A/N Hello again. I am genuinely stuck for Christmas ideas. I have a rough idea on how Christmas at Hogwards is going to go, but I'm still stuck for ideas. If you could suggest anything, what you want to happen, then that would be great! Thank you!

Chapter 25 - Hogsmeade

"So... These are your Christmas decorations?" Draco asked in wonder. As it was their room, Hermione couldn't see why the pair of them couldn't decorate the common room. After all, it was Saturday the 6th of December and they had no homework to do. "Yes, they are," Hermione replied dumping a large, cardboard box on the table and asking, "Why?"

"Well," Draco began, tentatively, "They're not exactly..." He picked one of the ornaments up and examined one, "They don't move, do they?" Hermione laughed and looked at him.

"Of course they don't move, Draco. This year, you'll have to have a muggle Christmas," Hermione chortled.

"You're joking, right?" he asked.

"Nope! It'll be fun. You are - staying for Christmas... Aren't you?" She added cautiously.

"No..." Draco said awkwardly. Hermione looked at him, trying not to look hurt. Draco continued, "I'm going home for the holidays, spending some quality time with my parents and the Dark Lord. You know, couldn't think of anything better to do over my holidays than spend it with the Dark Lord!" Hermione glared at him. "Course I'm staying here," Draco grinned, "I'm not leaving you on your own." Hermione smiled and started unpacking the box. It was full of all her Christmas decorations from home. "Okay so there's loads of ornaments but... No tree," Draco stated. Muggles had Christmas trees right?

"McGonagall said she's going to get us one, I owled her a few minutes ago," Hermione answered, sorting all the ornaments into piles.

"With... Who's owl?" Draco asked.

"Yours," Hermione smiled, "He'd just come to deliver you a note. Didn't read it though, it's on your bed." Draco blanched and went to find the note. Who'd owl him with his owl? He needn't have been worried though. Upon opening it up he just chuckled. It was a note from Theo and Blaise, asking if quidditch practice was next Sunday. He scrawled back 'yes', and pocketed the note. He'd send it later if he didn't see them throughout the day.

All of a sudden there was a loud CRACK! Draco whipped his head around and hurried back into the room, looking for the source of the noise. He didn't need to look for long though. An enormous fir tree was standing next to the fireplace behind the sofa, at the back of the room. "How on earth -" Hermione began when out came a small, energetic figure.

"Miss Granger! Master Malfoy!" The house elf beamed.

"Dobby!" Hermione squealed, running over to the elf. Draco leant against the doorframe, grinning.

"How did you apparate in here Dobby?" Hermione asked curiously.

"We house elves have very powerful magic, Miss, but can only use it with our master's permission," Dobby replied. Draco walked forward and grinned at the elf. Dobby smiled back. "It's good to see you, Sir," Dobby smiled.

"Good to see you too, Dobby," Draco grinned.

"Thanks for the tree," Hermione exclaimed, cheerily.

"It was no problem, Miss. Master Hagrid chopped them this morning," Dobby beamed, "But Dobby must get going, Sir and Miss. We is already getting ready for dinner!"

"Bye," both teens said with a grin. There was a loud CRACK, and Dobby vanished.

"So," Hermione let out a large breath, "What's your deal with Dobby huh?"

"Me?" Draco asked, "He was my slave at the manor."

"No you two have a connection, like friendship," Hermione smiled, confused.

"I assure you that we are not friends," Draco said definitely. Hermione shook her head in wonder, and declared that she'd finished sorting. Draco bent over her shoulder to look. "Draco could you wrap these lights on the tree?" Hermione asked.

"Don't they need that muggle power?" Draco asked.

"We can use magic," Hermione smiled. Draco shrugged and wrapped some white fairy lights around the tree. The silver tinsel went on next. "Looking very Slytherin," Draco smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes and started hanging little doves made from paper, whilst Draco hung some glass baubles. Following these were tiny wooden men playing drums, little wooden sledges pulled by reindeers, pine cones dusted in glitter and finally, once all this was done, Hermione carefully levitated a golden star on top. They grinned. "Now, one last bit," Hermione smiled as she drew her wand. She flicked it and the lights glowed white and, with a further swish, a cloud of snow emitted from her wand and began to fall above the tree, dusting the branches in a fine layer of warm snow. Draco gawped. It was nothing like he'd had at home. This was "beautiful," he said in awe. Hermione smiled, blushing.

"Fun?"

"I've never put up a Christmas tree before," Draco admitted. Hermione gasped.

"But... But that's what part of Christmas is about. Spending time with your family putting up the decorations and tree, helping prepare the dinner... It's just fun, isn't it," Hermione explained, shocked.

