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“Damn it!” A voice yelled and Harry ducked as a wad of parchment came flying out of the office door. Smirking he leaned against the doorpost and watched the blond scribble a few things down before casting a wandless incendio and reducing the paper to ashes. At Harry’s chuckle, Draco looked up and his eyes narrowed “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me?” He snarled and Harry sauntered into the room.
“Savior of the wizarding world at your service” he said with a tip of his cup and Draco rolled his eyes dramatically “So, what seems to be the problem?”
Draco let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling “Hermione” he said “Do you know how BLOODY hard to shop for she is? She’s so…so…thoughtful! Last year she got the guy that mans the floo an ash repelling polish for his shoes! That she invented! And for my mother, my MOTHER, she somehow got her to confess how much she likes some perfume. Channel? Flannel? I don’t know. Anyway, she surprised her with a bottle of it and my mother damn near teared up.”
“I seem to recall she was fairly happy with her gift from you last year” Harry pointed out
Draco snorted “I can’t propose to her every year Potter, it is sort of a one time thing.”
Harry pulled a fresh sheet of parchment and selected a quill from Draco’s desk “So, what are you thinking so far.”
“Diamond earrings” Draco admitted “But, it doesn’t seem…exactly right.”
“Did someone say diamonds?” Pansy backtracked and poked her head into the office “Are you getting Hermione diamonds?”
“Maybe” Draco admitted “What?” He added defensively when Pansy wrinkled her nose.
“You can do better” She said and Draco folded his arms and stared at her. Pansy thought for a minute “Pockets!” she said with delight. Both men turned to stare at her “Get her some dress and work robes with pockets” she clarified “Nothing women can buy has pockets and she was complaining about it the other day.”
“And I just bet that your new line has exactly that, doesn’t it Pansy?” Draco said pointedly and Pansy did her best to look innocent.
“I may be on my way to the patents department right now because of such a thing, yes, I’ll send you over a few samples.” She waved her fingers at them and vanished down the hallway. Harry chuckled and added it to the list. They sat in silence for a few more minutes as Draco drummed his fingers on the desk.
“HARRY!” the cry was followed by a cannonball of red hair and energy as Ginny careened into the room and leaped into Harry’s lap. Luna followed at her usual dreamy pace and smiled at Harry and Draco “Look who I found leaving the Magical Creatures division” Ginny said, planting a kiss on Harry’s cheek “Can you join Luna and me for lunch?”
“Soon Gin” Harry promised “I’m just helping Draco with a very tricky project.” Draco glared daggers at Harry as Ginny smothered a giggle. “Hermione’s gift” Harry added in a loud whisper.
“Did you know that wheel of cheese is extremely effective against Nargle infestation?” Luna said solemnly “Maybe get her a giant wheel of her favorite?”
“I’ll, consider that” Draco said carefully as Harry jotted it down with a chuckle.
“Who was that Muggle author, the one that she made us go see the house for?” Ginny asked thoughtfully “Autobahn? Osteen? No, I remember, Austen! Maybe get her one of those books! She loves them.”
“Don’t get her a book” a voice from the door said with authority. They all looked up to see Ron chewing on a sandwich and looking grave “I did that last Christmas. I thought for sure she’d like it. She just gave that tight smile and ground out ‘thank you’ between her teeth.” He stopped to consider “I’m also fairly certain she hexed me but I can’t be quite sure.”
“To be fair” Ginny said “You did get her the 101 Most Useful Cleaning Spells for the Housewitch.”
Ron flapped his hand “She said she was rubbish at keeping house, I thought it would help.” Draco and Harry shared a look but decided against saying anything. “I mean, this is Malfoy right?” Ron said thoughtfully “So money is no object. Then let’s think big, I’d say get her a philosopher’s stone.”
“WHAT!” they exclaimed in unison and he shrugged
“Well, she worked so hard to figure out what it was and rescue it, I bet she’d love to study one.” He waved the sandwich at them as he ambled out of the office.
