Distance // Draco Malfoy

Chapter 39

A/N
Merry Christmas my beauties! It's Christmas Day and I'm like whoop party in mi casa but yeah was Santa good to y'all? I got so much hp stuff it's unreal and I'm hyped yeah okay enjoy this chapter bye.
Mazzie

I wake still smiling. Sitting up, I contemplate the thought of waking Hermione, but decide against it. Instead, I scrawl a note on a slip of parchment, to let her know that I am in the Great Hall having breakfast, and if she would like, I shall open my presents with her when I return. I also include the fact that she is welcome to join me downstairs should she find herself awake. I pull on a pair of jeans and a warm jumper, as the castle is awfully cold in the winter, and pass through a common room packed with Gryffindors, yet I don't catch sight of Harry or Ron on my way out, and hope they have already taken to the Great Hall.

When I arrive, I find my prediction to be correct. Harry and Ron are seated at the Gryffindor table, joined by the other Weasleys; Fred, George and Ginny. I sit down next to each of them, exchanging greetings, before helping myself to food. 'Where's Hermione?' George asks, seeing as there is no other person with me.
'She's still in bed, I didn't want to wake her. She wasn't in a brilliant mood when I got in last night.' I then turn to address Ron. 'Whatever you two were arguing about last night really unnerved her.'
'Trust Ron.' I hear Fred mutter. Ron shoots his brother a look.
'Speak of the devil.' Fred replies. I turn to see Hermione walking toward us.

I stand and open my arms, smiling, a smile which she returns. 'Happy Christmas!' I squeal.
'To you, too!' Hermione laughs, and we sit down. 'I got your note, I thought I'd join you down here.'
'What did you both get?' Ron asks awkwardly. Hermione looks down, clearly not intent on speaking to Ron anytime soon. 'We haven't opened anything yet, we thought we'd come down here first.'

Complimentary to Hermione's arrival, we eat fast, as to leave the awkward atmosphere settled upon the few of us. Once stood up, I inform Hermione, 'One second, I just want to see Draco for a moment. Shan't be a minute.' I make my way over to the Slytherin table and the platinum blonde hair of Draco. Without him knowing it is me, I wrap my arms around his neck and place a kiss just under his ear. 'Merry Christmas!' I sing softly, and the figure turns around, grinning. 'Yeah, Merry Christmas.' Draco kisses my lips for a fraction longer than usual. 'I was about to come and look for you.'
'Well, you wouldn't of had much luck. Me and Hermione are going back to the common room, we haven't opened our presents yet. I have yours in my dorm. Should we maybe meet in the Entrance Hall at ten?'
'Sounds good to me.' Draco shrugs. I see Pansy vexing out of the corner of my eye and grin wider. 'See you then.' I whisper, relishing the glares as I walk away.

Once reaching the common room, me and Hermione dash to our dormitory to open our presents, which have been sent over from our relations. I have been sent multiple things, including a new coat and, my biggest present, a new iPod (A/N that old chunky Apple tech). Hermione and I also get countless amounts of books to read, which means that in the spare time of which we are not doing homework, we will have our spare time completely full for reading books. I stand from my bed and step around my pile of presents at the foot, making my way towards the door. 'I won't be long, I'll definitely be here for dinner. I'm going to see Draco.' I wave my wand and have his present fly into my arms from across the room. 'Okay, see you soon.'

When I reach downstairs, it is a solid reminder of just how many people have stayed over the holidays. I wrote an owl to my mum, and also my dad, earlier and need to mail them, so, as I hastily check my watch and decipher if I have enough time before I meet Draco, decide that it will be fitting to go to the owlery and find Feathers, and send her home with the letter and the attached photo of me and Draco at the Yule Ball. I have a copy for myself and one each for mum and dad, a photo which moves, which still catches me by surprise. It really is a nicer photo of me; I usually despise having my photo taken. I am in no way photogenic.

I trek to the owlery quickly, sending Feathers away hurriedly, before making my way back through the snow and to the castle. When I get inside, shivering madly from my short hike, I find Draco leaning against the staircase, surrounded by a few Slytherins. For a fleeting second, I find myself lurking, would rather not be seen after the Yule Ball, feel ashamed that I feel no where near as beautiful as I did last night. But then, a sting to my conscience causes me to become alert, and I march right up to him. Draco walks forward and smiles, plants a kiss on my lips, and swings his arm over my shoulder. I hand him his present, and he hands me mine. We have agreed to open these, as usual tradition, when we are alone, and we thank each other after.

'Are we going outside?' I ask suddenly when I see that my feet are carrying us down the front steps. 'Looks like it. I mean, we've got plenty of snow.' Draco shrugs, which causes my lips to twitch into a smirk. 'What?' Draco chuckles.
'Oh, nothing.' I giggle, drawing my wand when he isn't looking. I flick the wand behind my back, which, as I peer over my shoulder, causes a ball of snow to form and launch itself off Draco. He shouts out and looks around suddenly, fuming when he sees me, now collapsed in the snow, in a fit of laughter, so much so that tears begin to leak from the corners of my eyes.

'It's not funny.' Draco sulks as I stand up. 'If it weren't Christmas I'd be shunning you right now.'
'Fair enough.' I shrug, still hiccoughing and spluttering from my coughing fit.
'Tomorrow, I'm not going to talk to you all day until you earn my trust again.' He grunts.
'You can't be serious.' I laugh, but the look he gives me causes my grin to fade, and a wicked smirk to erupt onto his features. 'You have one day and then I'm going silent.'
'I'll just have to make the most of it, then.' I grin, skipping forward. I feel something hit the back of my head and I let out a short shriek. Draco is laughing behind me as I complain about my sopping hair. 'Payback's a bitch, honey.' He shrugs, taking my hand in his.

For the rest of the morning, I can never remember having a more magical Christmas. Not long after placid snowball fights and snow angel contests, and attempting to build snowmen, does it begin to snow. Only fleeting flurries at first, but then heavily. Whenever I look up, the flakes stick to my eyelashes, land on the tip of my nose, and bury themselves in my hair - White Christmases really are beautiful things. 'I will win this snowball fight.' I say matter-of-factly to Draco as I shake the remaining chunk of snow off my jacket. 'Doubt it.'
'Stop being so cocky -' I'm cut short by my screams. Draco has snuck up, grabbed me from behind beside the Black Lake, and sent us flying down the slope before the icy water.

'If you dare do that again and land me in that water, we'll have to see who holds the longest grudge.' I pant. Draco is chuckling away as we stand and begin to make our way back up to the castle, trying to dust falling snow from us only to find ourselves covered in a new layer. And once back inside the castle, once slightly warmer, once people are giving us stares as we walk together, hand in hand and covered in snow, into the Great Hall for dinner, does my Christmas really start to settle in, and feel as brilliant as a blinding sunshine.