Blackberry Jam (A Drarry FanFiction)

Chapter Fifteen

   By the time Harry awoke on Christmas Day, his morale was suitably lifted again. He'd still had a nightmare of some description in the early hours of the morning, but Treacle's gentle purring had lulled him back to sleep without too much bother.

"Merry Christmas," he told his and Draco's cats as they climbed all over him, meowing to be fed and to be let outside to do whatever it was cats do in gardens. "I hope you got me something good?"

Treacle's gold and orange face looked at him curiously, and he laughed and rubbed his head. "It's okay," he joked. "I know cats can't buy presents, I don't mind. I still got you some special tuna fish with my own pocket money."

"Meow," said Treacle, swishing his tail.

Harry eagerly got washed and dressed, finally able to wear the splendid jumper Ron's mum had knitted and posted him last week. It was a riot of colour, and was covered in a pattern of presents boxes with big bows tied on top. "Spiffing," he said in a silly voice to himself in the mirror, but Shelley gave a loud meow of agreement, and that was good enough for Harry.

"Merry Christmas Mrs Figg!" he hollered as he came charging down the stairs, and Mrs Figg grabbed him for a big hug and a kiss.

"Merry Christmas my darling," she said. She was dressed in a rather jolly green dress that clashed wonderfully with her pink and brown slippers, and had the wireless on playing cheery Christmas jingles.

They started by cutting into the Christmas cake she had painstakingly saved up to make back in October, collecting the necessary ingredients over the period of a couple of ration books. Harry made the tea as she sectioned off two big slices for their breakfast.

"I thought we might open presents," Mrs Figg suggested. "Then go for a walk?"

Last year, both he and Draco had been a lot more reserved about the prospect of their first Christmas away from home, and it had been hard for Mrs Figg to get them to do much more than eat their lunch and open a few presents. This year however, Harry was determined to be a much better sport, his glumness over Draco's absence included. "Could we visit Mr Figg?" he asked, knowing Mrs Figg would like that. "I found some remarkable holly I thought he might like, it's extremely green."

"Just like your eyes, hey lad?" she agreed cheerfully. "That sounds lovely. Then we could pop in to church and say a few prayers?"

Harry nodded. "Then home for lunch." Christmas dinner, even during wartime, was still one of the best meals of the year to Harry's mind. They had a small turkey to roast, and even a little bacon, as well as vegetables from the garden and the last of the blackberry jam, which was a pretty clever substitute for cranberry sauce.

It wasn't the most extravagant day, but Harry was exceedingly happy with their plan nonetheless.

Except a knock at the door came just as he was about to sink his teeth into his rich fruitcake, and he paused to raise his eyebrows at Mrs Figg sat beside him at the kitchen table. "Probably a neighbour come to give us well-wishes," she said after a moment's thought. "Why don't you run and answer, they'll be dazzled by your new jumper."

Harry grinned and ran through the living room, heaving the heavy wooden door open to great their guests.

"Merry Christmas!" Draco and Narcissa Malfoy cried.