That's a story I wrote last year as part of my other D&M fanfiction. I thought I'd post it here to put you in the Christmas mood.
James went into the room and stopped in the doorway. Harry was standing by the huge Christmas tree, looking at it dreamily. The tree was beautifully decorated and the lights were shimmering in the dark and their warm colorful glow reflected on Harry's face. She sighed smiling happily. She remembered the days when she was decorating the tree with her father. She was absorbed in the activity and felt the importance of the moment. But that was when she was a child. Right now she was an adult and she had arrived at Winfield Hall only a few hours earlier and the tree had been already decorated. The house was still vibrant with life. Everyone was getting ready for dinner, the maids were rushing around the house, most the guests were getting dressed in their rooms or wandering around the rooms, chatting and laughing. Her cousins Donna and George were sitting in the corner of the living room chatting with their second cousin, Leanne and her husband.
James got closer and stretched his hand in front of Harry with a box of Christmas tree decorations they had bought in London and about which she had obviously forgotten. She enjoyed his closeness for a moment, but knew someone might notice that. They hadn't told the others they were together, deciding they didn't want to make a big fuss about it. She had noticed a flicker of disappointment in James' eyes when they had made that decision, but he had nodded his head in agreement. And right now she regretted the decision. It was Christmas and she didn't want to pretend anything.
"I think it lacks something", James said from behind distracting her from her thoughts. "You wanna do this?", he asked pointing at the decorations.
"Not without your help", she smiled and handed him the first one. "Hang it up there, next to the blue one", she said and pointed up. He obeyed and reached for another one.
"Where now?", he asked.
She took a while to look at the tree, not aware he was staring at her. She looked amazing in the colorful lights reflecting in her face, her eyes glistening with joy, her nose wrinkled as a sign of concentration.
"There", she said.
"Where?", he asked not taking his eyes off her.
"Over there", she repeated and looked at him as he didn't move. She smiled, but reprimanded him, "You're supposed to look at the tree"
"I'm sorry", he grinned.
He stretched out his hand with the decoration.
"Here?"
"A little bit to the right", she said and got closer to him to direct his hand. Their fingers touched and he felt a spark going up his arm to his heart.
"You look beautiful", he whispered.
She smiled charmingly and looked down into the box. They went on decorating the tree for another 15 minutes, laughing, exchanging glances and touching each other in passing.
George who was facing them looked at them from time to time and noticed the exchange of glances and smiles. He also noticed something else. Harry looked different. She was glowing with happiness. 'Could the American be the reason?', he wondered. He remembered the last time he saw Harry. She had been with this American guy and he had accompanied her to the wedding. She had introduced the American guy as her partner from work and a friend. George still had doubts about that when he had seen them dancing at the wedding and then the day after the wedding they had looked different and he could swear they could hardly keep their eyes off of each other. Now he observed them for a while and still couldn't make out the truth. He had to admit one thing, Harry and James looked good together.
"What's this?", Harry showed a little package hidden at the bottom of the box.
"That's my present for you", he said.
"Hidden here?", she looked at him amused.
He nodded his head.
"But it's not Christmas day yet", she smiled.
"Ok, then give it to me", he moved the box away from her.
"No", she protested and grabbed his arm. "I want to see it now"
"Are you sure? It's not Christmas Day yet", he teased.
"Let me see it", she said quietly looking him straight in the eyes.
Without a word he took out a glass figure from the box. He held it in his hand and this time didn't ask Harry where to hang it. He looked at the tree closely and finally spotted the right place for it. He hung it on one of the front branches so that it was clearly seen. She looked at it and then at James.
"An angel!", she sounded amazed.
"For MY Angel", he said and his eyes softened when they met hers.
"Thank you", she whispered and without thinking much she kissed him, lightly and tenderly, then left the room as quickly as she could. James smiled to himself and when he looked to the right his eyes met those of George staring at him. Dempsey grabbed the empty box and followed Harry out. On his way to the kitchen, he saw her talking to her father, but when he came back they were both gone. He peeped into the dining room and the living room, but didn't find her there so he went upstairs. He knocked at her door but there was no answer. He hesitated but then tried pressing the door handle and the door slid open.
"Harry?", he called out, but still no answer. He went inside and heard the shower running in the bathroom. He went inside and stood in the doorway for a while watching her figure behind the frost glass of the shower cabin. She turned off the water and opened slightly the door. She reached out her hand and tried to feel the towel. He rushed to her, grabbed the towel and held it out for her. She finally felt it.
"Who the hell…?", she exclaimed.
"It's me, Angel", he said joyfully.
She snatched the towel and wrapped it around her soaking body.
