My Soul Mate

Chapter Fifteen - COnfessiOn On Christmas...

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Dekha jo tumko, yeh dil ko kya hua hai?

Meri dhadkano pe, yeh chaya kya nasha hai, haan?

Mohobbat ho naa jaaye, deewana kho naa jaaye,

Sambhaloon kaise isko, mujhe tu baata?

Bheegi bheegi alkon se, chori chori palkon se,

Kyon mera sapna churaye?

Jhooki jhooki akhiyon se, dheere dheere batiyon se,

Kyon mujhe apna banaye?

Meri nazron pe chaya, khushbu ke jaise aaya,

Mera tan man mehekaye.

Saason mein palpal, chaye kaisi halchal,

Kuch bhi samajh mein naa aaye.

Shararat ho naa jaaye, mohobbat ho naa jaye,

Sambhaloon kaise isko, mujhe tu baata?

Meri hai yeh mushkil, ab to yeh mera dil,

Bas mein hoozur nahin hai.

Itna baata de mujhe, kaise samjhayoon tujhe,

Mera yeh kasoor nahin hai?

Chahe hum chahe bhi to, pehre lagaein bhi to,

Kaise din raat ko roke?

Aag bina yeh jale, zor naa koi chale,

Kaise jazbaat ko roke?

Yoon chahat ho naa jaaye, mohobbat ho naa jaaye,

Sambhaloon kaise isko, mujhe tu baata?

-

After seeing you, what has happened to my heart?

What sort of inebriation has spread over my being?

Even if I fall in love, even if I get lost,

How can I help it, tell me?

With your glassy eyes, and stealth in them,

Why are you stealing my dreams?

And with your bowed eyes, glinting in light,

Why are you making me yours?

A fragrant wind blows over me,

Soothing my body,

Every moment in my breath, there is restlessness,

What it is I don't understand.

Even if I do some mischief, even if I fall in love,

How can I help it, tell me?

This is my problem, now my heart,

Is no more with me.

Just tell me this, how can I make you understand,

That this is not my fault?

Although I want, can it make any difference?

How will I stop the passage of time?

Without fire I am burning, nothing can stop me,

How can I stop my emotions?

Even if I fall for you, even if I fall in love,

How can I help it, tell me?

____________________________________________________________________

Draco was sitting in front of the blazing fire in the living room of the Prefects' quarters, lost deep in thought. And his thoughts, no doubt, were centered on Hermione.

It was around nine in the morning and he was all alone. Hermione was out shopping in Hogsmeade and Ginny had gone to Grimmauld Place to help her mother prepare for the Christmas Feast. Hermione had asked him if he would have liked to join her, but Draco had refused, saying that he was not feeling too well. And of course, he had no interest in seeing Harry and Ron at Sirius's place, so when Ginny asked him to accompany her, he had refused to her too.

So after breakfast in the Great Hall with a few students, professors and Dumbledore, Draco had come straight to the Prefects' quarters, having nothing else to do. Even if he had, he wasn't in the mood of doing it right then, because he had a lot of other things in his mind. He had not been able to sleep well last night, after Ginny had talked to him. He remembered all her words and some of them were etched vividly in his memory. Like love is friendship ... true, unwavering and forever lasting friendship.

Draco had given this a lot of thought. He had been up almost all night, trying to figure out the meaning of this sentence. He had to agree - love indeed is friendship. If Hermione was not capable of being his best friend, which she of course was, then how could he love her? True friendship required all that is required for true love. If Hermione could fulfill the demands of friendship, then why not love?

But last night, a disturbing thought had come to his notice. Hermione was, rather used to be, Harry and Ron's best friend. Was it not possible that she could have fallen for any one of them? Or rather one of them for her?

Draco recalled the confidence in Ginny's voice when she told him that Hermione would never go out with Harry. Draco didn't know why, though he was sure that there was something about the notion - Ginny had dropped the idea with aplomb.

And Ron? He could not have fallen for Hermione, because if he would have, then he would have stood by her when she needed him. But Ron, and Harry, had dumped her and walked out on her. Ginny had also mentioned that Ron didn't deserve Hermione. Personally, Draco agreed with that. Ron and Hermione, even when they used to be best friends, were two opposite poles. Draco could hardly imagine Hermione getting on with Ron or Ron with her. On the other hand, Draco, even when he used to be Hermione's archenemy, had a lot of things common with her.

Draco was sure that he had fallen for Hermione. It was not because she was just the girl he was looking for, but because she made him feel that way. He had felt like that ever since he had been with her in Africa and after the resultant events, the feeling had become more strong and intense. She did really mean everything to her. She was the only one whom he could trust, apart from his mother and of course, Ginny. He got along well, or rather was quite friendly with Ginny and he knew that she would most likely look out for his best interests.

And Hermione was the best girl he could ever find.

