The wind that afternoon was chilly, and I buried my face low into the fabric of my scarf, hoping to achieve some sort of feeling back in my cheeks and nose. It was December 20th, and with Christmas only five days away, it seemed that the weather was cooling down in preparation. I didn't dare hope for snow, at least not in London, but some small part of me kept my fingers crossed.
Or at least I thought they were crossed. They were hidden by my mittens, and I really couldn't feel them, either. When Tom arrived at my table though, setting my hot butterbeer and four others in front of me, I thanked him and reached for it, my sigh deep as it began to warm my frosty fingertips.
"Lily!" The greeting came from my right, and I had just enough time to turn in smile before Holly came barreling into me, hugging me tightly as she scooted into the booth beside me. On the other side, Colin and Nigel clambered in, greeting me and reaching for their butterbeers.
"You didn't pay for these, did you?" Colin asked with a frown, while Nigel had already lifted his up to his lips. I smiled.
"Happy Christmas," I told him, and though Colin rolled his eyes, he conceded.
"Where's Neville?" Holly asked, fingers letting go of me to reach out to her own mug. "And Draco– I haven't met him yet, you know. Not officially."
"You'll get to," I promised her, my smile small. "And Neville is on his way, he's just running a tad late."
"Classic Neville," Nigel said with a shake of his head, but his tone was teasing.
"You're not hiding your fiancé from us, are you?" Holly asked, upper lip covered in a thin layer of butterbeer foam and pulled down into a small frown. I sighed, giving my head a small shake.
"Of course not, Holly," I assured her with a small smile. "He's meeting me here for some Christmas shopping in a bit. If you want, I can–"
"Yes, please," the younger girl interrupted, lips pulling into a smile as she looked at me, brown eyes shining. I could see the last traces of a scar that traced over her brown skin, faint in the warm lighting of the pub. I was pleased to see it was fading.
"Then you can meet him," I promised. Holly beamed.
"Who are we meeting?" Neville asked as he stepped up to our booth smiling amidst the enthusiastic greeting from the trio of seventh years as he took his seat. Colin and Nigel scrambled to make room for him.
"Holly's badgering Lily about her fiancé," Nigel told him as Neville sat down, reaching out for the butterbeer. Neville snorted.
"Is that so?" He asked, brown eyes flicking over to me with amusement. "Did she not see him sulking about the library?"
"He was not sulking," I murmured, making a point to ignore the skeptical look Neville gave and the entertainment of the two boys beside him. Beside me, Holly sighed.
"No," she said. "I was busy studying."
"Not in the library?" I asked. Holly shrugged.
"When you live so close to the kitchens, it just seems more convenient to go there. I accio my books and tuck into a croissant."
"Hufflepuffs," Nigel teased in a fond tone, to which Holly grinned at him, brown eyes sparkling. I caught Neville's eyes in a surprised look, eyebrow discreetly raised when he shrugged; curiously, I wondered if I was going to win the bet of Nigel-or-Colin, after all.
"So," I started slowly, clinking my nails against the glass of my mug, "what's happened since I saw you all last? How were your summers?"
"Slow, mostly." Nigel spoke first, a serious expression touching his brow as he looked at me. "It was odd going home after everything that happened. Last year was..."
"Long," Holly interrupted, concern visible in her features. Her eyes darted briefly to Nigel, his solemn expression, before she looked back to me. "There's nightmares, sometimes, but nothing awful. Mostly just the Carrows. We missed most of the fighting of course."
"You made sure of that," Colin told me, his tone good-natured and tinted with only a little resentment. I gave him a small smile, feeling absolutely unapologetic.
"And she would do it again," Neville told him for me, looking a little amused. "You three did wonderful though, getting all of the younger years out and to safe houses. Who knows what could've happened had someone caught on to you all."
"Well, if it was going to be the only we got to do, we were going to do it well," Nigel reasoned with a shrug, and lifted his butterbeer up to his lips. Colin nodded in agreement beside him.
"Not that it was hard. We did run into a dementor at one point, though Holly scared it away with her giraffe."
"Wonderful Holly terrified the dementor with her badass, amazing giraffe," Holly corrected, sounding rather pleased with herself. "And you're welcome. Again."
"You're never letting go of that, are you?" Nigel sighed, looking absolutely smitten. Holly winked at him. Colin let out a bark-like laugh.
