That Old Silk Hat: A Christmas Challenge Fic

By HarryGinny4eva



Author\'s note - I own nothing Harry Potter-related, but the plot of this AU/OOC story. This is only my second one-shot, so please be kind. The first was another for this challenge on the SSHG page. I hope it\'s okay and you enjoy it. Thank you. HG4eva







“Every year, every Christmas,” Hermione thought to herself as she stifled a grin and watched long, slim, perfectly manicured fingers inch towards the plate once again. As this had been happening for almost an hour and a half, she was torn between frustration and amusement because he was being less than helpful. He was supposed to help wrap gifts, but instead, seemed much more interested in the plate of cookies and ice cold glass of milk left out for St. Nick by their children. Earlier, she had even told him he could use magic if he wanted, but he still averaged only one gift to her five or six. And, he hadn’t even offered her a bite of a cookie.



The first couple of years of their marriage, Draco hadn’t much liked or understood many of her muggle Christmas traditions, especially since most of his family traditions had revolved around impressing others. They’d never been about family, togetherness, or love. But, eleven years in and three children later, he’d come to appreciate and even enjoy the things they did together. Some of his favorites were the cookies and milk, the challenge of hiding presents all around the manor until Christmas Eve, and the sound of their children’s squeals of joy on Christmas morning.



When he snagged another cookie and bit in with a roguish smirk thrown in her direction, she rolled her eyes at him playfully. Then, she finished the bow on the box she’d been wrapping and got up to add it to the pile under the tree.



~*~*~*~*~



Draco watched as his bathrobe-clad wife gave him another one of her patented ‘You’re worse than the children’ looks and moved away from the sofa they shared. He knew it annoyed her slightly that he wasn’t helping all that much, but he also knew she didn’t really expect him to do so. In all their years together he’d never really gotten the hang of wrapping presents by hand; they tended to look something like their three-year old, Tasha might have done.



And, truthfully, as much as he loved to make Hermione happy by doing things she appreciated, like gift-wrapping with her, there were other things he wanted more. Things he waited for all year until Christmas.



The first were the delectable, colorfully sprinkled cookies she hand-baked for him… oh, and the children, each year. She even made sure the house elves got some of their own. He made sure to make himself scarce when the preparation process was being completed, but showed in the kitchen doorway unfailingly as the first batch was being removed from the oven.



Next, he had grown to truly appreciate their quiet time together each Christmas Eve night. Day-to-day life had a way of encroaching on his time with her. Often in the way were jobs, the children, friends and visits, her many charity obligations and his small addiction to sports. He had always loved quidditch, but getting to know his wife had opened up a whole new world of games to him. The entry of a television into his life had fed his growing addiction, and he had quickly become a fan of both muggle football and rugby, which also cut down on their weekend time together. They tried to make time for one another as often as possible, but it constantly amazed him how difficult it could be to get time alone with his other half.



He freely admitted to being fully and completely obsessed with her. It was something she often teased him about when they were alone. He always laughed it off but then very quickly changed the topic, as he didn’t want her overly active brain to venture back to their initial year together. Twelve years of coupledom, nine years of marriage, and three children later, he still cringed when he thought back on how he had almost driven her away with his crazed zeal to spend every waking moment beside her.



~*~*~*~*~



Their adolescence had been fraught with anger, sadness and pain. And, as they had been on opposing sides throughout most of The War Against Evil, they’d certainly not been friends. Actually, as people who didn’t know them well often pointed out, as if they didn’t know themselves, he had been a complete ass to her as often as possible. His prejudices and learned hatreds had manifested in his words and mistreatment of her. And, she had been an arrogant, pushy, nerd who thrilled in pushing his buttons in revenge.



