Chapter Text
It is the start of the holiday season. Nothing spreads cheer faster than seeing the Christmas decorations start to pop up everywhere. The season officially feels like it begins when the train station and the ministry put up their trees, and the first snow has fallen.
As Hermione walks out of the floo, the smell of fresh pine hits her. She looks up from her stack of paperwork and sees the massive tree in the center of the ministry lobby. They must have put it up first thing this morning. The sight of it makes her smile. The holiday season has officially begun. Oh boy, does she have to start shopping. She reminds herself to start now. She can’t forget, like all the years before, where she doesn’t realize where the time goes, and the next thing she knows, it’s two days before Christmas, and she doesn’t have a present for anyone.
When she gets to her office area, she notices that she is the last one in today, which is odd because usually it is a battle between her and Malfoy over who gets there first. It seems today, even Harry beat her in. He never arrives before her at work. As he has a wife and a baby, he tends to in the morning before coming in.
“Good morning, everyone. Did you see the Christmas tree?” She exclaims to Harry and Draco, who are sitting on the edges of their desks, talking over a cup of what she assumes to be coffee.
Harry cheerfully greets her, while Malfoy grumbles out a ‘morning.’
“I’m guessing they will have the whole place finished being decorated by the end of the day,” she sets her stuff down and heads to get a cup of coffee from the pot in the shared area of the room. “I can’t wait to see it finished. I wonder what they will do this year.”
Each year, the ministry decorates a different theme or color scheme. Last year was a ‘blue Christmas’, so all of the decorations were blue. The year before that, they were green and gold.
Draco scoffs, “Who cares about how they decorate? I can’t wait for the season to be over with already, and it has barely just begun.”
“Doesn’t it just bring you a bit more joy in that cold heart of yours?” She jokes.
“Not at all. I hate the Christmas season,” he says as he rolls his eyes.
This surprises Hermione. After all this time that she has known the man, she never would have guessed that he did not like Christmas. When they were children, he would go around gloating about, ‘look what his father got him,’ ‘look at the party my mother threw,’ and such things like that. Flaunting his family's wealth. Hermione has worked with him for two years now, and still would not have guessed he disliked Christmas.
“Oh, come on, Draco. Don’t be such a Grinch,” she teases.
He raises a brow, “A who?”
Harry blurts out a laugh, “Haha, a who!”
Now it’s Hermione’s turn to roll her eyes. “The Grinch is a fictional muggle character,” she explains, “who hates Christmas. He goes on to torture the people of Whoville, that basically worship Christmas. He even goes to the extent of trying to steal their Christmas. I.e., the story ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ ”
“How does one steal Christmas?”
“Well, I guess he doesn’t actually steal Christmas. He just goes around stealing all the presents that Santa left before all of the Whos wake up.”
“Is there no theft in this who-whoville?”
“There is, but they don’t arrest him because in the end he ends up growing his heart three times the size, and starts to love Christmas.” As Hermione explains, she starts to realize how absolutely ridiculous the story sounds to say out loud. But when watching the movie, it is reasonably easy to follow along. Even with all the made-up words and rhymes that come along with it. She hasn’t even mentioned that, nor the fact that he’s green and furry.
“What the bloody hell? So what happens to everyone’s presents?”
“Oh, he gives them all back,” she shrugs as if it’s nothing.
“That’s another thing that I don’t get. How did he take all the presents? What kind of magic did he use?”
“Well, um, technically, they don’t have magic. But it would have made more sense for him, too, but this story does not involve magic. The Grinch is more of an inventor, I’d say.”
“This sounds unbelievable. How would one steal an entire village of presents without using magic? Also, if this Grinch story does not use magic, then you cannot call me a Grinch. I promise you, I do use magic when it comes to Christmas. How else do you expect one to decorate an entire manor and help keep a fresh garden from the bitter weather?”
Hermione rolls her eyes. “I thought you didn’t like Christmas decorations?” She looks pointedly at him, to which he shrugs. “Alright, if not Grinch, then how about Scrooge? There’s plenty of what I would call magic in that story. Please tell me you know ‘A Christmas Carol.’ That’s at least set in London and is a classic.”
Draco scoffs, “Everyone knows ‘A Christmas Carol.’”
“Everyone knows the Grinch, too,” she counters.
