**Full disclosure before reading: back when I did do a few requests through my HP one-shot book, this was one of them. This was requested by xonceuponatimex many, many moons ago. Rereading it for editing brought me back to a time where her Max Potter books kept me hooked until the end. I'm picky when it comes to twin-trope books, this was one of the lucky series that had my attention.

If you happen to be rereading this, dear, it's mostly the same from its first time out on Wattpad. Enjoy all the same!**

Things had been a bit rocky since the Battle of Hogwarts. Relationships either grew or broke. This applied to everyone. Both sides lost a numerous amount of people. People mourned over the loss of their friends.

Maxine Potter was no exception to this. She'd lost those whom she'd come to know very well, people she would never forget even after they'd been gone a long time.

She knew the holidays were going to be hell, being that some of her friends wouldn't be able to celebrate them with her. I can't think like that. Holidays are the time to grow closer with people, not to mourn over the dead. Focus, Max. It's the holidays, cheer up!

If only she could.

The atmosphere inside the Burrow had a fakeness to it. Though everyone carried on like nothing had happened, Max knew better than to buy into the happiness. She knew everything wasn't alright. She couldn't trick herself into believing things would get better. It would take a Christmas miracle for that to happen.

Christmas dinner had been surprisingly okay and not silent, like Max had expected it to be. With friendly chatter, the holiday seemed almost normal. Max thought back to him and where he was. She hadn't seen him since the Battle back in May. She'd wondered about him every day after, sometimes out of worry, sometimes out of hate. He'd fled the battlefield like a coward, just like his cowardly parents. It wasn't like she'd had any respect for him at the time; she'd lost it back in their sixth year at Hogwarts.

Negativity settled within Max, unsettling her greatly. She quietly excused herself from the cramped kitchen to slip out into the cold Christmas air. She saw her breath, instantly regretting to venture outside of the Burrow. But she couldn't disrupt everyone's happy time; they didn't deserve to be brought down by her.

Max looked to the sky with bright green eyes, her mother's eyes. It was starting to flurry. She rubbed her arms vigorously; she began to think that her dark brown hair was beginning to freeze where it lay on her head.

She heard the door open behind her, bathing her back in light from inside the Weasley home. The light disappeared as soon as it came, and Max heard someone approaching.

"What's wrong?"

Max grimaced. Naturally, Harry of all people would be the one to notice her abrupt exit out of the Burrow. Only Harry would be the first to go to her, to ask her what was going on. That's what brothers did.

Max didn't reply to her twin. Instead, she continued to watch the dancing flakes. The flurry was starting to pick up.

"Max, don't shut me out," Harry said, coming to stand at her side. She wouldn't even throw a glance his way.

"Who sent you out here? Mrs. Weasley? Hermione?"

"I sent myself, actually."

Max let out a long breath. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now. I'd prefer to not be overwhelmed inside and break down in front of everyone. I don't want anyone to see me cry, not even you."

"You don't have to act tough all the time. You can be soft every now and again; nobody will judge you for it."

Max closed her eyes, feeling the tears coming on. Don't let them fall. Holidays are cheerful times. Her conscience was throwing her empty advice.

A loud crack forced Max's eyes open. Instantly, Harry shoved her behind him, his wand out and at the ready. Max peeked past her twin brother to see who'd arrived at the Burrow. A mixture of relief and annoyance swirled inside her. What is he doing here?

"You better find some other place to go, Malfoy," Harry threatened.

Draco Malfoy fought against the sudden gusts of wind, the flakes of snow settling in his pale blond hair. Max found that to be amusing and a little adorable. No, stop it. Don't go down that way. You did once before, and look how it ended.

"Relax, Potter, I'm not out to kidnap anyone or cause trouble," Draco said over the wind. "I came to talk to Max."

"She doesn't want anything to do with you."

"She has a mouth of her own, let her use it." Draco looked expectantly to Max, waiting for her to shoo her brother away so they could talk. Max could only glare at Draco.

"Max," Harry said, looking to his twin sister, "I know you don't want him here."

"You have no idea what she wants," Draco retorted.

"As if you do?"

"Enough!" Max intervened, stomping her foot on the ground. Both boys looked at her. She composed herself. "Harry, inside."

"But—"

"I can handle this. Trust me. Go."

