Author Note: Okay, so after reading what my betas wrote, I must admit that Harry is pretty evil and Draco is pretty sappy, my betas have expressed their feelings throughGeorge and Fred,but that's the way the story went. So, yes, Harry is a mean in this chapter.
Dedication: I dedicate this story to my two friends, Becky and Manda,who have beta my story and added a few fun parts in here. Everythingin BOLDis everything that they have added in! Thanks a lot guys!
"I will change! I will!"
Before anything else could be said or done, the ground opened even more and Draco Malfoy fell into the fiery hell below.
"Well, that fucking sucks," said George.
"Indeed," agreed Fred. "Glad I'm not him."
"Wait…if we're the narrators, don't we have to follow him?"
Draco suddenly hit a rather soft spot, instead of the expected pit of flames and doom. He stopped screaming and slowly opened his eyes. He noticed that he was in his own bed. He sat straight up and did something he had not done in a long time: he actually cracked a genuine smile.
"My room!" He looked at his bed curtains and tugged on them gently. "They're still here, rings and all!" He jumped out of his bed and ran to his dresser where he pulled open a drawer and emptied out everything until he found the velvet pouch. He opened it up and spilled the content that was in it into his hand. It was Ginny's ring. It was still there.
"Of course," Fred muttered, from his position on the canopy. "Why he thought that would be missing when clearly everything else was still here is a mystery."
He looked around his room and said, "The Spirits gave me another chance."
"Was that not the whole point of this story?" George asked.
"I think it was."
"He doesn't seem to have been paying a whole hell of a lot of attention."
"No, he doesn't."
Draco ran to his mantle and looked at the painting of Blaise Zabini hanging over it and said, "Thank you, Blaise, thank you!" He could swear that for a moment he actually saw the painting smile at him.
"Of course, why that would be unusual, since this is, after all, a wizard painting, is beyond me," Fred muttered.
The bells of London started to ring. He ran to his window and threw it open. "What day is it, I wonder?"
"Doesn't he have a calendar?" George asked.
"Evidently not."
"We should get him one as a present."
Fred stared at his brother. "Present?"
"All right, all right. We'll 'suggest' it for the Yankee Swap next year."
"That's better."
"Cheap skate."
Draco looked down to the streets and saw a boy walking and he screamed down to him, "Boy!"
The boy had stopped and looked up to Draco at the window, "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, I am. Tell me, boy, what day is today?"
"Well, today is Christmas Day."
"Christmas Day?" Draco echoed.
"Aye, the day that comes after Christmas Eve."
"The Spirits did it all in one night and why shouldn't they, they can do anything."
"Okay," the boy said, edging away from the insane man.
"No, wait boy!"
"What now?" the boy asked, annoyed.
"You know the turkey in the butcher shop down the street? The one in the window?"
"You mean the one as big as I am?"
"Yes. Is it still there?"
"Aye."
"Good lad. Go and buy it for me, in my name, and bring it back here."
"What are you, serious?" The boy asked confusedly.
"Do it and I shall give you a shilling."
"Really?" The boy said, his tone flat.
"Do it in less then ten minutes and I'll give you two!"
The boy didn't say anything he just ran off.
Draco walked away from the window, and rubbed his hands together, warming them from the cold. "I'll send them to Weasley's house. He won't know who sent it."
"Wait," George asked. "There are six Weasley houses. Which Weasley are you sending it to?"
"If he were smart, he'd send it to us, with us saving his soul and crap."
"We've already proven he's not that bright."
Draco laughed. "Wait until they see that, what a feast they will have!" He quickly got dressed, grabbed his coat, top hat, and cane and walked out the door; only to walk back in, grab the velvet pouch and put it in his coat pocket.
He walked out of his house just in time to meet up with the butcher who was running down the alleyway with the turkey.
"Mr. Malfoy, this boy says you wish to buy this turkey."
"Indeed I do." He turned to the lad and said, "Thank you, my boy," and gave him three shillings instead of the two that he had promised. The boy ran off with a smile on his face screaming, "Merry Christmas!"
