Snowed Inn

Part 2

DECEMBER 25TH

By Christmas morning, the incessant snowfall had let up enough that the inn's staff could finally escape into the town of Huntingdon to restock necessities. Both Draco and Hermione, unbeknownst to each other, took advantage of this, and personally asked the staff for a small Christmas favor.

It was after a delicious lunch and a warm shower that Hermione heard a knock on the door of her room. She called for the visitor to come in.

Draco opened the door and gave a few more knocks to it before peeking around the side, "No such thing as too much knocking," he said, grinning widely. He stepped into the room to see Granger curled up on her bed, a book in hand and what he assumed must be another cup of that strange powdered chocolate they drank yesterday sitting on her bedside table, steam still rising from its contents.

She was wearing a pair of pajama shorts that frilled at the bottom and a knit top that matched in color and hugged her chest - favorably. She was in her most vulnerable, comfortable form relaxing here in her room, and when she didn't try to adjust or change it upon his arrival, he was thrilled. To be accepted into the exclusive world of Hermione Granger felt like a victory in itself.

The weekend, meant to be productive and professional, had somehow ended up here, with Draco having bought Granger a Christmas present because he knew it would make her Christmas a happy one. The notion that they could probably find help for their car and get back to London tonight wasn't mentioned by either of them.

"We didn't eat lunch together today," he stated, walking further into the room. She patted the bed and, after a quick glance around at the floor for her evil cat, Draco sat down on the corner.

"I thought you were still sleeping, so I just had them bring my lunch up here." She pointed to a tray that held the remnants of her meal.

Draco shrugged his indifference. "I'll have them bring mine up too. Care if I have them bring it here to yours?" Granger shook her head, so he crawled over the bed to use her telephone, which she had just taught him how to use yesterday. She laughed, bringing her legs to her chest to make room for his body. He pressed the button for the kitchens and asked for his lunch to be served in room 2A today, then hung up the receiver.

"It's good you're here, because I actually have something for you," she said, closing her book definitively and practically skipping over to her wardrobe, out of which she pulled a brightly wrapped box adorned with curly strands of red ribbon.

"No," he groaned, scrambling to right himself on the bed so that he could stand. "That's supposed to be my line!" He dashed back to the door of her room and reached into the hallway. He, too, returned with a box, his an exact juxtaposition of hers - a red box adorned with curly green ribbons.

Maybe the town of Huntingdon had only one gift wrapper.

She registered the present held in his hands and her face softened, genuine surprise etched in her eyes, her smile, her body language. She set her gift back down and stood in front of him.

"Draco Malfoy bought me a Christmas gift?" she asked jokingly, eyeing the box in his hands skeptically, as if it were one of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and would transform into a dung beetle.

"I figured I'd follow this theme of Christmas traditions and participate in the one tradition I actually know of."

She couldn't move, paralyzed by happiness. Malfoy, a Grinch by his own admission, had taken the time to get her a gift. Her heart soared, and she dared to hope, just for that split second, that there was more meaning to this present than just a coworker following along with her silly Christmas antics.