Hi everyone! I'm updating again! Hurray for me! Thank you so much for all of your lovely reviews and words of wisdom and encouragement. I felt touched that people that don't even know me personally gave me a little bit of advice. I'm also glad that you guys knew how to spell ornament. I tried looking it up, but it's very hard to look up something when you don't know how to spell. We don't even have an actually dictionary here except for the computer and the spell check. On with the show!
Disclaimer- these things are so tedious. You know I don't own Harry Potter or Coyote Ugly.
Chapter 9 AVery Merry Christmas
Christmas Eve was here at last! Or at least the morning of Christmas Eve. In a few hours, Mona and Draco would be hosting their annual Christmas party to celebrate with the coyotes, who didn't have much family themselves, and Sam, who was alone and a bachelor. The house was decorated from head to toe, and the smell for Mona's freshly baked cookies hung fresh in the air.
"See? Now that wasn't that hard." Said Mona that morning as she and Draco were washing the big mixing bowls and beaters.
Draco growled. "Speak for yourself. That beater thing nearly bit my finger off!"
"Well if you hadn't put your finger in the bowl to lick out that bit of cookie dough, maybe it would've spared you." Said Mona smartly. Draco stuck his tongue out at her and she met it with her lips. They kissed softly for a minute before Mona pulled back. "You should really try keeping that tongue of yours in your mouth. The beaters might want to eat that next." She whispered as she smirked and went back to her washing. Draco glared at her, but also went back to his washing.
When they had finished, they decided to wake up Severus. Since his debut on the bar, he had barely come out of his room. Being rejected by Taylor had only depressed him. The magic of Christmas seemed to have left him. Now he was depressed, and would not come out of his room unless he had to use the toilet. Mona left him food by his door, but didn't try and get him out. It seemed hopeless.
"You stay here." Said Draco as they walked into the living room. "This is a man to man thing. No women."
Mona flopped, or tried to, as it was hard now that she was officially five months pregnant, onto the couch and took out a book from the bookshelf. "Go ahead. I'm quite comfy. Besides, the baby seems to have woken up in my stomach and is kicking very hard. It's probably best I don't walk up anything." Mona winced in pain as Draco sighed and headed up to Severus's room.
Music was playing softly from Severus's room. Draco knocked softly, but when no one answered, he opened the door anyway and walked in. The music turned out to be Elvis's Blue Christmas!
"I didn't know you were an Elvis fan, Severus." Said Draco stunned at the sight of the room. All around were wrappers and boxes. He could even smell a little bit of rotting food. Clothes were all over. Some were even hanging from the curtain rod. Severus himself was lying on his back, looking even greasier if that was possible, on his bed. The bed was unmade and it looked as though Severus had spilt several things on it. Christmas lights that had hung from the curtains were falling off. It was a good thing that Mona hadn't come. She may have had a heart attack.
"Who's Elvis? I just heard this song on that thing over there." he said pointing to the radio, "When I pressed the button, it started blasting this song. It scared the hell out of me, but I ended up liking it so I put a charm on it." Draco chose not to say anything about it being a radio, and decided to get to the point.
"Professor, you must get out of this room. It's Christmas Eve! Taylor will be here tonight. Maybe then you guys can talk."
"I can't talk to her!" spat Severus. "She hates me. If I weren't such a God damned idiot before about our baby, maybe this wouldn't be happening! But no! I had to be a moron about it."
Draco couldn't exactly tell Severus that he wasn't a moron because he had been thinking the same thing for a while. Instead, he tried to at least get him to shower.
"Maybe a shower would help. You can wash off all of the moronic things and start fresh and new." Said Draco in fake happy voice. Severus just looked at him.
"Do you always talk like that, or is this a new thing?" he asked. Draco frowned.
"We're having a baby. I have to cut back on the swearing and stuff. Now I have to be cute and fluffy" Admitted Draco. Severus gave him a "You're going to become an idiot" look. Then, a determined look crossed his face. "But the baby's not here yet so listen up!" he said in his best drill sergeant voice. "You have been a greasy haired bastard, and I doubt that will change. Still your former slut of a girlfriend is carrying your damned child! Now if you damn well know what's good for you, you'll get your sorry ass out of this shit hole and tell her you're an asshole and you love her!"
Draco felt stupid saying this to his old Potions professor. Severus only stared at him. Secretly, Draco hoped he wouldn't suddenly turn happy like he did last week, but maybe this whole mess with Taylor would be finished.
Severus rolled over and groaned. "Fine. I'll give it another shot. But if she rejects me this time, that's it. I'm going back to Hogwarts."
Draco walked back downstairs thinking of what Taylor would do if Severus went back when Mona's voice broke through his head.
