A/N: This is the fifth installment in my "Twelve Days of Ficmas" series. The series is one contiguous narrative, but each story can be read as a standalone. If you'd like to read from the beginning, start with "Cocoa With a Classmate." This is rated M for some mild second base action, just to be on the safe side. The prompt was "Jack Frost or Grinch."
"So the green one hates Christmas because of the singing? A sentiment shared."
Draco Malfoy had never seen a movie. For their third official date, Hermione thought it was appropriate because movies were a normal couple thing, right? And they were a couple. Sort of. They hadn't discussed a label yet and Hermione thought movie night might prompt that discussion since she certainly wasn't going to do it.
He arrived at seven, exactly on time as always. Hermione put his coat in the closet and took note of his grey jumper. He wore the softest jumpers and Hermione constantly found herself making excuses to touch them. When Draco made his way into the living area, Hermione glanced down to where his jeans hugged his bum. She was reminded of the real reason she decided on movie night: because it's only thirty seconds from the sofa to my bedroom.
Draco had been confused when Hermione led him to the sofa. He stared at the telly with mild horror.
"What the hell is that?" he asked. Hermione opened her mouth to respond but found she didn't have a good reference for him.
"Imagine a Pensieve—"
"I do not need to imagine a Pensieve, Hermione, I have one," he snapped.
Hermione huffed and asked, "Who shoved a wreath up your arse, Mister Scrooge?" Hermione took a moment to gather herself and realized Draco was probably just upset to be met with something so unfamiliar. She said, "It's a Pensieve, but it doesn't show memories. Instead it shows, um, plays?"
"Like the theatre?" Draco asked.
"Yes! It's like a theatre, only the movie we are going to watch doesn't have people …"
"Granger, I hope you never have to sell anything because you are bloody awful."
Hermione laughed. She plopped down onto the sofa next to the bowl of popcorn. Draco sat on the other side of the bowl and looked rather helplessly at the screen. Hermione grabbed the remote and pressed play, ignoring his confused mumbling. Draco read the title card aloud.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas?" he asked. Hermione nodded.
"It's a classic."
"If you say so," he replied, disbelief colouring his tone. The movie opened and Draco squinted at the telly. As the narrator spoke and the Whos sang down in Whoville, he leaned forward to get a closer look. "Did someone draw this?"
"They did," Hermione nodded. "A team of people, actually. Animators. They draw it frame by frame then put it together to make a movie."
"Are all movies like this?" Draco asked, intrigued. Hermione shook her head, thinking about how Titanic would blow his mind.
"No, most of them star real people and are truer to life. This is based on a children's book—"
"Oi!" Draco half-teased. "Do you plan to stop talking so I can listen to this drivel?"
Except it was obvious he didn't consider it drivel in the least bit. He stared wide-eyed at the telly, watching as the film took them on a tour of Whoville. And they'll sing and they'll sing and they'll sing! Draco leaned back and put his feet on the coffee table. He grabbed some popcorn with his left hand and tossed it into his mouth without moving his eyes from the screen. Hermione spent more time watching his reactions than the movie itself. She'd watched it every Christmas she was old enough to remember and knew the words by heart.
Then he got an idea! An awful idea! The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea!
"His plan is destined to fail!" Draco insisted. "First of all, I am no Muggle but I am fairly certain that Santa Claus wears trousers."
Hermione burst into laughter. She threw some popcorn at him and it got caught in the crook of his elbow. He picked it up and popped it into his mouth, still not looking away from the telly. There were at least twenty minutes left in the movie and Hermione resolved to get him to look away at least once. She pressed her back against the arm of the sofa and grabbed the popcorn bowl. She tossed one kernel that hit his cheek and he just waved his hand at her, wordlessly insisting she stop.
Draco was immune to that tactic after a few minutes. Hermione placed the popcorn bowl back on the coffee table sometime shortly after the Grinch began his trip down to Whoville.
"Bloody hell, I wish I could draw like this," he whispered. Hermione wasn't sure he knew he said that aloud. She nudged Draco's thigh with her toes and he didn't flinch. She did it again and still got no response. She smiled to herself as Draco bobbed his head to the tune of, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."
After the song, Hermione groaned and threw her pillow at his head. Draco laughed and tossed it back.
"I am trying to watch Cindy Lou shame the Grinch, Hermione! Let a man enjoy his movie."
She melodramatically flung herself into Draco's lap. Hermione sighed and said,
"You know, when Muggle couples watch a movie it generally comes second to other, more intimate things." Draco laughed and Hermione insisted, "It's true! Movies are just excuses for popcorn and snogging."
"Bad ones, perhaps," Draco conceded. He didn't look away from the telly for a moment, but began pulling lightly on some of Hermione's curls. "You know what I like about this?"
"Tell me," Hermione said.
"It feels like The Fountain of Fair Fortune," Draco replied. "Watching this movie, watching this green monstrosity try to ruin everyone's life only to be thwarted by goodness—"
"You don't know how this ends," Hermione countered.