"You scared me", she asked irritably. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I'm guarding you", he winked.
"Do I look like I need any guarding?", she snapped.
"You look ... stunning", he beamed.
"Dempsey!"
"You left your door open", he raised his eyebrows meaningfully.
"So what?"
"Someone might have come in"
"Someone?"
"Yeah"
"Dempsey, you're the only person here who likes to sneak into a woman's room uninvited"
"Oh, I thought the kiss was the invitation"
"What kiss?"
"By the Christmas tree"
She shook her head in disbelief.
"You're childish", she remarked.
"I'm a man", he protested.
She looked at him and laughed.
"Your man", he said in a low voice and pulled her into him.
"James, I need to dress up for dinner", she protested.
"You look great to me", as he said this his hand ran up her back to her shoulders. He moved his face closer and brushed her soft cheek with his fingers.
"I'm serious", she said. "We don't have much time"
"We have enough time", he whispered and while his fingers brushed her hair, he kissed her lips. She hesitated, but couldn't resist the kiss.
"Now your shirt is wet", she remarked a while later.
"I've got to change anyway", he replied and put his arms around her waist. "I enjoyed that tree decorating stuff"
"Me too", she smiled. "But I really need to get ready"
"Ok", he sighed. "I guess I should get ready too". He touched her nose playfully, "Don't go anywhere without me"
"I won't", she kissed him and then pushed him gently towards the door. When he left, she opened the wardrobe and took out her evening dress. She looked at it approvingly. This was the dress she had worn to dinner in Paris. She hadn't worn it since then and thought this would be the perfect occasion. She really wanted this Christmas to be special and she was determined to make James feel positive and less homesick. She had even asked if he was planning to go to New York for Christmas, but he had said he was fine. She hadn't
bought it, but had decided not to lean on him. Christmas was a special time and she was convinced that for him it must have been very hard to spend another Christmas far away from home, far away from his closest family. She didn't know what his reasons were, but she was going to make this special time more bearable for him. Reminding him of Paris was part of this plan.
She sat at her dressing table and turned on the hairdryer. While she was drying her hair, the memories of the past came back to her. She loved all the Christmases spent at Winfield Hall with her father, family and friends. She loved the atmosphere of this house, the childhood memories and this incredible feeling of the past mixing with the present. She smiled at the memory of her and James decorating the Christmas tree. That had been a magical moment and she was sure there was more to come. She had a feeling this was going to be one of the best Christmases in her life. She was there with James and it was the first Christmas they shared as a couple.
Forty minutes later and she was all dressed up, standing in front of the mirror and smiling satisfactorily. She glanced at the watch. It was 5.45 p.m. Fifteen minutes to spare. She considered checking on James, but decided it wouldn't be a wise idea. He could hardly keep his hands off of her all day and she wasn't going to let him ruin her hair or make-up. She laughed quietly.
Ten minutes later there was a light knock on the door and she knew it was James. She took her shawl and went to open it.
"Wow", he said when he saw her. "You look absolutely glamourous"
"Thank you", she smiled.
"And this dress…", he looked her up and down admiringly. "…is a walking hazard, princess. Didn't you wear it in Paris?"
"I did"
"Well, I don't know how I'll be able to keep my hands off all night"
"All night?", she looked surprised. "There's no such need", she winked.
He grinned and held the door for her. They were walking down the hall in silence.
"What are you thinking?", she asked quietly.
"This and that", he said.
"I know you miss your family and would like to be home for Christmas", she said.
He stopped walking and took her by her arms, fixing his eyes on hers.
"I am home", he said seriously. She searched his eyes for any sign of hesitation, but she found none. She leaned in and kissed him. Then she slid her hand in his and when their fingers locked, they headed for the stairs.
The dinner was fantastic. The dinning room was filled with the scent of delicious food and drink, but most of all with the chatter, laughter and a truly family atmosphere. To Lord Winfield's delight, the house was lively again, but most of all he was overjoyed seeing his daughter happy.
After dinner, they all moved to the sofas by the fireplace with a glass of wine each. George asked James about Christmas in America and he told them about his family traditions. Harry was sitting on the opposite sofa next to her father and she was looking at him with a smile and listening to his memories with great interest.
"So why didn't you go to America for Christmas?", Leanne asked. "Don't you miss your family?"
"I do", he said. "But I guess I'd miss London while there even more"
"What is it about London that you like so much?", Harry's aunt, Patricia, asked.
"Well..." he paused and glanced at Harry, but she was looking at her wineglass. "I like many things here"
"What things? Come on, tell us what an American finds fascinating about this country"
"I've learned to appreciate your food, the transport is good. I love all the places in London like the parks, Tower Bridge, the Albert Hall and stuff, but most of all I love the people here. Their friendliness, loyalty, beauty…", he finished lowering his voice.
