Fic; A Christmas Carol, Part 1: Christmas Eve
Title: A Christmas Carol - The Magical Way
Summary: Hermione has turned down all invitations for Christmas yet again and her friends are worried, but what will happen when Draco decides to be her Ghost of the Christmas Past, Present and Yet to come?
Characters/Pairings: Draco/Hermione
Genre: Romance/Humour
Rating/Warnings: PG. Nothing bad, except maybe some language.
Word Count: 1458
A Christmas Carol
.;.The Magical Way.;.
Part 1 .;. Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve had never embodied the infamous Christmas-card quite this perfectly before. The air was crisp and cold, turning cheeks and noses a charming rosy red the moment one stepped outside. Snow covered every part of the ground, each individual snowflake rested on top of the other, creating a blanket inches and inches thick. It hung heavily onto the trees, forcing their branches to droop under the weight and the treetops to glisten. If you listened closely you might even be able to hear small, timid sleigh bells in the snow.
There was, however, one thing breaking the flawless image of a winter wonderland. Almost knee-deep in snow, two young people were facing each other, their hands gesturing wildly as their angry voices carried across otherwise silent landscape.
“I don’t know who you think you are,” she remarked angrily and buried her chin even deeper into her scarf, “looking me up on Christmas Eve to insult me. Have you really sunk that low?”
“I didn’t mean it as an insult,” he replied in exasperation, his arms falling to his sides. “I’ve heard St. Potter and Weaselbee talk about it around the office for weeks. I know you’re celebrating Christmas alone.”
Her narrowed eyes widened slightly and her cheeks already red from cold hid any blush that might have occurred due to the misunderstanding.
“So what if I am?” she asked coldly. “The discriminating stereotypes of Christmas say we have to be surrounded by family and friends, because it’s the Christmas spirit, but I’m an independent person. I can make my own Christmas dinner, and sing the carols while I play the piano. I don’t need all the junk about staying together.”
He watched her as she raved, silently wondering why on earth he had bothered at all.
“I’m not saying I don’t agree,” he replied lazily. “If we want to spend Christmas alone, we should be allowed to, but I don’t think you want it as much as you say you do, Granger.”
She just sniffed in disapproval, studying the pattern on her mittens closely.
“Potty and Weasel don’t get it, and that’s why I’m here. They have wives and small children of their own. Christmas is all about family to them now, and they don’t understand how it is to be alone. I do. I, too, turned down their invitation, simply because I’d feel like I was in the way of the happy family gathering.”
He could see the wrinkles on her forehead soften slightly.
“And I’ve listened to them rant about how worried they are that you declined their invitation. They don’t understand why, the dimwits. I don’t understand how they don’t get it. You were supposed to be the one married to Ron, to have his son. You were engaged, for Merlin’s sake. And they still don’t get why you declined.”
“But you think you do,” she replied icily, her tone of voice taking him aback. “You think you understand how it is to see your friends celebrate as one, big happy family; the family you were supposed to be a part of! You will never know what a betrayal it feels like, so stop pretending you do.”
“I’m alone too, Frosty,” he reminded her, glaring icicles her way. “Why can’t we be alone together?”
“I don’t need your charity,” she huffed, tightening the scarf around her neck, “or your ideas of boughs of holly, a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer.”
“How do you know I’m all about the Christmasy stuff?”
“I can tell,” she said in disdain, her little nose wrinkled in disgust. “You probably have mistletoe covering the ceilings of your Manor, holly winding itself around the banisters, enchanted reindeers in the garden and your house elves dressed in horrible, uncomfortable elf suits.”
“I do enjoy Christmas, and I don’t intend to apologise for it,” he said, trying to keep back his sigh. “But it’s not nearly as enjoyable alone. So please, Granger; will you celebrate it with me?”
For a blissful moment he thought she would relent. He thought her face would light up into a smile and that she’d take his offer with gratitude and keep him company for Christmas. That was until her eyes hardened and her lips stiffened in its grimace.
