Heya guys, long time no update, huh? Sorry about that, I'm having problems with this fic as I've said. However! I have managed to get you another chapter done, and I'm gonna try to get this story finished soon!
I'm not gonna blabber too much, I've kept you waiting way to long to do that, so all I'll say is go read witchlight, shooting star19 and becks89's stories, cos they rock!
So here we go, Christmas day, if a little belated…
Chapter 48
Dawn awoke the next morning to a loud squeal of,
"Oooh! Presents!!" from Ginny. As her mind clicked through the stages of waking up, she almost yelled at the younger girl for waking her, but just in time, the meaning of her comment got through,
"It's Christmas!!" Dawn cried, sitting bolt upright. Hermione chuckled, she too just waking up. Blaise grunted,
"Too… early… too … high pitched."
Dawn grinned, suddenly wide-awake. She clambered across the space between the beds without touching the floor, and shook her Slytherin friend, singing,
"Rudolf the red nose reindeer, had a very shiny nose!!" Blaise glared at her, and sang back,
"Dawnie the red nosed Gryffindor, had a very shiny nose, and that's cos Blaise did hit her, for waking her up in the middle of the night!!" Ginny and Hermione giggled, while Dawn held desperately onto the covers as Blaise tried to turf her off the bed. She shrieked,
"Ahh!" She grabbed Blaise's arm as she toppled off the edge, bringing friend and bedclothes with her. Hermione and Ginny were in stitches. "Merry Christmas." Dawn grinned. Blaise gave up trying to untangle herself, and fell about in giggles with the rest of them.
The girls sat on the floor in a pile of pillows and duvets and chatting, having agreed to exchanged presents later when with the rest of the group. Dawn kept glancing at her watch, wondering what time Draco would be awake. Hermione didn't miss it,
"Dawnie, you missing lover boy?" She said grinning. Dawn flushed pink,
"No… I … no, course not."
"Liar." Blaise laughed.
"What time d'you reckon he'll come out of hibernation?" Dawn asked, giving in. Blaise grinned, but shook her head,
"Dude, you call sleeping in past nine hibernation? I do not understand you."
"Oh screw this- I'm going." Dawn decided, standing up.
"Like that?" Ginny asked.
"What's wrong with this?" Dawn asked as she pulled her bright pink dressing gown around her pyjamas. "I've worn my PJ's down stairs before."
"It's true, she has." Blaise said with a mock grimace, meaning the time they had become friends. Dawn kicked her gently, but grinned,
"Meanie. Anyone comin'?"
Blaise rolled her eyes,
"I guess so- need to get some stuff from my dorm, like, y'know, clothes. Plus you'll need the password- it's changed since the summer, genius."
"I know it's changed, But Draco told me, so there." Dawn stuck out her tongue. "Anyone else?"
"Na, I'm gonna stay here." Ginny said.
"Me too." Hermione said, "But have fun." She grinned cheekily.
"Ok, people would drop dead if they knew what actually went on in perfect little Grangers mind." Blaise laughed. Dawn agreed, but grabbed Blaise's arm and practically dragged her from the room,
"Come on!" She urged. Blaise giggled, but followed. They crept through the castle, their dressing gowns pulled tight around them against the cold. Outside the Slytherin common room, Blaise grinned,
"Lignum vitae." She said. Dawn grinned back, but wondered why Snape had allowed it, or even decided on it, after she caught him out in class, what seemed like so long ago. She shrugged it off, and followed Blaise through the hole. There were a couple of people in the common room, who glared at the girls,
"Zabini- what the hell do you think you're doing bringing that in here?" A seventh year boy asked.
"Bringing what in here?" She said with an exaggerated frown, "There's just me an' Dawn."
"You know what I mean. She's Gryffindor!"
"Yah. And? She spent half the summer in here." Blaise snapped back.
"And she's a mudblood." Spat a girl in the year above them. A moment later she was very confused. Something had hit her in the face. Blaise flexed her knuckles,
"I've wanted to do that for so long."
Dawn tried not to laugh, and they headed up the boys' stairs with no more opposition. Dawn knocked gently on the fifth year dorm room. There was no answer, so she pushed it open quietly, and glanced around, just to check that Draco was in fact the only fifth year boy in school over the holiday. She smiled as her eyes fell on the only occupied bed. Blonde hair protruded from the top of the covers, and Dawn felt her heart skip at the very sight of her boyfriend. Blaise hovered in the doorway, not quite sure what to do. Dawn suddenly grinned widely, and leapt onto the bed, crying,
"Merry Christmas!" Draco awoke with a start, reaching automatically for his wand beneath his pillow. Dawn grinned widely at her desired response, but soon yelped as once again she found herself tumbling off a bed.