“Correction, muggles know the Grinch. Every human and human adjacent knows ‘A Christmas Carol,’” he grins.
“Whatever, Scrooge. So why is it you hate Christmas? I thought someone rolling in riches would love Christmas. Especially with such a large home to host sizable events.”
Draco’s expression is somber. “That’s just it, though. As a kid, it seemed wonderful to have more of a reason to get more of whatever I wanted and show off my family's money. But as I got older, probably during, but definitely after, the war, I realized that I didn’t care about the money and gifts anymore. I just wanted to spend the holidays with my family. Or at least some people I care about. And now I have no one. So the holidays aren’t the same when spent alone.”
Big doe eyes stare back at him. After a moment, she sends a glance to Harry, who gives her a nod of approval. “What if you spent the day with the Potters and me? I usually show up in the late morning to exchange presents. Then we usually head to the burrow to spend the evening with the Weasleys for Christmas dinner, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you tagged along. They would hate to see someone alone on Christmas if they could prevent it. Take Harry and me, for example. They collect strays, those Weasleys.”
The thought of being surrounded by all the redheads he used to torment at Hogwarts sounds utterly dreadful. He’s just now gotten used to being around the Weaslette, thanks to Potter. However, the thought of heartbreaking loneliness on Christmas sounds even worse. He shudders at the flashback of last year, where he spent the day depressingly shuffling around the manor back and forth to the kitchen and his bed.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Draco grimaces. “I’m sure they usually feel that way about most people, but I have a feeling I am not one of those people. Thank you for the thought.”
“Then I’ll bring you as my plus one. Then they don’t get a say.” She crosses her arms over her chest to make a point.
He takes a sharp inhale. “Oh, I’m sure they will have a say.”
He knows Ron will definitely announce his distaste when it comes to all things involving Draco Malfoy, especially when one Malfoy is to ruin his Christmas.
“Never mind them. I will deal with them before the evening comes. You will be welcomed with open arms. That, I am sure.” The grin on Hermione's face scares Draco a little. He wonders what she will say or do to get them to comply. Harry just shakes his head and climbs into his seat behind his desk, knowing that a storm is about to run through the Weasleys.
“Ginny, dear, I’m home!” Harry shouts after stepping through the floo. Hermione follows right on his tail. They find her in the kitchen bouncing baby James while making a bottle.
“Oh, good, you’re home,” Ginny greets him as Harry leans over to kiss her. He takes James from her arms to allow her to make the bottle. “How was work?”
“It was alright,” he shrugs, then begins playing with James' arm. “Nothing too crazy. Except for the plan our dear Hermione hatched today. I cannot wait for you to hear this.”
Ginny finishes making the bottle and passes it to Harry. Then turns her attention to Hermione and looks at her expectedly.
Best to start from the beginning, she thinks. “So, I walked into the ministry this morning and saw that they started decorating for the holidays.”
“Yes, I noticed when I ran out earlier that everyone started putting up their decorations today,” Ginny exclaims as she begins making everyone a cup of tea. “It’s so exciting.”
“My thoughts exactly. When I walked into the office, that is what I told everyone. To which Malfoy expressed his distaste for the holiday season. After some bickering back and forth, I found out that he dislikes the season because he has to spend it alone. I felt so bad for him, Ginny. Because I know without you guys, I would be in the same predicament. So I may or may not have impulsively invited him to spend Christmas with us.” The words fall quickly out of her mouth, and a wince follows. Ginny’s head whirls around to look at her. “And by us, I mean Harry, you, James, and I… plus all of your family.”
“Are you crazy?” She looks at the older woman with disbelief. “Harry and I are one thing, but my family? Do you know how much of a nuisance they are all going to be once they find out that Draco Malfoy is going to be in their home on Christmas? My mother won’t necessarily like it, but her warm, caring heart will win her over; however, everyone else will. Good luck. Especially when it comes to Ron.”
“Yes, yes, I know. I’m trying to figure out the best way to ask them. And then when they don’t agree, tell them that they have to be okay with him coming. Because whether they like it or not, he is coming now.”
“Oh, Hermione. Good luck. I am not helping you. You got yourself into this mess, you can figure it out. The only thing worse than this would have been if you were going to tell them that you are dating the ferret.” Ginny laughs as she shakes her head.