Introductions

Hermione grinned as Draco finally opened an eye- she'd managed to send all the Weasley gifts and her parent's gifts before Draco even got out of bed. Not that it had been too difficult, mind you; it was already eleven o'clock.

"Hello, love."

Draco smiled lazily. "Merry Christmas."

Hermione collapsed backwards onto the bed, rolling over to prop herself up on her elbows next to him.

"Send all your gifts?"

"Mhmm." Hermione hummed a reply.

Draco rolled on top of her, pressing his lips to hers, her touch jolting him awake.

Hermione smiled. "Merry Christmas, love."

They dressed for the day, preparing to go to Narcissa's for lunch; they would meet Blaise, Pansy, Theo, and Astoria there, as well as their parents (whom Hermione hadn't realized would be coming until this morning; she hoped a box of chocolates would suffice for each couple), Hermione in a deep blue dress that Draco had picked out and Draco in matching dress robes. The dress was actually quite pretty, Hermione reflected, were it not for the goddamned buttons on the back of the dress that had to be done up by someone else. It had a deep-V neckline, made up of layers of tulle crisscrossing her breasts and torso that flowed out from the empire waistline to form the skirt that barely skimmed the floor.

"Freaking buttons-" She grumbled as her fingers scrambled for the stupid things. Draco smirked.

"Need some help, love?"

Hermione frowned. "Did you pick this dress just so I would have to ask you for help with the buttons?"

Draco grinned mischievously as he lifted her hair and brushed it over her shoulder so he could do the buttons.

"Maybe."

His fingertips brushed across her back, light and teasing, the cold air starting to dissipate as the buttons closed. Hermione scrunched her face up, lips curving into a scowl as Draco smirked infuriatingly.

"Next time, I'll pick out my own dress."

"Then I'll enchant all your dresses to have buttons."

"You think I won't be able to undo that?" Hermione tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"No, I think it'll irritate you to no end." Draco grinned, knowing what she'd say next.

Hermione scrunched up her face, scoffing. "You're right. Sadly."

Draco smiled genuinely. "Well, fortunately for you, that doesn't seem to happen very often around you."

Hermione's laugh brightened the room. "Oh, you and your flattery. We have to go, let me grab my presents-"

Draco rolled his eyes as he too picked up a box of parcels, throwing some Floo powder into the roaring fireplace.

"Ready?"

Hermione ran back into the room, a large bag in hand.

"Let's go."

Together, they stepped into the Floo and vanished.

***

"Hermione!" Astoria greeted the brunette warmly as Draco and Hermione emerged from the fireplace, a bit sooty but otherwise no worse for wear. Pansy followed close behind. Whatever she had been planning on saying was lost in Hermione's curls. Draco arched a brow as she bypassed him.

"No hug for me?"

"No hug for you, you wanker." Pansy strode past him into the living room, where a large Christmas tree stood sentry over the group. Narcissa hurried in with a tray of tea and chocolate-covered fruit.

"Oh! I thought I heard the Floo alarm; someone else has arrived." She left the room in a swish of silk as pleasant bells sounded throughout the house, Hermione's curiosity getting the better of her and she followed Narcissa back to the room they'd just exited. Narcissa was greeting a tall, regal woman, long blonde locks pinned up elegantly. She could have been Narcissa's sister- were it not for the fact that Hermione was well aware of Narcissa's siblings were. The man beside her was haughty, but his attitude faded as Narcissa embraced him as well. Another woman, alone this time, emerged from the fireplace: glossy black hair like a raven's wing and piercing brown eyes that seemed to see right through Hermione. She shuddered.

Thankfully, a familiar face stepped out of the fireplace: Blaise began to brush himself off as two other figures followed; a woman who must be his mother and Theo, who seemed to have come alone. Narcissa turned around to introduce Hermione to everyone.

"Hermione, this is Laticia Greengrass, and her husband Marco, and Corianne Parkinson. Blaise, as you know, and his mother Evangeline, and Theo, whom I believe you've met. This is Hermione Granger." She introduced each one of them in turn, who, to Hermione's surprise, greeted her warmly- except for Laticia, who stood cold as Hermione shook her hand. Her surprise, despite her efforts, must have been visible, because Evangeline let out a laugh, though her expression quickly turned serious.

"We have all repented, Miss Granger, after the war. We are full aware of what we've done wrong, and I know it seems absurd to be offering an apology to repair that damage but I'm so sorry- so sorry- to the pain and hurt caused to you."

Hermione shook her head. "It isn't absurd at all. The place to start any kind of reparation is with an apology."

Marco whispered under his breath as he shook her hand, "I apologize in advance for my wife's behaviour. She is much more... ingrained in the whole pure-blooded idea than the rest of us now, despite her refusal to become a follower of the Dark Lord."

Hermione whispered back. "It's alright, I understand. Thanks for letting me know."

The group chatted gaily before Pansy poked her head in.

"Draco's getting impatient. He really wants to open presents." She winked at Hermione, who groaned before setting ahead of the group to get to the living room first.

"Draco."

Draco scowled. "Pans, did you snitch?"

Pansy elbowed him. "Shut up, you twat. It couldn't have been more than five minutes that Hermione was gone, and you were already complaining she wasn't there."

Draco flushed a bright red, impossible to hide on his pale skin.

"I hate you."

Pansy smirked as she popped a chocolate cherry in her mouth. "I know. I just don't do anything about it."

Hermione grinned at Draco's scowl. "It's all fun and games, Draco. It's Christmas, for Godric's sake. Let loose a little bit."

Draco grinned a cheeky grin. "All right then, I'll let loose." He snaked a hand around the nape of Hermione's neck and pressed his lips against hers, the kiss heating up until the chatter of parents invaded the space.

Blaise coughed.

Draco smirked at a slightly messy Hermione, blushing furiously, hair askew and dress a little rumpled. Blaise raised a brow. Hermione scowled and elbowed Draco. Draco grunted.

"You said to let loose."

"I meant to take it all in good stride, not to snog me in front of everyone else-"

"Well, you should have said so!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I would have assumed it was obvious."

"It wasn't." Draco gave her a side-eye.

Laticia watched from her high perch as this pure-blooded boy that she'd known for so long exchanged banter with a girl whose blood- she believed- was about as clean as ditch water. Inside her head, the gears began to spin. She was a Muggle-born. Her blood was tainted. And yet her husband's whispers filtered through her mind-

***