AN: I was reading this chappy and I just realized it's completely screwed up. It's kinda sad that I just realized it, when I posted it last Summer... LOL
Draco woke up on Christmas morning still delirious with psychotic visions of sugar plums in some sort of a primitive ritual dance. He mostly credited this to the unnatural amount of eggnog he had consumed before retiring to bed the night before. The fact that Hermione had forced him to sit and read The Night Before Christmas with her might have had something to do with it also.
He sat up, grudgingly vowing to never again have eggnog and bizarre Muggle Christmas stories in the same night.
"Happy Christmas!" a hyper voice cried from the foot of his bed.
"Holy shit!" Draco yelled, jumping about a foot out of his bed.
"Hermione! Never do that again," he said, earning a giggle from Hermione, who was sitting cross-legged on the foot of his bed, still wearing her blue pajama shorts and tank top.
"Nice boxers, Draccy-poo," Hermione teased with a grin as Draco grabbed a wrinkled white shirt off of the floor and slipped it on.
"Thanks," he said insincerely as he stood up and stretched. "How long have you been sitting there?"
"Oh, about fifteen minutes. I didn't want to wake you up; I was enjoying the view."
Draco turned back to her with an eyebrow raised. "So, I'm the pervert, am I?"
Hermione glared at him. "Not just that. I was looking at your room."
Draco looked around and immediately saw what she meant. Besides the four poster bed similar to Hogwarts' beds, the fireplace and the authentic Victorian furniture, he had a normal bedroom for a teenage wizard.
It was all in Slytherin colors and was decorated with Slytherin banners and Quidditch posters. His 8 foot tall bookcase held mainly old school books or Standard Potions and DADA manuals. There was a Potions set sitting in the corner under a framed family portrait and there was a container of Floo Powder next to the fireplace, along with a Wizarding Radio.
Hermione looked amused. "In Muggle terms, you have your own phone, library, entertainment center and laboratory in your room. That, my dear, means you are a spoiled brat."
Draco grinned sheepishly, but nodded in agreement.
"Well, it's my turn to make you my spoiled girlfriend. Are you ready to go down to the ballroom?"
Five minutes later, the two were walking down the hallway to the ballroom, stifling their giggles.
"I must say, I have never walked around the Manor in my pajamas," Draco admitted.
"Not even when you were little?"
"My nurse never let me out of my room unless I was dressed."
"So many pointless rules..." Hermione commented as they reached the door.
Draco shrugged. "I'm used to it. But we're breaking them right now, aren't we?" he said with a grin as he opened the doors, revealing the tree once again, but with many gift wrapped additions surrounding it.
Hermione gasped. "All of these for just your family?"
Draco laughed. "Actually, Mother and Father already have theirs. I instructed the elves to leave our presents here."
Hermione looked at him incredulously. "So, all of these are for us two?"
He nodded as he led her into the room and closed the door. "Not all of yours are from me, though. I'm sure Moppy and Tinky put the ones from other people here also."
They walked up to the tree and Draco conjured up some fluffy looking pillows ("There's a ward around the property, so I can do magic still," he explained) for them to sit on.
"Well, dig in, I suppose," he said with a shrug, reaching for a green present with his own name on it.
Grinning, Hermione did just that. First, she grabbed a present wrapped in the sloppy form she recognized.
"From Ron, I get..." Hermione opened the gift, revealing a strangely shaped bottle containing perfume. She sprayed a bit on her wrist and Draco leaned over and smelled it, then turned away as he gagged.
"Some really nasty perfume..." he finished for her.
Hermione giggled as she read the note that came with it. "Evidently, it only smells bad to guys who are physically attracted to the wearer."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Remind me to kill him."
Twenty-five presents later, Hermione was finally out of presents to unwrap. Draco had also made his way through his presents, setting aside most of them to investigate later.
"I have two more presents for you," he said, watching her as she set New Theory of Numerology beside her carefully.
"Draco! You shouldn't have gotten me so much!"
Draco shrugged. "I didn't really put much thought into the ones you already opened. These two are special."
Hermione sighed exasperatingly, but didn't argue. "Well, I still have your gift that I haven't given to you yet."
Draco smiled and held out a long un-wrapped jewelry box. Hermione took it with a puzzled look towards Draco's smiling face and lifted the lid.
Blinking back at her was a gold heart shaped locket. There was a ruby and an emerald side by side in the center of the heart. "Draco... It's gorgeous..." she breathed as she took it out of the box.
Draco took it from her and helped her fasten it around her neck. "It's not..."
"Real gold? Yeah. Only the best!"
Hermione tried to scold him, but it didn't work.
Draco grinned cockily. "And your second present..." Draco looked up at the fireplace. "Moppy, come here please!" Hermione looked at her boyfriend, confused, a look that multiplied by ten as a House Elf entered the room.
