Author's Note:
Christmas has arrived. ;-)
I almost ran into a minor plot hole with Ron and him knowing about Hermione's creature, so I tried to cover it here in a few retrospective lines. Given that he works on the case, and that they had a lunch to catch up after the St Nicolas Day (where he announced his engagement to Pansy), I figured he has to know by now—so much for keeping track of details. *headdesk*
My usual thanks to my lovely beta MusicLover19 for proofreading and providing a few additional comments! You're a sweetheart!
And thanks to the wonderfully supportive bunch of ladies who are still patient enough to listen to my doubts and ramblings while trying to write this story.
I love you all! :-**
Chapter 29 – Would it be that bad?
"Oh, wonderful! You could both make it! Merry Christmas!" Molly exclaimed with a beaming smile as she came out of the kitchen to the fireplace where Hermione and Draco were just brushing off the soot from each other.
"Sorry for being late," Hermione replied with blushing cheeks, just as Draco carefully brushed over her hair. "I couldn't find the small vial with the Calming Draught I wanted to bring just in case."
"At least we brought the presents," Draco added, as he unshrinked the bag they had brought along. Even though they had invited him explicitly to this year's Christmas Day at the Burrow, he still felt oddly out of place. After all, his last visit here had been years ago, just before Hermione had come back from South America. Since then, he had avoided the place not to run into her.
"That wasn't necessary, you know? We're already glad you're coming at all." Yet Molly couldn't resist a glimpse into the bag when she received it. "Wow, so many..."
"Just something small for all of them," Draco replied with a sheepish grin. After Hermione had told him about how much they loved his devices, he couldn't resist organising one for each of them, trying to take their jobs and needs into account when choosing them.
"Let's go inside; the others are already waiting for you, the half-starved lot!"
Hermione laughed at Molly's words before she reached for Draco's hand. "Always the same story..."
Molly nodded in amusement and then turned around to lead them back into the living room from where chatting noises were coming. "You can sit at the door, just like at Saint Nicolas, if you're okay with that."
From the way Hermione nodded, she was more than okay with that, as it gave her the option to get out if it started to get overwhelming. She had taken a dose of the Calming Draught before they had left her place, but you never knew.
"Just beware of the mistletoes... I think Fred and George jinxed a couple of them to suddenly appear above your head." Molly winked at both Hermione and Draco before she turned around towards the kitchen to finish her cooking.
"Auntie is here!" Lily came running with her arms stretched out when they entered the room, the rest of the children waved through the room. "I have a big present for you!"
The majority of the adults turned around with a warm smile and a wave, only to gape momentarily when they saw Draco behind Hermione.
"Welcome back, Malfoy!"
"Good to be back." Greeted thus, Draco could finally shake his nervousness, although a tiny rest remained because he understood the picture they presented by arriving together. He nodded briefly when he saw Ron and Pansy at the other end of the table and smiled when she returned the gesture.
While Hermione took her seat next to Fleur, balancing Lily in her lap, he let his gaze wander further through the room, stopping once he recognised the flaming turquoise hair next to the familiar dark brown in the middle of the other tableside. He had completely forgotten how close his aunt and his cousin were with the Weasleys, expecting to see them the next day when they would have dinner with his mother.
Andromeda waved at him when she realised he was basically staring at her and then nudged her grandson; Draco had to get over to greet them now.
Keeping an eye on Hermione, who seemed fine in the chaos so far, Draco indeed went over; his aunt was already standing when he arrived at her end. "I didn't expect to see you today..."
"My dear, your presence is the bigger surprise. And arriving with Hermione of all people..."
"Let's just say, I took the chance," he replied kissing her on the cheeks, even going as far as giving her a brief hug.
"Does your mother know?"
"She knows about the one session with Dr Pendry..." Draco sighed but tried to cover it with a smile.
"I see," Andromeda replied with a brief understanding nod. "I won't tell her, I promise."
"What are you two talking about, Gran?" Teddy finally joined them, trying to bring a semblance of order into his hair with a few brushes of his hands. It wasn't really working, though. "Harry said something about Hermione bringing someone. I didn't expect it to be you..."
Draco smirked. "No one did, from their initial looks. You'll get your present tomorrow..."
"So," Teddy continued, showing the same smirk. "You and Hermione."
"Teddy, don't," Andromeda said, chastising her grandson with a warning look.
"Let him, it's okay. He'll get the payback tomorrow..."
