A Twisted Christmas
By Shadow Rise

Cold Cousin

Draco Malfoy, age twenty-eight, sat at his desk, surrounded by papers and files and anything that had something to do with his latest case. His assistant, Hermione Granger (soon-to-be Weasley), was researching on a client for him, so therefore she did not pull her usual 'He's busy, bother him later' when Tracey Davis entered with a grin on his handsome face.

"Good afternoon, dear cousin!" the dark-haired man exclaimed with a deep bow.

Draco glanced up and nodded. "Davis. What brings you to my offices?"

"Ah-that, my dearest dismal cousin, is a simple reason." he grinned, seating himself across from Draco, "I've come to invite you for dinner at my home with the family tomorrow."

Malfoy regaurded him with only an arched eyebrow and a "Don't be ridiculus".

"Well, if you're the alternative, you can paint me pink and call me positively loony." he muttered, "Well then, I suppose I'll wish you a happy Christmas and leave."

Malfoy slammed down the file and glared at his cousin. "Happy Christmas?! Ha! What right do you have to be happy? You're poor enough!"

"Come now, what right do you have to be so morose? You're rich enough!"

"Oh don't be so cross, Draco."

"Oh shove it. If I had my way, every ninny who ran about with Merry Christmas on his lips would be boiled in his own putting and burned with a stake of holly through his heart!"

"Cousin." Tracey stressed, wincing at the thought.

The light-haired man smirked and looked back to work.

"Davis, keep Christmas in your own way and let me keep it in mine."

"Keep? But you don't keep it."

"Then let me leave it alone. Much good has it ever done me!"

"It has done many a person good. A time for love and care. A time when people give to make others happy. The only time I know when men seem to open their shut-up hearts and think for others, not just themselves! And so, though it won't get me rich quickly, I say thanks be unto all who celebrate this glorious season! A Merry Christmas!"

Suddenly, there was a clapping noise from Granger's desk. "So true!"

Malfoy sent her a glare and shut her up. "Let me hear another sound from you and you can keep Christmas by loosing your situation." he then turned to Tracey, "You're quite the powerful speaker, Davis, a wonder you're not in the clergy."

Tracey gave him a patient look. "Don't be such a pissy little bitch, Malfoy. Come, dine with us tomorrow!"

"Good afternoon." he said coldly.

"C'mon!"

"Good afternoon." he repeated.

"I'm sorry to find you so resolute, we never fight. But I'll keep the spirit to the last. So a Merry Christmas, Cous!"

"Good afternoon." he said strongly.

"And a Happy New Year!"

"Good afternoon!" he snapped, glaring angrily as Davis exited.

"Have a Merry Christmas, Miss Granger." Tracey smiled charmingly, placing a kiss across her knuckles.

"I shall try, Mr. Davis." she replied, "Merry Christmas, tell Luna I said hello."

"Of course."

Tracey gave the two men entering a kind nod as Hermione pointed to Malfoy's office door.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy I presume?" the first man, tall and lanky with brown hair, said.

"Correct."

"I'm Ernie MacMillan and this is my associate, Michael Corner."

Draco gave a glare to the second man and turned to Ernie. "What do you want, MacMillan?"

"We are collecting a Christmas fund for the poor, orphaned children at St. Mungo's to buy them toys and clothes as presents this year."

"C-Could you m-m-maybe spa-spare a f-f-few G-G-Galleons?" Corner inquired.

Malfoy glared at him. "Why? So they can break those toys also? No, I won't be wasting my money on such stupid things as those. Dead parents aren't the worst kind, you know!"

"But, Mr. Malfoy!"

"Get out of my office, you imbeciles!"

They scurried out the door and were caught by Granger, offering them a few bronze and silver coins.

"It's not much, but it's better than nothing." she said, sending them on their way.

Later on in the day, Malfoy called his under-paid and over-worked assistant into his office.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"I suppose you'll want all day off tomorrow."

"If-If it's convenient."

"It's not."

Hermione cast her eyes down and twiddled with her fingers.

"But I suppose I shall let you have it. But be here all the earlier the next day."

Hermione's curly brown head shot up and she smiled widely. "Oh thank you, Malfoy! And a Merry Christmas!"

Malfoy scoffed as she skipped back to her desk and gathered her things.

S.R.: r/r please!