"Of course she's not! You shrieked!" the Gryffindor half-wheezed, looking completely unbothered by the intense shade of red Nigel's cheeks turned as he glared at his friends. Beside him, Neville reached over to pat Nigel's shoulder encouragingly, and finished off the last of a butterbeer with a sigh.
"We miss you at Hogwarts, Lily," Neville told me when he set his mug down, gaze warm and smile small. I nodded, my small smile turning apologetic.
"I miss being at Hogwarts," I admitted with a sigh. "But training is good. I've got good wizards working alongside me– and Theo, of course. And then Lavender to come home to."
"But soon it'll be Draco," Holly sang, and despite myself, I felt my cheeks turned pink as the boys snickered. Neville rolled his eyes, but his amusement was clear in his grin when he looked at me.
"Did I heard my name?" A familiar voice chimed from beside me, and I felt my expression visibly brighten as I turned to smile at my fiancé. He looked back at me, a pale brow quirked in amusement and grey eyes shining. He wore a dark coat, his Slytherin scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and a small package tucked under his arm. If I loved anything about winter, it was how well it suited Draco Malfoy.
Beside me, Holly let out a soft breath.
"Hi," she said, and though she wasn't looking at me, I had a feeling her sweet brown eyes had gone rather wide. Draco's eyes ducked down to her, surveying for a moment before he managed a small smile– he had never had an issue with a Hufflepuff.
"You must be Holly?" He said, to which Holly nodded.
"Um, yes– that would be me," she said, voice only the slightest degree of shaky. She moved over, allowing Draco a spot to slide into the booth. He did so smoothly, looking regally out of place in our little group, and I loved him for it.
"It's nice to meet you," Draco said with a small smile, grey eyes flitting to look over Holly's head and find mine before darting over to where the three Gryffindors set. "And the two of you." Then he looked at me, a pale eyebrow arched up. "I believe we have some last-minute holiday shopping to do, Potter."
"I believe we do," I agreed with a sigh. "I've got a list with ten names on it and no presents, and too big of a conscious to be okay with it."
Draco's responding eye roll was one of his signature 'classic Gryffindor' ones that I was often subject to. I beamed at him. Sitting between us, Holly turned to look at me, brown eyes wide and round and near pleading.
"Can I come with you?" She asked, a faintly nervous edge to her tone I didn't understand. She shrugged, small shoulders lifting up under her large Hufflepuff scarf. "Just for a bit– I have some shopping, for the boys, and I don't–"
She was lying, and poorly. I shot a look to Draco, who looked just as perplexed, and then Neville, who raised an eyebrow at me even as he distracted the boys with some bet about Butterbeer. Collin had begun chugging his enthusiastically.
"Of course, Holly," I told her, my gaze ducking back down to meet the girl's honey brown eyes. I gave her a small smile, hoping that whatever nerves she had, I could somehow soothe. "Come on, then."
"Thank you!" She said, and would have tripped on her way out of the booth had Draco not caught her by the arm and held her up. Her dark skin retained a deep blush as she thanked him, brushing the fabric of her skirt clean of unseen dust as she sighed. "I'm a mess, goodness–"
"A lovely mess," I told her with a small wink, following her out of the booth. Draco caught my hand too, though that was more for the sake of being able to hold it than helping me stay on my feet. I smiled at him, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his cheek before I turned back to Neville.
"Can you take care of these two?" I asked my friend wryly, to which he rolled his eyes and nodded. Both Nigel and Colin look offended at the idea that either of them had to be taken care of. Colin had a thick mustache of butterbeer foam on his lip.
"We'll be fine– see you later?" Neville added, and I nodded, waving my fingers in a small wiggle to the boys before we left our table, heading of the back entrance of the pub that would take us to Diagon Alley.
"Are we really seeing him later?" Draco asked when we were out of earshot and I huffed, turning my head up to look at him.
"Yes. He and Hannah are coming over to the house for dinner, and as you are my dashing fiancé, I do expect you to partake in the event. But Theo and Luna will be there too, so don't fuss."
"I do not fuss," Draco murmured, and on my other side, Holly gave a small snort that sent his eyebrows high. He leant over to look at her, grey eyes bright and lips pulled into a small smirk. "Find something funny, Hufflepuff?"
"Of course not," Holly chirped in reply, though when she winked up at me she was grinning. I smiled at her, reaching my free hand over to drape my arm over her shoulder and squeeze her towards me in a small hug.