"Hermione, this is Dobby's mother."
A smile replaced the confused look on her face and she addressed the quivering House Elf. "Hello, Moppy," she said kindly. "I'm a friend of your son's. He wanted me to tell you how he was doing."
The House Elf said nothing, just looked from Draco to Hermione, then back again.
"Dobby is very happy where he is. He likes working for Dumbledore," Hermione continued.
"We is not allowed to like Albus Dumbledore. Dobby is a bad elf."
"Dobby is free. He likes being free."
Moppy looked worried. "He is sick?"
A smile cracked in Draco's face and Hermione glared at him.
"No. He is very well. And happy. Very happy being free." Hermione couldn't possibly stress the point any harder.
"He- he is treated well by this Albus Dumbledore?" Moppy asked cautiously, shooting suspicious glances at Draco.
"Yes. He gets paid and good foo-"
"Paid?" Moppy interrupted incredulously. "Why is they disgracing my Dobby like that? Us elves not needs paying!"
"Dobby is happy being paid," Hermione insisted.
Moppy hesitated. "Is his master happy with Dobby's work?"
Hermione was a bit confused on the purpose of this question, but she answered. "Of course. Dumbledore is very happy with all of Hogwarts' House Elves."
Moppy was silent. After a few moments, she bowed to Hermione and Draco humbly. "I thanks you, Master and Mistress. Please tell Dobby I is well and I is missing him." She didn't wait for a response before she turned to leave through the fire.
"Well, here's your present, Draco. It won't compete with what you gave me, but..."
Draco put a finger over her lips to silence her. "All that matters is that it is from you."
Hermione smiled and handed him a neatly wrapped rectangular package.
"Ah... Of course... A book..."
Hermione smiled innocently. "Just open it."
Draco rolled his eyes, but carefully unwrapped the paper and read the title out loud. "Lumos vs. Light switch: The Wizards Guide to Meeting Muggles."
"I figured that a Malfoy wouldn't want to make a fool of himself when he met his girlfriend's parents."
Draco grinned. "You were correct, of course. But when do I get to have this honor?"
"When I decide you're presentable..." Hermione answered with a mocking grin.
"Ouch. But, I suppose that makes sense, seeing that you're Hermione Granger..."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "The past four years I've told my parents that you are the scum of the universe. You just need to prove me wrong."
"Can't you just un-tell them?"
"No. That'd make things easier for you."
Draco mock glared at her. "Why do I put up with you?"
Hermione smiled at him, then leaned over and gave him a soft kiss.
"Ah... Yes, thanks for reminding me."
"Harry! Wake up!"
Harry bolted up, surprised. "Ron! It's 5 o'clock in the morning!"
"5 o'clock Christmas morning!" Ron added.
Harry was silent. "Oh.. Yeah..."
"Well? Let's go! The twins are getting everyone else up."
There was a furious "George! Get out of my room!" from a few floors down and Harry nodded. "I hear that."
When the two boys got downstairs, they found Fred laughing at his twin. "She threatened to Bat-Bogey him, and he believed it."
Ron rolled his eyes. "She wouldn't use magic in the holidays. Mum would kill her."
George glared at him. "Have you ever had her put a Bat-Bogey on you?" He shuddered with a memory. Fred was about to say something when their mother entered the room in a colorfully patched robe.
"Happy christmas, children!" she said, beaming.
"Happy Christmas, mum," the twins and Ron answered innocently, as if they had never been talking about Ginny's hexing ability. "Happy Christmas, Mrs. Weasley," Harry added.
The three older boys appeared at the bottom of the stairs, all still in their pajamas, and Bill's hair fully tangled and messed up.
"Morning, everyone," Percy said, rubbing his eyes groggily. "I really don't see the purpose of getting up at un-godly hours in the morning, just to receive trivial material objects..."
Fred rolled his eyes. "Hey, Perc, we have two things to say to you. Firstly, shove it."
Percy glared at him and George, recovered from the scare Ginny had given him, continued, "And secondly, you have a present from Penelope sitting over there under the tree."
"Oh. Oh, thank you. Jolly day, Christmas, don't you agree?"
Harry, confused looked at Ron who was trying to hold back his laughter, and getting the hiccups for his efforts.
There were thumps on the stairs, and Ginny appeared, still in her pajamas (plaid boxer shorts with a black T-shirt) but with her hair brushed and in a loose pony-tail. She had a smile on her face, and obviously had a better mood than when George had tried to wake her up.
"Good morning and Merry Christmas, everyone!" she said cheerfully.
Mrs. Weasley gave her a hug in reply. "Isn't this nice, having the whole family here for Christmas?"
"Um... Mum?"
"Oh. Sorry, dear," she apologized, realizing her hug was choking her daughter.
Mr. Weasley walked through the door, holding two cups of coffee.
"Here you are, Molly," he said, handing his wife one of the mugs.
