Wow, I wasn't sure how a Christmas story would be received after the holidays. Thank you so much for your response! I'm happy to see some new readers as well as the faithful. I'm going to try and post more often than my usual once a week, just because it is related to the holidays.
I'm a little disappointed that the really cute scene break I inserted doesn't come through on FanFiction. It looked like Harry's glasses. So I've settled for hdhdhdhd as a scene break.
Saturday afternoon, Harry took a trip to Diagon Alley in order to do some Christmas shopping. He knew exactly what he wanted to get Hermione, and had an idea of what he might get Ron. He'd find something for Teddy from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Perhaps a pygmy puff or a Tiny Twister. The difficult thing would be finding something small, yet respectable for Malfoy.
"I can't believe have to give Malfoy gifts," he grumbled to himself. "I don't even know what the hell he would like."
He decided to go to Flourish and Blott's first, to pick up two books Hermione wanted. His next stop was Rosa Lee Teabag. The shop carried a special blend of loose tea Hermione adored. But it was more expensive than her regular tea, and she rarely treated herself.
An idea came to him that perhaps Malfoy would enjoy the same tea. Everybody loved tea, didn't they? And if he knew his teas, he would know it cost more. That was something Harry thought Malfoy would appreciate.
He had two tins of tea wrapped up in Christmas paper and left, satisfied with his purchases. After another hour or so, Harry had gotten most of what he went to Diagon Alley for. One last stop at Sugarplum's for his favourite sweet and Harry disapparated home.
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On Monday, Harry arrived at his desk to find a small package with a red ribbon tied on it. There was a tag which read To Harry Potter from your Secret Santa.
"Damn. I didn't think to write a note with the gift."
"What's that?" Ron asked.
"I forgot to include some sort of note so Malfoy knows the gift is for him."
"Shh, Harry, you don't want anyone to find out who you have. That would spoil the fun."
"Right." Harry began rooting through his desk for something to write on. Finally, he ripped off a piece from a used sheet of parchment.
"Wait. Do you think Malfoy would recognize your handwriting?"
"Aren't you taking this a bit too seriously Ron? It's just a game. I'm not really all that concerned whether or not Malfoy figures it out."
"Oh, yeah. I don't want my person to figure it out though. At least, not until the end."
"Who do you have? Or are you still not telling me, even though you know who I have?"
"Um, I wasn't planning to. But . . . ever since I picked the name, I came up with a plan. I'm not sure it's a good one, so, maybe I should tell you. In case I'm completely barmy."
"You're starting to worry me, Ron. What do you have planned?"
"Well, I figured I'd start out with chocolates, then flowers, then something from the antique shop, then, I don't know, something new."
"Ron, what are you talking about?"
"You know the saying. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. I haven't quite figured out the borrowed part. I mean, how can I give a gift that she can't keep?"
Harry stood, mouth agape. "Are you going to ask Hermione to marry you?" he whispered.
"Barmy, right?"
"No. It's brilliant."
"Really?"
Harry grinned. "What can I do to help?"
"Talk me out of it?"
"Not a chance. Can I help you deliver her gift?"
"Nah, I came in early and left the first one on her desk. But, you know me, I'm never early. I'm not sure how I'm going to get a gift on her desk every day without her catching me."
Harry's brow furrowed. "Every day? I'm supposed to give Malfoy a gift every day?"
"You don't have to. But I think most people expect a little something each day. It doesn't have to be big. It could be a fairy cake."
"Oh." The thought of coming up with something nice for Malfoy every day for the next two weeks seemed daunting.
"And then on Christmas Eve, at the shindig held by the Ministry, you hand deliver the last gift. Didn't you read the rules at the bottom of the post?"
"Not really," Harry admitted. "Bollocks. I wish I had. Then I'd have known what I was getting myself into."
Harry wrote Draco's name on the small piece of parchment he tore off and magically stuck it to the wrapped tin of tea. It occurred to him that he forgot what department Malfoy said he's in. Harry groaned to himself. Now he would have to take the time to find out. This Secret Santa business was going to be more work than he counted on.
Taking the tin with him, Harry walked down the hall to look at the staff directory. There he found Draco's name among the employees of the Department of Magical Transportation.
"Oh, that's right," Harry said to himself.
He glanced up at the clock. Malfoy would be at his desk by now. Harry decided to wait until lunch time to make his way up to Level Six to drop off the gift.
When he got back to his own desk, Ron was eating biscuits Harry didn't remember seeing earlier.
"Where did you get those?" he asked.
"They just appeared," Ron told him. "I think there was a timed disillusionment spell on them. They're from my Secret Santa."
"Oh, that's a brilliant idea." Harry gasped. "I just had another idea. I'm going to send this by owl. I'll be right back." He tapped Malfoy's gift.