It wasn’t until the war, when she and her friends had saved his life that he’d begun to see her as more than her ancestry and her friendships. And, she hadn’t given him so much as a glance no matter how often their paths crossed until they’d been forced to work together on a project at the Ministry were they both worked; he as a potions and dark arts expert; she the same in charms, transfigurations, curses, and hexes. Slowly her friends had accepted his growth and changes and ultimately given him a chance to prove himself to them. And he had.



But, she’d never so much as blinked in his direction if she could help it, as her hurts had been too deep. His words towards her during her formative years had wounded her in ways that even his family’s physical abuses of her later had surpassed. Hermione had even forgiven his parents, before him, for their part in the war enough to be able to speak civilly to them at social gatherings. Of course, they had two things in their favor. First, his mother had in the end helped save Hermione’s best friend, Harry’s life at the end of the war and turned the tide of the events that followed. Afterward, Hermione, along with her friends, Harry and Ron, and a protective group from The Order, had taken it upon themselves to protect and defend his mother, Narcissa, from the backlash of her actions. Also, his parents had changed after the war, having been made to see the error of their ways, and thrown themselves into proving it to anyone that would give them the opportunity.



Draco hadn’t been as smart. He too had been hurt, confused, angry, and lost, but instead of working through it, he’d lashed out worse than before at anyone he could reach. And, because Hermione and her group were around, they took the brunt of it. Being men, Harry and Ron had finally seen through his defensive actions and forced him to face his pain. Of course, they did it with hexes and punches one night after too much alcohol, but it had opened the path to their ultimate friendship. The three of them, along with his best buddy, Blaise, afterward, became relatively inseparable and often spent time at games or the pub together after work.



But, even with as much time as he spent near her, she barely acknowledged his existence. Even in a group of only four or five, she completely shut him out, with barely a civilized greeting or goodbye. As much as he had grown up and changed to a better person, he hadn’t lost his strong streak of determination and her constant rejection caused him to become more and more obsessed with his need for her acceptance, her forgiveness.



The successful break-in and robbery of several vaults at Gringott’s Bank, almost two years after the war ended, finally gave him his chance to get it. They were put together as a team to investigate the crime as many elements they both excelled at had been used to confound the guards enough to allow the robberies to take place. The initial weeks together had been ridiculously hard for both of them, but he’d eventually learned to read her. Although she stayed professional and courteous, there were moments when she slipped and he was allowed to see the real her. It helped him figure out how deeply he’d hurt her, and how many of her insecurities were because of him. He never figured out what drove him most; guilt, pain, fear of her continued rejection or what, but he set about showing her how sorry he was for all he’d done to her. He knew his words would mean nothing to her, but he slowly began to chip away at her protective shell, as he tried to make her understand that he found her to be brilliant, gorgeous, trustworthy, and a woman to be cherished.



It was during this time that his desire for her friendship and trust, turned into a desire for her; body, mind and soul. In many ways he became her well-meaning stalker. And, her frustration with him always being near, never giving her any space or time to think, to contemplate, had given him the chance to learn how to deal with a hurt and ANGRY Hermione. It was a lesson he never allowed himself to forget. Never piss off (too badly) a woman who can hex your parts off without blinking, and without remorse.



Thankfully, he’d quickly learned when and how to retreat before things escalated too far, and she’d started to thaw. By the end of the investigation, he’d been head-over-heals in love, and she’d come to see him as a trusted co-worker and accepted acquaintance. At that point it became his life’s work to get her to see him as more. While new-Draco made himself as available, accessible and attractive as possible to her, even enlisting the help of her trusted circle in getting her to see him and give him a chance; old-Draco, the very cunning Slytherin used other methods. He made up excuses to drop by her house at ridiculous and inopportune times. He secretly acted as her secretary and cancelled dates by owl for her without her knowledge. He set a charm to go off each night in her room that would waft his scent around her all night. He was simply determined to have her. And, she was just as determined to stay away.



