Author's Note: Thank you for the opportunity to be part of Advent once again! This year my prompt was a real challenge: "black ice". I went through several ideas before finally settling on this one. Draco and Hermione gave me a real run for my money this time around. I hope you found the end result enjoyable.

Disclaimer: In its use of intellectual property and characters belonging to JK Rowling, Warner Bros, Bloomsbury Publishing, et cetera, this work is intended to be transformative commentary on the original. No profit is being made from this work.

My beta readers were dormiensa andcaptainraychill - thank you so much for your encouragement and insight, ladies. :)

"There you are, Granger! I've been looking all over Diagon Alley for you."

Hermione let out a little shriek and almost dropped the pile of Christmas gifts she was carrying. She skidded in the freshly-fallen snow and did drop the large travel cup of fresh, hot cocoa she'd just purchased from Fortescue's. Her wand got caught in her scarf when she tried to draw it from her sleeve.

"Merlin's beard, Malfoy, you scared the life out of me!"

"I can't have done, you're still standing here." He untangled her wand from her scarf and hair. "Whatever happened to constant vigilance, Granger? Are you sure you're an Auror?"

She brandished her now-freed wand at him. "Watch it, Malfoy, or I'll tell Chief Robards I can't stand being your partner for one more second."

"I highly doubt that, Granger. You enjoy our witty repartee too much."

Her former enemy, now fellow Auror and friend, pulled open the beaded handbag hanging from her wrist and, ignoring her protests, stuffed in each of her packages one by one. When they were all stowed away, he took her by the elbow and pulled her along the street. "Speaking of being my partner, come on. There's no time to waste! My vacuous skating partner's broken her ankle, and I'll be damned if I'm going to lose to Blaise Zabini again."

She went with him willingly, staring at him as she tried to process what he'd just said. She realized for the first time that he was dressed quite oddly, especially for a Malfoy. Instead of his usual sombre grey robes or green Auror uniform, he was wearing a white, velvety shirt with silver satin feathers covering the sleeves and shoulders. His white trousers were snug (quite snug, she noticed) and shimmered faintly. In the hand not wrapped around hers, he held a mask that looked rather bird-like.

"What in Godric's name are you are wearing? Aren't you cold?" Realization dawned. "Merlin, are you competing in the Annual Christmas Charity Couple's Masquerade Ice-Dance-a-Thon again?"

Draco growled, "Yes, it's my costume for the Ice-Dance-a-Thon and yes, I'm competing again. And you are going to have a front row seat, Granger, because you are going to be in it. With me!"

"What? Oh no, not bloody likely, Malfoy! I can't skate—"

"Gryffindor dung! I used to watch you skate when we were at Hogwarts. I saw you write your name in the ice backwards while reading Hogwarts: A History. I'll bet you could write the entire bloody book from memory while skating on one foot."

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up with a confusing mix of both pride and indignation. She tried to tug her hand free. "You saw me? I thought I had the lake to myself. Why were you watching me? Creeper!"

Draco rolled his eyes but kept his grip. "Don't flatter yourself. I just happened to see you one day when I was taking some air. You weren't bad, so I watched for a while. I wasn't spying on you, not like you, Potter, and Weaselbee used to do to me." He smirked as she scowled.

She tried again. "Well, like I said, I thought I was alone when I was skating back then. I didn't know I had an audience. You aren't getting me out on the ice in front of all those people at the Ice-Dance-a-Thon."

"Granger, enough." He stopped, put his hands on her shoulders, and looked her square in the eyes. "I already know with my own eyes that you're an excellent skater and a good dancer. You'll be able to handle the competition. No one will know it's you, anyway. You'll be wearing a bloody mask! Plus, you've got great legs and a pert bottom and you'll look bloody marvelous in a skating cossie. We'll outlast Blaise and his partner, and we'll look smashing while doing it. Now hang on."

They'd reached an Apparition Point. Hermione was so muddled by Draco's passionate outpouring of words and compliments that she didn't realize they were Disapparating until too late.

CRACK!

They appeared in the middle of wintertime chaos. The Ice-Dance-a-Thon was going to take place, ironically enough, on the Black Lake near Hogwarts. Snow was falling steadily from the sky in big, fluffy flakes. Out on the ice, a large oval skating area had been cleared and was bordered by floating tinsel garlands and festive boughs of holly. Crowds of people were milling about the shore, consuming a variety of wintertime treats and beverages while waiting for the festivities to start. The musical strains of Christmas carols reached her ears. The smell of chocolate and cinnamon was strong in the air, mingling pleasantly with the scent of evergreens and Christmas cheer.

Hermione barely had time to absorb any of this. Draco held her hand tightly and hurried toward a roped-off area where several tents had been erected. He ducked into one, and she had no choice but to follow him.

Inside, it was obvious that the tent was a changing area. Street clothes and shoes were strewn everywhere. Draco led her to a bench in the far corner and stopped. Here, a pile of neatly folded clothing sat next to a pair of silver-coloured men's figure skates that matched the feathers on Draco's costume. There was also a pair of matching women's skates.

