Disclaimer: Not JK, but I do share her love of the holidays and especially her glee in giving characters things to do during their time off...even if my ideas and hers are 180 degrees apart...lol.

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Chapter 19- Partings and Other Sweet Sorrows

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Pale fingers of sunlight stretched across Hogwarts on the day students were scheduled to leave on holiday. Outside the school, a cloaked and hooded figure met a disreputable man at the gates separating school grounds from land leading to the nearby village. "Do you have what I ordered Mundungus?"

"Aye."

The cloaked person kept their distance from the unshaven wizard whose pores released the stale smell of beer. Taking the box he handed through the gate, the individual examined the items before throwing a small bag through the bars. "Here's a little extra for your silence. If word of my purchase got around, I would be so displeased, I'd have to tell my father."

Withdrawing a handful of galleons from the bag, Mundungus Fletcher smiled and said greasily, "No, no, quiet as the grave, I am."

Without another word, the unscrupulous man's customer turned away and returned to the school.

-

Back inside the Slytherin common room, Blaise took off her cloak and searched the chamber. Several students were up. Among the early risers, three students sat on a large sofa while two more sprawled on the floor opposite the table loaded down with breakfast items.

The tall blond sprawling on the sofa looked up and met her eyes. A wide smile broke over Draco's face. Striding towards her, he laughed as she held up the box and taunted, "Who wants an early Christmas present?"

He chased her up the boys' staircase and into his room. Shutting and warding the door, he flashed a white, wicked, grin. "Stop teasing and tell me. Did you get them?"

"Yessss!"

Draco's exultant shout echoed hers, "Yes!"

He sniggered as a voice said outside the chamber, "I never get my girlfriend to sound like that!"

Blaise opened the box and gently unwrapped two of the items inside. She gave a small square mirror with a woman's face engraved upon the back to her friend and instructed, "Go stand by the window, turn away from me, and look down into the mirror."

When he did what she asked, Blaise looked down into her matching mirror. "Draco." Immediately, his face appeared upon the glass surface. She giggled as his face looked astonished, then smiled and winked at her. Glancing up, she explained, "Melusine Mirrors- they're named after a haunting spirit. People who want to keep in touch and not have the other person 'haunt' them use these. Mundungus charged a mint, but what good is being a poor little rich girl if you can't buy whatever you want?"

"Thank heaven for rich girls, then. What would rich boys do without them?"

She handed him the mirror in her hand with a smile. "They'd brood over not seeing their girlfriend over the holidays, that's what. I'm off to give Terry his present."

Draco smiled and opened the door for her. As she moved past him, he bent and kissed her cheek. "You're the best, Blaise. I'll remember this forever."

Two sixth years passed by at that moment, gawking before hurrying down the steps. Draco roared with laughter while Blaise closed her eyes and shook her head.

Downstairs, she grabbed a berry off the tray, asked Fiona and Morrigan to sit with her, Terry and Wesley on the train, and patted Crabbe and Goyle's heads before singing as she danced out the door, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

She didn't hesitate to sneak into Ravenclaw House using the password Wesley had given her for the last party. It wasn't like she was really breaking House protocol. No one would be there tonight, anyway.

Once inside, she noticed a few early readers, but most students had probably stayed up talking or packing last night and were sleeping in. Climbing the boys' staircase using a Disillusionment Charm was exciting. Even more thrilling was slipping into Terry's room and tiptoeing over to his bed.

Her boyfriend was sleeping on his side with his back to her—his bare, muscular, back. Placing her slim package underneath the bed for safety, Blaise was glad she had worn her travelling clothes instead of school robes. The cashmere jumper dress she wore made it easy to climb on the bed, gently roll Terry over, and straddle him as she leaned close to whisper, "Baby, wake up. It's me."

Terry's eyelashes fluttered, but he didn't open his eyes. Noticing the twitching corners of his mouth, Blaise realised what he wanted. Stroking his smooth, defined chest, she bent and softly kissed his lips.

Blue eyes blazed into hers as the sleeping cutie awoke and hungrily kissed her. She felt slightly pervy for being turned on by making out near sleeping roommates until he whispered, "Merlin, this is crazy...and hot…."

The feel of his hands sliding from her shoulders down to her backside was almost as shocking as the cheerful voice asking, "Are you awake in there?"

