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Hermione and the kids walked along the sidewalk and entered the mall. The children looked up to see the most elaborate decorated place they had ever laid their eyes on. Giant fir glistening with gold and silver ornaments that towered over the children as they stared at them. Along the entrance, there were twinkling bright white lights placed in snowmen and snowflakes patterns. Scorpius twirled around staring at it all, “amazing that they do all this without magic”.
“How on earth could they do all this without magic?” Lily shot back, still gaping at the flashing lights.
“We need to be quiet when talking about magic while we’re here. Do you see them at all? I knew how much this me- AAHHH.” Hermione was startled by Mrs.Weasley appearing right next to her; Mr.Weasley trailing behind her, debatably even more awestruck than the children.
“Arthur, get over here!” Mrs.Weasley barked at him, snapping him out of it.
“This is quite spectacular. And this is done without any magic?” Mr.Weasely questioned, still gawking at the decorations.
“That’s what we were saying!” Albus chimmed in.
“Yes, they usually put it up quite quickly. Alright kids, let's hurry along to see Santa”, and into the wonderland, they went.
As they walked on, Hermione and Mrs.Weasley were behind them. Scorpius, Albus, and Lily trotted along with Mr. Weasely attempting to take everything in. Scorpius swore to Albus he saw Mr.Weasley pull out a notebook, taking notes.
“He did not. You expect me to believe he’s taking notes on this stuff?”
“Watch him and see.” Scorpius claimed and they both turned their heads attempting to look unsuspicious.
“You are both idiots, you should be thinking about what you are going to ask Santa,” Lily exclaimed as she bounced happily, staring at the lights.
“The new Nimbus 7,000 would be great or maybe the latest firebolt model!” Albus answered.
“I’d like a signed copy of Fantastic beasts and where to find them, I saw they had a signed copy at flourish and blotts with daddy one time,” Lily bubbled back.
“Santa doesn’t buy stuff for people, Lily, he makes it. Well, he doesn’t make it, his elves do,” Scorpius responded back.
“What are you going to ask Santa, Scorpius?” Albus asked.
“How he does it.”
“How he does what?”
“Deliver gifts to everyone. He’s got to be a brilliant wizard to be able to do all that, not to mention the loads of house elves that work with him to be able to produce an operation like that,” Scorpius explained, staring at a cookie store window.
“My dad used to tell us about this old map he had that displayed all of Hogwarts, it showed where everyone was and every secret path in the castle,” Albus returned, looking back at Mr.Weasley.
They arrived at a large line that zigzagged back and forth all the way to a large podium that the kids could not see. Scorpius and Albus pushed and shoved one another attempting to climb onto the other to see until Hermione came and separated the two. Lily and Mrs.Weasley laughing side by side as the ordeal took place; Mr.Weasley remained transfixed on taking everything in.
Hermione bent down to Scorpius and Albus as they fixed themselves. “Alright, you three are going to stand here with Mr. and Mrs.Weasely like the good little witch and wizards you are. I have to go do a few last minute shopping for your dad, Scorpius and to get some gifts for your parents as well.” Hermione said, moving her attention from Scorpius to Albus and Lily. “I shouldn’t be long but I want to hear all about it when I return. Please behave and don’t mention anything about magic, do you understand?”
“Yes mum.”
“Yes Auntie.”
Hermione turned to Mrs.Weasley, “Thank you again for coming and watching them for me. I figured Arthur would be very pleased to be here as well.”
“It's our pleasure dear, and you are absolutely right; I don’t think I’ve seen Arthur this puzzled since he acquired that Ford Anglia from Theo all those years ago. Now run along, we have it from here,” Mrs.Weasley patted Hermione.
“Thank you,” Hermione said and then disappeared into the crowd.
They took a place in line and began the long wait to see Santa Claus. Scorpius and Albus attempted to look around people in an effort to get an early glimpse of the jolly man.
“Do you think Santa went to Hogwarts? He wears red all the time so I bet he’s a Gryffindor,” Albus said as he tried to look around the family in front of them.
