Candy Cane Fun

Author’s Note: This story has been beta’ed by rynstar15..Thanks for all your hard work. Any problems you may find, is mine alone, not hers. Hope you enjoy it, read and review...second chapter coming soon...
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The most anticipated war of the 20th century wasn’t anything that Hermione Granger expected. The war between Light and Dark was short, resulting in few casualties and deaths. Harry Potter defeated Voldemort in a duel that was held in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic during a raid by Death Eaters who were looking for an alternate prophecy for the death of Harry Potter. The duel happened in the summer after their sixth year. When Voldemort was defeated, the Death Eaters laid down their wands in silence, shocked to see their Lord fallen. Luckily, Bellatrix Lestrange was killed days before by a wayward spell, resulting in no uprisings by the Death Eaters, whom were just glad not to be killed.

Hermione was glad that the war was short. She couldn’t imagine losing someone really close to her. They all had received injuries but, thank the gods, it wasn’t no deaths. Her friendship with Harry and Ron was still going strong and that helped in the stress that war created and still the aftermath of it. Even after the fall of Dumbledore and then the fall of Voldemort, she still couldn’t sleep peacefully at night. Something was still bothering her...

On one such a night of restlessness, Hermione Granger was sitting in a blue armchair in the Head common room in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, staring into the unrestless fire. On nights like these Hermione was glad she was still continuing her studies, that she wasn’t robbed of her seventh year. She received her letter days before departing back to Hogwarts. She was pleasantly surprised that she received Head Girl, thinking a Ravenclaw would have received it. Hermione was more surprised that it stated in her letter that her fellow Head would be none other than Draco Malfoy. When Hermione read that sentence, she had mixed feelings about Malfoy. He wasn’t hadn’t been at the Battle of the Ministry, neither had his parents.

After the fall of the reign of Voldemort when the Order of the Phoenix was had been clearing up Malfoy Manor (that which was notoriously known as the Death Eater HQ), they found a dungeon which was occupied by the Malfoy family. After interrogating the family and hearing what eyewitnesses stated, it was revealed that Draco was blackmailed into the assassination attempt on Dumbledore and that Lucius and Narcissa was were tortured so that he would comply. When Draco failed the Dark Lord he was imprisoned in his own home with his parents, receiving daily hexes, which including the Cruciatus Curse. The Wizengamot pardoned them as “victims of war”. They were released with mixed opinions. Some members of the Wizardry community wished that they would rot away in Azkaban while others sympathized with them.

In the days that followed Hermione’s letter she thought a lot about Malfoy. She came to the conclusion that after the events on the Astromony Tower, he still deserved the position. He was second to her in all his classes, even though after he went through a terribly emotional sixth year. Even though he is was known to be a bully sometimes, he was still respected by his fellow students and he did held a power of authority when he spoke. When he was not spouting insults, anyway.

When they met on the train, it was like meeting someone different after the six years she had known him. He apologized and they came to a truce. The days and weeks that followed living in the same dormitory they even became, sort of, friends. Harry and Ron had mixed emotions about it. Harry understood; Ron was angry at first but later approved it when Harry told him the horrors of Malfoy’s past. They had a few conversations with him when she was present that was were awkward but still civil. Hermione has hopes hoped that they all would be friends one day.

Hermione liked to think about all of these things the nights she couldn’t sleep. She thought her problem lied lay with the acceptance of her heritage by Mafloy, something she had wished for years. But no, she still couldn’t sleep.

Is it maybe that I am still shocked by it? Thought Hermione, gazing into the roaring fire, her growing friendship with Draco still on her mind.

Or is it maybe that I feel sorry for him after what happened to him and his family?

Maybe I am busy falling for the sweet, loving Draco Malfoy? While she was pondering her thoughts she didn’t hear light footsteps on the stairs leading down to the common room.

A sleep-dazed Draco was descending the stairs, not seeing Hermione sitting in front of the fire. He was busy wiping away sand in from his eyes that was mixed with tears. He had had another nightmare. Luckily he had a Silencing Charm in place. When he was on the last step, he saw for the first time a bushy head sticking out over the chair. He cleared his raw throat “You couldn’t sleep also either, Hermione?” Draco saw Hermione’s head whip around to him, surprise and shock etched on her face. He looks sad and exhausted , was the first thought that entered her head.


“Yes, my brain is on overdrive, Draco,” Hermione said, surprised to see him. Draco Malfoy was by all accounts a handsome young man. Tall, blonde and the with a lithe Seeker build, he could make Michelangelo’s David look pale in comparisson. He had a pair of long silk pajama pants on, forgoing a shirt. In the firelight she could see he had sweat on his chest and that his hair was damp, sticking up in places. On a cold night in December Draco was sweating . Even distressed he looks sexy , Hermione thought.


