Merry Christmas everyone!
I'm currently in Europe having my first WHITE CHRISTMAS (yay!) so I've asked my awesome friend XxForeverShinexX to upload this for me as a Christmas treat to all you Dramione shippers!
The song that I use in this fic is called 'No One But You' by Daniela Andrade. Go check out her music! It's super cute.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year :)
Cover art: Chouette-e
3rd May 1998
END OF THE SECOND WIZARDING WAR
Yesterday, the most significant event of the decade occurred. You-Know-Who was defeated in the early morning of 2nd May 1998 by Harry Potter, aided by his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Inside sources report that Draco Malfoy, the son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and previously a Death Eater, was a spy for the Order of the Phoenix and aided in the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
.
1st September 1998
WAR HEROES: AFTER THE WAR
It's been four months since the war and our war heroes, more commonly known as the Golden Trio, have decided on their career paths. While Harry Potter and Ron Weasley choose to embark on their journey as an Auror and Chudley Cannons Keeper respectively, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom choose to return to their final year at Hogwarts, departing from Kings Cross station this morning at 11am. Turn to page 7-11 for more details.
.
31st December 1999
THE END OF AN ERA
As the last day of a century and a decade, our war heroes throw an extravagant party for friends and family. Only a limited few are allowed yet it seems that the old house rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor has completely vanished. Newly wed Harry Potter (to see wedding details about Harry Potter and Ginny Potter's wedding, turn to page 4), Cannons Keeper Ron Weasley and millionaire Draco Malfoy joke around like old friends and no trace of their previous hatred can be found.
22nd December 2000
Hermione made her way to the Burrow, feeling cold but satisfied. She'd done all her Christmas shopping, packed for their trip to the Swiss Alps and even created packing lists for her two best friends. Even though Harry was an amazing Auror and Ron more than a capable Keeper, Hermione found their organisation skills rather lacking.
She knocked cheerfully on the door of the Burrow, a greeting on the tip of her tongue when the door opened to Draco Malfoy. Hermione blinked in surprise.
"Draco."
"Hermione."
There was a small pause. Even though Harry and Ron saw Draco quite often, Hermione never got the chance to. Working in the Law Enforcement Department at the ministry, she expected to see Draco often, as he was also an Auror, but his work was international. Hermione was rather surprised to see he had made the annual Christmas gathering.
"Well, are you going to come in?"
There it was. That old, Draco Malfoy snark. Hermione only smiled in response and pushed past him. The two had established a friendship in their final year of Hogwarts though Hermione hadn't talked to him in months. Because you're afraid to, a little voice said. She frowned. She was definitely not afraid of talking to Draco Malfoy.Just afraid of your feelings?
The evening was spent catching up with all the Weasleys and their respective partners. After a night of socialising, Hermione fell onto the coach in front of the flickering fire. She felt it dip slightly as another person sat next to her. To her surprise, it was Draco.
"So, what brings you here?"
Draco looked at her, his eyes twinkling slightly. "Well, a certain scar-headed idiot felt sorry for my lack of company this Christmas so invited me to this lovely Weasley gathering. Charming, isn't it?"
Hermione smiled in response and stared into the flickering flames. There was something calming about the way they danced in gold and orange and red.
"And Blaise?"
"Oh, he's just here because he felt lonely and unloved by all," Draco said dryly, rolling his eyes at the mention of his best friend. Hermione laughed and for the first time since their last year of Hogwarts, the two friends sat together in a comfortable silence.
When Blaise Zabini woke up at midnight to get a glass of water from the kitchen, two dark figures lay on the couch in front of the fire, leaning against each other. A mischievous smile grew on his lips.
23rd December 2000
As the morning dawned bright and cold, the entire group made their way to the Swiss Alps via portkey. Hermione's luck must've been horrible because something went wrong almost as soon as they got there.
"Here, Draco, Hermione, this is your room," Blaise said with an apologetic grin. Hermione didn't trust that grin.