She turned her head to see Wesley's eyes become round blue orbs after he opened the curtains at the end of the bed and saw his friend—and Blaise. He stared in disbelief as his eyes registered exactly what Terry's hands were almost covering, and travelled up the rest of her to meet his mate's glaring eyes.

Gulping, he hurriedly shut the bed hangings and told the other roommates, "No. Boot's definitely not ready to get out of bed yet. I think we should go on ahead to breakfast and let our pal grab something whenever he feels like it." Roberts chatted with the boys as they dressed and left the chamber. At the door, his merry voice reminded, "I'll be back in an hour, so you better grab and go, mate. I'll see you two later."

Blaise thought ruefully that there was nothing like having new panties displayed unknowingly to throw cold water on hot and turn it to warm. She felt Terry's chest shake with repressed laughter. Climbing off the bed, Blaise opened the curtains and bent to retrieve the package.

"Where're your trousers?"

Standing upright, she answered sweetly, "It's a jumper dress."

Terry frowned and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed before reaching out to tug at the hem. "It's too short. I saw your arse when you bent over."

"Then I won't bend over."

Blaise said cheerfully to change the subject, "I brought you a couple of presents."

Raking back long hair with his fingers, he shook his head. "You didn't have to."

She nodded solemnly. "Yes I did. Here." Sitting on the bed, she watched him look at the small mirror, front and back.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes, it's a Melusine Mirror...watch...Terry…." She held up a matching mirror. His smiling face appeared in her mirror, and he could see hers in his.

"This is great! I can talk to you—see you—it's so much better than an owl." His face clouded. "How much…?"

Her fingers stopped him from asking the question. She said, "It doesn't matter. Poor little rich girl, remember? All I want for Christmas is you and you're worth anything and everything."

She slid her fingers through his hair and kissed him, reluctantly breaking away to hand him his second present. It was a framed picture. They had taken it during the last trip to Hogsmeade. She was standing in front of Terry with his arms around her and they were smiling. He smiled now, seeing it. Blaise showed how to press an almost imperceptible button that opened the frame to reveal a second photograph. His reaction to it was everything she'd hoped it would be.

"Who?"

"Fiona took the picture. Creevey developed it. We didn't let him see the dry photo. He was so disappointed."

"Where?"

"Room of Requirement...really looks like something out of Arabian Nights, doesn't it?"

"How?"

Blaise smiled at the memory. "Eddy wanted to take belly dancing one year, and I went with her. She couldn't get the hang of it, but as you can see, I picked it right up. Like the outfit?"

"Yes."

"Good. I hoped it wasn't too much—or too little."

Terry's blue eyes were starting to give her the Tarzan 'No More Talk...More Kissing' look. He traced her movement in the photo with a fingertip. "What?"

"Oh, the moves, well, there's upward and downward figure eights, half turns…." His intense gaze began to travel her body, as if he was imagining her in the costume. It made concentrating on her explanation extremely difficult. "Then there's the head...ah...slides...and...arm...uh...and rolling...erm…."

Masculine fingers turned her face to his while Terry's lips stopped her rambling explanation with passionate appreciation for both the photographs.

"I knew it! I knew I'd better run ahead and pry you two apart." Wesley said laughingly. "You'd better perform that charm and get to your House, Blaise. The train leaves in two hours."

Blowing a kiss to Terry, she used the Disillusionment Charm to become unnoticeable. Wesley exclamation followed Blaise down the stairs.

"What do you mean that's a dress!"

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She was staring out her dorm window, lost in thought, when a blond on a broomstick flew up to it, grinning. Ginny smiled back, and then realized he wasn't a figment of her incredibly detailed imagination.

Ginny frowned as she hurried to open the window, refusing to let her twitching lips break into a smile. No matter how appealing Draco looked in casual black on a broom, she was not smiling at someone so reckless.

Traitorous lips, they were smiling without permission! Fine, see if she bought them the good lip-gloss ever again! Exasperated that she was becoming mental as the boy who thought nothing of breaking rules to see her, Ginny whispered fiercely, "What do you think you're doing? My roommates are showering and getting ready. They could come out any moment."

Draco laughed. "I want to give you an early Christmas present. Hop on."

Hop on, as though she would do any such thing.