He knew she cared for him, liked him and enjoyed being with him. She did all that he had asked her to, even if it meant discarding her own problems and needs. He needn't even tell himself how deserving she was. She was all that he could ever want for a girlfriend, or a life-partner to be more precise. She had no shortcomings and her being a Muggle-born didn't matter. There wasn't any Malfoy alive who could have cared about it and Draco had nothing to do with what the other orthodox purebloods approved of. He knew for a fact that his mother would love Hermione, because Hermione was the type of girl a man would like to bring home to his mother.

So Draco had become sure he loved Hermione and Hermione was the right choice for him. However, he was worried about what Hermione felt towards him. Sometimes, one may agree to something, but the person who matters, does not.

And it was Hermione who mattered. Draco would consider him the luckiest man to get Hermione, but did Hermione want him in the same way he did?

Draco remembered only too well Ginny telling him that she suspected Hermione falling for him. Draco knew that Hermione would know what she felt for him, or at least realize soon what she felt for him, because he agreed to that fact Hermione could assess feelings and emotions really better and faster than anyone else. Yet, Draco didn't know what she felt for him. But if she was really falling for him, a little kindling could help her realize her feelings, provided that she did have feelings for him. And Draco thought that it was worth a risk, but he believed in what Ginny had said.

You'll lose her even if you don't tell her that you love her ... If you don't tell her now, somebody else will win her heart. So think about it. If you say everything to her, she can be yours, but if not, then you will lose her.

And Draco had decided that he would tell her the truth and there was no other day apt like Christmas, which was on the following day.

____________________________________________________________________

Hermione returned to Hogwarts at around four in the evening that day. She had been out shopping in Hogsmeade to buy gifts for everyone. It had taken her nearly two hours there and when she came out through the fireplace in her house, it was almost eleven in the morning. And to get her painting for Draco, she had a problem breaking into her art room without magic, which her parents had locked before setting off for France, since they had no idea what Hermione had come up with.

Nevertheless, Hermione had managed to break the knob and get her painting. After that, she went to a shop to get it cushioned with thermocol boards and then neatly wrapped it in silver foil paper and tied it with green ribbon, preferring Slytherin colors for the concerned Slytherin.

It was almost twelve then and Hermione was too hungry - she hadn't taken a proper breakfast, and thus, dropped by in a restaurant for lunch. Coincidentally, she met her old friends from her Muggle school. They were glad to see each other and Hermione couldn't refuse to them when they took her to the local club.

So Hermione entered her deserted dormitory in the evening, the heavy glass-framed and wrapped painting with her. Once inside Hogwarts, she charmed the painting and made it feather light to levitate it easily and to settle it near her trunk. Hermione changed into fresh clothes and washed her face before going to see Draco.

"Allegro Passinato," she said to the Founding Fours' mural. The founders were already decorating their environment. Surprisingly, she found the Fat Lady, her friend Violet and Sir Cadogan, along with a few others Hermione knew by sight but had never spoken to, helping them too.

The portrait swung open to reveal the secret entrance to the Prefects' quarters as Hermione said the password. Hermione climbed through it and walked into the living room, but only to find it empty. She supposed that Draco was inside the Slytherin room, so she knocked on its door. When there was no answer, Hermione opened the door to find it empty too. She checked the washroom, but Draco was not to be found there either.

Hermione came out of the quarters. She decided to look in the library, but then she remembered that Madam Pince, the librarian, had taken leave and hence, the library was locked and wouldn't open for a week at least. Hermione didn't think that Draco would be in the Slytherin common room, so she decided to leave out the formidable dungeons. And anyway, there were no Slytherins staying back for Christmas for Draco to visit. She couldn't think of doing anything else so she asked a painting in the corridor leading to the Great Hall.

"Have you seen a blonde boy pass through this way, Madam?" she asked a slim lady in a painting who was nonchalantly filing her nails. She had waist length long dark hair and long, curved eyelashes.

"Are you talking about the young, tall handsome fellow, dear?" she asked, suddenly looking very interested.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Er ... yes." she answered.

"Oh yes, I have seen him go into the Great Hall," said the woman, fluttering her eyes.

"Thanks then." said Hermione and she headed off for the Great Hall.

But the Great Hall was empty too. Perplexed, Hermione walked into the Entrance Hall. Not finding Draco there either, she asked another painting.

"I assume you are talking about that strange Slytherin, young lady?" said an ancient looking wizard when Hermione inquired him.

Hermione knew perfectly well what the wizard had meant. "Yes, I do, Sir." she said.

"Well, I have seen him cross the threshold of this hall, where I currently am."

"Thank you."

Hermione walked out of the Entrance Hall to the great lake, clearing the snow on her path magically. Sure enough, Draco was there, standing on a rock over the thick layer of snow, throwing pebbles into the icy lake, causing the ice to crack.

Hermione sighed heavily as she walked up to him.

Draco sensed the all too familiar fruit kind incense and turned around on the huge rock to find Hermione standing below, hugging herself in the cold. He was a bit surprised to see her ... might be because he was thinking about her and it was as if she materialized in front of him from his very thoughts.

"What are you doing here?" asked Hermione.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing," he said, dropping about five to six pebbles to the snowy ground.

