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Disclaimer: Harry Potter, names, and places are copyright JK Rowling. No profit is being made from this fanfiction.
Pairing: Draco/Hermione
Summary: Scorpius loves meeting Father Christmas in the Muggle shopping mall his parents take them to, and then the inevitable happens. Draco never did like mall Santas. A Dramione family holiday one shot.
Setting: Hermione and Draco met again after the war when they went back to Hogwarts to take full advantage of their seventh year and became friends. They started dating and later got married. Scorpius (age 5) is featured as their son and they have a baby girl named Capella (age 2).
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Mall Santa
December 17th, 2011
Five-year-old Scorpius Malfoy held his mother's hand and beamed happily beside her. He was excited because Christmas was only a week away and his parents were taking him to meet Father Christmas in the Muggle shopping mall that they go to every year. The line may be long, but it was okay when his parents stood with him. He looked at the long line up of children that were ahead of him.
"How come 'Ella didn't come with us, mummy? Doesn't she want to meet Father Christmas also?" he turned his warm, brown eyes up to his mother, who shared the same color. "And why do they call him Santa Claus instead of Father Christmas?"
"You know that Capella is still too little and doesn't like noise, so that's why she's staying with Grandma and Grandpa Granger for the afternoon," Hermione explained. "And they call him Santa Claus here because it's what the Americans refer to him as and our mall wanted to keep it authentic."
"Oh, right," Scorpius said.
"She'll come along with us next year, dear. She'll understand better by then," Hermione said and lightly squeezed her son's hand. "Now where did your father run off to?" she wondered, looking for any sign of her husband. He always seemed to get himself lost in these Muggle malls. He would often complain that they're too big and crowded.
Scorpius looked around also but could see much through the sea of legs all around him. He couldn't wait until he grew up to be just tall like his father. "I don't see him! If he doesn't hurry up, he'll miss seeing Father Christmas!"
"Don't worry," Hermione said softly. "I'm sure he'll find us."
"It's not a big loss anyway," Draco said, when he finally met up with them. Hermione turned to see her husband glaring in the direction of where the Mall Santa sat in his large chair. She giggled.
"There you are," she said. "What happened?"
"Got lost in the crowd," he replied.
"Daddy!"
"Hey, buddy," Draco said, patting his son's blond hair. "Have you two been waiting long?"
"About ten minutes or so," Hermione said.
"I don't know why you insisted upon letting Scorpius meet this so-called Mall Santa," he grumbled.
Hermione glared. "Because it's fun for him."
"Yeah!" Scorpius pouted up at his father. "Besides, I told all my friends at school that I'm going to see Father Christmas this weekend and they expect to see a picture! Some of them didn't even believe me when I told them! That mean Peter Nott even said that he wasn't even real!" he stomped his foot, which reminded Draco of Hermione when she was throwing one of her stubborn fits. Hermione smiled at her son and Draco couldn't help but crack a small smile as well.
Scorpius went to a wizarding preschool run by the Greengrass sisters where he would attend until he was ready to start at Hogwarts. Draco knew that Hermione was happy that their son was proud of his Muggle heritage and would often talk about things that he was familiar with and others were not. Draco was pleased that he and Hermione were raising their son the proper way without any prejudice, like he had had as a child. Scorpius was also strong like his mother and wouldn't let kids like Peter Nott, the prejudice son of Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson get him down.
Draco rolled his eyes. "You know how I feel about these things. Mall Santas should have stayed in America," he turned his glare to the friendly man dressed in red and white.
"You need to get over your grudge," Hermione laughed.
Draco just scoffed and thought back to ten years ago when he first found out what a Mall Santa was. He had been dating Hermione for a couple of years by then and one day she had decided to drag him Christmas shopping at a Muggle mall with her. She had been most excited when she saw a set up in the middle of the mall and took Draco over to see. She had explained that it was a 'Mall Santa', which was an American custom, but the British and other cultures did the same thing around the world. She further explained that children would come, sit on the old man's lap and tell them what they wanted for Christmas. He might have changed his views towards non-magic people since the end of the war, but Draco thought this was most ridiculous.
That day, they had stayed late until after the mall shoppers started to clear out and the last child left. When Santa looked up and saw them looking, he gave a big smile and a wink at Hermione, which Draco did not approve of.
'Hello there, young lady! Would you like to come and sit upon Santa's lap and tell me what you would like for Christmas this year?" the Santa had said. Hermione had beamed and excitedly explained that she hadn't sat on Santa's lap since she just a little girl. Of course she had to go over there and drag Draco with her.