Ginny heard a voice in the bathroom. It sounded as if it were coming closer. Panicking, she clambered out the window and practically leapt onto her boyfriend's lap, very glad to be wearing denims. She wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and leaned sideways as he leant forward across her lap to steer.

He drawled, "You're a lusty wench, throwing yourself at me so eagerly."

"Shut up and get us out of here!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Thankfully, they achieved vertical lift before Ginny's roommate wandered into the room and exclaimed at seeing an open window.

The sensation of flying was always a thrill, even more so when a love god's face was so close to hers. Her lips were acting on their own volition again, kissing his cheek. Maybe she would buy them the posh brand after all, if it were on sale. Now they were tracing his ear and doing naughty things to his earlobe. Ginny sighed. Her lips deserved the best money could buy, which was why she'd let Blaise buy her that Siren Cosmetics kit the other girl kept threatening her with.

Smiling over her zaniness as she nuzzled his neck, Ginny barely noticed the scenery—the snow-capped mountains, the sunlight sparkling on the lake, the Dragon Claw Willow—the fact that they were landing.

"Ginevra, ladies first, time to get off. Oh, bollocks."

Draco let the broom fall and carried her underneath the willow fronds to the blanket, where he carefully pried her arms away from his neck. He grinned at her pouting face, extending a small padded box. Opening it, she saw a mirror. Small, square, old looking, interestingly engraved on the back, but still just a mirror.

Ginny smiled uncertainly. "Thanks for the present."

"Merlin, your expression is so funny. It is not any old mirror. See, I've one that matches. Look in yours as I say...Ginny."

She was glad to provide a source of entertainment for her boyfriend, but she'd rather be kissed than laughed at. Scowling, Ginny glanced down and saw Draco's face in the reflection. She gasped. "What is this thing?"

Grey eyes looked silver with boyish happiness. It was one of her favourite looks on him. Right after intense, rain cloud passion. He grinned, and she refused to think of all the different grins that melted her insides as he explained, "They're Melusine Mirrors. Melusine is the name of a spirit. They're for lovers who don't want to be haunted by memories, the way I'd be haunted by you, if I couldn't see you...talk to you...even if it's only in a mirror."

Ginny's eyes grew damp as she smiled and leaned forward to kiss the lips that said such lovable things. She was not going to cry just because Malfoy, of all people, had just said the most romantic thing she'd ever heard in her life.

Drawing back after sweet kisses started sliding, like her tongue, into sultry territory, Ginny started thinking of when they could use the mirrors. Was ten times a day too much? Another thought struck. She asked, "How did you think of this?"

"Well…."

Draco's guilty silence told all. Blaise had come up with the idea and he would have taken the credit if she hadn't asked directly. How Slytherin and almost as adorable as the little-boy, don't be mad 'cause I'm naughty, look on his face right now. She scooted over and leaned back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

He said with a smile in his voice, "My specialty is executing plans, getting the job done and done right. So if you've got an idea, I'm your go-to guy."

Strangely, his words made her think of fantasies and not mundane things like helping her with homework, or a leaky faucet, although the image of Malfoy in a pair of tight denims and a tool belt—with no shirt—made her cheeks go bright pink.

Silent laughter shook the chest she was resting against. Could he feel her flush like snakes felt body heat? He did that slithering, twisting- now she was on the bottom- move that she found so inspiring. She admired his rain cloud eyes up close.

He whispered, "I knew you were blushing, knew your heart was racing, because...I was looking in the mirror."

Ginny was glad she could giggle at herself, because she seemed to be doing it an awful lot around Draco. His laugh was a beautiful, wonderful thing, and she was glad he laughed with her, even when it was at her, because she….

Her eyes searched grey. She...had to finish packing. She wasn't taking much home, but the train wouldn't wait because she was sorting out her feelings under a willow tree. Kissing Draco one last time, Ginny lifted the mirror. "Can we use it on the train?"

He nodded, smiling faintly.

She ran across the grounds to the school entrance. Looking back, she saw how the sunlight haloed his hair. It made him look like an angel of light. Ginny knew he was both light and dark and she wouldn't change him, even if she could. She waved and went inside.

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Luna usually looked forward to the holidays. Time spent with Daddy was rare and precious because of it.

Her mother had loved celebrating Yule. She would've liked Blaise. Her friend loved Yule too. She'd already made Luna promise to Floo to Malfoy Manor and spend Blaise's birthday on Yule doing traditional things like baking cookies with her.