Draco groaned and lay his head on the desk “At this rate maybe I’ll just buy her a small castle on a remote Scottish island. It’s a gift we could both enjoy and would get me away from you all.”
“Add a sizeable library and a Shetland pony and I think you’ll have a winner” Harry said seriously, sliding the parchment across the desk back to him. He clapped Draco on the back and left with Luna and Ginny.
Draco stared at the parchment for a few more minutes, before a smile flitted across his face. Grabbing his robe he left through the floo.
**
Hermione wrapped the paper around the box, then paused and let it flutter open “No, I can’t. This gift is stupid.”
Ginny rolled over, setting down the magazine and raising her eyebrows at her friend “Are you kidding?” she asked “It is the damn sweetest gift I have ever heard of in my life and he is going to either cry or shag you against whatever flat surface he can find.” She paused “Maybe both.”
Hermione blushed and bit her lip. Taking a deep breath she quickly secured the paper around the box and pushed it to the side, like she was afraid it would fight back. “He’s probably going to smile at me like I’m a sweet little sentimental idiot and tell me he loves it then never look at it again” she groused.
Ginny swatted her with the magazine “But you are HIS sweet little sentimental idiot so I tell you again he’s going to love it. Now, did you see this?” She opened the magazine and riffled through the pages, beckoning Hermione in closer.
**
Christmas Day was cold and unusually clear and Hermione let out little puffs of air into the cold. Nudging them with her magic she shaped them into birds and brooms and other shapes before letting them drift off. Draco pulled her closer and nuzzled her hair “Show off” he said affectionately and she pinched his arm.
“You survived a Burrow Christmas” she said conversationally and he huffed a laugh.
“It was…something.” He answered diplomatically and she smothered a laugh.
“What?” she asked innocently “Malfoy Family Christmas ™ didn’t involve 6 kinds of pudding and matching sweaters?”
Draco pulled at the neckline of his Weasley sweater. “6 kinds of pudding, yes” he declared “Matching sweaters and mistletoe that holds you captive until you kiss EVEN if the person you are trapped with is your fiancé's menace of an ex boyfriend….no.”
This time Hermione didn’t bother to hide her laugh. “But you and Ron were so SWEET” she said with wide eyes “I could really see the simmering passion.” Draco scooped her up and she shrieked as he smacked her on the ass.
“You take that back young lady” he said as he set her down and kissed her fiercely “This is the only person even remotely connected with the Weasley Family that I want to be kissing.” He declared, pulling back to admire her slightly mussed and breathless appearance.
Hermione kissed him sweetly back “Although in all seriousness” she added “I know the sweaters are kind of awful, but it is a sign that..well…that you are in.”
Draco smiled “I know and for that I am grateful and more then a little shocked.” He wrinkled his nose “Although I could do without George calling me ‘Big D’ at every opportunity.”
“I mean, he’s not wrong…” Hermione murmured and winked at him.
“You are going to be the death of me witch” he groaned “Have we walked far enough? Can we apparate now? I have plans for you but I need to be warmer and somewhere private.”
Hermione’s breath hitched a little, when Draco used that voice…the one full of promise it always made her a little dizzy. She scrunched up her nose and pretended to consider “I suppose” she finally said and he grabbed her up and vanished with a pop.
They landed, a little less gracefully then usual. Hermione was just about to tease Draco about it when she realized they weren’t in their flat. She clutched his arm a little tighter, all the instincts of the war flooding her with adrenaline. He pushed the curls off her face and put his forehead to hers “It’s alright Pages” he told her gently “Breathe with me, you are safe. I would never put you in danger.” His voice was calm and even and the familiar nickname centered her. She breathed in the familiar scent of him and her heartbeat slowed. “I’m sorry love.” He said “I was just excited to give you your present, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips and gave him a smile as she pulled back “I know love” she told him “But hey, I didn’t throw a hex. That’s an improvement right?” He laughed and agreed and when her breathing seemed normal again she turned around to look.