Finally, in exasperation, and thinking it would get him to go away, she agreed to one date. Her mistake? She never specified how long the date would be. So, in Malfoy-fashion, he took advantage of her lapse, and arranged a two month muggle cruise vacation for the two of them, and took it upon himself to put in for her time off from work. To say she had been livid would have been more than an understatement, but his begging, added to the urging from her friends that she could always ignore him, but needed the vacation, had worked. And, for reasons neither ever fully understood, she gave in and agreed to go with him.



The cruise had finally turned the tide in his favor. She finally gave him the chance to show her who he was and how much he truly wanted her in his life. The biggest shock to her friends and family was that they’d returned home two months later already two weeks married, having found a wizard priest on one of the islands near the end of the trip. They later named their first born, Jaden, after the man.



~*~*~*~*~



Back in his living room on the sofa on Christmas Eve night, Draco watched the lights glint off of her rings as she arranged the gifts around the tree. Then he glanced up at the great clock over the fireplace and smiled devilishly as he moved the plate with the remaining cookie over where she could reach it more easily. He wanted to make sure she was happy, so that he could get the one last thing he waited for all year. And, only got at Christmas. If her getting the last cookie would make it so, he was more than willing to sacrifice.



They had enjoyed a companionable silence after putting the children to bed, but as the clock moved slowly toward midnight he found himself getting more and more excited.



Hermione turned her head and saw the dreamy, but yearning look in his eye and knew what he was thinking. She smiled softly to herself as she lowered her head and went back to her arranging. She kept one ear on the clock and one on the intercom she had charmed to amplify the children’s wing. It wouldn’t do for them to suddenly appear asking for something or trying to sneak into the room to see their gifts early. The older they got the harder it was to keep them abed on Christmas Eve night.



Jaden, only a year from attending Hogwarts, was the ringleader, as he took after his father in almost every way. Hermione loved that he was more tolerant than Draco had been at his age though. Seriyah, the middle child, and the spoiled apple of her father’s eye, was more like Hermione. She always got pulled into trouble because of her brother, but seemed to be able to, even at eight years old, talk her way out of almost anything. Tasha, their baby, just did what she was told, but they’d already seen her streak of sneakiness and cunning. Hermione was pretty sure they would have to move their annual tradition to a new location the following year, as there was no way she would risk her babies seeing what their parents did every Christmas Eve night. Especially, Jaden, since he would be going to school the next year.



Hermione blew out a slow breath after glancing up once again to see the clock. Only a minute to go. She turned to Draco and their eyes met. He looked like a blonde, gorgeous devil, minus the horns, with the leering smirk he wore. She could see from across the room, his eyes dark and glistening as the minute hand ticked steadily towards the top of the hour. Even though he sat perfectly still on the sofa, he held an aura of a predator ready to pounce.



Ding, ding, ding….



“Happy Christmas, love,” she whispered across the room.



“Happy Christmas,” he answered just as softly. “Do I get to unwrap my present now?”



She laughed throatily, “I can’t believe you still want this after all these years.”



“Oh, you have no idea how much,” he answered with a wolfish grin. “You still owe me for the hundreds of sleepless nights when I had to only imagine it.”



Her laugh bubbled out, as she stood up straight and put her hand to her bathrobe tie, “Since you hated me and my friends then, I am going to repeat myself once again, you are a strange man, Mr. Malfoy.”



“Yet, you love me, Mrs. Malfoy,” he answered back.



“Yes, I do,” she smiled and untied her robe. “Would you do the honors?”



“With pleasure!”



The lights in the room lowered and the room slowly changed from their spacious living room to a replica of his portion of his Hogwarts boys’ dorm room. He leaned back against the headboard of the bed, which had been their sofa, and indicated that it was her turn.



“Ready?” she asked, holding her robe together with one hand, as she loosened the tie in her hair with the other and shook out her curls.



He felt the twitch in his shorts as her hair slid out of its confines and seemed to caress her body; each curl bouncing and glistening in the low light.



He put a hand to his pants to adjust himself as he answered with a boyish grin, “What do you think?”