“There's no possible way he’s a Gryffindor, it's quite a cunning task to sneak into people’s houses so he must be a slytherin. Or a ravenclaw!” Scorpius responded.
“What about a hufflepuff?” Mrs.Weasely entered.
“Nobody wants to be in Hufflepuff,” Scorpius and Albus spoke in tandem.
“You’re both stupid. Santa is from the north pole, he couldn’t have gone to Hogwarts idiots,” Lily spat at them.
“I’m gonna ask Santa to take my sister away from us,” Albus mumbled under his breath but loud enough for Scorpius to snigger with him.
“It doesn’t matter where he’s from, he must have been awarded with the order of Merlin for figuring out how to make it all around the world in one night,” Scorpius chimed in.
“If he has an Order Of Merlin wouldn’t that mean he was given it by the ministry?” Albus responded.
“Duh, that’s how you get one,” Lily jabbed.
“Mr.Weasley?” Scorpius turned to the tall man who was squinting trying to make out the glowing reindeer in a department store window.
“Huh? Oh, what is it lad?” Mr.Weasley said, turning his attention to the kids.
“You worked in the ministry right?” Scorpius asked.
“Correct”
“So you’ve seen people awarded the Order of Merlin right?” Scorpius questioned, Albus and Lily leaning close to hear.
“Well, I didn’t work in that department but I was there at several ceremonies,” He responded with a smile growing on his face. “I was in the ceremony to give your mother, Scorpius, and your father, Albus and Lily, their order of Merlin”. His eyes looked watery. “I was so proud”.
“So…do you know if Santa Claus has one?” Albus asked bluntly.
“No…I am not sure if he does,” Mr.Weasley sighed. The children sighed as well and turned their attention back to the long line ahead of them.
As they got closer to the podium they began to see more of the spectacle they were about to be a part of. They began to make out the velvet rolled out on the floor and the detailed bright lights that flashed every few minutes, and the belly laughter they could hear coming from a giant leather chair that sat in the middle, from which they could only see the chair’s legs, a bit of the leather and two giant black leather boots planted in front of the great chair. As they continued to draw nearer, Scorpius and Albus convinced Lily to squeeze her head through the bars around the platform to see everything. She placed her head through the bars and began describing the area to them.
“We’ll get up to this long red rope that is guarded by an elf. This elf is so weird looking, he’s huge! Then there's a regular looking elf behind a camera taking pictures of kids sitting with Santa,” Lily described as she began to pull her head back from within the bars.
“Well? Is it him?” Albus asked.
“Rosy cheeks, big belly and hair as white as snow,” Lily described as she fixed her hair.
“It's him, it's actually him,” Scorpius stated.
They got to be second from the stanchion and were all now able to see everything in full: A giant set made to resemble a cozy little cabin with the grand armchair in the middle and Saint Nicholas himself sat. He was fully dressed in his red jacket and pants with white fur trim; his stomach poked out so far that it looked like his broad belt buckle almost touched his knees while seated. He wore small circle glasses that sat on the edge of his large oval-shaped nose that was perfectly centered between two bright pink cheeks which were above a fluffy thick white beard. Across from him was a camera and, behind it, a woman holding a tablet, and next to her was a short older man with a rough face who moaned and groaned from the slightest movement. The lady called the people in front of them and they went to Santa; now Scorpius, Albus, and Lily stood right behind the stanchion, waiting.
They looked up at the teenager guarding the entrance who had terrible acne on his face that looked like boils that seemed to appear larger due to his thick glasses enhancing them. He had a patch of hair growing on his chin and a terrible attempt of a mustache on his lip. His hair curled out from under his elf hat that matched along with his bright green elf suit; green shirt, gold button, and matching shorts with red and white striped leggings running down to these red clogs that curled with bells on them. The kids looked up as he was extremely tall.
“You were right Lily, that is a weird elf,” Albus exclaimed, staring at him.
“Next!” The lady standing next to the cameraman yelled out. The teenager grabbed the velvet rope and clicked the hook open and moved it, motioning the kids in. Mrs.Weasley put her hands on the kids shoulders and said, “go on, Santa doesn’t bite.”
