Harry Potter and the Black Secret

Chapter Eleven

Merry Christmas

Draco stirred into wakefulness, aware of the cool body resting on his chest, entangled with him in the crisp white sheet. He opened his eyes and smiled at the memory of the night before. Kristine was lying with her head resting on his shoulder and an arm over his chest. His arm was wrapped around her, his fingers unconsciously stroking her soft skin. She felt like melting ice. Her skin was cold, but not unpleasantly so. It felt, fresh. Draco could feel the heat of his own body reflecting off of her.

Thoughts of the night before swam through his brain. Her touch; Her caress; Her kiss. It wasn't his first time, she knew that. He knew that it wasn't her first either, but it felt like it was. It was a first between them. Special in a way that the previous hadn't been. They had connected, fully and passionately, in mind, body and spirit. Perfection.

Her eyes fluttered open.

The first thing Kristine saw as she awoke was Draco's face looking down on hers. Her heart skipped a beat as happiness radiated through her.

"Merry Christmas," he said softly before planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

Kristine's smile widened further.

"Merry Christmas," she said.

*

Ron awoke with a jolt as a pillow landed on his face, quickly followed by numerous other pillows in succession.

"Get up you lazy git!" Fred, or was it George, shouted.

"It's Christmas day!" Ginny shrieked.

"We want to open our presents!" came Harry's voice.

Standing around Ron's room were Harry, Ginny, the twins, Charlie, Bill and even Percy, all grinning from ear to ear.

"It's nine thirty!" said Ginny.

"And Mum and Dad won't let us open anything until we're all downstairs," said Bill.

"So move your arse," said Charlie.

"And get out of bed!" they all shouted before running out of the room laughing, dodging numerous telekinetically controlled pillows.

Ron couldn't help laughing with them.

He had got back on Christmas Eve morning, about five A.M, before anyone else was up. He hadn't been able to sleep that morning without arousing suspicion, and so last night had been his first chance to sleep for two days. He felt much better because of it too. Speaking with Hermione had helped a lot and he was glad he had flown out to see her. She had seemed touched that he had come to her. The pair parted feeling closer than they ever had before.

Ron had decided to accept his fate. He didn't have to like it, but there was no point in dwelling. Que Sera Sera. What will be will be. He hadn't told anyone except Hermione about his 'gift'. There really was no other word for it. Curse perhaps, but that defeated the point of accepting it. No one needed to know, not yet. If he were lucky, nothing would come of it anyway.

He jumped out of bed and followed the others down to the Sitting room where a huge tree stood, decorated in lights that changed colour and danced around the branches. Presents filled the space around the fir, all different shapes and sizes. There were more gifts than ever before, partly due to Fred, George, Percy, Charlie and Bill all working now, and partly because for the first time in nearly a decade the entire Weasley Clan, actual and honorary, were under one roof for Christmas.

Perfection.

*

"Kristine! I love it!" Draco exclaimed.

He was holding a standard size, crimson, leather bound book in his hands and a euphoric expression on his face.

Draco, Sarah and Kristine were sitting in the smaller lounge once again, although this morning it had been decorated with fairy lights and a small Christmas tree in the corner housing candy canes and several presents. Wrapping paper from various presents littered the floor and the gifts themselves resided in individual piles near the beneficiary.

Kristine had snuck back to her own room and put on a pair of long pink and white striped pyjamas before meeting Draco on the landing clad in grey tracksuit bottoms and a long sleeved black T-Shirt. They crept downstairs to find the sitting room elaborately decorated and mugs of Hot Chocolate waiting for them. Sarah came from behind them and put her arms around their necks, pecking them both on the cheek.

They were now all sitting together in their pyjamas exchanging gifts.

"I can't believe you remembered!" Draco said before getting to his knees from his position sitting on the floor leaning against the couch, on which Kristine sat, and leaning over to kiss her on the lips in a thank you.

Kristine blushed a little as Draco kissed her. He hadn't done that in front his Mother before. Sarah was smiling, giving her silent approval.

Kristine had given a Draco a first edition collection of Keats poetry. It had taken her a long time to get hold of. She had started looking for one ever since Draco had told her how much he enjoyed Keats's work on one of their frequent midnight strolls around the lake. He had recited her his favourite poem, 'When I have fears that I may cease to be'.

When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think thatmay never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;--then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.

"Here," Draco said handing Kristine a wrapped package.

"What is it?" Kristine said as she took it.

"What sort of question is that, and do you really think I'm going to tell you when you've got the thing in your hands?" Draco said.

Kristine pouted briefly, but grinned and opened her gift.

Three objects fell out of the impeccably wrapped package. The largest was a hardback book. Kristine picked it up first.

Kristine was staring at the book in amazement. It was a copy of Shakespeare's Hamlet. It was crisp and new, enclosed in an olive green cover with gold lettering on the front.