"Mr. Malfoy?" the butcher interrupted.
"Ah, yes, my good man," Draco said while paying the man. "I need you to bring this to the Weasley's home on Durmont Lane, Number 32. But you can't tell them who it's from." He laughed. The butcher just stared at him. "Oh, what am I thinking! You can't carry that all the way there. You'll need to take a cab." He handed him some more money.
"Thank you, sir," the butcher said laughing along with Draco.
"No, thank you, and remember, no telling them who it's from."
"Yes, sir, Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas!" Draco responded.
Draco walked down the streets wishing everyone he saw a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday and then suddenly he came across two familiar faces.
"Ah, Merry Christmas, gentlemen. Weren't you the two who came around my office yesterday looking for donations?"
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, and yes you made it very clear yesterday that you did not wish to donate anything," one said and they turned to walk away.
Draco called after them, "But yesterday I was a very different person." The two turned around and looked at Draco in confusion. "I wish to donate a hundred gold coins."
The two men's eyes went wide. "A hundred gold coins?"
"Yes, and not a penny less," he said. "Come tomorrow and pick the money up. Oh yes, and Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you too, sir!"
As Draco continued down the road he collided with two people. "Oh, I'm so sor…" when he noticed who it was he said, "You two?"
"Aye, us two." Fred said.
"How did you guys get out of the future?"
"I'm the narrator. I can do anything." George said. "We've been here the whole time, you've just been ignoring us."
"As usual, you sonofabitch," Fred muttered.
Draco looked at Fred. "And I am the narrator's brother!" Fred explained.
"Ah-ha. Hey, I just want to thank you all for what you guys did."
"What is this, your Oscar speech? And for the record, you don't use 'you all' when referring to two people, you grammatically incorrect yak. It's 'you two' or just plain 'you'. Honestly, Hogwarts needs to make an English program in their curriculum," Fred said.
"Aw, it was nothing," George said.
"No, I feel that if you weren't there I would have missed the really little things."
"Ahem, you did! Did you not pay any attention the whole of last night with the Spirits and the time traveling? Why do you think we're here, for the company?"
"Yeah, this is community service work. And not the volunteering type."
"So, off to see Fred, your nephew," George told him.
"No, I'm not," Draco answered.
"You're not?" George asked. "Why not?"
"Yeah, and while we're at it, why did you let your sister name her son after me? There are a billion names in the world, and she had to pick mine! Do you have any idea how confusing it is narrating about someone with your own name?"
Draco gasped, "You mean you don't know where I'm going? And here I thought the narrator knew everything."
"I do know everything, and this just proves that you don't know where you're going," George corrected.
"Well, I have somewhere to stop before I go to my nephew's and hopefully I'm not too late," he said before running off.
"No! Wait! You're ruining my story! You're changing everything!" George shouted. "Fred, he's changing the whole ending around!"
"Mate, I think he's making it better though. For someone else too."
"Let's follow him," George said, and off they went.
"Draco walked to the familiar house that he saw one too many times the night before. He stopped at the front gate and swallowed hard; he was far more afraid now then when he first saw the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come," George whispered.
"GO HOME!" Draco screamed at George. "I don't need anymore narration."
"Obviously you do because you're not doing what we TOLD you to do!" yelled Fred.
"Move your arse!" George screamed.
Draco opened the gate and walked up the stone path to the front door. He used the doorknocker and waited. It wasn't long before someone answered the door.
"Merry Christmas," the housekeeper said.
"Merry Christmas," Draco responded. "I would like to speak with Miss Virginia if she is here."
"Of course she is here, please come in."
"Thank you," Draco said while walking into the house and removing his hat.
"May I ask who is calling?" the housekeeper asked.
"Just tell her it's an old friend."
"Yes sir." The woman and ran up the stairs to find Ginny.
Draco hung his hat and coat on a little hook on the wall and he leaned his cane against the wall.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" asked a voice.
Draco turned and saw that Harry had just walked into the room. "Ah, Merry Christmas, Potter."
Harry only repeated his question. "I ask you again, what are you doing here?"