"Um, Blaise? I believe we were going to share a room?" Draco's eyebrows were raised, obviously not amused. Blaise simply grinned.
"Ah, there must've been a mistake. Sorry, Draco, I've already agreed to room with Luna. She was fine with it."
Hermione squinted at Blaise. He smirked.
"Well, I'll leave you two to it. Adios, amigos," Blaise winked at Hermione. Her jaw dropped.
That sneaky bastard.
OOO
Outside the room of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter and Blaise Zabini exchanged high-fives.
OOO
The group headed down to the ski fields and collected their hired skis, preparing to spend the day skiing and mucking around in the snow. To her delight, Hermione discovered something new.
Draco Malfoy could not ski to save his life.
OOO
"Draco Malfoy, scared?"
"I am not", Draco pouted.
"Draco, it really isn't as scary once you get going."
"You're asking me to put my life in the hands of these two sticks?" he glanced disapprovingly at the skis in his hands.
"Don't you trust me?"
He focused his gaze onto the pleading eyes of Hermione, marvelling at their depths of chocolate brown, and Draco couldn't help but give in.
"Yes."
Content with his answer, Hermione turned and went to get their ski passes.
"This woman will be the death of me," Draco muttered to no one but himself really.
OOO
Hermione proceeded to help Draco through making a pizza shape with his skis and slowly sliding down the beginner's run.
Hermione was holding in fits of laughter as she noticed how tense Draco was. His arms were hovering in the air as if he was hula hooping, his face lost in hard concentration.
As he attempted to turn the skis, his legs fell out from underneath him and he ended up on his butt in a puddle of shame. Luckily, he wasn't injured but he did leave with a pretty banged up ego.
Hermione rolled around in the snow and clutched her stomach, unable to cease her bountiful array of happy tears, laughing and the occasional snort.
"Granger, if you don't stop laughing, I'm going to have to come over and shut you up myself."
Draco took off his skis and walked over to a laughing Hermione. God, her laugh is so addictive.
He couldn't help but smile at this when Hermione suddenly reached up and pulled him to the ground.
What Hermione had failed to foresee was Draco falling right on top of her.
Her brown eyes met his silver ones and she took a sharp breath as she realised their now rather compromising position.
Damn.
He brushed a snowflake from her cheek as she watched him intently, blushing at the slight contact.
He started to lean in and her heart sped up, then…snow? Hermione scowled. That git. She wiped the snow from her face and furiously looked around for Draco.
"Got you good, Granger!" shouted a voice from behind a large pile of snow.
Draco managed to toss another snowball at Hermione, hitting her on the shoulder.
"You will pay for that, ferret-face!" Hermione crept up behind the other side of the snow pile with a snowball in either hand. She ambushed an unsuspecting Draco and wiped the stupid smirk off his face.
"Ooh, she shoots and she scores! That's another point for Team Granger!"
Upon successfully dumping snow on Hermione, Draco commentated,"Aha, and Team Malfoy is in for the win!"
The snow fight lasted a couple of hours and all that could be seen was two snow clad maniacs and a flourish of snow flying everywhere.
OOO
It can be said the neither team won that day.
Both ended up miserably drenched as they collapsed, settling to make snow angels to draw the tiring day to an end.
And there they lay, sprawled out on a bed of fresh snow with more snow falling around them, thinking about the other and wondering what all of this had meant.
24th December, 2000
The next morning, Draco Malfoy woke up covered in silver and green tinsel.
And judging by the giggles outside his door, one Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini had joined forces to destroy his pride. And he was not a happy chappy.
The rest of the morning was spent in a large game of hide and seek that almost all the Weasleys participated in, bar Percy. Draco didn't know what was up with that guy. Was he allergic to fun? Then again, a little voice said, weren't you the same three years ago?
"Shut up," Draco said out loud. Light flooded his hiding place.
"Found you, ferret-face!" Hermione yelled triumphantly, her face split into a large smile. Draco scowled at his own stupidity as Blaise sauntered around the corner.