Mr. and Mrs.Weasley went over and waited as the kids went up to Santa. Mr.Weasley reached into his pocket and pulled out a smartphone and unlocked it and held it up.
“Arthur, what are you doing?” Mrs.Weasley asked.
“I’m taking pictures to remember it,” Mr.Weasley expressed as he held the phone up with the front camera turned on him. He looked puzzled and proceeded to turn the phone around with the front camera now facing away from him. Mrs.Weasley grabbed his arm pulling his hands down.
“Arthur, we buy the pictures over there from the lady. You don’t have to take pictures,” Mrs.Weasley explained as Mr.Weasley became confused.
“These muggle traditions we’ll never cease to amaze me, Molly.”
Scorpius, Albus, and Lily approached the red giant who sat in the chair. Scorpius looked as if he was attempting to keep a frog in his mouth, Albus looked as if he was going to turn so red that he would get into Gryffindor automatically. The two approached nervously while Lily waltzed up to the jolly man and spoke loudly to him, “If I asked for a signed copy of a book would you be able to acquire it?”
“Ho ho ho, I believe we can arrange that dear.”
“I told you,” Lily spat at the boys.
“And what are your names,” Santa asked leaning down at the three.
“I’m Lily.”
“I’m Albus.”
“I’m Scorpius.”
“Well…those are unique names aren’t they?” Santa responded, “What would you all like for Christmas?”
“Well, if you could get a signed copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I would appreciate that, very much,” Lily said.
“Lovely choice,” Santa returned.
“Well I’d really like the latest model of firebolt but if labor and cost are of concern then I’ll settle for the new nimbus,” Albus explained.
“Ho ho, I don’t think I’ve heard of those, are they model cars?” Santa asked.
“No, they’re broomsticks”
Santa was now quite confused.
“And what about you?” Santa turned his attention to Scorpius now.
“How do you do it all? Go around the whole world in one night? You must be a great wizard to be able to do all this?”
Santa looked around and leaned next to them to whisper, “I use my magical map to help me out.”
“So you are a wizard!” Scorpius gaped.
“You have a map just like my fathers!” Albus expressed.
“Hey! What are you doin’? We gonna take this picture or what?” The short man behind the camera barked leaning to the side to be seen.
“Alright kiddos, I’ve said too much already, come on, let's take this picture now.” Santa wrapped his arms around them all and the camera flashed and loud clicks went off. They walked over to Mr. and Mrs.Weasley. They were looking with the lady at the pictures taken showing Santa giving a gentle soft smile, Lily giving a childish grin, Scorpius performing an awkward smile from ear to ear with the weirdest being Albus who appeared to just be showing his teeth in an attempt to smile.
“You looked lovely up there,” Mrs.Weasely expressed moving them off to the ramp to take them off the platform. “Oh, there's your mum Scorpius.”
Hermione walked over carrying three large bags and a small little brown bag as well. She met them and sat the bags down to greet them and held up the smaller bag.
“Well, how did it go guys?” She questioned.
“He is a wizard mum!”
“He uses a map just like father has!” Albus injected.
“Santa said he’d get me the signed copy I want,” Lily expressed, trying to talk over the boys.
“Settle down, settle down. I’m glad you got what you wanted from him and were good. I got you something because I knew you’d be good,” Hermione held up the small brown bag and handed each of the children a napkin and a fresh, warm chocolate chip cookie. The children's eyes widened to match the size of the cookies and before she could pass a cookie to Mr. and Mrs.Weasley the kids' cookies were gone.
They began to walk to leave as Mr.Weasley helped carry some of the bags. Hermione looked at them,
“I’ll have to make a flash drive to download the file to send to you.”
“Hold on Hermione dear,” Mr.Weasely reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen and a little notebook, and turned the pages. “How again does ‘emailing’ work?”
Scorpius’s shot around and his eyes went wide, “See! I told you he was taking notes!”