“Malfoy; I hope you get run over by your damn enchanted reindeer,” she spit and turned on her heels.
He watched her stomp away as angrily as she managed in the high snow and sighed heavily. It was the first Christmas since his parents died, and he had no intentions of spending it alone. It was time to bring out the big guns.
She slammed the door shut, scaring Crookshanks out of his sweet dreams and sent him leaping off the couch in a marvellous display of orange fur. She didn’t need Draco Malfoy’s pity - or anyone’s pity. Christmas had lost its charm years ago, and she didn’t need a persistent ex-enemy trying to lull her comfortably into the Christmas cheer again. She wasn’t that naive anymore.
If anyone else had entered her home they would be surprised by the lack of decorations. There was no Christmas tree, not even a single needle of a pine anywhere to be spotted. The colours red and green were suspiciously underrepresented. Her parents would be horrified if they knew, but she had turned down their invitation with the excuse of spending Christmas with her friends. Unfortunately, Harry hadn’t seemed to buy her story about spending it at her parents’, since they were talking about her around the office.
Damn Malfoy. She put herself firmly on the couch by the telly, carefully avoiding the Christmas shows and found an old film instead. It didn’t seem to be a Christmas story, so she left it on. A man was sitting in his office, his profession apparently a banker of some sort. He seemed to be treating his employees rather poorly, she noted as Crookshanks leapt onto her lap. She stroked him absently as the film unfolded in front of her. It soon dawned on her that the film was about Christmas after all, as he refused to give one of his employees the day off for Christmas day. She shook her head and stopped paying attention, and instead looked down on Crookshanks purring contentedly in her lap.
“We’re fine, you and I aren’t we?” she asked lovingly, rubbing him behind his left ear.
Soon her eyelids seemed to grow heavy and slowly fell shut, her hands still resting on the orange cat in her lap.
And that is how Draco Malfoy found her as he Apparated straight into her living room, his arms crossed over his chest and his cloak billowing eerily. He had charmed it to do just that, and he was rather pleased with the work, to be honest. He was, however, less impressed by the room he had Apparated into. It had been long since he had seen anything less cheery, in fact, it looked somewhat dirty.
He focused his attention on the sleeping Hermione just as her eyes began to flutter open. Within seconds she had jumped from the couch sending Crookshanks flying with an indignant screech.
“What the bloody hell are you doing in my flat, Malfoy, and why are you transparent?” she growled, and then sudden worry appeared in her features out of nowhere. “You’re not dead, are you?”
“I’m touched by your worry, dear Granger, but it is merely for dramatic effect,” he smirked. “You see; I am your Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to come.”
She gaped at him in shock.
“I hate this dream already,” she muttered, lowering her wand.
“It’s not a dream,” he protested, enjoying the moment of her dawning horror. “It’s time to teach you the values of Christmas.”
“Oh, spare me,” she snarled, crossing her arms over her chest angrily.
“No can do,” he replied, shaking his head sadly. “’tis but my destiny.”
She rolled her eyes at his flair for drama, and secretly tried to find a way out of this nightmare.
“As the clock strikes Midnight I will take you on a journey. Well. I’ll wave my wand, anyway,” he said, smiling merrily. “I’ve wanted to do this ever since I read that story.”
“I am so very happy to be your chosen victim,” she said through gritted teeth, having just found out that he had put Apparition wards on the room. There was no escape.
His reply was interrupted by the first stroke of midnight, and his mouth formed into an excited grin.
“My work begins!”
“Can’t we just drop this, Malfoy?” she asked dryly. “The terror it will put us both through will be for nothing. I’ll just go back here and have left over take out tomorrow anyway.”
He scowled at her before he yanked her towards him by the arm. At the last strike of midnight he waved his wand with a grin and they disappeared from her flat.
----
Oh the holidays!
What could be better than Scrooge!Hermione?
