My phone beeped yet again. I sighed, glancing down at it.

WHAT TIME R U CUMING HOME?

Ugh. I wish he wouldn't use random text speak. It seems so wrong coming from Draco Malfoy.

Like I said before - I don't fucking know.

My phone beeped almost immediately.

LANGUAGE POTTER. UNLESS U WANT ME TO PUNISH U LATER?

I didn't hesitate with my reply.

Fuck you

Another beep.

Ill TAKE THAT AS A YES THEN

Sighing, I turned my phone off and threw it in my drawer. I was far too old to be partaking in this kind of childish communication. And I was never going to get anything done if I had to keep replying to Draco's constant stream of texts.

Seconds later, the office phone rang.

"You turned your phone off!" Came Draco's indignant tone through the receiver.

"Draco," I said as calmly as I could, "I'm working. I do not have time to sit here texting you. If you are so desperate for me to come home then I suggest you leave me in peace to get on with it. Otherwise I won't get out of here until the morning."

"But it's Christmas Eve! I- uh -the boys want to spend it with you." At this, I heard a yell of indignant protest from Albus in the background.

I glanced up at the clock. It was almost four o'clock, still far too early to call it a day. I gave a heavy sigh.

"I'll be home in ten minutes."

*****

All three of them were staring transfixed at the television when I got in.

"I'm home," I pointed out, when not one of them acknowledged my presence upon entering the sitting room.

"Hey," Draco drawled lazily, not bothering to look up.

"Has anyone even bothered to turn the kettle on?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, I'll have a coffee please," Draco said, still staring at the television.

My mouth dropped open. "I wasn't offer- oh, for heaven's sake!"

I stormed into the kitchen, cursing Draco under my breath as I made the drinks.

All day - all fucking day he has been badgering me about coming home and when I do I'm treated like the family house-elf.

"What's got your knickers in a twist, Potter?" Draco drawled as I slammed a mug down on the table in front of him, making coffee slop everywhere.

"I'm just looking forward to getting my life back!" I sniped, glaring furiously at him as I plonked down heavily on the other end of the sofa.

"Wow - thanks a bunch, Mum," Albus muttered from the other sofa.

"She's referring to me, Al," Draco smirked, "your mother never could handle too much Slytherin."

"We're Slytherin too!" Scorpius protested, sounding somewhat hurt.

"Yeah, but your father possesses extra qualities that makes me want to constantly hex him." I muttered, still glaring at Draco.

Draco chuckled, his eyes glinting at me as he brought his coffee to his lips.

"What are you watching, anyway?" I asked sulkily, turning my attention to the television that seemed to have reduced them all to useless zombies.

"Shrek The Halls." Albus said monotonously.

"Oh, how very intellectual," I snorted derisively, rolling my eyes at Draco who was once again transfixed by the moving pictures.

"It's a Christmas Eve classic, Mum," Albus replied.

"Yeah," I scoffed loudly, "for kids-"

"Do you mind?" Draco interrupted sounding irritable, "I can't hear what this darned donkey is saying!"

***

I opened my eyes and sighed. Was I, Henrietta Potter, really about to spend Christmas day with Draco Malfoy and his spawn? The thought fucking exhausted me. At least Scorpius was sometimes helpful. He obviously took after Astoria.

Reluctantly, I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled into the shower. I had so much to fucking do - all that prep in the kitchen and then all the clearing away. Ugh.

Later, when I stepped downstairs, I was surprised to hear voices already in the kitchen. This was unusual as I was always the first one up.

Gingerly, I opened the door, only to be greeted to a baffling sight.

Draco Malfoy was cooking. And not only was he cooking, but he was sporting a Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer Christmas apron.

"Draco?" I spluttered, my jaw dropping open.

"Breakfast?" He asked, grinning. "The boys have just about finished laying the table."

And so they were. Even Albus!

I realised now, that Draco was making scrambled egg. I was surprised he even knew how.

"Uh- um, yes... okay..." I was rendered speechless.

"Merry Christmas, by the way, Potter," Draco drawled, his grey eyes giving me that twinkle.

God knows how he does it, but he even makes a simple Christmas greeting sound like a come on.

"Ditto. Nice apron, by the way," I smirked, before going to take a seat at the table where Scorpius was holding out a chair for me.

"Got to keep the suit clean, Potter. I can't let standards slip just because I'm residing at yours."

"And what's that supposed to mean, exactly?" I retorted, pouring myself an orange juice which had been laid ready on the table.

"Toast?" Albus offered, throwing it on my plate anyway.