Hermione smiled, winked, and turned her back. Then, slowly she released the robe and let it fall to the floor behind her. She almost laughed out loud when she heard his sharp intake of breath. She would never understand what it was with him and the backs of her knees.



“Merlin, baby,” he breathed.



She grinned giddily at his exclamation. It pleased her to no end that he still found her attractive after all those years together. Playing her part, she conjured some books and turned to face him with a sneer on her face.



“What do you want, Malfoy? What did you call me here for?” she snapped.



Draco could barely breathe. The years fell away and in front of him stood the woman of his childhood dreams, once again in her old Gryffindor school uniform. He growled low in his throat as his cock twitched in response. When she raised an imperious eyebrow at him, even as her eyes glowed with laughter, he deepened his frown and stood from the bed.



It had taken him a long time as a teen to realize that his treatment of her was his way of masking his desire for her. She was the antithesis of everything he’d known and believed at the time, but still he’d wanted her. And, he’d turned that longing into anger.



Now, years later, he could act on his ache for her. It was a mark of how far they’d come that she was willing to do this for him, with him, every year, every Christmas.



“I called you here to show you that you don’t know everything, Granger,” he sneered as he sauntered over to her. “There are some things you don’t have catalogued in that big brain of yours, you know.”



Hermione raised her chin and adjusted her books into one arm. Putting the other on her hip she laughed at him, “And, you think there’s something you know that I don’t? Ha!”



“We’ll see who’s laughing when I am done with you,” he threatened. Stepping behind her, his front pressed against her back, he cast a silencing charm on the area, so that they could still hear everything around them, but no one could hear what they said or did. Then he closed the doors to the living room/dorm room and charmed it to lock solidly.



“What are you playing at, Malfoy?” she asked, being careful to sound nervous, but stern at the same time. She enjoyed this game as much as he did, even if it wasn’t something she liked to do too often. “You can’t lock me up in here with you! I will tell the Headmaster!”



He lowered his head so that his lips grazed her ear, “Scared, Granger? Afraid of what I could do to you here all alone? Tsk, tsk. I thought Gryffindors were brave. And, I thought you loved to learn new things.”



With his nose nuzzling her neck, Hermione had a hard time remembering that she wasn’t supposed to be enjoying it. “Mmm, I, uh, oh yeah, stop that! Malfoy! What do you think you’re doing?!”



Turning quickly she looked up into his face and saw raw desire plain on his handsome face. Her insides quivered, but she kept up her façade and stepped back from him.



Draco moved forward and she retreated until her legs hit the bed and she had no where else to go.



“I think it’s time you learned something you can’t get from books, Granger,” he said softly, his voice not even close to as menacing as he was trying to be. “Immobulus!”



Hermione’s eyes flashed at him as she stopped moving and her body froze.



“Now, we are going to play a game.” He smirked at her and leaned closer, “I am going to ask you a question and you must answer with a no, or I get to assume you mean yes. Deal?”



He looked into her eyes and waited a moment. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.”



He reached up a hand and fingered her tie, “First question. Are you as virginal as the gossips say? Are you a prude, Granger?”



He waited a moment and then taunted, “What? No answer? Another yes, hmm.” Then he reached out and stroked a hand across her right breast, his fingers toying with her nipples, “I promise you, you won’t be after tonight.”



“Next question. Do you want me to strip you and tie you to the bed? Do you want to be completely at my mercy?”



He saw her eyes darken and her body shudder slightly, but due to the hex, she still said nothing. He knew she could have fought it off and regained control at any time, and he loved her all that much more for allowing him this control. He fought back the smile that wanted to burst forth, and sneered, “Time to see the pitiful excuse for a body you have hidden under those ugly robes!”