"I have been looking for you everywhere and you are here," said Hermione unbelievingly, "in this cold."

"I am used to cold weather."

"No doubt, but will you please take the trouble of going inside the castle? You see, I am not used to cold weather."

"All right..." said Draco as he jumped from the rock onto Hermione's cleared path.

"What did you do all day?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing," said Draco again. "But I suppose you did some heavy shopping; you've been out for so long."

"Yes, but I had finished before lunch. I just met my old school's Muggle friends and went to the club with them. It's almost two years since I had last seen them."

After that, both of them didn't speak for a while as they made their way slowly up to the Hogwarts castle, which was perfectly looking like the ones in fairy tales, with it's many towers and turrets covered in snow. They were both engrossed in thought; Draco about Hermione, no doubt, whereas Hermione was preparing herself to debate with Draco about taking him to Grimmauld Place the following day, on Christmas.

She then spoke up about the thing that was on her mind for days.

"Er ... Draco, you aren't going anywhere out tomorrow night, are you?"

"No, I'm not. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that we are both going out tomorrow for a party at Grimmauld Place."

Draco stopped in his tracks. "Is that not," he said slowly, as Hermione's words sank into him, "Sirius Black's house?"

"Yes." said Hermione, knowing what was coming up.

"You're going there?" asked Draco, surprised.

"No. We are."

"Are you out of mind?" said Draco incredulously. "Hermione, Potter and Weasley will be there. How can we go there?"

"Not only will Harry and Ron be there, Draco, but all the Weasleys, almost all the professors, Dumbledore, Fudge and your mother will be there too," said Hermione.

"What!"

"Look, its going to be a big party and trust me, I am sure Sirius is going to make it the best one of his life. We have to go Draco, I have given my word."

"Without asking me?" said Draco, though he really didn't mind.

"Come on Draco, do you expect us to sit by the fire and eat our dinner quietly on Christmas? Grimmauld Place will be really great, believe me."

"I don't have any problem with that," lied Draco, because he did have. He was thinking of proposing to Hermione the very next night, personally. But when she wanted to go, he didn't feel like stopping her.

"Then what's your problem?"

"Potter and Weasley. I can't stand them."

"Oh, Draco, who told you to give them attention in between fifty to seventy people? We'll ignore them, I promise."

"But still -"

"Please, Draco," pleaded Hermione.

Draco couldn't refuse to her, though he knew all that he had planned would be completely spoiled.

"Draco, please. You'll feel as if you're in Hogwarts itself. Grimmauld Place is really worth seeing, even though it's very old."

"Will it be secluded?" asked Draco hopefully.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Do you mean that you again don't want to face unknown people because of The Daily Prophet?" she questioned.

"Er ... yes," said Draco. This was at least half true. Seeing the look on Hermione's face, he added, "Not that I care, but I don't want anyone spoiling our Christmas."

Hermione's face relaxed. "Grimmauld Place is quite large, since the Blacks are an old, rich and pureblood wizarding family," she said. "So it'll of course be secluded with hardly seventy people. And anyway, your mother's Sirius' cousin. First cousin"

"I know that," said Draco, looking happier about something that Hermione couldn't realize. "Then let's make it a night."

"You're coming?"

"Sure."

"That's great!" Hermione exclaimed, quite happy too. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, I didn't think you would come so easily."

Hermione withdrew from Draco and started walking. Draco stood frozen, shocked by Hermione's intimate action. Her soft, warm lips felt too good against his skin.

"Why did you stop?" asked Hermione. She had walked quite a distance, leaving a rather stunned Draco behind.

Draco started a bit when Hermione's voice shook him out of his reverie. "I-I am coming," he said and ran to catch up with Hermione.

As they both walked on the snow towards the castle, they crossed the Forbidden Forest. Hermione looked at the Forest in awe. The snow had topped over the tall trees and the forest looked like Christmas card. Owls flew over them, some carrying packages and scrolls of letters. Cries of the animals sounded faintly.

Suddenly, Hermione thought she saw a flash of blinding white rush through the edge. She stopped.

"What?" asked Draco.

"I ... I think I've seen a unicorn, Draco," whispered Hermione, eyes searching for a sign of the horned horse. She turned to Draco. "Let's go into the Forest," she said, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her wind-bitten face. "I want to see the unicorn."

Draco looked at her incredulously. "Are you crazy? The Forest has dangerous beasts inside it, and anyway students are not allowed in there. And you're a Prefect."

"Oh come on! Its not the first time we've broken rules and we won't go deep in there, in case we meet a Centaur. Just here, 'round the edge."

"Oh well ... all right."

Hermione's smile widened and she set off with a slow sprint towards the Forbidden Forest. She saw the flash of white again when she entered the Forest.

"There!" she yelled, pointing at the unicorn, which was lurking near an Elder tree. "There, Draco!"

Draco stood behind Hermione, looking over her shoulders. It indeed was a unicorn, a rather huge one. It was a male, with white fur that contrasted strongly against the dark of the trees.

