A/N: Happy 2019!
This is the twelfth and final fic in my Twelve Days of Christmas jamboree. It may be read as a stand-alone, but look out for the its companion piece is the first part of this series. If you choose to check out other parts of this series, keep in mind that none of them technically need to be read in order with the exception of days 9 and 10.
Many thanks to AuroraBorealia, my bestie and beta reader, who has stuck with this entire series from start to finish (dealing with my late posting and all!) You are a gem, thank you so much for helping me get each of these stories ready to post. Much love! 3
Tags: 12 Days of Christmas, Drummers Drumming, Holiday Love, Snark, Snow, Fluff, Slash (M/M)
Please enjoy the last fic in this holiday series!
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
Twelve drummers drumming
Eleven pipers piping
Ten lords a'leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a'milking
Seven swans a'swimming
Six geese a'laying
Five golden rings...
Four colly birds,
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
Christmas Eve dinner at Malfoy manor was always an involved affair. Harry did his best to keep things light and normal; it helped that Narcissa never ran out of conversation topics. Draco alternated between genuinely enjoying the time spent with his mother and crafting perfect retorts for his father's thinly-veiled jabs at their chosen occupations (and Harry in general).
Harry liked to think he would come around eventually. Lucius Malfoy had been under house arrest for a long time since Azkaban, and whether or not he cared to admit it, he was often keen for company, even if it meant enduring the presence of someone he professed to hate. Harry didn't kid himself by hoping that Draco's father would come to treat him like a member of their family, no, but he would have to learn to tolerate their relationship. He expected that in the case of potential future grandchildren, Narcissa would invent ways of making her husband behave for the family's sake.
Regardless, Lucius' barbs grew duller and less original over time. It had become something of a game for him and Draco to make fun of the more ridiculous ones afterwards. If he was running out of mean things to say about Harry, maybe it meant he was running out of legitimate complaints about him.
Throughout tea and pudding, Harry let himself relax back into the plush dining chair. He loved listening to Draco and Narcissa talk so animatedly about-whatever it was they were talking about. A spa in France or something. Ah, the soothing sound of Draco's melodious voice…
"Potter? Are you quite well?"
Harry snapped straight up in his seat. "What? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Must've dozed off for a tic."
Lucius snorted. "Pity."
"Harry, darling, would you like some essence of murtlap and lemongrass? It'll perk you right up long enough for the journey home without the horrid effects of caffeine. You two had better get your rest; Christmas is entirely too busy these days."
Out of his wife's line of sight, Lucius snidely muttered about Harry's lack of constitution.
When Harry stood up from his chair, Draco materialized beside him in an instant, supporting him as though he might fall over at any second. "I'm fiiine," he yawned. He didn't have the energy to protest when Narcissa sprayed a fine mist on his collar. "Ooh, that's nice."
"We'll take the floo," Draco said softly, tucking his chin on top of Harry's shoulder.
Narcissa walked them to the grand marble fireplace and bid them adieu. Her perfume had indeed helped him gain a bit more alertness. He and Draco said their goodbyes and thanked his parents for the lovely evening.
When they finally arrived in their room, Draco made Harry lay down on the bed and gave him a leg massage.
"You're the most wonderful person ever," Harry sighed into his pillow. He had barely drank at dinner, yet he felt almost intoxicated.
"Liar," Draco teased, working a stubborn knot in his right calf. "Happy Christmas, Harry."
Harry lifted his front half up onto his elbow. "Is it midnight already!"
"Only just. Let's go to sleep, love. I set a tempus to go off at six thirty."
Groaning, Harry crawled over onto his side of the bed and dove under the covers. "I take it back; you're an evil troll."
"Keep that up and you'll get nothing but coal in your stocking."
Just as Harry drifted off into dreamland, he wondered to himself, how does Draco know about Santa Claus?
It was waaaay too cold for this malarkey. Harry felt frozen down to his toes, but he trudged on for Draco's sake. He had to pick the snowy outdoors fire. Not presents, not breakfast. Snow. Wherever Draco was taking him better be worth it.