"Dawn!?" Draco cried, realising who he'd just shoved. He grabbed her arms, stopping her inches from the ground, and heaved her back onto the bed. "What the heck are you doing here?"
"Comin' to see you, doofus. It's Christmas." Dawn replied, her inane grin unfaltering. Draco gaped at her for a moment, before laughing,
"You're mad."
"I know." She shrugged. As they gazed at each other with adoration, Blaise decided it was time to leave. She slipped from the room, and closed the door. Draco kissed Dawn gently, his fingering entangled in her un-brushed hair.
"Merry Christmas." He said.
"Merry Christmas. I got presents." She said excitedly, like a little child. Draco laughed again,
"Really? I probably didn't."
Dawn frowned,
"Yes you did." She snapped. Draco looked past her to a single parcel at the end of his bed. "Plus I've got one for you- we're doing presents later. I think 'Mione might too."
Draco snorted,
"Granger? Why the hell would she get me a present?"
Dawn looked at him, and smiled softly,
"You got her one." She said simply. Draco's cheeks went a little pink,
"How'd you know? I never said."
"I know you." She replied, and kissed him again. "Now- open this prezzie, I wanna know what it is." She shifted off his legs where she'd been sat, and passed him the soft package. Draco frowned at the handwriting of the address.
"It's from my mum." He said. He opened in, and a beautiful, velvety black cloak fell out.
"Oh wow." Dawn gasped. Draco was scanning the first letter he'd had from his mother since he left home in summer.
"No word about my father." He said, "She doesn't mention him at all. Its all, I miss you darling." His voice was bitter, "She barely even noticed I was there after my father left."
"Draco…" Dawn soothed.
"Don't… I'm sorry. I shouldn't act like this on Christmas. You wanna go to Gryffindor tower?"
"Are you ok?" She asked, ignoring him. He couldn't help but smile, deeply touched at how she could postpone her excitement for him.
"I'm fine." He insisted, and it was the truth. He was fine, simply because she cared that he was. "C'mon, give me two minutes to get dressed, and then we can go up."
"Ok… on one condition." She said.
"What?" He asked suspiciously.
"You gotta leave your hair like this." She ruffled his bed scruffed hair.
"Dawnie…"
"Please? I like it." She said, sticking out her bottom lip. He just couldn't take that face.
"Fine. But you owe me." He said. Dawn grinned, and kissed him again, making it last. They came apart breathing hard, and he murmured, "Ok. Hair stays like this then."
The couple returned to the common room with Blaise, Draco glowering at anyone who gave Dawn (still in her pyjamas) odd looks. They had told him about Blaise hitting the other girl, and suddenly Draco liked her a whole lot better. Not long after they'd got back, and Dawn had dressed, Harry and Ron ventured down from their room, yawning and sleepy, but smiling.
"Hey guys." Dawn said chirpily.
"Heya." Hermione also said, waking Ron up better with a kiss.
"Merry Christmas." Harry said with a wide yawn. "How long have you lot been up!?"
"A while." Dawn replied. "Went to see Draco." She grinned at her boyfriend, and he put his arm around her. Ron grimaced,
"Oh joy." He said sarcastically. Hermione elbowed him,
"No meanness today! It's Christmas!"
Ron was about to say something else, but in his glare at Draco he had noticed his hair, so his comment changed,
"Bloody hell, what happened there?" He cried.
"I have to say it's rather different." Hermione agreed, but smiling.
"Dawn happened." Draco replied sourly.
"Oh you know you love it." Dawn giggled, ruffling his hair more. Blaise, Ginny and Hermione exchanged a look, knowing the depth of this comment.
"An' you know the amazing thing?" Ron said, "It's still not as messy as Harry's."
"Oi!" Harry cried indignantly while they all laughed.
"Well I like it." Blaise said quietly- only Dawn heard, and she knew immediately which boy she meant. She grinned widely, but said nothing.
"Hmm…" Harry murmured happily when they stopped laughing, "I think I can smell Christmas breakfast already."
"Ooh, smells good." Dawn said with a grin.
"So do you." Draco said, pulling her closer. Dawn grinned wider, and kissed him.
