding. "Perhaps it is an idea I have formed while watching you all these years." she replied, looking down and smiling. "Watching me? Watching me all these years...ha! I knew you fancied me." Draco replied with a smirk, his courage rising
Although he expected a very girlish-perhaps childish- reaction, what he received was a smug look. "Oh no Draco...I only noticed you noticing me." This took Draco quite by surprise, for this confident behavior was not like Hermione Granger at all, and her words stunned him quite a bit as well. "Noticing you?" he managed. "Of course. See, although I know your appreciation for muggles is not quite there..." Hermione began and Draco found himself holding his breath-yet she had not said these words with any intentions of hurting him, it was a simple fact that was not meant to offend him. "...us muggleborns and muggles are told at a young age that when a boy picks on you, it simply means he fancies you." she finished with a laugh. "Where is the logic behind that?" Draco replied. "I have no idea." Hermione admit with a chuckle. "I suppose all it does for a young girl is lower her standards." she added. "It is never something I really believed, just thought I would tease you." "Why? Because you like me?" Draco teased, and then they were both laughing. "Now don't go falling for your childhood rival. You're better than the silly girls to believe something of that sort." Draco teased, and he realized he may have gone too far teasing, something about his own comment stung him in an odd way and he wondered if he was going to make the situation awkward, due to his repetitive accusations. To his relief, Hermione had not taken this seriously at all and rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Draco Malfoy." she said. He did not expect this to have any effect on him, and yet his stomach sank. Strange. Perhaps it was the relief? He decided to not dwell on the thought. 

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