"I have come to talk to Virginia," Draco answered.
"Over my dead body!" exclaimed Harry.
"That can be arranged."
"Ah, there's that charm that Ginny loved so much that she dumped you on your arse and came crawling back to me."
"Crawling, Potter? You always were an exaggerator."
"Ha, you wish! The only reason why Ginny got away from you is because you didn't know how to use her properly. I got her wrapped around my little finger." Draco's face burned. "She comes when I call her, she brings me my slippers and the paper, and she lights my pipe. She's like my little..."
Before Harry could finish his sentence Draco punched Harry square in the jaw.
"You bastard! I'm going to have a fat lip now for my wedding!" yelled Harry.
Harry tried to punch him back, but Draco was too fast for him and moved out of the way to see Harry fall on his face.
"That's even if there is going to be a wedding," Draco said leaning over Harry.
Harry grabbed Draco's leg and pulled it out from underneath him, making him fall to the ground too. Draco muttered to himself, "I should have seen that one coming."
"Yes, yes you should have." Harry then lifted his leg and slammed his heel as hard as he could right in Draco's chest, making him lose his breath.
"Boys, stop this!" Ginerva said as she came running down the stairs.
The two men stood up; Draco took a little more time since he was still trying to catch his breath.
"What's this all about?"
Draco glared at Harry, and Harry turned to Ginny. ""I was only defending you my love, he was saying such evil things about you."
Draco said, "That's a lie, Potter!"
Before either could do anything, Ginny said, "Draco, what are you doing here?"
Draco walked up the few steps to meet her. He stood in front of her and took her hands in his. "I have come to apologize, but I fear that I am too late." He looked at her, and noticed that she still had the necklace around her neck. "You're still wearing the necklace."
Ginny put one hand on her chest and covered the locket with her hand. "I must admit I almost did give up hope."
"Please say you didn't give it all up."
"No, I still have a little bit left," she said with a smile on her face.
Harry sighed in disgust, "Virginia, don't forget, we're getting married tomorrow."
"Don't hold your breath, Potter," Draco said without even turning towards him. "Please, don't marry him." Ginny's eyes filled with tears. She opened her mouth to say something, but she never got the chance to say anything. "He won't make you happy. He doesn't love you."
"Neither do you, Malfoy!" Harry screamed at him.
"That's not true," Draco said.
"Do you, Draco? Do you still love me?" Ginny whispered.
"I…I do. I always have. Somewhere beneath my cold heart I have always loved you."
Outside the window, Fred and George stuck their fingers down their throats while gagging and hacking, their faces contorted in horrible pain.
"I have waited a very long time for you, Draco, and I don't want to wait anymore," Ginny said sadly.
"God, if you love us, you'll deliver us from this horrible torture!" Fred screamed and shook his fist towards the sky.
"I think when we followed that nit that last time through the fiery chasm we ended up in Hell!" groaned George. "I didn't think that we were so horrible that we deserve this kind of punishment!"
Draco could not believe what she was saying, "Ginny, believe me, I have changed."
"Have you? What makes you say this?"
"I was visited last night by three Spirits and two annoying boys who showed me my path, and it's with you, Ginny. It was always with you. I was just too stupid to see it."
"Actually, it was a short, pointless life filled with misery and loneliness, you dip shit," Fred said.
"At least he finally admitted that he's stupid," added George. "Probably the best we could hope for."
Ginny said nothing to him, and Harry just laughed and said, "Spirits!"
"I see that my stupidity has lost me everything." Draco took the velvet pouch out of pocket and handed it to Ginny. "All I ask is that you remember me," he said, holding back tears and backing down the stairs. "Merry Christmas,Virginia."
Draco grabbed his hat, coat, from the hook off the wall and grabbed his cane. He then turned to Harry and said, "Sorry about the intrusion." He left.
"Good riddance!" Harry yelled after him as the door closed behind him.
Outside…"What happened, mate?" Fred asked.
"Yeah, where's our sister?" George added.
"Still inside with Potter," Draco said, not stopping to talk.
