Chapter 17

That year was the happiest Christmas Draco had ever had.

It seemed that everyone had caught the Christmas spirit, even the house elves. Hermione brought joy with her wherever she went. Andromeda and Teddy were spending the holidays with them, which delighted Narcissa. Draco also had become fond of his aunt and little cousin. He had never had much to do with children before, but Hermione often coaxed him to play with the boy, and he found that he enjoyed it. He also enjoyed the soft, tender look in her eyes as she watched the cousins interact.

Sometimes he wondered if he had imagined her saying she loved him the night after she had taken the potion. She hadn't remembered saying it, and she had never said it since. He wondered if she had meant it, or if maybe she loved him and didn't realize it herself. He resolved to wait patiently until she was ready to tell him. He hoped it wouldn't be too long.

Draco and Hermione had decided to spend Christmas Eve with her parents, and then Christmas day with his family. Draco had seen the Grangers a few times since their introduction, and he found that they were warming to him more and more as they saw that he was sincere in his regard for their daughter. They had even come to Malfoy House for dinner one night, and had gotten along well with Narcissa. After they left, Narcissa had told Hermione how much she liked them. His mother was secretly delighted with how his and Hermione's relationship was progressing, he knew.

He was too. The only thing missing was her declaration of love.

On Christmas morning he awakened with Hermione in his bed. He woke her up with soft kisses and caresses until she was moaning and clutching him to her. He made love to her slowly and tenderly, and they both came to urgent climaxes. Afterwards, he held her in his arms while they caught their breath.

"Happy Christmas," he said at last, the first words he had spoken since they woke.

She chuckled. "Happy Christmas, Draco."

They lay in comfortable silence for a moment until he said, "I have a gift for you."

Her eyes twinkled. "I have one for you too. Do you want to open them now?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I do."

She got out of bed, and he admired her naked form as she walked without embarrassment to her bag to retrieve her gift. She handed him the package, which was wrapped with red and green paper and had a golden bow. He opened it slowly, savouring the moment. His lips parted as he looked down at the new writing set she had bought for him, complete with parchment, multiple colours of ink, and elegant quills.

"I noticed yours was getting worn," she said.

"It is. I love it, Hermione. Thank you." He leaned forward to kiss her softly.

"I'm glad you like it," she said, seeming to relax.

"I hope you'll like your present, too," he said, bringing forth a wrapped package and handing it to her.

"A book, obviously," she said with pleasure, seeing its size and shape. "You know me well."

He smiled as she tore open the wrapping, then looked at the cover and carefully opened it to see the front page. Her jaw dropped and she gasped in amazement and delight. "Draco! A first edition of Pride and Prejudice? How on earth did you find it?"

He smirked. "I have my methods."

She leaned forward and hugged him. "Thank you so much, darling. I love it!"

He hugged her back. "I'm glad. I want you to be happy."

"I am happy, Draco," she said, her eyes wet with unshed tears. "I want you to be happy too."

"I'm happier now than I've ever been," he admitted, and that made her smile.

"I'm glad." She looked down at the book. "I want to start reading this now, but I know your mother and Andromeda will be waiting for us to have breakfast."

"We'd better get up then," he said, and soon they were dressing and meeting the others in the dining room.

After a sumptuous breakfast, they exchanged gifts, and Narcissa delighted in the scented skin cream Hermione had given her. Andromeda also appreciated Draco's gift of a sleek new owl to replace her aging, decrepit one. Teddy received a puppy which Draco had picked out himself, a golden retriever that would be a good companion as the boy grew into adulthood. Draco had never had a pet himself, but he remembered wanting one as a child. His parents had never allowed it; pets were dirty, messy creatures. He wondered if he would get one now. Maybe Hermione would like a cat.

Andromeda had given both of them new pairs of fine leather gloves, which they thanked her for. The weather had certainly gotten colder.

Hermione had wished for a white Christmas, so Draco was glad to see that it had snowed overnight and the world was covered in a blanket of white. They went outside into the back gardens and played with Teddy, throwing snowballs at each other and building snow-wizards, complete with coal eyes and carrot noses. Hermione showed them how to make snow angels, and they played until Teddy grew tired and cranky. Andromeda put him down for a nap in a guest room, then the adults enjoyed cups of hot chocolate around the roaring fire, chatting about the day.

