Disclaimer: HP and Co, belong to J.K. Rowling, not myself.

A/N: Special thanks to my brand new beta cocobyrd87.

A/N2: Just a minature rant. If you don't like my story, how I'm writing or how I work my characters, please don't read. Its far easier and kinder to hit the 'back' button, then to send rude messages or reviews. Writing is hard work, regardless of what you think, and just because you, the reader, dislike something that I, the author, have done, doesn't mean you have to tell me. If you feel the need to criticize, try for some constructive criticism, before belitting me or being disrespectful. For everyone else who reads/reviews/follows and favourites this story. .AWESOME!

R/R!

Chapter Ten: A Malfoy Family Christmas

Remus let out a startled yelp as a heavy weight fell onto his stomach and began to slobber all over him. Popping open his eyes, he groaned as the black, wiggling mass known as Padfoot continued to bath him in slobber.

"Sirius," he groaned, snatching up his wand and casting a Tempus charm, "it's five-thirty in the morning!" He said, growling at the dog. With one last slobber filled lick, Sirius shifted back to his human form, still sitting on Remus' stomach.

"It's Christmas Mooney! Christmas!" The dog animagus shouted, "C'mon!" He jumped off Remus and began tugging on his arms.

"C'mon? C'mon where?" Remus asked, wincing as Sirius continued to try and dislocate his shoulder. Sirius just gaped at Remus as if he were a moron and huffed, flopping on the bed next to Remus.

"It's Christmas and we need to wake everyone up," Sirius said with a maniacal grin. Remus groaned and buried his head under his pillow. He suddenly was taken back to Christmas at Hogwarts and Sirius' exuberance over the holiday. Hearing his best friend huff and stomp away, he let out a relieved sigh. He just felt bad for the rest of the house that now had to put up with the insane dog animagus. A startled yelp from the bedroom across the hallway alerted Remus to the fact that Sirius had already begun rousing the other occupants of the Manor. Groaning in annoyance, the werewolf hauled himself out of bed and wrapped a warm dressing gown around himself before casting a freshening charm on himself and heading down the hallway towards the small dining room where he assumed the family would be meeting for breakfast.

-Blood-

Draco settled himself down at the breakfast table with a disgruntled sigh. He, like the rest of the Manor's occupants, baring Uncle Tom of course, had been rudely awakened to loud barking and slobbery tongues. The entire family was seated around the table, all wearing sleep clothes and valiantly trying to stay awake while Sirius prattled on and on about Christmas and opening presents.

"Hurry up!" The dog animagus whined at the assembled group. His plate was bare and his third cup of coffee drained as he anxiously bounced around in his seat next to Orion. No one bothered to give the man a response, since everyone was methodically eating or in his father's case guzzling down as many cups of coffee as humanely possible.

Finally, the family was done enjoying their rushed Christmas breakfast and Sirius was busy escorting them all to the small sitting room in the family quarters of the house. The tree was set up there, along with the multitude of presents which was why Sirius was so bloody hyper.

Opening the door, the entire group turned to observe Orion. From what Lucius and Narcissa understood, this was Orion's first Christmas with a family, except for perhaps the first Christmas he ever had with Lily and James, but he had been far to little to remember that, and the Malfoy parents refused to count that as Orion's first Christmas.

The young teen was gaping, staring at the lavishly decorated room in shock and awe.

"This is amazing," he breathed, walking unconsciously deeper into the room as he stared up at the big tree the elves had set up and decorated the night before. Draco walked after his little brother, slinging an arm over his shoulder and guiding him over to one of the couches.

"Shall we start then?" Lucius asked as he settled down in his usual seat, summoning an elf to bring them all tea and coffee as well as to bring some muggle cough drops for Orion. Those seemed to work well for the young teen's sore throat and subsequent cough, and none of the ingredients interacted badly with any of his current potions.

"Yes!" Sirius cheered as he wiggled about on the floor in front of Orion and Draco. Remus was seated on the single chair, leaving the love seat for Narcissa and Lucius, Severus and Tom were standing behind the couch that housed the boys, speaking softly to one another, though Severus continued to shoot nasty glances at Sirius.

