Happy Christmas
Chapter 2: Sleigh Ride
LunarianPrincess
Holiday traditions become challenges and your partner is your worst enemy, what's a girl to do? Win, of course! Ginny and Draco are competing in the holiday challenge Dumbledore comes up with to promote unity among the houses.
Each chapter will be named for a different tradition, or a different holiday song. Suggest a favorite tradition of yours or a favorite holiday song and I may use it! But please send lyrics as I will use each in the chapter named for it.
SDA: I own Sam and Claud, thanks for reading! The song in this chap is by whoever wrote it originally, and instead of posting it in the beginning like last time it is in the story, thanks.
Malfoy climbed the steps to his private sanctuary wearily. His meeting with Snape had gone well, he had learned that the Order of the Phoenix was closer to catching his father at his tricks. Malfoy had turned against his father last year when he had been informed that he must kill a Muggle in order to become a Death Eater. Turning his mind from his dismal thought he thought instead of his odd encounter with the youngest Weasley, Ginny. He almost smiled at the memory of her sheer terror when he had come upon her. He was surprised to note that the girl he had teased for the last 6 years had suddenly turned into a woman. Her hair had deepened, becoming a lovely shade of auburn shot with copper, and hung in curls to the middle of her back. Her deep chocolate eyes had specks of gold in them, which flashed when she was mad. Her lips were full and rosy, pursing when mad while her cheeks flushed. Her skin was pale and dotted with golden freckles. Her figure was lush and supple, while still being trim and athletic. He shook himself from his reverie. He should not be noticing such things about a Weasley.
He opened his door and stripped his robe off, throwing it on the small couch that lay at the end of his bed. He shoved his hand through his hair as he walked to the window. He was still near the dungeons, but he was a level or two above them, allowing a relatively good view of the sky and the Forbidden Forest. He leaned against the desk that lay next to the window and stared out at the barren landscape.
His contemplations returned to the enigmatic Weasley. Impatiently he turned from the window and flopped into his high bed. He was surprised to note that his hand came in contact with something hard. Sitting up he picked up the package that was wrapped in hunter green paper. He looked at the package in confusion, Christmas wasn't for a couple of weeks, why was there a present already on his bed. A silver card lay slightly crumpled on the top.
He flipped it open and read: Dear Hogwarts student, I would like to inform you of a new tradition that has been implemented to provide a chance for house unity. We will have a series of competitions, based on a variety of holiday traditions, all students third year or above will participate. Each person competing will have an alias, yours will be Ivy, as such a costume has been provide for your activities, please wear it and enjoy! Also you will have a partner who will compete in all competitions with you. The two winners of the competitions will preside over the Christmas Feast as king and queen of the festivities. Happy Holidays.
He surveyed the unopened box with no little trepidation. He knew nothing of normal Christmas traditions. At his house, all holiday celebrations had been stiff and nearly solitary. He pulled the package towards him and lifted the lid off. A dark green suit edged in silver and dotted with white snowflakes lay inside. Under that was a green mask with silver snowflakes decorating the edges. Beneath was a black cloak lined with silver silk finished with luxuriant white fur. He was surprised to find such finery, he was used to it but was surprised to have it given to him by the school administration.
Beneath all this was another card. This one read: Your first challenge is a sleigh ride, to be held tomorrow at 10 o'clock. Please report to the front hall at 9:45 sharp tomorrow morning. You will be told who your partner will be and you must reach all checkpoints and receive your ornament, to go on your team tree, the winner of the game will be determined by the tree with the most challenge ornaments. Good luck!
He breathed a sigh of relief, he knew how to drive a sleigh, his family traveled in one to the one gathering they had had a couple of years ago. It had been silent and very awkward. He wondered how they were going to partner people, it said that it was for unity, so obviously they planned on splitting the houses up. He almost thought how it would be to be paired with Ginny, and quickly cut off that train of thought. He threw the box off the bed and laid the outfit across the sofa at the foot of the bed. He lay back in bed and extinguished the light near the bed. He slept his dreams flitting from his father to Christmas to Ginny and a weird combination of the three.
Malfoy groaned as the sun hit the glistening powder covering the ground. It refracted and sent radiant light bouncing off of everything. He looked at the clock that stood on the small bedside table. It read 8:00, he got up and threw on a pair of jeans, after buttoning them up he pulled a jumper over his head. Running his finger through his hair he grabbed socks and yanked them on. He slid his tennis shoes on and grabbed a light jacket that he threw on over his green jumper. He left the room and headed down to the Great Hall.
