Authors Note:
Fancast: Thorfinn Rowle: Alexander Skarsgård Antonin Dolohov: Zach McGowan
This is for the 6th day of Christmas writing prompt for The Death Eater Express. Please keep in mind while constructive criticism is always welcome to me, bashing is not. The fancast is my choice for who I see fit the role I want them to be rather well. If you wish to picture them as other people that is fine but this is who I pictured when I wrote it.

Hermione had been sitting in this idiotic wizarding café for almost an hour now. She was still wearing all the signs of "holiday cheer" ala Weasley. She'd been at the Weasley's Christmas party when it all just became to much. She tried to hide outside but the moment Harry had out to try to get her to go back in she disapparated. Molly had been trying to maneuver her under mistletoe with one of the boys all night. She just couldn't take it anymore. Ever since her and Ron had broken up Molly had made it her personal mission to set Hermione up with just about anyone single that she knew. It was exasperating to be kindest and flat out annoying otherwise. She sighed again into her cup of cocoa. Being alone on Christmas eve wasn't in her life goals but she was so sick of boys who only wanted to talk about themselves.

So, there she sat covered in glitter, festive colored paint splotches, and wearing a manufactured necklace of, forced upon her, singing tinsel, it wouldn't come off until midnight thanks to the twins. She stared into her cup when she heard the bell on the door ring from being opened. She looked up only to bite her lip to stifle a groan and try to hide behind her cup. She had thought tonight couldn't get any worse, when was she going to learn to stop tempting fate? Thorfinn Rowle and Antonin Dolohov had just walked in together. She couldn't make a break for the bathroom that would be to obvious, so she sat there hiding behind her mug. She was hoping they were picking something up and leaving, of course that wouldn't be the case.

The tinsel chose that exact minute to start crooning "Blue Christmas" by Elvis. Why on earth the twins knew muggle Christmas songs was beyond her. Antonin and Thorfinn looked over at her. "Well look what we have here Antonin, the Golden girl of the Golden Trio." He smirked as she groaned audibly this time. Antonin looked her over briefly, "Is there a reason you look like you've been attacked by rabid tinsel?"

She rolled her eyes then, gave him her best "leave me the hell alone smile," and simply said, "Weasleys." She leaned back in her chair, now that they had seen and were talking to her there was no point in trying to hide any further. Thorfinn took it upon himself to sit down at her table the moment he had his and Antonin's drinks. He had got cocoa for them both, but he also pulled out a tumbler of what smelled like firewhiskey. "Want some Gryffindor?" She rolled her eyes but held out her cup all the same. If she was going to be subjected to them for any amount of time she might as well have alcohol to help. "Now now now. Where are your manners? How do you ask nicely?"

She bit back her retort and instead decided to play nice, maybe if he got bored they would leave. "Please Thorfinn won't you let me have some of your firewhiskey?" She bit her tongue before she could add, "so I don't have to deal with you sober." She pouted her lip. Her best friends were all male, the only females she was really friends with were Ginny and Luna. She knew how to wrap any man around her finger, she just usually didn't want to. Antonin bit back a laugh. He knew exactly what she was doing, he also knew that Thorfinn was absolutely hopeless when it came to pouting women.

Thorfinn looked at her quivering lip, Merlin how he wanted to kiss that pout away. Knowing that he would get slapped, hexed, or possibly both if he did. He instead settled for pouring a double shot in her cocoa. "How could I resist when you asked so nicely?" She smiled up at him. It was only a small one but he would count it. "So why are you here all alone Gryffindor? You've already told Antonin you were with the Weasleys, don't tell me all that goody goody cheer is finally annoying you after all these years." He smirked at the exasperated look that crossed her features.

"Thorfinn, not that I'm not thoroughly thrilled to be in your company, well I'm not really but that's rude to say, but if you could find it in yourself to make your way over to ANY of the other tables in this albeit small café I would be much obliged. I'd really rather drink hot chocolate and pretend you didn't exist, than to sit here and converse with you. I know Slytherins don't usually do anything if it doesn't involve some form of payment for themselves but if you could, just this once mind you, find it in your heart to leave me alone I would be more than happy to ignore you."

Antonin did chuckle that time, "Come now Dorogaya can't you find it in your beautiful heart to be nice to him. Tis the season after all. We are just as lonely as you look. Can you blame to men for wanting to spend Christmas eve with a beautiful maiden, rather than with each other?" The look in her eye said yes, she very much could blame them, so he went on. "Ditya, do be reasonable. Can't you see that if we weren't desperate for company other than ourselves, we wouldn't even be out in public. Your beautiful heart might have forgiven us, but the rest of the world hasn't. No matter that we were both forced by our fathers."

She sighed and cursed herself, "Fine, but only because you know the way to pierce a woman's heart Antonin. Do sit down and join me, don't leave me alone with him." She smiled up at him brilliantly. If he wanted to play, she would too. By the end of the night both men would be wrapped around her finger.

Antonin chuckled again and sat down next to her. "I wouldn't dream of it Dorogaya, I would be foolish to not want to spend time with a beautiful woman, and since you have so graciously welcomed our company, I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity Hermione." She inhaled slightly, while far from drunk she had drank at the Weasley party, not to mention her cocoa was now almost gone along with the double shot Thorfinn had poured into it. The sound of her name on Antonin's lips stirred something inside her. Her eyes flashed only briefly but Antonin and Thorfinn both caught it. Oh yes, this witch would be theirs by the end of the night. They would not celebrate another Christmas alone.

