A/N: So I corrected some mistakes in the last chapter, nothing major. On with the show...weee...
Hermione jumped awake at 5:30 in the morning, she felt as if she still had to go to work, then she remembered. It was her glorious, wonderful, fantastic 2 weeks off. She was so happy. It was Christmas time and Healers-in-Training, although still on call incase of severe emergences were off on vacation. She smiled, rolled over and fell asleep again, just to wake up 3 hours later to the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen.
She stretched and threw the covers off her. Skipping, she went to her window and opened the curtains. It was snowing out. She smiled out at the winter tundra that their backyard had become and smiled. Christmas was only 2 days away. Two days and everyone she cared about would be together. It was exciting.
Slipping on some slippers, and smoothing her hair back into a ponytail she walked down the spiraling staircase to the kitchen.
Draco looked up when he heard footsteps coming down the metal staircase. "Hey babe." he said when he saw her face round the last corner.
"Hey," she said stepping lightly onto the floor before crossing it to the coffee pot that was still brewing. "Whatcha making?" she asked after pouring herself a large mug of coffee.
"French Toast." he said flipping it in the skillet before sliding it off onto a plate. "Wanna slice some strawberries?" he asked. He was ecstatic he'd get to spend some well deserved quality time with his Hermione for the next couple of weeks.
She smiled and picked up a knife from the knife block, "Eh, why not?" Hermione smiled before getting to work at the already washed strawberries on the chopping block next to the stove. "Whoa, wait, since when do you cook?" she asked looking at him as he skillfully flipped the toast onto a plate
Draco laid the toast onto plates and put whipped cream on them. "Since I had to fend for myself." Deciding to act the devil he is, he took a quick look at Hermione who had taken a step to the left to put the knife in the sink. He placed some cream on his hand and proceeded to push it into the center of her face. Hermione gasped in surprise as the delectable treat collided with her nose, eyelashes and mouth.
Draco laughed as she wiped it off of her face. "Oh my god, your going down!" Hermione said picking up the bowl of whipped cream. She took the spoon out of the bowl and slopped it into his hair as he tried to run away.
"Oh, my hair." he cried as he picked the bowl off of his head.
Hermione smiled and walked up to him, some cream still on her nose, under her eyes and across her cheeks. She stood right in front of him, stuck her finger out and wiped some cream off of his forehead. Smiling, she stuck her finger in her mouth. "Mmm, yummy."
"Damn straight it's yummy. It was on my forehead." he said throwing her a paper towel
Hermione just shook her head as she wiped the rest of the cream from her face.
---
Hermione sat, later that evening in front of the roaring fire going over her latest healing homework. Suddenly her flames grew green and up popped the face of Molly. "Mrs. Weasley!" said Hermione looking up.
"Oh, hello, Hermione, dear." she said, it was obvious she was upset. "We've got a situation of sorts."
Hermione moved to kneel by the fire. "What sort of situation?"
Molly tried to smile, "Oh you know, the usual, leaky roof, can't cook, kitchen shut off. Can't have Christmas here."
Hermione's face dropped, "Oh no! I was hoping my parents could come and see a wizarding Christmas."
"I know, dear. I'm sorry. I'm trying to get Grimauld place but..."
"It's a complete mess, I know." said Hermione rubbing her forehead. She suddenly looked up. "I wonder if I can pull a few strings." she said wondering.
"Where?" asked Molly.
"I'll get back to you!" Hermione said getting up from her position in front of the fire. "Draco!" she said shouting up the stairs trying to find him.
---
Hermione hugged Draco again. "Thank you so much!"
Draco smiled. It was good to be able to do something so small and see her smile. "Again, your welcome."
Hermione looked up at the Manor. It looked exactly as it did months ago. Except now vacant and dormant, and slightly scruffy. After talking to Draco, and agreeing that their house was way to small to host a large Christmas eve party, he apparated over to the Ministry of Magic and pulled some strings, and was able to get the manor cleared for four days and two nights for Christmas. There was even enough room for everyone to stay the night. Now it was up to Hermione, Draco and a couple close friends to get the Manor back into it's tip top shape.
