Diclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
AN: This chapter is 99% plotless fluff. Hope you enjoy.
XXI. Christmas at the Malfoys
As it turned out, Draco had no problem adhering to his father's demands that he keep Arabella in line during the train ride back to London for the Christmas holidays. But after the first ten minutes, and contrary to popular belief, he would have given anything for that not to be the case. He would rather have been in trouble with his father for "letting" Ari spend the ride with the rest of the Golden Quartet (as if Draco really had control over her and "let" her do anything). He would rather have fought with her about how she couldn't do what she wanted. He would rather have eaten a box of bogey flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans than be sitting beside Arabella as she was that gray morning.
Draco had packed the night before, eager to get home and away from school, where the pressures of homework, Quidditch practice, extra lessons with Snape, and Prefect responsibilities were threatening to suffocate him. He rose early for breakfast, even though the train would not depart until 11 o'clock. He assured himself he'd probably be the only one down at the Great Hall when the doors opened for breakfast that morning, but was surprised to nearly collide with the female half of the Golden Quartet as they entered the Entrance Hall simultaneously. The girls were linked arm in arm, whispering quietly under their breaths, both looking unrested and red-eyed. They didn't even notice Draco until they found him to be blocking their path to their coveted caffeinated beverages.
"Good morning," Ari broke the silence, her voice husky—like she'd just woken up or hadn't slept at all.
Draco nodded his head in greeting, "You received your father's letter?" he asked, indicating her instructions for the trip to London, which no doubt contained a threat of some sort should she not do as she's told.
"Yes, thank you," her voice was curt and cold, and she made to side step him.
He grabbed her free arm briefly, trying to guide her away from Granger for a moment.
"Have you been crying?" he asked quietly, letting his concern add an edge to his voice.
Arabella narrowed her eyes at him, as if in anger, searching his face, "What are you playing at?"
Draco had no idea what Arabella was indicating, and his face must have looked as puzzled as he felt because she searched his face again, and then softened when she found no deceit. She huffed slightly, as if his ignorance had provided her with a wealth of information.
"I'll see you at the station, Malfoy," she said, before turning back to Granger and entering the Hall for breakfast.
Draco followed them in, taking his usual seat at the Slytherin table so he could spy on them. Unfortunately, contrary to the norm, the two girls sat side by side with their backs to the Slytherin table. Arabella nearly always sat facing him across the Great Hall, and if she were alone with Granger they always sat across from each other. They very obviously did not want to be interrupted. Strangely enough, the girls ate quickly and left the Great Hall before any others Gryffin-dorks joined them. Yet, he didn't think much of the lack of Potter or any of the Weasley children since it was a travel day and most students slept until the last possible moment they needed to board the train. Draco finished a last cup of coffee slowly, enjoying the tranquility of the Great Hall before departing.
Draco made the journey down to Hogsmeade Station with the other Slytherin boys in his year. They were all light-hearted and dressed for travel rather than in their Hogwarts robes. Pansy lurked nearby with some of the other girls, which Draco only noticed because her cackle was so high pitched and annoying.
"Got any big plans for the holiday, Draco?" Blaise asked, pulling Draco from his irritated reverie, which might have included thoughts of strangling Pansy.
"Not that I know of," Draco shook his head, "But I have a feeling Mother will be pulling out all the stops for Arabella."
"Ah yes, the first Christmas at the Malfoys?" Theo added.
"Yeah, you'll be sure to show her a real Pureblood Christmas, eh?"
"Yes," Draco said, though his voice felt disembodied as he pictured the days to come, hoping for joy and closeness with Ari, "if she'll let us."
When they arrived on the platform, Arabella was already waiting. Dressed in dark green robes she looked fashionable, but uncomfortable. The pencil skirt and matching coat were obviously informal robes his mother had picked for her. She had french braided her long hair and pulled the tail into a bun at the nape of her neck. Rather than slinging it across her shoulder as she usually did, Ari had her book bag hanging from her hands in front of her as she awaited them.
"Good morning," Draco said with a smile, motioning to take her satchel from her. For the first time, she let him. "I'm surprised to see you here."
"I was instructed to wait here for you," she said tightly, as if trying to justify her behavior.