"Louder Draco. Harry just called and said he couldn't hear you after 'Still, your former slut of a girlfriend' so you might want to repeat that for him." Said Mona not looking up from her book. Draco blushed.
"You heard all of that?"
"Oh yeah. I bet people in space heard you."
!
Ding-Dong"Draco, they're here!" shouted Mona. Christmas Eve had arrived. The Christmas tree glowed brightly in the living room and the dogs had little ribbons tied around their necks. The house looked cheerful and festive as Draco rushed to open the door wearing black slacks and green polo.
"Happy Christmas everyone!" he shouted as the coyotes, Sam, and Kristina's boyfriend, Ethan, came into the room all smiling and holding presents.
"I still think it's 'Merry Christmas', Draco." Argued Megan. They had started the tradition of arguing whether it was happy or merry. Neither side had actually won yet.
"No it's not. Next year, we'll go back to England, and then you'll be the stupid one saying merry." Said Draco.
"But we're not in England. We're in Chicago. Therefore, it's merry!" said Chelsea as she sat down and handed the dogs a Christmas bone each. Mona walked in from the kitchen soon after. Draco's eyes widened. Since their wedding day, he had never seen Mona look prettier than she did now. She wore a velvet scarlet top that dipped at the neck. The sleeves stopped at her elbows and flowed down giving it a renascences look. Her hair was down, and Draco realized how long it really was. It looked softer than usual though still somewhat bushy. Draco wasn't sure if it was the glowing of the candles and the tree or the fact that Mona was carrying his child, but she seemed to glow bright tonight.
"Happy Christmas everyone!" said Mona beaming as she hugged everyone and accepted their food. A small pile of gifts for everyone had formed in the corner. Mona counted everyone that was there. Severus was not down yet. She and Draco were here. Sitting in the armchair was Sam, who was enjoying one of Mona's cookies. Over at the punch bowl were Chelsea and Megan, who were comparing outfits. Kristina, Ethan, and Draco were on the couch watching the very end of a Quidditch match. Everyone was here! Wait a second…
"Where's Taylor?" asked Mona suddenly. The room went quiet. Everyone looked around as though expecting her to pop out of the wall.
"I talked to her this morning." Said Megan. "She didn't mention not coming. Maybe she's just a little late."
"Didn't she come with you guys?" asked Draco looking over at Megan.
"We all came separate. Only Kristina and Ethan came together. It was just dumb luck that we got here at the same time." Explained Chelsea.
"Stupid dumb luck." Cursed Mona. "Well, I better call her." She said getting up. Kristina grabbed Mona's wrists.
"Mona, she's only five minutes late. There might be traffic. Remember, she lives farther than any of us do." Soothed Kristina as she pushed everyone over so that Mona could sit down. She did though it was hard for Mona to concentrate on anything.
After an hour had gone by, Mona couldn't take it any longer. "I'm calling her right now." She stated as she got up quickly and nearly ran to the phone. Using the speed dial, Mona called Taylor's house, but no one answered. "She didn't pick up." Mona said quietly, fear rushing through her body. The room grew silent again.
"Try her cell phone. She has a wizard cell phone so it stays with her no matter where she goes." Suggested Kristina. Mona punched in the numbers, but no one answered.
"People's is peoples, Mona. Is Taylor not here? Yes, but she could be lost or kidnapped or lying in a gutter or even playing a Halloween prank. But I'm sure she's alive. People's is peoples." Said Sam. Everyone looked at him.
"Somehow, Sam, I don't think that helped." Said Megan rolling her eyes.
"Though I could see Taylor pulling a prank on us. She does seem to forget when Halloween is and easily mixes up holidays." Pointed out Chelsea.
"How do you mix up Christmas?" asked Ethan puzzled.
"When you hang around here too long," said Draco. "You tend to mix up a lot of things." The room went back to its silence.
"So what do we do now?" asked Chelsea. Just then Severus came down the stairs looking slightly paled and nervous. He scanned the room, but saw no Taylor.
"Did I scare her off? Did she leave? Does she hate me?" he ranted asking question after question until Draco stopped him.
"She's uh, missing." He said quietly. Now Severus began paler than Draco.
"We've got to find her! Now! Let's go! What are you idiots waiting for? C'mon!" he shouted running for his shoes though not even bothering to grab a coat. Mona got up and grabbed his arm.
"No not yet. We need a plan to find her." Said Mona in a strong and supportive voice. "Right, this is how we're doing this. Kristina, Ethan, you guys take the car and drive around downtown and see if you can find her. Chelsea, Megan, you guys are going to Coyote Ugly incase she's there for some odd reason… Draco, you and Sam will call everyone we know. Anyone from Coyote Ugly or our birth classes might know where she is."
"She's taking a birth class?" asked Severus. "Who's with her?" Kristina timidly raised her hand.
