Distance; he was drifting from her, creating a wall of coldness that felt impossible to bypass. Fear; the kind that was visceral and entangled with uncertainty towards who he was becoming. And in the midst of it all: Hope. That she would gradually break through the ice and find him once again. [multi-chapter/slowburn akashixoc]

For Hermione, the magic of Christmas was not quite so real anymore. With her friends and family away, the only option was to spend the day at the nearby orphanage; she certainly never expected to see Malfoy there too. But, since he really was there, then perhaps the notions of Christmas really were true. [post-war au/draco didn't join voldemort]