Wednesday, December 25, 2001 – Christmas Day

Draco woke up tired, having tossed and turned most of the evening, his stomach unsettled from a night of anger. He croaked out Kreachers name and when the small elf wearing a festive piece arrived asked for a coffee if the elf would be so kind. It reminded Draco the family was meeting for breakfast in an hour but seeing the dire need on his young master's face nodded and disappeared with a small pop.

Draco rubbed at his sleepy eyes until the elf returned and after a few sips to ease his pain, Draco turned to the small tree in the corner of his room and saw presents piled underneath it. Smiling softly, Draco dragged his tired, creaking bones over and set his mug down on the table in front of his fireplace before gathering all of his gifts and bringing them over to be opened.

His mother had gifted him several expensive sets of robes and suits, with a note explaining proper washing and handling. Chuckling lightly, he set the robes aside and turned to the small box from Harry, wrapped in silver with a red bow.

Draco laughed at this, having wrapped his gift to Harry in gold paper with a green bow, and pulled it open. Inside was a stunning gold watch. The detailing was so fine and the quality so good that Draco figured Harry couldn't have just walked in to a store and picked it up: this required research.

He guessed this, having gotten Harry a watch as well and having spent weeks going through catalogues and stores until he found just the right silver wristwatch.

The next few gifts were less personal from others in Draco's life: Belgian chocolates from Tonks and Remus; bath products including bubble bath and candles ironically titled Dragon's Quest from Luna; silver cuff links from Theo and Astoria; a hawk feather quill from Daphne.

Hermione's was last, and it was large.

Draco touched the box, already a foot and a half wide and two and a half long, before it multiplied, other boxes wrapped identically in icy blue wrapping paper of various sizes surrounding him. Excited and amused by the clever charm, Draco tore the wrapping off and inside found wonderfully rich coloured leather luggage. The last piece he opened, having appeared the furthest away from him, was a carry on piece with a white envelope sticking out of the front pocket.

Dear Draco

Happy Christmas! I hope you enjoy the luggage – you'll be needing it. We have a big project in Turkey this spring that will take us out of town for eight days, so I figured why not extend the trip to include a two week vacation? We'll be back just before Theo and Astoria's rehearsal dinner, so look forward to sporting a glorious tan.

All my love,
Hermione

Draco reread the card, his smile becoming more pronounced as his eyes caught on the sign off.

He finished up his coffee and with a lazy wave of his wand had his Christmas gifts dance into a piece of his new luggage with the exception of his new watch, which set aside to be worn. He found a nice set of robes and laid them out on his bed as well, showering first and changing before leaving his room to search out his family and some food.

He ran into Hermione first, who rushed into him and hugged him closely, wearing a lovely set of silk pajamas. He hugged her back, inhaling the fresh smell of her shampoo, as she thanked him for the beautiful typewriter he'd had restored for her. He kissed the top of her head lightly, surprising even himself, and walked together with her to the main floor.

Narcissa and Harry were already sitting at the kitchen table, sipping coffees and eating from the extravagant display Kreacher had assembled. Harry stood and hugged Hermione, thanking her for her gift and then turning and hugging Draco, pulling back and smiling his boyish smile as he lifted his arm to reveal his watch while Draco did the same.

They took seats at the table, Draco leaning in to kiss his mother on the cheek before he took his seat, and recounted the gifts they'd received from friends. It was a wonderful breakfast, interrupted once by a shivering Kreacher who found several small, wrapped gifts waiting for him in the kitchen and came to thank his masters with tears – until Harry discussed the gifts he received from his family.

"My cousin isn't nearly so bad these days. He sent me a nice card with a note inviting me over sometime in the new year to catch up over a pint. My aunt and uncle just sent an unsigned card, but it was pretty obviously theirs," Harry said, his tone jovial.

Draco couldn't take it though. He set down his cup a little harder than he intended, ignoring the looks shot to him by everyone at the table, and excused himself with a terse tone.

He found himself back in his room pacing for several minutes before the epiphany hit and he grabbed a handful of powder and leapt through the floo.

. . . . .

"Draco, isn't this a surprise. Happy Christmas," Luna said, sipping tea from her kitchen table wearing dancing banana clad pajama shorts. Draco learned early not to comment on her peculiar fashion sense and chose not to now, merely nodding as he wiped soot off of himself.

"I appreciated the fruit basket with the jewelry making kit inside. Sarcasm or not, the kit was actually really good and the strawberries were surprisingly fresh."

Draco almost forgot to be mad for a moment, amused anew by his Christmas gift choice, before unloading his frustration to Luna. She listened, getting up at one point to pour Draco a cup of tea, which he drank absentmindedly as he explained.