"For gods sake." Ron moaned, and dragged Hermione towards the portrait hole, "Breakfast anyone?" He called back.
"Yup."
"Right behind you."
"Oh yeah."
Dawn rolled her eyes and giggled,
"Come on then." She said to Draco, and they followed the others out.
One long table was set up in the great hall, as there were not many people in school over the holidays. The Gryffindor group, with Draco and Blaise, took over one end, talking and joking loudly, all difficulties of recent months forgotten- it was Christmas. A little while later, the Sunnydale gang (and Charlie) joined them,
"Merry Christmas!" Buffy squealed, rushing in. Dawn leapt up and hugged her, while the others of both groups exchanged greetings too, and squashed onto the benches.
"How the hell long have you lot been up?" Faith asked disgustedly.
"Way too long." Blaise replied. Faith chuckled,
"Happy Christmas Dawnie."
"Merry Christmas- look, it's snowing again!"
"Oh wicked cool!" Faith gasped, looking up. The enchanted ceiling was pelting snow from the mystical heavens, but it disintegrated a couple of feet from their heads.
"Now this is what I call breakfast!" Xander was saying as Sausages, bacon, smoked salmon, several different kinds of eggs, black pudding, fried bread, toast, and hundreds of different jams, marmalades and other spreads all appeared on the table.
"Ooh, Bucks fizz!" Willow cried as bottles and glasses appeared too, "Goddess I love Christmas!"
"Isn't that comment sorta ironic?" Dawn asked with a laugh.
"Huh, suppose so…" Willow said thoughtfully, then, "Oh well!" and began filling glasses. They all raised their glasses, Weasley's, Gryffindors, Slytherins, slayers, witches, wizards and muggles, and cried,
"Merry Christmas!" And clinked glasses with as many others as they could reach.
Later in the morning the entire group was gathered in the Gryffindor common room around the fire, couples huddled together and sharing seat, friends chatting happily, and all guarding piles of presents they had been sent, or wanted to give out to others. At some unknown sign, the present exchange began, and squeals and laughs ensued.
Xander gave Dawn a huge box full of muggle sweets and chocolates she hadn't even seen since the summer, and she hugged him, laughing as she produced her present for him- a box full of wizard sweets and chocolates. From Buffy, Dawn received a beautiful ornate silver cross ("Cos apparently you do just as well as me on the avoiding danger thing" Buffy said) Dawn gave Buffy a book on 'The extraordinary Legends of the Vampire Slayer' for the sole reason that she knew it would piss her off immensely.
Late in the morning, through the crowd of laughing teenagers and musical socks, Buffy noticed Draco taking Dawn to one side, and followed inconspicuously- she knew Draco had not yet given Dawn a present, and wanted to see what he'd picked.
"What's up?" Dawn asked.
"Nothing… I just wanted to do this… sorta privately." Draco replied.
"Ooh." Dawn grinned. Draco produced a small back velvet box,
"Here, this is for you." He said. Dawn's breath caught in her throat- even just the box was beautiful. She took it, and carefully opened it to reveal an intricate ring of the sort she would recognise anywhere,
"Oh my god." She gasped, "It's a Claddagh ring."
"You've heard of them?" Draco asked, clearly surprised.
"Yeah… my sister…"
"Well, still…" Draco took the ring out of the box, and looked at it, before holding it out for Dawn to look at more closely, "You see the hands? They represent friendship. The crown means loyalty, and the heart…" He smiled, "That means the usual." Dawn grinned at him. "It means I love you." Draco confirmed, "And if you wear it with the heart pointing towards you, like this…" He slipped it onto her third finger on her right hand, "It means you belong to somebody."
Dawn looked from the ring to Draco with tears in her eyes,
"I belong to you." She whispered, and kissed him. "Thank you."
Buffy looked on with tears in her own eyes. Draco had given her sister a Claddagh ring, knowing its true meaning, not just 'friendship' as Scott Hope had thought. Draco really cared about Dawn. He really loved her.
Draco and Dawn started when they saw Buffy approaching, and stepped apart a little in embarrassment, but Buffy smiled widely,
"Merry Christmas you guys." She said, before turning away again. The two teens gaped at each other, and then Dawn smiled, knowing her sister had just given her approval. She flung her arms around Draco, and they kissed deeply,
"I love you." She told him again.
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I'll update as soon as I can,
Please review!!
-Sam