"There's no way in hell that I'm sitting on his lap, Granger! And neither are you! I don't trust him!" Draco had hissed. Hermione only rolled his eyes and said that he didn't have to, but at least come with her so that they could have their picture taken with Santa. When he had once again told her there was so no way she was getting too close to this old creepy man, she spitefully pulled away and went ahead to sit on Santa's lap anyway. Draco swore that the old coot was looking at his girlfriend's bum before she had sat down. He also noticed that this so-called Santa looked way too happy to have Draco's Muggle-born girlfriend sitting on his lap. As Hermione was listing off the things that she wanted for Christmas, Draco stood there scowling at the old man who was listening intently. He did not trust this 'Mall Santa' character. Little did he know that Santa's elf was snapping a picture.
Draco had been absolutely seething until Santa asked her what the most important gift Hermione wanted was. She had turned to look at her boyfriend and Draco's eyes softened when he heard her say that she already had everything she could ever ask for while gazing up at him. He had clutched the small ring box in his pocket that he had been carrying around for weeks now.
He still didn't like how 'Santa' was checking out Hermione when she stood back up and went over to Draco, who instantly took her hand.
"Don't let this one get away," Santa had said that day with a wink. "She's a special girl."
Draco had known this of course, which is exactly why he had decided then and there that he would propose to her on Christmas morning.
"Daddy?" Scorpius looked up at his father, who was pulled out of his thoughts and looked down at his son. "We're almost there!"
"That's great, son," Draco dryly replied. He saw that there was only one child ahead of them now.
Hermione laced her fingers through Draco's as they stood off to the side by Scorpius. "What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing," Draco replied.
Hermione smiled knowingly and stood close to him, resting her head on his shoulder as they watched their son rush up to sit on Santa's lap and the old man laughed merrily.
"He's so excited," Hermione said.
"Yeah," Draco nodded, watching his son. "That doesn't mean that I like these creepy Mall Santas though."
Hermione laughed softly and swatted her husband's arm. "I don't know what you're so paranoid about. You were seeing things back then when you thought that the Mall Santa was checking me out. The mall wouldn't hire a pervert, Draco."
Draco scoffed. "Hermione! You didn't see how that old creep was looking at you that day!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Really, Draco, I'm sure you were just seeing things."
"I was not!"
"Were too!"
"Was not!" he protested, but stopped when he saw the Santa giving Scorpius a strange look and listened in.
"What is your name, little boy?" Santa asked.
"My name is Scorpius Malfoy!"
"Scorpius?" Santa blinked then smiled kindly. "My, what a fascinating name you have!"
"Thanks! My daddy is named after a constellation, too!"
"How splendid! Would you like to tell me what you'd like for Christmas this year, little Scorpius?"
"Hmm..." Scorpius thought, placing a finger on his chin. "I have a long list, but mummy said to make it short this time so I don't keep everyone waiting and that I could write the rest in a letter to you. Let's see...I want a broomstick, a potions kit, a pepperoni pizza – no, wait, not that, because mummy will cook me one tonight for supper if I ask, I'm sure. There's also some things from Uncle George's joke shop that I want like a Aviatomobile, a Headless Hat, Oh! And those Trick Wands look fun, too! Maybe some fireworks if daddy will let me set them off in the backyard..." he trailed off as Santa's eyes got larger and larger at all the strange things that the little boy was saying. He turned to look at the boy's parents who seemed to look a bit rattled.
Hermione quickly rushed forward. "Scorpius, honey, we have to hurry along because other children are waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas also."
"Okay, ma'am," said Santa's helper who came forward with a camera. "We'll just take his picture quickly if you want to wait a few minutes for it to develop."
Hermione nodded and guided Draco over to where they would wait as Scorpius got his picture taken. They watched in horror as Scorpius got up and Santa's beard got stuck on his coat, snapping it off the man's face. Scorpius' eyes widened and he screamed in shock, causing the other children all around them to scream and cry as parents tried to control them.
Hermione slapped a hand to her forehead as her son ran over to them in panic exclaiming that he broke Santa's beard while the old man tried to explain and put his fake beard back on. Draco burst out laughing. He always knew there was a reason he didn't trust these Mall Santas! Hermione was handed the picture while Santa's helper tried to apologize and the Malfoys gathered up their son and quickly left the chaotic mall.
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