Thorfinn saw her cocoa disappearing, "Allow me Gryffindor, I'll get you another hot chocolate. I would hate for you to go thirsty when conversing with us." Without giving her a chance to protest he went up to the counter and ordered another hot chocolate from the barista. "Would you like this one special as well?" She nodded once to him and he poured another double shot in. When she looked at it she wondered how he knew how she liked her cocoa. No whipped cream with white chocolate shavings instead of marshmallows. She wondered if he knew to get the Mexican blend with the spice in it. She raised an eyebrow up at him in question when he put it in front of her. "Thorfinn how did you know how I take my cocoa?" He just shrugged.

"Just a guess, I fixed it how I picture you. A little spice and a little sweetness. Whipped cream seems too cliché while white chocolate takes a way from the spice of the Mexican cocoa. You are fire and passion love, but you are also sweetness and light. Normally that would be contradictory but with you it completes the puzzle. You found it in your heart to dig deeper into the history of those like us who were forced into servitude. You alone took the time to defend us and set us free from the wrongs of our fathers. Which while sweet, took more than a little fire. Your sugar and fire make and incendiary combination love." He gave her a genuine smile. "I never did get the chance to thank you for all you've done." He took her hand and lifted it to his lips. A chaste kiss against he knuckles, and he released it. "Thank you love, without you I wouldn't be here."

A flicker of surprise crossed her face, not only at the gesture but at the genuine gratitude. All she had done was what any person who truly believed in defending the innocents would have done. She didn't think it was that big a deal, then again, he was right. She had been the only one to even look into who was forced and who joined willingly, let alone actually defend them. It made her blood boil to think that anyone would condemn innocent people based on biased prejudices. Wasn't that what they had just fought against? But it seemed the side of the light was just as happy to be biased as the other. She frowned slightly, "Thorfinn what I did wasn't for thanks, I did it because it was the right thing to do. Some of you had no more choice to join than I did in who my parents were. We can't choose our parents, and while I love mine dearly and they in return loved me, I understand that all family relationships aren't like that. Especially in the wizarding community." She took a breath then. She hadn't been able to bring back her parents' memories after the war. They were lost to her now.

Thorfinn and Antonin shared a look. They had heard about what she had to do to save her parents lives. Antonin spoke first, "Come now Dorogaya, it does not bode well to be sad on Christmas Eve." He wrapped his arm around her while Thorfinn did the same on the other side. It was in that instant that the enchanted mistletoe let itself be known. None of the three of them could move to separate. She looked up at it with a glare, "Well isn't this just peachy. I spent all night avoiding mistletoe and Weasleys and now I'm stuck under it with you two. Wouldn't Molly just throw a fit." She smirked at the idea, yes Molly would throw a fit and it almost made it worth it.

Antonin again was the first to speak, "Hermione love, I know this isn't your idea of perfection, but I see this as a blessing for me. I've wanted to kiss you since the moment you first forgave me. The purity of your soul draws me to you, it seeks to purge the darkness from mine. If I might kiss you I would be the happiest man in the world tonight." Her breath caught in her throat, he had once again used her name and his voice speaking so poetically had her nodding without even thinking about it. He leaned down to her and pressed his lips against hers. As she melted into the kiss his tongue swiped over her lips beseeching her to open up to him. She opened her mouth slowly letting him deepen the kiss. As his tongue brushed hers she moaned softly into his mouth. Her arms reached up to wrap around his neck in pleasure.

It was then that Thorfinn cleared his throat. She turned to glare at him but realized she was still stuck. While Antonin was now able to move away and catch his breath, she and Thorfinn were still trapped. She groaned softly. Thorfinn looked at her for a minute before speaking, "I don't have pretty words or poetry to speak to you Hermione, but I've wanted to kiss you since you first pouted your lip tonight. You are a beautiful woman Hermione always have been. I am enthralled by you, its an obsession I can't escape. Every time I see you I want to speak to you, even if just to annoy you enough for you to argue with me. Your fire and passion draw me like a moth. I am helpless when it comes to you. I would love nothing more than to kiss you, but I will not do so without your permission. Please Hermione, allow me to kiss you. Even if its just this once, I need to know how you taste. I've driven myself insane for months wanting you, knowing that I will never be good enough."

Again, her breath caught. He might not be as poetic as Antonin, but there was something in the unbiased truth in his words, the unhindered way in which he spoke to her that had her breathless. She nodded her ascent and wrapped her arms around his neck he went to say something, but she stopped him, "Thorfinn, shut up and kiss me already." He immediately claimed her mouth, where Antonin had been sweet and questioning, Thorfinn was demanding and passionate. The opposite sides of her personality were drawn to both of them. Thorfinn slid his tongue in her mouth and deepened the kiss rather forcefully, but she loved it all the same. Her fingers slid through his hair and tugged gently making him groan into her mouth. She smirked against his lips as she pulled away. Her night might not have started out right but she was determined to end it right. "So during all your years of knowing each other did you ever share a girl?" She smirked again as they just looked at her. "Well come on boys, lets give ourselves a present this year." Without waiting to see if they were following she walked out the café door. When they caught up with her they both grabbed her and disapparated. Her last thought before appearing wherever they were taking her was, "Merry Christmas to me."