"Oh, I can guess," Draco replied with a smile. "But it feels like reading that story for the first time. My father actually tried to have that story censored, you know, because it included a wizard-Muggle marriage."
"Your father was a foul bastard," Hermione said and regretted it immediately. She was worried for a moment that she had been too truthful. She felt Draco sigh and he agreed.
"Yes, he was. But my mother would read it to me in secret. Both these stories are about being helpful and the value of togetherness. I would bet my entire Gringotts vault the Whos are going to celebrate Christmas even without all their presents because the spirit of the holiday is in its togetherness."
As if right on cue, the movie seemed to agree with him.
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?!
Draco smiled to himself and Hermione saw the kid in him right then. She could see Draco snuggled into Narcissa's lap in a corner of the library while his father was busy. Reading about Amata realizing her value and how Sir Luckless, a Muggle, was the only man worthy enough to marry her. Of course he would see that in the Grinch. Of course he would see a person ostracized from Whoville by his own actions, unaware that he could be embraced yet again if he only made the effort.
And what happened then? Well in Whoville they say the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day!
"Told you," Draco chided.
"I've seen this movie twenty times," Hermione admitted. "Probably twenty-five."
Draco watched as the Grinch returned the presents and decorations to Whoville. He watched the Grinch cut the roast beast and sing along with the Whos. Hermione pressed the mute button on the remote and tossed it to the other end of the sofa.
"I admit, I found that rather enjoyable," Draco said. "Do you have another movie?"
"I have dozens," Hermione replied. Draco's eyes lit up and asked, "How many can we watch?"
She groaned.
"This is not how I imagined movie night would go."
"You gave this some thought, did you?" Draco teased.
"I did, I thought you'd be a bit less interested in the telly and more interested in me," Hermione admitted. She sat up and Draco frowned.
"You thought I would be bored by Muggle things and more inclined to focus on you," he realized. Hermione didn't want to admit he was right, so she said nothing. "You still aren't comfortable enough to initiate anything with me, are you?"
"Not true," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I just thought this was still too new and wanted to give you time—"
"What, are you frightened of me?" Draco asked. "I promise you have no reason—"
Hermione kissed him. Mostly to shut him up because he was a presumptive prat, but also because she wanted to. She put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him closer as she straddled his legs. Draco rested one hand on her hip and pulled back to laugh.
"Your lips are salty from all the popcorn," he said.
"Well you were slow on the snogging so I had to make up for it," Hermione chastised in reply. She smiled and kissed him again, parting her lips when Draco's tongue ran across the seam. It was a ridiculous moment, snogging Malfoy as the film credits rolled on the screen behind them. She felt his smile. He had been happy the whole night and something in her wanted Draco to keep smiling. She placed one of his hands on her chest and he groaned.
"Look, Granger," he actually growled a little bit as Hermione lowered herself even further. "Something that is definitely not my heart will grow three sizes if we don't stop."
Hermione twined her fingers in his hair and insisted, "I'm fine not stopping."
"Yes, but …" Draco pushed her away. Hermione leaned back, a little hurt. "Oh, come on, Granger, don't look at me like that." He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "What do you want from me?"
"I want to know what to do," Hermione whispered. Draco took a deep breath before he answered.
"I'm a bit nervous, alright? If we keep going in about five minutes there will be a white Christmas in my pants and I would prefer to not embarrass myself."
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She lifted herself off Draco and grabbed the popcorn bowl.
"You, Draco Malfoy, are nervous?" she asked.
"I know!" he groaned. "But I really like you and I do not want to muck things up between us. I keep thinking of all the things I could do wrong. It makes me nervous and I would rather do this next time when I'm a bit more prepared."
"Between the two of us, I never would have guessed you would be the one overthinking things," Hermione said with a smile that Draco returned.
"Another movie, then?" he asked. Hermione nodded. She decided to keep to animation and started Draco in on Disney princesses. She walked him to the door after Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, with a promise to show him more.
Draco stood on the doorstep and glanced upward to where a strand of mistletoe had appeared. Those devious green leaves and red berries had Hermione wondering why Draco still felt like he needed to be prompted before getting too intimate.
"I wonder how that could have gotten up there," he said with mock innocence. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Now who's afraid to initiate things?" she chastised.
"Will you shut up so I can kiss you?" Draco asked. Hermione gave him a close-lipped grin. Draco leaned down to chastely kiss her but lingered for a moment, then kissed her again before he pulled back just the slightest bit. He stayed there with their lips mere centimetres apart like he was seriously giving thought to kissing her again and staying the night after all.
Hermione quickly licked her lips and said, "I'll see you on Friday?"
"Yeah," Draco said, still coming back to himself. He shook his head and said, "Yes, Friday. No movies, I'm afraid, so I will have to find another way to entertain you." He lowered his voice and said, "But I am certain I will think of something."
"I have some ideas," Hermione teased. Draco grabbed her hand and gave her a nervous smile before walking away. She watched him Disapparate from the street and sighed, staring at the spot for several seconds before returning inside.
Hermione thought that Draco Malfoy might just be the best Christmas present she ever received.