A/N: It's not as simple as I thought it was going to be, but I hope you like it anyway.
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter. No money is being made.
Draco picked at his food. Lasagne. With some unidentified meat he couldn't really taste at the moment. Most likely beef, but you could never be too sure. He wasn't paying much attention to what he was eating, so intent was he to listen in on the conversation on the next table over. When he'd seen Potter and Granger take the open seats on the table behind his, he'd given up on trying to eat the horrid thing someone had decided passed as food in the little cafeteria. So far, they haven't talked about anything of interest to Draco. It had mostly been about work anyway.
Potter cleared his throat. "So Hermione," he said. Draco could imagine the (adorable) way Potter was probably looking at Granger at the moment, a little nervous and unsure. "Have you bought your Christmas presents yet?"
"Harry, it's barely November," Granger said suspiciously. Draco could almost picture her narrowing her eyes at him.
"And?"
"You never buy presents early, not unless Ginny or I drag you..." Granger fell silent. Draco was almost tempted to turn around and see what was going on.
Suddenly, he heard her laugh. "I know what this is. It's Teddy, isn't it?"
Teddy?
Granger laughed again. This time Potter laughed with her. "Can't hide anything from you, can I Hermione? Yes. They've just written me saying they're coming home for Christmas! Wait, but how did you know?"
"Molly told us this morning that Bill and Fleur will be coming home for Christmas."
Draco could hear the clinking of china.
"It's been a while," Granger continued.
"Too long," Potter said, his voice cracking a bit at the end.
"You've missed him, haven't you?"
"More than I'm willing to admit."
They were speaking softly to each other now and Draco could barely make out the words. Draco stood up and grabbed his half eaten plate. There wasn't much point in staying any longer. It wasn't as if he had the appetite to finish his food anyway.
He didn't know if Potter and Granger ever got around to making shopping plans. And if they had, he didn't know when and where they'd gone. Really, it wasn't like it was any of his business anyway.
Draco also wasn't sure who Teddy was. The name sounded oddly familiar, as if he should know it, but he couldn't remember where he heard it. His best guess was that it was someone from school—a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw or something—but he wasn't sure. It's not like he'd ever bothered remembering all their names. He hadn't thought it important enough to even try at the time.
As October became November and November December, Potter grew steadily more and more chipper, if that were at all possible. Draco on the other hand grew increasingly more annoyed.
.x.x.
"What's wrong with? You've been in a real snit this past month," Pansy said from across the table as she slowly stirred her tea. To keep her hands busy, Draco thinks, since she hasn't added anything to it.
"I have not," Draco sniffed, though he knew it wasn't quite true. Sure he'd been a little irritable lately, but he hadn't thought it that bad or that obvious.
"Darling, every time someone mentions Christmas,"—Draco scowled—"you scowl at them. Like that," she said giving him a pointed look. Draco tried to school his features back to the cool, aloof look he'd been taught to do since childhood, but Pansy's expression told him he wasn't succeeding in the least.
"Is it something you can't talk about?" She sounded concerned now. Draco sighed, sitting back in his chair. He forced a smile to reassure her though he wasn't sure it quite did the job.
"Look, Pans," he said, "I'd do something about it if I could."
Pansy held up her hand. "Draco—Darling—I love you. You know I do. I really hope you get this little problem of yours solved by next week or you'll just ruin Christmas for everyone else at my gala."
Draco blinked at her.
"Draco?"
The idea hit him like a hippogriff (he shuddered).
"Pansy, you are brilliant!" he said, beaming at her.
"I know I am, darling…but why are you saying that now? I'm trying to have a serious conversation here!" she said frowning.
Draco grinned. That was it. All he had to do was make Potter's Christmas miserable and everything would be better. He felt better just thinking about it.
"It's nothing, Pans. Just something that needs to be mentioned every now and then," he said. "So have you picked out your dress yet?"
*~1: Carol of the Magical War Heroes Fountain ~*
"Joy to the world! The Lord is come…"
Draco snickered as he watched the many seasoned workers of the Ministry jump in surprise at the awful butchering of a beloved Christmas carol. He stood by near Magical Munchies pretending to sip at the toxic slush they called coffee, his scarf wrapped loosely around neck, covering his ears and charmed to keep the sound out. The scarf had the added bonus of hiding his unbecoming facial expression. He might have had to lose three hours of sleep in order to arrive early enough to enchant the War Heroes Fountain that replaced the Magic is Might Monument so that it would belt out carols whenever Potter stepped into the Atrium, but it was definitely worth it. The best part, though, was that the singing seemed to be coming from the wizard at the front, the one fashioned into a likeness of the Great Harry Potter himself.