His eyes widened when he stepped into the hall. Everything had changed. The four house tables were now one huge circular table, there were a ring of trees surrounding the table and beyond them was a dark area fraught with mistletoe and wreathes. It seemed that most of the houses stuck together though he noticed that Sam, who usually enjoyed her solitude and her books, was sitting next to Ginny, that boy Creevey who seemed close to the boy beyond him, a black haired youth. And Sam's attention was fixed on the sandy haired boy on Ginny's right. He headed across the table from them and sat down. He was near Professor Snape and they shared a glance, and he inclined his head at the man who had served for a surrogate father for so long. The teachers were seated along the table, intermittent with the students. All in all, the picture evoked a sense of camaraderie and friendship. He saw that most of the students were coupled up and whispering, or cooing more likely, to each other. He almost rolled his eyes at their amorous tendencies.
After the meal was finished the group split up, glancing at his watch he saw that it was 9:15. He walked back to his room and sat at the couch at the end of his bed. He read the letters again before standing and throwing off the clothes he had put on so short a time ago. He pulled the suit on and tied his mask securely, before grabbing the cloak and heading down to the front hall. He swept through the halls and was surprised when he met none of the other students. He arrived at 9:42, a little early and surveyed the hall with incredulous eyes.
He saw the younger students all seated along the stairs, they watched the students who were costumed with awe filled eyes. He allowed himself to inspect the people already arrived. All of the students who stood before the professors were in costumes, ranging from elaborate to simple, sensible to silly. He joined the festively dressed students and gazed expectantly at the professors, who wore festive garb but were lacking the masks.
"Now, now," the headmaster said, getting the attention of the students gathered in the hall. "All of you wearing costumes have decided to compete in our Holiday game, this is going to be called the 12 Days of Challenge, each day we will have a challenge, and those of you who finish or qualify in the top three will receive an ornament, each pair will have a tree in the great hall," he announced. McGonagall stepped forward and all eyes turned to her.
"There are 7 teams, all of you who are competing will stay here for a minute while we pick the pairs, all those wishing to watch the competitions should follow Hagrid to where they can view today's contest." She finished, there was a great clamor as the 16 people who were not involved went to find a good place to watch. Draco watched as McGonagall and Snape conferred over a parchment that had two columns of names. He couldn't help wonder who would be his partner in this silly game.
"Now, to keep with the theme of masquerade," the potions master began, "we shall not say your name but your alias, you are free to reveal your identity to your partner but you are not required to do so, when I call your alias' please step outside, as it will help us see who has not been called." Thus they began calling various holiday themed names. Finally there were only four people left in the front hall. He recognized the other people, the girl in icy blue, was a Slytherin, and the boy in striped red and white, was a seventh year Gryffindor. He watched as the boy in Gryffindor was paired with the brunette from his house, and his eyes turned to the last person he recognized. There in a deep red gown edged in green, was the youngest Weasley. The only girl Weasley stood in the sumptuous gown and he slowly perused her figure. The bodice outlined her generous chest, the dress clearly displayed her trim waist and the deep crimson velvet set of her flame colored hair to where it looked like it glowed with its own light. The holly accents that were all over the dress and in her riotous curls were explained when Snape spoke again, his voice tinged with black humor as he appreciated the irony.
"Ivy is paired with Holly," he called. They both approached the doors and they stood staring at each other with misgiving. Draco smiled at her before sweeping into a mocking bow. Ginny smirked at him and lowered into a graceful curtsy, unwittingly giving Draco a better view of her exposed chest. She glanced up through her lashes and caught him staring, she gave a glare but he smiled and extended his arm.
"Holly, my lady," he said mockingly, emphasizing the word lady. "If you would be so kind as to give me your arm we can commence with winning this contest." She laughed at his pompous remark and tucked her hand beneath his elbow.
"Of course, as a girl in a household of six boys I learned quickly, it's best not to get between a competitive jerk and his goals." She told him with a smile. He stopped short and looked at her in surprise, he was amused and he had almost laughed. He never laughed, it wasn't a thing Malfoy's did.
"Whatever," he said and he hurried to where the group was clustered around the professors. The instructions were given quickly and each group was assigned a festively decorated sleigh. Theirs was pulled by a black gelding, a large powerful yet good-natured horse, the sleigh was built for two and was a deep forest green. Tiny silver bells adorned the harness and inside the sleigh were plush lap blankets. While he was inspecting their mode of transportation Ginny had stepped forward and was proceeding to make friends with the horse. Soon she was giggling while caressing the horse's velvety nose.
"Weasley!" he said sharply causing her to look up at him in surprise. "C'mon they're waiting to start," he beckoned her over, before lifting her into the sleigh. He climbed up after her and situated the blankets around them and watched as the signal was given by Dumbledore.
