Everything Changes (A Dramione fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Hey Hermione

Hope you're having fun at Hogwarts, we miss you. Mrs. Wealsey has asked me to confirm with you that you will be joining us, and has instruced me to insist that you do if you decline. "We're her family too!" Anyway, Ron is too lazy to get his own letter out so he has asked me to lend him the other half of the parchment.

I'll see you soon

From, Harry

Hermione

Hope you haven't been stuck in a book all break. Who are we kidding? I know you have been. Try to have some fun.

Will you be joining us for Christmas dinner? Mum's asking, she's just come into the bloody room to remind me to ask you. Hope the answers yes or we'll all be miserable.

See ya

-Ron

Hermione smiled down at each letter, missing her friends dearly. She looked quite smugly at Ron's letter. They think they know me so well, she thought and then realized with alarm that had she been writing a letter to her future self she would have said something very similar. I guess I thought I knew myself well too.
...
"Breakfast?" The word appeared on the previously blank piece of parchment on Draco's dresser. It was the same piece of parchment Hermione and him had been using to communicate since the winter break had begun.

"What's this?" he had said one evening as she emptied out her bag in attempt to find a piece of the Daily Prophet she had cut to show him. While doing so, two pieces of blank parchment fell from her bag. "Oh that's just something Fred and George gave me from their shop. It's supposed to make passing notes convenient...the message only appears to the person it is intended for, so if a teacher picks up the parchment..." "They won't see a thing." Draco said. "Exactly." Hermione said with a nod returning back to her bag. "That's pretty neat, people like us could use them, so nobody would ask questions." he replied. It was then Hermione decided he should keep one and her the other.

"Yes." he wrote. "Quidditch field. See you." Hermione's long cursive appeared quickly in reply. Draco was surprised at himself as he noticed the nervous feeling of anticipation spread through him like wildfire. He felt a certain excitement to see her...to have breakfast? Draco could not be sure, perhaps it was simply his past self unwilling to accept he had a real friend whom he would have real conversations. No..that didn't make sense. He shook his head, not caring to dwell on the thought any longer.

...

"What are your plans for Christmas?" Hermione asked Draco as they sat together on the Quidditch field, she looked around for a moment, always surprised at the fact that there was never anyone there. It had only happened once this week that they had to return back to the Great Hall for dinner because two first year Hufflepuffs were gallivanting around, swearing they would one day fly on broomsticks and play Quidditch.

"I was thinking about going to see my mum." Draco said after hesitating. "But...I can't." his voice was thick with something Hermione recognized as a deep sadness...she had not heard much of it from Draco before. "Why not?" Hermione asked. "Well, I told my parents I was going to work on my task...I told them that was the reason I had to stay during Christmas. I can't go back after I've avoided their letters, given no updates on progress, they're going to ask questions...and my aunt...she's...she's mad. I don't want to see Bella if I don't have to-" "Bella? Bellatrix Lestrange. I forgot she's your aunt." Hermione interrupt. "You know where she is?!" she couldn't help asking, thinking of Harry, Sirius, and the many Wanted posters she had seen. Draco seemed to tense up then. "Well...yeah...with my parents..thing is my mum, she's a good person, and she dislikes what Bella does but...she's still her sister. She still loves her. She's probably the only one alive to love her." Hermione sensed that Draco was fearing she was considering turning her in, and she should....but she wouldn't. "I'm sorry." was all she could manage. She then watched as he reached into his pocket for a familiar object, as he removed it the sunlight bounced off the shine of the object. His pocket watch. Hermione had seen him check his pocket watch almost every day, but had never paid much attention to it. He offered it to her, so she took it in her own hands, really seeing it for the first time. She brushed the tip of her index finger over the engraved lettering on the surface of it, "For my handsome boy, Mummy loves you" it said. "She gave it to me just before I went on to the platform in first year." he explained. "This is beautiful. Your mother seems like a really good person." she added just before returning it. "I do miss her." he replied, now looking down a the watch himself. "What about your father?" Hermione asked. She was amazed at how quickly his sparkling eyes seemed to cloud over with darkness. "I don't want to be anything like my father."

...
Hermione looked down uncomfortably at her fingers. "Oh." she said quietly. "It's just...he taught me all my life what was right and what was wrong and then I grew up to realize I had it all mixed up...and then I was hurting people...people like you...and for a while I struggled with who I was and who I wanted to be. The one thing I came to understand was that...whoever I would become..it wouldn't be him. So here we are, because I made that decision." Draco let the words pour out of him, and when it was over he looked up to Hermione's kind, understanding eyes. She lifted her hand, reaching towards him, hesitation for a moment just before she took his hand to hold. "I don't know your father, but I've come to know you, Draco. You don't know who you are? I'll tell you, because now I do. You are Draco Malfoy...braver than most Gryffindors I know. A person I disliked, but have met all over again, and have come to care for-and that was all your doing. That person you're so afraid of becoming-whether he's your past self or your current father-he's gone. I don't know who he is, I haven't seen him in a long time." she then let go Draco's now shaking hand, as he sat in total silence-not having the words to thank her for the relief she had just given him.

Dear Harry and Ron,

I hope you don't mind my writing one letter instead of two, but seeing as how you two did almost the same, I would imagine it doesn't really matter.

I do intend on coming for Christmas, so please let Mrs. Weasley know, and make sure to thank her for her hospitality on my behalf. I really miss the both of you, and yet I have been having fun here at Hogwarts. 

With love, always

Hermione

p.s....just a little something to boggle your mind-I haven't touched a book since break began!

I am honestly so sorry that this chapter took so long to publish. The strangest thing is I had it all written out-I just felt like it was wrong so I couldn't hit that publish button. I ended up rewriting the ending entirely-I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a comment with your thoughts. Thanks! -jazzyjstar"