A/N: Okay, so this was originally meant to be posted over the Christmas period ... but I totally forgot I wrote it. Really sorry about that. And woo, cool new YD section, go us!
"So you chop down a tree, a perfectly healthy tree, for no other reason to decorate in … these?" Vlad asked, holding up a rather gaudy decoration, with a look of confused distaste fixed upon his face. If being normal meant liking things like that, he might need to rethink his whole stance on the 'being normal' issue.
"Well … yeah," Robin responded, taking the bauble from Vlad and replacing it on the tree he and his family had spent so long decorating the day before. "It's fun Vlad, and y'know, it only happens once a year," he added, "a time for family togetherness an' all that." Vlad rolled his eyes slightly. "Didn't you celebrate Christmas in Transylvania?" he asked, interested. Vlad frowned slightly.
"Well yeah, but we didn't really do anything like this," he said slowly, shrugging his shoulders for emphasis. "The peasants in the local village might have though," he added after a moments thought on the matter. "We were never allowed down there though," he told his friend, looking back at the tree.
"So what did you do?" Robin's curiosity had reached it's height. Vlad hardly ever spoke of what it was like for him back in Transylvania, so to have this opportunity to find something out, even if it was the smallest of things, was something he was going to grasp at firmly with both hands.
"We never did anything on Christmas Day except exchanging gifts, and even that was on the borderline of Granny and Grandpa would allow," Vlad told him, smiling softly at the memory. "But Christmas Eve, that was when we would celebrate," he paused, licking his lips slightly, and playing with a rather shiny decoration in front of him. "We always had the most amazing parties. Dad and Mum would plan for weeks ahead, hiring only the best of the best in terms of caters, music, everything," he grinned. "Its one of the only times a vampire can't actually be all blood lusty you know?" Vlad said causally. Robin's eyes widened slightly at this, possibly unable to understand that vampires could control their desire to bite people. "Everyone would be clamouring to get an invitation; our parties were the biggest and best in all of Transylvania," Vlad said, a glint of pride in his eyes.
"So, why can't you just do that here?" Robin asked, though he regretted the words the moment they slipped from his mouth, as his friend's face instantly fell, his mouth twitching slightly.
"Two Christmas' ago … the ball was bigger and grander than any Mum and Dad had put on before," Vlad said slowly, his head bowed to the floor and his voice low. "It was rumoured the Grand High Vampire himself was going to put in an appearance, but …"
" … 'but?" Robin asked, gently prodding his friend into continuing the story. If Robin had learned one thing about Vlad, it was that he would bottle his own feelings up, and therefore become obsessed over more superficial details, or panic over his family's actions. Though Vlad may hate telling the story; it was better for him to get it out, rather than keep it bottled in. He couldn't really managed the justified rage façade that Ingrid could keep up day in, day out.
"Mum had been weird all that year, coming and going at each full moon," Vlad let out a bitter laugh, "should have realised it earlier really. I mean, Ingrid and me … we were sorta just waiting for the day she'd leave for good, though Ingrid'll deny it," he said, rolling his eyes slightly. "Halfway through the ball she shows up, bags in hands, and announces to all the assembled guests that's she's leaving Dad and sweeps out, leaving possibly the longest silence I've ever heard." Vlad paused, fidgeting with a bauble on the tree slightly. "We don't really celebrate since then," he said softly, shrugging it off. Robin frowned, not entirely sure what to do. A slightly uncomfortable silence filled the room, as both Vlad and Robin stared at the tree, which, to Robin, suddenly seemed far too brightly decorated.
"You know, Christmas is really over-hyped," Robin offered after a few minutes. Vlad nodded. "But at least it means presents."
Vlad grinned. "There is that."