"Yeah, well," Draco muttered to the ground, "'Family' isn't my family's strong point. Besides, the house elves always do it." Hermione was lost for words. She always helped with Christmas before she came to Hogwarts. It was tradition. Draco flicked his wand and a dove made entirely out of snow flew from his wand and settled on Hermione's hand. She gasped, surprised at how warm the snow felt. She smiled and let the bird soar around the room.

"How many days till Christmas?" Draco yawned a few minutes later.

"Nineteen," Hermione smiled, packing away the decoration boxes.

"And when are the holidays?" Draco asked, leaning against the sofa arm.

"Friday the 19th," Hermione replied, lifting the box up and walking over to her dorm. Draco nodded and looked at Hermione, who came back out of her dorm and asked, "What?"

"Well, since you did the tree, I was wondering if I could do the room," he replied casually. Hermione raised her eyebrow, smirked and nodded. "Course," she said, smiling. Draco smirked and waved his wand at the portrait hole and swished it at the ceiling above it. Icicles started growing at a rapid pace from above the hole, each different sizes and lengths. Next, a red ribbon shot from his wand and started a roller coaster ride around the room, pinning itself to the moulding to form a kind of loopy border at the top of the walls around the room. A further flick and there was a raging fire in the small grate. He then proceeded to turn the sofas round with his wand so that they were facing the fireplace and put the coffee table to the side. Then, kicking his shoes off, he sank into one of the sofas. Hermione gawked. It looked amazing, what with the Christmas candles and wall hangings she'd put up earlier.

The rest of the day wasn't very eventful. They sat and finished homework assignments in silence, glanced at each other and spoke a little. At one point around 3, there was a knock on the portrait hole and Draco opened the portrait to Ginny, who looked a little startled. "Hermione," Draco droned and Hermione skipped over to the hole. "Ginny!" She exclaimed, and the two of them began gossiping about the common room, the decorations, boys and, once Draco had decided to leave, arrangements for next Saturday. Ginny was very taken by the kitchenette, having never been in the common room before.

-.

The week passed very quickly. Hermione spent Sunday watching Draco, Blaise, Theo, Ginny, Dean, Seamus and Neville during quidditch practice, to which she was astounded that Neville could catch the quaffle. Draco was treating them all fairly and even yelled at Neville from ten feet above, "Brilliant catch Neville!" Neville, beaming, raced towards the goals and aimed.

"Seamus!" Dean roared as Seamus was busy doing backflips on his broom and Neville got the ball through the hoop, scoring. "Yes Neville!" Ginny yelled. Luna clapped from beside Hermione. Neville went pink and grinned. "Well done Neville!" Draco called, "Finnigan! Where the hell did you go?"

Neville scored a further two points throughout the afternoon, Dean scored six and Ginny took lead with thirteen. Blaise and Theo circled the entire mini game, hitting any bludgers away from the team. Unfortunately, it got too dark to play at five thirty and the nine of them walked back to the castle, Luna and Hermione waiting patiently outside the changing rooms for the team to change. "We need a name," Hermione heard Ginny say to the team.

"Hogwarts Fliers," Seamus suggested.

"Uh, aweful," Ginny exclaimed.

"Hogwarts Hawks?" Neville asked.

"No!" Ginny shook her head frantically.

"H.U." Dean said firmly. Everyone looked at him.

"What?" Half the team spluttered.

"H.U! Stands for Hogwarts United," Dean replied.

Seamus sighed, "He's obsessed with this muggle team, Man U."

"I am not obsessed!" Dean spluttered, "Besides, West Ham United is so much better -"

"Dean, no one cares about your muggle sport," Seamus grinned.

"Sky Divers?" Neville tried.

"No!" At least three people said.

"Shooting Stars?" Dean asked.

"Cheesy," Ginny groaned.

"What then?" Seamus asked her.

"I don't know, that's why I asked you lot," she replied.

"Fine! Homework, come up with a team name that Ginny likes," Draco groaned. The bickering died down. Not even the team dared to mess with Draco as Ginny, Theo and Blaise were the only ones on the team who knew about Draco and Hermione, and both heads planned on it staying that way. For a while at least.

.

So the rest of the week that Hermione heard was either her teachers droning on about N.E. or her friends debating team names. At least Draco didn't talk quidditch with her, although he did spend a lot of time talking about his patronus which was getting a lot better. It still hadn't taken a form yet though.

.

