Silver Lining

Chapter 4: A Christmas Present

Chapter 4: A Christmas Present

Draco decided to ask Granger. She was a mudblood for one, and she defiantly beat Matilda Nottingham. It was the Christmas holidays, and the prefects and heads had to stay for a Christmas ball. Granger was head girl and he was the Slytherin prefect- a perfect chance. 

“Hi Draco!” Pansy bounded into the room.

Knowing that he would have to start his plan now, he replied in his nastiest voice (it wasn’t too hard), “Go away! Stop sticking to me like that. It’s stupid and annoying.”

Pansy burst into tears and ran up to the girl’s dormitory, leaving Draco feeling a little guilty but he’d been wanting to get rid of Pansy for ages. It feels kinda nice, he thought happily as he leaned back onto the couch cushions. 

(*)

Hermione and Ginny were in Hogsmeade shopping for dresses for the Christmas ball. Ginny was excitedly jumping ahead. Bounding from one shop to the other, but Hermione was lagging behind. She was never interested into shopping. She would have preferred to be sitting on a comfortable couch, reading a book; but she did need a dress for the ball.

“Hermione, come look at this!”

Ginny was pointing at a shop window. Walking over, Hermione saw a beautiful dress of rich, deep purple, it was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline. The skirt of the dress would reach the ground and a bow of purple satin was secured at the waist. Ginny bent down to see the tag more clearly.

“Seven galleons! Mum only gave me five!”

Hermione looked in her purse. “I’ve got ten galleons. I can lend you one galleon if you like.”

“No you keep it. I guess I’ll just get another one. I don’t think it’ll suit me too much anyway. It’ll clash horribly with my hair. Come on lets go in.”

The bell tinkled as they walked in. It was very warm, and scented with the smell of roses. Ginny pulled Hermione to the dresses. Scanning through the dresses with her bottom lip sticking out. Finally she stopped at a pretty dress of midnight blue. 

“3 galleons. Perfect! Come on Hermione, what are you getting?”

“I think I might get the one on display. It’s very pretty.”

Walking to the counter, she asked the lady to take off the dress for her. Waiting for Ginny to pay for her dress, she walked around the shop. A shiny object caught her eye. Walking over, she saw that the glint was coming from the gems on a beautiful bracelet, necklace and a pair of earrings. She squinted to look at the price.

“Three galleons.”

She called the lady and asked her to wrap it up for her. She paid the money, and walked out of the shop with Ginny, clutching her purchases. 

“What else did you get Hermione?”

Hermione showed her the bracelet, necklace and earrings.

“They’re beautiful,” Ginny said breathlessly. “You always get the good things.”

Hermione smiled at Ginny’s pouting face.

“Come on, let’s go back. It’s freezing out here.”

Nodding in agreement, they made their way towards Hogwarts. 

Finally in the warmth of Hogwarts, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ll meet you outside your dorm.”

“Okay!”

Hermione skipped all her way to her dormitory. She was very happy with her purchases today, and was quite confident that she would be beautiful in them. She reached the great hall, and was walking through the door leading to her dormitory when a hand grabbed her arm. With great force, the owner of the hand pulled her around. Hermione came face to face with Draco Malfoy.

“What do you want Malfoy?” she said automatically.

“Why do you go through there? The Gryffindor Common room is up there, don’t you now where it is?”

“I know full well where the Gryffindor Common room is.”

“Then why do you go through there?” He pointed to the door at the end of the Great Hall.

“Why should I tell you?” And she walked off, surprised that she had actually made through a talk with Draco Malfoy.

She quickly dumped her products on the floor of her dorm, and quickly opened the portrait to let Ginny in. Letting Ginny in, told her about the conversation, and they spent the rest of the time that day talking about the possibilities of how it could have happened. 

Early next morning, Hermione awoke to find a stack of presents on the foot of her bed. Ginny, who had slept in her room, was still sound asleep on the couch. There were presents on the edge of couch addressed to Ginny as well.

“I love Hogwarts magic.” 

Ginny woke with a start. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at her stack of presents.

“Prezzies!” she jumped out of the couch and started ripping the topmost one.

“Wait for me!” Hermione bounded out her bed, and went to her presents. 

Sitting on the floor with Ginny, they started opening their presents. There was a present from her parents- a new book from her favourite muggle author, there was a present from Harry- a hooded purple cloak. There was a present from Ron- a fluffy lilac cap. Hermione thought that the cap was probably part of the cloak, but she appreciated it anyway. The next present was from Ginny, it was new pair of high heels made of black suede. It would match perfectly with her dress.

“Thank you! It’s beautiful!” Hermione squealed to Ginny.

“No problem! Thanks for this!” she held up a pair of diamond earrings.

“My pleasure.”

There was the normal package from Mrs. Weasley, but the next package made her yell, and drop it.

“What happened Hermione?” Ginny bounded to her, and gasped.

On the package was a label which said: To the prettiest girl in Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy. 

“Ginny, what do I do? You don’t think this will explode will it?”

“Here, I’ll do it.”

Ginny opened the box, and thousands of flowers erupted from the box. Though Hermione hated Malfoy, she had to admit that the flowers was really nice magic. Ginny was staring, apparently transfixed.

“Hermione, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I seriously don’t know.”

Ginny looked into the box, and pulled out a piece of parchment. She read it through and handed it to Hermione.

Dear Hermione,

I know that you would probably think I am up to something. But I swear, cross my heart, that I mean no harm. I know that I have been a git in the past, but I hope you will forgive me. Merry Christmas!

Draco

Hermione snorted, and scrunched up the parchment.

“As if!”

She smiled reassuringly at Ginny who was looking anxiously at her.

“I would never forgive him. He’s the world’s largest git.”

Ginny breathed out a sigh of relief.

“I thought you were going to forgive him then.”

“You thought I would forgive just like that?  Just a letter saying sorry? As if!” she snorted again. 

Hermione scrunched up the parchment, and threw it into the already burning fireplace. Both Hermione and Ginny stared at the piece of parchment crumpling away into the fire.