"Yes, but you don't usually follow instructions," Draco commented, as the other boys began to board the train and find a compartment. "No Potty or Weasel to steal you away and defend your honor?"
She narrowed her eyes at him again, as if thinking his comment out of place, "No," she said slowly, and then sighed, "Besides, I don't want a fight over Christmas."
"So you're behaving today?" it was more of a statement than a question.
"At least for now," she admitted, without the usual jovial glint in her eye.
Draco swallowed a snide comment and motioned toward the train, feeling even more puzzled about Arabella than usual...Was that even possible?
They took over an entire compartment to themselves—all of the Slytherin 5th years and Arabella. She took a seat quietly, sitting abnormally still and straight, staring out the window in front of her. Draco stashed her satchel with his briefcase in one of the overhead compartments, taking the seat next to her. For the next fifteen minutes and the first ten minutes of the train ride, Draco listened as his friends talked and joked, contributing a snide comment every so often. But Arabella remained completely motionless. Finally, as if shaken from her stupor by some unknown source, she began to shed her tightly buttoned coat, revealing a ruffled, cream colored blouse underneath. Draco helped her shrug out of the coat and stood to hang it for her. She merely sent him a grateful smile before returning to stare out the window. This is when Draco began wishing for those bogey flavored beans.
Blaise motioned to him from across the compartment, mouthing the words What's up with her? Draco shrugged in response. Blaise made his way over to them and sat across from Arabella.
"Are you looking forward to Christmas at the Malfoys, Bella?" Blaise attempted to engage her, "You're in for a real treat—Narcissa pulls out all the stops!"
"I'm sure it will be lovely," Arabella responded, tearing here eyes away from the window to look at Blaise with a soft smile and an even tone.
Blaise gave Draco a pointed look of worry and confusion. All Draco could do was return it. One conversation about Quidditch later, the trolley arrived with treats and Blaise made his way back to his original seat to obtain some money from his cloak.
"What would you like from the trolley, Ari?" Draco asked softly, afraid that her dead look would soon morph into and angry outburst if he said something wrong.
"Nothing, thank you, Draco."
He couldn't even take delight in the use of his first name, he was too preoccupied with her peculiar behavior. He bought one of everything on the cart for her, just in case she got hungry later, but she refused to touch the food. The entire journey continued like this. When they arrived in London, he helped her back into her coat and carried her satchel as they made their way to his parents. He even grabbed her hand to keep from losing her in the crowd as they weaved their way to the opposite end of the platform. She dutifully held his, following him almost the entire way, until they collided with Granger and Longbottom. With the hope that she would cheer up a little, he allowed them a moment to say goodbye.
"Happy Christmas, Bells," Longbottom said, and to Draco's surprise they hugged briefly.
"Take care, Neville," she said. "Say hello to your family. Happy Christmas and New Year!"
A teary exchange occurred between Granger and Ari next.
"I'll send you news as soon as I know," he overheard Granger say under her breath.
"Send my love, give everyone hugs from me—tell them," Arabella choked up, and Granger hugged her again whispering comforting words to her, "tell them I'm sorry I can't be there to help."
"Of course. Don't worry, we understand. Cheer up and have a lovely holiday," Granger sniffed. "I'll be in touch."
"Thank you," they hugged again—as if three times weren't enough—and parted.
When Arabella turned back to Draco her face was only a little red with tears. She took a moment to breathe and wipe the tears away, before taking his hand again. She looked too miserable to be surprised at Draco's decision to allow them a goodbye, and a teary one at that, with not even one snide comment or sneer. And after acknowledging the strength it must have taken her to willingly cry in front of him, he decided not to ask where Potty and Weasel were.
They were welcomed warmly by Draco's parents, who didn't bother to notice Arabella looked half-dead with exhaustion and depression. Draco began to dread a repeat of the summer when Arabella wouldn't eat or sleep, and yet he had no idea what could be causing her reaction. Lucius clapped his son on the back, obviously pleased that Arabella was behaving herself. Oh, how mistaken Lucius was—it was not a good thing for Draco that she responded with due diligence. They arrived at the Manor with little incident. As they shed their coats in the entrance hall, Arabella turned to Lucius.
"I'd like to speak to my father," she said.
"He thought you'd might," came Lucius' curt reply. "He's a very busy man..."
