Draco of Durmstrang

G Draco stood at the ship's rail, looking for any glimpse of Hermione coming from the castle. It was ten o'clock on a Saturday, the first day of the Hogsmeade weekend and Hermione had promised to take him with her. Horseless coaches waited a short distance away from the lake and the Durmstrang ship and Draco assumed that the coaches were their transport to Hogsmeade.

The Dieners had Saturdays to themselves at Hogwarts since the older students they were attending practiced Quidditch and had a day of healthy exercise, which was overseen by Ordinarius Karkaroff. Draco could see the older boys swimming across the lake. The Durmstrang ship, although big, was dwarfed by the size of the lake. As he watched the swimmers make their way across the icy-cold water, he shivered in sympathy.

Viktor was way out in front of the other boys, cutting through the water as if he was made for it. Draco knew as well as any Durmstrang student that Viktor deserved to be their champion. He was a good sportsman, a fair student and a handsome young man to boot. If Viktor hadn't been picked the school would have fainted as one.

Hogwarts in November was still a bustling hive of activity. Draco was still astonished by how different everything was. In the winters at Durmstrang, activity wound down because of the harsh weather and most things took place within the castle walls. At Hogwarts, however, activities were still happening as late as nine o'clock at night, such as open-air concerts held by the school choir and orchestra, inter-house and friendly Quidditch matches and even the duelling club practiced outside.

The weather surprised him too. It wasn't as cold as the weather at Durmstrang and he found that he quite liked the fresh air at Hogwarts and laughed at Hermione as she stamped her feet and pulled mittens on to warm herself. She hadn't taken offence and admitted she felt a bit silly feeling cold around him when he had experienced much harsher weather than she had.

The other Dieners were catching up with their homework inside the belly of the huge ship, but Draco smiled and eagerly thought of the free day he was going to have. Hermione had stubbornly demanded to help him with all of his tasks and homework over the week to make sure he would be free all day today.

His smile grew wider as he caught sight of a bushy-haired figure running towards the ship from the castle. The little figure waved and Draco waved back before climbing down the gangway to the shore of the lake. Hermione was breathless when she reached him and her cheeks were red from the morning cold snap.

'You ready to go?' she grinned. 'We're going to be quite busy today, there's a lot to show you!'

Draco grinned back happily. 'I'm ready,' he replied.

Hermione linked her arm with Draco and tugged him towards the waiting coaches. She was wearing Muggle clothing under her thick outer cloak and a Gryffindor scarf was slung around her neck to keep in the heat. Draco pretended not to notice what she was wearing and hoped that she wouldn't comment about him still wearing his Durmstrang uniform. Draco didn't have any casual clothes with him. At Durmstrang the students only wore their uniforms; there were no occasions when they would need casual clothes.

Draco's cheeks burned with embarrassment, but Hermione mistook his glowing face for the cold and rubbed his arm with her mittened hand.

'Are you cold?' she asked. 'I'm freezing!'

He smiled, glad that she hadn't picked up his embarrassment. 'I am a little cold.'

They reached a carriage and Hermione waved to the pupils inside. 'We'll warm up once we're inside,' she said. 'I want you to meet my best friends; I've been telling them all about you!'

Draco felt a surge of cold fear inside him. Hermione was friendly...but it didn't mean that all Hogwarts pupils were. What if he made a fool of himself? Draco actually considered saying goodbye to Hermione and going back to the ship. He had looked forward to spending the day with her...he hadn't given a thought to her friends at school and whether they would be there too.

The carriage door swung open and Hermione clambered inside, holding her hand out to Draco to pull him up beside her. 'Come on!' she said, her eyes shining with excitement. 'The sooner you get in, the sooner we can be off!'

Draco swallowed his fear and climbed up beside Hermione. The inside of the carriage was dark, but he could see Hermione's friends by the light of the weak lamp suspended from the ceiling of the carriage. One boy was tall and red-haired, sitting quite stiffly in his seat. He appeared to be measuring Draco up and looked quite disapproving. The other boy was shorter, but sat no less stiffly. His untidy black hair seemed to melt into the darkness and his bright green eyes bored into Draco through the boy's round glasses. Draco quickly looked to Hermione to introduce them to him, not really knowing what to say for himself.

Hermione patted his arm in reassurance. 'This is Draco; he's the Durmstrang pupil I've been telling you about,' she said.

The dark-haired boy held out his hand. 'I'm Harry,' he said, offering a smile, although it was a guarded one. Draco took Harry's hand with his thin, bony one and shook it.