"She actually has a sense of humor, unlike yourself," I told my fiancé with a smirk. He looked remarkably unaffected, rolling his eyes as he stepped away to tap his wand against the brick passageway to Diagon Alley. I looked back to Holly with a small smile, though it faded as I frowned at her. "You're also hiding something, Holly."
She grimaced. "You can tell?"
"I've known you for roughly three minutes, and I can tell," Draco commented, not unkindly, as he stepped back to us. The brick wall behind him was moving away rapidly. He arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps stutter less next time, and you'll have us convinced."
"Do not corrupt my favorite Hufflepuff," I chastised, to which he shrugged. I turned back to Holly, to her worried brown eyes and the lip caught between her teeth, and sighed. It was hard to remember, sometimes, that while she was only a year younger than myself, the gap between what we had experienced was wide enough. She was only sixteen, and she acted like it. "What's happened, Holly?"
"It's been a long time coming," she began finally. Draco had decided to hang back by the brick wall, giving us an attempt at privacy while staying nearby. When I glanced over to him, his grey eyes were flitting back and forth between me and the girl I stood with, his concern subdued but clear to anyone who knew what to look for. In front of me, Holly sighed and crossed her arms loosely in front of the fabric of her maroon sweater. "I didn't even need to shop for anything, but I just needed an excuse to talk to you alone, because I think– I think it was easier to avoid, what with the war going on, there were so many other things to worry about, but now..."
"Now?" I asked, an eyebrow raising. She sighed again.
"I think I'm in love with Nigel," she said, none of the timidness of her previous words tinting her tone. I suppose that's how Holly was– once the words were said aloud, there they were. It was only the getting-them-out part that she seemed concerned with, and now that they did hang in their between us, she appeared visibly relieved. "I think I'm in love with Nigel," she repeated, "But I think Colin likes me, too. And I do care for him, I know I do. And I can't– I can't change that, can I? So I've been keeping them both at arms distance, but lately... it's really, really tiring. But I can't hurt either of them! Oh, sweet Merlin, I–"
"Holly," I hushed, resting my hand atop the girls arm to encourage her to stop the fidgeting she had taken on, fingers twirling at the rings she wore on her other hand. She let out a frustrated huff, and ran her fingers through her curling hair.
"Right, sorry," she murmured, and gave her head a small shake. "I just can't think of what to do. And I thought, well– you and Draco, you've been together since what– fifteen? You've certainly had to have your ups and downs, at some point."
"We have," I began slowly, "quite a few, in fact."
Holly's eyes shone; with hope or unshed tears, I wasn't sure yet. "But have you ever– ?"
"Loved someone else?" I questioned, an eyebrow raising. I could feel Draco's eyes on me, a gentle curiosity. I let out a deep breath and focused on Holly, keeping my smile soft. "No, not really. Not enough. Once, I thought maybe. There were kisses and hints, but... it never really anywhere, and I never really wanted it to. I think it was my head, always trying to encourage me forward, but hearts are stubborn things and mine refused to ever truly let go."
"That's lovely," Holly sighed, her smile soft. "And I think... Colin is my head, and Nigel..." she let out another sigh, heavier than the last. "Nigel is my heart. And I'm terrified of letting either of them know any of that, of course, which doesn't make it any ea–"
"Holly?" A gentle voice called from the doorway, and if my heart rate spiked, I wondered how on earth Holly was still standing as we turned to see both Nigel and Colin standing in the Leaky Cauldron's doorway, scarves pulled over their shoulders. Neville stood behind them, his expression apologetic as he looked at me and shrugged.
In front of me, Holly gave a gentle intake of breath. She looked back up to me, pretty features drawn into the most sincere expression of worry. I smiled back at her, then nodded up towards the boys that stood gentle-eyed in the doorway.
"Go talk to them," I encouraged gently. "Take your time. Draco and I will just be in Diagon Alley– and you know how to get to my house?"
She gave a silent nod, then turned to face the boys, her delicate shoulders squared. I stepped back a little, tentatively reaching back. Draco's hand found mine, fingers twining together warmly. Neville had disappeared from the doorway, saying he had to meet Hannah and leaving the trio alone, and with one last sigh, I hoped to the heavens that everything would work out as I stepped away and into the crowd of Diagon Alley.
Beside me, Draco let out a quiet hum.
"Everything'll work out," he told me, and I looked over at him with a small grin.
"Oh?" I asked. "And how do you know that?"
His responding shrug was nonchalant, but his eyes were bright as he looked down at me. "It did for us."