A few days later, Christmas Eve arrived. A cold front had moved in causing all the fireplaces in the Malfoy house to be lit. Hermione was in the kitchen wearing a dusty rose colored sweater with the sleeves rolled up. Her hair was tied back and she was mixing different color icing in bowls with the assistance of Scorpius, Albus and Lily. Scorpius wore a dark grey fishermans sweater with zigzag details all over, Albus wore a Japanese World Quidditch team jumper and Lily wore a handmade sweater Mrs.Weasley had knit. Hermione was mixing a blue icing, Scorpius was mixing a green one, Albus a yellow one and Lily did a pink one. A timer rang off, telling Hermione, the cookies she was baking were done. She turned to face the oven on the wall with her wand in hand. The door of the oven fell open and the baking sheet with cookies floated out and landed gently onto the trivet on the counter next to them. Next the cookies floated off and onto a wire rack next to them. The kitchen was now engulfed with the smell of fresh baked cookies instead of the aroma of burning oak.
The children watched the flying cookies and began inhaling as if they required the smell of cookies like oxygen. Hermione tucked her wand away and then began moving the icing into piping bags.
“Are you ready to finish these cookies for Santa?” Hermione asked, placing the bags in front of the kids.
The kids smiling brightly grabbed the bags and began pipping on top of the cookies. Lily grabbed the green and started piping in a Christmas tree to great success. Scorpius took the yellow and piped a snitch and then took some gold sprinkles and sprinkled them onto his. Albus was holding two bags and looked like a mad scientist conjuring a monster as he piped on his cookie. Scorpius and Lily looked over at him in confusion.
“What are you making?” Scorpius asked, attempting to lean over and make out what Albus had created.
“I started making the abnormal snowman, then I messed up, so now it's just a snowman,” Albus replied, still working on his creation.
“Abnormal? Do you mean the Abominable Snowman?” Lily chimed in now looking directly at Albus’s work. “That looks nothing like a snowman.”
“Yes, it does! See, that's his stick arm right there.”
“It looks like a unicorn with a broomstick as its horn,” Lily giggled at her own joke, having Scorpius join in.
As they continued to decorate, there was the sound of the door opening. It opened and the cold wind could be heard as the door was then shut. The clicking of a pair of dress shoes could be heard in the hallway drawing closer to the kitchen. Draco emerged into the kitchen, wearing his tailored black suit with a charcoal overcoat on top, carrying in one hand a dark leather suitcase with a patina around the edges and slung across his shoulder in his other hand was a large black garment bag. He came in and placed his suitcase on the table, then took off his overcoat and then his jacket placing it over one of the kitchen chairs. He walked over to Hermione who was now washing some dishes in the sink. He grabbed her from behind, placing his hands on her waist; she could feel his cold rings through her sweater and let out a sigh.
“Welcome home dear,” Hermione said, turning to face him as he kissed her on the cheek.
“Good to be home, it's bloody freezing out there,” Draco responded.
“Did you acquire the items?” Hermione whispered into Draco's ear. He smiled back and spoke softly, “Santa will be coming tonight.”
Draco turned to face the children. “And what are we working on here? Cookies for Santa?” He walked over to see what they had made. Cookies in the shape of Christmas trees, snitches, gingerbread men, broomsticks, snowflakes, and then there was a group that was a bit harder to make out.
“That pile is Albus’s. He doesn’t know what he’s making,” Lily sang cheerfully.
“I do too!”
“Then what is that?” Lily questioned.
“That's a niffler”
“That looks like a porcupine that threw up gold,” Scorpius stated.
“None of you understand my artistic talent!” Albus roared.
“No, I think I’m starting to see, is that one a phoenix?” Draco asked, pointing at one of the questionable cookies in Albus’s pile.
“That's a sphynx,” Albus responded.
Draco’s eyebrows rose and turned to the rest of the kids.
“You Potters, such an interesting lot,” Draco said as he grabbed his jacket and left the room. Not too long after he left, Hermione turned and noticed that he had left his bag. She grabbed it and followed in his direction and left as well. Scorpius turned and looked to see that it was just the three of them and he turned to them.
“I need you to listen up. I have something important to say,” Scorpius said in a low voice. Lily lifted her head up towards him, Albus however, kept piping his cookies. Scorpius jerked the piping bag out of his hands and threw it on the counter.
“Hey!”
