Secret Santa

She lay alone in the thick crisp snow with her eyes focused on the passing clouds and her mind elsewhere. Ginny couldn't really say what she was feeling at the moment; a feeling of uncertainty was the best she could come up with, but she wasn't sure if even that was right.

Today, December twenty-fifth, was one of those days that defined how people felt about past and future memories. A day that can remind people of great losses and one that can bring joyous heartfelt feelings of love and sharing.

Well for Ginny it was a day of confusion. She couldn't seem to grasp the concept of the holiday, of why it made people act the way they do; always cheerful and kind to others for a single day. They never act like that any other day, so why do they do it on the twenty-fifth of December, what was so special about this day?

The young girl knew it was a day of joy for the religious, but most wizards were not and they still seemed to act out on the day.

Still staring into the heavens, Ginny flickered her eyes and watched as her breathed rose into the air and slipped away. Was she slipping away? Maybe she was just outgrowing the silly holiday.

This thought crossed her mind and for no reason in particular she hoped she was wrong. Ginny did not want to lose the one day that so many cherished, but if she was she wanted to know how she could get it back.

Maybe it was just a phase, all her friends were in the mood but they had found their secret Santa presents and were excited to find out who it was that sent them. Ginny, on the other hand, was still waiting for that moment when she would be carelessly out of thought and then would find a gift that someone put their time into to give to her.

She smiled to herself in the daze of uprising hopes that maybe her Santa would be a person that she would get to know better and maybe grow to like or love. But then again she might just be overexaggerating and it could be some snot-nosed Slytherin girl who is going to give her, a Weasley, a piece of trash on Christmas day.

Ginny blinked a few times before realizing that she must have been outside laying in the snow for a long period of time because she felt the tingling coldness prick at her body and her cheeks had now become a tinted pink.

Rising up to her feet and dusting the snowflakes off her cloak, she remembered how excited her friends where when they found their secret Santa presents earlier in the day. Their presents were as extraordinary and special as the people they were given to.

Flashback

"Ginny! Ginny! Look what my secret Santa gave me!" Hermoine ran up to her young freckle-faced friend and opened her hand to show Ginny a golden charm bracelet with charms of small objects like books and quills.

"Wow 'Moine, it's absolutely stunning, who sent it?" Ginny was curious as to who would spend so much on a present.

Hermoine's face started to blend a red shade as she answered quietly, "Ron."

Ginny just smiled at her friend and knew that her brother did have a crush on Hermoine so she wasn't entirely surprised. She was just a little surprised, though, by the gift because it didn't look cheap.

"He asked me to be his girlfriend," Hermoine continued, with one of those silly grins showing Ginny that her friend was truly happy and maybe even in love.

"Well…congratulations 'Mione, I hope you and Ron are happy together," Ginny placed the bracelet back into Hermoine's hand and walked out of the Gryffindor common room and out of the castle, skipping breakfast in the Great Hall.

End Of Flashback

Ginny laughed to herself at the thought of the look on her friend's face when she had told her Ron asked her out. It was safe to say that she was a tad jealous that her friend had found someone special and she hadn't, but she knew she would eventually find someone to make her happy.

Pulling her cloak tighter around her body, she continued walking her way back from the grounds to the castle, listening to the crunching of snow beneath her boots.

About fifteen feet from the castle Ginny lifted her head to see something unexpected. A boy stood about ten feet away from her. A boy with blonde hair, a boy in green, a boy named Draco Malfoy.

She stopped in mid-stance and looked at him. He seemed not to notice her or just didn't care that she was there, but in any case it seemed that he was waiting for someone.

Hating Malfoy was not part of her personality. In fact, he intrigued her more than anything. Of course she never would let Ron and them know that because of the situation she would be found in.

She watched curiously as his hands fumbled with something, a small box by the looks of it. Should she continue walking? Or should she find another entrance to the castle? He looked deep in thought so she decided to chance it and go in the entrance she had planned on.

Taking each step in careful consideration, she continued to look in his direction to make sure he still hadn't noticed she was there. Standing about five feet away from him now she could see that it was a small box, an olive green box with a small green and silver bow on the top of it.

