Finally, he decided to go up to the owlery to head off his owl. Plus it would keep him from sitting still in all of his misery. The whole way up he wondered if she had hated his gift and that was why she was ignoring him. Or maybe she wasn't even his friend. Maybe she was pretending and knew he would be really upset if she ignored him on Christmas. He wondered if maybe she had forgiven the trio and was chatting away merrily with them and had forgotten he existed. Maybe they decided to let her go with them to do Merlin-knows-what.
Just as he was getting really depressed, he saw his owl approaching the tower and waited anxiously for it to arrive. "Fly faster!" he urged. He was practically jumping up and down by the time it arrived, a parcel dangling below. He removed the package and dashed back down to the dungeon as quickly as he could. It was a good thing that he was the only student there, because he was paying more attention to the package in his hands than to where he was going. He flew around a corner and almost crashed headlong into Professor McGonagall, but didn't stop. He shouted over his shoulder, "Merry Christmas, Professor!"
Draco arrived in the dungeon common room out of breath and collapsed onto the sofa still clutching his package. He breathed deeply a few times before extricating the piece of parchment and reading it.
When he saw that she liked his bracelet, he let out a huge grin. He had spent days deliberating over what to get her, and finally decided on ordering the bracelet by owl order. He did not usually put a lot of thought into gifts- sometimes he didn't even select them himself at all. When he saw that Ginny had suspected that, he laughed a little. She knew him fairly well.
Then he read about the argument with her family and the photo. He wracked his brain for any recollection of a photo being taken, but found none, so he wondered what on earth it was of. He eyed the package and assumed that she had put it in there, so he continued reading. He wrinkled his brow as she said that her family had thrown a fit. Of course he knew that they all hated him, but it still gave him a pang. He wished that he were the sort of guy that Ginny could bring home to her parents. Then he wondered why on earth he thought about being introduced to her parents. That is what couples do. He shook his head and continued. He was pleased to see that she had defended him. Not that she should have, of course. He knew that no one could have liked her defending a Malfoy, but it still made him feel really happy. That flutter was picking up in his chest again.
She wanted to be here with him! Of course, it was not the first time that she had said that, but he always just assumed that she was just trying to make him feel better. Who would want to spend their holiday in a drafty, old castle when they could spend it in a warm home with their family? But she was trying to come back early. That meant that she really did want to be there with him! His smile widened at the thought of her convincing her mother to let her come back to be with him.
Finally, she wished him a Merry Christmas and apologized for her choice in gifts. He really didn't care what it was at all. Gifts never really excited him. It was more the idea that someone had cared enough to buy him something. Just looking at the package made him really happy. He opened the box and the first thing he saw when he opened it was a wizard's photo.
He gasped audibly and grabbed it. A smile slowly moved across his features as he took in the image. Ginny was leaning against him. She was smiling at him. He was twirling her hair. The snowman said something, and she dissolved into laughter while he pretended to be offended. He remembered that day often in his dreams. He remembered how beautiful she had been with her bright hair reflecting off the new snow and how she had cheekily challenged him with the snowman. In the photo, she grinned up at him expectantly and he said something that made her blush a little before smiling and leaning back against his stomach. He loved it when she blushed. She looked so innocent and beautiful. He had never encountered anyone who blushed in Slytherin. They were all too cold and self-aware to blush. He loved that about Ginny. He idly thought about his use of the word love and how she had signed that letter when the trio arrived.
Almost thirty minutes later, he looked away from the photo feeling so happy and confused that he forgot that there was more in the box. Finally, he snapped out of his reverie and peered into the box. Inside he found a very nice set of crystal vials. He saw that she had personalized them for him. "To my favorite potions tutor." He smiled. She knew that he had wanted some new vials and that he was very picky about which ones he would use. She had apparently paid attention, because she chose very well. He smiled even broader at the fact that she had paid such careful attention to what he said.
Draco grasped the photo again and leaned back against the couch surrounded by paper and his new vials. He did not know how long he gazed into the photo watching Ginny's every movement, smiling when she smiled and laughing when she laughed. He heard his stomach growl impatiently for breakfast and ignored it, remembering how Ginny had said that his stomach made funny noises. He did not even realized that he had fallen asleep with the photo still clutched in his hand until he was woken suddenly by a pounding in the corridor outside his common room. He grumbled about Peeves making too much noise as he went out to investigate, the photo still clutched in his hand. When he opened the portrait hole, he was suddenly assaulted and was caught so off guard that he fell over.
"Draco!" Ginny saw the portrait hole ease open and before he could even step out of it, she threw herself at him in a hug. She had apparently misjudged his coherence, however, because he fell over and she landed on top of him.
All Draco could see was red hair, and he was suddenly wide-awake and wrapped Ginny in a tight hug forgetting about the fact that he was now on the floor. "Merry Christmas," he murmured into her hair.
Ginny pulled back and said, "Merry Christmas!" then sheepishly looked around and said, "Sorry I knocked you over." She stood and put out her hand to help him stand. He took it, but after he got up, he did not let go, but dragged her into the Slytherin common room.
"You came!" he announced happily as she took a seat next to him on the couch.
"Yeah, my mum was furious. She was mad about Harry, Ron and Hermione leaving and blamed it on me, pretty much."
"They left?"
"After our argument over breakfast. It's not my fault that they are hypocritical prats, though. I told my mum that and she was not too thrilled. I told her that I wanted to come back, and she threw a fit. Something about ruining Christmas. I sort of guilted her, though, I told her that you were alone up here and that if she thought our Christmas was ruined she should think of yours." Ginny glanced shyly at Draco who didn't seem to mind that she had used him as an excuse to escape. He seemed too thrilled to even notice what she was saying. He was just staring at her with the biggest grin she had ever seen him wear.
