All They Want For Christmas...

Partying

Draco looked around his flat and fell back on the couch in his living room. He had mentioned to Hermione that he had leased a flat in Muggle London in a Wizarding building. What he didn't mention was that the building was located in the heart of the West End and that he had leased the penthouse suite in the building. He was, after all, still a Malfoy and settled for nothing less than the absolute best. Windows stretched all across the wall revealing the most spectacular view of London. The contemporary flat was decorated simply but lavishly with only the most expensive furniture that galleons could buy. Also, like his dorm room had been, it was impeccably organized. In short, it looked very much like its owner: clean, sophisticated, and a bit cold. Draco glanced at the clock hanging on his wall. He'd left the Grangers' a few hours ago to make sure that he had everything he would need for his party tonight. He figured that as long as the firewhisky and butterbeer never ran out, they'd all be just fine, but that didn't mean that his kitchen wasn't overflowing with everyone's favorite sweets from Honeydukes and an assortment of appetizers.

"Master Draco?" a timid looking house elf peaked above the edge of the couch Draco was unceremoniously stretched across. Draco opened the eyes that he had closed and looked at the ugly brown creature. "Everything's is ready, Master Draco, including Mistress Hermione's room."

Draco had hoped that seeing Hermione's room at home would help him decide how to furnish her room at his flat. Not that he thought she'd be using it much, but he knew that it was important for her to have her own space. In the end, and with a little help from a muggle home design magazine, he had settled on a light blue and brown theme for Hermione's room that he thought suited her. And of course had stocked the room with books he knew she would like and had crisp white billowy curtains hung so that she could have privacy even with the large windows that adorned her room and to diffuse a bit of the light that London let into the space (just in case she ever actually did sleep in the room). And all of this had been achieved in the few hours in which he had since left her house. Twylla had simply put the finishing touches on the room such as lighting candles and made sure it was spotless.

"Thank you, Twylla. You've done excellent work," complimented Draco.

"Twylla is always happy to help, Master Draco," the little house elf hurriedly replied while bowing over and over again. "May Twylla ask if Mistress Hermione will be coming soon? Twylla is eager to meet Draco's friend." Draco's face broke into a smile at the mention of Hermione's imminent arrival. He couldn't believe that her parents were going to let her live with him... not that she hadn't been living with him for nine months, but outside of Hogwarts was different. They were on their own, could make their own decisions, and she had decided that she wanted him. How had that ever happened? He had learned long ago simply not to question his good fortune.

Draco swung his legs over the couch and sat up, once more glancing at the clock on the wall. It was nearly time for him to return to the Granger house to pick up Hermione not just for the party, but to move in. They thought it'd be easiest just to move her in while everything was still packed away, though Draco had an alternative reason for her moving in as soon a possible. He refused to miss her. He'd missed out on having her for eight long years and Easter had been miserable when she had left. He wasn't willing to give up another day.

He always had been selfish.

For now, only he was able to apparate in and out of his flat. Once he arrived with Hermione they'd have to update the wards on the place so that she too could apparate home. Draco momentarily hesitated as that word flashed through his mind. Home. Not school, home. Not the Manor, home. His home, and soon to be Hermione's home as well. The thought of it made him a bit nervous and yet excited him. He'd never had a home, much less someone to share it with. As he looked at the clock again he cursed, realizing he was now a few minutes late to pick up Hermione. He snatched up his wand from the clear glass table in front of him, stood, and apparated back to Hermione's parents house.