“Oh hush, your cookies are a load of rubbish, but seriously listen. I’m holding a stake out tonight for Santa,” Scorpius claimed, looking as if he was puffing his chest out.
“Why?” Albus and Lily questioned staring at the blond boy.
“I wanna see that man for myself in my house. Maybe I can get a picture of him,” Scorpius now walking around the kitchen as if he was giving a powerful speech.
“What reason do you have to take a picture of Santa Claus?” Lily asked.
“Well, I figured when I go to Hogwarts, I could sell them as the person who caught Santa,” Scorpius answered, looking proud of his idea.
“I don’t know many people who would buy a picture like that,” Albus returned with, “I’d wait up just to say I saw the man but your idea is stupid.”
“Regardless, I’m having a stake out for him. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like Albus,” Scorpius proposed.
“What about me?” Lily harped. Scorpius and Albus audible sighed.
Tonight was the night, it was Christmas eve and it was dark outside. The living room was illuminated by the fireplace. Hermione sat in an armchair close by and read an old book that looked to be on its last leg, taking occasional sips from a glass of wine she had poured. Scorpius walked into the room carrying a plate filled with all the cookies they had made and placed them on the table near the fire, he then rushed back into the kitchen and brought back a glass of milk, and placed it with them. Hermione took a sip of her wine and then licked her lips; Scorpius then sat next to her on the floor.
“Mum?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Have you ever seen Santa?”
“Scorpius, we saw Santa a few days ago. The pictures over there.”
“No, no, I mean in your house when you were a little girl.”
Hermione closed her book and sat it next to her wine glass then turned her full body towards her son.
“No. When I was little I never saw him in my house. But if you aren’t asleep he won’t come and visit you.”
“Oh, so I have to be asleep for him to come?”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
As Hermione explained this to him, Draco came into the room wearing a viridian robe over a pair of dark pajamas. He walked by them and sat in another chair near the fire looking at Scorpius.
“Excited about your presents?” Draco asked, looking at him.
Scorpius nodded.
“How about this? Let me make you a cup of warm milk and then you and I can go upstairs and play a few rounds of Mario kart?” Draco suggested to the now wide-eyed boy who looked as if he might explode.
“You have a deal! But we’re not playing rainbow road!” Draco practically levitated up the stairs in excitement. Draco smiled as he walked over to the kitchen to where they had all the liquor bottles and grabbed a scotch and a lowball glass and filled it up to about two fingers. He took a sip and sat it back on the counter. He walked over to Hermione who was staring at him as he knelt down to her putting both his hands on her head, pulling her in for a kiss. He pulled away and stared at her lips before moving up toward her eyes.
“Santa will be here soon enough.”
IScorpius tossed and turned in his bed. He had told himself that he would wait until 11 before starting his operation. He had got up to check all the supplies he had prepared, two bottles of water in case he got thirsty, some cookies he snuck out so his mother couldn’t see and the most important piece of equipment was the camera for the picture he planned on taking. He was very nervous about this due to his room behind at the end of the hall upstairs, a bathroom was next to him, then a closet, and then his parents bedroom. Their bedroom was where the railing began so you could look over to see the living room. Scorpius was prepared for this bump in his plan, he had tested out every sock in his closet to see which one was the quietest. He found out that the silent pair was a thick beige and green pair that ironically had Christmas trees on them. He put them on and looked at the clock that read 10:56, he prepared his stuff and made his way to the door. He was almost at the door when he heard three light knocks on his window. The frost was thick so he couldn’t make it out but it looked as if there was a hooded person in the window. He went and opened the window and Albus was hunched over with Lily holding his waist tightening flying on a broom.
“Whose broom is that?” Scorpius asked, pulling them into the room and closing the window shut.
“It's my dad’s, he’d manage me if he found out we took his broom out for a spin,” Albus said, trying to warm up before saying anything else.
“‘We took his broom’, no you took his broom, I just wanna see Santa,” Lily said as she rubbed her hands for warmth.
