All I Want For Christmas Is You

Chapter 1: Christmas Wrapping

Disclaimer: don't own em

A/N: This is another story I started ages ago, '03 to be exact haha. So there's some cannon discrepancies clearly. Just meant to be a sweet fun Christams fic, that with any luck will be completed by Christmas Eve. Hope you like this. And if any of you are reading Real Love...don't worry I'm working on the last chapter. Maybe this can tide you over.


Bah, humbug!" No, that's too strong
'Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year's been a busy blur
Don't think I have the energy

To add to my already mad rush
Just 'cause it's 'tis the season.
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left from

Last year, ski shop,
Encounter, most interesting.
Had his number but never the time
Most of '81 passed along those lines.

So deck those halls, trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer,
I just need to catch my breath,
Christmas by myself this year.

-Christmas Wrapping, The Waitresses


"Ugh," Ginny groaned and shoved the magazine back into the blue vinyl pocket on the seat in front of her. 'Bah humbug,' she thought bitterly to herself, but instantly felt a twinge of sadness. Usually she was the first one on the early train to Christmas, but this year all she wanted to do was forget jingle bells and mistletoe even existed.

When Ron and Hermione had become engaged two summers earlier, it had been a fairly easy decision that Harry would simply move into Hermione's room in the apartment Ginny had shared with her since graduation, and Hermione would move into Ron and Harry's one bedroom flat a few blocks away.

They'd done all the moving in a single afternoon, and Ginny was more than happy to share her home with her long time friend, and once-upon-a-time crush. They'd lived in perfect platonic bliss for months and then Halloween had rolled around.

Though similar in length, her Raggedy-Ann costume wasn't exactly the same as the one her mother had made for her when she was five and she and Ron went together as Raggedy-Ann and Andy. Still, she hadn't expected to attract so much attention at Fred and George's annual Halloween party, nor had she expected to get quite as loaded as she had, making Harry keep up with her shot for shot.

A drunk and uncharacteristically open Harry flopped onto the couch when they arrived that home that night, lamenting about his lack of a girlfriend, and how that interfered with his strong need to get laid.

Ginny vaguely remembered perching herself up on the kitchen counter, her legs slightly askew, facing Harry. She'd toyed with a pigtail as she said, "Harry you don't need a girlfriend, maybe you just need someone who every so often might let you use her like a doll."

And that was how it had all started. She and Harry didn't spend every night together. In fact for a couple of weeks he only showed up at her bed room door twice, and the next week she'd shown up at his three. A comfortable friends-with-benefits relationship had been formed, which Ginny had been fine with. She'd been fine with it until December rolled in, and suddenly she realized that she was the only Weasley child that wasn't engaged or married. She wasn't even in a real couple. The holiday season always made her long for romance, and being the only single one made her wish feel more like a need.

It was a week before Christmas, during a day in Diagon Alley with Harry to do their holiday shopping, that it struck her. Why wasn't she in a real relationship? She woke up that morning in bed with a sexy man, after a night of gorgeous shagging. They were having a brilliant day together. He knew her better than anyone else in her life at the moment, and he cared about her. He knew how she liked her coffee, and which pajamas were her favorite. He knew to when to avoid her temper, and when to calm her down. He was practically her boyfriend already, so why wasn't he?

"Harry," she'd stopped him outside the door that evening as they returned to the Leaky Cauldron to floo home.

"What's up?" he'd smiled down at her with that familiar, innocent grin.

"Harry, it's just I've been thinking about us…"

Harry's smile fell off his face and his back went rigid. "I know. I have too."

"Really?"

"Really. Lets go home and we can…"

"Harry I want to be with you," she spat out and before he could answer her she pressed her lips to his.

She was blown away by the sensation that the world suddenly lit up around her when she touched her lips to his. It wasn't as though they hadn't kissed before. Maybe this one really was different. But it wasn't Harry's kiss that made her world light up, it was the flashes of cameras going off all around them.

Harry cursed at the reporters and pulled her into his chest. He quickly ushered her into the Inn and there they flooed home.

When they were finally safe and sound back in their living room she and Harry had taken turns insisting that it was not the other persons fault, before retiring to their own rooms, all chances of romance that night gone.

The next morning Ginny awoke to the sound of her mother's voice screaming over the floo.