"Well, you know," Draco said, looking at his surroundings with his nose turned up, "it's just you like to live in a fairly relaxed sort of environment."

"Draco, if it wasn't for the fact that you are currently making me a delicious looking breakfast, I would throw this piece of toast at you right now."

"Hey!" said Albus, outraged, "I just made that for you!"

Draco chuckled, piling scrambled egg on my plate as he threw me a wink. "You know you love me really, Potter."

"Doesn't mean I like you," I said through clenched teeth.

"Come on, eat up, Potter. We've got a busy morning." Draco tossed the frying pan into the sink and picked up a piece of paper which had been stuck to the fridge. "I've made a list of jobs for everyone to do. The sooner we get through it, the sooner we can have presents."

My mouth dropped open. Was I still asleep? When no one was looking, I quickly pinched myself. No. I was definitely awake.

Well fuck me.

*****

When it came to clearing away the breakfast things, Draco shooed me out of the kitchen, pressing a freshly made coffee into my hand and insisting that I go and relax.

As I wandered dazedly into the sitting room, wondering if Draco had been visited by three spirits in the night, I came across Scorpius looking morosely up at the Christmas tree.

"Hey, Scorp," I said, standing next to him to watch the dragons breathing their glitter over the tree. "How are you coping today?"

He shrugged. "I dunno really. I miss Mum, but she had been so ill the past couple of Christmases, that it feels as though I lost her long since before."

"I'm sorry, Scorp," I sighed sympathetically, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I hope it's not too painful for you being here."

"No, actually, I like it," he smiled in a slightly bashful manner, his eyes glancing up at me. "Dad seems happy. I've not seen him like this since... well - I don't think I've ever seen him like this,"

My heart gave a sudden, unexpected flutter. I briefly looked away, not wanting Scorpius to see how much his words pleased me.

"Well, I expect it's being around all the Gryffindor colours." I winked conspiratorially,
"He pretends he hates red, but I know he loves it really."

***

When the dinner was prepped and in the oven, we all gathered in the sitting room to do my favourite thing about Christmas: presents!

"Wait!" I yelled, just as Albus was about to tear the wrapping paper apart from a present. "Bubbles! We need bubbles!"

I quickly zoomed to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Champagne, grabbing four flutes on my way out.

"Now, this is my style," Draco said, actually sounding impressed for once, as I popped the cork and filled up our flutes. I even allowed Albus and Scorpius to have a little drop, such was my good mood.

"Cheers, old man," I grinned cheekily at Draco as I plonked down on the sofa beside him, watching the boys unwrap their presents ("A PS4 Pro?! Brilliant! Thanks, Mr Malfoy - this will go great with the beanbag Mum got me!").

"Less of the old, Potter," Draco drawled, raising his eyebrows. "You do realise we're the same age, don't you?"

"I think you'll find I'm almost two months younger, actually," I said smartly, poking my tongue out at him.

"Be nice, Potter, or I won't give you my present," he smirked, his grey eyes glinting.

"You got me a present?" Shit, I didn't think to get him one.

"Of course, Potter, it is Christmas," he chuckled, diving under the tree to retrieve a rectangular package which he tossed in my lap.

"Draco," I looked up panicky at him, "I'm sorry, I didn't think-"

"Calm down, Potter, it's just a thank you for letting me and Scorp stay," he droned, taking a seat back down next to me, looking at the still wrapped present in my lap expectantly.

With fumbling fingers, I tore apart the paper. It was what appeared to be a leather bound, maroon photo album. I shot Draco a quizzical look.

"I didn't know what to get the Chosen One, so I asked around and put this together," he explained, shrugging his shoulders, "it's not much."

Carefully, I opened the first page. Inside, was a moving photo of a smiling man and woman holding a giggling baby. My heart racing, I delicately touched the face of my beautiful mother with the tip of my finger.

"Draco," I breathed. And to my horror, as I stared at my beaming father kissing my pudgy baby cheek, tears sprang unwittingly to my eyes.

Way to make me feel really fucking shit for not getting him anything.

As I turned the pages, there were more. Some photos just me and my mother, some with my father, and others just them or me. Photos I never even knew existed. When I turned a page and saw me in the arms of a young looking Sirius, I couldn't hold back the loud sob that escaped from the back of my throat.

"Christ, Potter, it wasn't meant to make you cry," Draco drawled, although there was no mistaking the tenderness laced in his voice.

"It's perfect, Draco," I whispered, hastily wiping my eyes with my sleeve. I looked up at him, my eyes glistening in gratitude. "Thank you, you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."

A small smile tugged at his lips, making his grey eyes twinkle.

"For you, Potter, it was nothing."

***