Luna hoped the familiar holiday activities would be comforting and not painful. She still missed her mother so much.

"Ready to go, Lindy?"

The ' Indies' were all set. Everyone seemed excited to be going home for the holidays. Cindy's family was large and lived in the country. She looked forward to skating everyday. Mindy's parents were taking her to France to visit friends. Bindy's folks ran a restaurant in London that Luna promised to visit.

Luna gathered her things and followed them downstairs. They climbed aboard thestral pulled carriages and rolled toward the station. Onboard the train, the girls headed for the third to last compartment of the last carriage. Cindy had foreseen in Divination that this was the most propitious one to sit in. Luna was sceptical, but figured it wouldn't hurt to humour the girl.

Ginny appeared in the doorway after she sat at the window. "Hey Luna, would you like to sit with us for awhile? Ron and Hermione are off in the prefect carriage and we could use the company."

Nodding serenely, Luna told her roommates that she would return later. In the outer corridor, Ginny stopped abruptly and stared into the second to last compartment.

Luna looked through the glass panel to see what was so compelling. Inside, Terry was leaning against Blaise, who had her back to the window and her legs draped around and over her boyfriend. Luna said thoughtfully, "It must be hard to run in those heels, although they are very pretty."

Her companion snorted. "I can't believe she has the nerve to wear that dress. It's indecently short. Blaise just has to show everyone she has long legs that always look tan. See how Terry's running his hands all over her! I'm...I'm…."

"Jealous? Wishing you could sit with your boyfriend like that?"

Ginny smiled wryly. "Yeah, good thing green's my colour. Oh crap, she's seen us. Quick, let's go make a face against the glass."

Luna obligingly moved beside her fiery friend and pressed her face to the glass in a silly way that made the people inside laugh.

One outside laughed too. "Hello, Luna."

Just what she needed, Wesley Roberts smiling down at her like some Ghost of Christmas Present—or was it Future? Ginny was looking from one face to the other like an inquisitive weasel. Luna tried to think of something to say, but her mind was a blank. All she could do was say, "Hello, Wesley."

How dare his smile be naughty and nice all at once! People with gorgeous dimples should receive coal and switches in their Christmas stockings. Luna was not going to let some disturbingly charming boy distract her from spending time with Harry. She wasn't. Really,in a moment or two, after she got used to seeing him in a Nordic patterned jumper that made him look like a Viking god, she was going to tell Wesley 'Have a Happy Christmas' and leave. Honestly.

Before that time came, however, the compartment door opened and Fiona Flint stuck her auburn head out. "Did you find some cards, Wesley?" She smiled to see the pack in Roberts' upheld hand. "Then what are you waiting for? We've got a game to play."

Wesley smiled. "Be right there." The door slid shut. He hesitated, as if not knowing what to say.

Luna said it for him, "Happy Christmas, Wesley, see you after break."

"Happy Christmas, Luna, if I don't see you before then."

"Why would you see me before?"

Blue eyes twinkled. "Don't know, just a feeling. I trust my feelings, don't you?"

She shook her head. "No."

Wesley paused before entering the compartment. He gave her that gently chiding look that made his mouth curve temptingly. "We'll have to work on that."

Ginny waited until they were sitting to ask what was going on with her and Wesley Roberts. Luna wished she had posed that question outside in the corridor instead of inside with Harry Potter listening to every word.

Keeping her composure, Luna said mildly, "There's nothing going on. I'm Blaise's friend, and Wesley is Terry's. That's all. We're both Ravenclaws and he's a very nice and friendly person."

Harry piped up, "I've seen Roberts in action, Ginny, and he's nice to lots of girls. Right now he's doing his act for Flint." Cloudy green eyes shifted their focus. "I hope you're not letting him be friendly to you too, Luna."

She didn't answer, but everyone seemed reassured by her composure.

Harry and Neville began to talk about professional Quidditch while Luna asked Ginny about her family and found out that Charlie would be home Christmas Eve. Bill and the twins would come from London to spend the holiday with them too. The family was games-mad, but enjoyed their Quidditch matches most.

Neville wasn't looking forward to playing backgammon with his grandmother and avoiding his nasty relatives, but he was getting a new set of Herbology texts for Christmas and reading them was something he really did look forward to.