She and Harry reached the living room at the same time, and she could tell her mother didn't know who to yell at first.

"Mum, get out the floo," Ginny sighed. "We're coming over."

"Why didn't you tell me Ginny? Your own mother. All this time all my dreams of you two were coming true. How could you keep such a secret from me?"

Ginny slumped in her chair, staring at the article. She and Harry kissed again and again beside the headline. How did she explain to her mother that she hadn't told her about Harry because they were only casually fucking, and it had only just occurred to her yesterday that having a relationship with the man she shared her bed with might be an option.

To her surprise Harry spoke up beside her. "It's my fault. She wanted to tell you, but I asked her not to. I was scared your boys might kill me."

"Oh Harry, of course not! You know we love you. Who else would they trust they're baby sister with if not you?"

Starting that day, Ginny and Harry were a couple.

It was Christmas eve the next time they were in the Burrow, and Ginny was tugging at Harry's arm, pulling him down the hall towards her room. They'd been spending every night together since they'd started really dating, but Ginny was tingly with excitement at the idea of sneaking him into her childhood bedroom for a quick romp while everyone else slept.

"Ginny no," he insisted.

"Harry, don't be silly. It'll be fun." She tugged at him again.

He let out and uncomfortable chuckle. "No Ginny."

She grinned wickedly and slipped her arms around him. "I guess we could just do it here then. Hope that no one wakes up."

"Jesus Ginny I said no!" Harry snapped, causing Ginny to jump back in surprise. His face was angry and bothered. "I feel like I'm sneaking into my fucking sister's bedroom. It's gross."

"It's gross?" she repeated.

"That's not what I meant," Harry started to backtrack, but it was too late.

"It's what you said! You certainly don't seem to have a problem fucking me at our apartment. Or is all that just as gross and torturous too?"

"Ginny I don't think you're gross." He spoke quietly. "You're sexy as hell. When we're at home and you bat your eyes and crawl in my bed, it's easy to forget that I've always thought of you like my sister. You're so beautiful it's easy to pretend this all doesn't feel so wrong sometimes."

"So I'm a good easy fuck who tricked you into doing something you didn't want to do? Gorgeous Harry. Thank you so much for considering my feelings in all of this."

"Ginny I…"

"What's going on out here?" Ron stumbled out of his room and frowned, obviously not happy to be awake. "You two having a row?" he seemed concern.

"No Ron, go back to bed," Ginny told him. Her brother shrugged and turned back into his room and shut the door. She couldn't even look at Harry. "No sense ruining Christmas for everyone. We'll figure out what to do after tomorrow."

What they decided to do, was have Harry move out. He moved onto Ron and Hermione's couch the day after Christmas. They still weren't speaking at Ron and Hermione's wedding in June and a few weeks later he had accepting a lending offer to leave Puddlemere and play for a Spanish team for a couple of months.

In his absence, Ginny had slowly become more and more aware of how abominable her behavior had been throughout the whole ordeal, and realized that perhaps all along Harry had been worried about her feelings.

The truth was he never said a relationship was what he wanted. After that night it had always been her climbing into his bed, and always her to suggest they do things as a couple. Harry had always been the one to hesitantly follow her lead. Her blind stupidity during the entire last holiday season made her burn with embarrassment.

And now, with Harry coming home, and advertisement for Christmas starting before Halloween, she couldn't be a happier to be on that plane, and headed to America.


Draco tugged the sleeves of his shirt back down over his wrists, the chill of the fall day setting back in after his run around the harbor. A run after a long day at work was always the best way to wind down, and being out of his usual suit and tie and in his gym clothes was remarkably liberating.

As he approached the Plaza Hotel, a wizarding friendly muggle hotel where he often stopped for a drink or a cup of coffee after one of his runs, he noticed a small framed woman struggling to get her three large bags out of the trunk of a taxi. Usually the Plaza curb was lined with sleek black town cars and the occasional limo. Seeing the beat up yellow cab was amusing enough to make Draco stop and watch for a moment. Seeing that the driver had no intention of helping the poor girl, and that the bell hops were too busy laughing at her, was enough to make him step in to help.

He cleared his throat as he approached her and in a moment of quick thinking grasped the wand he had in his pocket and quietly cast a few freshening charms on himself.

