Here is a little one-shot that popped into my head the other night. Hope you all like it!

I will be updating my other stories as soon as I can, what with Christmas and holiday festivities taking up my time.

This is my late present to all of my readers for waiting so patiently. I hope it makes up for it.

I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.

For Scorpius

He pulled his cloak tighter around him as the chilly wind picked up. A blanket of snow covered the village of Hogsmeade making it look like a scene from a frosty fairytale.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" came a tinkling, melodic voice from behind him.

He turned to see a petite, light brown headed witch with freckles across the bridge of her nose strolling over to him. He recognized her from somewhere. Then he caught sight of the Slytherin green scarf draped around her slender neck.

'Ah… a former housemate it seems. She must have been a year or two younger. A Greengrass perhaps,' he thought, trying to put a name with the pretty face. The younger girl took the spot next to him, brushing her hair out of her face as she listened to his voice.

"I suppose so… if you like the typical, serene, picturesque sort of beauty," he retorted.

She laughed. It was like music to his ears. A laugh like this made him want to tell joke after joke, do anything he could, even resort to physical pain if it would draw forth such a sweet fairy-like sound from her pale pink lips. He hadn't heard a laugh like that since his mother's, but that was years ago.

"You don't strike me as that type of guy. No… You're a perfect specimen of a rugged, tough bad-boy. You probably go for the more inadvertent, less obvious choices in beauty," she replied with a coy smile, "Astoria Greengrass," she offered her hand.

He took it in his own and placed a kiss upon her gloved knuckles. "Dra-" she cut him off.

"Oh, I know who you are. I've wanted to introduce myself since I laid eyes on you my first year at Hogwarts. But you were two years older than I, and you never would look twice at me back then, Draco Malfoy."

Draco snapped out of his memory at the sound of snoring.

"Good night, Scorp. Merry Christmas," he kissed his forehead before tip-toeing out of his son's room, clicking off the light as he went, and closing the door. Draco sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

Only once settled in the Manor's study, a glass of firewhiskey in front of him, festive silver and green tinsel shoved off the desk, did Draco allow his thoughts to travel back in time again.

The wind ruffled his hair, the breeze warm and inviting. Draco shut the door to the balcony and took in the view. Ah, Paris. It was just as he remembered from his time spent there as a boy. Astoria stood by the railing, looking out over the city. Draco's eyes moved over his fiancé dressed only in a light blue silk robe. Her now blonde hair fell to her shoulders and drifted with the wind. A carefully painted nail rested on her lip which was curved into a smile.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Draco murmured in her ear as he melted into her, his arms wrapped around her thin waist.

A smirk formed on her lips, marring her pretty face. Draco liked her so much better when she was simply happy and not smirking at something.

"That sounds familiar. I wonder where I could've heard that before," she laced sarcasm into every word.

"Hmm, I haven't the faintest idea. Perhaps it was Blaise the night of the Yule Ball my fourth year. Granger made quite an entrance…"

Astoria's eyes turned to slits. She turned to face Draco and crossed her arms over her chest, looking like a toddler who didn't get her way.

"Hmmf," she huffed. "Granger? Why the sudden bloody revelation? Having second thoughts, it would appear. Draco, I'm going to be your wife in two months! The least you could do is not mention that filthy, pathetic excuse for a witch."

Draco placed a chaste kiss upon her cheek. "Oh, hush. You know I'm only joking, darling. You have nothing to worry about, soon to be Mrs. Malfoy."

The growing smile on her satisfied face began to fade as Draco was drawn back to the present.

The firewhiskey swirled in his glass, half empty now. He sighed and pushed back his chair. Draco surveyed himself in the antique mirror that decorated one of the study's walls. White button-up hung open, sleeves rolled up. Tie wrapped haphazardly around his neck. Pale blonde hair mussed and in disarray. 5 o'clock shadow covered his once smooth features. Dark circles formed under his puffy eyes. Draco Malfoy was a wreck. And all because of her.