No one asked Luna about her plans. She tried not to mind. She realised that most people, caught up in their own dramas, had little time to wonder about others.

The Trolley Witch came by. Luna purchased two Licorice Wands and a bottle of iced pumpkin juice, taking alternate bites of black and red licorice. Neville offered Luna a Bott's bean, which she declined with a barely subdued shudder. Those every flavour jellybeans were simply revolting. She didn't know why boys got such a kick out of 'bile', and 'belly-lint' and 'toe jam' flavoured beans.

Harry offered her a chocolate frog, which Luna accepted. She was a girl, after all. What self respecting female turned down chocolate? Her Wizard Card was the Muse Marina. Resisting the urge to tear the card or smear chocolate on it, she tried to slide it unobtrusively down amongst Ginny's gummy bugabear wrappers.

Harry retrieved it. "Hey look, you almost lost your card, Luna, which one is it? Oh, Marina. She really looks like Lorelei, doesn't she?"

"I should think so, she's Professor Lorelei's mother." Why, oh why, couldn't Harry's glasses have been Muggle-made? He saw way too well.

Neville looked the card over too, before asking, "How old do you think Lorelei is? She doesn't seem that much older than us."

Ginny laughed when Luna said coolly, "Loads—at least ten years. Why? Do you want to ask her to the next Ball?"

Harry smiled thoughtfully. "Ten years isn't very much when wizards live so long, is it?"

A horrible mental image of Harry declaring his love for the older woman flashed into Luna's mind. She could see Lorelei hugging Harry and then looking deeply into his eyes before succumbing to some obscene professor/student passion and snogging his brains out. A boy would be no match for a siren. The indignant girl had just imagined walking up to the cradle-snatcher and giving her a Stinging Hex to make her quit sucking on Harry's tongue when a voice brought her out of the distressing vision.

"Luna...Luna…. Are you all right? You look strange."

Why, because her face was red and she was about to hyperventilate? Taking a deep breath, Luna calmed herself and nodded to The-Boy-Who-Looked-Concerned.

Ginny had the nerve to snicker and say, "I think something disagreed with her. She looks fine now." When Luna accidentally spilled her pumpkin juice onto the redhead's Teen Witch magazine, Ginny muttered, "Okay. I'll belt it. Crikey, you play hardball."

She did, didn't she? Humour restored, Luna smiled until Ron and Hermione came in, bitterly complaining. It seemed Malfoy had refused to sing a carol with the others. Instead, he had told the Head Boy what he could do with figgy pudding.

Luna saw Ginny's lips quirk at that. Soon after, her friend made an excuse about needing the loo and all but ran out. Luna tried to join the conversation, but since it seemed to consist of anti-Slytherin ranting, she wished everyone a Happy Christmas and returned to her own compartment.

On the way, her eyes met Wesley's through the glass. Merlin help her, the smile that lit his face when he saw her made the day seem a whole lot brighter.

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Draco did not do sing-a-longs. He was not into Christmas cheer. The Head Boy was off his knob if he thought a Malfoy was going to sing a carol.

Perhaps the rude suggestion of what to do with the figgy-bloody-pudding was unbecoming to a pureblood, but he didn't care. Sneering at any student who dared glance his way in the corridor, he stalked away from the Prefects' Carriage. Taking a mirror out of his pocket, he said curtly, "Ginny."

Her face smiled at him from the glass and whispered, "Second carriage, third door on the right. Hurry."

Whistling the tune he'd formerly derided and longing to 'get jolly', Draco sauntered down the corridor. In the second carriage, he caught a glimpse of bright red hair and quickened his pace.

He caught up to Ginny as she ducked into a broom cupboard. He barely had enough room to stand upright. His girlfriend was squashed between him and the brooms. That was the only part he liked.

Big brown eyes that looked dark and mysterious in the dimly lit space looked up at him. "I heard about you rebelling against holiday cheer. I like it. Kiss me."

Draco was happy to oblige.

Eventually, he noticed her jumper. It was a green knit with 'Bah! Humbug!' emblazoned in red letters across the front. Draco laughed and traced the words with his fingers. It took a long time because the jumper kept rising and falling erratically. Smirking in a way that got him another snog—wasn't being Slytherin its own reward—he said, "A Scrooge amongst the Weasleys, how scandalous."

