Harry went to bed early on Christmas Eve. Harry had had and even better holiday than the one in his memories. Draco and Ron got along like a house on fire- Draco was the only person who even had a chance of giving Ron a challenge at chess. They were some of the most entertaining chess matches he had ever seen although Ron hadn't lost yet.
Harry was woken up by the wildest looking Draco Malfoy Harry had ever seen. "Wake up Evans, I want to open presents!"
"Go 'way Dray." Harry growled at Draco's repetitive pleases. "Okay I'm up." He eventually stated, after Draco dragged him out of bed by the arm. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the exited blonde. Draco and Ron pulled him down the stairs were The twins were pacing and Percy was looking a little board.
"We've woken him up."
"Seriously Harry, you get up early every day of the year but Christmas you want to sleep in." George shook his head and Harry just smiled.
"Come on, let's open our presents." Draco sat down beside his pile of presents and began opening the gifts from his parents. They had bought him mostly clothes and sweets. Draco just smiled to his friends and pushed them to the side.
"Oh my god- George." Fred lifted the broom from the packages. "Twigger Jets- thanks Harry." Both twins had matching brooms.
"How do you know they're from me?"
"You have a problem."
Draco opened mostly sweets from his parents- he got some clothes. Apparently he got all the things he usually had.
Harry rummaged through his pile to find the present from Mrs Weasley.
"Oh god, mum made you a Weasley Jumper." Fred laughed.
"Both of them." Harry and Draco held matching green jumpers; Harry instantly lifted his over his head.
"Mum makes us a jumper every year. Mines always marron." Ron told them showing off the jumper.
"Your mother made this? For me?" Draco looked shocked as he looked at the well-made clothing. "I've never had something made for me before."
"Really?" Ron asked but Draco just shrugged as he opened his present from Harry. "Oh my god." He grinned as he took out the Clear Diamond chess piece set and Draco got a matching Black Diamond set. "Harry really?!"
"Unbreakable. Charmed." Harry shrugged.
"I've never held anything so expensive." When it was Draco who spoke the Weasleys looked down at the pieces with concern.
"No, it's no- it's nothing. You're both good at chess. I wasn't sure what else to get you anyhow." Harry turned away- he wanted the best for his friends. They would be in so much danger in the future, he wanted to do things like this for them.
"You really have a problem." Ron laughed and packed his pieces carefully away.
Harry also brought Percy a sliver plated cage for his owl; the prefect thanked him politely. He sent Hermione her new book voucher; Neville received a book from Harry '1001 Careers in Herbology that aren't Herbologist'; then both Seamus and Dean were given a pack of playing cards with moving pictures on all the individual cards; self-shuffling and anti-cheating charms.
Draco gave the twins watches, Harry was given a pair of adaptable running shoes, Hermione was sent a book on Pure-blood customs written by a muggle born 'Pure bloods are weird by Caroline Clowe', and Ron was given a photo of the Chudley Cannons.
Hermione gave everyone a book and a chocolate frog, The twins each got a different muggle joke book, Harry got a copy of Quidditch through the ages, Ron got a book on military strategy, and Draco got a book on sword duelling.
Zana spent the whole of Christmas morning by the fire in her brand new bed eating the kitten chocolate that Mrs Figg had sent- she had also send real muggle chocolate for Harry.
The twins gave everyone one of their pranks- no one opened them but the twins obviously didn't mind.
"Hey look Oliver brought me a present." Harry's entire face had lit up with every present he opened. It was George who made the connection between this and Harrys constant gift giving. To Harry giving presents – homemade or otherwise- was a way to show you care. He would tell Ron and Draco later.
"He gets the whole team one every year. We have two now." They both held up the little bludger and bat tree ornaments. Harry had gotten a snitch.
"That's great of him."
"Says the boy who bought the whole Quidditch team custom brooms."
"Well, Katie and Alicias' won't be ready until Tuesday, so I'm having them sent for their birthdays." He explained.
"We need to get you some help."
"Probably, yeah." He laughed. "Come on, let's get breakfast."
"I dread to see you when you can finally go to Hogsmead."
"The town won't last." Fred and George made jokes at his expense.
"Hey Harry, you forgot one." Ron held out the small package.
"Oh." Harry opened the cloak knowing who it was from. "A cloak." The whole room- Percy included- stared at the cloak. "What?"
"An invisibility cloak." The twins gasped. "I would kill for one of those."
"It says it was my fathers."
"That's so cool Harry." Draco nudged him in the arm- this was the guy version of an arm round the shoulder for girls. "But you might want to lock it up; or it may just be borrowed and not given back." He said giving a playful glare to the twins.
"Can't lie- we would do that."
"I'm sure we'd remember to give it you back… eventually."
Harry picked up Zana and went towards the owlery. Like the twins had once said, Christmas was for family- his familiar's were family. He had requested that Hedwig stay over Christmas so she didn't have to fly in the snow. As many of the students had taken their owls' home, they had said yes.
Whilst Harry was fetching his pets George sat his brother and Draco down to talk to them. "Okay, I'll make this quick."
"George?"
"Look, you know Harry?"
"Obviously."
"Shut up a second, Ron."
"You sound like mum."
"Ronald." George sighed. "I think I know why Harry has his shopping problem." Both boys nodded. "He seems to think that gift giving is the way to show you care. He thinks that giving people things shows you care."
"How did you figure that out?"
