Snow Angels and Roses

Soft snow was falling as Hermione threw herself backwards onto the ground. She moved her arms and legs back and forth, creating the perfect snow angel. Carefully she stood and looked down where she'd lain, grinning as she remembered making snow angels for hours with her mother as a child. A brisk wind flew by, ruffling her hair and making her shiver. It was time to retreat back to the warmth inside the school.

She wrapped her scarf tighter around her throat and turned to go, gasping as she knocked into someone standing much too close. She almost lost her balance but was saved from the humiliation by a pair of warm arms wrapping around her body. "Easy there, Granger. Wouldn't be dignified for our Head Girl to take a tumble into the snow, now would it?" came the soft voice she knew only too well.

She snorted. "Very astute, Malfoy. Except for the fact that I've been out here mucking about in the snow for a while now," she said, grinning. The grey eyes that met her cinnamon colored ones weren't filled with derision as they had been for years. They were filled, instead, with a strange gentleness, whenever they were turned her way. She blushed and thought about the new, improved Draco Malfoy.

After the Battle of Hogwarts, She, and Harry had banded together to keep Malfoy and his mother, Narcissa, from Azkaban. Lucius was a lost cause, having escaped from the prison, he was immediately sent back to serve out the term he'd previously been giving, plus time off for good behavior and having left the service of Voldemort by walking away with his family.

When Hogwarts had finally been rebuilt, almost a year later, Hermione, as well as several of their classmates, had decided to return and finish their schooling. Harry had come, but she hadn't been able to talk Ron into returning. Instead, he now lived in the apartment above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with George, helping out in the shop as his brother needed him. Ginny had also returned and she and Harry were well on their way to engagement. In fact, Harry had a ring waiting for Ginny in two days time, for Christmas.

It had been quite a surprise to many when Draco had decided to return as well, and an even bigger surprise (an unhappy one to most of the other houses) when it had been revealed that Draco Malfoy had been given the privilege (a la Dumbledore's express order) to be Head Boy to Hermione's Head Girl.

Hermione had fought it at first, but when the first thing Draco had done upon arriving at Platform 9 3/4's was to seek her and Harry out and ask them for forgiveness, she had decided that there had been enough hate for a lifetime. She eagerly accepted Draco's apology and offered her own friendship. Things between them weren't easy, heaven knew, but she and Draco tried to make the best of it, putting aside their pasts in order to work together to make their last year at Hogwarts one of the best years that the school had seen in centuries.

Bullying was not tolerated, the Quidditch teams were carefully monitored for malicious pranks (good-natured ones were allowed, so far as no one got injured), and student-to-student and student-to-teacher grief counseling had been made available. Hermione herself had been rather surprised when Draco had volunteered his time, effort and considerable amounts of money to help with the student-to-student counseling. He had also offered to tutor students in Potions and Charms, two subjects he'd rather excelled at.

"Granger?" Draco's voice caught her attention and she blushed again, having lost her train of thought.

"Hmm?" she asked, blinking her eyes. The cold was sapping her strength and making her sleepy.

"C'mon, Angel. Let's get you inside and warmed up before you become a Hermione-cicle," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and they trudged through the cold snow to the castle. Once inside, instead of turning towards their shared common room, he pointed them in an entirely different direction.

"Where are we going, Draco?" she asked, her brow furrowing. He was no longer in the Slytherin dungeons, where was he taking her. It became all too obvious he wasn't going to answer her question when he grinned at her and dragged her along. She laughed and followed, since he was being so playful. She was happy to see a large painting of fruit in front her when he stopped. He leaned forward and tickled a pear, delighted as he always was to see it turn into a doorknob.

He opened the door and ushered Hermione in. Immediately, they were surrounded by a mass of house elves. "What can we get for Master Draco and Missy Hermione?" one asked.

"Two hot chocolates, with lots of marshmallows, and two slices of your amazing coconut cake, please, Twinkle?" Draco asked politely. The little house elf nodded and hurried away to prepare their food and drinks.

"How do you know I like coconut cake?" Hermione asked, unwinding her scarf from around her neck.

Draco merely raised a brow. "My dear Hermione. Twinkle's coconut cake is the only cake I have ever watched that you devour every crumb of and pick the pieces of coconut up from the plate to eat. Delicately, of course," he said, winking at her.

She blushed and laughed. She was so not entirely used to this playful side of him yet, but it made her happy. From the trial, she knew exactly the kind of upbringing Draco had lived. Joyless and made to act like an adult from the time he could talk, there had been much too little time for Draco to act like a child should. Now that he was out from under his father's thumb and away from the control of the psychotic Voldemort, the little boy inside him felt free to shine. He was playful, and occasionally very sweet.

She smiled when she caught him picking large chunks of snow from her hair. "Thank you, Draco. Those would have been rather cold sliding down my back in a moment or two."

He simply nodded and perched on a stool beside a high table, as they waited for Twinkle to return. "Draco?" Hermione called, he seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

His head snapped up and he looked over at her. "Yes?"

"Are you alright? You seem to be thinking hard about something," She asked.

"I'm alright, Hermione. Just thinking deep thoughts."

"About?" she asked.

She was astonished when Draco began to blush. Just as he was about to speak, Twinkle returned with their cake and cocoa. "Thank you, Twinkle," they said in unison. Twinkle bowed and returned to her tasks. The two sat quietly, eating and drinking.

When they finished, Draco turned to Hermione. "You saved my life, Hermione," he said quietly.

"What? Draco, I told you, you didn't deserve Azkaban," she tried to tell him, for the thousandth time.

"No. You saved my life that day in the Manor, Hermione." He bit his lip hard. "When I watched...watched Bellatrix torture you, it was the first time I knew everything I'd done for Him, for my father, for Bellatrix, was a lie. You saved me, Hermione. You are my angel. I...I know you'll probably say no, but I have to ask anyways. Christmas is in two days, and I know you have plans to go home to see your parents. But I wanted to ask now before the chaos of everyone flurrying about descends. Hermione, would you go on a date with me?" He asked.

Hermione was completely shell-shocked. She looked up and saw his eyes. There was such hope there. Hope and a great amount of fear. He feared she would tell him no. That she would jerk back her friendship. She found herself smiling softly and reaching over to grasp his hand. He wasn't the only one who's feelings had become less than just friendly over the many months they'd shared.

"Draco, I'd be more than honored to go on a date with you. As long as you promise Twinkle's coconut cake for dessert," she said, making them both smile. Quicker than she could blink, his arms were wrapped around her and he was pulling her to him in an embrace. His lips were soft against her cheek.

"Thank you, my angel," he said softly into her hair. She felt something slip against her hair. "I'll be back soon, I have some things to attend to before our date!" he shouted as he ran out the door. She smiled and leaned back in the chair. She reached up to her hair and pulled out what he'd placed there.

Absolutely perfect in every way, was a small silvery-blue rose, the exact color of Draco's eyes.