A New Beginning (Drabble)
Title: A New Beginning
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1,472
Notes: Written for the dramionedrabble Christmas Movie Quote Challenge. “All I want is what I... I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.” - Charlie Brown's Christmas
A New Beginning
Hermione sat quietly in a corner and watched, just like she had last year, and most of the years before. There were more people gathered in the sitting room of Grimmauld Place this year, than had been in any of the previous years; Harry and Ginny, Ron and Luna, George and Angelina, Bill and Fleur, Seamus and Susan, Dean, Neville and Hannah, Pansy, Blaise, Theo, Draco, and hordes upon hordes of children were all in attendance. The Christmas gift-giving tradition had grown exponentially since its inception ten years ago. Though, Hermione was happy to be surrounded by friends, she couldn't help but remember the very first gift-giving party and how quiet and intimate it had been.
It had started so simply the year after the war had ended; she, Harry, and Ron had sat by the fire in that very room and exchanged presents of profound meaning to the life they had lived and the life they had ahead of them.
Hermione remembered the tears she had shed when Harry's present to her was a rare and beautiful book containing stories of the lives of those buried in the cemetery in Godric's Hollow. She had been surprised and overjoyed that he had remembered their brief conversation after the incident in Godric's Hollow with Voldemort, where Hermione confessed she was intrigued by the lives and memories of those lying beneath the cold snow. Hermione, over the years, had opened that book and poured over its pages as many times as she'd read Hogwarts: A History. It was, by far, her second-favorite book.
Her gift from Harry this year, though thoughtful, did not carry nearly the same caliber. She rubbed her finger down the spine of The Arithmatic Properties of Potions and smiled. She would still read it for hours.
Ron's gift, that first year, had been much more romantic. Hermione had gasped when Ron had bent down on one knee and slid a small emerald ring on her right ring finger. She had cried when he said he'd promise to love her forever and that he wanted to marry her one day. She had smiled and nodded her head in enthusiasm when he had asked if she would promise to say yes to him when he asked her to marry him later on...when they were ready.
Hermione sighed and looked down at the shining, deep green stone on her right ring finger. Some promises were meant to be broken. After two years and six months together, she and Ron had decided their relationship was nothing more than friendship. The breakup had come with mixed feelings - sorrow, relief, anxiety, and happiness - but it hadn’t taken her long to straighten out those feelings.
Luna's airy laugh trilled out into the room and Hermione smiled as she watched her adjust the little red-head girl on her hip, so she could kiss Ron gently.
Yes, some promises were meant to be broken.
Hermione shifted in her seat and felt her foot brush against the gift Ron had given her this year. She slipped her stocking feet inside the fluffy, light green slippers. He had told her they were charmed to fit your foot perfectly and always at the perfect temperature. Hermione smiled as she instantly felt her feet warming inside the slippers that fit her snuggly. It may not have been a ring, or a wedding proposal, but Ron did know her feet were always cold.
With quiet movements, Hermione shifted all the presents by her chair into a more desirable pile to the side, and then say back in her seat to watch the festivities. She truly felt blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. She felt blessed to have so many she called family, so many she cared about. However, she couldn't help but hope that one day she would get what was coming to her. She was so hoping she'd get her fair share.
She knew things hadn't worked out for her and Ron for a reason. Hermione had never looked at Ron the way Luna did - her love shining right through her eyes and into his heart. No, Luna and Ron were meant to be together, not Hermione and Ron. But, since their breakup, Hermione had only dated a couple of wizards and never finding in them what she wanted or needed. Sometimes Hermione wondered if she even knew what she wanted or what she needed.
"Hermione?" She turned at the sound of Draco’s voice and felt her face flush.
Or maybe she did know.
Seven years ago, after both his parents were gone, Draco had come to them - The Trio - and asked for forgiveness, a second chance. Even now, Hermione didn’t know how it had happened to easily, so readily, but forgiveness had been given, and Draco had become one of them. With Draco came some others - Pansy, Blaise, and Theo - and though there was constant ribbing back and forth, they had all become close.
And it was then, after nearly a year had passed and the awkwardness that came with new friendships had passed, Hermione had found herself falling.
She and Draco had always been on the same level intellectually, though they never truly knew it. It made conversations easy - fluid - and gave them excuses to spend more time together. Over the last seven years, Hermione had spent more time with Draco that she had with Harry and Ron combined. No, she wasn’t replacing her two best friends, but she was finding herself in another.
Hermione sometimes felt that there was more between her and Draco than they ever talked about, but it was easy to push those thoughts away. Hermione didn’t want to get hurt. And though she doubted the new Draco would hurt her in an intentional way, it was just easiest to forget it and to not let her hopes get too high.