"I did as I was told. I behaved myself on the train ride here—just ask Draco. I deserve an audience," she returned, her hands curling into fists.
So that was the reason for Arabella's "good behavior" on the train.
To Draco's surprise, Lucius smirked and motioned toward the ballroom, "He's waiting for you."
And that's about when Draco starting feeling completely out of the loop.
Without hesitation (and with a lot more courage than Draco would have expected from even a member of the Golden Quartet) Arabella strode into the ballroom, the heels of her ballet flats clicking lightly on the floor. His father motioned Draco to join and they left Narcissa behind to inspect the dinner arrangements.
"Ah, welcome home, little one," came the chilling voice Draco hadn't missed while away at school. He watched as the Dark Lord stood from what Draco, for lack of a better word, would call a throne and stepped down from the dias to greet his daughter. He took her head in his long lanky hands and kissed the top of her head. "I trust that your studies are proceeding as expected?"
"Yes, Father, my marks are some of the highest in the class," Arabella said tartly.
The Dark Lord's face lifted in what Draco would guess was an expression of amusement, "Not the highest?" he turned to take his seat again.
"Draco has the highest mark in Defense Against the Dark Arts right now," was all she supplied as a reason.
Draco nearly snorted. This was only because Umbridge adored him. Usually Potter had the highest mark in that class. Granger had the highest grade in almost all of their classes. As usual. But Arabella always had the highest mark in Potions.
"And you are looking forward to the holiday?" the Dark Lord asked. Was he really making small talk? Draco had never taken him for a small talk sort of...being...man, person thing.
"I would be looking forward to it more if Arthur Weasley weren't bleeding out at St. Mungo's right now," she said, cutting right to the chase.
The puzzle pieces of the last ten hours suddenly fell distinctly into place. Potter and all of the red heads were missing. Arabella's willingness to ride with them on the train. Her dead look. Her goodbye with Granger. All of it.
"Oh? An unfortunate accident," the Dark Lord tsk-tsked, drawing the pads of his fingers together in front of him.
"An unprovoked attack," Arabella corrected with more gall.
"Yes, well it seems Mr. Weasley was in the wrong place at the wrong time," the Dark Lord said nonchalantly, looking down at his pet snake, Nagini, as she came to curl around the legs of his chair.
"Well luckily, Harry Potter came to the rescue, again."
The Dark Lord hissed something angrily, which Draco couldn't understand. Arabella hissed back with just as much force, gesturing to Nagini angrily.
Draco sucked in a shallow breath, fearing the worst would result from Arabella goading her father. Draco stole a glance up to the throne, where the red eyes of the Dark Lord were glaring down at his daughter as he stood to approach her. Her fists were balled at her sides, but she stood straight with her chin up in proud defiance. As he hissed, the Dark Lord came to tower over his daughter in intimidation. She stood her ground. After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence. Draco could swear he saw Arabella trembling—whether from fear or anger he didn't know. The Dark Lord bellowed at her again in Parseltongue before she responded quickly and succinctly and she retreated. When his back had turned for a moment, Arabella turned on her heel and made for the doors to the ballroom for a quick exit.
"Stop!" came the booming voice and Arabella stopped dead in her tracks, as if she had come to the edge of a cliff and would teeter over. When she finally regained her balance she could step backwards but not forwards. Draco saw her face flush with embarrassment and anger as she ground her teeth trying to move forward as if against a dead weight.
"Return," the Dark Lord said next, his voice returning to it's natural volume and now completely calm, smooth as silk.
Arabella turned on her heel again and slowly made her way back to where her father stood in a manner reminiscent of her return to Lucius after the Quidditch match. If Draco had to guess, she wasn't moving of her own volition, but her movements were natural, neither too jerky nor overly poised. She finally came to rest at her father's feet. Her head down, her fists still balled with emotion. The Dark Lord took one long, spindly finger and lifted her chin to face him. She looked away. Draco felt the repulsion Arabella didn't show as dread instilled itself in the center of his stomach.
"Look at me. Look at me, Arabella. You will not disrespect me. You will not leave until dismissed. I do not answer to you, Arabella Rose. You answer to me."
Every word was cut and clear.
"Is that understood?"
She attempted to nod.
"Is that understood?" he asked, his voice slightly louder and harsher.
"Yes. Sir," she ground out between her teeth.