Towards the end of the day, you couldn't recognize it as the same manor as it was early that morning. Hermione had taken to straightening out all of the bedrooms seeing as they all were almost going to be filled, then herself, Ginny and Lindsay went Christmas shopping for food and gathered what food was at the burrow and stored them in the cabinets and icebox. Draco Harry and reluctantly Ron had taken over the living area. They fixed up end tables, cleaned the couches, stored wood for a fire and even gone out and commissioned Hagrid to bring a humongous Christmas tree which Hermione decorated with blinking white lights, tinsel, and some old ornaments she had found in the attic of the spacious manor.
They locked it up and everyone apparated away except Hermione and Draco who stood back to look at it. The window's were clean and instead of a sense of foreboding, the plastic candles, lit by magic of course, that gleamed cheerfully in the windows made it seem very warm and comforting.
They couldn't stay here that night, because the clearance specifically stated that it could only be inhabited over night the following two nights and the final day would be spent clearing the house out again.
Hermione smiled at Draco, who pulled her into a hug before they both stepped outside the gates and apparated away.
That night Draco dreamed of a love filled Christmas morning
---
Draco watched Hermione as she ran the operations in the kitchen with Molly as her co-commander, directing people with a point of her plastic spatula. He and the other men, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Mr. Weasley, and Neville had been sent out after their previous attempt that ended up with the ham cut in two and half plastered to the ceiling. He scampered away before Hermione's full rage could cascade upon them. The poor guys didn't know what hit them, Draco on the other hand managed to escape relatively unharmed.
Earlier in the day Hermione and Draco had both been busy situating people in rooms. Mr and Mrs Weasley were situated in the largest guest room, Percy, Penny and Gideon were all in the nursery, Fred and George were together and their girlfriends Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell had a room to share, although it seemed as if they had merged rooms, Ron and Harry both got their own rooms and with clever thinking Harry's room connected to Ginny's, Neville took Draco's old room and Luna the guest room attached to that one, and his Gran took a large set of rooms in the west wing of the house, while Hermione's parents would spend the night in Hermione's old room, leaving Hermione and Draco to sleep in the master room for the first time since his parents occupied it together.
Now it was about five in the evening and time for Hermione to go get her parents, but she was so involved with the meal she didn't even notice the time fly by. Draco smiled as he watched her pop three pies out of the oven simultaneously . Her hair was popping out of her ponytail, her face flushed a light pink by the heat the oven was giving off, and the multitude of warm bodies around her. Her blue sweater was pushed up around her elbows and she was running around in her socks. She was beautiful.
He swept into the kitchen when everything sort of quieted down and the only noises were female chatter and the quiet bubbling of something on the stove top. He stopped behind Hermione and covered her eyes.
"What?" she said reaching up for the hands that covered her eyes. Draco kissed her cheek softly and took his hands away.
"You need to go get your parents." he said softly.
"Oh, your right." she said scurrying away from him to find her boots. She slipped the tan boots on and ran out of the kitchen, therefore leaving Molly in charge of finding dishware for all of the many foods.
Draco followed her through the living room to the lobby where she found her jacket and a scarf. She quickly wrapped them on.
He hugged her good-bye and she looked up at him with sparkling brown eyes. " I love you." she said stepping up onto her tips toes to kiss him.
"I love you too. Be safe." he said thinking about the icy roads and the fact that Hermione would be driving her parents to the manor.
" I will," said Hermione stepping out into the cold. She turned and looked back at the house. She smiled and waved her wand and the lights outside the house lit up. Bright and white, it was beautiful. The bushes were covered in them too, and candles were in every window and inside the biggest window of them all was a sparkling Christmas tree, all lit up with smiling and happy people around it. If Hermione took a picture of it she would put it on a post card, that's how perfect it was. She walked carefully down the driveway towards the gate as to not disturb the snow.
She waved to Tonks who was on Auror duty at the gate for that moment. Tomorrow she would be off to join in the festivities. Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, Dumbledore and other members of the order would be joining them for Christmas dinner tomorrow night. With a quick turn of her heel she was off.
She appeared in front of her childhood home and smiled. It was exactly the same as it was ten years ago.
She walked up the sidewalk and walked inside without even knocking. "Mum? Dad?"
