CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

. . .

DRACO watches as everyone packs up for the Christmas break. He watches all his friends prepare to return home, to spend the holiday with their families. And then he decides he can't watch anymore—not when he's stuck at Hogwarts, forced to continue working towards the plan—and he leaves the dorm.

He wanders through the school, past excited students saying their goodbyes, discussing their plans for the break, past magical Christmas decorations. It doesn't take long for him to regret leaving the dorm. The place is so full of festivities and it's not even Christmas yet.

"Draco!" The blond pauses as he hears his name being called out, expecting it to be someone wanting to bother him with someone. He looks up and, instead, it's Enoch rushing up to him. With a small frown on his brow, he watches as the Hufflepuff closes the distance between them and comes to a halt less than a metre away. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"You have?" He's still not quite used to this. Enoch nods, curls rolling everywhere. His hair has grown quite a bit since he started. "I was in the dorm."

"Ah, that's why I couldn't find you." Draco nods softly. He glances around, pleased to note that there isn't anyone else around. He's not quite sure if he's more concerned about himself, or Enoch being associated with him. "Do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"I'm spending Christmas here." A look of absolute horror passes over Enoch's expression. It almost makes the older boy laugh, the way he seems to be completely disgusted by his plans.

"You're not going home? At all?" Draco shakes his head. "Do you want to come to my place for Christmas? We have heaps of people over, normally I just greet them all and then I go sit in one of the back rooms. We have heaps of food—like, a feast for days. Plenty of room for one more person."

"Thanks, but I can't." The disgust is replaced with disappointment. Draco might feel bad if it wasn't something he really couldn't go to.

"I'm sure there'll be plenty of witches and wizards who aren't blood traitors there. Even if you ignore that, my family seems to have a good reputation—surely that's enough to overlook one marriage."

"Maybe." Draco isn't that confident—people have been killed for less. He just shrugs, not wanting to turn the boy down anymore than he has to. "Is that why you were looking for me?"

"Oh, no, I have a present for you." Well this is new... Enoch brings his hands from behind him, revealing a small shape wrapped in what looks like their writing paper. The wrapping job is so poor, it's hard to make out its original shape. Draco has no hope of guessing what it is, but he accepts the gift anyway. Under the Hufflepuff's watchful eye, he unwraps it.

It's the tin of lemon candy.

Words Draco can't understand cover the tin but he knows, from the lemons that decorate its lid and the fact he's seen it in Enoch's hand so many times. Looking down at the tin, which is getting rather light, he can't help but laugh. Just a little. Enoch is smiling when he looks back up at him.

"I'm getting more when I get home, so you can have this. Y'know, in case you start to miss them, or you get... overwhelmed, or anything. That's usually when I eat them."

"Thank you." Enoch's smile grows wider and Draco hasn't even done anything. He's not really sure he can say anything--not properly. He looks back down at the tin. It's a tiny thing, really, but Draco can't help the small smile that tugs at the corner of his lips. It's a tiny, stupid thing but it means a lot. To Draco, at least.

. . .

The second Enoch has spotted his family, he sprints towards them faster than he thought was physically possible for him. He doesn't even realise he's dropped his bags until Odeda has to grab them, using magic rather than walking through the crowd. He's glad the two of them are standing so close together, it makes it easier for him to tackle-hug them simultaneously. The couple chuckle softly at him, both wrapping their arms around him tightly. Herbal tea and popping candy has never tasted so good.

"I've missed you so much." It feels nice, being able to slip back into French so easily. There's been so many things he's missed, unconsciously, that all come flooding back to him. He could cry, he's so happy to be back with his family, to be back home where it's safe and quiet.

Oh, he is crying. That's embarrassing.

Christmas starts almost the second Enoch walks through the doors, even though it's only the day before still. There's no guests, just the small family, but the smell of Christmas food has already begun to settle into the house. When the breeze blows in just the right direction, Enoch catches a whiff of pine and he can't even see the tree yet. Christmas lights--ones they've had for as long as Enoch's been born, maybe even longer--sparkle in every spot they hang.

But, most importantly, everything feels like home. Enoch can't get over how homely everything feels. He swears it didn't feel that way before--or maybe he'd just grown so used to it, he'd taken it for granted.

"Guess what's for dinner." Alistair says, rather excitedly, as he places the large bag down on the ground. A few simple flicks of the wand and Odeda has it flying to the brunet's room. (Oh, his room! He'd missed that too). "Your favourite!"

Enoch's favourite food isn't the same as it used to be. For one, he's never experienced it coming back up before. He's never been so upset with it that his whole body has felt the need to violently dispel it.

It's comforting, the way his mother rubs circles around his back and mutters soothing phrases he doesn't really hear, but it doesn't change the fact that his favourite food has made him sick. He's not sure if it's the pain of emptying his stomach or the pain of potentially not being able to eat this food again that's making him cry. But he's crying, again, and it's pretty ugly.

Later, they realise suddenly going from a diet of vegetable pasties to a bowl full of meat might not be the best way to reintroduce it back into his system.

Enoch can't believe he has to spend Christmas eating a plate full of Christmas vegetables and the tiniest amount of meat, eyeing the other slices of meat longingly.

An owl flies in on Christmas Day, a small parcel hanging from its leg. This is unusual, because all of the family sends letters by post (even the wizarding side, the Desrosiers) and every other gift had already arrived. The family is even more confused (and curious) when they discover the parcel is addressed to Enoch, who hadn't been expecting anything. But he takes it, receiving an oddly haughty hoot in return, before the owl flies off again.

The brunet quickly unwraps the package, curiosity getting the better of him. Falling from the brown papers is a pair of white gloves and an envelope. Enoch picks up the gloves, which are incredibly soft, and smiles softly. He doesn't even have to read the letter to know who they're from. The gloves are almost identical to his other ones, except the trim is now gold and embroidered into the edge is only a "D". Placing them back on the brown paper—only for them to be picked up by a curious father, examined carefully by both his parents—Enoch turns to the letter. It's short and there's a few ink marks, but it's written in Draco's neat handwriting.

Enoch,

Enclosed should be a pair of gloves. They're expensive, so take care of them. The material is thicker so it should protect you better, but breathable so you won't get too warm in the warmer months. And the colouring won't clash so much with your uniform. I would have gotten your full initials done but my parents had to think they were for me. Don't get any ideas, either. I just didn't want us to be uneven, given you got me a gift and I didn't.

Merry Christmas.

From,

There's a series of lines, crossing out the different variations of Draco's sign off. Some are completely illegible under thick and heavy lines, while others can be made out (D.M., D. Malfoy, his signature), before he seemed to settle on one.

             Draco

( AUTHOR'S NOTE )
Firstly, I would like to apologise for this filler chapter that isn't even trying to hide its nature. This filler is proud that its sole purpose is to fill in space (and its writer is not).

Originally there was going to be a whole chapter dedicated to Christmas & it was going to be published on Christmas. But then I got sick & couldn't write it in advanced. So the plan changed to at least getting it up on Enoch's birthday (31st, if you were wondering), but I kinda just... procrastinated... and I failed. And now, I feel like a late chapter celebrating Christmas when Christmas is twelve months away might be a bit early. (Or maybe I'm just making excuses). (I also just didn't know which scene to focus on). So please enjoy this snippet version instead

So, to make up for the shorter, even more LQ than usual chapter, I'll do my best to get the next one up as soon as possible