Andromeda raised her eyebrow at both young men in front of him, trying to be firm with them, but unable to keep the facade up for more than a few seconds. "I know. And I'm honestly glad you're working things out with Hermione, whatever the result is going to be..."
"Thanks." Grateful for her words, Draco pressed another kiss on her cheek and then had a quick look over to Hermione, who was still entertaining Lily on her lap, smiling a lot—making his stomach flutter for a moment. He was glad that she had found her smile again, after everything she had been through.
He had always loved her smile.
"Cousin, you might want to stare a bit less obviously..."
Pulled from his musings, Draco mocked a scoff at the grinning Teddy. The boy was cheeky underneath all that Hufflepuff friendliness, probably from his mother's side, but Draco didn't mind. With a soft smile, he turned to his aunt. "I think I'll join Hermione again, making sure she's okay."
She nodded, returning the smile, only to nudge Teddy once more, who was still snickering. "We'll talk later. Maybe you can tell me a bit more about everything..."
Just as Draco turned to go back to Hermione and take his seat next to her, Molly came back out of the kitchen, carrying the first pot to place it on the table. "Lunch is ready! Everybody at the table!"
..
The children could barely sit still during Christmas lunch, as they knew that as soon as everyone was finished, they were allowed to finally open all the presents that were still lying underneath the Christmas tree on the other side of the room.
"Look," Hermione whispered, nudging Draco gently into his side to gain his attention before discreetly pointing towards Molly at the top of the table. The children had all come up to the matron, with Teddy and Victoire behind him steadying the youngest ones, and they were now discussing animatedly.
"Looks like they have something planned," he replied as he leaned towards her, his gaze following her finger. He was glad that she was still doing so well, despite the noise level during the lunch; she even kept smiling repeatedly, sharing stories with Fleur and Angelina who sat opposite her.
Molly at the other end of the table nodded to the children's delight, and they immediately ran over to the tree and fished several presents from the pile. And to Hermione's complete surprise, they all came up to her, the elder ones each carrying a present in their hands.
"They wanted to let you have your gifts first," Teddy explained while James next to him nodded firmly. "They all know that you went through a bad time, so they wanted to surprise you..."
She was speechless for a second, but then gathered herself and broke into a big smile. "Thank you all! That is so so sweet of you!"
James was the first to give her his present, and he even gave her a peck on her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Auntie!"
"Merry Christmas!" Hermione replied, giving him the briefest of hugs in return.
After James, Hermione received more presents than she expected, ending up with a little pile in front of her, from handcrafted items to a small plush animal and other things the children thought would help her when she had a bad day. Of course, she gave every child a brief, but grateful hug, only to then watch them return to the Christmas tree where Molly was now sorting and checking each present with the help of Ginny.
While Hermione was unwrapping her presents with an ever-growing smile and small appreciative squeals, Draco kept looking into the round because, as welcome as he felt in their midst, it was still an odd experience after such a long time away. He simply took in the excited children shredding the wrapping of their presents and showing it off to everyone, and the adults helping themselves to a second helping of the desserts still on the table. And seeing Pansy spoon-feed Ron some of the desserts on her plate made him chuckle; it was like seeing a completely new side of her.
All in all, it was a relaxed atmosphere, one of a family who loved getting together.
"A Sickle for your thoughts," Hermione whispered as she leaned towards him with a teasing smile, one of the last unopened presents in her hands.
"Nothing really, I was just watching the others a bit."
She nodded and set about carefully unwrapping the present; she always loved the suspense at that moment, that was why she still did it. "You have plenty of time for that, giving out all the presents usually takes a while."
..
The children were already playing with all their new toys when it was only Hermione's and Draco's presents left a while later, with everyone around the table sporting their newest Christmas jumper from Molly.
Before Draco could say anything, she rose to her feet to walk over to the Christmas tree. "Shopping is rather difficult right now for me, but with Ginny's help, I think I found something for everyone–"
"We're glad you're here at all!" George said, with the others loudly agreeing with him.
"Ouais, and you're doing great tonight," Fleur added with one of her warm smiles.
Now Draco got up as well to help her give out the presents. Her sheepish smile at all the friendly words was endearing. "They are right, you know?"
"You think?" Hermione asked as she checked the name tag on the first present before levitating it over to the recipient, Harry, who broke out in laughter when he unwrapped the nutcracker Hermione had bought him on the Christmas market to keep their small tradition of silly presents going.
"Yes." Draco sent the present in his hands over to Ron, who unwrapped it just like his nephews and nieces, shredding it to Pansy's disapproval. He kept an eye on Hermione as they sent over their presents to the others, and he couldn't help but adore the brief blushing of her cheeks whenever the recipients let out a happy squeal.