"What? Why?" the twins asked in unison.
"She doesn't believe that I have changed. She doesn't love me anymore. I was too late."
"Aw, I'm sorry, mate."
"Yeah." The two continued to follow. Draco then stopped and said to the two boys, "Please, stop following me. You did what you came to do, now leave me to find a new path."
"Actually, you're still doomed to that life of misery and loneliness," corrected George.
"But where are you going?" Fred asked.
"To spend the day with someone who does still love me," Draco said and walked off.
"Where?" Fred asked George.
"To his brother-in-law's house," George said, smacking him upside the head. "You've been hanging around Draco the Dumbass far too long."
Meanwhile inside Harry's house…"What was that that he gave you?" Harry asked Ginny, not too happy that his day was already starting off badly.
Ginny opened the pouch and dumped the contents into her hand. It was the engagement ring that Draco gave to her so long ago. Ginny stood there in shock. She had no idea as to why he would still have this.
"Well, what is it?" Harry asked angrily.
"Oh, just a pendant," she said, slipped it back into the pouch, and ran back up the stairs.
Back to Draco theDraco walked up the stairs to an oh-so-familiar house and knocked on the door. The housekeeper answered it.
"Merry Christmas, sir. May I help you?"
Draco stepped inside, removed his hat, and said, "Is your master at home?"
"Yes, sir, he is. He's in the dining hall with his guests," the woman said.
"Thank you."
"Shall I announce you?"
"Oh, no, let's make this a surprise, shall we?" Draco said with a smile.
"Yes, sir," the woman said and took his hat, coat, and cane from him. "Shall I show you the way?"
"Oh, no, I know the way quite well."
Inside the dining room everyone was eating and talking loudly when suddenly the door opened and someone cleared his throat. Everyone looked to where the sound came from, and when they saw who it was, the whole room fell silent.
"Hi Jack, it is I, Draco. I've come for dinner, if you'll still have me."
Jack stood up and walked over to him. "Of course I'll still have you." He shook Draco's hand. "Of course, brother," Jack said with a wide smile, which made Draco smile back.
Suddenly little Fred ran up to Draco and flung his arms around his waist. "Merry Christmas, Uncle! I knew you would come."
Draco picked up the small boy and said, "I thought that you didn't like me."
"You don't look so scary when you smile. In fact, it looks like Mum's, doesn't it Dad?"
Jack looked and tried to sound astonished, "Well, it surely does, my son, it surely does."
The next morning…It was 8:15 and Ron ran into Malfoy's office, sat at his desk, and started working.
"Weasley," Draco called. Ron raised his head. "Come here."
Ron stood up and slowly made his way over to Draco's desk. "Yes, sir?"
Draco stood up and said, "Do you know what time it is?"
"I know I'm late, Mr. Malfoy, but Christmas is only once a year, and we were making rather merry yesterday." Draco stared at him with an icy glare. "I mean it won't happen again."
"I'm sure it won't. In fact I know that it won't happen again." Ron's eyes went wide; he knew that he was going to get fired. "You have taken advantage of my charity for far too long, therefore," he paused for dramatic effect, "I've decided to give you a raise and make you my partner! Ha!"
Ron's eyes went wide, "What?"
"Merry Christmas, Ron!" He held out his hand.
Ron only backed away. "What happened to you?"
"I have no idea, but believe me, Ron, I want to help you with your finances and make life a little better for you and your family. If you will let me, that is, and together we can save Tiny Tim."
"Tiny Tim? How did you know about him?"
"Believe me, I have my ways." He smiled. "So, what do you say, partner?" He held out his hand.
Ron smiled and shook the man's hand, "Okay."
"Now, give me everyone's files and let's extend their loans!"
Ron gave Draco another weird look, but shrugged his shoulders and did it anyway.
Later that morning…"You should take the rest of the day off. Go home, get your wife and kids, and take them to your sister's wedding."
"I can't," Ron responded.
"Why, that stupid Potter wouldn't let her invite you?"
"No," said another voice. "It's because she called it off."