Seeing Kristine's face Draco spoke.

"Great minds think alike."

Kristine threw her arms around the blonde and hugged him close, then pulled back and kissed him just as he had done to her.

"It's my favourite. I love it! I love you," she said.

"Well there are two other gifts there so don't go using up all your gratitude yet," he teased.

Kristine looked at the other two gifts. One was a small black velvet box and the other was another book she realised, paperback and much thinner than the play. She picked up the book first.

'Mean Time' by Carol Ann Duffy.

"I think you'll like it. Its modern poetry, thought you should give it a try," he said making Kristine smile. He knew full well that she was no poetry expert, but insisted that she try something new.

That left the last present. The black box.

Kristine opened it interestedly.

It was empty.

She looked at Draco bemused.

"Thank you?" she said.

Draco smiled enigmatically.

"You're going to have and see for that one, and you're welcome."

Just then, and owl flew up to the closed window and tapped its beak on the glass demanding attention.

Sarah got up and let the bird in. It flew straight over to Kristine and held out its leg protruding a letter. Kristine took the letter and the bird flew off without waiting for a tip.

Kristine opened the letter and began to read as Sarah closed the window and Draco watched her confused.

"I thought we couldn't get owl post here?" he said to his Mother.

"We can if it's important enough," she replied.

Kristine's eyes filled with tears that wouldn't fall from their origin as she stared at the single page of parchment.

"Kriss?" Draco said, taking a seat next to her as he spotted her expression, "Kriss, what is it?"

Kristine opened her mouth, but no sound came out, it was all she could do to gulp down a breath of air. She silently handed the epistle to Draco and covered her mouth with her hand as she stared at nothing.

Draco read the page aloud.

"Dear Miss Hail,

I am writing to you on behalf of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who apologises for not delivering the news himself but if rather bust with the Ministry at this present time. It is my great pleasure to inform you of some exciting news on behalf of Sirius Black, your father. It has been made aware to me that yourself and Mr Potter have remained oblivious to the current situation surrounding Mr Black's recent court case.

However, now that the outcome of the trial has been decided, I am delighted to tell you that Sirius Black is a free man, cleared of all charges and able to take on the legal role of your parent, and Harry's guardian.

The details shall be left for you to discuss with your father when you see him next, which shall be as soon as the final arrangements are made for compensation to your father and housing arrangements made.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you.

Signed

Judge Marcus Luke of the Supreme Court for the Ministry of Magic."

A wide smile crossed Kristine's face and she started laughing with happiness as a single tear fell from her eye.

There were no words to convey the joy that was felt, and none were needed as Sarah handed Kristine the pot of Floo powder.

"In the kitchen," she said giving Kristine a hug, "Hurry back."

*

The Weasley ceremonial present opening was well under way. Half the gifts before breakfast, then a delicious Christmas breakfast spread before the second present opening session commenced. Right now Mrs Weasley was clearing up the remains of the meal with help from Bill and Ron. The others were setting up in the living room for another sitting of torn wrapping paper, hugs and shrieks of joy.

Regular as clockwork the morning post arrived. Three owls simultaneously flew into the kitchen and landed of the almost empty table. Most of the post was Christmas cards as expected, and one single letter with an official seal for Harry.

Ron looked intriguingly at the letter and then gathered it up with the rest of the post, taking it into the living room.

"Go on Mum," Bill said, "I'll finish up."

Mrs Weasley smiled warmly and headed into the living room after her youngest son.

The fireplace crackled up, indicating that someone wanted to enter The Burrow. Bill raised his wand at the open grate.

"Inflamarae," he said, and flames appeared in the hearth.

The entrant burst out of the flames and tumbled into the kitchen. Bill stared in amazement at the girl now on the floor.

"Krissy!!"

Kristine jumped at the sound of her old nickname and looked up at who had spoken.

"Bill! What are you doing..." she started, then realising the answer for herself looked up at young wizard. "Bill Weasley?"

Bill nodded slowly. At that moment Ron walked back into the kitchen.

"Come on Bill, we're all waiting...Kriss?"

A yelp from the living room made them all jump.

"Ron!" Harry shouted, "Ron you'll never guess!" he said running into the kitchen waving the now open letter, stopping abruptly when he saw Kristine getting up off the floor.

One look at each others face confirmed that they both knew.

Harry grabbed Kristine's hand and pulled her to her feet before lifting her up off the ground and spinning her around on the spot. They were both laughing and hugging as Bill and Ron stared at the pair baffled.

Ron cleared his throat getting their attention.

They turned to the redhead, refusing to let go of each other.

"Its Sirius," Harry said, carrying on as the rest of the Weasleys came to investigate the commotion, "He's free! They held a caught Pettigrew, and held a trial and now he's free, and he's sent me the adoption papers."

"What?!" Kristine said surprised, but ecstatic, "Sirius is going to adopt you! That's amazing, that's fantastic, Harry! You really are going to be my brother!"