“You two warm up while I go take a peak of the situation,” Scorpius said as he went back to the door. He opened it and peered his head out to see if the coast was clear. He could see that down the hallway there was light shining through the railing which led to the stairs going down to the living room. Scorpius motioned for the other two to follow and they crept down the hall and slowly as possible, they made no noise and the floors did not creek on this night. The closer to the railing they got the more popping and cracking of the fire they could hear.
When they reached the railing, they got a full aerial view of the living room. They could see the two chairs Scorpius parents had sat in hours prior; the table sat the milk and cookies.
They took their places sitting behind the railing and just watched the fireplace. They had not noticed, but Hermione's wine glass was still sitting on the table next to her chair, completely full. To their surprise, Hermione entered the living room from the kitchen wearing a red robe wrapped tightly around herself. They held their breaths as she walked in and sat down in her chair. The kids were unaware of it, but Hermione had makeup on her face.
“What is your mum doing?” Albus whispered over to Scorpius.
“I don’t know, sometimes she stays up late,” Scorpius said, keeping his attention on his mother. They remained silent and Hermione got comfortable in her chair, picking up her book, and began reading it.
About twenty minutes had passed and nothing had changed, the kids stayed there watching silently, and Hermione still reading her book. Albus began quietly banging his head on one of the railings.
“This has got to be the most boring thing I’ve let you talk me into Scorpius.”
Scorpius now looked defeated, he was ready to give up after watching his mother read a book for twenty minutes.
“I guess Santa doesn’t come if you’re awake aft-,” Scorpius silenced himself when he saw that the fireplace illuminated the living room went out. It came back up to a bright flame after a few seconds and standing there blocking most of the light was the silhouette of Santa Claus. The kid's mouth had fallen open and was so excited but they remained silent, trying to hear what Santa was saying but being unable too.
“Ho Ho Ho!” Santa exclaimed.
“Don’t go name calling yet Mr.Claus,” Hermione said as she rose to face him. The kids couldn’t really make out what was going on due to the light being distorted by the shadows.
“I have a few presents I’m here to deliver,” Santa claimed, taking his sack off his shoulder.
“I have a few presents as well for you,” Hermione whispered in a sensual voice as she traced her fingers on Santa's arms, “I hope you like what I’ve got you, Santa.” Hermione now motioned her hand over her shoulder and untied her robe and the side closest to the fire slid off her shoulder revealing to Santa that underneath the robe was pink lingerie waiting for him. Santa took in the lace and then brought his eyes up to hers as she stared at him.
“You’ve been a bad girl this year, I put you on my naughty list you know,” Santa breathed heavily, staring into Hermione's eyes.
“How naughty have I been Santa?” Hermione purred back to him.
Santa reached up and grabbed a handful of Hermione's hair and pulled it back giving him full access to her neck as he began kissing it. She moaned as he tasted her skin and then came up to her ear, “I’ll show you.”
Santa embraced her and began kissing her softly and she let it happen. She kissed him back and grabbed ahold of his hat and pulled on his red jacket. Santa felt Hermione's soft lips glide across his and bite on hers, pulling slightly.
The kids watched as this giant shadow danced in front of them.
“I think your mum is fighting Santa,” Albus suggested.
“That can’t be…wait, She’s trying to steal his map!” Scorpius ran towards the steps and landed at the bottom.
“We're out of here Lily.”
Scorpius ran to his mother and began balling, “No mum, don’t! If you take his map then he won’t be able to deliver anyone else’s presents!”
Hermione's face was redder than the ripest tomato, and Santa's face had begun to blend into his coat.
“Sweetheart, I was just greeting Santa, that's how you greet people where Santas come from. By…by…kissing,” Hermione mumbled.
“Santa’s french?”
“I just came to drop off your presents Scorpius, you should really be in bed right now,” Santa said leaning down to be at eye level to him.
“I just really wanted to see you, I wanted to make sure you were real,” Scorpius said looking down. Santa reached around and grabbed a cookie and gave one to Scorpius and took one for himself, They ate the cookie together. Santa sent Scorpius off to bed and he listened. Hermione calmed down now, waited until she heard the door shut, and then sighed the biggest sigh of her life. Santa pulled off his hat and beard,
“That was a close one,” Draco said.