•Memories• ||D.M.||

52. Burrito Blanket

It was strange, spending Christmas at the school, and not with Charlie and Jeremy or at home.
When I walked into the hall, there was no sound from anywhere, and I took a sharp, cold winter breath.
This was nice.
My shoes clacked loudly through the empty halls as I watched the snow fall outside, clinging to my coat.
I heard voices, and decided that I was now nosy.
"Look, your mom did something unforgivable, and you still defend her actions by saying it was her job.."
"I know that, but her only other choice was getting fired! You know how the ministry is, Chris."
"I know, but she chose her job over my dad's life, Donna!"
I heard a few steps, and ducked behind the corner.
"I'm sorry, okay?! Can we please just... get along?"
"It's not your place to apologize. And yes, if you put in the effort, I will too." Christina agreed.
"Thank you.. and congrats on the engagement." Donna said sweetly.
I jumped out. "ENGAGEMENT?!"
---
"Finally, you dumb, emo, stupid-"
"(Y/n), please stop punching me, I'm very fragile!" Jeremy cried out as I kept hitting his arm with each insult.
"It's not even a real engagement, it's just an understanding!" Christina futilely tried to save her "fiancée' from my clutches.
"Aren't you officially with the ferret now?" Blaise asked from across the table.
I stopped hitting Jeremy and looked down.
"Where is that boy anyways?" Christina asked, looking around the dining hall.
"He took the train into town, I'm pretty sure."
My heart sunk at Blaise's words.
The night after..?
"Why would he do that?" She asked, and they noticed my expression, and she inhaled sharply. "Some late Christmas shopping for you maybe? To make up for whatever happened yesterday?" She suggested, and I refocused on the conversation.
"Hm? Oh, yeah." I gave a quick smile before eating my food in silence.
He didn't need to shop, he usually gets me my mother's old jewelry.
"Have any of you seen Pansy?" Donna asked as she walked up to us.
"Donna! Theodore says she woke up early to get in town before rush hour!" Chloe called across the room.
The rest slowly turned to me with cautious expressions.
With their talk last night, I'm sure nothing happened.
Honestly, I was more upset by the fact that he didn't say anything, and I felt stupid for feeling that.
"I'm not gonna run off crying! Now let's get our gifts together, sneak into the Gryffindor tower and rearrange Jay's room for when they get back from New Years break."
---
I was still up, it was past Christmas at this point, and I had the burrito blanket Chloe got me wrapped around my shoulders as I drank the hot cocoa Blaise got me, the kind that never gets cold.
I was just staring at the fire, barely blinking.
I didn't feel tired, which I hated, and he wasn't back yet.
Neither was she.
I couldn't let my mind go that direction, not after what he said, and not the day after-
The door opened, and I didn't even register it as I continued to stare.
"(Y/n)?"
I jumped up as Draco caught his breath.
He was covered in soot, and breathing heavily.
"I got your Christmas gift..."
---
"Are you serious?! Do you know who I am?! My father will-"
The door to the jewelry shop slammed in Draco's face.
It didn't occur to him that nobody would be open this early on Christmas.
So, he tried the next store, and the next, and the next, until he was sure that I had to already be awake.
But he didn't give up, he'd surely be there by lunch.
"Do it yourself, boy!" Someone cursed after him, and he had a brilliant idea.
He could do it himself!
Turns out, repairing gold with a spell wasn't as easy as wood or cloth.
An explosion, and he hit his head against a tree.
He woke up and it was sunset.
He grabbed the necklace and bolted towards the nearest jewelry shop, rushing in and ignoring the kind old clerk as he looked at each necklace hastily and carefully.
He stopped at the most sparkly, expensive diamond necklace in the store, with a stone on each small segment of the short necklace.
Then, to the flower shaped, single pearl necklace on a long thin silver chain.
He knew exactly what to do.
---
"They were both pretty and I thought you'd like both, so... you can chose." He held both out by his hand.
The short diamond necklace glimmered in the firelight, and I was entranced, but the simple pearl with silver petals reflected my happy face, and I grazed over the thing again.
"C-Can I have... both?" I asked nervously, and he bursted into the biggest smile.
"Of course! Turn, turn!" He encouraged, helping my hair out of the way as he clipped the diamond one into place.
"You told me you didn't know how to clip necklaces last Christmas." I mentioned.
He hummed in agreement. "Well, my skills are relative to the gifter. Last year, I didn't like the gifter, but this year, I think I can make an exception." he said as he grabbed the next one and clicked it easily.
"How-"
"I've been doing this for my mother since I was 4." He answered my unasked question. "Now turn."
I spun, and he eyed the jewelry in the firelight, then his eyes met mine.
"It looks your beautiful." He said with a straight face, dazed, and I exploded with laughter.
He didn't even realize what happened, but was already smiling, "what?" He asked as I almost tripped into him from laughter, and he caught my elbows to balance me.
"What did you think you just said..?" I asked, looking up at him with joyful tears in my eyes.
He squinted suspiciously as he continued to smile down at me.
"That... it looks beautiful on you?"
I giggled, and maneuvered into a hug. "Sure.." I said into his soot covered shoulder.
"Oh!" He called after a moment, letting go to reach into his pocket.
"I couldn't fix it, but I'll try-" he began as he held out the gold heart pendant.
I reached out and closed his hand on the locket.
"I'll find out how to get to know them another way." I said with a smile.
He huffed happily, leaning down and placing a long peck on my forehead.
"Do I have dirt on me now?" I asked.
"Oh, totally."