_
"Then what happened next?" Ron asked, leaning forward a little on the arm of the couch, brows furrowed close as I told my story. It was Christmas Eve, and most of everyone close to me had gathered at the Burrow for the occasion, eating dinner and listening to whatever wizarding Christmas carol the radio saw fit to play next. But as the night calmed down, as did everyone else, and most of us ended up in the living room, warming ourselves by the fire and swapping whatever story came up to topic.
Currently, that topic was Holly, Nigel, and Colin.
"Holly found us afterwards, absolutely pride red and looking like the seeker that caught the snitch. In the end, it seemed that Colin was more happy for Nigel and Holly than hurting for himself," I said, smiling a little to myself as I retold the story to Ginny and the others. "And said it was fine with him as long as they still got him a present each. It was nice to see, that kind of friendship. I can't ever imagine anything ever really getting in between the three of them. And Holly and Nigel are taking things slow, but... they're very fond of each other. It's sweet to see."
"Once you've been through a war together, relationships tend to get like that," Hermione agreed with a small smile, her brown eyes warm. "I'm happy things worked out for them. I don't really know Holly, but from what I've heard she seems like a wonderful witch. Very bright."
"She is," I confirmed with a small nod, leaning back into Draco when I felt him sink back into the couch beside me, passing me a steaming mug that he had retrieved from the Burrow's kitchen. At the scent of hot chocolate, the group around me excused themselves, the younger adults switching out with the older ones as they retreated from the rapidly crowding kitchen.
"It's like a stampede," Sirius mumbled, and beside him, Felicity gave a quiet laugh.
Meeting Felicity had been a wonderful experience that happened two days before Christmas Eve. Sirius had insisted on having Draco and I over for a quiet evening dinner, and it couldn't have gone smoother– we had brought the wine, some artisan bottle from a wizarding vineyard in south France that tasted as expensive as it was; I fully credited Draco for the contribution, who merely smiled, shrugged, and said his mother was just making an effort. I heartily commended her for it.
Felicity had loved it, and I had already sort of grown to adore her. She was petite with delicate features and freckles, brown eyes shining behind a pair of round glasses. Her hair had been swept up into a messy bun when we met her, a bright smile revealing white teeth as she greeted us in the living room, and informed the both of us that there had been a small fire in the kitchen, but "everything is okay now, please come in and eat, and it's lovely to meet you both, I'm Felicity Graves."
She had my full-stamp of approval before the night was halfway over, and Sirius had taken the initiative to invite her to the Christmas Eve dinner at the Burrow; surely would have for Christmas, if Felicity hadn't been returning to America for the week to visit her sister's family.
"You can't blame kids for running for the sugar," Arthur said jovially, coming to sit on the couch his youngest son had vacated moments before. I smiled at him, pleased when he smiled back warmly at me. Molly came to sit next to him, and I found myself grateful for the company of adults– it was something I had sorely missed during my months spent at Hogwarts.
"Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley," I started, offering a small smile when both turns to me. "Draco and I were hoping to ask you about something. Nothing– nothing bad, just... sort of important, I guess."
Draco's hand moved around my waist, thumb sweeping over the hidden spot of exposed skin where my shirt had ridden up, a calming movement that settled the nerves that had gathered in my stomach. I was grateful for it, especially as Molly set her mug down on the coffee table and peered at me curiously.
"Of course, dear," she said. Where he sat on the large chair with Felicity, Sirius raised an eyebrow– it was a inquisitive gesture I left unanswered, focusing on the two people who were looking at Draco and I with some befuddlement.
"Well, you see– we were hoping to have the wedding in early July, as Hogwarts will be out by then, I'll be done with my training, and it just works nicely, but... we've come to realize we don't really have a place to have the wedding. Grimmauld is tiny, the Manor's gardens aren't quite what they should be, and renting somewhere out just doesn't feel right. And after seeing how beautiful Bill and Fleur's was, and spending so much time here over the years... I'd really love to be able to have it at the Burrow. If not, that's perfectly understandable, and we can–"
But I never got to say what else we could do, because Molly had already risen from the couch to come over and engulf both Draco and I one of the biggest, warmest, motherly hugs I had received in a very long time.
"Of course!" She cried. "As if you ever needed to ask– of course, of course!. I'd love nothing more."
