A Very Happy Christmas

Chapter 10

            The next morning was Christmas Eve, and after breakfast Draco and Jilli put on their warm winter clothes to brave the thick snow that was covering the Malfoy estate. The grounds were beautiful, like a winter fairyland, snow and icicles sparkling everywhere.

            Jilli walked on ahead of Draco and he hit her in the back with a snowball. The war was on. They both used their wands to swirl up snowballs, sending them hurling at each other as fast as they could, using bushes, the frozen fountain and statues to hide behind. They both got licks in on each other.

            Draco was trying to slowly sneak-up on Jilli where she was behind a bush swirling some snowballs. He had messed up and left himself open when Jilli popped up catching him, sending her snowball flying, hitting him square in the face. It would have been funny, but Draco fell back flat, not moving, as if hurt.

            “Draco,” she shouted, he still didn't move or answer. She got worried, maybe their was a rock or something in it. She ran over to him. Draco's eyes were closed and snow clung to his lips, eyelashes and hair.

            “Draco,” she said bending over him. She was about to reach for him.

            “Got ya!!” he shouted, Jilli screamed as he yanked her down in the snow with him. He was laughing his head off.

            “That wasn't funny!”

            “Really,” he said slyly, and started tickling her, both of them rolling in the snow.

            Jilli was laughing so hard, she had to beg him to stop so she could catch her breath.

            “Say it was funny,” he threatened laughing, “say it.”

            “Okay,” Jilli gasped between laughter, “it was funny!!!”

            Draco stopped his tickle torture, but when he did he was partially laying over her, his arms on both sides of Jilli. He was looking down at her lips, and she knew he was going to kiss her, and did. Jilli put her arms around him, pulling him down to her body.

            Draco's kiss was so sweet and passionate that she didn't want to stop. She ran her hands through his tousled soft blond hair and down his back as his kiss deepened. But the cold was starting to get to them and Draco got up grabbing Jilli's hand, pulling her up and they walked back to the house, his hand still holding hers.

…...

            Jilli got her chance to talk to Narcissa about her parents that afternoon. She also had a photo for her. Jilli looked at it closely. She did favor her mother, she had her mother's flawless creamy skin and long pale blond hair. Her mum looked kind and loving, as she held the hand of Jilli's father. She was smiling and waving at whoever took the photo. Jilli could feel herself getting a little emotional. She had her father's eyes though, the same violet-blue color that looked almost purple. He looked very handsome, with jet black shoulder length hair. But there was something very dark and unnerving about him. It was clear that her mother loved her father, but she couldn't tell a thing about him.

            Narcissa told Jilli some stories of their days at Hogwarts, but nothing about after school. Jilli had been right about her father, he was Slytherin, but she didn't know her mother had been a Ravenclaw. So why hadn't Jilli been sorted into Ravenclaw.

            Jilli asked Narcissa the one question that she yearned to know more than anything else. How had her parents died?

            Narcissa was clearly uncomfortable with the question. She told Jilli the same thing, the only thing her grandfather had ever told her, it was an accident. Narcissa said that when it had happened, she had not known about it until much later. It was clear to Jilli though, that she was keeping something from her.

            It was Christmas Eve night and time for the Malfoy's big dinner party. Jilli wore her lovely new evening gown but Draco insisted she wear a matching shawl to cover her bare shoulders and the side of her dress that was open. She thought this was funny because he was acting worse than a mum might. She had realized that the shawl had nothing to do with the cold.

            Jilli met quite a few people, people she felt very uncomfortable around, she didn't know why. And they all would say the same thing, “So this is Magnus Ashwoods daughter,” and look her over as if she were some sort of freaky science project. They never mentioned her mother.

            Draco must have sensed how she felt because he decided to change seats and sit beside her at dinner, taking her hand under the table every now and then, giving it a squeeze. After dinner and throughout the evening he never left her side. They played a game of wizards chess in a corner to themselves, while the others mingled. Draco barely beat her. It had been a long night and it was almost midnight, and Jilli had drank a few butterbeers, she went on up to bed.

            Jilli had just gotten into bed and was about to douse the light when there was a light knock at the door. He didn't wait for her to answer, Draco came in, already in his P.J.'s and robe, and he was hiding something behind his back.

            Jilli looked at him puzzled, “What have you got behind your back?”

            Draco came over sitting on the edge of the bed a big, wrapped box in his hands, he placed it on her lap. “It's a Christmas present.”

            “Draco, you shouldn't have, I haven't gotten you a thing,” she was still excited, she got very few gifts.

            “It's a gift to me just having you here. Well, what are you waiting on, open it.”

            She tore the paper away. When she did, the box began to move, Jilli looked up at him a little afraid, “Go on,” he urged her.

            She slowly lifted the lid and there curled up in the bottom was the cutest little kitten she'd ever seen.

            “Oh Draco, she's precious,” she lifted the tiny kitten into her lap.

            “He,” Draco corrected, “it's a boy.”

            The kitten was a splotched mixture of mostly white, with brown, red, orange and tan. He had a little pink nose and bright green eyes. When Jilli began to pet him he started purring and licked her fingers.

            “I love him,” she said lifting the kitten to her face and running her cheek against her fur. She lay him down and he settled in her lap.

            “Happy Christmas,” Draco said, “I knew you didn't have a pet at school and he needed a home. I thought he might keep you company.”

            She grabbed Draco's hand, pulling him to sit beside her, and she hugged him close, “thank you,” she whispered and she kissed his lips slowly and he kissed her back passionately.