Once the elf had returned with tea, coffee and some small snacks, the present opening began. Sirius set things in motion by crawling around the tree like a child and fishing out a present for each person. Handing out the first wave of presents, Sirius waited until everyone had something and then directed them to open them. Soon sounds of ripping paper filled the air and soft exclamations and thank you's were heard. Present opening continued in this manner until finally only one present was left; a special one for Orion.

Waving off Sirius, who tried to grab the final gift, Lucius picked up the present and handed it to his ailing son. Orion regarded his Father curiously before glancing down at the elegant tag which adorned the silver and blue wrapping paper.

'To Orion, Love Dray, Mum and Dad.'

Beaming, the young teen carefully opened the package, treating it much more reverently then he had any of the others, and once the paper was carefully pulled away and discarded, Orion was left with a small, nondescript box. Confused, he opened the gift, eyes going wide as he saw the small pendant sitting inside. Pulling the necklace out, he admired the thin, silver chain before looking over the pendant; the design was the Malfoy Crest, and the small piece practically vibrated with magic.

"We had that made for you a few days before you were born. All Malfoys have one, we usually present it at the first Christmas or Birthday," Lucius explained, moving to help Orion clasp the pendant around his neck.

"Thank you," Orion said, reverently caressing the necklace. It felt warm on his neck and reassuring and he already loved it.

"There are protection spells weaved specially into the metal, it is also an emergency portkey that will bring you back to the Manor when you grip it in your hand and say the words 'home'; of course, it is for emergency use only," Lucius said, though he shot a stern look at his oldest son, who flushed.

"It was an emergency, Pansy was all over me!" Draco whined, hiding his face against Orion's shoulder and causing the younger teen to giggle.

"Well let's hope your brother uses a bit more common sense when it comes to having his portkey," Lucius said, though he was chuckling softly.

"Thank you," Orion said softly, having recovered from his laughing fit. Lucius, Narcissa and Draco smiled at him, Draco cuddling him closer while everyone went about admiring their presents, the family moment having passed.

"Can I borrow that book you got from Uncle Sev?" Draco asked curiously, tugging the potions manual from the pile of things Orion had received.

"Of course," Orion grinned, cuddling the black dog plushy that Siri had gotten him. He was a bit old for plushed toys, however this one was apparently exactly like the one Sirius had given him as a baby, or given baby Harry, either way it was cute and had sentimental value.

"Thank you! I've wanted to get my hands on this book for awhile," Draco said, immediately opening the large tomb and flipping through the pages. Orion laughed and leaned back against his brother, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere in the family room. Sirius and Remus were outside romping about in the snow (well Padfoot was and Remus was keeping an eye on him). Narcissa was reading a book that Tom had gotten for her, while Lucius worked absentmindedly on some paperwork for the Ministry. Tom and Severus were having a lively, yet quiet debate over a game of Wizarding chess. Orion sighed contently, letting Draco's quiet breathing lull him into an even more relaxed state, this truly was the perfect way to spend a Christmas afternoon.

-Blood-

"Did you have a good Christmas Pup?" Sirius asked Orion curiously. He and Remus were heading back to their home for Christmas dinner. Shockingly they'd been invited to the Weasleys for dinner and despite the pair's current feelings about the family, they were still trying to keep appearances, at least until after Molly's amazing cooking.

"It was amazing," Orion said, letting Sirius draw him into a tight hug, "Thanks for coming."

"Anytime Pup," Remus said, rubbing Orion's back before pulling the boy from his over-exuberant godfather to hug him himself. "We'll see you in a few days; we'll be joining you for the New Years party," He added. Orion nodded, hugging Remus tightly before finally releasing the tall man.

"Bye!" The blond teen called as he watched the two men floo back to Grimmauld place.

Lucius wrapped his arm around Orion's shoulders, rubbing his son's shoulder before leading him back towards the family room.

"Are we going anywhere for dinner tonight?" Orion asked curiously as he and Lucius walked.