"Thank you dear. Now, let's all get together in front of the tree."
"We take a Christmas family photo every year," Ron explained in a whisper as all ten of them gathered together in front of the Christmas tree.
Mr. Weasley set a rather large, old-fashioned looking camera up on a tri-pod in front of them.
"Everyone set?" He surveyed the group through the lens.
"Bunch up there, Harry. Yes, a bit closer to Ginny."
A tiny snicker escaped Ron, earning him a glare from Harry as he indeed moved closer to Ginny.
"All right, everyone?" Mr. Weasley fiddled with a contraption on the camera, then hurried to join his family just in time for the blinding flash.
"Presents!" Fred shouted as soon as the picture was taken.
Everyone else also seemed unnaturally excited and immediately started pouncing on their gifts.
Percy, normally a picture of restraint, was demolishing the wrapping paper on the formerly wrapped gift from his girlfriend.
Ginny was the only one not absorbed in opening presents. She smiled with an embarrassed laugh as she explained to Harry. "It's pretty much every Weasley for himself on Christmas morning..."
"OK... So how do I get to the gifts?" Harry asked as she sat down on the loveseat instead of heading for the presents.
"Oh, don't worry. They'll find their way to you. It's good you're a Seeker, anyway."
Only a few short moments later, Harry found out what she meant.
"Oy, Harry!" Ron called.
Harry looked up just in time for his Seeker reflexes to stop a present from flying into his face.
"Uh... Yeah... Thanks," he said to Ginny.
She shrugged as she also began to unwrap a present that had been tossed to her.
Harry took the wrapping off of the git, finding a plain black book. He opened it and jumped as the book said in a scolding voice, "Do it today or later you'll pay!"
Ginny giggled. "From Hermione, right?
Harry nodded and rolled his eyes. "Who else?"
A few moments later, as Harry was flipping through a volume of Practical Defensive Magic and It's Use Against the Dark Arts, Ginny poked him in the side to get his attention.
"Huh?" He looked up.
"Here's your present from me," she said, handing him a flat rectangular gift.
"Oh. I have yours, also." Harry reached beside him and handed her a medium-sized square box wrapped in blue paper.
After they both had their gifts, they opened them at the same time.
Harry finished first, as it seemed that Ginny had used a little less tape than Harry himself had.
"Holy sh--" Harry stopped, realizing there was parental supervision.
He looked down once more at the gift. He saw an old and battered dark blue book with the words 'Property of the Grodzisk Goblins' in the center. Down on the left corner, in smaller print, it said 'Josef Wronski, Seeker'.
"Josef Wronski's actual play book? How in the world did you get this?"
Ginny shrugged, halting her own unwrapping. "They were having a silent auction in Diagon Alley this past Summer and I bought it then."
Harry shook his head, but he was smiling. "Ginevra Weasley, why in the world would you spend so much money on me?"
Ginny blushed and smiled, but responded mockingly, "Well, you did really need it..."
Harry's mouth fell open indignantly as Ginny began laughing.
"No, Harry... I'm only joking. It reminded me of you, I had the money, and everyone else was bidding on the Winbourne Wasps' old training equipment."
Harry was about to ask her where exactly she had gotten the money, but then Ginny went back to wrestling with Spello-tape and he sat back to watch her face.
It turned out to be quite a show, actually, as she pulled the white and gold music box out.
Her eyes widened and her mouth slightly opened in amazement as it first came to view. She held it up to her eyes to inspect the custom artwork on each side.
Then she opened it. The music started slowly, a Muggle tune she had heard before. The elegant looking angel in the center started spinning.
"How did you--"
Harry grinned. "Hermione's my friend too, Ginny. She told me you collected music boxes."
Ginny shook her head, silently berating yet thanking her friend. She looked down closer to her so that she could read it.
Meet me in the backyard after dinner. I need to talk to you.
Ginny smiled, then looked at Harry and nodded.
Shaylee opened her door the exact same moment Bastien and 'rino bounded out of their joined rooms, screaming, "Presents!"
They knocked on every door on the way to the staircase, offering Shaylee an excited grin as they went.
Surprisingly, they stopped at the top of the stairs and waited patiently as two more doors opened while Severus, Cecelia and Sera came out.
"Alright. Go ahead..." Sissy said as she also reached the stairs and set Sera down.
The boys thundered down the stairs and Sera followed them, thumping down one step at a time.
"Ah... Christmas morning... Lovely," tired looking Sissy voiced as she followed her children down the stairs.
Shaylee followed with an obnoxious grin for Severus, who was groggily rubbing his eyes.
When he turned towards Shaylee and saw her grinning, he groaned and said, "And I suppose Christmas morning is the only morning you'll ever get up this early..."
"Yes, very true."
They reached the Living Room and sat on the love seat while all of the kids were on the floor, looking at the name tags on all the presents, though not opening any yet.