Stuffing his gloved hands into his pockets, he followed Draco just outside of their wards to the apparation point. Wherever they were going didn't have a floo, it seemed. Harry considered that it might be a fancy restaurant for breakfast, but he doubted most places were open this early on Christmas morning, if at all.
Draco took his arm and kissed his cheek.
"You're in a chipper mood this morning." Harry snuggled in closer to absorb some of Draco's warmth.
"I swear, are you a wizard or not?" Draco complained, but there was no heat in his tone. He cast a warming charm over them both.
Harry shrugged "Maybe I just like being next to you."
"Sap. Hold on now."
The familiar tug of side-along apparition pulled at Harry's navel and away they went.
Almost immediately, Harry recognized where Draco had brought him: Godric's Hollow. It was too early for people to be out and about attending the morning church service, but the twinkling lights on their houses gave life and color to the tiny town. Draco squeezed his wrist and smiled.
"It's only fair that we visit your parents too, today of all days."
Harry nodded and began walking toward his parents' grave. He figured this was why Draco didn't tell him they were coming-so he wouldn't feel too sad dwelling on it beforehand. It was a thoughtful and heartwarming gesture. Draco never ceased to surprise him.
They had the graveyard all to themselves, no one here to disturb them. The fresh snow made it brighter, more peaceful.
"Hullo Mum, Dad. Happy Christmas."
Draco withdrew his wand and conjured a wreath with tiny white flowers and levitated it down onto the Lily and James' tombstone.
"From what I know about my mum, I think she would've loved you," Harry whispered.
"If she were here, I would tell her, 'Mrs. Potter, I love your son with all my heart, and I would do anything for him, anything at all.' And to your father, I would say, 'Harry takes after you; he is the most stubborn Gryffindor I have ever met, and every bit as brave.'"
Grinning, Harry rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "I dunno, he might say that a Slytherin like you has no business declaring who is or isn't a worthy Gryffindor. I like to think he would be less of a hurdle than your father."
"My father can go jump in the Black Lake."
"Draco!" Harry smacked him lightly but laughed in spite of himself. "He may be an awful prat, and he may have done unspeakable things, but at least you have some nice memories of him from when you were little."
"True."
Harry watched as Draco's gaze wandered towards the rising sun. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Draco hummed in response, and then his hum turned into an actual song, a familiar song. "Wait. That's the Twelve Days of Christmas! How d'you know it?"
"I have my sources," Draco murmured mysteriously. "Harry. This may be the first day of Christmas, but it's the twelfth Christmas since we met."
"That day in Madam Malkins. Merlin, you were such a prat!" Harry would have continued to tease his boyfriend, but the look on Draco's face turned so serious that the laughter died on his tongue.
Draco didn't say anything more. He simply pulled Harry close and wrapped his arms around him, turning them both so that they faced the entrance to the graveyard.
Twelve drummers stood in formation, men and women in full uniform, dressed to the nines. At their leader's command, they began to play, not a jaunty Christmas rhythm or a swift march but rather a regal number that Harry thought evoked the image of the dawn rising on the surface of the earth.
They played and marched down to Lily and James Potter's grave. Their captain stopped them briefly and gave a brief speech about honoring their heroes in the spirit of the holidays. Before he knew it, tears had welled up in Harry's eyes.
Damn it all! How could he feel this way, after all this time? He had never really known his parents, didn't have any memories of them to cherish. That made it easier in a way, when he was younger. You couldn't miss what you had never known. But the more time went by, the more his heart ached for the things his parents had missed. His first day of school, his acceptance into the auror corps, every birthday, every Christmas since they died…
He had promised himself he would never return to the Forbidden Forest, lest he be tempted to search for the Resurrection Stone, and thus far he had been true to his word. He didn't need them to be there with him to move on and be happy. He didn't.
But it still hurt. He hid his tears in Draco's grey cloak and cried.
