Our First Christmas

Christmas was soon upon the Malfoy family, and Hermione and Draco couldn't wait to spend it with their three little ones. It would be their first Christmas with the kids, and Draco couldn't wait to spend the day with them. Opening presents and playing with their new toys. He also couldn't wait to give Hermione her gift. He had been working on it for months, and it was finally done. Just in time too. He knew she was going to love it, and he couldn't wait to see her face. Hermione, on the other hand, had had Draco's gift done for ages. It was a new watch with three little diamonds on the face. It was ordinary, and she wasn't sure how he would react at first, but when she told him what would happen when the kids were finally sorted, she was sure that he would love it. 

"Good morning, love," Draco had brought Hermione breakfast in bed every day she had been off work, and she smiled when she smelled the coffee and syrup for the pancakes. Though she sort of thought that they were going to have breakfast as a family together this morning. It was Christmas, after all. 

"Good morning Draco, that all smells lovely." Hermione sat up and took the tray that Draco was carrying. It was only then she noticed that three little tiny babies were all following him. Toddling in behind him. Once Hermione had the tray, he lifted the three of them and sat them all around her before climbing into the bed. 

"Happy Christmas, Hermione." Draco kissed her and then conjured up 4 more plates. Hermione couldn't stop smiling. This would be a memory that would last forever. 

"Happy Christmas, Draco, this is so wonderful. Thank you." Hermione started eating pancakes and helped her children eat theirs as well. Hermione was grateful that she was a witch because she figured that there would be syrup everywhere after three, not quite 1-year-olds were done eating pancakes in a bed. 

"So I thought when Mother gets back, we could open up all the presents and then get ready for dinner with the Weasleys."

"Sounds perfect," Hermione smiled and looked around. She wanted to imprint this scene to memory. She never wanted to forget the feeling she was having right now. Hermione was also happy that Draco had been so willing to go over to the Burrow for Christmas dinner. He would have a wonderful time, she thought, and it would be a wonderful first Christmas. They were sharing it with Cissy, and they would be sharing it with her family too. It was the family she had left, and she would cherish them for making her feel more welcome than after. 

They had all finished eating and were heading downstairs when Cissy walked in. Hermione could tell that she had been crying but thought that bringing it up was not a good Christmas opener. 

"Happy Christmas, Cissy," Hermione smiled and handed her Hyperion after hugging her. She smiled warmly at her grandson and kissed his cheek. He seemed to lift her spirits some, and Hermione was glad that the children in the house could rid Cissy of some of her sadness. 

"Happy Christmas," Cissy sat down on a chair in front of the tree. It was such a big tree. Hermione hadn't had one in what felt like so long, and she smiled every time she looked at it. They had even gone and cut it down. It was such a nice day they had had. 

"Should we have the children open some presents?" Draco smiled at the three little children that were crawling and walking around the presents by the tree. They looked fascinated by the different color paper and all of the bows on the boxes. The three adults couldn't help but smile at what they were witnessing. Even though they were little and probably wouldn't remember it, they would forever—a first Christmas. 

"I think that would be lovely," Cissy smiled and scooped up Scorpius, while Draco took Ara and Hermione took Hyperion. Cissy levitated a box to each child, "I hope you approve. I just couldn't decide what to get them, and then I remembered what I got Draco for his first Christmas and how he smiled so much with it. I hope they enjoy it just as much." Cissy smiled proudly as each adult helped the child they were holding unwrap their gift. 

Hermione couldn't believe it. Cissy had bought each child a toy broom. It didn't go more than a couple of feet off the ground and had self levitating charms so that it couldn't be thrown off balance, but still. Brooms for children that were not even one yet. What was she thinking? There was no way Hermione was going to let them play with these. 

"Wow, Mother, these are great." Draco looked so happy and excited to have these for the kids. All Hermione could manage was to look at him with wide eyes. 

"I am so glad that you like them; I know that they are still a little bit too small, but I bought you your first broom, and I wanted to buy them their first brooms. I couldn't help myself."

Hermione calmed down when she realized just because they had these didn't mean they needed to use them now. She should have realized that Cissy wouldn't put her grandchildren in any sort of danger. That was ridiculous to think. 

The triplets opened their gifts from Draco and Hermione next. Hermione had gotten them all books that would read to them at night. It was recorded in her voice, so if she were away, she would still be able to read to them. It happened to be all of their favorite stories that she read to them. Each of her children loved a different story, and she had chosen from their favorites carefully. She also recorded some of her favorites. Mostly her favorites were just reading from Hogwarts A History, but she had read it before, and they had gone straight to sleep, which might come in handy for when she is gone on business. 

Draco had got them different toys. He had told Hermione it was all of the toys he had always wanted as a child but had never gotten or asked for. Most of them were muggle toys that Hermione had had when she was younger, and it warmed her heart when they started playing with them right away. If someone had had a snapshot of the image taking place, they would have thought it was a normal family on Christmas. The only thing that would have given that there was something peculiar about this family was that a couple of owls perched next to the fireplace and that the adults were wearing some kinds of weird robes. Other than that, it just looked as if little kids were opening presents from their parents, and Hermione loved that. 

"Draco, would you like your present now?" Hermione smiled at her husband and handed him the box gently. 

"Thank you, sweetheart." Draco unwrapped the gift carefully and opened the black velvet box. Inside was a simple watch with three small diamonds on the face. He had many watches, but he loved this one already. Three little diamonds representing the three babies that made up his whole world. They were more precious than any stone could ever be, and he was happy that he thought that. There had been a time when he didn't think anything was ever going to outrank his love for money and things. But they were everything to him. 

"When the children are sorted into their houses, each stone will take the color of that house. So you will have a reminder of your children with you all the time. Even when they are away at school," Hermione smiled as she explained the charm she had spent so long on. 

"That is wonderful, Hermione; however, did you manage that?"

"The jeweler was quite good with charms, plus your mother recommended him. I really don't think I would have found someone so talented on my own." Hermione smiled as Draco leaned over and kissed her hand. She could see the tear in his eye as he looked at their triplets. They meant everything to him, and he meant everything to her. She was happy the little reminder made him so happy. 

"I hope you like what I got for you," Draco pulled out the book that he had been working on. It was large, and it looked tattered in places. Pieces sticking out everywhere. It looked like it had been read a thousand times already, but it was just all the love and care Draco had put into it. He filled the pages full of memories as many as the binding would allow, actually.