CHAPTER TWO
DECORATION DISCOVERY
The following morning was Christmas Eve and Hermione got up early to submit the refreshment list to the kitchen elves. Both she and Malfoy went down to breakfast to spread the word about the party to the 6th and 7th years who were staying for the break.
After breakfast, Ron and Harry were going to Hogsmeade to get a few last minute gifts and they asked Hermione if she wanted to go with them. She didn't want to have to do all the party preparations on Christmas day so she decided not to join them, but asked that they pick up a few gifts for her.
Hermione had decided that everyone coming to the party, including the Slytherins, should get a small gift from the heads, so she had Harry and Ron pick up a small bag of assorted sweets for each person from Honeydukes. That and the other last minute gift she asked them to pick up will tap her out completely until her parents sent her January's allowance, but it was worth it. 'Christmas is about giving', she thought.
Hermione went back to the common room and took a look at the boxes of decorations the house elves left for her. They had already set up a fresh tree for her next to the French doors that led out to the balcony. She, rolled up her sleeves, took our her wand and got to work.
By 5pm, Hermione was almost done. The tree was decorated, complete with presents under it, and it was lit with pretty little flickering fairy lights. Fresh pine roping was twined around the banister and along the 2nd floor balcony rail. Holly and burgundy bows were placed evenly along the roping at the top of each swag, the lights were dimmed and the room glittered and sparkled.
She didn't know how she did it, but she managed to get a splash of each of the house colors represented in the decorations, even the Slytherin colors. Everything looked classic. Traditional.
Just a few more finishing touches and it would be complete, but she could do that tomorrow morning after breakfast. She grabbed the other half of her sandwich that the kitchen elves sent up since she missed lunch, put on her sweatshirt and stepped out onto the balcony.
She watched the younger students by the Quidditch pitch practicing their flying while she ate. Hermione finished her sandwich and was about to come in and get ready for the Christmas Eve feast, when she heard the portrait door slam shut. She closed her eyes when she heard Malfoy utter, "Holy shit!".
'Great', she thought. 'Here's the part where he finds me and demands to know what I've done'.
"Granger", he yelled as he stormed out onto the balcony, "What the bloody hell did you do?" Hermione couldn't help but laugh to herself. 'He's gotten soooo predictable over the years', she thought and mentally rolled her eyes
"What does it look like Malfoy? I decorated for the party."
"Yeah? Well, it looks like Troves of Holiday Treasures blew up in here", he said pointing into the common room.
She smirked, "Just wait….there's more"
"What do you mean there's more? You've decorated from floor to ceiling, how could there be more?"
Her smirk widened into a grin.
Realization dawned on him. "No…….you didn't….you, you wouldn't…"
She started chuckling as he ran back inside and bounded up the stairs two at a time. Hermione took a deep breath to get her laughing under control and to brace herself for Malfoy's reaction. Following him up the stairs she found him standing in front of his open bedroom door with his mouth gaping.
His room, predominantly green and silver, was now highlighted in ice blue making it look like a winter wonderland. The fire in the grate reflected off of the silver and made the whole room look warm and cozy despite the chilling colors.
It was………beautiful.
"What….what did you do?", he said in total shock.
"I decorated your room too", she said simply. "I knew you wouldn't be interested in doing it yourself and I had a few things left over so…." She paused watching him take it all in.
"Look", she continued as he stepped across the threshold, "You were right. No matter how hard I try to have everyone get a long at the party, you and the other Slytherins probably won't want to spend time downstairs with the rest of us. So, if you're going to confine yourselves to this room, I thought the least we could do is to offer a festive environment".
He turned sharply and looked at her.
"I dressed it in colors that I thought you and your friends would appreciate", she said quickly trying to soften the shocked look in his eyes. "Not a spec of red or gold anywhere, see?", she said still trying to plead her case.
He was still looking at her with incomprehension in his eyes.
"Oh stop it Malfoy. If you hate it that much, I'll take it down. I just thought that with you co-hosting in here, you'd want your room to look festive. I didn't enter your room, if that's what you're worried about. I accio'd everything in place from the hallway." she said searching for her wand.
He walked all the way into his room. He couldn't believe she did all this for him….and his friends. She even hung mistletoe all over the ceiling. 'Nice touch', he thought genuinely impressed that the prudish Gryffindor guessed what fun and games he had planned for his party.
"I can't believe you did this", he said softly. It was the way he said it that scared her, soft and overly calm, like a time bomb waiting to explode. She knew he would be shocked and probably upset…..but not this pissed.
"I'm sorry, Malfoy", she said in a small voice. "I just thought it would be nice to….", she shrugged "it's Christmas". Malfoy continued looking around the room.
She had her hands in her pockets and she was looking down at the floor to hide her hurt.
She had worked really hard all day and she actually thought his room looked better than the common room. "I think I left my wand downstairs. If you'll give me a minute, I'll accio everything back into the boxes". Hermione turned to walk back down to the common room.
"Huh?", he said still caught in a daze that she would go to all this trouble for him. "No." "I mean….", trying to collect himself. "Leave it, it's already up. But on the 26th, you're taking it all down", he finished trying to bring some of the earlier anger back to his voice.
She looked at him and gave him a weak smile then looked back down. "Of course, Malfoy".
"I was going to get ready for the feast, did you need the bath? I wanted to shower", she said softly.
"No, you go ahead", still a little distracted by what she had done.
She turned and started off towards her room, but stopped when he came out and called after her.
"Granger." Everything looks…..nice", he managed to get out keeping his emotions in check. She gave him a quick nod and continued to her room.