The red-haired boy looked down at his slightly freckled hands and inspected a fingernail. He jolted upright from an insistent kick by Hermione. 'I'm Ron,' he offered his hand to Draco, who took it, feeling uneasy that both of Hermione's friends were reluctant to talk to him or look at him. He felt just like he was back at Durmstrang again, being looked down upon.

With a jolt, the carriage began to move. Ron pulled the curtains open to expose a window, letting in more light. The beautiful Scottish scenery rolled past the window and the silence in the carriage was palpable.

'So, Draco's really interested in the history of Hogwarts...' Hermione said breezily, smiling in a forced manner. 'I don't think I've ever told you about the different houses we have.'

Draco nodded, leaning closer to her, hoping she would lead them as if it was left to the three boys, he had a pretty strong feeling that the conversation would die a grim death.

Harry and Ron were still sitting stiffly, although their shoulders dropped a little, which indicated to Draco they weren't as opposed to him as he'd first thought. Hermione patted Ron's shoulder and said, 'Ron and I are in Gryffindor, its members are supposed to be paragons of chivalry and virtue. The house colours are red and gold. Whereas Harry is a member of Slytherin, the house for the ambitious and ruthless.'

Ron grinned at Harry. 'Yeah, you're our slithery pal, aren't you mate?' Turning to Draco, Ron said, 'Traditionally Gryffindors and Slytherins don't get on...but us three get on fine.'

Hermione gave Ron a grateful smile and the tangerine-haired boy's ears turned pink. Draco looked from Ron to Harry and asked, 'Well, why is that a house tradition? Is it related to Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin's disagreement a thousand years ago?'

'You could say that,' Harry offered. 'But these days it's just limited to friendly inter-house rivalry.'

'Especially when it comes to Quidditch,' Hermione grinned. 'Ron and I are always torn over who to support at school - Ron's brothers play for Gryffindor, but Harry is seeker for Slytherin, the youngest player at Hogwarts in a century!'

Draco made suitably impressed noises. He was involved in Quidditch because of Viktor, who played seeker for his homeland's national team. At home Draco only played because it made his father happy, Draco being much more at home watching the game than playing it himself, however he appreciated the skill and fitness that went into playing the athletic game.

The journey to Hogsmeade passed in a pleasant fashion as the four chatted about their respective schools. Harry and Ron made friendly, but exasperated, groans when Draco revealed he was just as much of a bookworm as Hermione, and the three boys groaned in friendly exasperation when Hermione failed to appreciate the importance of the Wronski Feint in eastern European Quidditch tactics.

Hermione pointed out a crooked old wooden signpost and smiled at her three companions. 'We're here!' she announced.

Draco gathered his furs about him and stepped down from the carriage, his feet sinking into the snow. All around him people bustled around, laden with shopping bags, talking loudly about the Triwizard Tournament and their predictions on who would be the eventual winner. Draco was stunned by the noise. At Durmstrang a student could only speak if spoken to by an older student or a teacher. Even outdoors at Durmstrang, there was silence.

Hermione tapped Draco's shoulder and gestured toward a brightly painted, welcoming pub. 'We generally start off with a drink in the Three Broomsticks,' she smiled, 'helps us warm up a bit before we have a look around. It's hard to enjoy yourself if you're an icicle.'

Ron blew on his hands, even though they were enclosed in warm woollen gloves, and stamped his feet in the snow. 'We'd better hurry then, Hermione,' he said, steam issuing from his mouth like dragon's breath. 'I really don't want to turn into an icicle.' Harry just laughed and cuffed his friend on the shoulder.

The two set off towards the Three Broomsticks and Hermione and Draco followed, Hermione keeping a hold on Draco's arm to stop him wandering off. She grinned at him, watching him watch his surroundings, his eyes following a group of Hufflepuffs walk into Zonko's, a Hufflepuff boy and Slytherin girl, arm in arm, leaving the joke shop, then watching a mixed bunch of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors having a snowball fight in the street. She almost didn't want to drag him inside the pub, she didn't want him to waste a second of his day off...but her mittened hand touched his icy bare wrist, and she was again aware of the cold and how little he would enjoy himself if he was, as she had said before, an icicle.

Hermione led Draco into the brightly-lit welcoming pub and weaved her way through the throng of students and teachers to a quiet table Ron and Harry had managed to acquire. Four warm butterbeers sat waiting on the table and Hermione ushered Draco into a seat beside Harry, before it was whisked away by a third-year Ravenclaw, as Hermione took a seat beside Ron.

'Try that,' Ron said to Draco and gestured towards the bottle of butterbeer. 'It warms you up something lovely!'