"You better patch things up with her because she can be a pain in the ass, and since you've already been up her ass, you should have to deal with it." Said Kristina disgusted. Several people in the room sniggered, and then left. Severus looked around.
"What do we do? I'm not just going to sit here, you know." He said sternly. Mona grabbed her coat.
"We're going walking. Get your wand, and let's go." Said Mona looking ready and determined. Draco, however, looked horrified.
"No way! You are NOT going outside! Not only are you pregnant, but think of what happened the last time!" exclaimed Draco rushing to the door to block it. Mona only smirked.
"Oh, don't worry about me. The way I'm feeling no mugger, murderer, Krum, or even Voldermort would dare mess with me." Said Mona in a deathly quiet voice. Draco decided not to argue though he couldn't help, but feel completely worried. He looked over at Severus.
"Don't worry, Draco. I won't let anything happen to her. I'm feeling the same way." He said
"No you aren't. You don't have a baby that's kicking AGAIN inside of you." Said Mona as she walked over to get her scarf.
"Well, I'll protect her. We've got our wands, and I don't mind using it, just as long as we can find Taylor and my baby."
The hunt had begun. Cell phones were on, and everyone had spread out in different directions. The streets were empty that night, that cold Christmas Eve. The lights of downtown Chicago came into view as Mona and Severus walked briskly towards it.
"Any ideas?" she asked him when they were crossing the street. Severus shook his head.
"No." he said simply. Mona's cell phone rang suddenly. It was Kristina and Ethan.
"Any luck?" asked Mona hopefully.
"Nope, there's no sign of her anywhere. We were just at Taylor's house. No one's there. We checked every place. It's empty. And I just talked to Chelsea and Megan. Coyote Ugly is fine. It doesn't look like anyone's been in there since yesterday when we closed up." Replied Kristina sadly. Mona sighed.
"Thanks." She said hanging up and turning to Severus. "No one's seen her anywhere." Just then, the phone rang again. This time, it was Draco.
"No luck here. No one has seen her since yesterday. Has anyone checked her house? Maybe she's just not answering." Said Draco.
"Kristina and Ethan were just there. It's hopeless! She's not here!" Mona wailed into the phone. Suddenly, as though he had been struck by lightning, Severus had an idea.
"Hold it. I think I might know where she it!" he exclaimed feeling warmth spread throughout his cold body. "Let me take you home. I need to see her alone." Mona looked at him funny, but decided to trust him. A soon as she was home safe, Severus disappeared with a pop to the one place he knew she would go.
Taylor always loved fish. Their bright colors and funny lips amused her while the look and sound of water calmed her. That's what led her to the Shed Aquarium on the edge of Chicago. The place was closed, but Mona had her ways of getting in. Here no one would find her. Here she could just relax and get her feelings out.
"I love him." She admitted out loud to no one but the fish. "You guys must think I'm stupid. How could anyone love him? Well, I just do. The first time I saw him, I knew there was something more. Despite his sulky attitude and harsh comments, I love him."
Severus arrived with another pop. When he heard Taylor talking to herself, he decided to listen before coming out.
"I'm just being stupid though. Who could ever love me? I've slept around so much. But you know, I'm not sorry. If I hadn't been such a slut, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have been a coyote or met Wyllie, Mona, and the others." Taylor got up and began to pace in front of the large tank. The fish seemed oblivious to the fact that she was there and just kept on swimming. "Most importantly, I wouldn't have met Severus. I wouldn't be having this child right now. I can't fall to pieces on a guy. I have a child now! I can do this alone!"
"But I wish you would do it with me."
Severus stepped out of the shadows as he spoke. Taylor gasped and spun around. "It's not polite to sneak up on people." She said in a small voice. Her eyes traveled to her feet, err… what she could see of them anyway. Severus stared at her intently before running up to her grabbing her waist and kissing Taylor full on the lips. Taylor reacted immediately. All of the love, lust, and pain that the two had been feeling came out into the kiss. Their tongues battled hard just as they always had. Taylor's hands were lost in Severus's hair, which he had cleaned so he would look more presentable.
Finally, Severus pulled away from Taylor, but only a little. He gazed down at her. She looked up at him, completely confused.
"I don't understand. You said last week you loved me, and you just kissed me like you did, but…" trailed Taylor looking doubtful. Severus tilted her chin as he used the other hand to grab something in his pocket. It was a small velvet box. Taylor gasped as Severus got down on one knee, and opened the box. A beautiful ring sat there with three diamonds shinning happily. The lights from the tanks reflected off of the three diamonds making it dance across the walls.
"Taylor, I love you. Whether you believe me or not, I do. I love you no matter what you were like before. You're carrying my child, and I want to be there for you and for the baby too. Please, marry me?" Severus waited anxiously for a reply. Tears began to form in the corners of Taylor's eyes, only she didn't frown. A huge smile spread across her face.