But, sometimes...well, sometimes when he looked at her just right, or smiled at her in that way she had never seen him smile for anyone else, she wondered.
Was it possible?
"Yes?" she answered, her voice sounding steadier than she felt.
He extended his hand to her; he was holding a small box, neatly wrapped in red paper, "Happy Christmas."
In all the years they had been friends, Draco and Hermione had never exchanged gifts. Flustered, she said, “I’m sorry, Draco, but I didn’t get you anything.”
His smile was easy and it made her heart flutter gently in her chest. “That’s okay,” he said and nudged the present closer to her. “Open it.”
With slightly shaking fingers, she took the present and carefully opened the shining paper. Inside was a small, black, velvet box. Hermione felt the walls around her heart constrict and her shaky breath catch in her throat.
“Draco,” she trailed off and tried to give the box back to him.
He pushed it back into her hands. “It’s time someone gave you what you deserve, Hermione.”
She felt tears prick her eyes, but she pulled open the top of the box carefully. Inside, lying on a bed of white satin was a small, translucent pendant threaded onto a thin silver chain.
“Oh my, it’s-“
“It was my mother’s,” Draco interrupted as he took the necklace from the box and moved behind her to put it around her neck. “It’s an opal. Beautiful, isn’t it?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he moved her hair to the side. “She always told me that one day I’d be able to give it to a special witch.”
The necklace was clasped around her neck and Draco moved her hair back in place; Hermione took the pendant in her hands and examined it. The stone was smooth and nearly see through, but with closer inspection Hermione saw flecks of blue and green shimmering just below the surface.
“It really is beautiful,” Hermione choked out, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “But, I can’t accept this, Draco. It’s too much.”
Draco stood in front of her again and grabbed her hands, standing her in front of him. Tentatively, he touched his fingertips to her cheek and Hermione’s eyelids fluttered closed. A single tear slid down her cheek and touched his fingers.
“It’s not too much.” His voice was husky and Hermione shivered. “You are special, Hermione. And-“
Hermione’s eyes opened. “And?” she asked, her fingers lacing through his.
“And this Christmas, I want both of us to get what’s coming to us.” His eyes bore into hers and she felt a shiver run down her spine.
“What’s that?”
“A love as deep and complex and beautiful as that pendant,” he murmured as he took a small step forward, “a new beginning.”
Hermione moved forward, until her lips ghosted over his. “A new beginning,” she breathed and closed the distance.
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1,472
Notes: Written for the dramionedrabble Christmas Movie Quote Challenge. “All I want is what I... I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.” - Charlie Brown's Christmas
A New Beginning
Hermione sat quietly in a corner and watched, just like she had last year, and most of the years before. There were more people gathered in the sitting room of Grimmauld Place this year, than had been in any of the previous years; Harry and Ginny, Ron and Luna, George and Angelina, Bill and Fleur, Seamus and Susan, Dean, Neville and Hannah, Pansy, Blaise, Theo, Draco, and hordes upon hordes of children were all in attendance. The Christmas gift-giving tradition had grown exponentially since its inception ten years ago. Though, Hermione was happy to be surrounded by friends, she couldn't help but remember the very first gift-giving party and how quiet and intimate it had been.
It had started so simply the year after the war had ended; she, Harry, and Ron had sat by the fire in that very room and exchanged presents of profound meaning to the life they had lived and the life they had ahead of them.
Hermione remembered the tears she had shed when Harry's present to her was a rare and beautiful book containing stories of the lives of those buried in the cemetery in Godric's Hollow. She had been surprised and overjoyed that he had remembered their brief conversation after the incident in Godric's Hollow with Voldemort, where Hermione confessed she was intrigued by the lives and memories of those lying beneath the cold snow. Hermione, over the years, had opened that book and poured over its pages as many times as she'd read Hogwarts: A History. It was, by far, her second-favorite book.
Her gift from Harry this year, though thoughtful, did not carry nearly the same caliber. She rubbed her finger down the spine of The Arithmatic Properties of Potions and smiled. She would still read it for hours.
Ron's gift, that first year, had been much more romantic. Hermione had gasped when Ron had bent down on one knee and slid a small emerald ring on her right ring finger. She had cried when he said he'd promise to love her forever and that he wanted to marry her one day. She had smiled and nodded her head in enthusiasm when he had asked if she would promise to say yes to him when he asked her to marry him later on...when they were ready.
Hermione sighed and looked down at the shining, deep green stone on her right ring finger. Some promises were meant to be broken. After two years and six months together, she and Ron had decided their relationship was nothing more than friendship. The breakup had come with mixed feelings - sorrow, relief, anxiety, and happiness - but it hadn’t taken her long to straighten out those feelings.
