A/N: Happy Holidays, everyone! "Let It Snow" is one of my favourite Christmas carols and while listening to it repeatedly, I came up with an idea for a short and sweet story for the holidays. I suppose I should say that I do NOT own the character, Draco Malfoy (though I wish I did ;]); however, Ariella Weasley is mine. Hope you enjoy it!
Late one evening in January, Draco Malfoy and Ariella Weasley returned to his flat after their date, brushing snow off of their hats and coats. Immediately, Draco went to the kitchen to make hot cocoa while Ariella conjured a warm fire in the fireplace. When he returned to the sitting room with two mugs of cocoa, Ariella was sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace with a woolen blanket draped over her lap. As he handed her a mug, he smiled down at her, noticing her ears and nose had become red while they were out in the cold.
Ariella returned his smile. "Thank you." She took a sip and hummed, enjoying the warmth and taste of her drink. Once Draco had sat down beside her, she moved the blanket so it draped over both of their laps. "I can't believe how cold it's gotten."
He nodded, taking a sip of his cocoa. "Not to mention all of the snow. It's been a while since I've seen this much snow in London."
She nodded. "At least the fire will keep us warm."
Happily, the couple cuddled together on the sofa and drank their cocoa. The only sounds that could be heard were the soft crackling of the fire and the distant wind that blew outside. After a few moments of silent sipping, Ariella suddenly threw the blanket off of her lap and jumped up from the sofa.
Draco hissed. Her sudden movement had almost caused him to spill his cocoa. "Careful, Ariella. What has you so jumpy anyway?"
She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry! I'll be right back." With that, she kissed his nose and retreated to his kitchen.
He rolled his eyes, chuckling, and continued to sip his cocoa. "Oh, Ariella. What will I ever do with you?" he said quietly to himself. He then sat his nearly empty mug on the coffee table, tossed the blanket aside, and stood to walk over to the nearby window. Wiping away the condensation, he looked out to the city street below. The falling snow appeared to sparkle in the light of the street lamps. People were passing by, possibly on their way home or to one of the nearby cafes, unbothered by the weather. The snow was beginning to build up on top of the cars parked below and on the rooftops. He smiled at the beauty before him. Feeling a shiver go up his spine, he made his way back to the sofa and laid the blanket across his lap again. Realizing that Ariella still hadn't returned, he called out over his shoulder toward the kitchen, "Ariella? What are you doing?"
He heard the heels of her boots against his hardwood floors as she made her way back into the sitting room. Clutching a glass bowl full of popcorn, she smiled and took her seat next to him. "I thought we could use a snack to go with our cocoa."
"Great idea." He grinned and tossed a few pieces into his mouth. Ariella then picked up a piece, tossed it into the air, and tried to catch it in her mouth, but missed and hit her nose instead. Draco couldn't help but laugh, which made Ariella laugh as well. The two of them then spent the next thirty minutes tossing popcorn into the air trying to catch it in their mouths, as well as into each other's mouth, laughing the entire time.
Ariella reached her hand into the bowl once more, but found it empty. A little shocked, she glanced down and noticed about a quarter of their popcorn had wound up on the floor or in their laps. "Oops!"
Draco smiled over at her before reaching out to lift her chin up so he could kiss her. He felt her lips curl up to form a smile as he kissed her.
As they pulled apart, the wind outside whistled loudly. She shivered. "I wish I didn't have to go home. It's so cold out there."
"Who said you had to? You're more than welcome to stay here for the night."
She snuggled up to him, smiling. "Thank you, Draco."
He hugged her shoulders tight. "You're welcome, my dear." The two of them sat for a few moments, watching the fire die slowly, before Draco noticed a change in Ariella's breathing. When he looked down at her, he saw that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled, kissed the top of her head, and whispered, "Goodnight, Ariella" before shutting his own eyes and drifting off to sleep.