Oh, who could spot all the christmas song references? ;)
Ing//Hufflepuff
Summary: Hermione has turned down all invitations for Christmas yet again and her friends are worried, but what will happen when Draco decides to be her Ghost of the Christmas Past, Present and Yet to come?
Characters/Pairings: Draco/Hermione
Genre: Romance/Humour
Rating/Warnings: PG. Nothing bad, except maybe some language.
Word Count: 1458
A Christmas Carol
.;.The Magical Way.;.
Part 1 .;. Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve had never embodied the infamous Christmas-card quite this perfectly before. The air was crisp and cold, turning cheeks and noses a charming rosy red the moment one stepped outside. Snow covered every part of the ground, each individual snowflake rested on top of the other, creating a blanket inches and inches thick. It hung heavily onto the trees, forcing their branches to droop under the weight and the treetops to glisten. If you listened closely you might even be able to hear small, timid sleigh bells in the snow.
There was, however, one thing breaking the flawless image of a winter wonderland. Almost knee-deep in snow, two young people were facing each other, their hands gesturing wildly as their angry voices carried across otherwise silent landscape.
“I don’t know who you think you are,” she remarked angrily and buried her chin even deeper into her scarf, “looking me up on Christmas Eve to insult me. Have you really sunk that low?”
“I didn’t mean it as an insult,” he replied in exasperation, his arms falling to his sides. “I’ve heard St. Potter and Weaselbee talk about it around the office for weeks. I know you’re celebrating Christmas alone.”
Her narrowed eyes widened slightly and her cheeks already red from cold hid any blush that might have occurred due to the misunderstanding.
“So what if I am?” she asked coldly. “The discriminating stereotypes of Christmas say we have to be surrounded by family and friends, because it’s the Christmas spirit, but I’m an independent person. I can make my own Christmas dinner, and sing the carols while I play the piano. I don’t need all the junk about staying together.”
He watched her as she raved, silently wondering why on earth he had bothered at all.
“I’m not saying I don’t agree,” he replied lazily. “If we want to spend Christmas alone, we should be allowed to, but I don’t think you want it as much as you say you do, Granger.”
She just sniffed in disapproval, studying the pattern on her mittens closely.
“Potty and Weasel don’t get it, and that’s why I’m here. They have wives and small children of their own. Christmas is all about family to them now, and they don’t understand how it is to be alone. I do. I, too, turned down their invitation, simply because I’d feel like I was in the way of the happy family gathering.”
He could see the wrinkles on her forehead soften slightly.
“And I’ve listened to them rant about how worried they are that you declined their invitation. They don’t understand why, the dimwits. I don’t understand how they don’t get it. You were supposed to be the one married to Ron, to have his son. You were engaged, for Merlin’s sake. And they still don’t get why you declined.”
“But you think you do,” she replied icily, her tone of voice taking him aback. “You think you understand how it is to see your friends celebrate as one, big happy family; the family you were supposed to be a part of! You will never know what a betrayal it feels like, so stop pretending you do.”
“I’m alone too, Frosty,” he reminded her, glaring icicles her way. “Why can’t we be alone together?”
“I don’t need your charity,” she huffed, tightening the scarf around her neck, “or your ideas of boughs of holly, a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer.”
“How do you know I’m all about the Christmasy stuff?”
“I can tell,” she said in disdain, her little nose wrinkled in disgust. “You probably have mistletoe covering the ceilings of your Manor, holly winding itself around the banisters, enchanted reindeers in the garden and your house elves dressed in horrible, uncomfortable elf suits.”
“I do enjoy Christmas, and I don’t intend to apologise for it,” he said, trying to keep back his sigh. “But it’s not nearly as enjoyable alone. So please, Granger; will you celebrate it with me?”
For a blissful moment he thought she would relent. He thought her face would light up into a smile and that she’d take his offer with gratitude and keep him company for Christmas. That was until her eyes hardened and her lips stiffened in its grimace.