He released her and her gaze returned to the floor beside her. The Dark Lord side stepped his daughter and addressed the other two men present. "Very well. Lucius, a word? Draco and Arabella, you are dismissed."
Arabella was moping. It was Christmastime and all she did was lounge about with books and blankets. It was driving Draco crazy. She barely talked, and when she did it was overly polite and affected. He was debating whether or not to ask Mother if she could spend the last part of the holidays with the Weasleys. Just to get the dark raincloud of misery out of the house so he could enjoy himself again.
Narcissa must have been aware of this, since a few days before Christmas they were instructed to dress for visitors at the breakfast table. Midmorning the doorbell rang to admit four very familiar faces: Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and Zabini. A huge grin found it's way stretching across Draco's face at the sight of his classmates. Arabella hadn't bothered to rise from her reading spot.
"Merry Christmas, mate," Blaise said. "Mind inviting us in? It's a tad bit chilly."
Draco obliged, and the boys clamored into the Entrance Hall.
"How's your break going?" Theo asked when they'd shed their scarves and hats.
Draco groaned and rolled his eyes.
"That good, huh?" Blaise said snidely and Draco sent him a knowing glance.
"I take it you already knew, and Mother was just sending for reinforcements?" Draco said, knowing his mother all too well.
"Oh, is that what this is?" Blaise looked at the other boys. "An intervention?" and then turning back to Draco, "I thought we'd just been invited for a nice afternoon at a friend's house. If you think I'm doing work, you'll have to pay my hourly rate."
Draco chuckled. Blaise's sarcasm could nearly always cheer him up.
"And what is that?"
"Depends on what you need..." Blaise wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Well, then, what do you suggest?" Draco asked.
"Why don't we do what we always do a couple of days before Christmas?" Crabbe supplied dully.
The other boys stared at him like he was crazy. He shrugged.
"No, wait, he may have something there," Blaise pointed out. "Why not?"
"Would Arabella be game?" Theo asked Draco.
"How should I know?"
"Do girls even like snow?" Goyle asked.
"Or the cold?"
"Come on," Blaise interrupted. "It's Bella. She's a Chaser. She can throw a ball just fine."
Everyone sort of mumbled, shrugged and nodded.
"It'll be getting her to agree to joining that's the hardest," Blaise admitted.
"Who says she has to agree to it?" Theo asked slowly, as if a fabulous idea was just occurring to him.
Draco looked at him and smirked.
They entered the parlor where Arabella was reading in the window seat curled up with a knit blanket with all the stealth four teenage boys could muster. They stood in a slight curve, with Crabbe and Goyle on the ends and Draco in the middle, effectively blocking any exit she might try to make from her location. They all had their winter coats, gloves, hats and scarves on, making them look more strange than intimidating. Draco coughed lightly to draw her attention away from the book. She finished a sentence, lifting her head slowly and then her eyes to take in the sight of the boys before her, all standing with innocent looks on their faces.
"Hello Blaise, Theo, Vincent, Gregory..." she greeted them all politely. Her facial expression turned suspicious as she took in their clever formation. "How are you all doing today?"
"We hear you've been moping," Blaise cut to the chase.
"Moping? I'm not moping!" she was defensive right away.
"We're here to fix your bad mood," Theo ignored her comment.
"I'm not in a bad mood," she laughed as if it would help to make her point. Draco stared her down with a glance that just begged for her to try and argue with him. "Fine. And what pray tell is going to fix the bad mood you claim I'm in?"
"You're going to be let in on a little Christmas tradition," Blaise said excitedly.
"Uh huh..." she said, waiting for him to elaborate.
"Will you come willingly?" he asked.
She gave them all a puzzled look. "That depends on what this tradition entails."
"Oh no, no, no," Draco wagged his finger at her. "It's a surprise. And, you don't have a choice here. You're coming...willingly or not."
She rolled her eyes at them, "If you're not going to tell me what it is, I'm not going to come. What if it's something I'll hate?"
"Yeah, we debated that," Blaise said thoughtfully, "but then we decided we don't really care."
The boys laughed and Ari huffed in irritation.
"Alright men," Theo puffed himself up and artificially deepened his voice, "looks like she's puttin' up a fight."
"Plan B?" Crabbe grunted from Draco's left.