"Really?" It was Draco who spoke, grey eyes wide and pale brows lifted just barely in surprise as Molly stepped away, the Weasley matron absolutely beaming. "We really wouldn't want to intrude–"
"Nonsense," Arthur interrupted with a gentle scoff. "I think we've considered both of you part of our little group for some time now. It would be an honor to have your wedding at our home. Just name the date, and its yours."
"We don't have an exact one yet, but you'll be the first to know as soon as we do," Draco's voice was a quiet murmur, filled with a genuine gratitude as he looked at Mr. Weasley– I was grateful for it, as my own emotion had stuck the words in my throat. I could feel Draco's arm squeeze gently around me. "Thank you, very much. Truly."
"And I'll help with any other things you may need, as well," Sirius chimed in, offering me a small grin. "I've been told I throw incredible receptions. Reception-planner of the century."
"If you throw them as well as you throw dinner parties, I might feel inclined to stay away," Felicity chimed, lifting her mug to her lips. She sent a small wink my way, and I smiled at the memory of a smoke-tinged Sirius having to explain that he had forgotten he had left brownies unattended in the oven. Beside her, Sirius's look was immensely fond.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of a little excitement," he teased. Beside him, Felicity gave a small scoff.
"Not excitement," she corrected gently, but her lips had quirked up just a little. "Just third-degree burns."
"Oh goodness," Molly hummed, but her eyes were bright and she was smiling, and Sirius just grinned like an idiot in love even as the rest of the kids began flooding back in from the kitchen and started to tease him about it.
_
The night's end was quiet; like evenings before, everyone filed back to their homes and beds as the clock neared twelve. Hermione left early, going to join her parents for the holiday, and Harry was exhausted and said he should get home before he wound up yawning his way through the floo.
Sirius made sure to hug me tightly before apparating out, citing that he needed to return Felicity to her home– a sentiment the American witch had rolled her eyes at– before reminding Draco and I to be at the Lupin's at eight the next morning for present-opening and breakfast.
Theo had left earlier in the night, having promised to accompany Luna to some family Christmas Eve tradition of hers, and Lavender hadn't been there at all, instead going to her mum and dad's house for the night with Seamus in tow.
It meant that when Draco and I arrived at my apartment, it was empty, and the knowledge crackled between us as much as the fire that had brought us there did. Despite our best efforts, time alone together had been a rare thing the past few days, and I had been beginning to feel concerned that it wouldn't happen at all.
I shouldn't have worried.
"Can I get anything for you?" I asked as I pulled my scarf from my neck, leaving it to drape across the couch as I headed for the kitchen, already thinking of pulling a spiced eggnog out for my own enjoyment. I turned to look at Draco as he moved to join me into the kitchen, and subsequently missed the mistletoe hanging over the kitchen's door frame.
"Damn," I murmured, shuddering under the magic as it halted me where I stood and forbid me from stepping any further into the kitchen. Draco was forced to a quick stop beside me as I let out a huff of annoyance. "Lavender."
"Does she do things like this often?" Draco asked, his amusement clear as grey eyes dropped down from the mistletoe that had trapped us in the doorway. My smile turned wry.
"Only when she's feeling particularly precocious," I told him with a shrug, clasping my fingers loosely behind my back as I peered up at him. While the enchanted mistletoe was intended to bring people together, Draco was closer than the spell required– something I took notice of, and appreciated greatly. My smile simpered into a smirk, knowing and amused. "Either way, it looks as though you'll have to kiss me."
"It seems as though I do, don't I?" He said, hands already reaching to gather around my hips and pull me closer. His grin was small, quiet, forehead pressing briefly to mine before he kissed me. His lips were warm and stained with the taste of butterbeer as they moved against mine. I could feel the mistletoe's enchantment crumble, as I suddenly found myself able to step back as Draco moved forward, my shoulder blades coming to rest easily against the wood of the doorway.
His hair was soft under my fingers, lips gentle against my own. I wanted to pull him closer, to wind my fingers through him and have him as close as he could humanely be. Abruptly, though, those thoughts were torn from my head when his cold fingers slipped under my shirt and pressed into my skin.
"Draco!" I shrieked, laughing and unable to squirm away as he pressed closer, grinning still. His forehead pressed back to mine, lips dipping down to press to my still-smiling ones briefly.
"I should go," he told me, eyes opening to look at me, dark and grey and sort of heart-stopping. I needed to agree. But I couldn't make my head move, and my mouth, for a moment, decided it didn't want to speak. So instead I moved forward, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him soundly, not the slightest bit concerned when he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up off of my feet.