'I can't let Scorpius see me like this, not on Christmas. He'll worry his little self to death,' Draco sighed. "Christmas…," he whispered to himself as if suddenly remembering something.

Snow was whipping in the wind, beating against the windows. Outside it was impossible to see your hand in front of your face; it was below freezing, and anyone who had to be stuck outside for any amount of time was miserable.

But inside the Manor, it was warm and toasty. Everywhere you looked were Christmas decorations. Tinsel, little figurines of Santa Claus and elves with toys, a miniature Christmas tree in every room. Draco had even charmed the ceiling to produce a constant fluttering of snow that disappeared before it hit the floor. The smell of gingerbread cookies and other sweets invaded your senses. Yes, Christmas spirit was definitely in the air at Malfoy Manor this year.

"Daddy…" came a little voice from what looked like a much younger version of Draco. Scorpius, three years old, rubbed his sleepy eyes.

A smile spread across Draco's face. "What are you doing up, Scorp? Santa won't bring you any presents if you're awake. You know that."

"Yes, Daddy, but I can't sleep. Mum woke me up…" Draco's smile turned to a scowl.

He picked Scorpius up and trod back to the tyke's room. As he lay him back down, Scorpius started to wriggle.

"What is it, son? Why don't you want to lay down?"

The pout on his little mouth and the tears forming in his eyes were enough to break Draco's heart a million times over. He pulled aside the covers and lay next to his son. That's when he noticed the note at the end of the bed.

"Mum told me not to say anything until you read that. She-she said it was important," his voice was muffled by Draco's side which he snuggled against.

Draco leaned up, grabbed the paper, and unfolded it. His palms were sweaty, his heartbeat sped up. 'No… She wouldn't.'

Draco,

I hate to do this now, but I felt I had no other choice. There are some things you need to know, husband of mine. I'm ashamed to admit such a terrible thing, as it will no doubt bring shame to both our names, but I have been having an affair. I won't disclose a name for I know how your temper can get. It is nearing two years that I have been unfaithful to you, and I believe you have had your suspicions about my private life.

It pains me to know I have been such a terrible wife and mother. This marriage is going nowhere, and we both know it. We used to love one another, but that love has long since been gone.

There are copies of the divorce papers in your bedside table. My portion has been signed. All I ask for in the settlement is the amount given to your family as a dowry when we married. You have the right to everything else, Scorpius included. Let's face it, you love him enough for the both of us. Sign the divorce papers and owl them to the ministry as soon as you can. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can both move on.

I wouldn't be surprised if you harbored ill feelings toward me after the news, but I wish you best of luck in the future. Find a good mother for Scorpius. He's a sweet child.

Merry Christmas, Draco.

-Astoria

He hurled the glass against the wall, shattering it into millions of splintered fragments. Draco growled in remembrance of the night his wife left him. The night his wife deserted his son. Scorpius actually took the news better than Draco had.

Two years had passed. He still had not found complete closure. Sure, he had assumed Astoria had been sleeping around, but he never would've guessed she would just up and leave. They had an image to uphold, standards to meet. So much for that. From that faithful day forward, Draco hated Christmas with a passion. It marked the day his world was turned upside down.

Draco let out a raspy sigh as he stood. He swayed slightly as he made his way to the alcohol cabinet. One last bottle of firewhiskey in his stores. Draco chugged a fourth of it before wiping his chin.

"Merry Christmas, Astoria, wherever the hell you are. May your life be as shitty as mine. My life isn't getting any better anytime soon, but I have to keep it together. For Scorpius, above all."

Half of the bottle was now empty and Draco sunk to the floor. His eyes flickered closed, and his breathing became deep and even.

"Merry fucking Christmas, Draco," he mumbled before the darkness claimed him again.

So how was that? I don't really know what possessed me to write this, but I couldn't let it slip away.

Review and let me know what you think about it!

Thanks oh so very much for reading :)

Once again, Happy Holidays to you all! I hope no one is too furious with me for not updating sooner. I will try as hard as I can to do so more frequently.

xoxo Princess