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This was written for the annual Twelve Days of Ficmas celebration on the Draco/Ginny Fanfic mailing list. The twelve days last until Christmas Eve, so you still have plenty of time to go see the rest of this year's entries as they get posted, and it might ease the pain some of you are feeling as this site gets closed for upgrades.
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Draco closed his eyes and the air was filled with the smells of cinnamon and pine and brandy. It was Christmas and despite the snow that lay thickly on the ground, he felt warm. He could see every detail; everything was perfect.
Christmases at Malfoy Manor had always been lavish and beautiful, and he'd never appreciated them until this thrice-damned war. His last Christmas had been spent at a wretched old house in London, surrounded by people he'd never have spoken to in his former life, there on sufferance like some poor relation. This Christmas...
It would be better than even the most spectacular Christmas his parents had arranged when he was a child, and all because of Ginny Weasley. She fooled everyone else, but he knew the truth, and he told it to her. Conniving bitch, he'd call her, and shameless tart, and she'd laugh and tell him he was a bastard, her eyes gleaming with affection. She'd hated him in school, but that was all right, because he'd hated her. Well, after he'd noticed her - her hex had seen to that.
Then he and Snape had come out of hiding and he'd been thrust into her company. Well, and the rest of the Weasleys, and Granger and Potter and the werewolf professor and a motley assortment of others. Draco had been appalled, and the feeling had been entirely mutual, but Snape and McGonagall between them had come to an understanding and the rest of them had to live with it. The hexing had died down after a few days, when Molly Weasley's foot had been firmly set down (Draco rather thought his hearing might never be the same), and so he'd sought other things to do. Entertainment options being somewhat limited while in hiding, Draco and Ginny had eventually started keeping each other company while everyone else was off saving the world. They were friends, and just friends, until Draco had been about to leave to take part in the fighting and she had kissed him and changed his world.
He didn't want to think about that time now, and so instead he concentrated on seeing the perfect Christmas all around him. It was at the Manor, because his mother had insisted, but all the Weasleys were there, because Ginny had insisted. All the magnificent decorations he remembered from his childhood were up, but there were also some decidedly plebian additions, courtesy of the growing herd of Weasley grandchildren. Paper chains and lumpy clay ornaments abounded, but thankfully so did mistletoe, and Draco kept catching Ginny beneath it. And Harry Potter had been caught underneath it by Narcissa, much to the amusement of everyone except Potter, and Draco.
The Yule log was burning merrily in the fireplace, just as it always had, and the house elves were frantically running about, trying to keep any of the children from running towards it. Everyone was wearing a Weasley jumper, although Narcissa's was merely tied around her shoulders like a shawl. Draco had gotten a great deal of amusement out of Ron's maroon jumper matching his face, particularly when he saw Draco's was a subdued grey without even a letter on it.
The best part, though, was having a moment alone with Ginny, away from the noise and boisterous fun of the overwhelmingly jolly family Christmas. Draco kissed her until she was breathless and then handed her a gift, a tiny parcel wrapped in silver paper. After she showered him with kisses, he put the delicate chain around her neck, the diamond pendant a perfect match for the diamond in her ring.
Her private gift for him had been a book on how to raise children in the modern world. The rest of the family had been shocked to hear him whoop, and even more to see them burst out from behind the tree with Draco twirling her around between laughter and kisses. Draco closed his eyes and allowed himself to treasure the moment, to hold it in his thoughts so that he could remember it forever.
When he opened them, Potter was looking at him, almost in sympathy. "Lupin sent his patronus with some mail. Here."
Draco took the small parchment and sighed. The vision of Christmas disappeared, leaving the reality, that on this cold Christmas Day he was somewhere in the middle of nowhere, between battles and without a hint of comfort to be found. They'd fought the day before, and they very well might fight today, and Draco had had time enough to get used to the fact that there were no guarantees they would all see the sun set. He would, though. He had to, because he had something to look forward to.
The parchment was brief, as all communication had to be. It still managed to say enough.
"Dearest:
Yes! A thousand times, yes! But come home soon, because being without you hurts, and I can't wear your lovely drawing on my finger, however hard I try. Last Christmas was so horrible, but this Christmas is worse, because I find our unwelcome guest became necessary for my happiness somehow in between then and now. In case that wasn't clear enough, I love you. Now come home so that I can be your conniving bitch again instead of moping around and missing you. If you play your cards right, you might even convince me to let you show me how to be a tart.
Love,
Your soon to be Mrs."
He was smiling, despite the heavy feeling in his eyes that he firmly attributed to the cold, and he tucked the letter inside his robes, in the secure pocket that held all of her letters. They were safe there, various small charms keeping them dry and preventing anyone else from finding them, and it comforted him to have them always close by.
With a final swipe of his eyes with the back of his hand he stood and walked towards the mess tent, where Granger and Weasley had been attempting to cook something resembling Christmas dinner. He'd write another letter to Ginny as he took the mickey out of them, and he'd tell her all about the Christmas of his dreams. Next year... Next year they'd have it. He'd make certain.
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"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is probably my favorite Christmas carol, despite my normal allergy to angst and sadness. I decided not to include the lyrics in the fic, because I find that sort of thing distracting, but they are:
I'll be home for Christmas,
you can plan on me,
Please have snow, and mistletoe,
and presents on the tree.
Christmas Eve will find me
where the love light gleams.
I'll be home for Christmas...
If only in my dreams.