Draco took a sip and the golden yellow liquid seemed to warm him from the inside out, right to the tips of his fingers and toes. 'I feel really warm!' he said, and looked at his fingers. They had lost their pinched white look and were warm, full and pink.

Hermione smiled at Ron again and took a sip of her own butterbeer, which Harry and Ron had decorated with a cocktail umbrella and sparkly straw. Taking a slip of parchment, a small bottle of ink and a quill out of her pocket, Hermione smoothed the parchment on the table and used the boys' bottles to stop it from rolling up. She dipped her quill in the violet ink and then looked around eagerly at her companions. 'Where shall we go first? I wanted to draw up an itinerary for the day before we left, but I didn't have enough time because I was busy adding a diagram to our research project for Professor McGonagall.' She looked up expectantly.

Draco watched as Harry and Ron shared a look. 'Hermione...is it really necessary for us to have a plan?' Harry asked, carefully. Hermione gave the two a withering look and then turned to Draco, who shrugged. In her neat script, Hermione wrote '10:30 - The Three Broomsticks' at the top of the parchment and then waited expectantly, her quill hovering over the parchment.

Giving Ron and Harry pointed looks, Hermione twitched her quill earnestly. Ron elbowed Harry. 'Um...Honeydukes...?' he offered.

Hermione turned to Draco. 'Do you want to visit the sweetshop?'

Draco nodded. 'I wouldn't mind going anywhere. I haven't been to Hogsmeade before today, but I'm imagining it's pretty much like my hometown, Imber, in Wiltshire. To Muggles it appears to be abandoned, but it's a pretty thriving community.'

Harry leaned forwards on his elbows, interested in what Draco was saying and Ron leant back in his seat, trying to read over Hermione's shoulder at the growing list of establishments on her piece of parchment, his eyebrows making alarmed red signals at the ground Hermione expected them to cover in a single day.

'Well, boys always love going to Zonko's,' Hermione said, writing quickly, but very legibly, on the parchment. 'And Dervish and Banges has some interesting things...' She looked up at Ron. 'Don't you think so?'

Ron made an 'eep' sound and shrugged, appealing to Harry with his eyes.

Harry detached the butterbeer bottles from the parchment and turned it around to face him and Draco. 'It really depends on what you want to do today,' Harry said to Draco, whilst Hermione took a sip of her butterbeer and Ron inwardly berated himself for not having any suggestions for Hermione.

'After all,' Harry said, 'we've been here loads of times and this is your first trip. We're pretty easy about where we go today.'

Draco scanned the list Hermione had drawn up. Hogsmeade General Post Office, Honeydukes Scrivenshaft's, Zonko's, Dervish and Banges... Zonko's Joke Shop had a branch in Imber, so Draco was well acquainted with their stock; the same went for Scrivenshaft's, a chain of wizarding stationary shops with branches in Hogsmeade, Imber, Spinner's End, Godric's Hollow and Diagon Alley. 'Is there a Hogsmeade map?' Draco asked.

Hermione smiled. 'No, Hogsmeade is a tourist attraction but it's not quite Alton Towers. They haven't started to hand out town maps yet.' Harry grinned at Hermione's analogy, whereas Ron and Draco looked at her, confused.

'Alton Towers?' Ron said, his brow furrowed in contemplation. 'I think I've heard Dad talk about that place, once. Is that where Muggles go and do dangerous stuff for fun? Fred and George thought it was a great idea.'

'That's the place,' Harry grinned. 'Dudley kicked and screamed to get Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia to take him there for his twelfth birthday. He was such a chicken, boasting about all the rides he'd go on when we got there and then preferring to ride on the teacups instead!'

Hermione laughed. 'I've never been. I'm not really interested in making myself sick on horrible fairground food and fast rides, plus the toffee apples and sugar dummies put Mum and Dad off, once a dentist, always a dentist!'

Draco relaxed into his seat and had another sip of his butterbeer. 'I really don't mind where we go today.'

'Well,' said Hermione, a strange glint in her eye. 'That settles it. Drink up boys, because our next stop is the Kirkyard.'

*****

Hogsmeade Kirk was an ancient chapel covered in a climbing variety of flitterblooms. The blossoms had fallen now it was winter, but the small, evergreen leaves continued to flutter by themselves. The snow covered chapel looked just like a picture from a Christmas card, and small robins pecked at a nut filled bird feeder hanging from the chapel's porch post.

Hermione led the three boys into the Kirkyard. Draco followed close behind her as the sound of Ron's teeth chattering with the cold was starting to get on his nerves. They passed by the tombstones of past inhabitants of Hogsmeade, each stone covered in varying amounts of flitterblooms, following a well-trodden path down to a small hollow where four very old, very ornate statues stood at the points of a slate compass laid on the ground.