“Malfoy; I hope you get run over by your damn enchanted reindeer,” she spit and turned on her heels.
He watched her stomp away as angrily as she managed in the high snow and sighed heavily. It was the first Christmas since his parents died, and he had no intentions of spending it alone. It was time to bring out the big guns.
She slammed the door shut, scaring Crookshanks out of his sweet dreams and sent him leaping off the couch in a marvellous display of orange fur. She didn’t need Draco Malfoy’s pity - or anyone’s pity. Christmas had lost its charm years ago, and she didn’t need a persistent ex-enemy trying to lull her comfortably into the Christmas cheer again. She wasn’t that naive anymore.
If anyone else had entered her home they would be surprised by the lack of decorations. There was no Christmas tree, not even a single needle of a pine anywhere to be spotted. The colours red and green were suspiciously underrepresented. Her parents would be horrified if they knew, but she had turned down their invitation with the excuse of spending Christmas with her friends. Unfortunately, Harry hadn’t seemed to buy her story about spending it at her parents’, since they were talking about her around the office.
Damn Malfoy. She put herself firmly on the couch by the telly, carefully avoiding the Christmas shows and found an old film instead. It didn’t seem to be a Christmas story, so she left it on. A man was sitting in his office, his profession apparently a banker of some sort. He seemed to be treating his employees rather poorly, she noted as Crookshanks leapt onto her lap. She stroked him absently as the film unfolded in front of her. It soon dawned on her that the film was about Christmas after all, as he refused to give one of his employees the day off for Christmas day. She shook her head and stopped paying attention, and instead looked down on Crookshanks purring contentedly in her lap.
“We’re fine, you and I aren’t we?” she asked lovingly, rubbing him behind his left ear.
Soon her eyelids seemed to grow heavy and slowly fell shut, her hands still resting on the orange cat in her lap.
And that is how Draco Malfoy found her as he Apparated straight into her living room, his arms crossed over his chest and his cloak billowing eerily. He had charmed it to do just that, and he was rather pleased with the work, to be honest. He was, however, less impressed by the room he had Apparated into. It had been long since he had seen anything less cheery, in fact, it looked somewhat dirty.
He focused his attention on the sleeping Hermione just as her eyes began to flutter open. Within seconds she had jumped from the couch sending Crookshanks flying with an indignant screech.
“What the bloody hell are you doing in my flat, Malfoy, and why are you transparent?” she growled, and then sudden worry appeared in her features out of nowhere. “You’re not dead, are you?”
“I’m touched by your worry, dear Granger, but it is merely for dramatic effect,” he smirked. “You see; I am your Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to come.”
She gaped at him in shock.
“I hate this dream already,” she muttered, lowering her wand.
“It’s not a dream,” he protested, enjoying the moment of her dawning horror. “It’s time to teach you the values of Christmas.”
“Oh, spare me,” she snarled, crossing her arms over her chest angrily.
“No can do,” he replied, shaking his head sadly. “’tis but my destiny.”
She rolled her eyes at his flair for drama, and secretly tried to find a way out of this nightmare.
“As the clock strikes Midnight I will take you on a journey. Well. I’ll wave my wand, anyway,” he said, smiling merrily. “I’ve wanted to do this ever since I read that story.”
“I am so very happy to be your chosen victim,” she said through gritted teeth, having just found out that he had put Apparition wards on the room. There was no escape.
His reply was interrupted by the first stroke of midnight, and his mouth formed into an excited grin.
“My work begins!”
“Can’t we just drop this, Malfoy?” she asked dryly. “The terror it will put us both through will be for nothing. I’ll just go back here and have left over take out tomorrow anyway.”
He scowled at her before he yanked her towards him by the arm. At the last strike of midnight he waved his wand with a grin and they disappeared from her flat.
----
Oh the holidays!
What could be better than Scrooge!Hermione?
Oh, who could spot all the christmas song references? ;)
Ing//Hufflepuff