"Okay, we're supposed to follow the markers into the forest and reach the finishing point, where the first three to arrive receive their ornament, right?" Ginny asked him. He nodded in answer to her question, focusing his energy on guiding the headstrong gelding. They rode in silence while he struggled with the ornery animal and she was thinking about what she had read in the book last night. "Do you want me to drive for a while?" she asked him, when she noticed his frustration. When he didn't answer she grabbed the reins from him, he glared at her and angrily crossed his arms over his chest huffily. She nearly laughed at the sulky expression he wore. Almost instantly the horse calmed and carried them swiftly along a trail in the forest. Draco grabbed the reins from her and the horse stayed in its good mood, easily following his directions. After passing a spot for the second time Ginny began to be bored, thinking about what she had read she decided to try singing in order to alleviate her boredom. She opened her mouth and her clear soprano let loose the only song she could think of for this instance.
Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling too
Come on, its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling yoo-hoo
Come on, its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
"What are you doing, Weasley?" Draco broke in, interrupting her song.
"Well, Malfoy, in the book I was reading, all the couples who used to go sledding sang, and when I was a child and my brothers pulled me around we would sing Muggle Christmas songs, I was just trying to amuse myself, since this is becoming bored," she explained to the platinum haired boy. He surveyed her skeptically, his eyes sweeping over her clothes, before shrugging and indicating she start again.
Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling too
Come on, its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling yoo-hoo
Come on, its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Giddy-yap, Giddy-yap, Giddy-yap lets go
Let's look at the show
We're riding in a wonderland of snow
Giddy-yap, Giddy-yap, Giddy-yap, its grand
Just holding your hand
We're gliding along with a song of a wintry fair land
Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy-cozy are we
We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be
Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two
Come on, its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
There's a birthday party at the home of wizard gray
It'll be the perfect ending of a perfect day
We'll be singing the songs we love to sing without a single stop
At the fireplace, where we watch the chestnuts pop. Pop! Pop! Pop!
There's a happy feeling nothing in this world can buy
When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie
It'll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives
These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives
Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling too
Come on, its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling yoo-hoo
Come on, its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Giddy-yap, Giddy-yap, Giddy-yap lets go
Let's look at the show
We're riding in a wonderland of snow
Giddy-yap, Giddy-yap, Giddy-yap, its grand
Just holding your hand
We're gliding along with a song of a wintry fair land
Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy-cozy are we
We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be
Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two
Come on, its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Draco joined in on the last repeat of the chorus and as they passed the same spot for the third time a passage through the trees opened up. They stared at each other in amazement. The pulled up and realized they were the second group there, a Ravenclaw pair was already sitting there. McGonagall approached their sled and handed them a silver ornament in the shape of a sleigh bell, it tinkled delicately as Ginny cradled it in her palm. She grinned triumphantly up at Draco, who smirked at her in return. Ginny found herself drowning in his intoxicating quicksilver eyes, her breath caught and her cheeks tinged pink when she realized what she was doing.
Her odd, craving, hot thoughts were interrupted when the tinkling of sleigh bells announced the arrival of the last pair. Ginny watched as Sam and her Gryffindor companion pulled up and received their ornament. Dumbledore sent up a shower of green and red spark, to show the contest had been completed.
"Teams, there will be a ornament ceremony where each pair will decorate their tree and place their winning ornament on their tree, it will begin at 7 pm sharp, please wear your costumes, I would advise you and your partner discussing what you want the tree to look like before you decorate, that is all, you are dismissed, it is 4 o'clock so you have time to meet with your partner if you decide to do so," Dumbledore announced when all the groups had congregated in the great hall again. Ginny made a move to leave when somebody grabbed her arm and spun her around, she looked at the person in surprise.
Okay, the reference to Holly and Ivy, what is it? Ten points to those who can tell me, so what did you think? I know it was kind of boring, please review though!
Dracosbaby7: I'm glad you like this fic, I hope the competitions work! Yes, there should be much more g/d sweetness it's a lot easier to write holiday fluff than any other kind, what do you think of this chapter, what should I have them do next? Or do you have any favorite x-mas songs that you want to see used in the fic?
sakura-no-hana-hoshi: happy holidays, I'm glad you liked that chapter. Is this chapter good? I used this song because for our Christmas pageant I'm singing it, plus it sort of wrote itself, what do you think?
tennischic101: actually traditions were what originally inspired me to write this fic, so I'm glad you liked it, do you have any of your own that you want to submit.
luna and sassy: there is more, a lot more! Even though it wasn't particularly good there was more, I hope you liked it!
Lady in White: thanks for reviewing, was this chapter cute?
Robiningodspell: I've only sung it as part of a medley in my choir, I'm glad you like the story, hope this chapter meets the standard, thanks for reviewing.
Ehlonna: I'm glad, I had fun writing it! Sorry I made you wait so long to read more!
Felton118: well, here it is, though you probably had to wait an interminable amount of time for it, sorry!