"Well, that's a good reason to stay here", Leanne remarked. "To London then and ... the people"
Everyone raised their glasses and made a toast. James didn't even realize when he started describing Harry. Did she realize? He looked at her. She was drinking her wine but then for a second she raised her eyes and he saw she was blushing.
The maids started serving coffee, tea and cakes and people started to move around the place. Harry took the first opportunity of joining James on the sofa. He handed her a cup of coffee and offered a plate with cake, but she shook her head.
The people started talking about the best Christmas they had had. There was a lot of laughter when Lord Winfield started telling a story of little Harry getting lost at the attic while looking for the presents. James was listening attentively and laughed the loudest. Harry took advantage of this and took a bit of his cake. "What are you doing?", he said quietly catching her red-handed.
"Nothing", she smiled innocently as she swallowed the cake.
"I saw it", he said accusingly.
"I don't know what you're talking about"
She took a sip of her coffee, but after a while she reached to his plate again.
"It's my cake", he said quietly and moved the plate away from her.
"Can I have some more?", she asked.
"No!"
"Please, it's delicious"
"You didn't want any when I offered you some"
"I didn't know it's so delicious", she replied. "Please, just a little bit"
He moved the plate towards her and watched her while she used her spoon to cut off a bit.
"Hey, you've eaten half the cake", he protested.
"Oh come on, I thought Christmas is about sharing", she smirked.
He laughed seeing her act like a little girl. He held the plate for her while she finished the cake.
Later they were sitting there, drinking wine and started singing carols. Each person was to start singing their favorite carol and then the others joined in. That was an amazing evening and Harry looked at all the smiling faces, listening to the joyful voices and feeling James' closeness felt blissful. She moved closer to him and put her arm through his. He gave her an amazed glance when she slipped her hand into his, but locked his fingers with hers and his eyes glowed. It was a dream come true. She leaned her head on his shoulder and started humming 'Have yourself a Merry little Christmas'. The evening fell into perfection.
Around 11.00 p.m. the people started going upstairs to change for the midnight mass in the small local church. James wasn't a regular churchgoer, but this was something he couldn't miss. They changed into some warm comfortable clothes and drove to the church. It was a small local church nicely situated in the marvelous surrounding. All the people seemed to know one another and suddenly James felt a part of this community. He was standing next to Harry, but took a while to look around appreciatively before he could attend the mass properly. Their fingers touched a few times and suddenly he felt her little finger lock on his. He held it and looked her in the eyes, then he intertwined his fingers with hers. She squeezed his hand in response and he only let go off her hand a few times when the ceremony required this.
When they were back at Winfield Hall, they delayed going inside until the door closed behind the last guest. James took her hand and they wandered off towards the garden to enjoy their privacy for at least a moment. They stopped in the shadow of a huge fir tree so that no-one could see them from the inside of the house. He embraced her from behind and leaned his cheek against hers.
"I had a great time today", he whispered.
"Me too", she said.
"I liked sitting there as a couple", he kissed her neck. "and standing in church holding your hand"
"After all, Christmas is about sharing ... and love", she turned to face him and put her arms around his waist and he did likewise. He gently rubbed his nose against hers.
"I think I could do with a little bit of warming", he grinned. "It's freezing cold here"
"Oh is it? I think I might have a sweater somewhere", she smiled teasingly.
"A sweater?", he looked amused. "I think I know a better way"
"Well, I don't think so. This is a well-known way I learnt from an American..."
"Oh, shut up", he said and kissed her, pulling her closer into him. She responded kissing him slowly, but ardently.
Harry was standing in front of the Christmas tree looking at it dreamily. James was in the kitchen making them some tea before they went upstairs. They had come back a few minutes earlier and found the whole of the ground floor empty and quiet. It was way after 2.00 a.m. so everybody was probably sleeping.
"You're not thinking of opening your presents now, are you?", James whispered into her ear.
She turned and looked at him.
"I'm making sure they're safe from you", she replied.
"Shall we drink the tea here?"
He took her hand and they sat on the sofa opposite the Christmas tree.
"I used to sit here as a little girl", she said. "I waited till everybody went to bed and sneaked out of my room to wait for Santa here"
"So, did you see him?"
"No, I would fall asleep and wake up in the morning when all the present were already here", she smiled. "And then one day I woke up hearing some noise and discovered it was my father who put all the presents here. I was so disappointed, but I never told my father I knew it was him", she said after a moment of silence.
"Why?"
