Author's Note - Okay, just so you know, this chapter is used for the starting board for a pure Dramione...(I know coz I'm writing this story! ;P Don't worry, the next chapter is full HGxDM! I'm not lying, I swear! XD)

Hopefully you will like this...and maybe review... XP!

Chapter thirty-five.

The four of them had spent all day at the markets and so, by the end of it, Alice had announced that it was too late to visit her friends and therefore, the four of them, plus the car would be apparated to where everyone was celebrating Christmas.

They arrived just as the sun was setting and Hermione gasped as, between the gum trees she spotted a small mob of wallabies. She knew something was wrong, because instead of Alice's confused look of 'what-the-hell-Hermione?-They're-just-wallabies-nothing-special!' she started to coo right along with her.

Everyone had gathered on a large, farm and the small house with the corrugated iron roof blended peacefully into the landscape. The dirt driveway disappeared into the distance and Hermione couldn't even make out the back fence. Large cows were in a paddock near them and laying lazily on the ground, gently eating their cud.

Looking around, Hermione now understood why Alice had told Amelia to not 'take-her-spot'. Instead of everyone living cramped inside the house, they had all pitched up small campsites throughout the garden. The grounds were littered with eucalyptus trees, small sparse shrubs and tall yellow grass. Hanging from the trees and lighting up the amazing landscape were small red and yellow Chinese lanterns, perfectly set off with the pink dying rays of the setting sun. A tall eucalyptus tree was covered with motley stands of tinsel as their Christmas tree and small children were playing around it, their high voices ring through the cool air. Suddenly one of them spotted the new arrivals and soon all the kids were running towards them, yelling.

"Uncle Draco! Uncle Draco!"

'Aunty Alice! You're back!"

Draco laughed and crouched down while the faster kids ran straight into his arms, knocking him over. Other kids swarmed over Alice, who laughed and picked them up joyfully after a brief moment of hesitation. It was during that moment that Hermione spotted what she had thought she saw earlier during the day; Alice's form wavered again, to show that same small, black haired woman.

Draco's laugh knocked Hermione out of her train of thought and she looked down at him, smiling. There he was, The Slytherin Prince, sitting in the dirt with a couple of grubby kids on his knee, laughing his head off and hugging them. A little girl, one of the last running up, was shouting with glee, but suddenly tripped over a small rock and crashed onto the ground. She looked up and started to cry in pain as she saw the gash on her leg. Before anyone else could move Draco was by the little girl's side, comforting her, rocking her gently and softly talking.

Hermione watched their interaction with a smile. 'Draco would make a great father one day,' Hermione mused. She blinked, surprised at herself, 'Wait, did I just think that?'

She glanced up again to see the little girl laugh as Draco comforted her and she smiled, not even trying to justify her thoughts in her own mind, Draco did that for her with his actions, 'Yep, a great dad.'

Ron came towards them laughing and holding out his arms. Hermione smiled brilliantly, as did Harry, and both ran towards their other oldest friend.

Greetings over, Ron was recounting everything he had seen about the place.

"-And would you believe it! Those tents aren't magic, they're muggle! Dad's having a field day! They all use it because the kids cause less of a ruckus on Christmas morning, they just get out and annoy all the other kids before getting their parents. Afterwards they expand it and such! This place is great! Mum and Alice's sister are in the kitchen now, cooking up a storm for Christmas dinner! Everyone else is outside, cooking dinner on the Dardieque-? Was it? Right, Barbeque and having drinks and mingling…Come on!"

Hermione and Harry took off after Ron, laughing, towards the house and around the side, leaving Draco and Alice to handle all the little terrors that had accosted them.

A large party of people were there, holding drinks and chatting and Ron lead the two up to where a smiling, balding man was manning the barbeque.

"Hey Roy! This is Hermione and Harry!"

"Ah! Draco and Alice's fiancés! Welcome! Help yourself to the barbie when you get hungry!"

"Thanks sir!" Harry said politely and Roy laughed.

"Just go and enjoy yourself, everyone'll make you feel welcome! And if they don't, its only coz your Pommies!" he roared with laughter and the people near him grinned as they turned to look.

Ron leaned over their shoulders to whisper in their ears, "Apparently Australians like to joke about where you come from. I heard something about a New Zealander and sheep before…"

"Thanks Ron."

Hermione and Harry soon separated as they walked through the crowd, being pulled into various conversations on so many different topics. Soon Alice appeared and attached herself to Harry again. Hermione frowned, in all the months that she had known the girl, never had she been so blatant and forward as this. Draco popped up beside her and looked at where she was watching, "Yeah, I think something is very different…"

Hermione turned to him, "What now?"

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Now you meet the rellies."

Alice sat on the floor of the crystal cross-legged. Her wings had popped out of her back now that her magic no longer suppressed them. Having Puck from 'A Midsummer's Night Dream' fame as your father came with shortcomings, such as the wings of a faerie that she had to keep hidden and being called a Little Halfling by her father's side, (Halfling being half witch, half fae).

Although… she was considered a Pureblood by Magical Society standards; as the faes were the original 'witches and wizards'. However there were perks too, such as awesome morphing skills, the ability to fly without brooms and her family being great at throwing parties.

Such as right now. Alice pricked up her now pointed ears (the glamour charms now gone) as she heard the sounds of music and knew her fae family were partying hard. Standing up easily, Alice began running her hands over the crystal, trying to find imperfections and a weak spot. She knew that her cousin wasn't very good at holding glamour charms and her Aunty was rubbish at these containment spells, even though it looked impossible to break. Therefore, she knew her cousin would be called out for her faltering attempts soon and that she would be able to break free.

At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

The sounds of the revels were even louder as Alice started to rock the huge crystal, humming a jaunty tune. She'd discovered a tiny crack that ran the entire circumference and was currently trying to break it open. The orb rocked once more before it swung open from underneath her. Alice barely had time to scream before she fell and the broken crystal shards reassembled themselves, piercing her at the base of her wings. She hung limply, her wings firmly grasped within the ball as the rest of her dangled outside. Her magic was slowly being drained away as her wings were captured.

"Oh, shit." She whispered.

Her aunt's maniacal laugh echoed around the stark white room and over the laughs and music of the fae party, "Oh honey, you didn't think it'd be this easy, did you?"

Alice was berating herself for being such a fool as she slowly lost consciousness, the pain emanating from the base of her wings causing the blackness to swiftly overtake her vision.