It was easy, to get caught up like this. To forget traditions and agreements in favor of heat and lips against skin and his name caught on my tongue.
"Don't go," I told him when air became a necessity again. "Please."
"Lily," he said, a fond, exasperated noise I could feel move in his chest. His arms tightened around me. "I thought we agreed we wouldn't–"
"We did, and I'm not changing my mind," I promised, even despite the faint burning that had sat itself low inside my stomach. I forced it aside in favor of looking at him, holding his face gently between my hands and staring at every shade of grey and every tiny freckle that I had come to know and love. "But it's late, it's Christmas Eve, and I really, really, would like you to stay."
"Li–"
"And you don't even have to sleep in the same bed if you don't want, you can take the couch, or hell, or you can have my bed,– and Theo has some pajamas you can borrow, I'm sure everything will fit fine, I just–"
"Lily." Draco's tone was firm, and I bit down on my lip. He looked at me then nodded, lips moving to press lightly to my forehead. "I'll stay, Potter" he told me. "Of course. You only ever have to ask once, and I'm yours. To the best of my ability."
"Thank you," I murmured, tilting my head up to kiss him even as he lowered me to my feet. His hands stayed around my waist, still gentle, never roaming. It was remarkably restrained. I let out a soft sigh as I lowered my heels to the floor and stepped back to raise an eyebrow at him. "So.... eggnog?"
"Please," he said, dropping a gentle kiss to my forehead before he let me go, though he never let me drift very far, and I didn't want him to anyway. We had had too much distance between us the past few months to tolerate even the slightest of it now. Sex, of course, had been temporarily taken off the table– but intimacy was still viable, still existed in twined fingers and small smiles and the contentment of having someone you love close to you.
Christmas morning, I woke up warm and blissfully content, if not a little sore where I had been lying on my shoulder all night.
With good reason, though.
My sigh was happy as I moved to turn over, pressing my forehead into Draco's chest and basking in the giddy warmth that followed the movement. Too long, I thought with some chagrin. It had been too damn long indeed.
"Happy Christmas," I murmured when I felt his fingers come to my head, running slowly through the short locks of hair. I could feel his lips move into a smile against my forehead.
"Happy Christmas," he whispered back, curving an arm around the small of my back. "What time did we say we'd be at the Lupins?"
"Eight," I mumbled, not feeling particularly endeared to the notion of leaving. But Draco sighed, and careful to avoid crunching me, rose up on his elbows to catch a peek at the alarm clock that sat on my bedside table.
"It's seven-forty."
"So we have at least fifteen more minutes of sleep, and no need to get out of bed just yet," I told him, reaching a hand out and giggling as I pulled him back to me, his back landing onto the mattress with a soft thump. He rolled his eyes, but his smile was fond as he looked at me. I moved up, resting my arms upon his chest, then resting my chin atop them so I could smile at him. "I love you in the mornings."
"As opposed to all the other times of day?" He asked, an eyebrow arching. I rolled my eyes.
"No. But the mornings are peaceful, and you're always so lovely in them," I told him, feeling still just sleepy enough to be completely unembarrassed by the statement. "All tousled-hair and sleepy-eyed and wonderful. You're my favorite thing to wake up to, you know."
His tone was playful, fingers lifting to run gently through my hair. "Even on Christmas morning?"
"Especially on Christmas morning," I told him with a smile, leaning up on my elbows carefully to tilt my face towards his. "Though also on every morning ever."
I pressed a light kiss to the corner of his lips, then leant back to smile at him.
"Now you're just being a kiss-up," he told me, nonetheless fond. My smile turned sly.
"Well, I'm just so good at it," I told him, moving to kiss him once more before I rolled out of bed, glad for the warmth my new pajamas– a matching polka-dot set that had been from Tonks as a Christmas Eve gift– as I stood up and abandoned the heat my bed and fiancé had provided.
"Tease," I heard Draco mumble behind me, and I laughed as arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. I could feel his smile against my neck, his own laughter soft against the back of my neck. His hands were warm even through my pajamas, and for a moment I debated the pros and cons of never getting out of bed. Draco hummed quietly. "Marry me."
"You already asked that," I told him with a small smile, "and I already said yes."
"Oh, thank Merlin," he said, moving to drop a quick kiss to my shoulder before he let me go. "That takes some of the pressure off."