At the northern point stood a grand eagle with her head under her wing, a stone sash with tartan markings carved around her feet. To the east, a great serpent rested, coiled upon his own tail, a locket wound around his thin neck. At the southwards point a large lion lay in repose, his great head resting on powerful paws, an ancient sword lying by his side. To the west, a sow-badger lay at rest, her body lying on a bed of leaves and earth, a double-handled cup between her front paws.

Draco gasped in wonder. 'Is this the last resting place of the four Founders?' He turned to Hermione.

She nodded, grinning. 'This is the place where the Hogwarts Four are buried. It was Helga Hufflepuff who created this small clearing in Hogsmeade Kirkyard and arranged for her friends to be buried here, together. The four had already chosen their monuments and they were already here, years before they even argued with Slytherin and split up.'

Harry was the first to enter the compass circle and he inspected the sleeping serpent's head. The stonework was astounding. The detail of the snake's scales was in itself a beautiful work of art. 'How come we've never been here before, Hermione?' he asked.

'I tried to get you both to come,' she said, as Ron looked about to ask the same question. 'But since both of you don't have any interest in reading Hogwarts: A History, when I've suggested it in the past, you preferred to go to Zonko's.' But she looked pleased as Harry continued to look at the serpent and Ron gaped at the resting lion and powerful sword by his side. 'Maybe now, you might be interested about our ancient past?' Hermione smiled.

'How many people know these are here?' Harry asked, astonished.

'As many people as have read Hogwarts: A History and know where Hogsmeade Kirkyard is.' Hermione replied, joining Ron in front of the Lion of Gryffindor.

Draco couldn't believe where he was standing. To his left was the Eagle of Ravenclaw and to his right was the Badger of Hufflepuff. Compared with the other tombstones in the kirkyard these four were very well kept, but Draco didn't understand how, since he felt too awed to touch them and couldn't imagine anyone being confident enough to touch the statues. Draco mentally hit himself for forgetting that the Founders graves were here, having had read Hogwarts: A History as closely as Hermione, he should have realised they would be here.

'Why aren't they in the school grounds though?' Ron piped up. 'Surely they should be at rest close to the school they created.'

Hermione looked at Draco, and both knew they knew the answer equally as well. For once, Hermione passed up the chance to be a know-it-all and smiled at Draco.

'The original plan was for the bodies of the four Founders to be returned to their hometowns. They didn't want any site on the school grounds to be a place of mourning. All four, despite their differences, didn't want anything to disrupt the school's activities. Witches and wizards were hated by muggles back then...the four Founders wanted to protect their students more than anything...and to do that they had to continue to learn all they could to survive.'

Hermione moved towards Draco and looked fondly at the sow-badger. 'These monuments weren't originally intended to be gravestones, only symbols of the four Founders. But after the deaths of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, Hufflepuff fulfilled Ravenclaw's last request and decided that if the four couldn't be together in life, they should, at least a small part of them should, be together in death.'

'The Founders are buried in their hometowns,' Hermione said. 'But their hearts, and their wands, are buried here in Hogsmeade.' Harry and Ron looked at the monuments of each other's house founder and the importance of bringing all four of them together wasn't lost on them.

'Thanks, Hermione,' Draco said, his eyes shining. 'Really, thank you. I never expected anything like this today.' Draco was telling the truth. His mother didn't really understand his love of history, whilst his father did take him on visits to ancient sites...but only if they had some dark significance. Hermione had really made his day.

Hermione smiled and took his arm. 'I'm your friend,' she said as easily as answering a question in Charms. 'Friends do special things for their friends.'

*****

As they settled down around a table in Madam Puddifoot's Teashop, the four were still in great awe at what Hermione had shown them. It was the first time in a long while that Hermione had seen Ron and Harry speechless and she was quite pleased by the effect. She had expected it though, after all, no one who knew any wizarding history could fail to have been moved by the four monuments of sleeping heraldic creatures.

Madam Puddifoot trotted up to their table brandishing four menus. 'Anything I can get you dears?'

Hermione took the menus and distributed them to her friends. 'Can we let you know in a minute, please?' Hermione asked, politely.

Madam Puddifoot beamed, unused to such politeness from fourteen-year-olds. 'Of course, dear. Can I get you any drinks while you're deciding?'

'A pot of tea for four, please,' Ron piped up. It was the first thing he'd said since leaving the hallowed ground. 'My Mum always recommends a cup of tea for people who've had a shock.'

