"Well tough luck!" Hermione shouted, squaring her shoulders and shooting him a defiant glare. "It's Christmas! Things are crap enough without you being a miserable-
"I don't-
"I am not finished!" she scolded. "Bloody hell, Draco! Why have you got to question everything-
"Because I am not exactly in a position where I can give you anything back!" he yelled, raking his tense fingers through his icy hair. "I don't want to have a list of debts to you-
"I don't want anything back," she said slowly. "I never expected-
"Then why bother?"
"Because it's Christmas," she sighed, her eyes forlorn. "Just trust me on this-
"I have no reason to trust you," Draco interjected, noting the disappointment flash in her hazels. "You have no reason to give me anything-
"It's just…it's something nice to do-
"Fucking nice," he grumbled coldly, curling his lip as though the word scorched his tongue. "You Gryffindors are so pathetic-
"I am not pathetic," she ground out between her teeth. "Don't you dare-
"Well, don't talk such bollocks-
"You know, it's okay to trust people and be nice!" she argued with rising impatience. "It's okay to care about other people-
"Granger-
"It's okay to NOT turn into your father!" Hermione ranted, regretting her words a little when a dangerous expression stole his features.
"I warned you," he hissed lowly. "Never to mention my father-
"Draco-
"You think spreading your legs for me gives you the fucking right to bring up my family?" he sneered, bringing his face close to hers. "I'm telling you right now-
"I just want you to realise that trusting people does not make you pathetic!" she protested, moving close enough that his hot breath tingled her forehead. "It doesn't make you weak or…or inferior-
"What do you want from me, Granger?" he asked with an exasperated look. "You want me to trust you?"
"It would be a start-
"For fuck's sake," he muttered under his breath. "This argument is completely irrelevant. You don't trust me."
Hermione released a weary breath and raised her fingertips to brush against his jaw. "I'd like to," she told him quietly, relieved when the muscles in his face relaxed under her touch, but she was completely baffled when his lips twitched into a demi-smirk.
"I've been wondering when you would get all bitchy again," he remarked, pulling his chin away from her soothing ministrations, as his features quickly turned sour again. "Look, Granger, I was under the impression that we had…agreed to just ignore Christmas-
"Well, I changed my mind," she said defiantly. "I want Christmas to feel like…like Christmas, and I refuse to let you bugger this up! We will-
"I don't see the point to all this!" he fired back, feeling his insides clench as he watched her temper flare. "It's just a day-
"That's enough!" she shouted, slicing her hand through the air for finality. "We are done here-
Draco leaned in and captured her mouth with a swift and heated kiss; grabbing her face roughly and manoeuvring them towards the couch with stumbling urgency. When the backs of her thighs smacked against the armrest, they separated their lips, and he watched the embers dance in her half-lidded eyes for a moment as her surprised, little breaths licked at his skin. Privately scolding himself for getting too carried away, he put distance between them and fixed her with an indifferent mask.
"Fine, Granger," he mumbled. "Do what you want-
"I just want a normal Christmas," she whispered sadly, resting her hands against his chest and rubbing absent patters across his collarbone. "And I…I would like you to take part in it."
Draco frowned and closed his eyes. "Why?"
"Because I think you need it as much as I do."
.
.
In the week leading up to Christmas, the days and nights all seemed to seep into each other, and the dawns and dusks became interchangeable figments of the winter skies. Hogwarts drowned in the silent solitude of it all, playing host to the dozen inhabitants that had remained in the ancient castle. The snow had fallen harder, and Hermione had wandered the glittering grounds by herself in the empty hours, trying to find Luna, who had apparently stayed at the school, but was nowhere to be found.
Hermione was roused awake by Draco's usual attempts to leave the room before the sunrays warmed her face, and it was only an hour later, when she glimpsed her scribbled and crooked calendar, that she realised it was Christmas day.
She allowed herself a personal smile before she left her bed and shrugged on her dressing gown, heading straight to the sitting area. She gave Draco's door a contemplative glance but decided against disturbing him just yet; she had no specific plans for him until much later. Things had been reasonably easy between them in the recent days; their argumentative natures had come back into play and some of the awkwardness had melted away as a result, although Draco was still adamantly refusing to acknowledge anything close to a festive spirit.
They bickered and rowed, as they had before, but he had refrained from using the word 'Mudblood,' and the passion of their squabbles usually led to an interesting hip-lock in her bed of dangerous secrets. She had tried to rationalise her growing feelings for Draco, but reason seemed to abandon her whenever he was concerned.
.
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