December 15 - Christmas Biscuits (you know cookies :) )

"I wanna make chocolate biscuits," Liam announced as they gathered in the kitchen for baking time.

"Peanut butter," Teddy shouted.

"Can we do cut-out ones we decorate like Grandma Molly told us about?" Fiona asked.

"Do we have to help?" Conor wanted to know.

"No, you don't have to help, if you really don't want to," Harry told the boy.

"Biscuits taste even yummier when you've helped make them though," Draco said.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "How would you know?"

"I used to sneak down to the kitchens and help the elves when I could."

"Help them actually make the biscuits or help them by eating the dough."

Draco laughed. "A bit of both. I'll help with chocolate chip if anyone wants those. They're my favorite."

"How did I not know that?" Harry asked, raising his eyes to the ceiling, squinting, and very obviously thinking.

"Because we never had them at Hogwarts, whereas we had chocolate all the time and you ate them like crazy every time. I'm guessing you never got them at home, your relatives I mean. I'm sure Molly gave you as many as she could when you visited the Burrow."

"You would be correct, and it wasn't a common thing to get at school with our lunch. On the few occasions there was a biscuit, my cousin stole it from my tray and no one said anything. I discovered my love of them at Hogwarts and yes, Molly spoiled me with them whenever she could. We should probably get started."

"Sure, but we can't make them all at once though," Draco commented. "That would be insanity and we might end up with some seriously mixed-up biscuits."

"What's wrong with mixed-up biscuits?" Liam asked.

"Yeah," Conor interjected. "We could get some really good flavors."

"Tell you what, we can save a little bit of each dough and make some mixed-up ones. If you like them we can make them again next year," Harry suggested.

Conor nodded. "Okay."

"Next year," Draco muttered, looking worn already, "we need to take a day off between the trees and the baking."

"Definitely," Harry agreed. "No worries, tomorrow we'll take it easy."

"Promises, promises."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'll believe it when we're doing it. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the things we're doing. I'm just tired and you have plans for every day."

"I am too. We need a day so we'll take one, at least one."

"Thank you."

Harry shrugged. "Next year I'll consult you more as I plan. That way you can remind me just how tired we were at this point in the month."

"You can count on me."

"I know," Harry replied sincerely.

Draco stared at the man for several seconds before purposely shifting his gaze to the table and the ingredients.

"Alright, who's going to help me, and who's helping your dad?"

The kids scattered to different sides of the kitchen.

Chaos reigned for the next few hours until the trays had all come from the oven, the baked goods were all cooled, and had been sampled. The children had made their way up the stairs to rooms to rest or to play quietly until they crashed after their sugar rush.

Draco and Harry had collapsed into chairs at the table.

"There's flour in your hair," Draco pointed out.

Harry reached up and ran a hand through said hair.

"Yeah, you just made it worse. I think there are sprinkles there now too. You kind of sparkle," the blonde chuckled. "At least with my hair you can't tell."

"No, but you do have a smear of chocolate on your cheek."

"I do?" The man sat up suddenly looking around as if for a mirror.

"Yes. Here let me get it for you," Harry said, reaching forward.

Draco shrank back in his seat. "No, that's ok. I'll get it in a bit."

"Draco, I can get it."

"I know, but it's not that big a deal."

"Who would have thought?"

"Thought what?"

"That a day would come when Draco sodding Malfoy who always looked utterly perfect, would actually look a complete mess and he wouldn't care."

"I rarely looked perfect," Draco argued.

Harry chuffed a laugh. "Oh, I beg to differ. Every year but sixth you were impeccable. It's why Pansy and others stared at you so often. Even in sixth year when you began to look more and more tired and run down your clothes were always excellent. I don't know how you did it."

"It made me feel normal, as if I wasn't trying desperately to accomplish my mission and stay alive. Any sense of normality I could find in my days that year I clung to."

"I can understand that," Harry replied. "It was that way for all three of us the next year on the horcrux hunt. It was easier when we were living here-"

"Which still just blows my mind by the way."

"I know, I know. It was once we had to go on the run and camp every night that normalcy became even more important. Routines for all three of us were important, more for Hermione and me than Ron but still."

Draco nodded, "I would think growing up with that many siblings he was more used to routines getting scrapped. It happens here daily."

"That it does. We should probably finish cleaning up."

"Then maybe we can take a nap."

"Well sure if you want."

The blond realized what he'd just said and froze unsure what to say.

Harry laughed. "You should see your face. I'm teasing you." Though if you would really offer, I don't know that I'd say no.

Draco chuckled awkwardly. If only you meant that. What the hell am I thinking? "That just shows how tired I am. I couldn't even tell. Better get started cleaning." He slowly stood and began stacking up bowls and trays.

Harry joined him and neither spoke as they washed and dried all of the cookware, then vanished the flour and other ingredients from the table.

Still, neither said a word as they climbed the stairs and each went to their own rooms where they sat on their beds and stared at the door to the hallway, thinking about the man across the hall.