"Yes! Yes Severus Snape! I will marry you!" exclaimed Taylor. Severus stood up, slipped the ring on her finger, and kissed her again. When they broke apart, Taylor whispered to him, "I love you." Severus whispered it back, and for the first time in his life, he really meant it when he said it to her.
The sun had just risen on Chicago. Christmas Day was here! By seven 'o clock, sunlight was streaming through Mona and Draco's living room window. They, along with the coyotes, Ethan, Sam, and the dogs, had fallen asleep around the tree. The sunlight was what woke up Draco. It had fallen right in his face. Mona was asleep on the floor next to him. When he realized what day it was, he sat up quickly.
"Bloody hell! It's Christmas!" he exclaimed. Mona stirred next to him and sat up herself and looked around the room. The tree was still glowing now looking even more magical with the small beams of sunlight reflecting off of it. One by one, the sleeping people and dogs began to wake up.
"Wow! It really is Christmas! Cool!" exclaimed Ethan.
"Some people just never grow up…" sighed Kristina kissing Ethan quickly and getting up. "Hey, anyone remember why we spent the night on the floor?"
"Oh my God! Taylor!" shouted Megan jumping to her feet.
"Greasy haired one!" yelled Sam.
"What happened to them?" asked Chelsea. "Did they make it home?" At that moment, the front door burst open and in walked Severus with Taylor on his arm.
"Happy Christmas everyone!" they shouted beaming and smiling. There was a cry of glee from Mona as she and the rest got up to hug Taylor and thank Severus.
"How did you know where she was? Where was she?" asked Mona, who now looked completely relieved.
"Two words: bed talk." Replied Severus. Mona stuck her hand out in a stop position.
"Say no more!" she said sitting on the couch with Draco at her side. Taylor cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry if I scared everyone last night, but I have great news!" She held out her engagement ring. "We're getting married!" The coyotes all got up and squealed as the men congratulated Severus.
"You're in for it, Snape." Said Draco.
"But is all good!" exclaimed Sam. "Now let's open presents!" There was a rummaging of gifts and wrapping paper. Draco grinned as he handed Mona a huge leather book.
"What's this?" she asked opening the cover. It read:
To My Beautiful Wife, Mona Malfoy,
May these pictures and trinkets remind you that I'm going to love you and our baby until the end of time.
From Your Ever Loving Husband,
Draco Malfoy
Mona looked up at him with tears of joy in her eyes. "It's a beautiful inscription." She sniffed trying to hold back her tears. The book was filled with pictures of things like their wedding, Harry, Ginny, and Ron, Coyote Ugly, Sam and his Pizza Palace, the coyotes, and even some old one's of Wyllie. It was like a giant scrapbook. Stickers and little things like toothpicks from Coyote Ugly and caps from the beer taps. There was even a picture of Draco on the bar, dancing.
"Hey! Who put that in there?" asked Draco in a surprised voice. Megan looked the other way.
On the last page was a baby page. There was a blank spot for a picture of them and the baby along with a space to write its name. Taped to the back inside cover was also a gorgeous diamond bracelet.
"It's beautiful!" exclaimed Mona slipping on the bracelet. "But what if we have more kids?" she asked quirking an eyebrow in a suggestive manner. Draco smirked.
"The book is adjustable so you can add page after page of our kids." He said smiling. This had been one of the best Christmas's ever! Taylor and Severus were happy. Mona was getting over her fear. The baby would be here in four more months, right before their second wedding anniversary.
And so for the rest of the day, Mona, Draco, the coyotes, Severus, Sam, and Ethan exchanged gifts and enjoyed a beautiful Christmas day.
A/N: Whew! Glad that'd finally over! Seems like it took me forever! I don't think it took nearly as long though! Oh, and the Shed Aquarium is a real place on the edge of Chicago like I said.
NOTE:
Lots of people have told me that I should get a beta reader so now I'm officially looking for a beta reader. I don't have to know you already. I would prefer if you were really following the story and keeping up with your email. I know it takes me longer to update so I'm hoping that you'll be quick at reading and sending a note back. If you're interested, please leave a review. If you would also like to beta my other stories, make sure you tell me that too! Thanks!
The story is starting to come to a climax that should be coming up any time now. I don't know how long this story will be, but it'll be no longer than the first. I did change that ornament thing on the last chapter! Thanks again for reading and please review!
Me,
RonFan
P.S. If you're wondering about my friend. Well, she has a new boyfriend. I don't know if they're sleeping together, but his parents are never home, and it's not hard for her to get away from her own house. She won't tell me anything, but I'll keep you posted! Thanks for caring! J