Draco watched the light snow fall on the other side of the window pane.
He had never been a particular fan of it, but after weeks of the same views from this room, he had to admit that the crisp, white landscape looked somewhat picturesque. After too many weeks stuck inside this shit-pit, he was beginning to forget what the outside felt like, and he could honestly say that he missed it.
He'd heard Granger leave a good hour ago, but she was still here. Her scent hung in the air and he could still taste her against his tongue, and he tried to pinpoint when exactly her essence had turned from an irritant into a comfort.
Despite his personal promises that shagging Granger would be a one-time incident, he had already resigned himself to the fact that he would do it again, and again, until that troublesome craving for her in his gut had ebbed away.
If it ebbed away.
At least he had managed to wake up before her. Every self-respecting male knew that lingering in a post-coital bed meant something deeper than a physical tumble between the sheets, and he'd sooner Crucio himself before he let that happen.
It was only meant to be one night…
That little theory had certainly shrivelled up and died if their shower antics were anything to go by. He blamed her threat of a new prison for this.
He could have questioned his reasons for pursuing Granger, and possibly given himself a hernia in the process, but there seemed little point in over-thinking a problem that had no solution. Knowing it was something he would definitely regret, he had decided to take Granger's earlier advice, and just do what felt right for the time being.
There was nobody here to judge him or scold his deranged and dangerous behaviour, and when she was the only element of his isolation that made his instincts tingle and his blood rush, refusing the desire to touch her wasn't an option.
If this was insanity, then all that talk about the happiness of madness was beginning to make sense.
.
.
After spending a few hours amongst more books on Horcruxes, Hermione had said her goodbyes to Neville and the other students before they'd left Hogwarts behind to join their families. They had been a little delayed when a fifth year had taken a nap and failed to show up on time, and by the time the herd of Abraxans had taken flight, the dark, winter sky had started to drown the white hills.
She had found herself strolling around the snow-covered grounds for a couple of hours, relishing the pleasing crunchy noises beneath her feet as she went. She bent down to rake her fingers through the sugary powder, uncaring that it was so cold it made her hands burn.
She cast a Warming Charm and seated herself on a tree stump to gaze up at the clear skies. She adored nights like this; when the clouds had retreated, and the stars were sprinkled across the navy universe like frosty freckles.
She began to play dot-to-dot in her head, finding the constellation Lyra easily with its bright star, Vega. Her studious stare instinctively shifted to Draco, and she followed the serpentine sway of the long trail of stars. They winked at her and she simply stared at it for a few moments, appreciating the beauty and complexity, before deciding that it was getting too late and dark to be alone.
Back in the walls of Hogwarts, she made her way back to her room; distracted by concerns about how to act in her Slytherin companion's presence after two nights under his spell. She was moving past the kitchens without paying much attention, when a firm tug on her robes startled her out of her daze.
"Bloody hell!" she gasped, clutching her chest as she whipped around and gave the confused House-elf an apologetic look. "Sorry, Dobby. You gave me a bit of a fright."
"Dobby is sorry, Miss," he apologised earnestly. "Dobby has been looking for you! I have a gift for you!"
"A gift?" Hermione repeated with a frown. "You didn't need to get me anything, Dobby."
"It's a Christmas tree," the small creature explained, reaching into the flimsy pocket of his top to remove a small sapling. "I managed to save a good one for you, Miss! It's pretty! Miss must use the Finite spell, and it will grow into the tree I chose for you!"
She offered him a weak smiled. "That was very sweet of you, Dobby," she said. "But I don't think I'm having a tree this year. Perhaps one of the Professors would like-
"Miss must have a tree!" he protested enthusiastically, pushing the small seed into her hand. "Miss needs a tree for Christmas!"
Hermione accepted the thoughtful present and decided that arguing was both futile and ungrateful. "Thank you, Dobby," she nodded, giving him a friendly pat on the back. "That was very thoughtful of you."
"Miss is very welcome!" he beamed at her. "Dobby must go now, must help Winky clean!"
With a snap of his fingers, he disappeared, and Hermione eyed the sapling in her palm for a moment, before she continued to head towards her room. She contemplated leaving it as it was, but that seemed almost cruel when Dobby had taken the time to select it for her. As she pushed open her door, her eyes automatically landed on Draco's room, and she felt little pixies prance in her stomach, as the always seemed to do now. Shrugging away her nerves, she placed the sapling in the darkest corner of the sitting area, and stepped back before removing her wand.
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