"Joy to the World! The Savior reigns…"
It was hard for Draco to keep a straight face. As Potter moved closer to the statue, the singing got louder. Draco followed after him, tossing his full cup of coffee into one of the handy rubbish bins. He stood as close to Potter as he dared and…he couldn't believe it! The bloody bastard was humming along with the Fountain!
"Good morning, Malfoy," Potter said politely, something he's been doing for a few months now after Draco had done the Nice Thing and relinquished the last treacle tart to Potter.
Draco couldn't help it. He might have growled.
Potter's smile slipped just a bit. "Not so good morning, then, eh?" he said as the lift doors opened. The crowd shuffled in squeezing into the already magically enlarged space that still felt much too small. Somehow, Draco had ended up in the back corner with Potter right in front of him. He was still humming.
Fuck.
What was worse was that Potter actually smelled like Christmas, too. If Christmas had a scent, it was this. Like gingerbread and pine and peppermint.
Not that he was sniffing. It was just something he'd noticed.
"Level seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club , and Ludicrous Patents Office," a detached voice announced.
A bit of shuffling. And then Potter was leaning in even closer to Draco. Draco scowled and raised his arms to shove the git away. Only…someone beat him to it (the shoving) and Draco found himself with Potter even closer to him, his hands lingering on Potter's (very fine) chest.
"Sorry," Potter said, but he didn't move away.
Draco grunted. When the lift started moving again, he shoved Potter off. It wasn't that much less crowded. Potter shifted a bit until he was next to Draco rather than in front of him.
"Have you plans for Christmas?" It took a while for Draco to realize Potter was talking to him.
"Just…just the usual, I guess. Christmas dinner with my family," Draco said.
"Level six, Department of Magical Transport…."
"I see. With Lucius and Narcissa?"
"Well, they are my family, Potter," Draco said, exasperated.
"Right."
They fell into an uncomfortable silence until Potter began his blasted humming again.
Draco might have growled again, but he didn't think Potter noticed.
"Level five, Department of International Magical Cooperation…."
"You don't like my humming?" Potter asked.
Draco snorted. "Oh is that what you're calling it? I thought you were trying to imitate the battle cry of the Cornish pixie."
Potter laughed, actually laughed. "I can't be that bad," he said, smiling.
He wasn't, but Draco wasn't about to say that.
"Level four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures…."
Granger steps in. "Oh good! I was just going to look for you, Harry. Good Morning, Malfoy."
As always, Granger was a whirlwind. A hurricane. She even looked like she was just in one.
"Morning," Draco mumbled. Granger shot him a half smile before turning her attention back to Potter.
"Molly wants to know if you'd be able to go with them to pick up Teddy on Friday," Granger said.
Teddy. Draco vaguely remembered another conversation concerning that name. But only vaguely. Draco glanced discreetly at the two friends. Potter was turned towards Granger, now, who stood on his other side, making discerning his expression a bit more difficult from Draco's current position.
"Level three, Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophe…."
Draco looked up and frowned. He wanted to stay and hear Potter's answer.
"Bye, Malfoy," Granger said.
At the same time, Potter muttered, "See you, Malfoy."
Draco stepped off the lift and glanced back. Only a few people remained on the lift. Draco stood there as the doors closed behind him, his eyes on Potter's happy expression.
Ruining Potter's Christmas will be harder than he thought.
*~ 2: I saw Harry Kissing Everyone ~*
"Harry, what's that there above your head?" Weasley pointed at the object in question. Draco didn't need to look to know what it was; he'd been the one to put it there.
But Potter looked up. "What?"
"Is that…is that a mistletoe?" Weasley asked.
Obviously, Weasley. What else could it be?
Draco watched as Weasley took a step closer to Potter. He held his breath in anticipation—or maybe it was dread.
"I don't remember there being a—oomph! What the hell, Ron!" Potter tried to shove Weasley off of him, but Weasley didn't budge. In fact, Weasley was gaping up at the mistletoe completely horrified.
"That's…that's one of George's products!" Weasley wailed. Then he groaned, "The only way to get unstuck is if we…you know…" He waved his arms around, pointing at the mistletoe and trying to get Potter to understand.
Potter, on his part, just looked at Weasley, looking (adorably) confused. "What, Ron? If we what?"
"Y-you know…k-k-ki—"
"ARE YOU SAYING I NEED TO KISS YOU?"
The whole office turned to stare at the two best friends. Both Potter and Weasley were beat red. To anyone who hadn't been paying attention to the duo the way Draco had been, it looked like the two were locked in an intimate embrace with Weasley practically straddling Potter, stuck to each other as they are.