"Not tonight, we'll go out for a few parties after this evening," Lucius responded with a soft smile. "We have a big gala to go to on New Years Eve, depending on how you feel of course," He added softly.

"Sirius and Remus will be joining us as well," He said with a grin, ruffling Orion's hair.

"Is Uncle Sev staying for dinner? And Uncle Tom?" Orion asked with childish curiosity.

"Of course, both Severus and Tom stay with us for any and all major holidays and birthdays. Tom practically lives here anyway, we've invited him to move in numerous times but he enjoys keeping Riddle Manor for, ahh, certain events," Lucius explained.

"Oh, cool!" Orion said with a grin as he and Lucius walked back into the family room.

"Did you see Sirius and Remus off?" Narcissa asked, glancing up from her book.

"Yes, they'll return in a few days for New Years," Lucius said as Orion went to snuggle with Draco and he joined his wife on the couch.

"Are they still at it?" The Malfoy Lord asked, nodding at Severus and Tom.

"Of course," Narcissa said with a chuckle, "It is a tradition for them to play every Christmas and argue all the while," She said with a cheeky smile. Lucius chuckled, nodding in agreement. Severus and Tom tended to spend much of their time together playing chess or arguing, or doing both at once.

-Blood-

For once, Christmas dinner in the Malfoy Manor was a quiet affair. Normally the family had a lavish party or at least a few guests (beyond Severus and Tom) over to the Manor. However, this was Orion's first Christmas with the family and he had a bit of a cold and they didn't want to overwhelm him. Despite the dinner being low-key, the house elves still had outdone themselves and everyone was dressed in formal clothing.

Sitting down, the family talked quietly while enjoying an absolute feast.

"Did you have a good day Orion?" Tom asked from where he was seated next to his godson.

"It was amazing" Orion murmured, sipping his juice. "When I was little, I always dreamed of a Christmas with my family like this. I used to imagine my family being the Potters, but today was everything I dreamed about and more" The young teen confined, keeping his voice low so that no one else overheard. Tom smiled, extremely happy to hear that Orion had had such a wonderful day but also happy that his young godson was willing to share something so special with him.

"Thank you for the defense book" Orion added, "It's a lot better then the one Umbridge assigned us"

"I know, I read the one she assigned you, after reading that rubbish I decided to give you a gift from my rather extensive collection. Nothing dark of course, but it should give you a hand with defense this year and in the years to follow" Tom said with a soft grin. Orion beamed and busied himself with eating when Draco nudged him and looked pointedly at his plate, his brother really did fuss over his eating habits.

Turning to Lucius, who was seated on Tom's other side, the Dark Lord struck up a conversation, though he kept it light and related only to politics.

-Blood-

Orion lay on Draco's bed later that evening. Both boys were sprawled out working on little bits of homework while the adults sat by the fire in the sitting room sipping Brandy and talking politics, again.

"Night!" Orion said joyfully as the small kitten, well cat, jumped onto Draco's bed and butted his chin gently. He'd been so busy lately he had forgotten his kitten occasionally in the rush and he was pleased to see him. He grinned as he saw the new collar around the kitten's neck, the collar was emerald green, his old eye colour, but it looked good against his black fur.

"Did you get that for Christmas?" He said softly, rubbing the kitten's ears as he lifted the little cat onto his chest.

"Mother and Father got it for him, they normally get little things for all the pets," Draco murmured, his own owl Archimedes had been given tons of little treats and a brand new carrying cage for traveling.

"Really?" Orion asked, still cuddling Night. He felt a bit bad for having forgotten his pet, though he was pleased he'd been spoiled and he resolved to get his pet something next time he was in Hogsmead.

"Yupp, they started the tradition when I was about five and didn't understand why my pony didn't get a Christmas present," Draco said, blushing lightly.

"So after that the pets started getting little things?" Orion mused with a small grin.

"Of course, I was very upset that Ebony didn't get something" Draco chuckled softly, "we went out that very afternoon and got him a brand new saddle. Dad had to harass store owners into even opening to sell us something, but the Malfoy name and money talks," Draco said with a grin. Orion just laughed, he could see his brother throwing a fit about his pony not getting a present.

