"Don't you celebrate Christmas?" McKenzie asked. She spent the day together with Hermione, Draco and Scorpius with the latter two showing her around the massive sized Manor.
"Dad usually hires a group of house elves to decorate for the holidays," Scorpius informed his sister. "But that's not until the second week of December."
"You hire elves?" Hermione directed at Draco with a raise of her eyebrows.
Draco nodded, feeling a sudden itch at the back of his neck. His throat felt like cotton, instantly uncomfortable with the subject. "Yeah," he said with a shrug. I can't let Booty do all the work herself."
Hermione tilted her head. "What happened to the rest of your elves?"
Draco shifted his eyes from her curious ones that demanded an answer from him. He proceeded with the tour. "This tower once housed the Minister of Magic for nearly six weeks during the Centaur War in 1697," he explained the history it held, unwilling to answer Hermione.
"He set them free," Scorpius sang like a canary, earning a look from his father.
"Wait, what ?!" Hermione gasped. Unfortunately, she was more interested in hearing about the elves and not the history of Draco's Manor.
"That was supposed to remain private !" Draco hissed, slightly feeling like his son had betrayed him.
Scorpius shrugged indifferently. "She'd find out eventually."
"Why did you free your elves?" Hermione pressed him for answers.
"Because you were right, okay?!" he burst out, tossing up his hands. "Whoever came up with the idea to enslave a creature was absolutely horrid!"
Hermione's mouth tugged into a smile, and her top teeth sank into her bottom lip, sending Draco an amused look. "Do you also hire them from my non-profit group?"
"I do, but that's because some of the elves who willingly accepted my offer are part of your organization. Booty is too old-fashioned though. She didn't want to be freed, she likes stability. But she's also quite old, and not as agile as she used to be. Booty doesn't believe she'd fare well in a free market."
"That's still very sweet," Hermione complimented. "Especially since you don't want any recognition for it."
"It was their request, not mine. Apparently, elves are made to believe that if a master frees them they are utterly worthless. Thus, they didn't want anyone knowing that I freed them. It would look horrible when it hit the papers."
Hermione nodded. "I'm glad I made such an impression on you."
Draco looked away and refrained from clearing his throat. Hermione had done more than that to Draco, but he didn't add anything to that subject.
"Back to the tour then," he announced, barely finding his voice.
"My mum and dad and I decorated for Christmas without any hired help," McKenzie spoke up. She and Scorpius had been quiet while Hermione and Draco had spoken about the house elves.
"Couldn't we do that, Dad?" Scorpius asked, practically pleading of him. "Mum's not doing it this year because of her new boyfriend." He grumbled this, expressing his dislike for Astoria's new fling.
"Yes! We should! Please ?!" McKenzie folded up her hands and blinked with wide eyes.
Draco sighed. "I haven't decorated in years ."
"BM can help!" Mckenzie suggested, taking Hermione's hand and flashing her a hopeful smile. "Can't you?"
"Hermione is probably too busy with her non-profit duties…" Draco gave her a way out, not wanting her to feel that she had to tag along.
"Well, I do have tasks to complete before the holidays are up, but I can certainly find time to help you decorate-- if that's okay with you, Draco?"
He nodded. "It's fine. Perfectly fine."
"When should we start?"
"Tomorrow!" Scorpius said before his father could set a specific date. "I have to go back to Mum's this weekend," he reminded Draco quietly.
"Ah, that's right. Scorpius is spending Christmas with Astoria this year."
"Oh," McKenzie breathed out, disappointed. "So I won't see you again until after Christmas?"
Scorpius silently shook his head.
"That's too bad," Mckenzie responded sadly.
"Tomorrow is good then?" Hermione verified with Draco.
"Perfect. It's a date--" His eyes widened as soon as he said it, causing the other three to giggle. "I mean-- that's not what I meant-- You know that? Right? Decorating won't be a date ! That would be ridiculous!"
"Right! It's not a date!" Hermione couldn't maintain her laughter, finding his blushing cheeks amusing.
"Where should I put this?" Scorpius asked the next day. He held up a bell ornament, dangling it from his fingers. He let it sway back and forth, enjoying the musical jingle the movement made.
Hermione gasped. She stared at it, as if it was the most precious thing that she had ever seen. "You kept it?" she squeaked and leaned toward Scorpius, taking it from him. She cradled the ornament in cupped hands, peering at Draco with curious eyes.
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked with a shrug. "It is a beautiful piece of…" he paused, needing to swallow. His throat had become tight and dry. He took out a string of lights from a large trunk. "It's a beautiful piece of our past," he managed.
"I didn't think you had liked it."
He rolled his eyes. "Of course I liked it, Hermione! It was the first gift you gave me!" He lifted up a shoulder. "It's special to me."