"This is us. Leave your things here." He yanked her bobbled hat from her head and tugged off her mittens. She slapped his hands away when he reached for her coat.

"I can manage on my own, thanks," she said indignantly and deftly undid the buttons. Looking for a place to hang it and not finding one, she drew her wand and Transfigured a nearby stool into a coat rack. She stuffed her beaded bag into her coat pocket, warded the coat from theft, and then smoothed her skirt and eyed the women's ice skates with some trepidation. "What size are they? I have rather large feet."

Draco shrugged. "Doesn't matter if you've got feet like Hagrid's. We can Transfigure them to fit. You'll be fine. What we need to do is figure out a costume." He eyed her clothes critically, looking her up and down. His eyes lingered on her chest and Hermione crossed her arms in front of her in a defensive gesture.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Having body image issues, Granger?"

"What kind of question is that?" she sputtered.

"Judging from what you're wearing, a pretty obvious one."

How dare you! It's mid-December and bloody cold out, Malfoy! I'm warm and everything coordinates nicely."

"Your clothes are warm, modest, and dead boring, Granger. We'll need to Transfigure them to spice things up a little. You've got to ooze sex appeal, like me."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Draco struck a pose that drew attention to his feathery sleeves, muscular chest, and thigh-hugging pants. Despite her annoyance with him, she swallowed hard. There was no question that Draco Malfoy was fit, and his skating costume left almost nothing to the imagination.

"Really," he said smugly, noting her reaction.

Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "Why can't I just wear your partner's costume?"

"Because she looked like a tinsel-wrapped turd."

"Lovely. Who did you choose to be your poor, unfortunate partner this year, anyway? You and your partner fell over another couple the first year, and then two years ago your partner threw up because of motion sickness, didn't she? You'd twirled her too fast."

Draco made a face. "Ugh. Thanks so much for reminding me."

Hermione was giggling. "And last year, you skated with some French girl who slapped you across the face before Disapparating halfway through the competition."

Draco curled his lip in disgust. "Yes. That was Colette. She didn't understand that I was trying to tango with her. She thought I was just grabbing her arse."

"But you did grab her arse!"

"It's part of the dance! And anyway, she was such a stick she didn't have much of an arse to grab. I didn't even realize I'd done it." He shrugged. "C'est la vie."

Hermione shook her head. "Being your ice dancing partner seems to be as hazardous as being the DADA teacher at Hogwarts. So what unfortunate soul was going to skate with you this time?"

Draco let out a resigned sigh. "Astoria Greengrass."

"Astoria?" Hermione was surprised. "That's… unexpected."

"Yeah, well. She and Theo Nott are engaged, and he suggested the two of us pair up this year. She skated all right when we practised, but she doesn't have a brain in her head."

"How did she get hurt?"

"For some unknown reason, she was chasing a white rabbit through the snow this morning when she slipped on some black ice, fell down a hole, and broke her ankle. It was a bad break. The Skele-Gro won't work fast enough. She's at St. Mungo's with Theo." He shook his head. "Poor sod. I have no idea what he sees in her. She's not my type at all. Tall, dumb, blonde, thin as a broomstick..."

Short, brainy, brown-haired, curvy Hermione felt her cheeks heat up a bit. She cleared her throat and turned back to the matter at hand.

"Malfoy, what is really going on here? I know this Ice-Dance-a-Thon has a five thousand Galleon prize for the winning pair. The last couple skating wins, and the money is donated to a charity of their choice." She eyed him suspiciously. "But you're rich. You don't need prize money. I've seen you make large charitable donations. Why do this to yourself every year?"

Hermione studied Draco's face. He looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Well?"

"I'll tell you, but only if you promise you'll help me, partner."

"I'm not promising anything, partner, until I know the story."

Draco crossed his feathery arms and frowned at her, looking for all the world like a giant pouting swan. She waited silently. After a minute or two, he looked at the clock on the wall of the tent and gave in.

"All right, I'll tell you. Blaise, Pansy, and I used to skate all the time as kids. We taught ourselves all kinds of moves. We'd always try to outlast each other. Whoever complained last about the cold, won. I never wanted to lose, so I learned to skate fast to keep my blood pumping. Three years ago, Blaise bet me that I couldn't find someone who could keep up with me on the ice."

"I see. What do you get if you win?"

"Exclusive use of his private tropical island getaway for a month."

"Merlin! That's a nice incentive. What happens if you lose?"

Draco visibly shuddered. "If my skating partner and I are disqualified or otherwise sent off the ice before Blaise and his partner, I have to take his mother to the Ministry's Yuletide Ball."

Hermione chuckled. "Aww, he's looking out for his dear old mum. That doesn't seem so bad. You must know her well."

"Yes, I certainly do know her. Do you know Leona 'The Cougar' Zabini? Talk about grabbing someone's arse." Draco winced. "I think mine has permanent bruising. She'd like to know me better, if you get my meaning. I've had to escort her to the blasted Ball for the last three years running, and I'm afraid I'll lose my innocence if I have to take her again this year."

