December 25, 1996
"Waffles are ready!" Dad called from the kitchen.
"What do you say?" Mum asked. She snuggled up on the couch next to me and flipped the TV on, surfing through the channels, landing on a black and white screen. "'It's A Wonderful Life'?"
I smiled, resting my head on her shoulder. We watch the movie every year. "Sounds great, mum."
An owl flew through the window, dropping a small package on my lap and exiting through the other window. My smile grew when I recognized the scrawled handwriting. Tearing the wrapping paper, I took the lid of the tiny white box.
A golden charm the size of a pea sat inside. It was a crescent moon. I picked it up, holding it in front of me. It seemed to glow all on its own. Still smiling, I clipped the charm onto my bracelet, right by the earbud charm.
I unfolded the tiny piece of paper in the lid, a short note in that familiar script:
To remind you how beautiful the moon is.
Happy Christmas, Granger.
____
Draco Malfoy sat at his black marble desk in his room, muttering to himself as he read Lord of the Flies. These Muggle books were getting disturbingly interesting. I mean, he had never heard of such a thing, a group of young boys stranded on an island together. If they're anything like the stubborn boys he's grown up with, chaos would surely take hold, he thought with amusement.
Narcissa Malfoy kissed her son on the cheek, sweeping towards the door. "I'll meet you for some tea and Christmas cookies in the Library in an hour, dear?"
"Sounds great, mum," Draco gave his mother a soft smile and continued to read, flipping the page with enthusiasm.
"Maybe you can play something for me on the piano," Narcissa thought aloud, keeping her smile at bay. "Maybe that song Hermione loves?"
Draco's lip twitched, knowing exactly what his mother was up to. "Alright." Narcissa smiled to herself as she left the room.
An owl swooped in, dropping a large package in front of Draco on his desk. He immediately recognized the neat handwriting and tore the present open. He tilted his head, examining the black leather notebook. Leafing through a few pages, his breath caught. He glimpsed dates at the top of the pages, his name flashing in almost every passage. He opened the front cover, where he found a short note in the same writing:
To familiarize yourself with the material for the future. You know, since you don't have the pleasure of having a photographic memory like I do.
Happy Christmas, Draco.
Draco sunk back against his chair, running his hand through his hair. She had made a copy of her diary. He wondered if it updated whenever she wrote in it. Turning to the first blank page, his mouth fell open as he watched Hermione's writing appear on the page in real time: "You're welcome."
____
Every morning, I rushed to gather the post, sifting through to find those addressed to me.
Every single letter came from him.
Draco wrote of how his mother was doing, how he spent his time reading in the Manor Library, and his very strong and detailed opinions on the Muggle books I was making him read. He said his mum heard so much about me that she knows me almost as well as he does, and that she can't wait to finally meet me. He told me that I would love the library, and that someday it would be mine. His opinions on Lord of the Flies consisted of phrases like "revolutionary symbolism" and "recurring theme of hierarchy and injustice". My thoughts exactly, Draco.
YOU ARE READING
The Stars Aligned
Fanfiction"You're a goddamn catalyst, you know that?" He said slowly, the wind picking up and blowing his hair into his eyes. "Every single emotion I feel, they become whole damn explosions because of you." I sat there frozen, my breath caught in my throat...