She giggled. "I'm not a Scrooge. I love Christmas and spending time with my family. The jumper's just for fun. I do enjoy shocking people sometimes."

"Feel free to shock me anytime."

"How about right now?"

"Now is good."

Stretching the kinks out of his spine later, Draco smiled as he watched his girl return to her compartment. Anytime spent with Ginny was good.

He smiled while checking to make sure the little snotrags were behaving in their compartments. What a thrill Prefect duty was—perhaps he would run into the odd couple of Weasley and Granger. They could punch him in the stomach and pull his hair for auld lang syne. The thought made his smile widen.

Why he was grinning like an idiot and thinking bizarre thoughts was beyond him. The bayberry scent in the air must have some 'Happy Holiday' spell on it that his subconscious was fighting. Draco was more comfortable thinking that, instead of contemplating the disturbing suspicion that those feelings he'd experienced that day in the library were still hanging around waiting to be acknowledged.

Hearing off-key carolling in a first years' compartment, he entered like an avenging angel and snapped, "Save the caterwauling for your parents. No one else thinks you're making a joyful noise." Blessed silence followed. His work there done, Draco strode out, on the lookout for another distraction.

Once the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, he leaned against the train with arms crossed, idly watching the students disembark and meet their parents. Draco didn't envy them their touching reunions complete with sappy hugs and kisses. Who needed parental affection when a more satisfying kind was available?

Ginny smiled at him as she followed her loutish brother onto the platform and patted her coat pocket meaningfully. He smirked. His girlfriend looked like she wanted to snog him again. She didn't, of course. Couldn't admit she had a Slytherin boyfriend to her Gryffindor family and friends. Whatever would they say? Draco tried not to feel bitter as he watched Ginny hug her parents and chatter happily with her group of loved ones.

Blaise followed Boot off the train. Terry-Boy looked around for his family, frowning when he didn't see them. Glancing back at Blaise, the Ape-Man suddenly realised he and his woman were parting. Tarzan pulled Jane into his arms and kissed her in a way that raised quite a few eyebrows, including those of Boot's family.

"Terry?"

Lover-Boy's mum looked appalled. Perhaps seeing her baby suck face was a shock. Draco personally liked his friend's short white dress and the red and white floral coat she wore with it. She looked very chic, but much too sexy for parental piece of mind.

Blaise did an excellent job of quickly detaching herself and buttoning her coat. She smiled sweetly as Jungle-Boy introduced her to his parents, who were wearing matching red jumpers. An older, shorthaired version of Boot stood behind the parents. Draco sneered as the elder brother gave thumbs up. Tarzan said something to Jane. Her wobbly smile made the Ape-Man move toward her.

Draco's gaze turned skyward. Please, Merlin, save me from another display of affection.

"Hulloo Darlings! Your mummies came to fetch you! Come along, come along, Drinky's double-parked!"

Across the platform, Edina Zabini stood on tiptoes waving her hands frantically as her plummy voice echoed from where she waited with his mother. The women were decked out in ankle length furs. Eddy wore white and Narcissa black. Both wore sunglasses and his mother was taking a drink from a flask. The sight of the women flustered Blaise more than meeting the boyfriend's family. Draco took pity on his friend and strolled over to take her arm and pull her away.

"She'll see you, Boot. Come along, Blaise."

Behind them, the Boot Family had a conversation that made Draco smirk.

"Terry, your mother and I demand an explanation."

"Merlin, brother, did you steal Malfoy's girlfriend?"

"Shut up David, she's my girlfriend."

"Girl—girlfriend—you've got a girlfriend?"

"Well I hope he doesn't lick the tonsils of girls he only knows casually, Mum, much less let them…."

"Shut up David!"

Inside the car, listening to the routine of Eddy's inanities and Narcissa's snide remarks, Draco slowly relaxed. The friends shared a rueful smile. The holidays had officially begun.

Hours later, Malfoy Manor stood as quiet and oppressive as ever. Downstairs, the mums were passed out on sofas in the enormous lounge. Upstairs, inside the unappreciated grandeur of his room, Draco pulled on a pair of silk pyjamas and sat on his bed looking down at the small mirror. He called, "Ginny."

