All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 4: Thankful

Disclaimer: not mine

A/N: just a short ditty, just for today. Hope you all are having a happy thanksgiving! Today I am thankful that there are people out there that take the time to read my silly stories, and that I have the opportunity to try to entertain people with them. Thank you all for your kind words and reviews. Love you all. –bella

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

-Thankful, Josh Groban

"Mudblood Draco? Mudblood? You know you can't say that. What were you thinking?"

"I didn't call anyone a mudblood Weasley, get off your horse." He tried to busy himself with the papers littering his desk, but she didn't relent.

Ginny opened up the sporting magazine in her hands and began to read aloud. "When asked about his company's interest in developing products that catered to the rising trend of hybrid muggle-wizard althetics, such as the new broomstick baseball league, AQA owner Draco Malfoy responded with his usual unpleasant sneer, 'Why would I have any interest in that? Quidditch is the biggest sport in the world, and no other sport will ever be better. Why would I get my company's assets tied up in some ridiculous, trendy, mudblood of a sport?'"

"And I stand by that. They're ridiculous. Have you seen a Broomstick Baseball game Weasley?"

"I have, and it was stupid, but that has nothing to do with it. What on earth makes you think you can just sling around a word like Mudblood?"

"You should be used to it. During me teen years it was quite my favorite words to use."

"And it was awful."

"Well like I said, I didn't call anyone a mudblood so I don't see what the issue even is!"

"The issue is you used a derogatory term to insult something, and now lots of people are pissed off!"

"What do they care what I think of some stupid game?"

"They care because they are mudbloods and you used the term like…"

"Whoa there Weasley. You can't just go around calling people mudbloods."

He felt a little bad after he said it. The girl looked as though she might actually cry in frustration. But she was too easy. Of course he knew he couldn't use the word mudblood, especially when talking to a reporter. The truth was he'd been piss drunk when he'd made the comment, and had forgotten all about it until Ginny'd come storming into his office.

"We'll have to make a statement first thing tomorrow," she said, slightly calmer. "We'll just say that…"

"We're not doing anything tomorrow."

"Malfoy we have to fix…"

"We'll have to do it Monday then Weasley. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and if you recall you encouraged me to give everybody off on Friday."

Ginny froze for a moment. "Oh. You're right. Well I guess Monday will have to do then…" she sighed and finally sat down.

"It'll be fine Weasley. It's not the worst thing I've done. And whether love me or hate me, it's Christmas and my products will be on plenty of Christmas lists and people hate saying no to children these days."

"I suppose," she caved a little more. "This is all a plot isn't it? You want to cause me so much stress that I have a premature heart attack and die? I knew I should have never trusted a Malfoy."

"Believe me Weasley, if I wanted you dead, I'd have much more efficient ways of doing you in."

"Don't worry, I believe you," she rolled her eyes at him. "So do you have big plans for tomorrow?"

"Why would I?" he eyed her carefully.

"Because it's a holiday…" she offered back, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"A holiday that I don't celebrate."

He watched as Ginny's eyes clouded and shifted a bit, as they always did when she was making a difficult decision. After a moment's thought she looked up at him and shrugged. "I don't have any plans either to be honest."

"Pardon me for not being shocked at your lack of social life. What do you want me to do? Invite you over to my flat for a dinner and a night cap?"

Ginny gave an impatient exhale. "I was thinking more along the lines of inviting you to my place for dinner and a game of chess. But never mind." She rose from the chair and headed for the door.

"Happy Thanksgiving Malfoy. Please try to stay out of trouble until Monday."

"I'll see what I can do. Is seven good?"

"Seven?" she cocked her head.

"For dinner tomorrow."

"What? But…" The poor redhead rubbed her face and shook her head. "Yeah. Seven sounds great."

Draco finished up his last bit of paper work and packed up as much work as he could for home. Having a four day weekend was not something that he was accustomed too, and he knew that there was no way he'd make it the whole time without some work to do.

Sure he had everything, he headed for his door, only pausing when he head Ginny and Delia still out in the reception area, their conversation floating into his office.

"I couldn't let him spend the holiday alone, even if he is a prat." Ginny's voice rang. "I hope it's not too much of an inconvenience if I cancel."

"Oh no, dear. You're so sweet, offering to spend the day with him."

"It might be fun, since neither of us have even done the Thanksgiving thing before."

"You know I'd invite him with us, but my second grandson…he's a Squib, and his mothers muggleborn, and well you know how Mr. Malfoy can be."

"Delia, I understand. I'd never ask you to put your family out like that."

"Ginny, you are just the sweetest girl. I don't know how we ever got along without you."

He wasn't sure why, but he waited in his office for the women to leave before he followed suit. Weasley had given up Thanksgiving with Delia and her whole family so he didn't have to be alone. That type of generosity wasn't something people often bestowed upon him, and he knew he wouldn't know how to act if face to face with her at that moment.

Ginny wiped the sweat off of forehead as she placed the turkey in the very center of her small dining table. It was covered with food edge to edge, and Ginny was slightly embarrassed that she'd cooked enough to feed a family.

Precise as always, Ginny heard a distinct pop in the other room at exactly seven o'clock.

"Weasley! I saved you the trouble of heating up some franks and beans and brought Chinese food."

Ginny rolled her eyes and called back to him. "Bring it in here. I'll make some room on the table."

She saw him pause for a moment, and caught the flicker of surprise in his eyes. He looked at her silently for several seconds.

"Good thing you didn't go overboard." He recovered well.

Ginny simply ignored him, and shoved her mashed potatoes closer to the corn pudding. "Here. I made some room." She took the plastic bag from his hands and placed the steaming containers into the clearing. "I'll put these with the pies." She held up the fortune cookies.

She watched him fidget a moment before scratching his head and asking, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"You could carve the turkey!" she requested hopefully. "I'm just finishing up the gravy now, and then we'll be set."

Draco nodded and she headed back into the kitchen.

She filled up the porcelain gravy boat to the brim and carefully carried it to the table, where she found Draco mauling her turkey.

"Oh, not like that!" she laughed. He scowled at her but she took the carving tools from him and snuck in in front of him. "You do it like this." She gently cut into the meat, carving thin even slices. "You see?" She looked over her shoulder at him. She flushed as she found her face just inches from his, him staring intently down at her. "Well. Shall we?"

She stepped away from him and undid her apron. He pulled out a chair for him, ever the gentleman, and sat himself directly across from her. The both dished out their food. Ginny was only able to fit a dollop of each item on her plate. She watched in amusement as Draco smothered everything on his in the creamy gravy she'd just finished.

He grabbed a fork and raised it to dig in just as she called out, "Wait! Don't we have to say what we're thankful for?"

Draco scowled and set down his fork. "Fine. I'm thankful for my good-looks, my talents in the bedroom, and my endless piles of money. Your turn."

Ginny thought for a moment, trying to decide what it was she was thankful for. "I'm thankful that my family is happy and healthy. I'm thankful that I'm happy and healthy. And I'm thankful that you convinced me to stay in America and work for you when I was ready to run."

Draco gave her that strange look again. The look that seemed as though he was thinking something he didn't dare say. She looked right back at him, wishing he would just say it, but he didn't, and so they ate.

They sampled a slice of every pie, and each took a fortune before Draco beat her in four rounds of chess and they eventually settled onto the couch talking about everything and anything.

When he left, late that night, Ginny was pleasantly surprised to find that what she was thankful for, was a new friend and their very first Thanksgiving together, complete with the turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce , pumpkin pie, stuffing, green bean casserole, gravy, and mu shu pork with dumplings.