"Shut up," Draco moaned, "I was five!" He said defensively. Orion just continued to giggle, ignoring his brother's scowl which proved to be dangerous when Draco lunged forward and began to tickle him mercilessly. Night yowled loudly and bolted away from the brothers, going over to Draco's couch and curling up primly.

"No!" Orion whined, "Dray no!" He was writhing and laughing which soon resulted in a coughing fit which had his brother stopping.

"Oh damn, you're still sick," Draco said, mentally kicking himself as he summoned a house elf to bring him some of Orion's cough thingies.

"I'm fine Dray," Orion said breathlessly as his brother fussed over him, making sure he hadn't gotten worse. "Really Draco, it's a bit of a cough, I'll be alright," Orion reassured. Yes he was sick, but he'd been way worse off before. He'd be fine, but he knew his family was going to worry about him regardless of all that; they had only just gotten him back after all.

"Just take the cough things and relax," Draco ordered with a small grin as he watched Orion sip some water before popping the cough drop in his mouth.

"What should we do now?" Orion asked, snuggling into Draco's blankets. Draco chuckled, though pursed his lips thoughtfully, he really had no idea what to do.

"We could play chess?" The blond finally suggested, chuckling as his brother wrinkled his brow and let out a sigh. "Or not," He had forgotten how bad Orion was at chess. "Exploding Snap? Gobstones?" Orion sighed, shaking his head. Classic Wizarding games were boring, and to be honest he really wanted to curl up and watch a movie or something. He knew that wasn't possible though since he was in a Wizarding house with no muggle amenities. Sometimes he missed the muggle world, but even when he had lived there he hadn't been able to enjoy anything that the Dursleys had had. He knew that the movie nights were a typical muggle family activity, and he sort of wished he'd been able to partake in it. Draco sighed sadly, he really had no idea how to entertain his little brother and he felt sort of bad that he was unable to.

"Do you wanna go join Mother and Father? They're just talking to Uncle Sev and Uncle Tom, but maybe they'll be able to think of something," he offered with a soft smile.

"Okay," Orion said, sliding off the bed and scooping up Night. Draco chuckled and led his brother out of the room and towards the family room.

As they entered the sitting room, the adults glanced up, smiling welcomingly at the pair.

"What are you two up to?" Narcissa asked as the boys settled on the sofa, Orion still cuddling Night.

"We're trying to think up ways to entertain ourselves," Draco murmured, "with Ori being sick, we can't do any normal activities, like go riding or flying."

"Riding?" Orion pipped up curiously.

"Of course, the Malfoy family has an extensive stables, when you're feeling better we'll go and you can look through and pick out your own horse," Lucius said with a smile, "and Draco and Severus would be willing to teach you how to ride."

"Awesome!" Orion said with a happy smile, he couldn't wait to learn to ride. After Care of Magical Creatures in his third year and Buckbeak, he was enamoured with the sport, though he might prefer to try a regular horse over a Hippogriff. Draco grinned, he loved riding and so did Severus, shockingly, the two of them would train his little brother to be an expert on horseback and then he could properly show Orion the property.

Slowly the family dissolved into conversation, bantering playfully back and forth, talking about schooling or sports and sometimes even Politics, though they kept things light and happy. Eventually, Orion's boredom was alleviated since the young teen curled up with his kitten and fell asleep on the couch. A blanket was draped over him and conversation continued around him, though much quieter then before. Despite sickness and some minor drama involving a psycho dog animagus and an angry Potions Professor, the day had been lovely and everyone felt that they had succeeded in making Orion's first family Christmas memorable and happy.

A/N: So this is a bit of a fluffy chapter. Next chapter will contain at least one scene of Sirius, Remus and the Weasleys and perhaps New Years, if I can fit it all in. For avid readers, just a heads up that I'm going on a mini vacation before University starts on the 5th for me. So, I may be sort of MIA for a bit. No worries, I shall return and with new chapters! Hope you all enjoy