Harry went up to the Ministry Owlery to have his package delivered. Afterward, he stopped by a large Snowy Owl to give it a treat. Fours year hadn't diminished the regret he had at losing Hedwig. But he still could not bring himself to replace her.
Satisfied with his delivery solution, Harry returned to his office to complete paperwork for his latest case.
Breaking the silence, Ron said, "Aren't you going to open up that package?"
Harry chuckled. "I forgot all about it."
He picked it up and shook it lightly. The dull thud of the contents didn't give him any hints as to the contents. Upon opening it, Harry found a beautiful treacle tart.
"My favorite. How'd they know?"
Ron laughed. "With all the biographies written about you, everybody probably knows your preferences. At least you'll like everything you get."
Harry's smiled dropped a bit. "Kind of takes the fun out of getting to know a person. I mean, if everyone thinks they know everything there is to know about me, no wonder I haven't had much luck making friends outside of you and Hermione. Especially dating." Harry paused thoughtfully. "Hmm, it always seemed as though I was the only one making an effort in a relationship. I fear I've judged some of them more harshly than they deserved."
"Hm, that could be true. I mean, Hermione and I never bothered to read any of those books. But I suppose people who did might think they know you well enough. Not that they should. It's not an excuse for not being a good partner. You just haven't met the right person for you."
"Man. The right man, Ron. I know you and Hermione are still a bit uncomfortable with the notion that I'm gay."
"It's not that. It's confusing for us. You used to date girls. You liked Cho. And Ginny."
"Because I thought I was supposed to. I thought there was something wrong with me when I was younger. I may not be any luckier in love, but at least I'm not pretending anymore."
Ron nodded. "We want you to be happy. Ginny included."
They went back to doing their paperwork in silence until lunch time. Harry stretched. "I'm going to the canteen. Want to come?"
"I'll join you but I probably shouldn't. I'm saving up for the–ring," Ron whispered.
Harry nodded and the pair headed to lunch. They queued for some Yorkshire Pudding and pot roast, then found a table near the back. A few other coworkers sat with them and kept up a lively conversation regarding the first day of Secret Santa.
"I already figured out who has me," Mathilde from Misuse of Muggle Artefacts said.
"How could you know after just one day?" Robert, another Auror questioned.
"I'm good," she smirked. "Actually, I saw my Secret Santa put my first gift on my desk."
"How do you know your Santa didn't get someone else to do it?" Ron asked.
"Oh, I didn't think of that," she frowned.
"Besides," Robert said, "it wouldn't be fun to figure it out too soon."
Harry was distracted from the conversation at that point. Malfoy had walked into the canteen with another man, both appearing equally unsure. Harry wondered if the other man was a new employee as well. He continued to watch as the pair entered the queue for cold sandwiches. The two men talked and Malfoy even smiled. And not that annoying sneer he always had as a child. A genuine smile. Then he laughed. And though Harry couldn't hear their conversation at all, just seeing them laugh made Harry smile.
Then Malfoy looked directly at Harry, and the smile dropped. So did Harry's.
A nudge drew Harry's attention.
"You finished mate?" asked Ron.
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Harry said. "Let's go back up and I'll share the treacle tart with you."
"You're on," Ron grinned.
As they left, Harry glanced back at Malfoy one more time. He was talking with others at his table, and he appeared to be enjoying himself. More notably, the other people at the table seemed to be enjoying his company.
In their office once again, Ron stared down the tart.
"I guess you want a piece?" Harry chuckled. He took out his wand and waved it over the treat.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked.
"Can't be too careful. I want to make sure there's no love potion in it, or something more sinister."
"Blimey, I didn't even think of that. I just ate the biscuits. I don't know if I'm cut out to be an Auror."
"Why? Because you didn't think of casting a revealing spell on your biscuits before you ate them? We can probably assume gifts given within the Ministry are safe."
Harry sliced the tart in two, giving Ron one of the pieces.
Ron sighed. "Except you didn't. You're really good at this job. You'll be Head Auror before you know it. Maybe head of the whole department someday. And I'll still be fumbling along."
"You've improved since you started. You'll keep getting better," Harry encouraged.
"I don't know." Ron paused, then gave Harry a quick glance. "Georgie's been asking me to help him with the shop."
"What?" Harry stopped eating his tart. "You don't want to be an Auror anymore?"
"I'm tired of chasing down criminals. We're always dealing in bad news. The joke shop's fun and exciting. George says business is doing so well, he needs a partner. I don't think he'd trust anyone but family."
Harry frowned at the thought of working with someone other than Ron as a partner. He wanted Ron to be happy, but he also wanted a partner he could trust with his life. Ron was right. Harry wanted to be Head Auror, and eventually, Department Head. He would inevitably leave Ron behind. Who was he to stand in the way of Ron working alongside his brother?
"What does Hermione think?"
"I haven't said anything yet," Ron said sheepishly. "I'm hoping she'll agree to marry me before I hit her with it."
Harry laughed. "Bait and switch, eh?"