Anyway, I hope all of you have a happy Christmas (or, if you don't celebrate, then more generalized happiness), and that the New Year brings us all joy and good D/G fic. :D
--Mynuet
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Draco closed his eyes and the air was filled with the smells of cinnamon and pine and brandy. It was Christmas and despite the snow that lay thickly on the ground, he felt warm. He could see every detail; everything was perfect.
Christmases at Malfoy Manor had always been lavish and beautiful, and he'd never appreciated them until this thrice-damned war. His last Christmas had been spent at a wretched old house in London, surrounded by people he'd never have spoken to in his former life, there on sufferance like some poor relation. This Christmas...
It would be better than even the most spectacular Christmas his parents had arranged when he was a child, and all because of Ginny Weasley. She fooled everyone else, but he knew the truth, and he told it to her. Conniving bitch, he'd call her, and shameless tart, and she'd laugh and tell him he was a bastard, her eyes gleaming with affection. She'd hated him in school, but that was all right, because he'd hated her. Well, after he'd noticed her - her hex had seen to that.
Then he and Snape had come out of hiding and he'd been thrust into her company. Well, and the rest of the Weasleys, and Granger and Potter and the werewolf professor and a motley assortment of others. Draco had been appalled, and the feeling had been entirely mutual, but Snape and McGonagall between them had come to an understanding and the rest of them had to live with it. The hexing had died down after a few days, when Molly Weasley's foot had been firmly set down (Draco rather thought his hearing might never be the same), and so he'd sought other things to do. Entertainment options being somewhat limited while in hiding, Draco and Ginny had eventually started keeping each other company while everyone else was off saving the world. They were friends, and just friends, until Draco had been about to leave to take part in the fighting and she had kissed him and changed his world.
He didn't want to think about that time now, and so instead he concentrated on seeing the perfect Christmas all around him. It was at the Manor, because his mother had insisted, but all the Weasleys were there, because Ginny had insisted. All the magnificent decorations he remembered from his childhood were up, but there were also some decidedly plebian additions, courtesy of the growing herd of Weasley grandchildren. Paper chains and lumpy clay ornaments abounded, but thankfully so did mistletoe, and Draco kept catching Ginny beneath it. And Harry Potter had been caught underneath it by Narcissa, much to the amusement of everyone except Potter, and Draco.
The Yule log was burning merrily in the fireplace, just as it always had, and the house elves were frantically running about, trying to keep any of the children from running towards it. Everyone was wearing a Weasley jumper, although Narcissa's was merely tied around her shoulders like a shawl. Draco had gotten a great deal of amusement out of Ron's maroon jumper matching his face, particularly when he saw Draco's was a subdued grey without even a letter on it.
The best part, though, was having a moment alone with Ginny, away from the noise and boisterous fun of the overwhelmingly jolly family Christmas. Draco kissed her until she was breathless and then handed her a gift, a tiny parcel wrapped in silver paper. After she showered him with kisses, he put the delicate chain around her neck, the diamond pendant a perfect match for the diamond in her ring.
Her private gift for him had been a book on how to raise children in the modern world. The rest of the family had been shocked to hear him whoop, and even more to see them burst out from behind the tree with Draco twirling her around between laughter and kisses. Draco closed his eyes and allowed himself to treasure the moment, to hold it in his thoughts so that he could remember it forever.
When he opened them, Potter was looking at him, almost in sympathy. "Lupin sent his patronus with some mail. Here."
Draco took the small parchment and sighed. The vision of Christmas disappeared, leaving the reality, that on this cold Christmas Day he was somewhere in the middle of nowhere, between battles and without a hint of comfort to be found. They'd fought the day before, and they very well might fight today, and Draco had had time enough to get used to the fact that there were no guarantees they would all see the sun set. He would, though. He had to, because he had something to look forward to.
The parchment was brief, as all communication had to be. It still managed to say enough.
"Dearest:
Yes! A thousand times, yes! But come home soon, because being without you hurts, and I can't wear your lovely drawing on my finger, however hard I try. Last Christmas was so horrible, but this Christmas is worse, because I find our unwelcome guest became necessary for my happiness somehow in between then and now. In case that wasn't clear enough, I love you. Now come home so that I can be your conniving bitch again instead of moping around and missing you. If you play your cards right, you might even convince me to let you show me how to be a tart.
Love,
Your soon to be Mrs."
He was smiling, despite the heavy feeling in his eyes that he firmly attributed to the cold, and he tucked the letter inside his robes, in the secure pocket that held all of her letters. They were safe there, various small charms keeping them dry and preventing anyone else from finding them, and it comforted him to have them always close by.
With a final swipe of his eyes with the back of his hand he stood and walked towards the mess tent, where Granger and Weasley had been attempting to cook something resembling Christmas dinner. He'd write another letter to Ginny as he took the mickey out of them, and he'd tell her all about the Christmas of his dreams. Next year... Next year they'd have it. He'd make certain.
----------
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is probably my favorite Christmas carol, despite my normal allergy to angst and sadness. I decided not to include the lyrics in the fic, because I find that sort of thing distracting, but they are:
I'll be home for Christmas,
you can plan on me,
Please have snow, and mistletoe,
and presents on the tree.
Christmas Eve will find me
where the love light gleams.
I'll be home for Christmas...
If only in my dreams.
Anyway, I hope all of you have a happy Christmas (or, if you don't celebrate, then more generalized happiness), and that the New Year brings us all joy and good D/G fic. :D
--Mynuet
The End.
Mynuet is the author of 71 other stories.
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This story is a favorite of 8 members. Members who liked I'll Be Home for Christmas also liked 1229 other stories.
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