Tears pooled into Hermione's eyes. "That's so sweet, Draco."
"I'm just a sentimental sap! If you look in that box, I'm sure you'll see the first Christmas gift Astoria gave me."
"It isn't here, Dad, and you know it. You gave it back to Mum after the divorce."
Draco threw a dark look at his son, threatening to strangle him. Scorpius only grinned back.
"No Christmas is complete without mistletoe," McKenzie announced, giving Scorpius a knowing, mischievous wink.
"Indeed. Let's put it up in the foyer!" He took it from his sister, and together, they went off to hang it over the doorway.
"Your son certainly doesn't hold back the reins, does he?" Hermione asked when they were alone.
"Scorpius is very much like Astoria. Both are excessively sneaky and conniving. Don't mind him though, he wants me to start dating again, and I believe he's picked you as the target."
" Me ?" Hermione raised her eyebrows up.
"Well, I'm only guessing that's why he insists on selling me out any chance he gets. He must like you."
Hermione smiled. "Yeah, he seems like a great kid."
"He is. Just don't trust him with any secrets!"
"Oh, are you two a thing again?" Astoria questioned when she saw that Hermione was at Draco's manor.
Hermione laughed. "No, we are just…" She stopped to think about what they were. "Friends…?" She looked at Draco.
"Friends. Sure," he agreed.
"For now anyway," Scorpius said, shrugging to a coat.
"And what does that mean?" his mother asked, not at all a stranger to his cheeky comments.
Scorpius lifted up his arms innocently. "Hey, it's Christmas. You never know! By the way, dad, you and Hermione are standing under the mistletoe!"
Hermione squeaked, looking up to see that the thirteen-year-old was right. Draco went stiff, and his eyes drifted to the floor.
Astoria laughed. "I see what you mean now, son. You two are going to have to kiss, you know what's going to happen if you don't."
"What happens?" Draco asked, snapping his head to look at his ex-wife, genuinely curious.
"Bad luck, of course, BD!" McKenzie came walking in right at the perfect time. Her eyes were shining with excitement. "You can't not kiss!"
"I've never been caught under the mistletoe," Draco confessed to Hermione.
"Well, neither have I," Hermione said. "I suppose there's a first for everything, though."
"Do you object to this ridiculous tradition?" he asked softly, somewhat hoping she'd agree to it.
"Did you not just hear them? It's bad luck to refuse a kiss."
"But do you believe in the myth?"
Hermione tilted her head, considering it. "I've learned not to mess around with chance. What is the harm in a simple kiss? It's not like we are a stranger to each other."
His cheeks turned red, and that bloody cotton ball got stuck in his throat again.
"Oh Merlin, would you just do it already?! I've got Theo waiting for my return. We are going bowling tonight!"
" Bowling ?" Draco scrutinized. "Isn't that a Muggle thing? Since when do you Muggle , Astoria?"
Astoria squared her shoulders off. "It's actually quite fun! Now, stop beating around the bush already and kiss her!"
As he turned his head back to face Hermione, she gripped a hold of Draco's shirt, and stood on her tiptoes, lightly pressing her lips to his.
Draco forgot about where he currently was, and memories of his past with Hermione flashed before his mind. Their quiet nights, playing Muggle board games. Their cooking sessions of her doing most of the cooking while he felt he had to sample everything along the way. The way her hair looked every morning, always in a web of tangles. How her tender lips trailed along his bare skin, sending his hair to stand on end.
She finally broke off the kiss, leaving Draco in a daze. His lungs ached, and he realized that he had been holding his breath the entire time. Draco sucked in air, feeling slightly faint from lack of oxygen.
"Well, isn't that something," Astoria sang out.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Draco demanded. He was now embarrassed that there had been witnesses of that "innocent" kiss Hermione had given him. His eyes flicked to the woman who had stolen that same kiss from him and found that she was rubbing her lips. She had stepped back several steps from him and was avoiding eye contact with him.
"That your son was right, Draco. For now , you're just friends, but I bet, by the time this holiday is over, you'll be more than that!"
"Oh, just go home, Astoria! Who the bloody hell asked your opinion!"
"Hmm, denial. Typical. Come along, Scorpius. Let's give your father time to process that remarkable kiss!"
"Bye, Dad!" Scorpius waved, wearing the cheekiest grin on his face. "Happy Christmas!"
AN: It's Christmas Eve. Hope everyone is enjoying themselves. The propane to my oven decided to run out in the middle of my pecan pie baking, lol. It's too dark to switch the tanks out so that'll be my job in the morning. Yay... -.-
Review Responses:
To the Guest: Thank you :)
tmtcltb: I know I would be frustrated if I were Draco. heh. Kenzie is most definitely a mini version of Hermione, lol. Did you find me on A3O?
OnYourLeft2014: Heck yeah,Dramione for life :)