A freckled face smiled at him as she whispered, "Draco...Bill and the twins came over to welcome us back home. We're in the middle of a game. I ran to the loo when I felt the mirror warm. How are things with you? I miss you."

"Fine. The parents embarrassed Blaise in front of Tarzan's Ape-Family, but she recovered. I just...wanted to see you...say goodnight."

Ginny giggled. "I saw a bit of that. Ron was disgusted at Zabini's shamelessness. He must've mentioned 'bare legs' four times before I asked why he'd been staring enough to notice. That shut him right up. Wish I could've kissed you that way. Oh no, someone's knocking. I'll say goodnight, although we won't go to bed for ages. The boys want a midnight Quidditch match." Her voice rose. "Stop pounding, I'll be out in a moment!" Ginny smiled regretfully. "I've got to run. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

Pink lips blew him a kiss and she was gone. Off to have fun with her family and Potter. While he sat in the mausoleum, his family called home, all alone. He felt like King Richard, moping around, a self-pitying bastard, saying, "Now is the winter of our discontent."

Placing the mirror in the bedside table drawer, Draco left the room. Down the hall, he paused outside Blaise's door. The friends had come up with a ward a few years ago that they called Freyja's Lock. As the fabled lock of the Norse goddess it was named for, the ward ensured his or her door wouldn't open to anyone the person inside didn't want to enter. He smiled as the handle turned and he walked into the room.

"Hi."

Blaise was sitting on her bed looking down at her reflection in the mirror. Leaning over to place it face down on the side table, she said, "Hi. Terry's family is thrilled to have him home. His brother Barry Flooed over and the guys will probably talk Quidditch all night."

She looked as miserable as he was. It wasn't very nice to envy someone else's happiness with their family, but they did. He sat beside her and joked, "Is there some unspoken rule that we dress to match the rooms? Look at you, in red pyjamas to match your red linens and hangings and me in black to match mine." Seeing her smile, he bumped her arm with his and said, "Hey Freyja, your lock's not working...it let me in."

"That's because I wanted to see you tonight. Don't expect it to open tomorrow night...Frey." She smiled. "Remember second year when I got into Norse mythology and you suggested we name ourselves after the twin gods?"

"Sure. Being called the god of sunshine, rain and lovers beat 'Baby Boy' any day." He teased, "I never thought you were much of a goddess of love and magic, though. Guess you've showed me."

Blaise leaned back against the pillows and rolled onto her side. Following suit, Draco waited for his friend to push him off the bed. When she didn't, he smiled impishly. "We're not brother and sister, you know."

He expected her to be amused, but her expression remained solemn. "I know. I also know I'll never be as...free...as she was, no matter how much I share Freyja's love of clothes and watching faeries dance in the moonlight."

"Slept around, did she?"

She smiled a little. "MmmHmm. She once slept with four dwarves to possess a beautiful gold necklace- Brisingamen. One myth said it became the Milky Way."

"Four! I hope that necklace was worth it."

"I don't even want to think about it."

"Of course you don't, Freyja."

"Shut up, your god's no better, marrying a giantess named Gerd and rumoured to be a little too fond of his sister, if you know what I mean, Frey."

"Pervy Norse gods. No wonder we like them."

Dark eyes were serious, gazing into his. "Maybe Freyja just wanted to be close to Frey, to someone she cared about, who cared about her, for comfort and nothing else."

Draco scooted down into the position he remembered. As before, the sensation of caring fingers caressing his hair was beyond pleasant. It was comforting. Smiling against his 'pillow', he muttered, "We feel that way, Freyja, but the old gods, they were definitely pervs."

"Shut up and sleep Frey."

Content, Draco decided sleepily to graciously allow the goddess keeping loneliness at bay to have the last word. Tomorrow, though, would be another day—and a different story.

-

A/N: 'Winter of Discontent' line from Shakespeare's King Richard the III. There are so many interesting stories and theories about Freyja and Frey. I took mine from Poetic Eddas, the oral sagas of Iceland which were finally written down from 1000-1300 A.D, and have been compared to blockbuster Summer Movies- full of action! Sounded good to me: ) In the Lokasenna, Loki takes on the rest of the Norse Gods in a insult contest and pretty much kicks butt and airs everyone's dirty laundry. I Love Mythology as much as Shakespeare, so you know I'll be throwing bits into the story whenever I can. Hope you liked it!