"You're a Gemini, Draco, aren't you?" asked Hermione, looked at the unicorn with misty eyes.

"Yes, but why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing, it's just that ... sight of a unicorn brings good luck to the Gemini, and bad luck to the Leo," Hermione said. "But I'm a Libran."

____________________________________________________________________

At around half past six in the morning on Christmas, Draco woke up. He yawned wide and stretched as he got up from his bed. The windows were open and it was snowing heavily outside (though the room was made magically warm). Draco looked out of the window. The Forbidden Forest was clearly in view. The tall treetops were covered with glittering snow. Draco walked forward towards the window and gazed out with an elated feeling. Two golden unicorn fouls trotted into sight and then out again. There were rather big snowflakes falling from above and disappearing just above a foot from the ground. Draco supposed it was Professor Flitwick's handiwork. It certainly looked like Christmas in a heavenly Shangri-La.

He turned away from the window and his eyes fell on a painting just above his bed. Draco furrowed his eyebrows; there weren't any paintings above his bed till yesterday but now one was there.

He walked towards the painting and found himself staring open-mouthed at it. It was one of the most beautiful ones he had seen, but the thing that surprised him the most was that the painting was not moving.

The painting was of a lady in a flowing white gown, stretched sideways across an old fashioned pool found, usually used in the Harappan Culture, more than five thousand years ago. The lady was pale in color with beautiful long silver blonde hair cascading down her slender shoulders in waves. She had no smile on her face, but instead had a faraway and distrait expression. Two graceful swans were in the pool. Far behind, a silver sun had risen above the dame's head lighting up her hair and highlighting her sharp features with its soft, golden light. And everywhere around was an abstract blur of crystal blue.

Draco's gaze traveled down the painting and caught the name of the maestro. It was signed H. Granger in black, loopy letters.

Draco stared at the name. The painting was Hermione's ... he never knew that she did such beautiful drawing, though he knew she took classes in the summer holidays. But the thing that had shaken him was the she had actually cared to send him a gift for Christmas.

He smiled to himself. How could she not send him a gift? She was so close to him. He was one of the few people she had in the wizarding world for an intimate friend now days.

Draco's eyes traveled further down and he found a piece of parchment on the bed with something written on it in scarlet ink. Draco immediately recognized the handwriting as Hermione's. He picked it up eagerly and read it.

Dear Draco,

A very, very Happy Christmas!

I assume you must have found my painting by now. This painting I had done back in my second year, so it is one of my first oil ones. It is also one of my favorites. I had gone to my house yesterday to get a painting for you. I could have got the more recent ones, but I found this one to be exactly the thing I was looking for. The lady has this bemused expression, and it's you who amuses me. Your words, your actions, your smile, your laugh ... everything amuses me. You brighten up my days like the sun, which even though is right at the back in the mural, is the most important. Without the light from the sun, I don't think that the lady would have looked so beautiful. I had worked really hard upon the painting, staying up very late in the night and sometimes disregarding my homework. Can you believe it? Anyway, I don't regret giving it you, because I have feeling that I am giving it to a part of my self. I wanted to thank you for all those wonderful times you had given me and I really love being with you. You never bore me, and are always full of pleasant surprises. You understand your value in my life, right?

Anyway, hope you like it. I had never given one of my own paintings to anyone before, so I have no idea about how you will take it. I had stayed up last night learning about Scheduling Spells so that I could make the painting and this letter materialize in the right time (after you are deep asleep). Helpful, isn't it?

Meet me in the Great Hall for breakfast,

Hermione.

P.S. I know it is must be feeling awkward to you that the painting does not move. But I request you not to make it move magically, because it's the still peacefulness in the mural that is hypnotizing to me. The painting's like you, and I won't like any change in you. I like the painting the way it is as I like you the way you are.

Draco stared at the letter. Hermione's words were so ... hopeful. In a sense that he was really special to her. She had never given any of her paintings to anyone before. Not even to Harry and Ron.

So it cancels them out, Draco thought gleefully.

She gave it to him only, so that shows that he meant a lot to her. She had compared him to the light of her life, considering him to be the most important, without which, she is hardly anything. She had stayed up late in the night, not caring for her homework for this chef d'oeuvre of hers and gave it to him, saying she didn't regret it because she was giving it to a part of herself. She said that he was mesmerizing to her, so diverting, so amusing. She said it directly that she loved being with him.

Enthralled, Draco fell onto his bed. He looked at the letter numbly, as chimeras started forming in his mind. Any fool could know from Hermione's choice of words that she did love him.

____________________________________________________________________

When Draco met Hermione for breakfast later, he was dumbstruck. He didn't know what to say or how to thank her for her gift. But anyhow, they had their breakfast with Professors Dumbledore, Snape, Trelawney (who had wished Hermione a Happy Christmas and told her that the day would decide her life; and making Draco cough disbelievingly) and a few other students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

After that, Hermione took Draco to a Muggle town near to Hogsmeade. Draco had protested but Hermione didn't listen to him. It was very difficult, making Draco cross the roads. Hermione stopped by in a booth that said 'STD, ISD & PCO' to call her Muggle parents, relatives and friends and wish them a Merry Christmas. After that, Hermione took him to a cyber café and tried to make Draco play games like Road Rash and Britannica. Draco was pathetic obviously but was amazed at Hermione's performance. Hermione explained to him a bit about computers and televisions when they found them in the café; Draco was fascinated.