Saturday the 13th came with the first flakes of snow. Hermione had just finished getting changed into a cosy white jumper and blue jeans when she'd spotted it. She put down her hair brush and dashed to the window and saw a woolly white blanket of snow stretching out for miles in all directions. The forbidden forest stretched out in the distance, each tree finely dusted in white. She smiled giddily and ran into the common room, her beaded bag swinging madly from her shoulder. She wrapped on Draco's door. No answer. She wrapped again. "Draco!" She called. From the other side of the wall she heard a muffled groan. She wrapped again. "What!" He yawned groggily.

"Get up!" She yelled excitedly. There was a groan followed by some incoherent noises. "What?" She asked.

"Why?" He complained.

"Just get up!"

"Hermione it's seven thirty!" Draco moaned tiredly.

"Exactly!" Hermione chirped. There were some thudding sounds, a creak, a rattling through hangers, a further creak, a groan and, ten minutes later, Draco emerged with perfectly combed hair, straight black trousers and a black shirt on. Hermione observed his usual black and shook her head. Maybe she'd get him more than one Christmas present. "Morning!" Hermione squealed, bringing him a mug of steaming coffee.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Draco asked curiously and Hermione set her coffee down on the sideboard and rushed over to him, dragging him into her room to her window. "It's snowing!" She squealed excitedly. Draco looked at her bluntly.

"You got me out of bed at seven thirty to tell me it's snowing?" He asked, gobsmacked. Hermione nodded excitedly, hugged her not quite boyfriend, and ran out the room, dancing through the portrait hole and leaving her half drunk coffee on the sideboard. "What is up with her?" He sighed. Hermione ran back into the room singing, "Money!" and grabbed a small pouch, putting it in her beaded bag. Then she ran out again, walking briskly down the halls. Draco just shook his head in disbelief and yawned.

.

Upon reaching her usual spot at the old Gryffindor table, Hermione sat down and poured herself a bowl of cornflakes. The hall was virtually empty, with only a few students dotted around the room. Just as she set the milk jug down, Ginny made their way into the room. Settling next to Hermione, the redhead pulled a stack of buttered toast towards her and took two. "How're you?" Hermione asked.

"Good, bit tired but still good. You?" Ginny replied. Hermione nodded and smiled, swallowing a spoonful of cereal. "Remind me why we're up so early?" Ginny asked.

"We're leaving at 8:45. The shops open at 9:30 and I want to be in there before the queues and crowds form. Besides, it's not like either of us have anything better to do," Hermione added matter of factly.

"Sleep," Ginny grumbled, but Hermione just ignored her and smiled. Today was going to be a good day, she just knew it.

They spent breakfast talking about what Ginny could get Harry and how she'd send it to him. At 8:47, they grabbed their bags and stood up, ready to leave. It would take them forty minutes or so to get there at a steady speed.

The snow was crunchy under their feet and they left deep footprints trailing behind them. Once they were past the greenhouses, Hermione stooped down, grabbed a ball of snow and lobbed it at the back of Ginny's coat. Ginny screamed and whirled around, face to face with her laughing attacker. "Got you!" Hermione cried and ran off laughing.

"I'll get you!" Ginny yelled back, stooping down to grab the soft, white snow and pelting her back. Hermione squealed and they began a small snowball fight.

Soon, they tired of the fight and continued walking. Hermione used a quick drying spell to dry their clothes and embraced the momentarily warmth of the magic. "So what are you going to get him?" Hermione inquired. Ginny shrugged.

"Chocolates? I don't know 'Mione, he's god knows where and I don't want to spend too much because he might not even get it. Besides, should I even get him a present now? I could just give him it when he comes home. Surely someone would spot an owl flying to the countryside with a weird parcel," Ginny said in despair. Hermione smiled. "What?" Ginny asked.

"Who said anything about a parcel?" Hermione asked slyly. Ginny gave her a puzzled expression. Hermione elaborated, "You're a witch, Ginny. A present needn't just be an object." Ginny still showed no sign of sudden realisation, so Hermione groaned and twirled her wand, slowly at first. A twirl of snow rose from the ground and, as Hermione twisted and turned her wand, a small tornado of snow formed around their feet. She relaxed her wand. "Enchant a letter," she stated simply. A smile crept onto Ginny's face and soon she was grinning broadly, an idea hitting her.

.

By the time they'd reached Hogsmeade, the sun had risen properly. Hermione dragged Ginny past Honeydukes, where all kinds of sweet smells wafted through the open door. "Plenty of time for sweets in a minute, Ginny. I just want to get Draco's Christmas present. Come on," Hermione said tersely. They trudged on through the village until they reached a large window display of brooms and quidditch gear. 'Quality Quidditch Suplies' was splashed above the window in golden lettering on the scarlet walls. "Here we are," Hermione said, beaming, and walked into the quidditch shop.

