This is being cross-posted from Ao3. It was originally posted on 23 December 2019.
Huge thank you to GaeilgeRua for letting me use her Grammarly and SquarePeg72 for alpha reading. Any other mistakes are definitely my own.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, and Warner Bros. Marvel belongs to Disney. No copyright infringement is intended. Die Hard references are not my own.
Prompt: Avis/Mistletoe and MMFBingo19 Square: G2 Blaise Zabini
The snow was falling gently in the city, and Pepper found herself suddenly unsure if this trip was truly worth the hassle. It was nearly Christmas, after all, and she should be home with Morgan trimming the tree and baking cookies for Santa. Unfortunately, her heart had demanded she get on the company jet and fly to London, so that's what she'd done.
Now, she was standing in front of a townhouse she'd not seen since the summer with butterflies in her stomach and a question poised on her lips. The business trip she'd had to attend in June had led her to this place and introduced her to a surprising group of people she'd never known existed. Witches and wizards were real, and not the kind like Loki or Wanda. True wand-carrying, broom flying witches and wizards walked among them.
One such wizard that she'd worked with was Blaise Zabini, and even though she was still healing from the loss of Tony, her heart found something it liked about the wizard. He had a sense of humour that left her smiling even hours later and a way about him that seemed so easy. Pepper had spent quite a few hours asking him many questions about the wizarding world while they sipped coffee and grew closer.
Unfortunately, her trip had to end eventually, and when it did, Pepper returned to the States and slowly grew out of touch with Blaise. There were phone calls and letters at first, but slowly those dwindled down until all that was left were the memories of summer getting to know one another. They'd never even kissed!
With the holidays looming, Pepper knew she didn't want to be alone anymore. Tony would want her to move on eventually, and she felt it was time. Thankfully, Happy was willing to watch Morgan for a few days while she flew to London to try and convince Blaise that she was worth more than a handful of letters over six months.
With the snow falling down around her, Pepper straightened her shoulders and walked across the street to the door she knew belonged to Blaise. Her red jacket allowed the cars travelling to see her and stop so she could cross safely, seeing as she'd chosen not to look both ways before crossing the road. Once in front of Blaise's door, she lifted her hand, formed a fist, and promptly knocked before she could change her mind.
For a moment, Pepper didn't think anyone would answer. Luckily, a lock could be heard shifting and then the door was thrown open. Blinking at the sudden light that spilt out, Pepper was relieved to find that it was Blaise who answered and not some other woman or witch that had managed to take the place she so desperately wanted.
"Pepper?" Blaise questioned, squinting as he examined her in the snow.
"Hey, Blaise," Pepper said, her words a tad bit shaky with nerves. "I know I probably should have called first, but I thought it may be better to surprise you."
Blaise smirked, his chocolate eyes lighting up as he did so. "No worries," he said, opening the door wider and gesturing for her to come inside. "I just made a fresh batch of hot cocoa. Care for some?"
Stepping inside, Pepper removed her coat which Blaise took and hung on the stand by the door. He then sealed them inside and turned to her for an answer. Clearing her throat, Pepper said, "I'd love some. Thank you."
"Go on into the living room," Blaise told her. "I'll grab the cocoa and meet you there."
Nodding, Pepper headed into the room off the hall and sat down on the sofa. There was a fire in the grate, and a Christmas tree set up in the corner. The room was also decorated with other holiday items like garland, nutcrackers, and a sprig of mistletoe hung above the doorway. Smiling to herself, Pepper found the home to be comfortable and inviting just as it had been back in the summertime.
"Two marshmallow filled cups of cocoa," Blaise said as he entered the living room. He handed one to Pepper and then gestured for her to join him on the sofa.
Pepper took a sip of the delicious cocoa and tried to recollect her thoughts. She was here for a reason after all. Clearing her throat. She said, "Blaise, I know we've fallen out of touch these past couple of months, but I'm here because I want to change that. I really thought we had something special developing. I'm not quite sure what caused you to fall out of touch with me."
Blaise smiled and set aside his mug. "Pepper, I work for the Department of Mysteries. I should have explained this to you before, but sometimes my job requires me to fall out of communication with everyone. It was nothing you did."
"So you weren't trying to push me away?" Pepper asked, hope reflecting in her eyes.
"No," Blaise replied, reaching out to take her hand. "In fact, I finished the job early and was going to call you for the New Year. You beat me to it."
The smirk was back, and Pepper flushed with embarrassment and excitement. "Well, that is good to hear. So, then, would you like to join me in the States for Christmas? I have the company jet ready to go. However, if you already have plans I completely understand-"
Instead of replying, Blaise tugged Pepper to her feet and all but dragged her to the mistletoe she had previously been admiring. Then he pulled her close and kissed her with everything he had. Pepper melted into the embrace; this is how they should have spent their time together in the summer. Now they would get to spend the holidays falling in love.
"Again!" Morgan urged Blaise, clapping her hands together joyfully.
"Anything for my favourite little genius," Blaise told Pepper's daughter. Pointing his wand into the air, he said, "Avis!" Morgan cheered with glee as a flock of birds were conjured and fluttered around the Christmas tree. He smiled as he watched her chase them before spotting Pepper in the doorway.
Pepper entered the room and joined Blaise on the sofa. "She adores you," she whispered to her new boyfriend. "And so do I."
Blaise leaned in for a kiss and together the two of them, and Morgan continued celebrating Christmas. Pepper had taken a chance, and it paid off. Despite the sadness of the past, she would build a new family that she knew Tony would approve of.