Hermione would have liked to stay longer, but when Draco started goggling at girls wearing micros, she dragged him back to the wizarding world. Draco had protested then too, but again, Hermione didn't listen to him. Hermione had felt quite jealous then, for the first time. She didn't expose herself in the cold for fun's sake and under normal circumstances, would have ignored the girls, but when they started flashing their long legs at Draco, for he did look exceedingly handsome, clad in black, Hermione pulled him out of there and took him to Hogsmeade.

Draco and Hermione visited the village for some time. In the park, Draco bought all the children shimmering candies of Bertie Bott's latest sweets, which was fortunately plain chocolate. He also bought them balloons. Hermione had felt quite pleased seeing Draco do such things. A few children nearby were making snowmen, and Draco had actually helped them by hand. Hermione had been quite amazed but was glad all the same when she joined too.

They lunched in The Garden Inn again, which had put up confetti all over. After that, they returned back to Hogwarts. Draco had this time drawn Hermione into the snow and they had a snow fight. Hermione told him that she hadn't played like this, throwing snowballs for about seven years. She hadn't even joined when Harry and Ron had asked her to in her fourth year. Draco had felt quite proud at this, able to change her in ways that no one ever has been able to.

At six in the evening, both of them went into the castle to change for the feast in Grimmauld Place. They had parted ways when they went into their respective dormitories.

Draco started feeling oddly nervous as time passed by. He had decided to propose to Hermione that night and though he had spent the last day rehearsing his words, he feared he would forget all that he had decided to say. Remembering the Malfoy code of laws, he calmed himself down. He had to agree that his father had some good practices that could be really helpful; especially when it came to girls.

Draco changed into black robes with a deep green shirt underneath it. He added extra gel to his platinum hair and emptied almost half the bottle of his cologne. With a satisfied glance in his full-length mirror, he walked out to the Entrance Hall, where Professors Dumbledore and Snape were waiting, since all were going together. Dumbledore was wearing purple robes and Snape was in black as usual.

Hermione arrived ten minutes later. She had chosen a sleek set of robes. It was an exquisite white gown with one shoulder covered in a curtain of the cloth while the other was bare. She had tied her hair up in a tight bun, with tendrils coming out near her neck and ears. She hadn't applied heavy pomade, but nonetheless, was looking simply beautiful and elegant. Draco's breath caught in his chest at her sight and for a few minutes, he was sure he would forget all that he had thought of saying in front of that hamadryad pretty face.

Draco bit his lip and tried to say nothing during their secret journey to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He turned his attention to instead the people on the road, completely unaware of a carriage passing them by. He supposed the carriage was not matter to the others.

After fifteen minutes, they reached Sirius' house. They had to as usual enter No. 12 by speaking out the name aloud. Immediately, the domicile materialized in front of them. It looked different from the last time Hermione had seen it. Sirius had it whitewashed and the garden this time was well tended to. Small rose bushes looked freshly planted and a few shrubs were cut into the shapes of birds like peacock and eagle.

Draco didn't look any impressed at the hidden house. This did not perturb Hermione; she supposed that he must witnessed things like this before. So along with Dumbledore and Snape, they entered No. 12.

Almost all the Order members that Hermione remembered and had seen were there, in different colored dress robes, greeting her and the others hospitably. Nymphadora Tonks looked strikingly beautiful with honey blonde hair. She was clad in silk robes of a soft violet shade. Kinglsey Shacklebolt was there too, amusing a group of middle-aged women.

Mad-eye Moody limped up to them and then, after greeting Hermione and Draco, parted away with Dumbledore and Snape. No sooner had he gone than Molly Weasley appeared.

"Oh, hello, Hermione, dear," said Molly in a kind voice. "I was waiting for you. A very Merry Christmas to ... both of you."

"Same to you Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione. "And thanks for the jumper."

"A very merry Christmas indeed," said Draco formally.

"You are welcome. Would you like to come around, Hermione?"

"Er, no thanks," said Hermione, glancing at Draco's face. "I'm sorry but Draco would be left alone and he hardly knows anyone here."

"It's all right," said Molly, looking slightly disappointed and departed.

Hermione and Draco walked forwards and seated themselves on the settees provided in the main hall. Many people were dancing to the sound of violin and guitar, which Hermione had no idea from where they came about.

Two minutes later, Ginny Weasley came rushing up to them.

"Hermione, Draco!" she exclaimed. "I was doubting if you would come. Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas to you too," said Hermione as she hugged her. She noticed that Ginny was wearing the embroidered scarf Hermione had sent her. "You knew we would come."

"To be more precise, I didn't think Draco would come."