"Ah, Draco, I thought us Slytherins were meant to be sneaky," he drawled, leaning against the doorway of his hiding spot. "Caught so easily? By a Gryffindor too?"
"Says the one ganging up with Gryffindors to prank fellow Slytherins." Draco's scowl deepened as he trudged towards the kitchen, intent on getting some alcohol into his system. This morning was just not good for him.
"Aw, poor Draco, a sore loser," Hermione sang cheerfully, looping her arms through his and Blaise's. "Let's make some hot chocolate! I know a good recipe that my mum gave me. Of course, Draco, your royal highness, probably won't even know how to make hot chocolate without a house elf."
Draco blinked at her.
Hermione's jaw dropped. Well, this trip with Slytherins was certainly full of surprises. "Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm kidding, Granger?"
Hermione glared in response. "Come on. It's time I show you how to make hot chocolate. This is the only apology you'll get for any future pranks I may play on you," she added. And with that, she grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hallway. Draco looked desperately at Blaise.
The stupid twat laughed.
And that was how Draco Malfoy, millionaire and successful Auror, ended up making hot chocolate on Christmas morning with Hermione Granger.
Well, Hermione was making hot chocolate.
He was just...watching.
But it was worth it, watching her make the drinks. He watched as her expression changed when her hair fell in front of her face, the twinkle in her eye as she added the final ingredient, or the satisfied smirk she sent him when she'd finished.
His thoughts stopped. Wait, 'twinkle in her eye'? Draco Malfoy, you've gone soft, he berated himself.
Her eyes were the colour of chocolate.
"Here, taste it," Hermione instructed, sliding the mug across the counter to him. He raised the mug to his lips and was just about to take a sip when Hermione interrupted him.
"WAIT! I forgot one thing!" she exclaimed, running to a fridge and pulling out a can of...whipped cream?
Hermione sprayed the cream into both the mugs of hot chocolate. Draco noticed too late her mischievous smile. Which was how he ended up with whipped cream on his nose.
Draco closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, ignoring Hermione's giggles. And then he tackled her.
Apparently, most households don't appreciate whipped cream all over their kitchen walls, as they later discovered.
25th December 2000
Draco felt miserable.
Normally, he wouldn't curse the Muggles for inventing the sport called skiing but because he was feeling sore, sniffly, feverish and completely horrible, the Muggles were the victims of his wrath.
He heard Hermione wake up in the bed next to him and couldn't help but smile into his pillow at her delighted gasp as she saw the pile of presents at the foot of her bed. Of course, Draco had contributed.
After a few moments, he heard the soft padding of footsteps and shut his eyes. The door clicked shut and Draco felt all his energy go with the woman who had just left the room. He let sleep overtake his exhausted body as the darkness engulfed him.
When Draco woke again, it was to Hermione's voice.
"Draco? Are you okay? Merlin, you're burning up!"
There was a mad scramble and shifting of sheets and Draco heard the door being flung open. "Mrs Weasley! Can you come up for a second? It's Draco!"
He winced at the astonishing volume of her voice. Blearily, he opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. The room seemed far too bright. Why weren't the curtains shut? And why was he so cold? He felt a tickle in his nose and sneezed rather ungracefully.
There was a stampede of footsteps on the stairs outside his room and he let out an involuntary groan as he closed his eyes. He felt his bed dip slightly.
"Draco? Can you hear me, dear?" He felt a cool hand on his forehead and shivered slightly. There was a disapproving noise. "He's got a cold, by the looks of it. It's bed rest for this one."
Draco cracked his eyes open and squinted at the outlines of Hermione and Mrs Weasley. "S'all your fault for making me ski, Granger."
Hermione frowned. "Then why isn't anyone else sick, hm?" Turning to Mrs Weasley, she smiled. "Thanks, Mrs Weasley. You guys go out today, I'll stay home and look after him."
"You're sure, sweetie?"
"Yeah, go with the others! We'll be fine. I'll just make him some soup or something. Have fun!"
