Work Text:
The holiday classics could be heard echoing from the ballroom in Malfoy Manor, as Harry Potter and Theodore Nott stepped through the floo.
Harry waved his hand, wordlessly removing the soot from his husband’s dark green, velvet cloak.
They look around, admiring the decorations, walking hand in hand toward the noise.
The charm work of Narcissa Malfoy would rival any expert. The ballroom of Malfoy Manor looked like the essence of winter magic.
Garland hung around the room, twinkling lights picking out between the snow-tipped pines, and there were clusters of frosted gold and green berries placed throughout.
The sconces adorning the walls, the floating candles, and the scattered small twinkling lights were spelled to a soft warm that illuminated everything with a nostalgic glow.
It was perfection.
Snowflakes of varied shapes and sizes fell from the ceiling, disappearing before touching the floor.
Carvings of various woodland creatures, pines, and other holiday akin things were transfigured into snow. They could be found on the ground floor as well as the balconies.
Next to the snow decorations were several frost tipped pine trees of various sizes with gold and green ornaments, twinkling lights, green tinsel, small gold flowers, and crystals hanging from its branches. Gold and green carpets lay under these centerpieces with snow laying at the edges.
Several tables of varing heights and chairs were placed around with room, white linens with gold accents covered the tables.
Food and drinks floated around the room, some were carried by elves, others sat on the serving tables. The spread was varied and smelled delicious. There was no expense spared.
The ballroom of Malfoy Manor was full of Draco and Hermione’s closest friends and family. And now finally with the last of the guests, Harry and Theo joined the festivities.
They each greeted Narcissa warmly with a kiss to her cheek and received a squeezing hug in return that could only come from a mother.
A group of Hogwarts professors lingered near one of the food tables chatting animatedly about the new improvements to the castle and the curriculum. It was some of the biggest changes Hogwarts had seen in over one hundred years and was predicted to boost their popularity with wizarding Europe.
Another group of Draco’s Slytherin acquaintances from his younger years at Hogwarts, stood nearby snacking on some of the delicious food. They all laughed, munched and enjoyed the nearby appetizers.
Narcissa stood near the front of the room looking upon the sea of people mingling, eating, and laughing. She hadn’t seen such laughter and joy on the faces of her loved ones and friends like this, not since before the war.
Whatever the joyous reasoning for their beaming faces this year was good enough for her. She was just so grateful her family and circle seemed to have a new air of life breathed into them.
Hermione and Draco lounged on a loveseat in a seating area near the rear of the room. They were surrounded by their closest friends. Blaise, Ginny, Harry, Theo, Pansy and Neville.
They were all coupled and regularly enjoyed outings all about in wizarding and muggle London.
In the years since the war, life had turned beautiful. Everyone settled in together so easily, their careers were successful. Some worked in the Ministry like Hermione or for themselves like the Slytherin men, others like Ginny started as one of the Chasers for the Holyhead Harpies and Harry started as the Seeker for the Falmouth Falcons. Pansy and Neville owned an apothecary and greenhouse in Diagon Alley.
This was a gift that none of them ever took for granted.
Hermione laughed at some hilarious joke Draco told the group about one of his outings with a future client. Theo and Blaise were red in the face from the effects of laughter and a little liquor.
There were flutes of champagne and tumblers of Fire whiskey littering the tables in front of them. Several of them were dangerously close to empty.
The clock ticked closer and closer to twelve.
2004.
The start of a new year. It was always a joyous occasion especially with all of the palpable love and affection in the room.
With only five minutes remaining, Draco and Hermione took to the center of the room to address their guests.
“Thank you all for another wonderful year. Life has been so abundantly full for Hermione and I. Every year we spend together is the honor of my life. Thank you, everyone, for the roles you play in our lives, we truly believe it enriches all of our experiences.” Draco lifted his glass to everyone.
Laughter and cheering spilled out from the guests, glasses raised in the air, clinking nearby drinks.
Draco cleared his throat, “I have one more thing to say.”
He turned to Hermione, and grabbed her hands, and drowned himself in her eyes.
“You have been the foundation upon which I have rebuilt my life, Hermione Granger. You have been a wonderful friend, confidant, partner, and lover. You have changed me, and molded me into a better man, a man that I can be proud of. You are selfless, brilliant, passionate, kind, and loyal. Hermione, would you please accept a desperate man’s plea to love you for the rest of our lives?”
He let go of her hands to grab a small black velvet box from his pocket. He knelt in front of her and presented the beautiful diamond ring to her, “Hermione, will you marry me?”
He finally asked her, he poured all the love, respect, passion, and yearning into his eyes as he gazed up at her.
It wasn’t a moment later that she threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him, saying yes over and over against his lips.
The room erupted in cheers and jubilation.
Just as Draco moved to pick her up and twirl her around, did the count down strike 0 — midnight.
Charmed fireworks and confetti exploded in the ceiling raining down on the party goers.
It was a scene out of a dream.
He did, indeed, pick her up and spin her around and round. He held her tight in his arms. The happiness and excitement pouring off them in waves.
Laughter, clapping, and hugging everywhere.
Confetti, glitter and paper flying through the air, landing in hair, on clothes, tables, the floor.
Narcissa gripped them both in her arms and cried into their hair. She wanted nothing more than her darling son to fall in love the way he deserved. He deserved a future after the life he escaped as a teen.
She took Hermione’s face in her hands and kissed her cheeks, “I’m so happy it’s you. He’s never been so happy. Thank you for giving me my son back. I will never be able to thank you properly.”
Hermione let go of Draco and wrapped Narcissa in a hug, “He’s done the same for me, Narcissa, he’s saved me. You owe me nothing because he’s been everything.”
Draco pulled them both into his arms, holding his future wife and mother close to him.
It wasn’t so long ago this future was a pipe dream.
Draco was so thankful.
The tinkling sounds of laughter, and champagne flutes and happiness echoed through the room leaking to the hallway and into the Manor.
The confetti continued to rain down on them, and he pulled Hermione into his arms and kissed her deeply.
“Happy New Year, my love.”