They were in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. But no, that couldn’t be right, because this was a miniature version. Well, Hermione thought with amusement, if miniature meant it could fit only twenty people comfortably instead of a few hundred. Draco’s breath ghosted her ear “It’s betwitched to look like the sky outside. I’m sure you’ve read about something similar in Hogwarts: A history.” Her eyes flew up and she gasped at the stars blanketing the ceiling.
“What is this?” She asked in awe and he laced his fingers through hers and grinned.
“I think I’m going to let you figure that out” he told her and pulled her through the door. In the entrance hall he paused, “Bedrooms that way” he said with a wave “Tower, naturally, in case you were wondering Gryffindor.” He spun her around “Kitchen through there, every modern convenience because honestly some things deserve to be updated.”
Pushing open a door he ushered her through into a room lit by warm firelight. Hermione gasped, the room was completely crammed with books. Shelves towered above her and firelight made the titles on the spines of the book shimmer and dance. In one corner were a pair of squashy armchairs and a couch and in the other a massive desk. “What is this place?” she asked and Draco smiled to himself. He watched her move around the room, trailing a finger over the books nearest her. “Is it a hotel?” she asked with a frown “I know we had talked about needing a vacation.” Draco shook his head but stayed quiet.
Passing by the fireplace her eyes were caught by a series of frames on display. In the first, Hermione, Harry and Ron had their arms around each other. They were laughing at something off camera and her eyes misted at the look of pure joy. “This was first year” she said with a whisper, picking up the frame gently. In the next one, Draco was leaning over the back of the couch, kissing her and smiling. She sniffed audibly “That was after we got engaged” she said, unnecessarily since Draco clearly remembered the day. The third frame had a series of pictures, in them a smiling girl with wild curls grew progressively older but it was the two adults watching her proudly in each photo that made her heart clench. “Hey Mu
mand Dad” she murmured, running her fingers over the frozen image.
She turned back to Draco and put her hands on her hips “I give up.” She announced “What is this place?”
He pushed off the wall gracefully and closed the space between them, tilting her head up he kissed her gently “It’s yours” he said and her eyes went wide.
“What do you mean, mine?” She asked sharply.
He pushed back a curtain and she gazed out into the dark, “Hard to see at night” he admitted “But the ocean is right over there.” She strained and could hear the crash of waves, muffled by the thick layers of stone. “Off the coast of Scotland, an easy apparition or floo to Hogwarts.” He continued “Private, quiet, just like you said you missed.”
“But what do you mean, mine.” She asked, and Draco laughed
“I can see the gears in your brain turning love” he teased “Don’t short them out. I mean it is yours. I bought it for you. The deed is in your name. My Mother always said that a wife should have some assets of her own…just in case.” He frowned slightly, lost in the memory of his father’s betrayal and just how useful his own mother’s assets had been. He shook his head “Anyway, I thought instead of a vault of Galleons you’d refuse to spend I’d give you this.”
“So are we going to live here?” She asked.
Draco shrugged “Up to you. This place is yours. It can be just for you if you’d like or…well…or not.” His hands were deep in his pockets and Hermione could see that he was nervous. His jaw twitched slightly and he was looking everywhere but at her.
Her brain was crowded with things she wanted to say. Starting with “this is too much” and ending with “You don’t need to do things like this.” But her eyes softened at the sight of the man in front of her and how clearly he was hoping he had gotten it right. “It’s amazing” she said sincerely, closing the distance between their lips “I would never have thought of this, but it is exactly what I want.”
Relief sagged through Draco and he buried himself in her hair, “I’m sure you think it is over the top and unnecessary” he said, and she bit back a smile as he voiced her inner monologue “But you are so thoughtful and always doing things for others and I wanted something just for you. Plus” he added “You are extremely difficult to shop for.” She laughed and tugged him over to the couch by the fire, pulling him down so their legs were tangled up together.