Soon, it was only his presents left.
"I didn't know whether I should bring something, but then Hermione gave me an idea," he said with a smirk and a quick glance to her at his side. "I do hope that I managed to get everyone something you like."
And with quick, measured swishes, he sent all the presents to their respective recipients, only to hear them gasp and squeal in astonishment.
"Oh my... Merlin, Draco!"
"Draco! That is so cool!"
"Woah, how did you know?"
Hermione laughed at the reactions and reached for his hand to squeeze it. "I think you did it. You're their favourite now..."
"They like the presents, not me..." He twined his fingers with hers, enjoying the touch of her skin against his. At the other end of the table, he could see Pansy inspect the present he had chosen for Ron, something he could use for his job, only to have her throw him a questioning look. It was clear that she wanted to say something to him, yet didn't leave her spot because Hermione was still standing next to him.
"We have one last present," Molly said as she rose up to her feet, with a teasing smile. With a small groan, she pulled a neatly wrapped present from behind the tree to hand it to Draco who was momentarily stunned, not having expected anything.
It was a green woollen jumper with a D on its front.
He had to swallow hard because those jumpers were only given to those considered being part of the family, and he still treasured the last one he had received. But this one topped it. "Molly, that's... that's... Thank you."
"I didn't know a simple jumper would make you speechless, Malfoy," Harry threw in with a taunting smirk, earning himself a hard, disapproving nudge from Ginny, causing him to yelp in pain.
Molly pulled him into a hug. "No, thank you for helping to save our Hermione... She might not be here if it hadn't been for you."
Draco only nodded, holding his breath as the matron held him tight for a moment. He felt overwhelmed by the gratitude he could he see on every face when he looked over to the table; it was even visible on Hermione's face as she stood next to him.
"Mum, you're suffocating him!"
"Shut up, Fred!" Molly retorted as she finally let go of Draco, only to pull Hermione into a quick half-hug because she simply couldn't resist.
"I'm George, Mum!"
"You're Fred," Molly said firmly, but with a chuckle. "You still have both ears."
"Damn."
That made the whole table laugh, giving Draco the chance to inhale in an attempt to ease the overwhelming feeling. He relaxed a bit when Hermione reached for his hand once more, as it provided a grounding touch.
"Let's go outside," Hermione whispered as Molly returned to her spot at the table. "I need a break."
..
The silence in the garden as soon as Draco closed the door behind them was a relief. It allowed for him to let out the breath he had been holding in ever since Molly had hugged him. His mind was still reeling from the gratitude, something he hadn't expected at all.
Hermione sat down on the small bench next to the door, overviewing the garden in all its winter beauty; he joined her seconds later.
"Are you okay?" she asked, leaning into him. "You're so quiet all of a sudden."
He took her hand in his, caressing it with soft brushes over its palm and back. "I just didn't expect such a gift."
"I remember the first time Molly gave you such a jumper. I think you were just as speechless back then."
"I still have the last one somewhere," he replied, leaning his chin on her head. "I couldn't bring it over myself to throw it away."
For a few long seconds, neither said a word, simply enjoying the silence before a barely audible plop interrupted it, causing them both to look up.
It was a mistletoe.
"That's what Molly meant when we arrived," Hermione said with a groan. "It's almost like they expect us to... you know?"
"Let them expect what they want," Draco replied, smiling softly at her. "It's up to us to figure it out, like we discussed with Dr Pendry."
"I know." She sat up, squeezing his hand briefly. "It's just that if this was the twins, then the mistletoe won't go away until we... ugh..."
"Until we kissed?"
She nodded, her cheeks blushing.
"Would it be that bad?" he asked, tilting her head up gently with his free hand so that she had to look at him, his gaze lingering a moment on her lips as she kept licking them. Mesmerized by the move of her tongue, he let his thumb run over the lower lip.
What would it be like to kiss her? Would it still feel the same as it did back then? Would it be different?
"Draco," she whispered, the voice hitching ever so slightly. She was looking at him with her big, questioning eyes, covering his hand on her cheek with hers. "Are you sure? We-We can force them to lift–"
"Shh," he stopped her and slowly leaned towards her to press a first tentative kiss on her lips, with no further expectations. His heart jumped a beat when he finally came in contact with them—they were still as soft as he remembered them, even if they were slightly more charred now. It brought back memories of so many kisses, from heartfelt and ardent to hungry and passionate.
But right now, this was perfect.