A bell rang as the door opened and immediately a miniature broomstick the size of a pencil zoomed out in front of them. Ginny grinned and pushed past Hermione. The shop was filled with a large assortment of items, from brooms to spiked bludgers to cleaning kits. Ginny examined a set of standard quidditch balls, which were marked half price, in awe. Hermione looked around at the stacks of brooms helplessly. It was considerably smaller than the 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' in Diagon Alley, but that didn't help matters. At least Hermione had a vague idea of what was what in the shop in Diagon Alley. Here was chaotic with items stuffed onto their shelves and Ginny didn't seem to be being much of a help.

Soon however, Hermione was able to decipher an untidy scrawl on a scrap of parchment as 'Firebolt', and looked at the broom hanging next to it. Her face lit up. The polished ebony handle beamed back at her, reflecting the sunlight. The finely cut hazel twigs formed a perfect tail which even Hermione was impressed at. Ginny came over to peer over her shoulder. "Yep," she remarked to the head girl, "That's your firebolt alright." Hermione looked from the immaculate broom back to the parchment. The price stared her back in the face. "Merlin," Ginny murmured. 525 galleons.

"Wow," Hermione muttered, wondering if she would spend that much on him. That was over 2500 pounds in muggle money. She couldn't spend that much on him. That was the price of a small car! However, if she was being honest with herself, she did have a lot of money in her Gringotts bank. Ginny was looking rather sulky - probably, as Hermione thought, because the Weasleys were a very poor family with barely a handful of galleons in their bank.

"You're decision," Ginny said after a long time. The sleek broom handle glinted teasingly at Hermione. Did she like him that much? Did she trust him even? When it came down to that, the answer was obvious. Hermione turned around and walked straight towards the desk. The man sitting behind it asked, "Can I help you, Miss?"

"Yes, I'd like to buy a firebolt but can't pay in cash as I don't have that much on me. Is there any possibility -" Hermione rushed but the man was already pulling out a cheque book. "Sign here, Miss," The man said, smiling. He passed her the cheque book, a pot of ink and a quill. Hermione dipped the quill in the ink and filled out the Gringotts cheque, signing her name neatly. She handed him the cheque and the man filed it in his till and came out from behind his desk, stopping at the firebolt and getting it down for her. Hermione smiled and said, "Thank you!" Before turning to go. Ginny stared in awe at the international broomstick in Hermione's hands. Hermione grinned nervously, analysing what she'd just done. "Oh my God!" Squealed Ginny, brushing her hand over the broom. Hermione giggled and put the broom inside her bag. "Wait," Ginny began, taken aback, "How the -"

"Undetectable extension charm," Hermione answered shortly and Ginny mouthed 'Oh', realising she should have known better.

.

Whilst the two girls were in Honeydukes, Pansy had dragged Draco into a small shop which Draco had never seen before. "Best place for jewellery," Pansy was saying. Draco looked around. It was rather empty but every wall was towering with shelves and cabinets stacked with rings, necklaces, pearls and earnings. He even saw something which he was sure was a tiara. Stunned and completely clueless as to where to start, he simply let Pansy babble aimlessly about jewellery.

He wandered down aisles of gemstones and pearls, wishing Pansy would stop yattering on about nonsense. "Pansy," he said at last, she stop talking abruptly, "I don't care what your great aunt whatever got you last Christmas! I just want you to pretend you're Granger and find a nice necklace of something." Pansy pouted but did as he asked, walking down the opposite aisle. "Fairly plain but gorgeous right?" She asked.

"Mmhm," Draco agreed.

Five minutes later, Draco had had no success and was just planning to abort his plans when Pansy called him over. "How bout this?" She asked. It was a fairly plain gold chain with a ruby in the shape of a leaf at the bottom. Draco shook his head, trying not to look too disgusted. "Well you're the one spending hours smooching with her -" Pansy begun.

"I do not," Draco retorted.

"You look for something. Go on," Pansy snapped. She walked back down the aisle doing a much better of looking than he did.

Five minutes after that, Pansy heard Draco's irritating pacing stop. Then the frustrated noises he kept making stopped. "Draco?" She called. When she received no reply, she walked down the aisle to see what had caught his attention. Once next to him, it only took her a second to spot the jewellery he'd taken a fancy to. A thin ray of sunlight shone across a long, silver chain with a dragonfly made entirely of blue, green and purple diamonds. "That's really pretty," Pansy murmured. Draco nodded slowly, but his eyes had shifted to the price next to it. Pansy tried to catch sight of it, but Draco was blocking the way. "How much?" She asked, but Draco just shook his head. Even he'd never spent this much on a person before. "How do girls spend so much on these?" He asked in awe. Pansy laughed.