"What would I have done all alone?" asked Draco. "Anyway, Merry Christmas."

"Thanks," said Ginny, a knowing glint in her eyes. Turning to Hermione, she added, "Er, Hermione ... could you get us some punch, please?"

"Sure," said Hermione and walked away to where punches were being served.

"So what did you tell her?" asked Ginny eagerly to Draco at once.

Draco knew what she was talking about. "I haven't told her anything yet," he answered, "but it's going to be tonight."

"TONIGHT! That's great...! All the best."

"Thanks."

Draco looked around and saw Cho Chang bobbing up and down in a blue gown, with Harry next to her in deep red. Draco turned away his eyes sharply and then, they fell on a house-elf, which passed his way, murmuring 'many bad blood'. Draco thought that the elf looked familiar.

"Hey," he said to Ginny. "I think I have seen this elf before. He's mad, isn't he?"

"Yes, it Kreacher," said Ginny, grinning. "He keeps muttering to himself and hates all other than purebloods. He had betrayed us last Christmas and had passed information to your family about the Order. Sirius is still fuming about it."

"That's it, isn't it? I had seen him last Christmas in our Manor. He was talking with my father, in a rather official manner. I was quite surprised when I did, you know. My father and a house-elf!"

"No surprises, Malfoy," said a cold voice from behind.

Draco turned sharply and found himself facing none other than Harry Potter. Cho was standing next to Harry, eyeing Draco with fashionable dislike.

"What do you mean?" asked Draco, his face hardening.

"Even though a duke like your Death Eater father converses with a house elf," said Harry, with gleeful satisfaction, "it is no surprise; because all scum sit together."

Draco didn't feel particularly insulted, but he would never let go of a chance to taunt Harry. "Well then," he said smoothly, "what are you doing here? Go and fool around with Weasley. You are looking in wrong place for scum."

Harry's mirthful smile faltered. But suddenly, it was back on his bespectacled face when he looked at a point somewhere behind Draco's shoulder.

Noticing this, Draco turned around and found Hermione right to his rear. She was holding three glasses full of fruit punch and her eyebrows were raised.

"What's all this about?" she asked inquiringly.

"Kreacher," muttered Ginny to Hermione. "Draco was telling about seeing him in his manor when Harry came and ... and the usual bicker."

"You know what," said Harry loudly, snaking his hand around Cho's waist. "If I call Kreacher now and ask him if he recognizes Malfoy, then I am sure he'll do." He put on a grumpy voice and continued, "'Yes. He was listening to me when I was saying to Lucius Malfoy.' Bet you were eavesdropping"

Hermione looked scandalized. Draco, however, remained cool.

"Of course I was," he said nonchalantly. "And if he would tell how you and Ron Weasley indulge in private love, I'd to eavesdrop again. The Witch's Weekly would have had a field day."

Suddenly, Hermione, Ginny and Cho (who was eyeing Hermione with greater dislike) broke into uncontrollable small sniggers. Harry glared at them and they shut up abruptly.

"Draco has nothing to do with Kreacher and his father sitting and planning," said Hermione sternly, coming over her fit of giggles. "You could do with leaving him alone."

Harry nodded. "And you too," he hissed at her and then stalked away with Cho, who had her nose in the air.

Draco looked at Hermione, wondering if she was hurt. Hermione was hurt no doubt, but she put up a jovial smile and gave Draco and Ginny each a glass of punch. And when Hermione asked Ginny where Sirius was, both of them knew that the topic was closed.

So with her punch, Hermione set off to find Sirius. Sirius was with Tonks, chatting merrily with her.

"Oh, Happy Christmas, Hermione," both of them greeted her as she greeted them.

"Nice party, Sirius," said Hermione. "I'm sure all are enjoying it."

"Yeah, anyway, did my nephew come?" Sirius asked, grinning slightly.

"Yes, Draco's here." Hermione replied.

"Harry is so angry that he has been invited that he didn't talk to me for two days. Personally, all of our ears are rotten from hearing Harry and Ron rant about Draco all day long."

"Indeed," agreed Tonks. "I'd scream if I hear one more comment. If it hadn't been for Ginny, they would have never stopped. She talked to them and fortunately, they have shut up."

"You know what," said Sirius, becoming grave, "this attitude of Harry's will lead him to nowhere. If he won't learn to get along with people, he'll be in big trouble."

"Like you and Snape," said Hermione.

Sirius gave Hermione a sly smile. "For your information, I invited that git myself to this party."

Hermione rounded on him in mock surprise. "So are you thinking of dropping your feud with him?" she asked him, as if it was against the law.

"Hell, no! How can I let our glorious enmity end?"

"Too true," said Hermione. "Anyway, I'm going. Ginny is waiting for me."

"All right, see you around."

Hermione went back to Ginny and Draco, hoping that Harry would have been wiped clean out of their minds by now, as well as hers. Thankfully, she found Remus Lupin with them, talking animatedly.

"Merry Christmas, Professor Lupin," she said as she reached them.

"Oh, Merry Christmas to you too," said Lupin. "Where have you been?"