Luna's airy laugh trilled out into the room and Hermione smiled as she watched her adjust the little red-head girl on her hip, so she could kiss Ron gently.
Yes, some promises were meant to be broken.
Hermione shifted in her seat and felt her foot brush against the gift Ron had given her this year. She slipped her stocking feet inside the fluffy, light green slippers. He had told her they were charmed to fit your foot perfectly and always at the perfect temperature. Hermione smiled as she instantly felt her feet warming inside the slippers that fit her snuggly. It may not have been a ring, or a wedding proposal, but Ron did know her feet were always cold.
With quiet movements, Hermione shifted all the presents by her chair into a more desirable pile to the side, and then say back in her seat to watch the festivities. She truly felt blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. She felt blessed to have so many she called family, so many she cared about. However, she couldn't help but hope that one day she would get what was coming to her. She was so hoping she'd get her fair share.
She knew things hadn't worked out for her and Ron for a reason. Hermione had never looked at Ron the way Luna did - her love shining right through her eyes and into his heart. No, Luna and Ron were meant to be together, not Hermione and Ron. But, since their breakup, Hermione had only dated a couple of wizards and never finding in them what she wanted or needed. Sometimes Hermione wondered if she even knew what she wanted or what she needed.
"Hermione?" She turned at the sound of Draco’s voice and felt her face flush.
Or maybe she did know.
Seven years ago, after both his parents were gone, Draco had come to them - The Trio - and asked for forgiveness, a second chance. Even now, Hermione didn’t know how it had happened to easily, so readily, but forgiveness had been given, and Draco had become one of them. With Draco came some others - Pansy, Blaise, and Theo - and though there was constant ribbing back and forth, they had all become close.
And it was then, after nearly a year had passed and the awkwardness that came with new friendships had passed, Hermione had found herself falling.
She and Draco had always been on the same level intellectually, though they never truly knew it. It made conversations easy - fluid - and gave them excuses to spend more time together. Over the last seven years, Hermione had spent more time with Draco that she had with Harry and Ron combined. No, she wasn’t replacing her two best friends, but she was finding herself in another.
Hermione sometimes felt that there was more between her and Draco than they ever talked about, but it was easy to push those thoughts away. Hermione didn’t want to get hurt. And though she doubted the new Draco would hurt her in an intentional way, it was just easiest to forget it and to not let her hopes get too high.
But, sometimes...well, sometimes when he looked at her just right, or smiled at her in that way she had never seen him smile for anyone else, she wondered.
Was it possible?
"Yes?" she answered, her voice sounding steadier than she felt.
He extended his hand to her; he was holding a small box, neatly wrapped in red paper, "Happy Christmas."
In all the years they had been friends, Draco and Hermione had never exchanged gifts. Flustered, she said, “I’m sorry, Draco, but I didn’t get you anything.”
His smile was easy and it made her heart flutter gently in her chest. “That’s okay,” he said and nudged the present closer to her. “Open it.”
With slightly shaking fingers, she took the present and carefully opened the shining paper. Inside was a small, black, velvet box. Hermione felt the walls around her heart constrict and her shaky breath catch in her throat.
“Draco,” she trailed off and tried to give the box back to him.
He pushed it back into her hands. “It’s time someone gave you what you deserve, Hermione.”
She felt tears prick her eyes, but she pulled open the top of the box carefully. Inside, lying on a bed of white satin was a small, translucent pendant threaded onto a thin silver chain.
“Oh my, it’s-“
“It was my mother’s,” Draco interrupted as he took the necklace from the box and moved behind her to put it around her neck. “It’s an opal. Beautiful, isn’t it?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he moved her hair to the side. “She always told me that one day I’d be able to give it to a special witch.”
The necklace was clasped around her neck and Draco moved her hair back in place; Hermione took the pendant in her hands and examined it. The stone was smooth and nearly see through, but with closer inspection Hermione saw flecks of blue and green shimmering just below the surface.
“It really is beautiful,” Hermione choked out, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “But, I can’t accept this, Draco. It’s too much.”
Draco stood in front of her again and grabbed her hands, standing her in front of him. Tentatively, he touched his fingertips to her cheek and Hermione’s eyelids fluttered closed. A single tear slid down her cheek and touched his fingers.
“It’s not too much.” His voice was husky and Hermione shivered. “You are special, Hermione. And-“
Hermione’s eyes opened. “And?” she asked, her fingers lacing through his.
“And this Christmas, I want both of us to get what’s coming to us.” His eyes bore into hers and she felt a shiver run down her spine.
“What’s that?”
“A love as deep and complex and beautiful as that pendant,” he murmured as he took a small step forward, “a new beginning.”
Hermione moved forward, until her lips ghosted over his. “A new beginning,” she breathed and closed the distance.