Draco. How was it that he got lucky enough to be with someone as wonderful as the person Draco Malfoy was now? He understood Harry, understood that even though Harry had his friends, had the Weasleys and Teddy and Draco, there was always going to be a piece of him that had shattered. But Draco loved and accepted him anyway. He too had become Harry's family, in a way neither of them could have imagined just a few years ago.
The drummers finished their ceremony, so Harry and Draco thanked them and wished them a happy Christmas before they departed.
"I can't believe you did all this for me," Harry laughed through the last of his tears.
"There's something else I want to do. Something I want to give you."
Harry wetted his lips and nodded. He wondered what more more Draco could possibly do. A gift, maybe? Given Draco's competitive streak, it would come as no surprise if he tried to beat Harry to give the first gift of Christmas. Well, Harry supposed he already had.
But Draco looked nervous. He smiled shakily and looked down at the graves beside them. "Mister and Misses Potter, we haven't known each other long. Unfortunately, our occasional pilgrimages are far too short; we'll have to do something about that."
Both of Harry's brows rose. What was Draco on about? He did sometimes talk to the graves, but usually not for this long.
"I would like to humbly ask for your permission, if I may. A sign from heaven would be appropriate, if you like, but if not, I'll just accept the ground not opening up and swallowing me."
Now Draco was babbling; he must be really nervous. Harry was going to ask him if he was alright, but the blonde kept on going.
"Merlin, this isn't what I wrote down at all," he muttered. "But I haven't been cursed yet-that's something."
A bright, golden glow caught Harry's eye from below them. "Draco, look!"
There, on his mother and father's grave, the flowers on Draco's conjured wreath bloomed brighter than before. From their delicate white petals, shimmering golden dust appeared and floated up into the air.
Draco swallowed and stood up straight and tall. "They said yes!" he whispered, his voice filled with dazed awe. He quickly clasped both of Harry's hands, fixing him with an intense mercury gaze. "Harry… will you marry me?"
Oh. Ohhhh.
His mouth fell open, but no sound came out at first. He was simply too shocked. First Godric's Hollow, then the drummers, now this!? More happiness than he'd ever known thrummed in his veins from head to toe. The cold and all else fled in its wake.
"Harry?" Draco asked gently. Harry tackled his boyfriend-now fiance-to the ground and snogged him senseless.
When they finally parted for the bothersome task of breathing, Draco grinned. "Is that a yes?"
"You know it is!"
Draco's eyes widened and he reached into his pocket. "I have a ring for you."
Harry couldn't help it. He burst out into laughter. "I take it you planned on doing the speech and the ring beforehand?"
Cheeks flushed more from embarrassment than the cold, Draco nodded. "I was going to, I really was, but then something your friend Weasel said popped into my head and I couldn't get it out. It seemed less authentic to go with what I had rehearsed"
"And what did he tell you?"
"Does it matter? He was right. There, I said it."
"Best we don't tell him that; he'll lord it over you until the end of time."
Draco muttered to himself and placed the ring on Harry's finger. "There."
"It's perfect. Though you really didn't have to-"
"Shut it. It's yours."
"Fine!" Harry laughed. He smiled and looked down at the wreath again. "You really didn't conjure the gold, did you? Do you think it's possible they're really watching us?"
"I know they are. They love you just as they always did. I suspect I would have found myself stuck with an unfortunate jinx if they thought I had any ill intent towards you."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Overprotective to the grave. Now they sound like your parents."
"Mm. Soon to be your in-laws." Draco let that idea sink in for a moment.
Oh bollocks.
Thank you very much to all of you readers who have enjoyed this fic and any part of this series. It has been an absolute treat to write and to explore so many different characters, making each fic fundamentally different despite similar themes.
Feel free to spread some holiday cheer in the comments if you like. Any and all flames will fuel the fire by which my characters snuggle with their significant others (and friends).
This holiday season has brought both difficulties and joy to people all over the world. Please remember that no matter what, you are loved as much as we collectively love these wonderful characters that give us so much joy every time we write or read a fanfiction. Happy holidays to you and adios for now!