Draco and Hermione looked worried. 'Didn't you like seeing the Founders' resting place?' Draco asked Ron, carefully, as Madam Puddifoot bustled off to make their tea.

'It's not that,' Ron replied. 'I just wasn't prepared for it, I mean,' Ron looked around at the other three. 'Being face to face with Gryffindor's Lion doesn't happen every day!' He managed a grin. 'I can't wait to write to Mum and Dad, they'll never believe it!'

Hermione smiled at him fondly. 'I'd write to my parents, but they probably wouldn't get its importance exactly. They'd think it was like looking at statues of saints or something.'

Harry knew what Hermione meant. 'I'll definitely write to Sirius about it. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia wouldn't have an idea of how special it was.' He smiled at Hermione. 'Thanks for showing it to us.'

Draco smiled as well and knew that when he got back to the ship he would write a letter to his parents telling them that he was, genuinely, having a wonderful time. He felt no spite towards his parents for sending him to Durmstrang, but he did wish that his mother had had her way and he had gone to Hogwarts instead. He felt a pang of envy towards his new friends for being able to stay here and not having to suffer as he had suffered.

Hermione opened her menu and scanned the contents. 'I think I'm just going to have a tea cake,' she said to the table at large, and folded her menu once more. The boys looked as though they couldn't eat a thing; they were still in awe at what they had seen.

Madam Puddifoot placed the pot of tea and a jug of milk in the middle of the circular table and Hermione righted everyone's cups and began pouring out tea. Draco warmed his hands on his cup of tea and felt the happiest he had in a very long time. Harry and Ron had warmed to him, and Hermione was by his side to help him. For the first time in four long years he had made some friends.

Hermione got out her piece of parchment and crossed out a few names. 'Hmm, I don't really know how we can follow up a visit to the Founders of Hogwarts.' She scanned the list. 'Somehow Zonko's doesn't really cut it.'

Ron and Harry shrugged. Harry took a deep draught of tea.

The wafting smell of a nearby fuschia gurdyblossom made Hermione furrow her brow. She turned to Harry and Ron. 'Have you finished the essay Snape set on the importance of fresh blossoms in animation potions?'

They gave each other shifty looks and Draco smiled into his tea. Hermione had told him that Harry and Ron had a tendency to ignore their homework.

'Hermione, it's the weekend!' Ron protested.

'But it will soon be Monday the way you two procrastinate,' Hermione tutted. 'Honestly, I won't write these essays for you.'

Harry set his empty cup back down on his saucer and nudged Ron's shoulder. 'Alright,' he said, grinning. 'We know when we're not wanted.'

'We do?' Ron said a tone of minor alarm in his voice.

'Yes, Ron.' Harry practically hauled his friend to his feet. He smiled fondly at Hermione and dropped a few sickles on the table to pay for the tea. 'Bye, Draco, see you, Hermione!' Harry said brightly and led Ron out of the teashop, although Ron's soft brown eyes peeped through the window at them until Harry had managed to pull him past the shop.

'I think...' Draco didn't know how to begin. 'I think...they think...you and I...' He scratched his hairline in confusion.

Hermione laughed. 'Maybe they do.' She stirred a lump of sugar into her tea. 'But it won't harm their essays one bit!'

Draco smiled. 'Hermione...I really want to thank you for today. It's been...amazing.' He ran his hands through his white-blond hair. 'I don't really know how to thank you.'

Hermione set her cup down on its saucer. 'Draco, you don't have to do anything to thank me.' Her honest brown eyes shone.

'Is there a clothes shop here?' Draco asked, suddenly.

'Yes, Gladrags...Why?' Hermione asked.

'Come on,' he said, rising from his seat and leaving a coin purse on the table. 'I want to buy you a present, something to remind you of today.'

'No...' Hermione shook her head. 'I don't want anything...just friendship, Draco.'

He flashed her a rakish smile and felt more like himself than ever.

*****

'There...it suits you,' said Madam Aysgarth, stepping back from fixing a jewelled slide in Hermione's hair.

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. Her bushy brown hair was twisted up and secured by the violet-blue, jewelled slide.

Madam Aysgarth and Draco looked at her, admiring the slide in her hair, waiting for her to say something.

'It really does suit you,' Draco said. 'I hope you'll wear it to the Yule Ball, remind you of me, even though I won't be there myself.'

A strange look passed over Hermione's face as she gently removed the slide from her hair, and Draco felt his insides sink, hoping she wasn't about to ruin a beautiful day by rejecting his friendship. But she spun on her heel and in a flurry of bushy hair she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. 'Thank you.'