"I suppose it does," I said, glancing over my shoulder to wink at him even as I went to the closet, grabbing a sweater to wrap around my pajamas. Draco had ended up borrowing some of Theo's pajamas for the night, to the other Slytherin's mild protestation, and moved to drop his coat over them before he took my hand, letting out a still-sleepy sigh as we headed for the living room.
Lavender was nowhere to be seen, as she had elected to spend Christmas with her parents and had spent the night. Theo, however, was sitting at the kitchen counter, a mug of half-drank tea in his hands and a robe slung over his shoulders.
He eyed Draco and I suspiciously. "Took you long enough to wake up."
"How long have you been up?" I asked with a frown, eyeing the dark bags under his eyes. Theo shrugged, setting his mug down atop the counter.
"I've not really slept," he said. "As it ends up, the Lovegood Christmas Eve tradition is star-gazing. For essentially the entire night."
"And you willingly attended?" Draco asked, an eyebrow raised. "Talk about character development."
"Sod off, Malfoy."
"Happy Christmas, Nott."
"We are going to be late for Christmas!" I chimed, perhaps a tad sharper than necessary, but both boys turned back to look at me, wearing equally disappointed frowns that I wasn't going to let them continue their bantering. With one hand in Draco's, I was only able to put one hand on my hip, but I did my best to look serious. "You can continue your first-year bickering there, but I would like to get to the hot chocolate and present opening, if you please."
"The bossy one has a point," Theo sighed, leaning over to set his mug in the sink before he rose up. "Best for us to get going, then. I'm sure your brother is already bouncing off the walls with excitement."
"He's been bouncing since last night," I told Theo with a grin. "You can go first."
Theo arched an eyebrow. "Fine," he said, heading for the fireplace and grabbing a fistful of a floo powder along the way. He stepped inside, making an effort to keep the ashes off of his pajama bottoms before he dropped the powder down and took off in a whirl of green. I blinked a little at the brightness, eyes taken aback by the light in the still early hour.
"Witches first?" Draco asked after a moment, fingers squeezing over mine for the briefest of seconds. I nodded, tilting my head up to look at him with a small smile.
"As long as you follow right after," I told him. He grinned, a tad crookedly in the way I loved most.
"Right on your heels."
_
"Hold still!"
"The pictures are supposed to move, love, I don't have–"
"Moving pictures can still be blurry," I told him with a grin. Draco rolled his eyes, appearing entirely put out with my photography efforts, and I snapped the picture. He raised an eyebrow.
"You're going to make me regret getting you that camera."
"Well I didn't work so hard on that sweater to never get a picture of you in it," I returned, then for good measure, snapped one last picture as he moved to step towards me, crossing the meager amount of distance between us to wrap his arms around my waist and peck my forehead.
Behind us, I heard a large gagging sound.
"Couples are disgusting," Caiden said with a sigh, sinking down onto the couch with his third mug of hot chocolate held tightly between his fingers. He was wearing the beanie Molly had knit for him, a rich navy blue and bronze fabric he had been ecstatic over. I rolled my eyes.
"You won't be saying that one day."
Caiden didn't look so sure. And Remus, who had entered the room carrying a tray of the mugs, let out a small scoff.
"And hopefully not any day soon– beverage, you two? Tonks'll be back in little while– she's gone to put Teddy down for a nap."
"Of course– thanks, Remus," I said, setting my new camera down on the coffee table so I could take a mug, as well as pass one over to Draco when he asked. The rest of the company flooded in from the kitchen after that, having taken a break from the morning festivities to eat a proper meal– at least, as proper cinnamon rolls and bacon were. I had no complaints.
"Now how come he gets a jumper, and I get a mug?" Theo asked as he settled into the couch, reaching over to playfully knock Caiden's beanie off his head when the first year snickered at him. I grinned and shrugged.
"It's magically enchanted to keep beverages warm– and since you take literally forever to finish your tea, I thought it might be a good idea," I said, sipping from my own mug and smiling a little as the peppermint-chocolate taste ran over my tongue. "And next time we go to the muggle store, I'll buy you that tea you like– the expensive one."
Theo pretended to consider it, then nodded. "Fair enough– and watch it, kiddo, or I'm snapping that broomstick Harry got you."
Caiden, who had tossed a couch pillow at Theo in retribution for the beanie, looked aghast.
"You wouldn't."