Sissy appeared in the doorway, holding cups of coffee for the adults. After these were distributed, she sat down on an armchair. "Alright, Sebastien," she said. "Go ahead."
Sebastien picked up the nearest present and read the tag. "This one's for Sera from Saint Nick," he said, handing his sister the present.
Two things were surprising Shaylee. Firstly, how in the world did Sissy get her kids to behave well on Christmas morning? The gifts got opened one by one with Bastien narrating the giver and recipient.
The second thing that surprised her was that the adults (even her!) got presents from Saint Nicholas. Some of her presents from "Santa" included a book with pictures of different places in Ireland, a green yoyo, and a bag of very strong coffee. She was sure Sev had helped pick them out.
She laughed when she got her joint present from the kids: a knitted hat that matched her own for her teddy bear to wear.
There were presents from colleagues, relatives, and even a few from some students. Needless to say, Severus didn't receive many gifts from students, and those he got were from Slytherins. He didn't appreciate it, however, when Shaylee got a present from a certain unrelated 7th Year Gryffindor. And no, it was not Mr. Lee Jordan.
"This is another one for Shaylee," Sebastien read. "From some guy named Scott."
Shaylee tensed up as she felt Severus staring at her.
"Well, thanks. But I think I'll open this later, OK boyo?"
Sebastien shrugged and went on to a different present, but Shaylee could tell Severus was still looking at her.
"Uncle Severus, this one's from Shay."
Severus took the gift from his nephew, meanwhile shooting Shaylee a disapproving glare for "corrupting" his family.
He opened it to find a "book" titled 100 Crazy Things From Shaylee's Mind staring at him. The picture on the cover was of him and Shaylee with the sun and rain cloud over their heads.
"You have no idea how many letter grades it took to get that picture from Colin Creevey."
Severus looked at her disapprovingly. Shaylee laughed. "I was only joking!" When he looked away, she continued, "It was just extra credit..."
He appeared to ignore that statement and opened the book to the index to read the section title out loud. "Memories... Random Facts... Using Useless Spells... A Vin Diagram Comparison... and I'm Serious, Seriously."
"I figured that it could replace Phantom of the Opera when we finish..." Shaylee smiled demurely at Severus and scooted a bit closer as Severino opened a present.
Severus' hand slipped down to the couch and slowly reach out to grasp Shaylee's. She blushed, but squeezed his hand back.
Severino gave his mom an unenthusiastic smile of thanks for his new jumper and socks she had given him. Shaylee could tell that Sissy was trying to hold back a laugh. Not wanting her children to see her smile, she looked towards her brother and Shaylee and saw their clasped hands. Her smile, which had been slowly decreasing, returned, but this time with a superior air.
Sebastien was studying a package, looking confused. When Severus saw this he smiled mischievously and said, "Bastien, that one's for Shaylee."
Sebastien shrugged and passed it to her, his gaze passing over their hands, but he didn't say anything about it.
Shaylee tokk her hand back and looked at the tag. She rolled her eyes as she saw why Bastien had been confused. The tag read, To: Fairy Princess From: "Sevvy" and you will not use this as blackmail.
She grinned. "You should know by now not to give ideas..." she muttered to him.
He rolled his eyes, not believing her. "Just open it already."
Shaylee slit the wrapping paper (green, of course) and found a small rectangular box. She slid the top open and gasped with delight at what she pulled out.
Standing on her palm was a miniature fairy figurine. Not only was she beautiful, with an earthy dress much like Shaylee's, but she was enchanted to dance.
She was dancing ballet on Shaylee's hand right now, and when Shaylee put her down on the coffee table she continued, using her butterfly-like wings for prolonged jumps.
"It's so..." She gazed at the fairy, trying to think of a word for it. She finally gave up and just threw herself at Severus for a hug. "Oh, Sevvy! Thank you so much It's gorgeous!"
Sissy was smiling at them knowingly, but when Shaylee glanced her way, she held back her smile and turned to watch her son open a package.
Severus was surprised at first from Shaylee's hug, but after the initial shock, hugged her back. "You're very welcome, Fairy Princess..."
That was when Severus got his first feeling of the confusion Shaylee had been going through all along.
A picture of Lily Evans' smiling face passed through his mind, along with a whopping ton of guilt, confusion, and the agonizing thought that everyone who had thought he had just been living in the past had been right.
Ginevra is actually Ginny's real full name, courtesy of JKR's site
OK, I was seriously gonna make this chapter longer... I even had a scene and a half done, but when I was typing this up, I thought that right there was a great place to end. I love being evil.
Anywho, I'm in Kentucky right now. I've been very busy, helping my cousin move while watching her kids. I finally got this done, though, I suppose. I probably couldn't have done it without my lovely MD Livewire, tho... Well, R/R and ENJOY!