"Coming Hermione!" said her mother from up the stairs.
"Hurry up, you don't want to miss dinner!" said Hermione looking at the number of suitcases that had appeared in the foyer. "You guys know your only going for two nights right?" she said picking up one. It was heavy so it must have been her mothers.
"I know," said her father coming down the stairs, finishing buttoning up his white shirt. "It's your mother we've got to worry about."
"Well dear, it's our first Christmas in the Wizarding world!" said Mrs. Granger, coming down the stairs slipping a sweater vest over her button up shirt. "We want to make good first impressions." she said.
"Mum, you don't have to worry about that!" said Hermione waving her want and levitating the suitcases to the garage and into the car.
"I'll never get used to that." said Mr. Granger pulling on a suit jacket.
Hermione laughed. "Well, there is going to be a lot of magic this weekend, so be prepared."
Mrs. Granger smiled and followed her husband out the door, when she made to lock the door she found that it locked itself. When she turned around Hermione had pocketed her wand and was settling into the drivers seat.
It was a quiet hour's drive back to the manor. When they were almost ready to start up the long road that lead up to the driveway of the manor Hermione directed her parents to cover their eyes, which they did, a little reluctantly.
Hermione pulled into the cleared space on the grass, just inside of the gates and parked. She helped both of her parents out and led them to the middle of the driveway. "Ok, open your eyes." They both, uncovered their eyes and looked up in awe at the light covered manor, "Welcome to Malfoy Manor." Hermione said smiling.
Her parents both looked back at her and then back to the house. While they were looking at the house Hermione levitated the luggage out of the trunk of the car and led the way up the driveway.
The door opened when they were climbing the stairs to reveal Draco as he stepped out onto the stoop. "Welcome!" he said, shaking the offered hand from Mr. Granger.
Hermione navigated the luggage around Draco and set it in a corner of the foyer to be dealt with later.
Hermione's parents stepped inside the manor and Draco closed the door behind them. Hermione led the way into the living room where everyone was now situated. The food had just been finished and they were just waiting for Hermione and her parents to get there. "Everybody, meet my parents, John and Jane Granger." she said walking down into the enormous crowd.
If her parents had been fascinated by the house they had been awestruck by the company. Of course they had met Mr and Mrs Weasley, as well as Ron, Harry and Ginny, but everyone else was totally new to them. They couldn't quiet get over the fact that there were seven Weasley children, as well as one partially adopted one, Harry, and the fact that Fred and George looked totally alike. They were most comfortable around Lindsay, of course, but they seemed to like everyone equally.
Later after a lovely dinner, provided by the ladies, and the clean-up that the men faced, they all settled in the living room. Hermione ended up on the floor, leaning against Draco, as he leaned against the edge of the sofa while everyone engaged in soft chatter. She stared at the bottom of the Christmas tree thinking about how it wouldn't be so bare in the morning.
Soon it was almost time for bed, but not before everyone had some egg nog, or hot chocolate and some pie. Hermione, Molly, Ginny, Mrs Granger and Mrs. Longbottom jumped up (or hobbled) to the kitchen to cut the selected pieces of pie giving Draco his perfect chance.
"Mr. Granger, may I please speak with you for a second?" he asked walking to the elder gentleman.
"Certainly Draco." he said pleasantly.
"Privately?" Draco asked nodding towards the lobby.
Mr. Granger stood up and followed the younger man.
Draco stopped and looked down at his feet, stuffing his hands into his pants. "There's a question I've got to ask you, because there is also one I've got to ask Hermione, and I don't feel right asking her before I get your permission." Mr. Granger stared at Draco as he lifted his head to make direct eye contact. " I wouldn't feel right asking her to wear this without your permission."
Mr. Granger swore he felt his heart stop. This was not happening!
A/N: Wow, that's a long chapter, seriously, it is. 6 pages on WordPerfect. I wonder what Draco is going to ask? Hummm, I guess you'll find out next time. Hehe. Well as you know November is right around the corner and that means...NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH! WHOOOOOO. So get signed up for this amazing competition (between you and your willpower, of course) at nanowrimo (dot) org. Dedications too...
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