Christmas Can Turn Out the Best of People
Chapter One: The Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (wish I did). The only character I own here is Alacia. If you want to know more about her, read Harry Potter and the Final Duel. But for a basic rundown, she's Draco Malfoy's sister. Harry met her at a camp they went to and they fell in love (fifth year). Everyone is now in their seventh and final year at Hogwarts.

*~*

Harry ran up the stairs to the hospital wing. He had just returned to Hogwarts after being in America for five months on a forwien exchange trip to the Salem Institute for Wizardy and Witchcraft. Harry had never expected what would happen when he came back with Alacia. He knew that the absence of Rons usual letters was no doubt odd, but he never expected this.

Harry charged into the hospital wing where he saw all nine Weaslys around a single bed. No, that wasn't right. Harry counted again.
"Where's Ron!" he shouted suddenly, realising he wasn't there.
Mrs. Weasly walked over to Harry, and put her hands on his shoulders and began to speak to him.
"Harry, we wanted to tell you, but we didn't want to ruin your good time at Salem. But..."
Mrs. Weaslys voice trailed away, but Harry didn't need her to finish. He had already seen Ron, lying on the bed the Weaslys were all crouded around. Lying in the bed, pale as death.
"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked, he knew his voice was breaking, "What can we do? There has to be a cure for whatever he has."
"Harry, Ron's very sick. He has something called AIDs," Mr. Weasly said.
"Not like muggle AIDs," Hermione said, catching the look on Harry's face, "There is a cure. Only..."her voice trailed off.
"Only what!" Harry said.
"Only...well it's really expensive, and we can't afford it." Mr. Weasly said, his ears going red.
"Don't worry about me, I'm sure I'll be just fine," everyone turned around sharply as they saw Ron sitting up in the bed.
"Ron, lie down, you'll only exaust yourself more," Mrs. Weasly said. Ron ignored his mother.
"So how was the exchange trip Harry?"
"Thats not important," Harry said, "What is important is that you get well again. Because I won't let you die."
"You weren't listening to me were you, I just said not to worry," Ron said.
"No, there must be someway I can help. Someone who can help," Harry said desperatly.
"I know who can help," Alacia had just turned up in the hospital wing, and went to stand next to her boyfriend, "The problem will be convinsing him."

*~*

"Please Draco," Alacia pleaded.
"No."
"For me."
"You honestly think you're convincing Granger."
"Common, none of us have been in your hair for almost six months," Harry said.
"That was you're choice, this is mine," Draco Malfoy said, as nasty as ever, "Now please, I don't belive you are Slytherins, so you do not belong at the Slytherin table. Goodbye."

"I refuse to except that. He's a good person, deep inside," Alacia said. Harry made a noise that said plainly that he didn't believe what Alacia had said, "Okay, very deep down. The point is he's still good. Lets go see Dumbledor later, maybe he has a suggestion."
"Okay, sounds like a plan."

So after dinner the trio walked up the stairs to Dumbledors office. Hermione gave the password (Chocolate Frog) and they walked up the spiral staircase. They stopped at the large oak doors and knocked. A soft voice said "Come in" and they entered the office.
"Professer, there has to be a way!" Harry burst out before he could stop himself.
"Has to be a way to do what, Harry?" Dumbledor said calmly.
"There has to be a way to convince Draco to help Ron," Alacia said.
"The only problem is that he's to cold to see that helping is really the right thing to do," Hermione said.
"Well perhapes you need to remind Mr. Malfoy of all the ways helping others can help yourself."
"I don't understand," Harry said.
"Well, Oh look at the time, it's past curfew, you all need to get back to Gryfindor tower." And with that he shooed them out of the office

*~*

"I just don't understand what Dumbledor said," Harry said, for about the hundredth time.
"Neither do I," Hermione said.
"I don't either, so that makes three of us," Alacia replied, "and like I said before, Draco is good inside, the only problem is that he can be a bit of a Scroge and--"
"Scroge, thats it!" Hermione lept up out the chair she had been sitting in.
"Well, I'm glad you understand, now will you explain!" Harry screamed at her.
"I will, just let me run up to my dorm, I need to get the book!" and with that she ran up to the girls dorm.
"Whats she going up there for?" Alacia asked.
"Thats what Hermione does, when all else fails, consult a book. I thought you'd be used to that by now." Harry said, just as Hermione appered downstairs again.
"Charles Dickens?" Harry said picking up the book and stairing at the cover.
"Yeah, its in there. A Christmas Carol." Hermione said.
"What made you think of this?" Alacia asked.
"Well, you did actually. You see the main charter is named Scroge. He is really just like Draco (A/N: no they are not yet on speaking terms with him, this is just so you can distingish between Alacia and Draco.) He's really mean, and refuses to help anyone. Then he's visited by three ghosts, the ghost of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be. And after that he has a change of heart. I think Dumbledor wants us to be the Ghosts. Alacia you should do Christmas Past, because he's you're brother, and you've known it longest. I'll do the Ghost of Christmas Present, because he was supposed to be the most reasoning of the three, and we all know thats me, no ofense. And Harry will be the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be because he was supposed to be secretive, and he won't listen if he knows it's you. Do you think that makes sence."
"If you say so,"
"Great, lets do it as soon as the holiday starts, then it'll be easier to get into Slytherin Common Room."

*~*

"Draco."
"What are you doing here. You shouldn't be in Slytherin common room."
"Oh come on, isn't Christmas a time for family."
"I hate Christmas."
"You didn't always."
"Yes I did."
"No, you used to love Christmas. Remember."
"No."
"Sure you do, you just don't want to admit it."
"No I never liked Christmas."
"Yes you did. Rember, when we were five, and you got your first broom stick."
"I said I hated Christmas, not the presents."
"What about when we were ten, the year before Hogwarts. That ball Father hosted. We had such a good time that night. When everyone in the family came. Christmas is about family, Draco."
"Yeah, I guess your right, to bad Mother and Father, couldn't be here," Draco said.
"I know, imagin how the Weaslys must feel right now."
"Yeah. Promise not to tell anyone this, but I really feel bad right now. I want to help, but I know Father would kill us. It's bad enough he knows you're friends with them, but if I helped them too, he'd skin us alive."
"Well, maybe you should think about what Christmas really means, what it means to you, not to Father," Alacia said getting up to leave.
"Hey, where are you going, I thought Christmas was a time for family," Draco teased.
"It is, and I have a large, redheaded, extended family waiting for me upstairs."