"Not even you could possibly want to even dent a Nimbus 2006, Nott," Harry scoffed, using his wand to clean away some of the wrapping paper to clear a spot on the floor and sit down by the fireplace. "That's just cruel."
"It would be a tragedy," Draco agreed solemnly, a grimace pulling on his lips. Harry's eyes moved to him, and for a rare moment, there was some solidarity between the two. Inwardly I let out a relieved sigh; perhaps there wouldn't be a risk of a duel at the wedding, after all.
"Can we do a snowball fight now?" Caiden asked, looking up from the leftover wrapping paper he had been ripping at. I stared at him, eyebrows raised.
"What?"
Draco's grin turned just slightly sheepish. "I may have told him we would."
From his spot on the couch, Theo gave a small scoff. "You can't have a proper snowball fight with just two people."
Caiden reached over and patted in his hand in a gesture of mock sympathy. "You can fight too. And you, Harry– and then we can have teams."
"And what about me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Caiden beamed as the new idea came to him.
"Boys against girls!"
I frowned at my brother. "That's not very fair."
Draco's mouth lowered to my ear. "A little competition make you nervous, Potter?"
Despite my desire to avoid being manipulated, I still grinned, the false bravado all too easy to stir up as I tilted my head to grin back at him, eyebrow raised. "Is that a challenge, Malfoy?"
"Can you two not flirting be my Christmas gift?" Harry asked weakly. Theo spat his cocoa out. I tore my eyes away from Draco to frown at Harry.
"But I got you such a lovely gift already."
Harry grimaced. "Early birthday present, then?"
Sirius, who had been watching everything so far with a look of plain amusement, snorted.
"Harry," he said, looking at his godson with a small grin that just bordered on a grimace, "if you think they're bad, I should really tell you some more stories about your parents."
Harry blanched. I beamed.
And Caiden, who had used the distraction to go outside and form a snowball of his own, had brought it back inside and chucked it squarely at Draco's head before darting off to go get more before he could be caught.
My fiancé, Christmas jumper now covered in snow, laughed and followed after him.
_
While Christmas morning had been spent at the Lupin's home, with cocoa and presents and snowball fights that had left everyone absolutely drenched and red-cheeked and grinning, Christmas evening was a decidedly smaller, cozier affair.
Especially when I had a sleeping Teddy curled up in my lap, small head tucked against my shoulder. The conversation was soft and sleepy with the nighttime hour, and I rested my head against Draco's shoulder as Arthur spoke, cheerful and pleasant and kind.
On the floor, Hermione and Ron played chess, a battle the former was sorely losing to the dismay (or elation) of those who had placed bets. The fire flickered over all of it warmly, casting its comforting orange glow as it seemed to dance in time to the beat of Celestina Warlock's "You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me", a low wailing in the background of Christmas chatter.
Harry, his arm around Ginny, caught my eye and offered a small smile that I returned. Where he sat on the chair, comfortable and talking avidly to George, Sirius took a spare moment to wink at me, a hearty grin that I found myself all the more thankful for when I took the time to remember how it never should have made it to hear.
And Draco, for his part, leant down to kiss my temple.
"Happy Christmas, Lily," he told me, the last of many similar sentiments as it neared the later hours the holiday, and all I could do was smile back at him and whisper it in turn before being pulled back into the whirlwind of conversation and life that was my family around me.
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Merry Christmas, everyone! And happy holidays and much love to all and any who don't celebrate it, as well.
I hope you're all having a wonderful December, and that that wonderfulness continues into 2017! Merlin knows we all need it.
It's very weird to look back on how long I've been working on this story– definitely long enough that you can visibly compare the differences in my writing abilities (and OUCH those first couple of chapters... re-reading them is like biting into a lemon, my friends. But alas, the time for editing is few and far in between).
This is a very cozy, family-happy chapter, so it was very fun to write and I hope you enjoy reading it! This isn't the last chapter, either, so no need to fret.
As always, your opinions matter to me– so let me in on them by voting, commenting, or sending me a brief message! I read everything I get and reply to what I can.
I'm hoping to have the next chapter up on time next month– much of my time has been occupied by writing my own novel lately (which I am VERY excited about!) and one of my classes this next round of school is in fact a creative writing class, which means writing time might be a bit crowded for a little while. But never fear! I will try my hardest to get you all quality content within decent time spans.
Hope you are all warm and cozy this holiday season, and surrounded by people you at least sort of tolerate (maybe?).
Luv ya'll, and I'll see you again in 2017!!
-Lily