"Plan B!" Goyle confirmed.
Draco and Blaise stepped forward, each taking one of Arabella's arms and heaving her from her seat.
"What are you doing?" she asked, trepidation lacing her voice. "Put me down! Stop! Where are you taking me?"
Theo led the way out of the room while Crabbe and Goyle lingered to flank the procession from the back. Draco and Blaise lifted Arabella into the air, with one arm supporting her back and one lifting one of her legs.
"I'll gladly play a board game. Exploding Snap, anyone?" Arabella's futile mumblings of protest continued. "Put me down!"
As they trekked through the Entrance Hall, Narcissa poked her head out of the dining room. Theo sent her a wave and a smile, acting as if this were an everyday occurrence.
"Mrs. Malfoy! Help! They're taking me against my will!" Arabella cried out.
"Have fun out there!" she called, pretending not to hear Arabella's pleas. "Draco, make sure she puts on a wool hat and my good leather gloves."
Draco nodded as best he could from where he was. Ari had begun wiggling in an attempt to get away from them.
"No! Stop it! Put me down!" she protested, trying to hit Draco, but not really having a good enough angle to cause harm. She called out once again as they approached the sliding door to the outside, obviously attempting to get the attention of a Death Eater or adult figure, "Don't let them take me! Help! Thieves! Kidnappers! Save me!"
Draco couldn't help but chuckle at her vain attempts and started to believe she was enjoying the attention just as much as they were enjoying the exploit. When they had carried her outside, Theo presented her with her wool coat and hat, a nice scarf and some gloves to don to keep her warm.
"Oh, so we're not playing 'give-Bella-pneumonia,' then?" she said cheekily while buttoning up her coat.
"Don't worry, you'll warm up," Draco assured her as she stood there shivering, adjusting her scarf.
Draco and Theo explained the nature of the game to Arabella as she pulled on the gloves. Two teams were to be formed. Each side had a trinket of some sort, such as immobile Snitches, which were hidden from the other team. The object was to get the other team's Snitch. Added to the adventure was the fact that the ammunition of war were snowballs.
"No magic allowed," all of the boys finished in unison.
"Obviously," Arabella rolled her eyes, and the boys all looked at her strangely. "Well, we're underage," she supplied.
They laughed.
"Yes, but that never stopped one of us from using a parent or a house elf growing up," Draco explained.
Her eyes widened in understanding, "Ah."
"Alright, Blaise, Ari and me versus the rest of you—" Draco began.
"No! You are not putting me with the two great lugs over here!" Theo protested, gesturing to Crabbe and Goyle. "There's no way they'll find anything! No, we divide up the brains and the brute equally."
Arabella smiled. Draco tried not to gape at her as his heart soared at seeing the evidence of her delight after so long.
"Fine, Nott. I take Bella and Goyle. You take Malfoy and Crabbe," Blaise said suavely.
"That's double hulk for you, Blaise. I don't like it."
"Are you calling me fat, Theo? No matter, we have the disadvantage of very little brains..." he said motioning to himself and Goyle. Ari and Draco chuckled, as Blaise continued, "...and a girl."
"Hey!" Arabella protested, her hands on her hips. "Not fair. I can hold my own!"
"Well, we'll just see about that, won't we, love?" Blaise teased. He purposefully ignored the glare Draco sent him at the pet name he used. Blaise was overstepping his bounds.
"Alright, heel boys," Theo stepped in. "Each team has fifteen minutes to hide the Snitch and build up snowball supplies. I'll whistle when we begin."
Arabella trudged off with Blaise and Goyle to prepare, forcing Draco to focus on the matter at hand.
"Don't tell me you want to go soft on them, you know, so your girlfriend can win," Theo said, crossing his arms in front of him. "Because—"
"—No, Theo. We're going to destroy them."
A large grin spread across Theo's face, "That's the spirit!"
Forty-five minutes later, neither team had made much progress in finding the Snitch from the other. What they all discovered is that Arabella could throw a Quaffle from 300 feet in the air flying at full speed into any of the three rings on a Quidditch pitch, but she couldn't hurl a snowball with even an ounce of accuracy.
"What are you doing?" Blaise shouted at her, when a snowball meant for Draco missed by at least a meter "He's all the way over there! And you call yourself a Quidditch player!"