"I was seeing Sirius."

"What's he doing?"

"He's with Tonks."

"He has been around Tonks a lot lately," he said. "She's his only living relative who is close to him. But Tonks gives him a hell of a job to spot her when he needs her. She'd just take the appearance of a known person and play the fool around ... nice family reunion though, if you ask me."

"What do you mean by 'take the appearance'?" asked Draco.

"Tonks is a metamorphmagus."

"I see," said Draco, suddenly becoming a bit grave.

Lupin looked at him oddly. "What's up?" he asked concernedly.

Draco smiled slightly. "It's just," he said lightly. "Voldemort has been trying to be a metamorphmagus for three months or so."

"What!" said exclaimed Hermione and Ginny.

Lupin, however, looked thoughtful. "But he can't become one now," he said reasonably. "You need extremely rare things for the potion and he just can't walk up into a potions shop and ask for the ingredients. The whole wizarding world is looking out for him and he has no Death Eaters to help him. I mean, Rookwood, Nott and Macnair have been arrested more than two months ago and all that he has now is Wormtail (he shot Hermione a knowing glance), who is practically useless and Bellatrix Lestrange."

"That's right," said Draco. "He's surely been unsuccessful, so there's nothing to worry about. Wormtail's the biggest dimwit I've ever seen and as for Bella, she can't have got the stuff needed for him either because Voldemort had himself told me that the ingredients are Ministry controlled."

Hermione and Ginny relaxed.

"That's an awful thing to say on a day like this," said Ginny, "let's drop it."

And they dropped it. Lupin excused himself on seeing some Order friends and went away. They saw many of their fellow students, whose parents were working for the Order and to their surprise, also a few Slytherins. Draco informed Hermione and Ginny of their innocence about being Death Eaters. They also saw Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic. And for once, he was without Percy.

"Percy spends most of his free time with Dad," said Ginny. "He is so sorry, you know."

"I'm glad," said Hermione. "He's a bit conceited, but he's good natured."

Then, Fudge came up to them and greeted them, mostly Draco, a Merry Christmas. They saw many others. Hermione recognized some officials she had seen during the Quidditch World Cup that she had attended two and a half years ago, along with the Weasleys and Harry. At around eight, Draco's mother arrived. She was exactly the same as the last time Hermione had seen her, but this time, she was not frowning. She was looking like as if she was hosting the Academy Awards, in a silver cocktail gown with a plunging neck. Draco introduced her to Hermione and Ginny. Narcissa Malfoy turned out to be a charming lady with good manners. She in turn had taken great interest in Hermione.

"Draco writes to me a lot about you," she said. "I really mean a lot."

"Well ... we are great friends," said Hermione, uneasily, feeling her cheeks begin to burn.

Ginny sniggered and Draco shot her a stern look. However, this didn't go unnoticed by Narcissa.

"No matter," she said. "I must excuse myself and find Sirius."

She gave them a small smile and walked away gracefully. After fifteen minutes, there was a sudden hush as the lights dimmed and Sirius spoke from under a bright circle of white light.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," he said, his voice magically magnified. "A very, very Happy Christmas to all of you. I am so pleased that you all have made it here. To find such affability after twelve years of imprisonment and hatred, it seems that I am born again, with a new identity - Sirius Black, the Order member and Harry Potter's godfather, of course." He gave Harry a thumbs-up sign. "No more called Sirius Black, the mass-murderer or a homicidal-maniac. If today I am standing here, cleared of all charges, or rather, standing here healthy and alive, it is due to my godson, Harry and his friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger."

Hermione, Harry and Ron's face shot up in surprise. But Sirius nodded at them and went on. He wasn't telling everyone about what had happened back in their third year in the Shrieking Shack, was he?

"Three years ago, Harry, Ron and Hermione gave me a new life. Yet, I lived hiding from the world and from everybody. And this very summer, as all of you know, the Veil in the Department of Mysteries had seized me. It was dreadful in there, as all of you must have read in the Prophet. I had seen many others in the Veil with me, but they were all vapor-like, indistinguishable. I assumed I must have been the same for them. We could not talk, could not interact. Oddly, I didn't feel hungry or thirsty, as if I was dead, as if I was a soul ... an alma. But the difference was that my soul was still in my body. My brain and heart were working. I could think and imagine. I had become a substantial anima. Beyond the Veil were just stretches of white smoke and nothing else. It was dead depressing. After staying there for two dreadful weeks, I felt myself being sucked out, as in a large whirlpool. And then I was out of the Veil, facing Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Minerva, Fudge, er ... Severus and ... and Hagrid..."

There was absolute silence. Not because of the surprise of having Sirius speak about his experience in the Veil (he had given a detailed account about it to The Daily Prophet) but because of the sudden remembrance of Hagrid.

"I owe my thanks to all these people, for whose efforts I am safe and sound now, feeling quite human. A big round of applause for them!"

