Disclaimer: Well this much is obvious, Harry Potter etc. does not belong to me. If it did... well needless to say, Draco Malfoy would be running around in tight leather pants a little more often!


Under the Mistletoe

Chapter One

"Miss Weasley! Would you kindly explain to me what you are still doing in my classroom ten minutes after you were dismissed?"

I jumped in my seat and lifted my head up off of my hand. "Wha-what?"

Professor Snape, who had been standing over me with a murderous expression, gave a sneer worthy of the name Malfoy. "Run along now Weasley before I take off points."

"Of course, Professor," I grabbed my satchel and scooped up my messy pile of parchment before scurrying out the door. I wanted to take advantage of Professor Snape's unusual leniency while it lasted- no use losing hard earned Gryffindor points over nothing. Perhaps Snape was secretly just as happy as his students about the forthcoming holiday break? I considered it and shook my head.

Ginny Weasley, I scolded myself, that's just ridiculous! He's probably just pleased with the anticipation of seeing all the hearts that will break at the Yule Tide gala. Of course, that thought made me feel so miserable that I decided to take off at a sprint for the common room. Luckily, this was a free period for me.

What would make a perfectly normal girl like me upset about a dance that was bound to be wonderful? Easily enough. I loved to wear pretty clothes and look pretty myself. I liked to dance and rather preferred the instrumental music traditionally played at the Yule Tide celebration. I didn't mind make up and the best thing in the world was to wear a fancy robe and feel like a princess. Unfortunately, none of my clothes had ever given me that royal feeling before. The majority was hand-me-downs from my six brothers and than the others were bought at cheap retail prices.

If I had only been a Malfoy.... The idea had only just entered my mind before I shuttered. The very notion was disgusting! Wishing to be a Malfoy- pah! I lengthened my strides through the long corridors and there was a burning sensation in my legs. I wasn't much of a runner, it must be admitted. I preferred the activity of a couch potato. Because I was so angry at myself for even thinking about wanting to be someone other than a Weasley, I failed to notice the wall in front of me.

Bang!

I bounced back and landed with a crunch on the floor. My parchments flew into the air before fluttering around like pale yellow birds. The area where my nose was supposed to be stung and my nose itself didn't seem to be in the right place anymore. I hesitantly put my hand up, the sick knot in my stomach making me queasy. There was nothing there. Oh my gosh, I'd lost my nose! I flopped all the way down to the cold stone floor and wailed. I've never taken pain well.

"Good Lord. Leave it to a Weasley to run straight into a wall and break her nose."

From somewhere up above me came the familiar velvety drawl. I opened my eyes to see a blurred figure with hair a golden white and immensely amused grey eyes. Blinking rapidly cleared up the faded edges and I realized that indeed, it was my brother's mortal enemy standing beside me. He looked very far up from my position. My goodness, I hadn't realized Draco Malfoy was so tall!

"I suppose I have to help you, don't I?" Draco continued. I would have nodded except that at the moment I was paralyzed with pain. "Because of course, if I left you, someone else would come along and you'd eventually regain your powers of speech. Upon which, you'd inform Professor Dumbledore that I'd left you to your own devices while suffering from an obviously broken nose. And that, on the whole, probably would not look so good to the Headmaster and I'd have detentions to last me the rest of the year."

I groaned my agreement and managed to lift my arms even though it felt as if there were five ton weights pulling them down.

"I have to carry you?" Draco raised an eyebrow. Helping me to stand up is all I'm asking, my psyche screamed. Unfortunately, Draco hadn't the ability to read my mind. "Well this is just getting ridiculous," he said to no one in particular while leaning towards the floor. In another minute he had scooped me up in his (rather muscular) arms. He wasn't stocky and buff like Charlie, gangly like Ron, or a toothpick like Harry still was. Instead, he had a pleasantly toned physique. He also smelled nicely too, a faint sniff of cinnamon from the candy drop he'd been sucking and the mixture of soap and cologne. It took a lot of self control to keep from sniffing his robes. Now that would have been embarrassing to explain!

I decided to savor the feeling of Draco's arms around me as we headed to the infirmary. Perhaps I was feeling a little lightheaded- I must have been to enjoy having a Malfoy touching me. There was a good chance that I liked this because I knew there would never be another chance for me to bask in the scent of Draco. He tended to associate with classy and wealthy girls: ones with money, intelligence, and beauty. I would never even think of aspiring to that sort of thing. Wealth was a laughable sort of idea although I wasn't sure if a household where love was in abundance really wasn't better than all the money in the world. I rated an average intelligence, not excelling at anything in particular besides Muggle Studies- I had a genetic aptitude for that. I was a little too dreamy to pay attention in any class where I had the chance to fantasize about knights in shining armor. Lastly, I managed to be cute but I would never have the sort of classic beauty that surrounded a Malfoy.

I sniffed, still settled comfortably in Draco's arms. I hadn't any idea why I was even considering being a Malfoy's girl anyhow. It was plan silly, that's what it was.

We arrived in Madame Pomfrey's domain altogether too soon for my state of mind. Madame rushed at us immediately.

"Oh good heavens!" she cried, bustling around in her tidy white uniform. "What in the world happened, Ms. Weasley?" She effectively took over, leading Draco over to a hospital bed where he carelessly placed me. I winced at the sudden impact of the soft bed and managed a glare at Malfoy before curling up on my side. He smirked, once again amusement in his eyes.

"I'll expect you to say thank you when you're better," he informed me softly. His heavy black robes swished as he turned and went out the door. He paused for a moment and then swept a bow, showing of a glimpse of a cotton shirt and a silver and green neck tie. He continued on his way.

I sighed. Next to me, Madame Pomfrey sighed too. Okay, that's odd, I decided. She returned her gaze to me and held out a glass of a particularly foul looking potion.

"Drink up now, dear," she said. She looked back to where Draco had exited. "Gentlemen are a dying breed these days."

I choked as I tried to inhale the slop without letting myself taste it. Correct me if I'm wrong but sixty-something year old matrons should not sound as if they had crushes on seventeen year old boys. Ew.

Besides, that was my job.