"So, you seem happy? Have you had an okay holiday?" She took in the Slytherin common room. She had never been down there before and noticed that it was covered in half-played games of chess and exploding snap. She leaned forward to the coffee table and noticed her letters looking extremely worn. He read them a lot, it would seem, she thought to herself. She noticed Draco eying them and wondered if he was embarrassed. That is something I never expected to see. A Malfoy embarrassed. It's pretty cute actually.
"It was pretty dull, I must admit. But now that you're here it is much better!" Draco exclaimed the last bit with such enthusiasm that it seemed he surprised himself. He had slowly opened up about his emotions, but never really said anything to give them away, except that he missed Ginny. She could tell now the extent to which he missed her and her heart jumped up into her throat. She grinned broadly at him and he at her until his stomach growled loudly and they both laughed.
"I told you that your stomach makes funny noises," she pointed out while getting to her feet. "Shall we go to the kitchens for some breakfast? Mine was ruined and it doesn't sound like you've even tried."
Draco nodded and the two made their way to the kitchens. One tickled pear, several eager house elves, and a few requests later, they were sitting at a table surrounded by a huge spread of food.
"Out did themselves a bit, I think," remarked Draco gathering his food onto his plate. He had not eaten a proper meal since Ginny left. It would seem that his appetite has gone on holiday with her, but now that things were as they should be and he was with her, it was back. The two ate for what seemed like ages all the while filling in the gaps of what had happened between letters.
Ginny was shocked to find that Draco had scarcely left the dungeons in a week, and determined that a walk was in order. Before they left, Draco whispered to the house elves who looked very pleased about something. Ginny eyed him curiously and suspiciously, but he shrugged and led her outside.
They walked for a while around the frozen lake before stopping under their tree.
"I used to love ice skating when I was a kid," Draco mused aloud and Ginny smiled. She conjured up two pairs of ice skates. He looked at her like she was mental. "I haven't done it in years! I'll be complete rubbish."
"Well, I have never ice skated before, and I always wanted to try, so you can teach me. There's no way that you are more rubbish than me!" Ginny strapped the skates on and indicated for him to do the same. Draco had no idea what had come over him. One minute he did not want to skate, then she smiled at him and he was certain that he had never wanted to do something so much in his life. She had bewitched him and he loved it.
Moments later, he had his skates strapped on and helped Ginny to her feet. As they got over to the ice, he motioned for Ginny to stop and skated forward. "Just glide like this. It's pretty easy to just move around slowly on the ice." Watching him, Ginny thought, What have I gotten myself into! I'm going to fall and break my leg, and I suggested it! He looks amazing out there, though.
Draco's features had softened and he looked like a natural on the ice. The last time he had skated, he had been with his mother. Happy memories of his family and his childhood came flowing back, and he was so glad that Ginny had come into his life. He had forgotten how to be happy about his memories, and how to create new ones. He skated back to Ginny, and she eyed him uncomfortably before moving forward.
She had gotten no more than three feet before she lost control and fell, clutching his arm tightly and bringing him down to the ice with her. For the second time in one day, Draco was on the ground in the arms of a beautiful girl and was so happy he thought he might just die of it.
A few moments later Ginny rolled over rubbing her backside and winced. "Well that hurt." He laughed at her and pulled her up again. As she stood, she steadied herself with her hands on his shoulders and found herself looking into his eyes. His eyes are amazing! She noticed how alive he looked. His eyes seemed to be laughing. She could see a fire within them that she recognized as the one she felt when she was with him. His eyes broke contact as they looked down at her lips, then away.
She took her hands from his shoulders, braced herself and said, "I'm ready." Draco nodded, took her hand, and they moved forward slowly. Ginny quickly got used to the gliding sensation of the ice beneath her feet, and the pair skated circles around the lake for hours. Every now and then, Draco would take off and speed circles around her, then slow and skate by her side again. As the afternoon grew late and the sun fell lower in the sky, Draco and Ginny finally moved toward their tree.
"I think I am frozen to the bone. But I don't really think I care, because that was so much fun!" Ginny exclaimed happily as she plopped into the snow to remove her skates. Draco smiled and nodded his agreement.
They slowly made their way back up to the castle in amiable silence. Ginny followed Draco back downstairs to his common room, where they collapsed in front of the fire.
"Thanks for making me do that," Draco commented, "I had a lot of fun." Ginny smiled at him before looking back toward the fire, gingerly fingering her bracelet. He noticed that she had been doing that all day and yet every time she did it, his heart jumped wildly.
"So what now?" Ginny asked, and Draco looked up at the clock.
"Well we should have dinner soon, I think." Ginny nodded.
Just then, the portrait opened and in came several house elves with a cart full of food.
Ginny squealed and jumped to her feet. "Draco! You got us dinner!" he nodded and smiled inwardly at her enthusiasm. Soon the house elves had the table dressed, places set, candles lit, and trays full of steaming food placed.
"Draco, this is amazing! This is way better than Christmas dinner at home!" and Draco agreed.
The pair sat in candle-lit silence eating the delicious food with the occasional comment on the meal. After they were both suitably stuffed, they went back to the sofa in front of the fire and Ginny curled up with her head in his lap. Draco unconsciously began to stroke her hair.
"This was the best Christmas I ever had," Ginny said finally.
"I agree. Thanks for coming back to see me," he added looking down on her tenderly. Ginny opened her eyes and smiled up at him wondering what the look on his face was before her sleepiness took over and she closed her eyes again.
Soon Draco's eyes closed and his head lolled back onto the back of the sofa where he fell fast asleep and dreamed about a certain redhead all night.