A/N This story takes place in the War Orphan universe. You can read this without having read the original story or any of the one-shots within the universe; however, some of it may make more sense if you have read them. Yes, this is a Drarry story. It takes place in December of 2002. This was written for NaNoWriMo this year and has not been beta'd. I apologize for any errors. Some chapters are very drabblish and others will be more developed depending on how my days were going during NaNo. Hope you enjoy. To make it easier to keep track I'm adding a character list for the kids.

Characters:

Harry Potter

Draco Malfoy

The Children (ages)

Teddy Lupin Potter (3)

Conor McCarty Potter (6)

Fiona McCarty Potter (4)

Freya Cavendish Potter(5)

James Dolby Potter (4)

Michael Sullison Potter(5)

Riordan Sullison Potter(5)

Marcus Dougherty Potter(6)

Liam Lewis Potter(5)

Caela McDonell Potter (3)

December 1st ~ Advent calendars

"Dad, Dad, Dad, Daddy!" several little voices called as the children clambered down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Draco, Draco, Draco," came other voices.

The ten children burst into the room from the stairs and ran to the table circling it but not taking their seats for breakfast. They bounced on their toes and literally jumped up and down.

"There's a box in my room on the dresser," Freya said. "A big box with numbers on the front. It's red and green."

"Mine too," shouted Michael. He was followed by a chorus of further "me toos."

"I couldn't do anything with it," Conor stated. "I tried but I couldn't. I tried to open it but it won't open. All I can do is look at it."

Marcus shook his head. "Me either. I couldn't move it or open it or anything."

"What are they?" Riordan asked.

"Where did they come from?" Fiona asked.

Caela bounced on her toes. "Why can't we open them?"

"We'll tell you more about them after breakfast," Harry replied and received a chorus of sighs.

Draco smiled. "I think you're going to like them. Have a seat and eat up so you can find out what they are."

The chairs at the table quickly filled and the children dug into their bowls of oatmeal with gusto never before seen in that space. When finished, each child took their bowl, spoon, and cup to the sideboard by the sink and thanked Kreacher for their food. They then returned to their seats and watched the two men expectantly.

Harry took a slow sip of his coffee and raised an eyebrow in Draco's direction. The blond pointedly looked down at his bowl hiding a smirk. They'd been up for hours the night before charming the boxes and sneaking them into the children's rooms. They'd wondered how long it would take before each child noticed. There had been a great deal of planning to make this a Christmas to remember as the children had never celebrated one before and Harry's had largely been forgettable until he arrived at Hogwarts. Draco was determined that they all have a wonderful time, including Harry. Harry simply wanted the children to have better than he had had at their age.

Two months ago:

"We need to talk about Christmas," Harry said as they climbed the stairs to bed.

"Christmas?" Draco asked, shocked. "That's months away… then again with ten kids, we need a lot of planning. So what are you thinking?"

"Come on in," Harry replied, opening his bedroom door and gesturing in. "This way they can't overhear us, and we'll know if they're coming.

Draco hesitated a moment but entered the room and looked around for the first time since he had moved in. The walls were covered in posters and pictures, Gryffindor seemed to have been the main theme of the room. Everything was red and gold, much as his own room had been green and silver before he'd redecorated. He saw more quidditch player posters on the wall than he'd have expected from the man who had been an excellent player but rarely even talked about the game anymore. They must have come from the Weasleys as they were Chudley Cannons and Holyhead Harpies.

"Yeah, I know. Sirius went overboard," Harry commented. "I think he was really trying to make his parents angry, though I don't know why he bothered. Just his being in Gryffindor was nearly enough to get him disowned. Even our dorm in Gryffindor itself didn't have this much red and gold."

"And you haven't changed it yet?"

"I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I want to keep the pictures of Sirius, Remus, and my father though I'd like to find a way to get Peter out of them. The posters need to go altogether. I've covered the ones that were here, all Muggle women in bikinis on motorcycles and cars," he cringed.

"Ugh!" Draco frowned. "Permanent sticking charm?" he asked, recalling Harry asking him if there was a way to undo that particular spell.

"Yeah. I think I can wallpaper over them and it won't hurt anything. I need to pick out paper yet though and cut it to fit around the photos. Anyway, that's off-topic. You wanted to know what I was thinking about for Christmas."

"Yes."

"Oh sit down," Harry said, pointing to the armchair in the corner of the room and sending all the things on it flying to the armoire in the opposite corner.

Draco sat in the chair trying to appear more comfortable than he felt. It was odd being in the other man's private space for the first time.

"I hadn't really thought much other than I want it to be special for them."

"You know anything you do will be special. I doubt any of them have ever celebrated before. It's not like Death Eaters on the run could shop for presents or make a big meal. Caela may have been spoiled a bit more that day, other than that…"

Harry nodded. "Michael and Riordan might have had something done to recognize Christmas."

"Why would you think that?"