"I'm sorry! Snowballs aren't like Quaffles!"
But what she lacked in aim, she made up for in might, when she did hit Crabbe finally (he being the wider of the three opposing boys), he sustained a nice looking bruise. Her aim improved the closer her target got, as Draco experienced first hand just moments later.
"Time-out! Time-out!" Draco called. "Let's replenish our snowball stocks."
Blaise continued to pummel them with snowballs as he ran to the other side of the garden, searching for the hidden Snitch, "No way! That's part of the game. You have to make them as you go."
"No seriously!" Draco called, thinking to himself, They have to be out of snowballs too. They've been throwing like crazy.
"Awwww powr wittle Dwaco needs a bweak?," Arabella taunted, continuing to hurtle snowballs over the wall of the small fortress Draco's team was using, which really just consisted of one of the stone walls separating the garden from the patio.
"Oh yeah?" Draco stood tall and hopped over the wall, carrying a few snowballs with him. Each time Arabella peeked out from her hiding place behind a large granite boulder, he threw a snowball at her. As he got closer, her aim improved, and she grew more confident as she hit him again and again, giggling profusely. And then as he ducked he saw it: a snowball appeared out of no where right where she had picked up the last one to throw it.
"Why you little cheat," he hissed, but really smiling at her gall. She must have heard him, because her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet. He went after her, even though she'd picked up a few snowballs and began tossing them back to deter him. She faltered when she slipped on some snow running up a small embankment, and he tackled her to the ground.
"You little cheat!" he repeated. "You got a house elf to cast a replenishing charm!"
Arabella wiggled and turned so she was facing Draco, even though he had her well pinned.
"All is fair in love and war!" she said, smirking triumphantly. Draco scraped some snow together and shoved it into her face. She squeaked and protested, "Mercy! Mercy!"
Draco hadn't any time to decide her fate, since they both heard, "I found it! I found it!" being called across the gardens as Blaise flounced into sight carrying a small golden ball in his fist, raised high in the air. Draco pushed himself to standing position and put out hand to help Arabella up, which she took thankfully. They brushed the snow off of their coats as best they could, but they still looked like giant snowballs themselves. He put his hand on her back to guide her back to where the other boys were waiting for them.
"What happened to you guys?" Blaise asked, taking in their white and wet appearances.
"He caught me," Arabella shrugged.
"Wait, you knew?" Draco asked Blaise, accusingly. Blaise mumbled and looked down at his shoe. "You traitor!"
While a significant portion of break had been spent helping Narcissa clean and decorate the house for Christmas, there was plenty of time to relax. Christmas Eve found Draco and Arabella sitting on the sofa in front of the Christmas tree. Arabella had wrapped herself in a nest of blankets and pillows, her previous art project of making paper snow flakes abandoned on the coffee table. She was now engrossed in the ever-traditional Wizard's Christmas Tale. She had attempted to ask for some story by a man named Charles called A Christmas Carol, but was denied since it was Muggle in nature. The candles on the tree twinkled warmly, illuminating the room and casting enough light for Draco to see the pages of the letter he was writing to Blaise. Every once in a while he would look up in thought to catch Arabella captivated by her book, alternating between expressions of sadness, consternation, and delight, including one rather long giggling fit she wasn't quite able to stifle.
Draco completed his letter not long before Arabella finished her book.
"Well, then, I'm off to bed," she sighed, trying to untangle her legs from the blankets, "Happy Christmas, Draco."
"Happy Christmas, Arabella," he murmured back to her.
Arabella began to climb the stairs when Narcissa exited the dining room, "Arabella, dear," she called after the young lady. Ari turned on the stairs to regard Draco's mother. "We have a tradition here. If you'd like to open one Christmas gift tonight rather than in the morning you may."
Arabella looked back at her sheepishly, "No thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. I can wait."
"Alright, then. Sleep well. Oh, and feel free to come down for breakfast whenever you want tomorrow. It's Christmas—a holiday and vacation—no obligation to get up early or sleep in late, it's your preference. And remember, you're part of the family now."
"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy," Arabella responded bashfully. "And Happy Christmas."
She continued up the stairs, taking them two at a time now in what seemed to Draco to be a undeniable urge to leave her embarrassment behind.