“Are you alright, Draco?” Hermione asked in a soft voice, worried about him. Draco could detect her worries about him and it shot a pang of an unnamed emotion in his heart. “Had a nightmare, it would will pass,” he answered, sinking down onto another blue armchair. He looked briefly at her then at the fire. He watched the flames dance flash in their own little dance. He sighed.

“I think a cup of tea would help, would you like some, Draco?” Hermione asked, pushing away the blanket from her legs, getting up and walking to the adjoining kitchenette. “Yes, that would be lovely please,” Draco answered, still watching the flames, far away in his own thoughts, which was filled with dark moments in that dungeon cell. After a few moments with a kettle whistling in the background and rustling about in the kitchenette, Hermione returned and placed two steaming cups mugs of tea on the table between their armchairs with a plate of gingerbread men. She sat back down in her chair.

In the moments that she was sitting down, Draco took note what she was wearing. Hermione was wearing short boxer shorts with a spaghetti strap shirt. Her hair was piled on top of her head, curls framing her heart-shaped face. The shirt clung to her curvy body in all the right places and Draco could see the outlines of her breasts perfectly. < Firm and perfect , flashed through his mind.

“Thank you Hermione,” Draco said, hoping to will away the sudden naughty thoughts. He realised yet again, Hermione Granger is had grown up to be a beautiful woman.

“My pleasure,” Hermione answered, taking the cup between her palms, blowing over the rim to cool the tea. She looked over to Draco, seeing him do the same, dunking a gingerbread man into the steaming tea. After he bit the leg of Hermione asked:

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Draco was busy chewing, going thinking over her question. He didn’t want to share his nightmares but he had to talk about it before he went mad. Coming to a decision he said, “I had nightmares every night since...well...since the Astromony Tower...

“The pain I experienced in the dungeon cell still...still lingers in my body. I still hear my mother’s screams and still the pleading of my father to stop. It was...still...is a hard thing to experience. Contrary to what many may believe about the Malfoy family, we still have feelings of love. My father may seem like an overbearing man, but he still loves his family. My mother too...They always looked after my interests out of love. That is why the Dark Lord tortured them to make me pay for my father’s failure in that Ministry raid you and the DA were at. The Dark Lord knew that I would comply with his wishes. I received the Mark out of love for my parents and I have to live with this.” With that Hermione heard Draco had started crying over what he said, looking at the Dark Mark with hatred.

“Oh Draco,” Hermione said, standing up and walking to his chair. She took the cup out of his hands and placed it on the table. She took his weeping face in her palms, facing turning his face to her.

“Draco, don’t be ashamed. Don’t be ashamed of what you had to do. Don’t be ashamed that you had to do what you did. Time would heal all your wounds. The nightmares is are your mind’s own way of dealing with it. Draco...”

Draco looked at the tear streaked face of Hermione Granger. She had so much compassion in her face. Caring for him, the onetime Death Eater.

“Hermione...”


With that Draco placed his hands on her waist, picking up her and placing her in his lap. She sat on his lap, her legs was over the arm of the chair, her head under his chin. He held her tightly, hugging her own crying form. Her arms was were around his waist, snuggling closer.

“Hermione, please don’t cry for me.”

“I am crying with you, you prat,” Hermione said.

Suddenly, tears forgotten, Draco laughed. He looked into her eyes and laughed at her confused expression. After a few seconds Hermione started to laugh alongside with him. She was the first to finish, her ear against his chest, listening to his deep laughter.

After Draco released his laughter, he settled into silence, just holding her close. He was absent-mindedly stroking her back with his fingertips.

“Look at us Hermione. Look what a war with sides did to us. I have nightmares and you don’t sleep. And we became friends, what were the odds six years ago?” Draco said after a few minutes

“How did you know?” Hermione asked surprised, lifting her head to look at him.

“I know a lot Miss Granger, nothing escapes me,” Draco answered, smiling sadly.

Hermione looked into the eyes of a boy that had experienced a lot of pain and torture. She saw a boy that changed pain into the person he is was today, a loving caring friend that she may have feelings beyond friendship.

“It is getting late,” Hermione said, breaking away from her his embrace. She stood up, tugging down her shorts that have had ridden up. She saw Draco looking at her legs. Taking a chance on their friendship, she bent down and kissed the corner of his mouth softly.

“Night Draco, sweet dreams.”

With that she walked up the stairs back to her room. Dazed, Draco only snapped out of his trance when her portrait closed softly.


Has she just...?? Have I fallen for her?? With that thought Draco closed his eyes, Hermione’s lips still lingering on his own.