"The woman called herself their mother and they were the healthiest of any of the children. They were the best cared for. If any of them were given a Christmas of any sort it would have been the twins."

"So then maybe you should ask them," Draco suggested.

"I think I'd rather not."

"Don't want to bring up any bad memories?"

"They're all doing so much better now. There's only one nightmare episode a week if that anymore. If we start asking questions about their time in hiding it might spark new ones."

"So you just want to plan a huge celebration?"

"Not huge, though I'm sure Christmas at the Burrow won't be small?"

"Merlin's balls," Draco swore and shook his head as he imagined it. "I hadn't even thought of that. Molly's going to go completely overboard isn't she?"

"With eleven grandchildren?" Harry just stared at the other man.

"Wonderful. You know Mother's going to want to see them as well."

"We'll figure that out later. In the meantime, I'd like to plan something small for every day in December leading up to Christmas day itself. I just want them to have something special each day. Maybe nothing more than an advent calendar to open, but something."

"That's no small undertaking."

"Nope, so we'd better get started."

"Ok then, just tell me what you need me to do."

"Daddy," Fiona pleaded as Harry leisurely ate his oatmeal, "please hurry."

"You too please Draco," Caela said and really did bat her eyes which caused Harry to stifle a laugh and nearly choke on his coffee.

"We'll be done shortly," Draco told the girls and the other children. "Why don't you all go wait for us in the drawing room?"

"You promise you won't be long?"

"Fiona," Harry warned gently.

"Yes, Daddy," the little girl sighed.

Once all ten children had made their way up the stairs and down the hall, Draco shook his head and chuckled. "This is going to be a long month."

"Filled with fun."

"If you say so."

"I don't think I noticed when we were planning, but you don't like Christmas do you?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged. "It's not that I dislike it. I could take it or leave it. I haven't had much to celebrate in several years, and rightly so. I did enjoy it when I was little and honestly, this year should be better with the kids. It will be fun to see them experience it for the first time. Speaking of," he said before taking the last bite of his bran muffin. "We should head up before they get too impatient, or they'll come back down here looking for us. We'll never hear the end of the begging and pleading."

"I suppose we should," Harry grinned and stood taking his bowl and cup to the sideboard just as the children had done.

"You're just as excited as you hope they will be aren't you?" Draco commented And why do I find that so intriguing and adorable? Why can't I stop watching you? The smile that lights up your face makes my heart clench.

"Well I'm going to be Santa, and it looks like you'll be the Grinch?"

"The who?" The blond squinted in confusion.

Harry shook his head. "We really need to work on your Muggle education as much as the children's. Well, we'll worry about that later. Let me think, ok, so I'll be Santa and you're Ebenezer Scrooge."

"He turns out alright in the end," Draco protested. "So, I'll be fine too."

"So does the Grinch," Harry said. "Remind me and I'll tell you all about it sometime. We can get the book. We should read A Christmas Carol to the kids."

"Over several nights preferably. It may be only a novella but it's still not short," Draco replied, "and making sure we have Dreamless Sleep on hand when we do."

"You think the ghosts will scare them?"

"Future for sure, he used to give me ghastly nightmares. The year my parents took me to the theater to see it he was positively terrifying. Of course, I was five so..."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now…" The two men entered the drawing room where the children were gathered around sitting not so patiently waiting cross-legged on the floor. Some had taken to playing rock, paper, scissors as Harry had taught them. Others were playing tic tac toe on paper they had pulled out. Still others were just drawing, and Freya alone had brought a book in and was attempting to read though she seemed too distracted.

"Do you know what's special about this month?" Harry asked them.

Ten little heads shook.

"Christmas is this month," he told them. "It's a big holiday where we give each other gifts and spend time together. There are lots of stories to tell. Draco and I wanted to start your Christmas celebration off special so each of you has an advent calendar in your rooms. Every day you will open one little window on the calendar and a special surprise will be waiting."

"Every day for twenty-four days," Draco added. "Advent calendars have become very popular. It's a fun way to count down to Christmas which is on the twenty-fifth."

"Where did Christmas come from?" Marcus asked, ever the studious one.

"Does everyone celebrate it?" Conor inquired.

Draco could very well imagine where that line of thinking was headed and answered quickly. "Christmas is a holiday celebrated by many people though not all."

"Muggles as well as witches and wizards," Harry put in. "It has its roots in the Christian religion, but it is also celebrated by those that don't follow that faith. We don't know enough about your families to know if any of you would have been Christian, another religion, or no religion at all."

"But we don't now, have a religion, do we?" Freya stated, "because you don't. Right?"

"True," Draco responded. "Neither Harry nor I grew up in homes that were religious. You will meet others who are when you go to Hogwarts. Much as we believe you should never judge another person by their blood status we believe the same about their religious beliefs. Everyone is allowed to have their own belief system."

"What if we're supposed to be religious?" Riordan asked.

