Christmas was approaching, and a cheerful atmosphere filled Hogwarts. The students wore joyful expressions, and the Great Hall looked magnificent. The walls were adorned with garlands of holly and mistletoe, and twelve towering Christmas trees stood throughout the room. Some were decorated with glittering icicles, while others sparkled with hundreds of candles, adding to the festive spirit of the school.
Unlike many students who returned home for Christmas, Harry and Ron had both signed the list Professor McGonagall provided for those staying at school. Harry's decision was expected, while Ron remained because Mrs Weasley was travelling to Romania to visit Charlie.
"Hey, Harry, have you noticed that Hermione's been acting a bit strange ever since we found out who Nicolas Flamel is?" Ron whispered at the table.
"Yeah," Harry nodded. "I even saw her staring into space in class today."
"I saw it too," Ron added. "And she disappears straight after lessons."
"Something's definitely going on," Harry tapped his fork against his bowl, producing a clear ringing sound.
"We should do something," Ron said.
Harry nodded in agreement.
As for Draco, he too felt something was off lately.
He had the impression that Pansy was avoiding him.
Once or twice might have been a coincidence, but when it happened repeatedly, it could not simply be dismissed.
Normally, aside from Draco's time spent in the library, Pansy would sit beside him—at meals, in class—almost glued to his side. Draco would occasionally help her with homework after lessons, even teaching her a few defensive spells. Yet over the past few days, Pansy had almost completely stopped seeking him out, even darting away whenever she saw him.
Like now.
"Pansy," Draco greeted her.
Pansy, who had been sitting in the common room, leapt up like a startled rabbit, hastily gathering something behind her back before stumbling out, not daring to meet his eyes.
"Is this karma?" Draco could only smile helplessly.
In the library, Hermione was flipping through a thick volume. Now that she knew who Nicolas Flamel was, she no longer needed to focus solely on the Restricted Section. Plenty of information could be found in the general collection, and with a clear objective, her search became easier.
"No, I need to concentrate," Hermione muttered to herself. The Hermione of old would never have been distracted while studying, but ever since that day, she found herself thinking of him constantly.
The unpleasant encounter on the train, the apology and reconciliation in the library, the trip to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade, the fear she felt when he faced the troll, and even that final cold look. She tried to force him from her mind, but she could not. She drifted off in lessons, while doing homework, and even now, while reading. When she recalled the pleasant moments, she would smile unconsciously, only for it to fade into something bittersweet.
"Hermione, you need to forget about him for now," she told herself again, lightly patting her face.
Christmas finally arrived. Some students stayed at school, others returned home, and Draco also set off for home.
Half a day's journey was neither long nor short. After dozing on the train, Draco reached his destination.
Upon disembarking, Draco saw Narcissa waiting for him on the platform.
"Heavens, darling, have you lost weight?" Narcissa exclaimed dramatically, cupping Draco's face. "Is the food at school inadequate? I shall speak to your father about it at the next board meeting."
"It's only your imagination, Mother," Draco replied lightly. "Didn't Father come?"
"He claimed he had something important to attend to. As though anything could be more important than our darling," Narcissa said, mildly criticising Lucius.
"Mother, perhaps we shouldn't linger here. The weather isn't pleasant."
"Yes, let's go home at once. You must be freezing. The fireplace at home is far warmer than the one at school," Narcissa insisted.
Draco rubbed his forehead faintly.
Using the Floo Network, the two swiftly returned home. Aside from the unpleasant dizziness, it was undeniably efficient.
After enjoying a lavish dinner, Draco retired to his room.
Narcissa sighed that her son had grown up and no longer confided in her, though in truth, he never had.
Draco was not idle in his room. He was contemplating Christmas presents.
"Though we don't interact much at school, I should still send them some sweets." These were intended for Crabbe and Goyle.
"That troublesome young lady… what has she been up to?" Draco thought of Pansy's recent behaviour, unsure what to send. He had visited Hogsmeade again and purchased an oversized quill, recalling how Pansy's own had shed its feathers. He added a bottle of rainbow ink to accompany it.
Finally, there was Hermione. Draco did not quite know how to approach it. "Sigh, I should still help her," Draco murmured, scribbling a few words on a small note and tying it to an owl's leg.
After settling these matters, Draco felt tired and went to bed. Something important awaited him the next day.
Nothing unusual occurred overnight.
Upon waking, Draco rubbed his eyes and approached the Christmas tree in the sitting room. Beneath it lay a pile of colourful boxes, gifts not only from schoolmates but from distant relatives as well.
"How is it? Does it feel like I've abandoned you? Not pleasant, is it?" This was from Pansy. Draco could almost picture her smirking. "But I'll still give you a Christmas surprise. This young lady has generously knitted you a pair of gloves. Well? Aren't you grateful?"
After reading the note, Draco opened a neatly wrapped box. Inside lay a pair of gloves. They were not especially pretty—some stitches uneven, colours mismatched—but they warmed his heart.
"So she was planning a surprise all along. She must have been embarrassed," Draco smiled faintly. Though her letter sounded confident, she was clearly shy.
In any case, the gift pleased him.
Next came gifts from the two chubby boys. Banana-flavoured slug sweets and orange-flavoured chicken lollipops. Draco felt he might need to remind them what Petrificus Totalus was capable of.
Finally, there was a small slip of paper bearing delicate handwriting: "Thank you."
"That's for the best," Draco thought quietly.
---
A/N: Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded. Please Check It Out. It will really help me out and will keep me motivated to continue.
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San