"In need of a little help there?" he leaned into her, putting on his most charming smile. She turned, surprised and he expectantly waited for the flush to rise on her cheeks. His British accent always made the girls blush.

Seeing her face for the first time, he was pleased to find she was quite pretty. The girl didn't blush though. Instead she laughed.

"Do you really want to help me? Or were you just hoping to make me swoon with that English boy charm?"

Draco blinked for a moment.

"You're from England," he chuckled.

"We're practically family." She laughed. "So are you still willing to help me? Because I could certainly use it."

Draco nodded and lifted the last bag out of the cab, he grabbed one of the ones she'd managed on her own and set them up on the curb. She tried to do the same with the third, but the bag had to weigh twice what she did. Draco stopped her.

"Why don't you go check in at the desk I'll take care of the bags."

"Are you sure?" she frowned.

The truth was he wasn't sure why he was feeling so generous, but the minute the girl had smiled at him he'd felt a familiarity that he hadn't felt since he'd moved to the states a year before. There was spark between them that he usually never felt with muggle women, which for a moment had made him wonder. But when she opened her mouth he knew she wasn't a witch. There wasn't a witch in England as attractive as her that he wouldn't have known already.

"I'm sure. I'll meet you inside."

The girl thanked him, grabbed her purse, and rushed inside of the building. Immediately he turned to the bellboy and tipped his hand. He watched one of the boys elbow another who then ran to the luggage office. A middle aged man quickly emerged and hurried over with the two boys in tow.

"Mr. Malfoy," he greeted him. "Do you have a guest staying with us the evening?"

"No," Draco replied shortly. "Just assisting a lovely young woman. Your employees couldn't be bothered."

"My apologies Mr. Malfoy."

"Is this how I can except my business associates to be treated when I trust this establishment to provide hospitality for them."

"Certainly not. The matter will be addressed immediately. As soon as the ladies bags are in her room."

Draco nodded curtly. "The redhead in the lobby. Send them to her room."

The boys hurried on their way with the red-head's bags and Draco headed into the lobby. The girl was just being handed her room key.

"Can I escort you up?" he offered, approaching her from behind.

"It's not ready yet," she shrugged. He was about to have another word with management, and was seriously considering finding another hotel to use for the company, when she smiled and flung her purse back on her shoulder. "I'm starving though. Can I thank you for your help by taking you to dinner?"

Draco was torn. As liberating as his workout clothes were, he didn't generally go out in them. And he didn't normally go out with Muggles.

But one more smile from her and he knew she wasn't normal.

They shared a couple of beers and a spread of appetizers at a bar down the street. Over dinner he learned that she was from Devon, and that she had a large family. She'd gone to a private boarding school, and had left England partially because of a man.

She'd managed to weasel out of him that he was an only child, he worked in business, and also, as he carefully phrased it, went to a private boarding school.

They didn't talk about much he'd consider substantial, but there was something charming about the girl. Maybe it was just her familiar accent, but he felt like he was talking to someone he'd known all his life.

The check came and she practically wrestled it out of his hand. She opened her bag and dug down. He watched as a small blush rose up on her cheeks and continued to deepen.

"No money? How convenient. Hope you know how to wash dishes." He felt a bit triumphant.

"I have money," she snapped in a tone he could have sworn he'd been addressed with before. "I just haven't converted it into mu..money." Her eyes shot up in a panic. "US money. From…from…. pounds." She stuttered out the last part.

The sudden change in her demeanor was strange, but Draco took it in stride. "Good." He snatched back the black book. "I don't like it when I don't get my way."

She cocked her head when he said this and laughed.

"Something funny?"

"You just remind me of someone who…well someone you're not really like at all."


"Thank you so much for all your help. I would have been lost otherwise," she thanked him as they reached the hotel doors.

"Thanks for dinner," he smirked.

"I'll pay you back. Next time it's on me." She frowned.

"Next time?" he raised an eyebrow.

"That's what I said," she smiled.

"I might be able to do that. But in order for there to be a next time, I might need to know your name.

Her red hair blew in the night wind as she said, "Ginny. Ginny Weasley."

Too shocked to react Draco nodded his head and turned away. He made his way home, feeling like he'd been hit with a stunning spell, from the unlikeliest of witches.