"Yeah, what if our first Mums and Dads would be sad we're not?" Michael wondered.

"You are welcome to learn about religions and decide if you would like to follow one," Harry answered. "I would never keep you from making that choice."

"Neither would I," Draco added. "We can provide you with books about them and study them. There are other holidays or celebrations and remembrances that happen this time of year. Hanukkah for those of the Jewish faith is often in December."

"I believe there is a festival of Kwanzaa that is celebrated after Christmas by those of African heritage, though it is mostly recognized in North America."

"Are there lots of holidays?" Michael wanted to know.

Draco chuckled, "Yes, quite a few. Every country has its own and every religion has its own."

Liam twisted his lip and tilted his head. "Are there lots of religions?"

"Yes, there are quite a few," Harry replied. "Some have many many followers, others have fewer."

"So we could all believe something different?"

"That is a possibility yes. For Christmas, we're going to concentrate on it being a celebration of family and giving each other gifts to show how much we love each other. Now, wouldn't you all like to go open your first calendar door and see what your surprise for the day is?"

The children took off running up the stairs and across the hall to their rooms.

"Do you have any idea what they're getting?" Draco asked from behind where Harry stood in the doorway.

"Yes, I had these custom-made to go with our themes for each day."

"Wait, we have themes for each day? Did we discuss that?"

"Sort of, we talked about the different things we should do with them to start traditions. I just turned them into themes. The first one though is just something fun."

"This really is going to be a crazy month," Draco said then hurriedly added, "in a good way."

Less than a minute later the hallway had ten children holding up chocolate frogs and begging to be allowed to open them and eat them.

Harry nodded and the packages were torn and tossed aside as the kids stuffed frogs in their mouths before the confection could hop away, and then cards were examined.

"They'll get one of those every few days or so along with their other gift for the day," Harry whispered to Draco. "I thought they might enjoy starting a collection."

"We'll have to get books to put them in," the other man replied.

"Add that to the shopping list. I don't know why I didn't think of it."

"They'll be finagling and bartering by the end of the month. Does Weasley know they're all getting them like this?"

Harry laughed. "Hell no, I know better than that. Though it won't take long for him to find out. We'll have to talk to them about it first."

"So are you going to open your first calendar door?"

Harry spun to look at Draco. "You didn't?"

"Of course I did."

"Then you may as well come on upstairs with me so you can check yours."

"Kreacher?" the blond's eyebrow raised.

Harry nodded. "Winky?"

"Naturally."

The two men left the children under the watchful gaze of the younger house elf and headed back up to their rooms.

"Be sure to keep yours away from the kids," Draco warned.

"What did you buy me?" Harry asked suddenly suspicious.

"You don't really think I'm going to tell you, do you? You'll find out in just a moment."

They split when they reached the fourth-floor landing and each headed into their own room.

Draco crossed to his dressers and picked up the box on the table. There was no way to identify what was inside, the other man had done too good a job covering it in plain brown paper. Well, he'd done the same to the one he'd bought so he couldn't blame the man. The door marked one was strangely in the bottom right corner. He opened it and pulled out a small colorful package. 'Wild Berry herbal tea' it read. He opened the package to find one premade bag inside. Holding it to his nose he sniffed and smiled. This would be good with shortbread.

"Thank you," he said when he met Harry in the hallway.

"I know how much you love your tea."

"So will it be a different one each day?"

"Yes. I tried to find one with loose tea leaves but I couldn't and I didn't think of it in time to custom-order like I did for the kids."

"No worries. I'm sure they'll all be fine and if I like any one particularly I can probably get the loose leaves."

"I'll tell Kreacher to make sure we have cupboard space. I can always add an extension charm. Actually, I probably should do that. By the way, I'm beginning to think you think I'm an alcoholic." Harry commented holding up a tiny bottle.

"Never, but you do enjoy a glass of something now and then. They aren't all whiskey. It's a variety of different drinks."

"You did custom order."

"That wasn't a question."

"No, it wasn't and you answered it anyway. Thank you, Draco."

"You're welcome, Harry. I think I'll take this tea down and ask Kreacher to heat a cup of water for me."

The brunette watched the other man go and considered, whether had he put enough thought into his gifts. Why did it seem that Draco was always one step ahead of him?

A/N - I was inspired to do this story last year after reading the many awesome advent stories of Saras_Girl that coming after I had read Turn that had been highly recommended. BTW if you are a Drarry reader and haven't read Saras_Girl's stories what are you waiting for? Go, go now! I'm not kidding. You won't regret it. Anyway, I had read their many wonderful advent stories and thought it was a challenge I might like to take on but I had to come up with an idea first. I went back to my abandoned HP plot bunnies and found one about Harry taking in war orphans with Draco coming to help out. Naturally, I had to write that story first. November was a challenge. I have never written a story so chronologically. My brain usually makes me start in the middle. Hopefully it still all makes sense.