The Potter twins had a temporary stare down before Harry caved. Begrudgingly, he skulked back inside. Max didn't take her eyes off him until he shut the door behind him. He better not get everyone out here, or else he'll have hell to pay. She focused her attention back to Draco, who looked even paler than he normally did.

"You came to talk to me, so start." Max folded her arms over her chest.

"Where do I?" Draco rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Let me talk first, actually. Why did you come here to talk to me?"

"I want to apologize."

"Malfoy, your chance was ages ago. You had plenty of times to, but you didn't."

Draco flinched, as though it hurt him to be called that nickname by Max. All he wanted was to try and reach level ground with her. He knew it wouldn't be easy to get himself back in her good books, but he had to try. He'd never stopped thinking about her once he was inducted into the Death Eaters. He'd never stopped worrying about her safety every day from then on. He'd never stopped kicking himself for hurting her like he did.

"You better get out of here before someone sees you," Max threatened.

"I don't care if anyone sees me. If they come out here and punish me, I deserve it." Draco dipped his head. "I especially deserve it for hurting you, Max."

Max could only blink at him with her green eyes.

"I know you might not want to hear anything from me, but I want to tell you how sorry I am for hurting you. I know you wanted to try and help me, but I knew things would fall apart if I told you."

"They wouldn't—"

"No, Max, don't say it." Draco closed his eyes before opening them slowly. "You know they would have."

"Why aren't you with your parents?"

Draco scoffed. "We haven't seen each other for months. I've kind of been on my own lately."

This surprised Max. "Really? You were kicked out?"

"No, I chose to leave. Things got a little tense after Hogwarts was attacked. It nearly killed my mother when I decided to leave." Draco shook his head. "The point is, I'm sorry for putting you through hell. You didn't deserve it; you were going through enough at the time. I'm not going to ask you to forgive me, because I'm sure you'll say no, so I won't waste your time. I also found you to give you something."

Max raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What?"

"Something you've been looking for."

Max watched Draco apprehensively as he crossed the space between them. Max's fingers twitched, ready to punch him or grab her wand should Draco do something out of line. He doesn't seem dangerous. He can't have anything up his sleeve.

Draco pulled something out of his pocket. Max's eyes fell onto the object, only to nearly burst into tears. He kept it all this time? Her heart sprinted in her chest like a wild Hippogriff.

There in Draco's gloved hand lay the very necklace he'd given her for their one-year anniversary. It was a simple necklace, holding a gold letter 'M'. It meant the world to Max, because Draco hadn't gone out and beyond to give her an expensive gift. He'd known she didn't want anything fancy. He'd tried to convince her that money wasn't an issue, but Max insisted that she didn't want anything extreme.

"H-how?" Max sputtered, looking up at Draco. She recalled losing it the night she and Harry had to be moved from the Dursleys to the Burrow. That had been a dark day, as Hedwig and Mad-Eye Moody had paid with their lives. A Death Eater had gotten too close to her, too close to where they ripped the gift right off her neck. She hadn't gotten rid of it even after she realized what Draco had gotten himself into and even after her trust in him was shattered to pieces.

"A whole lot of luck," Draco chuckled. "The Death Eaters had regrouped at my place after the attack, one of them had it. I took it from them and none of them have seen it since."

Max felt overwhelmed. She knew what this meant: Draco had never stopped caring about her. He'd never forgotten about her. She wasn't some piece of trash he threw away; she meant something to him, a whole lot in fact.

Her emotions took control. Max tackled Draco into a hug, nearly causing them both to crash to the ground. Max shook from a combination of the cold and her emotions. He still cares. I thought they turned him against me. He's always cared.

Max couldn't control herself. She let her emotions take over in the pilot seat. She pulled Draco's head down so they could kiss. Oh how she missed this, this feeling, this security. She'd missed it every day since their relationship ended even though at times she'd hated Draco for keeping things from her. She'd wanted to have the same things with someone else, but nobody, in her mind, could ever compare to Draco Malfoy. Only Max saw sides of him that nobody did or ever could.

"I know I shouldn't forgive you," Max panted, their foreheads still touched, "but it's Christmas. I guess I can find it in me to accept your apology." She cleared her throat. "I would invite you in, but..."

"Eh, it's fine. I'd rather freeze to death with you than endure hell in there."

Max and Draco stayed in each other's embraces. Draco unclipped the necklace and with a little help from Max, put it back in its rightful place.

Max's smile almost couldn't fit her face. Something felt right in her world again. Who would have thought it? My Christmas miracle.