.
Hermione was stunned at first, but then basically melted into the touch of his lips. He wasn't coaxing her into anything; instead, it was such a simple kiss, more like an offering. She didn't want it to stop yet, so when he pulled away, she stopped him with her hand on his neck and claimed his lips.
Her already racing heart felt like it was about to explode when he responded in kind—he was still tentative yet eager to get to know her again. The first touch of his tongue against hers sent a shiver down her spine. Encouraged like this, she deepened the kiss, eager to just get lost in the feel of it all.
For the first time in years, everything inside her was humming—excitement building in her body, letting her grow more courageous, and even a bit more demanding. Those eight years of being separated were completely forgotten for the duration of the kiss.
This was perfect.
But Draco eventually broke off, leaning his forehead against hers and breathing heavily. "I... We... What just happened?"
"Mistletoe," she replied in a breathless whisper, placing a peck on his lips because she didn't want to let it end just yet. "Maybe we just needed it as a little push."
"Maybe..." With an eager smile, he kissed her again, claiming her more ardently than before, as if there was a need to catch up what they had missed in the last eight years.
Right there, Hermione knew that any effort would be worth it, because him kissing her like that meant that she had a chance, however small. That was why she so eagerly responded to his renewed kiss, digging her hands into the strands on the side of his head.
They were still kissing when the door opened again.
"Hermione?"
"Shit!" Shocked, and with wide eyes as if caught doing something she shouldn't, Hermione pulled away, hoping they weren't discovered. A quick glance over to Draco showed that his cheeks were tinted with a blushing pink while he tried to bring his hair back into order.
It was Teddy who stepped outside with a questioning look, only to soften into a teasing smile when he saw them. "Am I interrupting something?"
"No, no, no," Hermione replied, smiling nervously. "We just needed some fresh air. You know how noisy the family can be."
"I can go back inside," Teddy offered with a shrug before he leaned against the door frame.
"You have a question, I guess," she said with a smile and took a deep breath. Her heart was still racing, but she was slowly coming down from her previous high of kissing Draco. "And you don't want to talk to Harry about it–"
"Merlin, no! You're the cool aunt, after all..."
"I think I go back inside." Draco rose to his feet, brushing once more through his hair.
"Don't be surprised if Nana wants to talk to you..." Teddy let his cousin pass inside before taking his seat on the bench.
"I'll survive," Draco replied with a smirk and closed the door behind him, leaving them alone.
"I get the impression that I interrupted something between you two," Teddy said after a few seconds of silence, rubbing his thighs. "I mean, I sort of remember the break-up, so it's nice to see you two being on such friendly terms again."
"It is nice, yes." Hermione couldn't help but smile sheepishly for a brief moment. "But you wanted advice, right?"
He nodded, albeit reluctantly so; his hair now a vivid shade of purple. "Just promise you won't tell the others."
"You know I won't."
"Okay." He rubbed his neck. "It's-It's about Victoire. She acts all weird recently and keeps fighting with me, and I honestly don't know what I did wrong."
"I saw her throw you a few angry glares during lunch–"
"Yes, that's one of those things. At Hogwarts, she keeps saying that I don't spend enough time with her. But I have so much on my plate with the prefect stuff and then the OWLs. I tried to tell her that, but she wouldn't listen."
"You want me to talk to her?"
"Please!" He sighed in relief, his hair returning to its usual turquoise. "I really don't want to hurt her, but I just don't know what else to do..."
"It's okay. I'll try to talk to her, but I won't promise anything. It might as well be that, in the end, you two have to talk about it, too."
"Still, thanks." He didn't sound entirely excited about the possibility of having to talk to Victoire, but he didn't complain about it either. "I'm just confused because last year, she was really cool and I didn't mind helping her out with her homework. But since the new semester started, she keeps following me around, which doesn't help with all the prefect stuff I have to do. I only get a break in the Hufflepuff common room, or when I change my look..."
"It's okay. I'm sure we'll find a solution." Hermione stretched her back and then got up. "Sorry, it's starting to get chilly."
He joined her, a teasing smile curling his lips up. "Nah, you just want to save Draco from Nana."
"Maybe. Just keep whatever you think you just saw to yourself. The situation is already complicated enough without them interfering."
"Yeah, I get that. But I do hope it works out for you two." He opened the door and stepped inside before holding it open for her.
..
Stepping inside, Hermione saw Pansy watch her with a raised eyebrow and a sceptical look. It was like a reminder that apologising to Draco might have been the easy part, because she still didn't know how to apologise to them, and whether they could deal with the whole truth behind it. She knew she had to at one point if she ever wanted to get back together with Draco, just not how.
