Seven Steps || Drarry

Part 20

Draco opened the door to the blue room and looked around in surprise. It was beautiful. Mother hadn't decorated any of the rooms for the holidays, except this one apparently. It was draped with fairy lights and garlands, A tree in the corner had been decorated in silver and blue and Mother was wearing a dress to match, with silvery white snow drifting down the pale blue fabric.

"Happy Christmas, Draco," Mother said, rising to her feet and holding out her hands.

Draco crossed the room and hugged her, "I didn't know you had prepared anything."

"It was a surprise," Mother said, sitting back on the settee and pulling Draco down next to her, "You didn't really think I'd miss christmas did you? You always love christmas."

"Yes," Draco said, knowing they were both ignoring the lingering cloud of the war hanging over them. Still, it had to be better than last christmas when he stayed at school, and his parents sent him books about defensive magic and duelling and an emergency portkey of his very own.

He helped himself to the light breakfast laid out on one of the tables and listened to Mother as she talked about her plans for continuing the renovation of the house. About an hour later, Pansy finally shuffled into the room, Tulip and Kipper on either elbow urging her forward.

Pansy slumped into a chair. Her hair was a mess, and it looked like she had been crying.

Mother stood and filled a plate with sweet pastries and fruit and placed it on Pansy's knees, "Here you are dear."

"I'm fine," Pansy said quietly.

"Of course you are," Mother said, somehow managing to not be condescending in the slightest.

"It's not that I didn't want to come," Pansy said, blinking furiously to keep from crying.

Mother smoothed her fingers through Pansy's hair, "There are times when people shouldn't be alone. The holidays are one of them. We are glad to have you here."

Pansy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking the plate in both hands as Mother stepped back.

His parents had always been big on opening gifts all together on christmas morning. It was a relief to be in this modest room with his mother and best friend. Not perfect of course. He missed the father he remembered from when he was young. He wondered what it would have been like to have christmas with Potter. But still, he wouldn't have traded it for anything.

"Mistress, can I give out presents now?" Tulip asked, standing on the tips of her toes in excitement, her arms already full of festively wrapped parcels.

"You don't have to, Tulip," Mother said.

"I want to!" Tulip said, running to Draco and dropping three presents on his toes.

Mother sighed, smiling faintly, "You're a dear, but I also want pictures. Would you rather hand out gifts or take pictures?"

Tulip froze, utterly torn between the two options.

"Tulip?" Mother prompted.

Tulips hazarded, "...Both?"

Mother frowned faintly but nodded anyway.

Draco picked up one of the many book shaped presents at his feet and tore the paper free to find a Potion book about rare ingredient interactions. He managed to resist the urge to open it and start reading and picked up the next present. There were books about studying for the NEWTs, books about brewing healing potions, books about rare spell and potion interactions and an encyclopedia set of magical plants and their brewing properties.