The next morning, when Draco arrived early to the breakfast table, dressed in his usual black slacks and a green turtleneck (to try and be festive), he was surprised to see Arabella already awake and sipping on tea. A half-eaten sticky bun sat before her, her right hand holding her fork in midair and her left balancing her novel from the night before.
"Good morning, Draco," his mother stood to greet him with a hug, "Happy Christmas."
Draco took a seat beside Ari, piling sticky buns onto his plate and pouring himself some hot chocolate.
"Happy Christmas, Arabella," he whispered to her.
She pulled herself reluctantly from her reading, closing the book and placing it in front of her plate, near the center piece so as not to be tempted to open it again, "Happy Christmas to you, too!"
They quite easily and amiably fell into conversation, with Arabella asking questions about the tradition and history of the story, as if it was some huge Wizarding secret she had been left out of for the past four years. Draco revelled in the feeling of knowing something she didn't, and happily gobbled up whatever attention she would grant him.
When plates were cleared and mugs refilled, Narcissa guided them into the main room. Draco tried not to rush forward like an eight-year-old when he saw his gifts below the tree, all stacked by his usual arm chair. Other gifts littered the floor, stretching out onto the rug under the coffee table like the sea invading the beach.
"Arabella, dear," his mother called from her seat on the couch, and gesturing to a pile of wrapped presents near the armchair opposite Draco's, "your gifts are over here."
Draco looked back at Arabella expectantly, and several things struck him for the first time. She stood, trying to remain apart from the family, as if not wanting to intrude upon something private. Her Christmas themed pajama pants dotted with pictures of holly clashed with her warm purple robe, which matched the mug of tea she was clutching quite forcefully. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she looked at Narcissa in amazement. He suddenly realized why she was embarrassed last night, and why she appeared to be amazed now. She hadn't expected any gifts for Christmas. Had she ever received a Christmas pile the size of what Draco expected? Was this her first real Christmas? Shame flooded him as he realized the innate selfishness of expecting a pile of new things on Christmas morning and rushing toward it without regard for another. Draco watched her take her seat, her face filling with wonder at the gifts before her. Lucius joined them with his coffee and newspaper, sitting beside his wife on the couch.
"Well, go on, then!" Narciss said brightly, wringing her hands with excitement. Arabella looked at Draco for direction, so he simply picked a gift off the pile, checked for a tag, and began unwrapping. Arabella followed suit, albeit slowly. Draco found himself moving more slowly than he ever had, wanting to watch Arabella just as much as he wanted to see his own gifts, reveling in her excitement. She took each gift lovingly, and slowly unwrapped it, as if relishing the feeling of not knowing what was inside—as if it would all very soon disappear and she wanted to remember the feeling forever. They fell into a rhythm then, of each taking a moment to open a present and watch the other and share in the enthusiasm of it together. Draco tried to ignore the pang of disappointment, realizing how much he had missed not having Arabella—or some other sibling—with him on Christmas to slow him down and make him less self-centered.
They both received a pile of new clothing. Arabella's consisted of new winter dresses and lots of pajamas deemed more appropriate than what she had been wearing (all of which had been Muggle or hand sewn by Mrs. Weasley). They also both received a new broom care kit, a variety of books and a new pair of running shoes (after they opened "his" and "hers" colored shoes—Arabella sent him a nasty look, obviously realizing he'd told his father about their running together). Draco got a new chess set and cologne. Arabella in turn was gifted with a training Quaffle and a jewelry case filled with what his mother called "everyday" jewelry. Whatever that meant.
The only time Lucius Malfoy tore himself from his newspaper was to watch his wife open the new ruby necklace he had picked out for her and to watch what Arabella received from Potter, Granger and the Weaseleys. A very lengthy letter, which his father insisted on reading, accompanied Granger's gift, which included a Potions reference book and a homework planner that said things like "Do it today or later you'll pay!" every time she opened a page. Draco found it annoying, but Arabella was sure she would find a use for it—as soon as she figured out how to make it shut up.
"What does she mean by one of your gifts will await you?" his father interrupted Draco's chuckling at the consternation Arabella was demonstrating toward the noisy planner.
"No idea," Arabella shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe it's something for the dorm room, or it didn't come in on time, or was too heavy for an owl to carry."
"What could possibly be too heavy for an owl that Granger would get you?"