"I knew how important it was for him to think I still believed in Santa Claus", she explained. "Especially after my mother's death"
"Have I told you how amazing you are?"
"I'm not sure...", she smiled.
"You are amazing", he said and kissed her. "Wait here", he said and went over to the tree.
"Hey, you're not allowed to do that", she protested.
"It's Christmas Day already", he remarked and started digging in the pile of presents. Finally he smiled triumphantly as he found the box he was looking for.
He went back to the sofa and handed her his present.
She opened it slowly careful not to tear the paper as it was so neatly wrapped. She opened the box and took out a flacon of perfume, the one she saw in Paris.
"Thank you", she smiled and opened it and sprayed some on her wrists. She rubbed the perfume in her skin and smelled it.
"This is beautiful", she sighed.
He took her hand and rubbed its inner part, then moved it closer and smelled her wrist. He kissed it softly and went on to kiss the inner part of her palm. Their glowing eyes met. he could read hers like an open book. He leaned in and aimed at her lips, but she put her finger on his mouth.
"Why don't we go upstairs", she whispered.
He moved back, took her hand and helped her up. They went upstairs holding hands and forgetting the mugs they left on the coffee table.
He took her in his loving arms the moment the door closed behind them.
*****
"Damn it! Wake up", Harry sat up on the bed and looked at him in panic.
"What happened?", he opened his eyes and looked dumbfounded.
"We've overslept", she snapped.
"Honey, it's Christmas or did you forget?", he put his head back on the pillow and tried to pull her down as well.
"Exactly!", she said and started to get out of bed.
"Where are you going?"
"Damn it", she cursed and started picking up her clothes from the floor. "It's so embarrassing"
"What's the problem?"
"The problem is that everyone is downstairs opening their presents and wondering where we are and...", she raised her voice theatrically. "what we've been doing all night"
He laughed, but seeing her serious face, stopped.
"Come on, honey. We didn't do anything wrong", he tried to calm her down. "In fact it was perfect"
"Jim, that's not the right time for this", she snapped. "Get up please. We need to be there"
"Ok, ok", he said and got out of bed too.
When they entered the living room, everyone was in the middle of opening the presents chattering excitedly.
"Here are our latecomers!", Leanne exclaimed with a big grin on her face and everyone turned to look at them. Harry blushed and cursed Leanne in silence.
"Sorry, the alarm didn't go off", Harry said quietly and went over to kiss her father.
"Yours too?", George looked at James teasingly.
"Harry's my alarm clock", he replied matter-of-factly, but when he saw the expression on her face he quickly added. "She always calls me in the morning to make sure I won't be late for work"
"So sit down", Lord Winfield said. "I'm sure there are some presents for you too"
Harry was pretending to be involved in opening his presents, but she unnoticeably glanced at James while he was unwrapping a blue box. He opened it and was surprised to find another smaller one inside. When he took it out and opened, he saw another one inside. He laughed to himself and looked around wondering who could have thought of this, but everyone seemed to be occupied with their presents. He took out the last box and when he opened it, he saw a pair of goggles. He took them out and looked in amazement.
"What have you got there?", Lord Winfield asked.
"Goggles", he said still amazed.
"Oh", he replied. "Are you going skiing?"
"Not that I know of", James replied and put the goggles away.
Harry smiled to herself and went on watching him. He took another box and when he realized someone had used the same trick again putting smaller boxes inside, he laughed.
But this time there were only three boxes and when he looked into the last one, he found an envelope. He opened it and frowned. He stared at the content and couldn't believe his eyes.
"Well, it looks like I am", he said to himself and immediately knew who the present was from. He looked at Harry and sent her one of the most dazzling smile she had seen.
"Sorry, James?", Lord Winfield asked. "Did you say something?"
James unwillingly broke the eye contact with Harry and turned to her father.
"It looks like I am going skiing after all", he smiled and showed him the ticket.
"I wonder who's got the other one", he teased.
James looked at Harry again, but she was explaining something to her aunt. He looked back at the tickets, there were two: one was a plane ticket to Geneva and the other the train ticket to Bourg St Maurice. It reminded him of the conversation they had had with Chas a few weeks earlier. Chas had been trying to convince them t go skiing with him and Alice. James guessed that they were going too but he didn't really mind who was going to be there. Or so he thought...
He was shocked when he saw Fry at the airport the next day. Chas looked at him apologetically and Harry tried to calm James down, but it didn't help much. He started making fun of Fry and finally Harry had to step in or otherwise this would end up in a terrible row. She took him to the side and reprimanded him and asked him not to spoil this trip because of Fry. He listened and was sulky for a little longer but finally had to admit she was right. After all he was going to Val d'Isère with Harry and that's all that mattered.