Everybody started clapping and lauding. There was nothing new about what Sirius had said. During the summer when Sirius had been taken out of the Veil, he had given the newspapers and magazines (including The Quibbler) a premiere interview. But this was still one of the most surprising magical achievements and people were still eager to hear more. Since then, Sirius had become more famous, and popular, than ever.

Sirius's speech ended and slow music started. People started rotating about the floor, dancing to the rhythm. Ginny saw Luna Lovegood and departed. Hermione didn't feel like dancing and nor did Draco, so they stood huddled together away from the revolving couples. Many boys were eyeing Hermione, but when their eyes fell on the tall and broad persona which they recognized as Draco Malfoy, no one asked Hermione to dance.

Draco looked around, glaring at anyone who was eyeing Hermione. Gradually, after ten minutes, his eyes met Ginny's. Ginny gave him an understanding wink. Draco got the clue and directed Hermione's attention to himself and then took her out of the hall and into the garden.

"Do you feel uncomfortable inside?" asked Hermione concernedly, draping herself in a shawl, when Draco fell suddenly silent after entering the lawn.

Draco shook his head, preparing himself inwardly.

"Are you sure? Nobody told you anything, did they? Or did you fight with Harry and Ron again?"

"No."

"Then is anything wrong?"

"Er ... no."

"Then what happened?" asked Hermione, stopping in her tracks and pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders.

Draco didn't answer but indicated Hermione to sit on one of the nearby benches. The garden was absolutely deserted, as everybody was inside for the prom.

Perplexed, Hermione sat down on one, waiting for Draco to sit himself too. Draco didn't however. He walked and stood right in front of her.

"What happened?" repeated Hermione. "Why don't you speak?"

Draco didn't answer again. Instead, he kneeled in front of Hermione and held her hands loosely in his.

"Draco -"

"Hush," whispered Draco, cutting Hermione off. "Don't say anything, just listen."

Hermione had opened her mouth to say something put Draco put a finger on her lips and silenced her.

"Please," said Draco furtively. "Listen to me first."

Hermione nodded slowly, utterly confused.

"We have known each other only for two and a half months, right?" said Draco, looking directly at Hermione's eyes, which were watching him intently, as if trying to find a clue. "It's not a long time, I agree. When I look back at yesterday, there I was, insulting you, your friends and your family, about something that is out of both of our hands. And you know why I did so, don't you?"

Hermione nodded understandingly this time. She knew very well that Draco had been abashing her only because she was one of Harry's best friends, which with a pang, she realized, she was no longer.

"I have apologized for it many times, haven't I?" Draco went on. "And we both know that you have forgiven me. As I was saying ... it was only yesterday I was hurting you and today, you are here, with the idea that you are my best friend. But you're wrong."

Hermione, whose hands were entangled with Draco's, looked taken aback. She snatched her hands away from Draco, her eyes bewildered. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Draco caught Hermione's hands again and rested them as well as his on her lap. Hermione didn't know what was happening. Surely Draco had meant something else, she thought. He can't ... betray her.

"You'll know what I mean," said Draco, grasping Hermione's hands tighter. "But hear me out. You know what are my life's most terrible moments. Receiving the Dark Mark, killing Hagrid, kidnapping you and behaving so offensively to you. One day I was regretting all these, and some part of me still does, but after what you told me, I'm glad all these happened. If it hadn't been for such a series of events, I would still have been the Draco Malfoy who loathed you and the Draco Malfoy whom you loathed. I've wronged you countless times before, and even in the recent days, I have. I took away from you your best friends. I made you suffer embarrassment publicly -"

"Draco, it was not your fault," said Hermione, unable to restrain herself. She hated it when Draco held himself responsible for everything that went wrong. She would do anything to take away that pessimistic being in him. "It was not your fault," she repeated. "It was my choice."

"I know that. I know you had to choose between them and pushing me back into the chasm I was in. And that was when I liked you for the first time. You pulled me out of the abyss when there was no hope, no chance. I was lost and you showed me the path. I was cold and you warmed me up. I had become a machine but you showed me how to feel ... Take one look at my life. I have no one other than you and my mother. Even though my mother loves me, I can't be the way with her like the way I am with you. You mean everything to me. I can hardly live if you leave me. I was a hard-hearted Death Eater, but today, even though I still bear the Dark Mark, I don't feel like one. It's because of you. You made me understand. You changed me from a malicious boy to a mature and thoughtful person. Infact, you've changed everything about me. There's so much difference in me from the time I stepped into Hogwarts and now that if you go and tell about my attitude to anyone now, the person will laugh his head off. All will think that either you or I, anyone has lost the right state of mind. You have changed me into a person that I'd never dreamed possible.

"And you have not done it overnight. You did it slowly and I don't know when I had changed. But the fact is I want to remain the way I am forever. And it'd be only possible if you stay with me forever."

"I will, Draco," said Hermione earnestly, her eyes still imploring into Draco's. She blinked a few times before saying, "I will always be with you. I promise ... I'm keeping you forever and for always. I'll never let go."

"Hermione..." whispered Draco, leaning forwards, so his face was all too close to her. "Hermione, I love you."