"We don't. One, we let the boys buy them for us and two, that dragonfly is entirely made up of diamonds. Amethyst, emerald, blue topaz, probably a bit of sapphire too. You can't expect that to come cheep," Pansy laughed. Draco shifted his body and Pansy gasped, now in full eyesight of the price. 827 galleons. Pansy knew her dresses and jewellery were expensive but they weren't that expensive. She looked at the boy in front of her. She knew he had the money. He was a Malfoy, after all. "Well?" She asked, "What are you waiting for?" Draco stayed silent. "Come on Dray, it's not like you don't have enough. And you love her," she added. His head shot up sharply. Don't deny it Draco," she warned, "I've seen the way you look at her. You're a Malfoy for Salazar's sake Draco buy her the necklace!" He smirked and nodded.

"You understand that I don't walk around with 827 galleons in my pocket," Draco smirked.

"Fill out a cheque, they must have one, an expensive place like this," Pansy reasoned. Draco swaggered up to the counter. The man behind it, realising he was a Malfoy, straightened his back, hoping for a large sum of money. Draco placed the necklace on the counter and smirked, "I assume you have a cheque?" The old man hurriedly took out a cheque book and gave it to the blonde who, just as Hermione had, filled it out. "Thank you, sir," the old man beamed, wrapping the necklace up in a scroll of parchment. Draco took it and the man waved them out, gaping at the cheque in his hands.

"Why you smiling?" Draco asked Pansy suspiciously. Pansy just grinned.

"You've gone back to you're usual self," Pansy smirked.

"Oh?" Draco asked. Pansy smirked and Draco smirked back.

"Got my Christmas present yet?" Pansy smirked. Draco stopped smirking and Pansy laughed. "Blaise's? Theo's? Your parents?"

"My parents," Draco began, "Aren't getting so much as a galleon from me this year," Draco said spitefully, "If father's going to treat me how he does then I'm not going to interact at all with him. I'll send him an owl. That's all he's getting." Pansy looked away uncomfortably, not wanting to prolong the subject. "Pans!" A girl shouted from behind them. Pansy turned to see Tracy, Millicent and Daphne behind her. "See you later," she said to Draco cheerfully and went to her friends, flicking her hair out behind her. Draco shook his head and began his hunt for other people's presents.

.

With inspiration from Hermione, Ginny figured out what she was going to do for Harry. Hermione however was debating with herself whether or whether not to get anything for Harry and Ron. In the end, she decided on just a letter with an enchanted feather. She stooped down and picked up a large brown feather from the snow and swished her wand. The feather zoomed around and caused Ginny to laugh. The feather followed them all the way around Hogsmeade. "Why?" Ginny asked.

"It's for Harry," Hermione smiled, "Something to remind them of me. I don't know but it's not like I can send them something with any value. What if the letter was intercepted?" Ginny nodded. "I'll send them a bar of chocolate too," Hermione continued, "Honeydukes finest."

Ginny smiled and said, "I'm enchanting a piece of parchment to turn into a bird once the envelope's opened. It'll fly around for a bit before bursting into flames spelling out the words "I love You.""

"Awe!" Hermione exclaimed, "That's adorable." They both laughed.

"Still got Mum and Dad's to get," Ginny sighed. Hermione blanched just as Ginny clasped a hand to her mouth. "Merlin I'm so sorry Hermione!" Ginny rushed. Hermione shook her head and forced out, "It's fine." But still. This would be her first Christmas without either her parents or her best friends. This was going to be one lonely Christmas. Ginny pulled the stiff girl into a hug and whispered, "You still got me." Hermione smiled and nodded, pulling away and sniffing. "Are Neville and I on Christmas present terms do you think?" Hermione asked Ginny, setting off again.

"Tricky one, yeah why not?" Ginny smiled, and they trudged off through the ankle deep snow to buy the rest of their presents.

A/N So I don't actually know how much a firebolt costs, and I researched it for ages and ended up having a rough guess at the cost. Remember if you have any ideas on what they can do for Christmas during the day, even just a thought, please let me know - I'm really stuck. Also, I don't think I've really ever said thanks to you guys for following the story through and bothering to read these Author's Notes, so a massive thanks to everyone following, reviewing, favouriting and reading this. See you in 2 Tuesdays time!