A muttered charm later, Hermione stood in her tie, knee socks, and skirt; all of her other clothes, including her underwear, vanished to their bedroom upstairs. Draco couldn’t hold back the moan as most of her body was revealed to him. The tie dangled between her breasts as her nipples stuck out at him in invitation. And, the skirt, which he’d shortened years before, barely hid her treasure from his intense gaze. But, it was her knees and thighs exposed above her girlish knee socks that almost did him in then and there. She always teased him about being a ‘twisted sicko” with his little fetish, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t like he ever looked at other women in them, or even imagined them. There was just something about Hermione’s legs in them that got him as hard as stone and made him want to bury himself between them.



He had to clear his throat and force himself back into character, “Well, well, well, the Gryffindor princess has a rack. Who knew? I might just enjoy this after all. You may as well get comfortable. It’s going to be a long night, Granger. Wingardium Leviosa!”



Hermione’s body floated up and Draco caught her and laid her on the bed as he ended the charm. Then, vanishing his own clothes he laid out beside her.



“Now, it’s time for you to learn, Granger. Do pay attention.”



Draco watched her eyes, the only part of her that could move, as he slowly slid the tie from her neck. He flicked the end of it at her nipples and saw her eyes once again flash at him. He knew it was desire and not anger that had made it happen and felt his body tighten in response.



“Last question. Do you want me to tie you to the bed posts and screw the great Gryffindor virgin until she can’t walk?”



He laughed evilly at her silence, “Another yes.”



He grinned and used her tie to secure her wrists to the bed and slid his hands slowly down her arms until they came to rest on her waist. “Well, since I don’t hear a denial, I will just have to assume you’ve secretly wanted me all along. Why all the pretense, Granger? If you wanted to get a pureblood inside of you, all you had to do was ask.”



Then he leaned down and kissed her softly before releasing her from her petrified state.



Hermione moaned at the feel of his lips gliding down her neck, but knew she wasn’t finished playing her part.



“Get off of me, Malfoy! You can’t do this,” she cried.



“You didn’t say that earlier. No going back now,” he said as he continued his path down to her chest.



He smiled against her when he heard her sharp intake of breath as he playfully tugged on one nipple and then the other.



“But, Malfoy, you’re you. And, I’m me. How can you want to do this with me?” she asked, her voice a purr despite her words.



Draco licked her stomach and swirled his tongue around her belly button before answering, “Lesson one, Hermi, I mean, Granger, education is invaluable. And, as such, a Malfoy should always be willing to sacrifice, if need be, to obtain it. In this case, I will be the one sacrificing for your education.”



“But, mmm, Drac, um, uh, oooooh, Malfoy, we shouldn’t be…”



Her sentence ended in a long moan as Draco’s talented tongue went to work. She couldn’t keep up the act any longer and put her hand on his head to hold him in place, “Don’t stop.”



Draco wasn’t done playing, but her sentence fed into his game and he wanted to continue for a bit longer. He lifted his head, licked his lips, and slid two fingers into her. He groaned as her body clenched around his fingers and he ached to end the game and bury himself in her. But, he held back and said, “Lesson two. Never stop until you get what you want. And, I want to see the great Hermione Granger lose control with my name on her lips.”



She groaned and lifted her hips against his hand, even as she panted, “Never!”



“We shall see,” he laughed softly.



He pumped his fingers into her at a steady pace as he lowered his head and flicked his tongue repeatedly against her hardened clit. And, when he felt her legs start to tremble and heard her breathy whimpers, he slowed and lifted his head to meet her gaze.



She grunted at the loss of contact when she was so close and tried to push his head back down.



“Tell me who owns you. Say my name,” he demanded.



Hermione bit down on her lip to keep from answering and shook her head.



Draco smirked and used his thumb to push her back towards her final release, but stopped again when he felt her getting too close. “You’re so close, aren’t you? Do you want to come?”



At her frantic nod he stroked her once more and smiled when she hissed at the contact, “All you have to do is tell me. Who do you want more than anything right now?”