After that, once Teddy was awake again, they went into the kitchen to bake Christmas cookies together. Hermione had introduced them to the tradition which she'd had with her parents. She had brought the recipe, and insisted that they do it without magic. No one complained, and they had enormous fun baking and then decorating cookies in the shapes of stars, fir trees, reindeer, bows, and bells. The best part, of course, was eating them afterwards. Teddy agreed.

They spent the time until dinner relaxing in the sitting room, Teddy playing with his puppy, Draco writing letters with his new writing set, and Hermione reading Pride and Prejudice while Andromeda and Narcissa chatted.

Christmas dinner was scrumptious, and Draco enjoyed every bite, as much for the company as the food itself. He had never had such a happy Christmas, and didn't see how it could get any better.

He changed his mind once he and Hermione got back to his room at bedtime. She was silent, appearing thoughtful, as she followed him through the door.

"Draco?" she said in a strange voice.

He turned around to look at her as she closed the door behind her. She almost spoke, hesitated, then said, "I love you."

His heart stopped beating for a moment. "What?" he said hoarsely, not believing his ears. He had hoped she would say it at some point, but had not expected it today.

"I love you," she said earnestly, her brown eyes gazing at him with infinite tenderness. "I don't know why I didn't realize it until today, but I've loved you for a while."

Draco couldn't speak. He was too filled with raging emotions: elation, love, tenderness, and desperate desire. He grabbed her and kissed her with all the passion inside him, and her arms came at once around his neck as she returned the kiss with equal fervor. He pushed her until her back was against the wall as he ravished her mouth. She moaned as he moved his lips to her jaw, then down her neck and to her shoulder. Frustrated by the impediment of her blouse, he pulled down the neckline until her breasts popped free and he took a nipple into his mouth.

Hermione cried out, threading her fingers through his blond hair to hold him to her. He moved from one breast to the other, then lifted her skirt and pressed his fingers to her core. She was hot and so wet, and he groaned as he pushed her panties down her legs.

"Fuck! Hermione! I need you!"

"Yes, yes, Draco! Please!" she panted.

He unfasted the fly of his pants and freed his cock. He didn't think he'd ever been this hard. Pressing her against the wall, he lifted up her skirt and thrust into her hard. She cried out with abandon, wrapping her legs around his waist and clutching him tight as he thrust into her again and again.

"Fuck! Hermione! Shit! You're so tight – feel so good – love you – love you so much!"

He let out a guttural groan as he came inside her, feeling her walls clench around him at the same moment with her own orgasm. He sank against her, pushing her into the wall as he panted against her neck. He felt her hands running tenderly through his blond hair, and sighed with pleasure. "I love you, Hermione," he said.

"I love you too, Draco," she replied softly.

It was the best Christmas present he had ever received.

After Hermione had fallen asleep beside him, Draco lay awake, not wanting to sleep just yet. He was going over the day in his mind, reveling in the memories of the best day he had ever had. Pulling out his wand, he focused on the joys of the previous day: the thoughtful gifts, Teddy's innocent delight, making Christmas cookies, playing in the snow, drinking hot chocolate by the fire – Hermione's declaration of love. It was at that last thought that he cast the spell.

"Expecto patronum!"

A silver form burst out of the end of his wand, and Draco was delighted to see a silver fox playfully gambol across the room, jumping up on the couch and looking at him with cunning but twinkling eyes. Draco laughed with delight, and at the sound Hermione woke.

"Draco? What is it?" she asked sleepily. Then she looked over and saw the silver fox and her face lit up. "Draco! Is it your patronus?"

He nodded.

"You did it! My love! I'm so pleased to see it! A fox!" She laughed. "It fits you perfectly."

"I agree." He leaned over to kiss her and the fox vanished in a whisp of silver. Soon he was making love to her again, more slowly and languorously this time. Then they both fell asleep, feeling it was the best day they had ever had.