“Like you should talk” she admonished him “How do you think I feel trying to shop for the man who literally either has everything or could buy it with a snap of his fingers?” Nervously she pulled a box from her pocket and enlarged it. She dropped it on his lap and scooted back, twisting her hands in her lap.
Draco reached for her and pulled her back closer, trapping one leg with his own and brushing a soft kiss on her cheek. He unwrapped the box and took off the lid. Inside, his 11 year old self smirked up at him, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. His eyes flew to Hermione and she just nodded encouragingly. Putting the frame to the side he pulled out the next one, chuckling as the Slytherin Quidditch team pushed and laughed, jockeying for position in front of the camera. “The Snakes” he said affectionately as he pulled out a graduation photo of him with Blaise, Theo, Pansy and Daphne with their arms intertwined. He gasped a little at the next one, a seemingly stiff and uncomfortable Severus Snape with his arm almost affectionately around Draco. He shook his head and looked at Hermione in awe.
The next few were from not that long ago. Andromeda with Teddy, the friends all at the Burrow completely covered in mud from a wild Quidditch game. He chuckled to see the same photo from the day of their engagement and Hermione shrugged and giggled. At the bottom was a final photo wrapped in tissue paper. Hermione took a deep breath, as if to steady herself as Draco pulled it out. He let the paper fall away and stared at it. On one side of the frame was the official Malfoy family portrait. He could almost feel the scratchy dress robes and his mother’s grip on his shoulder as she hissed at him to stay still. He and his parents stared out at the camera with all the weight and dignity of a Sacred 28 family.
But the other photo, he’d never seen it before. In it, his parents stood close to each other, laughing over some shared joke. There was a blond blur as he dashed into view and leaped into his father’s arms where he was scooped up and kissed by both of them. He watched the loop over and over, focused on the pride and delight in his parents’ faces as they cuddled him close. He stared blankly at Hermione and tried to let his brain catch up with what he was seeing. “How? Where?” he stammered and she smiled at him.
“When your grandparents died, your Mother’s parents” she clarified “Apparently tradition dictated that all living members of the Black family come together to bury them properly.” She scooted closer and ran a hand through his hair, settling it on the nape of his neck. “No matter what the relationship between the family members was, the expectation was for a one day truce to come together for the ceremony. Andromeda took this” she said, tapping the frame “She knew it might be the only chance she had to see her family again and she wanted to capture as many moments as she could.”
Draco’s eyes prickled dangerously and he stared hard at the fire, willing his emotions to get under control. “There is one more thing” she said softly and she ran her thumb along the top edge of the frame. Draco was overwhelmed by the smell of his mother’s garden in spring. The scents tumbling over him with memories of flying his broom and tea in the gardens and rare moments of peace with his parents.
“How?” he gasped and Hermione fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.
“Your Mother helped me” she said and Draco’s eyes widened “I got the idea from a Muggle toy, they are called scratch and sniff stickers. Anyway, your mother helped me get the scent just right.”
“But you and my Mother…” he started and she cut him off.
“We both love you to the moon and back” she finished for him “And she is one badass powerful witch. We just, needed time to get used to each other.” She kissed him softly and sat back, her eyes glimmering. “Now” she said in her most business like tone “I know just the place for all of these.” She flicked her wand and the pictures sprang into the air. They zoomed across the room, nestling comfortably among the pictures he had picked out for her.
“Are you sure” he asked carefully “This is your place. I don’t want anything that, well, that you don’t want.”
Hermione tucked herself in to Draco’s side, snuggling in until her head was on his shoulder. “You are what I want” she said firmly, then looked at him with a smirk “But I am keeping it in my name” she said playfully “Your mother knows what she’s talking about.” He laughed and pulled her closer, tipping her chin up and moving closer. Just before he pressed his lips to hers there was a loud snort from somewhere outside. “Draco” Hermione said cautiously “What was that?”
“Oh” he said with a smirk “That was probably just your pony.”
“My wha-“ she started to say, but he closed the distance and kissed her soundly.
“Happy Christmas love”