Draco looked up and saw Ginny standing in the doorway.
"Ah, so how long have you been there?"
"For a while now."
"Ah, sir, if you don't mind, I think I'll still take that invitation and take the rest of the day off," said Ron, running for the door and jamming his hat on even as he spoke. "Hi-bye Ginny!"
"Oh, and Weasley?"
"Yes, sir?"
"What did I tell you about calling me 'sir'?"
Ron sighed and said, "What do you want?"
"Now that's more like it! With your free afternoon, go look for a bigger house, you can't bring up all those kids in a house like yours."
Ron was too astonished to say anything, but before he left he kissed his sister on her cheek and said, "We're going to be able to help Tiny Tim now."
"I know. I heard, go tell Hermione," said Ginny.
"Toodle-loo!"
Draco and Ginny were now the only two left in the building.
"So, how was it that you heard?"
"That's your first question?" Ginny asked.
"Fred and George told you, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Well, those boys do know everything, don't they?"
"Yeah, they do."
"That's 'cause we're the narrators!" Fred and George chorused from their position at the window.
Then there was this awkward silence. Then Draco cleared his throat and said, "Ah, so, what made you call off the wedding?"
"I asked Annie, the housekeeper, told me everything that Harry said."
"So, you finally found out about the real Harry Potter, huh?"
"In a way, I always knew."
"Yet you were going to marry the bastard anyway?" Ginny just stayed quiet, "Well, how did he take it?"
"He's not too happy. Especially when I told him that the reason why I didn't want to marry him was because I didn't love him."
"You don't?" Draco asked.
"My heart has always loved one man."
Draco was frozen to his spot when he saw the ring on Ginny's finger. It wasn't Harry's; it was his. "Is that one man… me?"
"Yes, Draco, for always and forever you have my heart, and there's nothing I can do about that. But you broke it, Draco." She started to cry, "And it shattered into a lot of pieces."
Draco walked over to her and said, "I can put it back together. I'm good at fixing things."
"But a heart is so much harder to mend."
"I will take as long as I have to mend it. Even if it takes me to fix it, I will."
"Draco, I don't want to wait. I want now."
"Now?"
Ginny nodded her head.
"Let me see what I can do," Draco said as he leaned his head towards her and pressed his lips against hers ever so softly in a kiss. "How's that?"
"I've had better," Ginny said with a smile, "but my heart is feeling better."
"Hmmm, so if I keep kissing you for the next few months, you think your heart will be better in time for a spring wedding?"
Ginny gasped, smiled, and said, "Don't push your luck, buddy."
Draco laughed, wrapped his arms around her, and took her into a passionate kiss.
Outside the accounting house George and Fred were peeping through the window. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" they screamed in unison. "WHAT HORRIBLE SIN HAVE WE COMITTED?
"It's about bloody time!" Fred said. "I knew it was going to happen."
"What was your first clue? When Ginny said he was a bastard for making fun of Harry at Flourish and Blotts? Or that time that she tried to bite him when Draco caught them for Umbridge?"
"Whatever. So, are you going to finish the story or what?"
"Draco was better than his word, he did it all and more. And whenever you asked anyone about Draco Malfoy, they all said that he was a changed man. He kept his word to the three Spirits; he learned how to keep Christmas in heart every day of the year. And as for Tiny Tim, who did NOT die..."
"Oh, that's great! I always did like Tiny Tim."
"You better have, he's your nephew," George said and then returned to finishing his story. "And as for Tiny Tim, who did not die, he became a second father. And as Tiny Tim observed…"
As George said that, Tiny Tim walked into the street with his crutches and said, "God bless us, everyone."
As the words THE END pop up you can still here George and Fred talking.
"So, do you believe me that I'm Charles Dickens, now?"
"Nope."
"Oh, well."
"So, what do we do now?"
George smiled and said, "It was the best of times it was the worst of times."
"NO WAY! That story is like eight times larger then the Christmas Carol. Don't even think about it. I've never even read that story."
THE END!
Thanks everyone for all the reviews! I hope you enjoyed!
