(AN: I took time out from cooking, eating, boozing, and being charming to my horridly overbred family put this online on the day itself, so you'd better appreciate it. Merry Christmas, etcetera, Your Duchess)
Chapter 14:Dreaming Of A Platinum Blond Christmas
A loud squeal echoed over the lawn as Severus Snape approached Malfoy Manor across the grounds. Snape raised an eyebrow at this, but trudged along stoically, used as he was to Lucius' sometimes odd behaviour. As he neared the front door, he heard more squealing and crashing. Frowning, he rang the bell.
Within seconds, the door flew open, and a house-elf followed, hurling through the air. Snape just managed to dodge this, when Lucius threw himself against him, and dragged him into the house. "Finally! I thought you'd never get here! You simply must see my present!" Lucius said, overexcitedly.
"Present?" said Snape, baffled. Then he remembered. "Oh Merlin!" he exclaimed desperately. "Of course! It's Christmas!" He spotted Narcissa in the hall as Lucius dragged him up the stairs to his bedroom. "Narcissa!" he shouted, "Hadn't I told you that whatever may happen, you should never, ever let Lucius come near a candy cane?"
"But I couldn't think of anything else to give him for a present!" Narcissa shouted back at him helplessly. Then she turned and walked back into the drawing room, ignoring Snape's tortured cries that resounded through the house.