Mrs Weasley gave the two of them one last look before trotting down the stairs. Hermione turned and followed. Draco cleared his throat.
"Granger?"
"Hm?"
"I'm fine to stay here alone, you know."
"No one should have to be alone at Christmas," Hermione said primly. Draco noticed that her cheeks were pink. He paused for a bit.
"Whatever you say, Granger."
OOO
"Granger."
"What now, Malfoy?"
"I'm bored."
"So?"
"Can't we do anything entertaining?"
"I thought you were sick and dying about three hours ago."
"I feel better now."
"Oh, really?"
"Yup."
"Then I wonder why we aren't at dinner with the rest of the Weasleys."
"There's way too much snow outside. And too many redheads."
"You're friends with Harry and Ron! How have you survived the Weasleys these past two years?"
"Determination and ignorance."
"You're pathetic, Malfoy."
"Love you too."
Draco noticed that Hermione stiffened slightly. Interesting.
The fireplace was roaring and Hermione had decided to start 'Operation Turn-Malfoy-Into-A-Muggle'. Hence, the Muggle Christmas music.
Hermione was currently curled up with an extremely good book about the proper way to use household spells. The book had been rather helpful today because apparently, Malfoy liked making her life very difficult. But then again, what was new?
She was just getting lost in the book when his voice interrupted her again.
"Want to dance?"
Her head jerked up almost inhumanely quickly and she gave him the weirdest look he'd ever received from her. "There's no room."
Draco appreciated the fact that she hadn't said 'no' or 'I don't want to'. Simply 'there's no room'. Granger, always the logical one.
"We're wizards. We can make room." He held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"
Hermione blushed, not because of his request but because of the stupid song that had come on as he asked it. Way too intimate. But she accepted his hand anyway because it'd be rude not to. That what she told herself anyway.
"Draco."
"Hm."
"You know I can't dance, right?"
"What are you doing now? Hopping?"
She smacked his arm for that. "Seriously!"
"I'm being very serious, Granger. Stop ruining the mood. Just dance. Sway to the music."
I don't want a Christmas I'll forget
Don't want it to be just me
I don't need another pretty gift
I don't even need a tree
There it was again; that intense way he looked at her sometimes, his silver eyes shining and swirling like pools of molten silver.
It was so hard for Hermione to breathe.
'Cause all I ever wanted
Was a single dream come true
And darling that's you
No one but you
She felt his heart hammering almost as fast as hers. They were close. Too close.
I only want you
I only want you
I only want you
"I only want you," Hermione said breathlessly.
So Draco kissed her.
One Year Later
"Are you done yet?"
"For the last time, no! We've only been out for an hour! Merlin, Draco, you're lucky I don't take you out shopping more often!"
"Why couldn't we not go this time?"
"Because it's Christmas shopping! Stop whining."
Hermione wandered through the streets of muggle London, towing a rather reluctant Draco with her. Regardless of Draco's foul mood, Hermione's own festive mood would not waver. After all, it was Christmas in the next day and they were due at the Swiss Alps cabin in about an hour.
Hermione couldn't wait.
And it was kind of contagious, her mood. Draco couldn't help but hum along to carols in the shops. Then he would remember that he was a proud Malfoy and Slytherin, and stop.
Hermione still teased him about that.
The two wandered through the shops of London, hands linked, until they slipped into an alleyway. As the clock struck twelve, the two held onto a wreath of tinsel and vanished.
There was a flurry of snow as two figures appeared before a large wooden cabin in the Swiss Alps. Each window of the cabin was brightly lit and Christmas decorations hung from every door. Loud laughter and off-key singing wafted through the walls of the wooden cabin. Draco cringed slightly, but a small smile made its way to his face. Hermione was downright beaming.
"Merlin, why did we get the stupid Christmas wreath as our portkey? Not something more sensible like a comb or something?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come on, Draco, let's just go in. We can ski after. I'm sure we can have a race to see your improvements," she smirked. Draco shuddered.