"Isn't there a way to get us unstuck without…you know…?" Potter hissed.
Weasley shook his head and gulped. "It's…it's the only way as far as I know. It's what that is for," he said pointing up at the mistletoe.
Potter tried to shove the Weasel off again.
"We're stuck like this until we…you know," Weasley said.
Potter groaned. "Fine."
The kiss was quick—no more than just a peck, really—but the effect was instantaneous. Weasley pulled himself off of Potter so quickly, you'd have thought Potter was on fire. The two of them were rubbing away at their lips as if they'd just eaten something nasty.
The mirrored looks of disgust and horror on both their faces should have been like Christmas come early for Draco, but it wasn't. For the brief second their lips had touched, Draco felt a surge of hatred and irritation like nothing he'd felt before. It made his skin crawl.
"Let's just get out of here," Potter said uncertainly, standing up. He took a few steps out of his cubicle when Weasley came flying at him again.
"THE STUPID THING IS FOLLOWING YOU!"
.x.x.
Draco sat at his desk. He wasn't sulking. He wasn't upset about the fact that both his pranks had been utter failures. Pranking Potter was supposed to make him less irritable, not more so.
He hadn't anticipated Potter's amusement at the Fountain. And the mistletoe idea had just been a fucking disaster. He should have read the instructions on the Weasley product more carefully before he charmed it to follow Potter around. Apparently, Potter had to snog someone under it for a full minute for it to lose its magic and be taken down. It had Draco so worried he'd started following the git around just to be sure. To be sure of what and what exactly Draco had been worried about was lost to him, but he'd done it anyway ready to hex anyone who came too close to Potter.
This, as it turned out, was an even worse idea. Potter had kissed Weasley no less than five times while Draco had been following them. He'd also kissed Granger once, much to Weasley's chagrin, after which Weasley had put himself between his wife and his best friend. Then there was Longbottom, Greenford, one of the Patil twins twice (or was it both of them once? Draco wasn't sure), the older prissier Weasley, and on one interesting occasion, Shacklebolt. A few witches Draco didn't know began throwing themselves at Potter at one point and got a few good kisses in before Granger began repelling them with a charm.
Draco needed a new plan. Preferably one where Potter isn't going around kissing everyone.
*~ 3: Deck the Halls (With Magical Unvanishable Wrapping Paper) ~*
Draco had to finish wrapping everything before the Aurors returned from their end bi-weekly Friday meeting. Lucky for him, it had fallen on this particular Friday. It was the only time the place was completely empty thus the only time Draco had to help Potter 'decorate' his office. He'd been sure to read the instructions on this Weasley product this time. The paper will naturally unwrap itself after 24 hours and 24 hours was all Draco needed.
He was wrapping up the last quill when he heard the faraway voices of the returning Aurors. Draco ducked behind one of the desks and quickly casted a Disillusionment charm over himself. He moved quietly making sure he was hidden behind something at all times. One couldn't always trust Disillusionment charms, no matter how advanced its caster is.
Potter was among the first to enter, everyone one a keeping a good distance away. The mistletoe Draco had charmed to follow Potter still hung over his head despite a day having already passed.
Potter groaned when he saw his desk, pausing at the opening for his cubicle. It was a perfectly miserable groan and Draco thought he should have been grinning like a maniac because of it, but he wasn't.
"Again?" Potter shouted.
Weasley, making sure he was at least a meter away from him, stopped to glance into Potter's cubicle, and laughed. There were a few chuckles from his colleagues, too.
Potter sat in his completely wrapped office chair, the wrapping paper making a little crinkling sound under his weight. He picked up one of the quills Draco had wrapped and attempted to unwrap it.
"That won't work, mate," Weasley said at a safe distance from the doorway, "it's another of George's products."
"What? Am I to kiss it for it to give me back my desk?" Potter said angrily. He picked up the quill and stabbed it at the desk but nothing happened. "Tell me there's a way for me to remove all this wrapping paper."
Weasley shrugged. "I think it just unwraps itself after a while."
Potter sighed and pulled out his wand. He began throwing charms and hexes at the paper wrapped around one of the drawers in another attempt at removing the wrapping paper.
"Evanesco!" Nothing happened.
A few of the Aurors said their goodbyes and left.
"Maybe you should just leave it for tomorrow. Bill and Fleur will be arriving with Teddy soon."
"You go on ahead, Ron. I'll give it a few more tries and then go home. I'll see you later."
Weasley stood there for a few more moments before he too left. The only ones left in the office were Draco and Potter, though Potter couldn't see him. Draco slowly inched his way around Potter's cubicle so that he wouldn't attract the other man's attention.