"You know I'm not blind or deaf, Weasley. I can see you and hear your boots," he lifted his head and stared in her direction with a small smile gracing his lips. Ginny was a bit confused, he had never smiled at her before and now she felt a little stupid to think that she would be able to get by unnoticed.

"I… er… didn't want to disturb you. You looked like you were deep in thought or something, sorry," she averted her eyes from his and looked at the small box, which he rolled over in his hand a few times.

Draco gave a low chuckle at her apology. "No need to be sorry, Weasley. In fact, I came out here to find you," his voice held a slight air of grace, of care in it.

Ginny did look into his gray eyes with her eyebrows raised. "Me? Why were you looking for me, Dra-Malfoy?" Confusion shone in her voice. She took a step towards him and watched him carefully. His blonde hair dropped down into his eyes and reflected against his pale skin that looked soft under the touch of a hand, of her hand.

"Well I have something to give you," he whispered as he walked closer to her.

Ginny felt like reaching out her hand and touching his soft looking skin, and those eyes, they fell upon her and warmed her heart, taking the winter chill away within seconds.

They stood within touching reach of each other and could now feel the body warmth of one another. Draco's lips turned into a wider smile as he outstretched his hand and opened it to reveal the small box that Ginny was starring at before.

She looked at it hesitantly before lifting her delicate fingers to meet his and purposely touched his fingers with hers before lifting the small box away.

"What is it?" Asking curiously, she still continued to look at him and then away to look at the green box with green and silver ribbon on it.

"It's your present," he stated simply with no harshness whatsoever.

"You're my secr-" He took another step closer so that there bodies were now touching and nodded before she could finish her sentence. A light snow started to fall, rapidly growing into bigger snowflakes as they stared into each other, looking in wonder.

"Open it," he commanded gently.

She was too busy keeping with his gaze that she had almost forgotten about the present. Lifting it between their bodies she very carefully unwrapped the ribbon and took in a breath before opening the small container to find the most surprising, heart-stopping gift. She took in a slight gasp of surprise and he smiled wider at her reaction. Inside the box lay a small piece of silver engraved to look like mistletoe with the berries made of ruby diamonds and engraved on one of the leaves was:

Merry Christmas from more than a secret Santa, but a secret admirer.

Ginny didn't notice, but looked up when she felt his hand wipe the tears off of her cheeks.

"Is it that bad of a present?" he asked playfully. Ginny smiled warmly and lifted her hand to his, placing it over his and rubbing her thumb on one of his fingers.

"No, no its perfect. It's the best thing I've ever gotten. Its just..." she looked down at the ground and let the tears fall silently.

He lifted her head with his hand and looked into her glistening eyes. "Just what?" He asked curiously.

"I… I don't have anything to give in return." Ginny said softly, waiting to see him get mad or hurt or something. She was quite taken aback when she heard a chuckle escape his lips instead.

When he stopped he tilted her head back with his hand and leaned in closer so that he was nearly touching her ear, "It's the season of giving, Ginny, and I want to give my heart to you."

He looked into her eyes again and saw her delicate face light up into a smile as she leaned in and pressed her mouth against his. The gentle feeling cursed through Ginny's body as they continued to kiss in a way that Ginny never experienced.

She looked away to catch her breath and noticed that his hand was raised in the air. Looking up, she saw him holing the mistletoe over their heads. Ginny laughed at the small gesture and the action that represented an old Christmas tradition. He placed the mistletoe back into the box and slipped the box into her cloak pocket.

Ginny looked up to see that the snow was showering them now and they were both covered in white, being purified. She took his hand in hers and walked up the stairs to the castle, stepping in the same pattern as him. Smiling to herself, she heard him break the silence.

"Ginny did you like your present?" he asked sincerely.

She turned to face him as they walked out of the snow and into the castle doors.

"I love my present."

A/N: So what's the verdict? Good? Bad? Ok? Well I wanted to make a Christmas one shot and I think it came out rather nicely so tell me how you feel about it!