"I don't want to give her any reason to say no."
"She won't, Ron. She won't."
hdhdhdhd
After work, Harry made a quick trip to Hogsmeade to buy a few more things to finish up his Christmas shopping for Teddy and Ron. While he was there, he looked for a few small things to give as Secret Santa.
At Hog's Head Inn, he purchased a bottle of Christmas mead for Ron. He also bought another one for Malfoy. Honeydukes was the next stop, to get sweets for Teddy. A bar of rich, dark chocolate caught Harry's eye, and for some reason he thought Draco would fancy it over milk. Shortbread biscuits to go with the tea he'd already given rounded out Harry's order.
Armed with three more gifts for Malfoy, Harry went home to wrap them. As he did, he couldn't help getting a little charge out of playing Santa. Even if it was Malfoy he was surprising, Harry found the experience gratifying.
Upon arriving at work the following morning, he went straightaway to the Ministry Owlery. He sent the biscuits off, then headed to his office with a spring in his step.
In the hallway, he nearly bumped into Draco.
"What are you doing here?" Harry couldn't help the accusatory tone of his question, despite the fact that he had just dropped off a gift for the man.
"I was . . . delivering some paperwork." Malfoy smirked.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Right."
"Like it or not, Potter, I have just as much right to roam freely about the Ministry as you have."
"I know. I . . ." Harry sighed. "I know Shacklebolt wouldn't have hired you if he didn't think you were up to the task. But it's going to take some getting used to seeing you around here."
"Because you still don't think I belong here?"
"Uh . . ."
Draco pursed his lips. "Well, I suppose I should have expected to encounter prejudice. I didn't think it would come from you. I thought the saviour would be above such behavior."
Having been verbally shamed, Harry watched Malfoy tromp away, presumably back to his Level Six office. He groaned to himself. It seemed that every time Harry interacted with Draco, he managed to insult the man. And truthfully, Draco hadn't done anything to warrant it.
Harry never thought of himself as prejudice. But he could see that from Draco's perspective, Harry appeared to be less open-minded than he thought he was. Perhaps a visit with the Minister would help Harry come to terms with the situation.
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"What can I do for you Harry?" Shacklebolt smiled.
"Do you have a moment? I wanted to ask you about something."
"Of course. Come in."
Harry sat down in a chair opposite the Minister's desk. He glanced around at the portraits of former Ministers for Magic. Even they seemed to be judging Harry for his lack of sensitivity regarding the former Death Eaters.
"What's troubling you Harry?"
"I wanted to ask you about the new employees. Are they all Death Eaters?"
"No. Not all of them, but most. Does that bother you?" Kingsley leaned back in his chair, making Harry feel even more ashamed.
But he persisted. "To be honest, a little."
"Why is that?"
"Because they're Death Eaters."
"Former."
"Semantics," Harry said. "I'm all for integrating former Death Eaters into society. It's better than having them languish in prison. But the Ministry? Would you hire murderers and thieves to work here as well?"
"None of these former Death Eaters have been convicted of violent crimes. They are not murderers."
"But I'll wager most of them are thieves."
"That's rather a blanket statement. And do you think they should suffer their whole lives for making the poor decision of pledging faith to a man who very likely threatened their lives if they didn't? Do you see the world so black and white that you have no shades of doubt?"
Harry pursed his lips.
"Let me ask you a question," Kingsley continued. "Are there any extenuating circumstances in which you would forgive theft or deceit? Or, perhaps the use of Unforgivables?"
Harry's eyes went wide. "We were fighting for our lives. And the lives of everyone in the wizarding world."
"Including Death Eaters? Or only those you personally deemed worthy?" Before Harry could retort, the Minister said, "If I took a hard line on illegal activities carried out under the extreme conditions of war, we'd have precious few employees here at the Ministry. And I wouldn't be able to count myself among them."
Picking at his nails, Harry considered the Minister's words. He still didn't see that his situation was comparable to the Death Eater's. However, war brought desperate times, and therefor, desperate measures.
"Your strong sense of morality, of right and wrong, has served you well as an Auror, Harry. I don't want to take that away from you. Because I also know that you are capable of a great deal of compassion. Let's give these people a chance. Not all of them have been shown kindness in their lives. They might surprise you. The way you surprised many who thought a mere boy couldn't defeat one of the most powerful wizards in history."
Harry nodded. "I'll try sir. I do recall what it felt like to have so many against me. Even Ron had lost faith in me for a short time."
"Yes. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have such loyal friends."
Standing, Harry said, "Thank you Minister. I think I understand now. I should get back to work."
"My door is always open. Come and talk to me anytime."
By the time Harry reached his office, he had decided that he would not only show more kindness towards the Death Eaters who were now fellow employees, he would try to make up for his feelings of ill will toward Draco personally.
He smiled, as playing Secret Santa gave him the perfect opportunity to do just that.