Harry couldn't stop smiling.

"Just have to sign the papers and it'll be official," he said.

"Get a quill! Harry, sign it now! Sign before anything can possibly happen to stop you, hurry up!" Kristine babbled.

Ron handed Harry a quill and within the minute, Harry, Kristine and Sirius were finally, officially a family.

*

It had been the picture perfect Christmas. Kristine felt elated and kept asking Draco to confirm that she wasn't dreaming.

Kristine had travelled back from The Burrow about an hour after arriving, promising to be back in time for New Year. Mrs Weasley was still bursting into tears of joy every time she looked at Harry when she had left and the whole Christmas scene at the Weasley's home was just as perfect as the one at Celestial Manor.

The only incident plaguing Kristine's thoughts was that of Bill Weasley, but even that couldn't bring her down from her euphoric state.

Draco and Kristine were lying on Kristine's bed together. They had simply collapsed from exhausted fully clothed on top of the covers in each other's arms. Throughout the day various Muggle friends of Sarah's had visited the Manor and Draco and Kristine had retired leaving Sarah chatting to a couple called the Ketmans.

Draco pecked Kristine on the forehead and sat up on the bed, feeling around for something in his pocket.

Kristine sat up looking confused at him.

Eventually he found what he was looking for and pulled whatever it was out in a closed fist.

"I've been meaning to get you on your own to give this to you all day," he said, "It goes in the little black box," he explained.

He opened his fist and Kristine gasped against her will. It seemed so clichéd, but it was the only reaction available to her.

"Oh Draco, it's beautiful!" she said.

In the palm of Draco's hand was an intricately designed ring. Platinum in colour with a vine engraved on the exterior. She picked it up delicately and saw the inscription on the inside. Eternel amour.

"Eternal Love," she said softly.

"I can't ask you to marry me, not right now, so it's sort of a promise that I will. One day."

Kristine put the ring on her wedding finger. It fit perfectly.

"Then this is a promise that when that day comes, I'll say yes."

"And until that day, remember to keep in the little black box. Oh and Kriss, try not to loose it," he joked.

She punched him playfully on the arm.

"We found the necklace didn't we," she stated, "It wasn't as if it was lost forever or anything."

She was of course talking about the charmed necklace that she shared with Draco. That had been the first time she had taken the chain off since it was made in the astronomy tower.

Harry had spotted it after Quidditch practice in the locker rooms and asked her about. She didn't want to lie about that necklace. It was a symbol of her relationship with Draco, something that she wasn't ashamed of and didn't want to deny. She had to though. We can't always have what we want.

"That's a nice locket," Harry said, "You seem to wear it a lot, where'd you get it."

It was a good thing Kristine was sitting down because her legs wouldn't have supported her at that moment.

"It was a present," she said.

That evening Kristine took off the necklace and left it in her room. If Harry had noticed her wearing the necklace a lot, then he might begin to realise that it was special to her, and then he'd want to know why. It was a simple plan as plans went, but Kristine didn't count on the sudden feeling of loneliness that swept over her as soon as the metal left her skin, a feeling that caused her forget where she put the necklace down.

Draco and Kristine had spent the better part of the evening looking for the necklace until Draco realised that all he had to do was use his half of the charm to locate hers. But what Draco pulled out from around his neck was not the broken heart that she remembered.

"Draco, is that...?" she said.

"I transfigured it," he explained holding the dragon shaped charm in the palm of his hand, "the heart was a little girly and it made it fairly obvious that I was seeing someone. Locatus."

The other half of the charm sailed into the room from the bathroom and connected to Draco's, which transfigured itself back into heart as its partner approached. The two pieces connected briefly, then fell apart leaving behind two half hearts.

Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at his piece, transfiguring it once again into a dragon.

"You know," Kristine said picking up Draco's charm, "I think I like yours better."

The statement prompted Draco to point his wand at Kristine's necklace that he still held in his hand.

"Dracones," he said, and the half heart became a reflection of his own dragon. He held the pieces up together. When the creatures faced each other they touched at nose and top of tail, making the gap between them heart shaped.

"Thank you," Kristine said as he put the chain back around her neck.

Kristine brought herself back from the memory and focussed on the moment at hand.

"Do you think we'll ever be able to have a normal relationship? You know, the kind where people know about it and accept it," Kristine asked.

"Firstly," Draco said holding up one finger, "Thank you for asking the one question I've been avoiding for months. Secondly," finger number two appeared, "yes, I do believe that one day people will know about us, but whether they accept it, I just don't know. We can't control people's reactions, but if those people really care about us, in time, they should accept that we love each other. And thirdly," he said, moving closely to Kristine, who smiled knowing what was coming after the end of his speech, "Our relationship will never be normal, because its extraordinary," and with that he kissed her deeply.

The day ended how it had begun. Perfection.