Hermione closed her eyes and bit her lip harder to keep from answering. She knew he didn’t want her to yet and she would do this for him, even if it killed her with yearning in the process. She shook her head once again, as she refused to answer.



Draco felt her body pulling on his fingers and watched as she moved against his hand, her face a mask of wanton lust and need. He wanted the game to last, but his body was screaming for her and it wouldn’t be denied.



“Well, if you won’t answer, I will just have to up the ante a bit.”



Moving quickly he slid up her body and entered her with one smooth thrust into her waiting core.



They both moaned in response. All Draco wanted to do was pound away until he came deeply within her warm welcoming body. But, he wanted to hear her screaming his name, too, so he stopped moving as he fought for control.



Hermione lifted her legs and wrapped them tightly around his to hold him as close as possible as she tilted her hips up for more friction.



“Oh, Merlin,” he groaned in her ear. “Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move.”



When he regained a modicum of control he lowered his head and traced her lips with his tongue before devouring her mouth in a kiss. When she slid her hands from his hair down his back and to his firm butt, he knew she wanted him to move.



Looking into her eyes, he slowly pulled back and then slammed into her to the hilt. He attacked her neck when she groaned and threw her head back against the pillow.



He repeated that move a few more times and reveled in the way her hands slid along his body as she moaned, groaned, and twisted under him. He stole another breathtaking kiss before he once again said, “Tell me who you want. Say my name.”



Hermione shook her head, even as she moaned and pulled him closer.



He sped up and started pounding into her as he felt his own release fighting to come.



“Tell me,” he demanded.



“No,” she moaned.



“Tell me,” he asked.



“N…n…no,” she panted.



“Tell me,” he begged.



“No! Oh, Merlin!” she squeaked as he swirled his hips and hit the perfect spot.



He felt her walls start to tighten on him and he felt the burning in his lower back and knew they were almost out of time. He changed the question.



“Who do you love?”



“Draco!” she screamed her answer and her release.



He felt her body grip him, her wet heat a velvet fist milking him towards his own.



“Oh, Merlin, love. Gods I love you. You’re mine. Mine,” he panted as he spent himself deep inside of her.



After he collapsed against her he sighed as her arms tightened around him and she held him close as he quivered in the aftermath. He loved the way her whole body seemed to wrap around him, accept him.



When he could breathe again, he lifted his head and looked her in the eye as he kissed her softly.



She smiled up at him and whispered, “Happy Christmas, my love.”



“Thank you,” he whispered back. “I love you so much.”



“I know. And, I love you.”



He leaned back down and lost himself once again in her kiss.



~*~*~*~*~



A while later outside of the living room, a house elf sat on the stairs in the foyer quietly waiting for the charms to release on the doors. Next to him sat a pile of gifts for the family and he yawned hugely in his sleepiness. It had been a long day of preparation for all of the elves, even with their mistress doing so much of the cooking and decorating.



A sudden small pop startled him as his wife appeared in her nightdress.



“What’s taking you so long? I thought you were coming right back. Why are you just sitting out here? Why don’t you take the gifts in and come to bed?”



“The Master and Mistress are still engaged. I will be there as soon as they’re done,” he sighed.



“Still?” she asked as her eyes flew to the door. “It’s been hours!”



“Lovey, you know how they are,” he snickered.



She sat down next to him on the stair and sighed, “Yes, I do.” Then she shook her head with a giggle, “I can’t believe they still do this. You’d think they’d have stopped after Jaden almost caught them three years ago.”



He laughed, “They love one another. I think it’s nice that Master Draco found such happiness.”



“I do, too,” she agreed. “But, it’s not fair that you should have to sit here and wait all night.”



He shrugged and put his arm around her shoulder, “Well, we do have the day off tomorrow. And, I don’t mind. It’s only one time a year, love. It’s not like we don’t know it’s coming.”



“I know,” she answered with a soft smile. “Every year, every Christmas.”