And how much did she actually know? Did Ron tell her about the creature? He did promise at the lunch at Harry's place to keep it between them, but she was still scared that it might already have made the rounds in the family regardless.
His initial reaction to the truth about her creature had baffled her—while Ginny had run out of the kitchen in disappointment, he had only shrugged as he had guessed it already, based on the files and the circumstances she had been found in.
Maybe it was the job, dealing with all kinds of people and creatures, that gave him enough wisdom to accept it. Or Pansy had a bigger influence on his emotional maturity than she had guessed from what he had told her about his fiancée.
With a quick smile towards Ron and Pansy, Hermione moved towards the kitchen, where she finally found Draco; he was indeed talking with Molly—although he was mostly listening and nodding with an almost solemn expression.
"...all I'm saying is that you should be sure about it. I know it hasn't been easy for either of you, and then there's that business with–"
Standing in the door frame, Hermione coughed to get their attention.
"Hermione!" Molly said, breaking into a smile when she saw her. "We were just talking about you."
She came inside to join Draco, even reaching for his hand. "I figured. It's not like you could keep secrets in this family anyway..."
Molly furrowed her brows in confusion. "Secrets? Did I miss something?"
They both shook their head vehemently, but Hermione felt her cheeks burn in addition. "No."
"Alright, you two. I get it. It's complicated enough," Molly replied with a warm smile and a wink.
"It is," Draco replied with a nod, looking relieved and quickly squeezing her hand.
Molly smiled when she noticed the gesture. "The others are having another coffee... Want to help me bring it out?"
"Let me talk to Victoire first, then I'll help you–"
"Is that what Teddy wanted from you?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raised in question.
"I'll tell you later," Hermione replied with an apologetic smile. "Probably just a misunderstanding between them."
..
A couple of hours later, they arrived back at Hermione's place, with her feeling exhausted, but still better than expected. With a sigh, she let herself fall on the sofa in the living room, smiling as Draco placed her presents on the sofa table in front of her. "I am dead."
"You did pretty well," he replied, sitting down next to her feet. "And that after you said you were a bit scared..."
"Maybe it was different because you were there as well." She propped herself up on her elbows to look at him with a warm smile. "I still sort of wish that Teddy hadn't interrupted us in the garden."
A spark flashed up in his eyes, the only hint that it was the same for him. "Molly is right though. We do need to be sure."
"I know." With a frustrated huff, she lay back down, staring at the ceiling while she let her thoughts run free for a moment. Of course, Molly was right—they had both been burned badly in the past, neither of them wanted a repeat! But they made such good progress over the last few weeks, with just talking, reconnecting, and mending their hearts.
And today, they even kissed!
"Hey, it's okay." He patted her shin gently to comfort her.
She wiped her eyes. "Maybe I'm just tired. It's been a long day..."
He nodded, seemingly absent-minded. "We still have a session with Dr Pendry after Christmas..."
She understood. They should use it to discuss what happened today and what it meant for them. And maybe even discuss the chance of rekindling their relationship, of getting back together. As great as the kiss had been, she hated the uncertainty it brought.
What if it didn't work out? What about her creature? Could he really accept it? After all, he hadn't seen it yet. No one had.
"We'll figure something out, okay? No need to think about it now."
She nodded and looked down at him; his smile helped her relax a bit and get out of her spiralling thoughts.
"By the way, what did Teddy want to know?"
"Oh, Merlin! Complicated story..." She chuckled, glad about the chance of subject. "I think Victoire likes him a bit too much and is just jealous of everyone, especially other girls."
He laughed, patting her shin again. "We had other problems at that age... More of the trying not to die variety."
"True." She found his laughter contagious, and she couldn't help but let out a short laugh herself. "But honestly, we are no better..."
"Probably." Still chuckling, he tried to stifle a yawn, but it was stronger. "I think I better leave now. I need a clear head for tomorrow. Lunch with my mother."
She lifted her feet to give him more room to get up, trying not to let disappointment get the better of her—she was exhausted, but she had spent such a nice day with Draco that she didn't want to let him go just yet. "Come by afterwards?"
"I might." With another smile, he reached for the pot of Floo powder before he stepped into the fireplace. He disappeared seconds later in the green flames, still smiling.
Hermione was already looking forward to seeing him again. But right now, her bed was the only thing she wanted to get closely acquainted with today, if only she made it off her sofa.