"Knowing her, it's some crazy encyclopedia of every exam question ever to grace the pages of an O.W.L. exam," Arabella teased.
She deflated slightly at Lucius' glare, "You will notify your father at once the identity of the object when it is revealed to you."
"Yes, sir," she responded.
After an awkward moment of silence, Draco interrupted, "Well, go on then, what did Weasley get you—I'm dying to know."
"Nothing," she laughed, "he wouldn't know what to get me. I made a deal with him after he tried second year that he should never try again."
"And what was that?"
"A pair of socks..."
Draco looked at her, an eyebrow raised in question. What could be so bad about a pair of socks? Hardly personal, but not too bad.
"...that sing Jingle Bells every time you take a step."
Draco cringed, "Yikes."
"So his mom just sends the same thing she sends all of us every year."
Draco peered over as she opened the gift to reveal a box of chocolates and a knit sweater. The sweater looked familiar—he knew she had one similar to this with a large "B" on it. But this one, instead, had a rose emblem.
"Cute! Like my middle name," she immediately shed her robe and donned the sweater.
While Draco opened his cards from Crabbe and Goyle, which always just held cash, he watched her open the gift from Harry. Inside was an intricately designed glass bottle full of pale amber liquid. There was a purple-colored tag hanging from the neck of the bottle. Lucius watched her suspiciously as she uncorked it and sniffed. She smiled. Draco had a good idea that Lucius and the Dark Lord had cast many a detection spell to try and discover what was in the gifts before allowing her to even touch them.
"Perfume?" Narcissa asked kindly.
"Yes. Vanilla and lavender, I think."
"How sweet," his father bit out before returning to his paper.
Draco felt jealousy returning, so he reached around the tree to grab a small box wrapped in dark purple paper and silver ribbon.
"One more for you, Ari," he said, handing the gift to her, "from me."
"Thank you, Draco. It was very sweet of you to think of me," she took the gift from him carefully. She, in turn, turned to hand him a large envelope decorated in various colored ink—drawings of Christmas trees, candy canes, snowflakes, candles—as well as potions cauldrons and vials, a racing broom, a Snitch and a ferret down at the bottom...just for good measure.
"Go on," she said, "you first."
He carefully undid the seal, trying very carefully not to rip any of the paper.
"You'll think it's silly," she whispered as he went, trying to hide her trepidation. "I didn't know what to get you, so I made something."
He slipped a small packet from the envelope as star-shaped confetti leaked out. It was a hand-made booklet:
Draco's Coupon Book
each coupon redeemable by Draco Malfoy to Arabella Riddle
non-transferrable, Expiration Date: Never
Draco flipped through the pages. Each was decorated with a hand drawn picture. There were coupons for: "one train ride to or from Hogwarts with no whining," "one trip to Hogsmeade," "two Quidditch training sessions—weather permitting...or not," "three study dates," and "one game of Wizards Chess," which Draco appreciated greatly, knowing how much she hated the game. There was also a "Wild Card" at the end, which indicated he could pick something of his own choosing. This indicated a level of trust he hadn't expected from her. She looked at him, almost afraid of his reaction.
He beamed back at her excitedly, "It's perfect. Thank you so much!"
Her face broke out into a relieved smile.
"Go on then," he encouraged her, "open yours."
She tore the paper carefully to reveal a velvet box of deep purple. She opened it slowly to reveal an earring and necklace set he'd picked for her personally. The little studs matched the charm dangling from a silver chain, all red roses. Yes, like her middle name. He'd considered getting something purple, knowing it was her favorite color, but he decided on red since it was more likely to match her Gryffindor tie than the purple. He tried to tell himself that was the reason more than the whole red-roses-stand-for-love cliché.
"Oh, Draco! They're beautiful!" she gushed. "Thank you so much!"
Much to Draco's surprise, she closed the box, placing it neatly on the coffee table before standing to embrace him in a thankful hug. He barely stood in time to receive it, but was grateful nonetheless. His heart flutter with optimism at his future with Arabella, and he chose to revel in the moment, despite the nagging pessimism that threatened to undo his perfect Christmas. He still wasn't terribly hopeful for that New Years Eve kiss.
AN: I'd love you forever if you'd review! Please please please please please! No seriously, I'm begging.