"Did you see how happy he was with every gift he was given. Even mum's jumper and Oliver's generic ornament thing. He was ecstatic."
"Well yeah; it Christmas."
"I think that he wants other people to feel like that when he gives them gifts."
"I see that." Draco though. "But then why does he by such expensive things?"
"Because he can afford it." Fred shrugged lifting his drink. George nodded in agreement.
"Should we tell Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Probably. I think someone like him needs people who won't take advantage." Draco was the one who answered.
Ron agreed with a nod. "He's a strange guy." They turned to see Harry walking in with the large cat and two owls flying behind him.
"Keres?" Draco held his arm out for the owl to land on. Keres was Draco's eagle owl; she was fond of Hedwig. They got along well- even in the past. "Hey girl." He stroked her head. "Why'd you bring her?"
"Christmas is for family. Keres is your family."
Draco shook his head in a nod. "Thanks Harry. Thanks a lot."
Harry just smiled and began serving himself food. Harry remembered a conversation he had with Ron on the train- so when Fred pulled a cracker with him Harry shot backwards away from the mice.
Zana jumped excitedly and began chasing the tiny creatures, swallowing a few before playing with others.
"God I hate mice." Harry said in a way that made Draco laugh.
"At least Zana gets a good Christmas dinner." Draco stroked Keres feathers. "You can have some too girl." The owl hooted and went down to hunt her own pray; Hedwig close on her tail.
Fred took the hat and crammed it on Harrys head.
Harry woke up early on boxing day. His mind went to the first time he looked in the mirror of Erised. He wondered what he would see now, would his memory's influence his decision.
Draco woke up with Harrys cat nuzzling at his face. He lifted up and noticed Harry wasn't in his bed. With his wand Draco found it was only a little past five. Something was up.
He went downstairs and visited the bathroom; he wasn't there. There was currently only one place he could be.
"Ron- Harrys missing."
"What?"
"Harry's gone."
"What time is it?" The red head moaned.
"It's ten to five. If he's running he'll get hypothermia or something." Draco pulled Ron out of bed. "We need to find him."
"Right okay, okay." Ron stood up and pulled on a t-shirt. "He's crazy." They had noticed all of Harrys abnormal behaviour. He cared about everyone from the get go; he predicted things and was really, really smart. He tried to build up everyone but pushed himself to be the best. There were things Harry wasn't telling them and, as guys, they respected that; it wouldn't stop them from worrying.
The two boys hurried down the Gryffindor short cut and down to the court yard. Where Harry was running in his usual oval.
"OY Harry." Ron shouted and Harry stopped, jumping a mile. "What the hell are you doing mate?"
Harry stalled for a moment before walking over. "I wanted to work off some things."
"You're an idiot- it's the middle of the night." Draco looked up at the sky. "For god sake the stars are still out." The constellation Draco was named after was shining above their heads.
"It's relaxing." Harry shrugged.
"Deaths relaxing too, for god sake."
"You sound like my gran." Harry told him- though he had actually been told the exact same thing by Mrs Weasley.
"What would she say if she found out you were running in the snow at this hour."
"Alright, I'm coming back in."
"Seriously Harry, I was worried." Draco shivered. "It's freezing!"
"I just needed to think through a few things."
"And you can do that by the fire in the common room."
"I hate to agree with Draco-"
"No you don't." Harry interrupted, grinning to himself.
"-But this is stupid."
"Alright, I'll wait for you guys next time." Harry spoke the common room password.
"Listen to those boy's, sonny. You could have caught your death out there and no one would have known until it was too late." The painting scolded him.
"Sorry." Harry hung his head and walked through the door.
Ron had a nap whilst Draco quizzed Harry on his Charm work; Harry wouldn't stop. He'd had a brake for Christmas now it was over and he wanted to get back to work now. Draco was going to let him; at least he wouldn't be alone.
Shortly after breakfast the twins took Harry out for Quidditch practice. Harry dragged Draco and Ron along with him.
A group of fourth year Hufflepuffs and a third year Ravenclaw were flying around when they arrived.
"Hey Mate." George called up waving his broom- Ron and Draco were borrowing some of the schools brooms.
One of the boys came down with the others a little slower behind him. There were two girls and three boys.
"Hey Weasleys." Everyone knew the twins.
"Hey Rice, can we join you?" George asked. "Wood will have our arses if we don't practice."
The boy smiled and nodded. "Guys?"
"Totally." One of the girls seemed to be jumping up and down excitedly.
"Jessie." The guy smiled a laugh at her.
"I'm game." The Ravenclaw girl- everyone was wrapped in their scarfs, including Gryffindors- nudged the excitable girls shoulder. "But I'm not playing against the three of them."
"We could split." The youngest guy- Harry recognised this one as Muggle born Peter Webb- suggested. Harry recognised the dead body, one of many victims of death eaters.
"Ron's Keeper." Harry told them.
"I'll take him." The hyper girl Jessie took his arm. They decided on keepers, beaters and chasers as there wasn't enough people to make a full team with seekers.
Harry was Chaser with Draco, on his team was Ron, Jessie and Damon Fergo. That left the twins as beaters on the other team, Peter and Dan were chasers leaving, Ravenclaw Sophie as the keeper.
They played well into the middle of the day, points loading up on both sides. Ron was doing well as keeper considering it was his first time in anything even resembling a game. Harry was good at catching the ball but throwing it was Draco's strength.
It was a great distraction for Harry; he didn't want to think about the mirror.