"Of course you're a mess," Luna said as Draco finally ran out of steam and gave her a chance to chime in. "You think you're in love with them, so of course his horrible muggles would bother you years after the fact."

Draco nodded, agreeing with the last statement, then realized what she'd said at the start.

"What do you mean 'think you're in love with them'?"

Luna shrugged, readjusting the straps of the black tank top she wore, and explained. "You're not you with them and I'm betting you aren't seeing them clearly either. Harry avoids conflict at almost any cost but you seem to still think of him as a hero," she explained first, summoning biscuits from the counter. Draco took one without being offered and began tearing it apart, pondering Luna's wisdom, such as it was.

"Hermione's overbearing nature is perfectly fine in check but she's been mother ducking you since day one with her endless steps to recovery. The Draco from five years ago wouldn't have let her within five feet but now you bow to her almost every command? I mean, she's usually right so there's that, but you never complain. You're hardly sarcastic with them, and don't tell me you are because Hermione has already come to me with this concern. You've been outed."

Draco muttered, having been prepared to disagree, but unable to put his heart into it. She was right. He generally didn't throw the same sass at the pair of them that he would to anyone else.

"What was it you called me last week? A 'dimple faced doe eyed doxy?" Luna asked, making her point; Draco smirked, confirming it. They ate their biscuits in silence, Draco considering what she said. She was right that he didn't act entirely himself with them, but was that so wrong? Sarcasm was fine and all but he was starting to like to have people he could just be with. He'd never really had that before.

"So what now then?" Draco asked, ignoring the rest for now. Luna shrugged, a smile on her face as she knew he work through the revelations later.

"Easy. Talk to Harry. It's his childhood that's bothering you. It might bother him too."

. . . . .

Draco returned through the fireplace, arriving in the kitchen this time. To his surprise it was Harry he ran into, making himself a sandwich without Kreacher there to stop him.

"Oh, hey," Harry said, immediately pulling out the means to make more sandwiches. "The women folk have abandoned us for the afternoon to deliver food and gifts to the local charities your mum works with, and Kreacher's helping. Mustard?"

Draco nodded, setting the plate of biscuits Luna had sent back with him on the counter for Harry to pick from.

"You okay?" Harry asked, not looking up. Draco watched him, waiting for his anger to spring up, but it didn't. Harry was too relaxed, too happy.

"I guess. I'm sorry for disappearing earlier. You mentioned your aunt and uncle and I just sort of lost it. My mother told me about what it was like for you growing up with that lot. I feel even shittier for how I treated you as children, but I never knew it was that bad."

Harry looked up and saw the sincerity on Draco's face. He had told Narcissa some stories of his youth over the years when she asked, figuring out at one point from her reactions that perhaps she already knew some of them. Hermione, of course, became privy to all of those stories growing up with him, always trying to make up for the years lost.

He didn't mind Draco knowing too, he was just glad he wasn't the one to tell him.

"It's fine, Draco. Really. I got over it a long time ago and besides, I'm happier now than I've ever been. Hard to dwell on all that after all this time I suppose."

Draco scoffed, his anger flaring at the blasé tone Harry was taking, and immediately his mood shifted.

"Bullshit! You don't just move on from having been raised in a fucking cupboard like it was a one-time drunken accident. They hurt you!" Draco snarled, unhappy that not only did he have to explain to Harry that what had happened was unacceptable but that in some way, Draco was going to have to accept it.

"Well you don't have to yell at me about it, I was there when it happened you know!"

Draco laughed a harsh, cold, scornful laugh, and continued yelling, "Clearly I do because you're too fucking noble or stupid to be angry about those awful fucking excuses for—" but was interrupted.

Harry was kissing Draco.

He sprung off of the counter where he had been leaning when Draco began his high volume tirade and grabbed the man by his neck and the side of his head, pulling his lips down to meet his own, swallowing his words. Harry did this last feat with his eyes closed, holding the kiss for fewer than ten seconds, before pulling back.

"What the fuck Potter?" Draco asked, no longer yelling, no longer angry. If anything he was surprised and a little dazed but not angry and not visibly uncomfortable, which relaxed a suddenly tense Harry.

He watched, waiting to see what else the blond would say, but that was it. The question hung in the air until Harry muttered, "I just wanted to shut you up. Seemed like a good idea at the time," and returned his attention to the counter and grabbed his sandwich.

Draco just watched as Harry, clearly embarrassed, chewed and looked at the ground intently, and burst into an undeniable laugh. He couldn't contain it or control it and he definitely couldn't stop it, laughing until the sound became so infectious that Harry started laughing too, his fears of disgusting and alienating Draco pushed to the back of his mind to be dealt with later as he enjoyed the sound of his laughter for the time being.