It was going to be a long day.
OOO
Draco won the race.
Stupid git.
OOO
"Crucio!"
Hermione's scream followed Bellatrix's curse as it echoed in the polished, marble hall of Malfoy Manor. Very faintly, she thought she heard her name. A drop of blood touched the floor. There was so much pain that Hermione couldn't think clearly, couldn't even muster a single thought. Fire seared through her veins and she felt like her very bones twisted and warped.
And then it stopped as suddenly as it started because Bellatrix's wand pointed not at her, but at Draco.
"Draco! DRACO!"
There was blood all over the white marble floor as his body writhed in a pool of his own blood. Cold, cold, hands.
"Draco!"
Blank, unseeing eyes of steely grey.
"DRACO!"
Blood.
"Draco, please!"
Dripping, red blood.
"No!"
So much blood.
"NO!"
Hermione jerked in her bed and sat up straight, heart in her throat. Next to her, the sheets rustled.
"Hermione? What happened? Are you okay? What's the matter?"
And she started crying and crying because Draco was there and he was fine and not hurt and so worried about her that she couldn't stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks. She barely registered his arms picking her up as they walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. There were no screams. No polished marble floors stained with the blood of the innocent.
Hermione felt a blanket fall around her shoulders as she was set down on the couch in front of the flickering flames. There was no fire searing through her veins now. Not anymore.
There was a dull clunk as a mug was set down in front of Hermione. She sniffed experimentally. Chocolate. She smiled vaguely at Draco and leaned against him, listening to the comforting beat of his heart.
"Want to talk about it?"
Hermione was quiet for a minute. "I don't want to lose you."
"You won't."
"I might."
"You won't."
There was another silence. And then a song drifted through the room. Hermione stared at him.
"Remember this?" No smile appeared on his lips but Hermione saw Draco's smile in the way his eyes twinkled slightly in the light of the flames or the way his eyes looked like silver. "Dance with me."
And Hermione felt an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu, as she thought of a Christmas almost exactly a year previously.
Draco's thoughts weren't very similar.
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"I...how did you know you wanted to marry Ginny?"
Harry looked taken aback at the question. "I just...knew. We loved each other. We were in love with each other. I couldn't see myself without her. She was like…the light in a dark world." Harry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, face slightly red. "Why do you ask?" Then his eyes widened. "You…Hermione?"
Draco could only nod. The two men sat in silence for a long time. Finally, Draco spoke.
"Do you think it's too soon? A year?"
Harry glanced at him. "Do you love her?"
"Yes."
The answer was said so confidently, so readily, that even Harry was surprised. "Then I don't see why not."
"But who I was, what I used to do to her…"
Harry placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "You know she doesn't care about that anymore. Besides, it's not a measure of time; it's a measure of love."
Draco squinted at Harry. "Harry Potter, you're a philosopher."
It had ended in a snowball fight.
Hermione was warm in his arms and sometimes, he thought their hearts beat as one. He was probably slightly delusional but as they swayed to the music, that song that had started everything, Draco stopped dancing and placed one hand in his pocket, where a velvet box sat quietly.
Hermione stared at him as he bent down slowly, and looked at her.
"Hermione Granger. I've…hated you for seven years of my life. And yet I still admired you during that time. You were like a breath of fresh air; your ideas and your views were so different to mine that I sometimes don't know how we ended up here. We may have hated each other for seven years but the one year that we've loved each other has meant more to me than any other year of my life. I was so scared, before, that you would say no. But I know that I've been given a chance to do this, to love you and cherish you for the rest of our days. Every time you taught me something new or we read a book together or we held hands just because we could...all of that means more to me than anything else. Hermione, you mean more to me than anything else. Hermione…I only want you."
Her breath caught.
"Will you marry me?"
Her kiss was the only answer he needed.
I hope you liked 'Carols and Kisses'! Reviews are appreciated as always.
Until next year, my lovelies!