Festive Spirit

Ginny hung the final length of tinsel over the tree and jumped off the stool in satisfaction.

"Draco, what do you think of the tree?"

Her fiancé was in the kitchen slaving over the making of his perfect cup of coffee and took several minutes to appear.

He came through to the tiny sitting room and stopped dead. Flashing colours and shining tinsel assaulted his eyes. The Christmas tree was covered from head to toe with bauble after bauble and copious amounts of tinsel. The entire room was decorated with ribbons and enchanted snowflakes swirled down the windows.

His surprised expression quickly took a sour turn and he scowled fiercely at her. "What. Have. You. Done." he asked, although it was clearly not a question.

"I've decorated the tree," she said innocently. "Oh, and the room."

"Why?"

She giggled loudly. "What do you mean, why? Because it's Christmas of course!"

He scowled at her again. "Yes, I'd gathered that." He gestured widely around the room. "But why is it so...so...colourful?"

She shrugged. "It's how I always have it at home. I thought it looked nice."

In all truth it did look nice, it reminded strongly of a perfect family Christmas in a happily-ever-after tale. It was how Ginny had always known her Christmases, and she loved it. Draco, unfortunately, did not.

"But it's so disorganised and tacky," he spluttered indignantly. "How can you stand it?"

She looked at the colourful flashing lights on the tree, and back to Draco. "I don't see what's wrong with it," she said stubbornly. "You just can't handle it because it looks half-decent, and cheerful."

"You're damn right I can't! What's with this stuff?" he asked, picking up a length of tinsel from the tree with his thumb and forefinger. Admittedly, it was a little threadbare, but pretty, nonetheless.

"It's called Christmas spirit Draco," she said wryly. "You should try it sometime."

"Well it can bugger off back to the North Pole, I want my house back!"

Ginny remained standing where she was, and crossed her arms. She raised her eyebrow at him archly, to make it clear it wasn't going anywhere.

"You can at least do this again," he said, and indicated the tree.

"What would you suggest I do with it?"

He moved to the other side of the tree and started to pick at the tinsel. "Well you can do something with this tinsel first, it needs to be colour-coded." He began to tug it off briskly, not noticing that it was steadily wrapping itself around his ankles.

Ginny pouted behind his back but didn't move to stop him, preferring instead to watch the tinsel wrapping around him.

But it was too much when he started to pull the baubles off, and deposit them in a haphazard pile on the floor. She leapt forward and delicately picked up the baubles one by one, and clutched them to her.

"What is wrong with you Draco? And what is wrong with a little festive spirit?" she half-yelled and half-cried.

"Malfoys don't do festive spirit!"

She sighed exasperatedly. "Can't you just forget about your damned family for once? I'm meant to be your family now!"

He stopped pulling off the tinsel immediately and stood stock-still. He would have looked a very funny sight, standing there wrapped in sparkling tinsel if it wasn't for the cold expression on his face.

"Please be so good as to not talk about my family."

Ginny looked sincerely sorry. "I didn't mean it like that, Draco." She stepped over to him, putting down the decorations she held and embracing him shyly. She felt his stiff body soften under her hands. "What can I do to make it up to you?" she asked coyly, whilst keeping her voice just above a whisper.

He pretended to be considering this thoughtfully, as though he hadn't forgiven her. That was impossible anyway, he couldn't stay angry with her. "Well, you could let me decorate the tree," he said slyly. "It would make me feel better."

Her arms started to pull away from him. "Oh no, ohhh no, you're not pulling that one!"

"But Ginnnny, it would look so good in blue in silver, co-ordination is so much better."

"This is how my mother has always decorated her house, and her mother before her, and I don't intend stopping the tradition anytime soon," she said, starting to re-decorate the tree in her chosen jumble of colours. "So get used to it, or get out!"

"You don't mean that," he said, with a cocky grin on his face.

She tried to look serious. "I assure you I do."

"But surely we can come to a compromise," he said, moving slowly towards her.

"Malfoys and Weasleys don't come to compromises, as I remember you saying very well."

"But surely some compromises aren't out of the question," he said, as he began to wind his supple arms about her, and nuzzle her neck.

"But this is how I want the decorations, I don't want to change."

"Mmm," said Draco into her neck, not really thinking of Christmas decorations anymore.

"What are you doing," she said distractedly, determinedly still trying to concentrate on the matter at hand.

"It's called festive spirit Ginny," he smirked. "You should try it sometime."