Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges listed at the bottom.
Word Count: 1273
Written for Sammy, as a prize for the Hogwarts funfair. Sorry for the delay, hun, I hope you enjoy it.
The Muggle Way
Hermione reached out a hand to grab another bauble, threading the string by hand before she tied it in a pretty bow.
"You know, we could use magic at least for this part, my dear," Lucius suggested, hissing with frustration at the string that just would not be threaded.
She chuckled fondly. "You can, if you'd like. I've always done it by hand, it seems… untraditional, I suppose, to use magic on such a simple thing."
"Simple thing," he repeated, shaking his head as he picked up another, unfrayed string. "This is not simple, Hermione. This is awful."
She laughed again, leaning forwards on her knees to press a kiss to his lips. "Use magic, Lucius. I don't mind."
He looked down at the bauble in his hand and sighed, concentrating on threading the red string through the small hole.
…
Draco let himself into the Manor, rubbing his hands together. The tips of his fingers were practically blue, freezing in the wintertime wind, and he was glad to be inside.
Astoria followed him, rolling her eyes at him. She'd had the sense to wear gloves at least, and she slipped them off her hands and put them in the pocket of her cloak before he helped her out of it, hanging both of their cloaks on the stand.
"Father?" Draco called, walking through the entrance hall towards the lounge.
He stopped in the doorway, eyes widening at what he saw. Astoria peered over his shoulder and chuckled slightly.
"I think he's finally snapped," Draco murmured, watching his father thread baubles by hand. "Father?"
Lucius looked up to see his son and daughter in law and smiled. "Welcome home, Draco, Astoria."
"Father, what on earth are you doing?"
Lucius looked down at his hands and then back to Draco. "I believe it's fairly self evident, Son."
"But why?" Draco asked, as he seated himself on the red sofa. Astoria perched beside him, looking at the many Christmas decorations Hermione had laid out on the floor with interest.
"Hermione likes to do this the Muggle way," Lucius replied. "I see no problem indulging her."
Draco could only stare with disbelief at his father. Sure, it was clear that Lucius had let go of much of his more radical beliefs when he began dating the brilliant Muggleborn, but this was something else.
Hermione entered the room with a tray hovering in front of her, four steaming mugs of hot chocolate placed on it, along with cake and biscuits and candy canes.
Draco greeted her with a smile, as the tray set down on the table.
"Hey Draco, Astoria. How are you both?" she asked, returning to one of the only clear spots on the floor, folding her legs beneath her.
…
Lucius sat back while his wife and son exchanged the latest goings on in their life, content to listen as he drank the wonderful hot chocolate that Hermione had made for them.
No matter how many times she made it, she refused to tell him how she made it taste so good.
Hermione had been something of a whirlwind in his life, but admittedly, a much welcome one. Only a few years ago, he'd never have expected to be spending an evening in such a way, but he couldn't deny that he was happier than he'd been in years and almost all of that could be laid on the beautiful woman beside him.
She'd brought out the best in him, the parts of him he thought had died long ago.
"Would you like to help us?" Hermione said, gesturing to the decorations, when the hot chocolate had been emptied of every drop.
"I'm not threading things," Draco replied, wrinkling his nose.
Hermione laughed, and it was such a free, happy sound, it made Lucius warm.
"You don't have too. I did tell Lucius that he could use magic if he wanted too, but you know how stubborn your father can be. Besides, I think we have enough now."
Astoria chuckled, glancing around at the many, many decorations. "I believe you do."
…
Decorating the tree had always been one of Hermione's favourite parts of Christmas. There was something so satisfying about making something plain beautiful.
One thing that she'd capitulated on was having real fairies, instead of muggle lights, and she watched as Lucius summoned them carefully. As they flew around the tree, finding their places, she leant into this side.
"It's going to be so beautiful," she murmured.
"As long as you're in the room, my Dear, it will always fade in comparison," he replied softly, pressing a kiss to her head. "Now, I believe you wanted to start at the bottom and work your way down?"
She grinned. "That's the way to do it."
…
Astoria placed the last crystal on the tree and stepped back. While at home, the tree had always seemed to just arrived, decorated and pretty, this seemed better to her, and she knew that when she and Draco returned to their own home, she'd be convincing him to help her decorate a tree of their own.
"Just the star left to go on top," Hermione said, carefully unpacking a plain brown box to pull a shining, gold star out with gentle hands. "I've had this star since I was seven. It was my Grandmothers."
Astoria watched as Lucius smiled in a way she'd never seen before, absolutely smitten with the woman in front of him.
He lifted her carefully, again foregoing magic to help her place the star just so on top of the tree. When he lowered her, it was into his arms.
They shared a quiet moment, ending it with a gentle, loving kiss, and despite the chasteness, Astoria felt like she was watching something unendingly intimate.
She leant into Draco, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"It's nice, isn't it?" he murmured, and she nodded, knowing that he wasn't talking about the tree at all.
Lucius was so respectful of Hermione, so gentle with her in a way that Astoria couldn't have imagined him being with anyone. The few times she'd met him while growing up, he'd been dismissive and cold and now… now he was like Draco.
Loving and warm.
…
"Just the wreath to hang now," Hermione said, a while later. "Do you want to hang it on the front door, or on the gate?"
"The door," Lucius replied.
Draco held his hand out for it. "We can do it on our way out. It's freezing out, there's no use either of you getting cold."
Hermione handed it over and they exchanged their goodbyes. They'd be together again on Christmas day anyway, and Hermione and Astoria had a shopping trip planned before then.
"Oh, look," Astoria murmured, as Draco helped her into her travelling robe.
She pointed up, and he smiled when he saw what she was pointing at.
"Oh, how convenient, it's mistletoe," he murmured, pulling her close to press a kiss to her lips.
"I love you," he murmured, when they parted.
"I love you too."
They made sure to hang the winter wreath perfectly before they walked down the long path to the gates, where they could apparate home.
…
"Thank you for today, it's been wonderful," Hermione said, later that evening. She pressed her face against his chest, and he smiled, holding her closer.
"Anything for you, my Dear."
There was nothing he wouldn't do to make the woman in his arms smile. She'd saved his life in more ways than one, and he vowed to spend the rest of his years thanking her for that.
Written for:
Record Collection: 16. Decorating the tree.
Time Machine: 4. DracoAstoria
Amber's Attic: 20. Hang a winter wreath
Film Festival: 27. "I think he finally snapped."
Marvel Appreciation: Thor: Summoning something
Lyric Alley: 14. Wintertime winds, blue and freezing
Naughty Or Nice: Naughty: 26. "Oh, how convenient, it's mistletoe."
Big Dinner Bash: Extra: Bread Sauce: Respectful
Pop Figures: Movies: 414. Space Jam Taz: Whirlwind
Hogwarts Talent Show: Pie Eating: Lucius Malfoy / Quiet
Insane: 33. Crystal