Author: LunaLovegood
Rating: K-11
Pairing: Draco/Hermione
Warnings: some bad language, mentions of death and self harm. itsetuhoisuus // Kaapo lisäsi vielä suomeksi c:
Challenge: Vuodenaikahaaste vol. 2With you nothing feels so cold any moreThe big, romantic looking snowflakes were slowly falling down from the sky. The fireplace was lit and it warmed up the whole common room. But Hermione Granger was still feeling cold; she was wearing a Weasley sweater, one that she had gotten last Christmas and was wrapped inside a warm blanket, but nothing could save her from her cold feelings. She shook her head, got up from the arm chair and walked to the portrait hole. She just wanted to be alone. She needed to think.
The corridors of the castle were cold and empty; no one would go out from in front of the fire, except for classes. It was funny, Hermione thought, that a school of magic couldn’t be warmed up with magic. Wouldn’t it be so much better and comfier for the students to study in a warm castle instead of one straight from the Middle Age? The castle was perfectly fine during the Autumn and Spring, but Winter was horrid.
All those previous six Winters Hermione had spent in the castle, she had thought about speaking to Dumbledore about the coldness, but now he was gone, and only one year of studies was left for her. She wouldn’t need the warming up anymore. Especially when she knew the cold was not because of the weather. It was all about the feelings.
She walked straight to the kitchens, tickled the pear in the painting and was greeted by a small House Elf. The House Elf was very familiar to her, she had met her in her fourth year. Everything had changed after the fourth year though. Before that particular year everything was fine. Well almost fine, Voldemort had still been chasing Harry, but otherwise, everything was just fine.
Now lots of people she had known were dead. Voldemort was dead. Harry and Ron had become Aurors, but Hermione had thought to return school, to finish her V.I.P.s. She didn’t want to be an Auror after all, even though the job had been offered to her. In addition to everything else, she couldn’t have worked with Ron. You see they had kissed in the Chamber of Secrets during the Final Battle, but it was just the adrenalines to Ron. Ron still loved Lavender for some inexplicable reason. It had broken Hermione.
“Hey Winky,” she smiled to the Elf sadly, remembering the Elf’s friend who had died during the War, “Could you give me a hot chocolate with whipped cream on top, please?”
“Of course, Mistress Granger, Winky will give it to you in a minute,” the Elf said, bowing to her.
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Hermione?” Hermione asked the Elf, but she wasn’t listening, she had already walked to prepare the chocolate.
“Millions of times,” a voice answered. A voice way too familiar.
“What are you doing here Malfoy?”
“The same you are. Getting some hot chocolate to make me feel warm. This isn’t your kitchen.”
“I meant what are you doing here?”
“Here meaning what? The castle? I go to school here. You might be surprised.”
“No, I didn’t mean that. Why did you return?”
“The same reason you did. To finish my V.I.P.s, escape real life, get time to figure out who I am, and to apologise.”
“Who would you apologise to? Dumbledore’s dead. Snape’s dead. And Harry is not here.”
“To you.”
“To me? Why would you want to apologise to me?”
“The first time I saw you, I thought, what a pretty girl, and smart one too. I wanted to be your friend, but when you were sorted Gryffindor I couldn’t be your friend. You see Father always said that never make friends with Gryffindors. He did ask me to become friends with Potter though, to be a spy, I later realised. I used to look at you in classes. Especially before you and Potter and Weaselbee became friends. Around Christmas I wrote my Father a letter. I asked about you. I said that your parents were Muggles, and asked if you were just like others. I said that I liked you. I said that you were the brightest in our year and that you were beautiful. My father didn’t like it. He said that you are Mudblood scum, and that all attention I should pay on you was laughing at your lower status in wizarding world. So I did. I didn’t want to, but it was my only choice. When you hit me in third year, I knew I earned it. And I knew that there was nothing to get my feelings grow smaller. I was an arse, and I’m sorry about it.”
“Wow. I never thought to hear that from your mouth. But I do forgive you. I never actually thought it was you. I knew you had no other choice. So I never really hated you for treating me the way you did.”
“You didn’t?”
“I didn’t. I like you more than Ronald, to be honest.”
“But- but isn’t he your boyfriend?”
“No. We never really dated. We did kiss during the Final Battle and I thought that it would would finally happen. That we’d get together and live happily ever after. But the next day he said that he was sorry he had kissed me. He said it was just the adrenalins. He said he loved Lavender.”
“That jerk. I understand why you don’t like him. You know I would never do that to you.”
“I do. Well I don’t know. I mean you are the Slytherin Sex God.”
“I am? Well, you are the Gryffindor Goddess.”
“Why would I be Gryffindor Goddess? I’m just a muggleborn bookworm.”
“Because I love you.”
This caused Hermione to stare at Draco in wonder, shocked. Winky brought her her hot chocolate, but she wasn’t able to even thank her. She just stared at the man in front of her wondering, whether his words were sincere. She shivered of cold.
“Hermione? Are you all right? Are you cold? Drink your chocolate, it’ll help.”
“Woah. Did this actually just happen? Did Draco Abraxas Malfoy just say he loved me AND call me Hermione?”
“Yes I did. I do love you, believe it or not.”
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I love you too. I always loved you, but I was trying to deny the feelings. But now that you said you loved me too, the feelings are clear. I love you Draco.”
“I love you too Hermione.”
And they kissed, being watched by dozens of House Elves. The castle was now surrounded by snow, and the freezing cold atmosphere didn’t feel so cold now. Even the scars in Hermione’s arm stopped hurting for a moment. Everything was fine now, she didn’t need to punish herself for being an idiot any more. She would be fine.The coldness was moving away.