"Hold it, Malfoy," Potter said suddenly.
Draco froze. His heart leapt to his throat in panic. He contemplated making a dash for it. There was no way Potter could have really known he was there. If he ran, no one would ever be the wiser. It wasn't like Potter had proof that it was him.
Suddenly, Draco felt a pull—a strong one—dragging him towards where Potter was. Too late he realized Potter had moved away from his cubicle and Draco had entered the 'No-Man Zone' or so the Aurors had lovingly dubbed the area around Potter that dragged unsuspecting victims into embraces with Boy Wonders. He slammed face first into Potter's chest losing his balance causing both he and Potter to topple over onto the ground with Draco on top.
Draco tried to push himself off of Potter but found himself fixed snuggly against him.
"S'not going to work," Potter said. He reached out his hand to cup Draco's cheek, his thumb softly stroking his cheekbone. At some point during Draco's sudden flight and fall, his Disillusionment charm had fallen away. Draco hadn't even remembered he'd been disillusioned.
Draco closed his eyes and braced himself, but nothing happened. When he opened his eyes again, Potter was grinning up at him, his green eyes sparkling.
Draco closed his eyes again, but this time, he leaned down. He met Potter halfway, which was a relief. The kiss wasn't like the ones he'd witnessed the previous day. Though brief, it didn't seem forced. And Potter wasn't shoving him away as soon as it was over.
"How…how did you know it was me?" Draco asked.
"Hermione. She noticed you following us yesterday and somehow put two and two together," Potter said with a shrug.
Draco belatedly realized he was still lying on top of Potter. He shoved himself up and off the other man, scrambling back. His emotions seemed to have finally caught up with him, its strength taking him by surprise. Before Potter properly stood up, Draco dashed out of the Auror's office.
"Malfoy!" he heard Potter call. But Draco didn't stop. He had to get away from Potter and the strange feelings he evoked.
He made it halfway to the Fountain before it began singing again.
"Joy to the world! the Lord is come…"
Draco swore under his breath and tried to pick up the pace but as he approached the Fountain, he felt the pull of the mistletoe again. For the second time in the past five minutes, Draco found himself thrown at Potter, propelled by an unknown force. This time, thankfully, they both remained standing. They stood motionless and breathless for a moment. Silent save for the sound of Joy to the World.
Potter pulled him in even closer, one arm wrapped around Draco's waist and his other pulling Draco's head forward. Draco closed his eyes anticipating the kiss but instead felt the touch of Potter's forehead instead. They stood forehead to forehead, nose to nose, a feeling more intimate than the brief brush of lips earlier.
"Why are you pulling such pranks on me?" Potter whispered. Draco could feel his breath on him.
Draco remained silent at first, unsure of how to answer. There were so many reasons he could choose from, so many excuses. But he told the truth in the end. "I wanted to ruin your Christmas."
"Why did you want to ruin my Christmas?"
"You were too…happy."
Potter laughed. He still smelled like Christmas.
This kiss wasn't brief. This time, he could taste hot chocolate and peppermint.
"Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy…"
Draco almost forgot to breathe.
When the kiss ended, Potter—Harry—pulled Draco towards the Apparition point. Neither paid the singing fountain or the fallen mistletoe any attention as they left.
.x.x.
"Who's Teddy?" Draco asked pulling away from Potter. They were in what Draco presumed was Potter's flat.
"Shit!" Potter swore as he stood up. "I nearly forgot. I'm supposed to pick him up." Potter looked at the clock on the far wall and sighed in relief.
"Wait. Potter, am I your mistress?" Draco asked him.
Potter looked at him confused, "Mistress? What gave you that idea?"
"Well then, who's Teddy? Is he your—"
"Teddy is my godson and your cousin, Draco."
Draco stared at him. Cousin? He had a cousin? Since…now that he thought about it, that might have been where he'd heard the name. His parents might have mentioned him having a cousin.
"Oh."
"Would you like to go with me? When I pick him up, I mean," Potter said. He sounded a little nervous as if he wasn't sure if Draco going wouldn't be a good idea. Or maybe he wasn't sure if Draco would say yes.
"Sure, I guess. No better time than Christmas to meet my cousin," Draco said nervously though he wasn't sure if he was prepared for it. "But…won't the Weasleys be there?"
Potter just shrugged, "It's not like any of them don't know about my crush on you."
Draco stared at Potter. His mouth might have been open, but he wasn't going to think about that. His mother wasn't there to reprimand him.
Potter blushed. Draco could feel his own cheeks heat up.
"It'll be fine," Potter said. He held out his hand for Draco. Draco took his hand and let Harry Apparate them away.