Hermione had covered her mouth with her fingers in horror as Draco told his tale, but this last made her snort loudly. "Your innocence? You're kidding, right?" She began to laugh.

"You know what I mean. I'm twenty-three, and she's probably ten years older than my mother. She's got to be close to sixty." Draco scowled. "Just because I'm not seeing anyone doesn't mean I'm desperate. I've no desire to be Leona's boy toy."

He looked so woebegone that Hermione's mirth was quelled. She hesitated. "Blaise and Pansy have been dancing partners every year, haven't they? They're really good together."

Draco grunted. "I know."

"You can't break off the bet?"

"No," he said, dejectedly. "I agreed to the bet while drunk. Blaise got me to make an Unbreakable Vow. Until I win, I have to compete every year." He paused. "I don't know what I was thinking. It wasn't my finest moment."

"We've all done things we regret."

"Like dating Ron the Weasel King? I'm glad you came to your senses on that one."

"Ha ha. Yes. Another comment like that, Malfoy, and I'm out of here."

"I'm sorry."

He sounded genuinely contrite. She bit her lip and then made up her mind. "All right, partner. I'll help you."

"You will?" Draco broke into a bright, relieved smile. He grabbed her by the shoulders again, stopping just short of hugging her. "Thank you!"

She waggled a finger at him. "You'll owe me big time for this."

He rolled his eyes. "I know, Granger, I know. I'll buy you all the hot cocoa you can drink."

Hermione laughed. "Well, that will be a start, but I'm holding you to something bigger."

"Oh, really? Got something specific in mind?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

She blushed. "I'm almost nine months older than you, Malfoy. I thought you didn't like older women."

"I might make an exception in the right circumstances," he said, slyly.

Hermione began to splutter. Draco took advantage of her distraction to draw his wand and take aim.

"Hold still!" he warned and waved his wand down the length of her body.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped.

Within seconds, her clothes changed from sensible shopping attire into a beautiful white, shimmering skating costume with a short fluttering skirt and a tight bodice. Feathers similar to the ones on Draco's costume covered her arms and shoulders. The entire costume hugged her curves in a satisfyingly sensual way. Even her thick, brown woolen tights had been Transfigured into skin-toned skating hose. She felt ethereal.

"There," Draco said, his tone smug. "That's much better."

Hermione was admiring herself in a nearby mirror, but at Draco's words, she sniffed. "It's all right, I suppose." She tugged at her neckline. "It's rather low-cut, isn't it?"

"Yes," he said to her chest. "It's perfect."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Eyes up here, Malfoy." She smirked at Draco's slightly guilty expression. "Caught you," she added. His ears turned pink.

"Let me have your mask," she asked, feeling emboldened. "I want to make one that's similar." She took his feathered, bird-like mask from him and cast Geminio. Handing back the original, she adjusted the duplicate's features to be more delicate and feminine and tried it on.

She looked quite regal with the white and silver feathers framing her face. Examining her reflection critically, she asked, "Just what are we? Shimmering feathers, bird of prey mask… are we supposed to be owls? Bald eagles?"

"No! For Merlin's sake, Granger. We're Veela."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously?"

He crossed his arms, feathers fluttering. "There are male Veela, you know," he said, huffily.

"That's not quite…. of course there must be, but… well…"

"Granger, we're Veela. Or bald eagles or owls. We can even be bloody Hippogriffs if you want. I don't care." He slid an arm around her waist and gestured at the two of them in the mirror. "We look damn good, whatever we are."

She had to agree. The two of them were luminous in their white and silver outfits. The masks were beautiful. Each had just the hint of a beak, so they wouldn't be poking each other's eyes out as they skated. Though, she mused, since the top of her head came just to Draco's chin, there wouldn't be much danger of eye gouging, anyway.

"Just one last thing," she said. She tapped her hair with her wand. It obligingly twisted itself into a neat and tidy braided updo, showing off her neck and shoulders. "That's better."

Draco stared at her in the mirror. "If it's that easy, why don't you do that every day?"

Hermione patted her hair. "Because then it wouldn't cause such a dramatic reaction when I do do it." She batted her eyelashes at him and then sat down to put on the skates.

"Ooo, that's a bit chilly!" she said, when her bottom hit the cold bench. "Are we allowed to use Warming Charms?" she asked, looking up at him.

Draco sat down beside her, his thigh brushing hers. "No. We have to do everything out there sans magic. Our costumes can be charmed, but no warming spells are allowed. We have to check our wands at the registration table, in fact."

"Really?" she said with dismay. She wasn't relishing the idea of being out on the cold expanse of the Black Lake without a Warming Charm or two.

"Really really," he replied, expertly tying his skates on.

She sighed and carefully stuck her feet into the pair of women's skates. A tap from her wand to widen them and they fit like they'd been made for her. She put the guards on the blades and stood up, wobbling a bit.

"Will we have time for a little warm-up?" she asked. "I'm a little rusty."

Draco had finished with his skates and stood up, too. "We have forty-five minutes. We have to sign in before we do anything else." He took both her hands in his. She looked up at him. "I'm counting on you, Granger," he said. The earnest desperation in his face made her stomach swoop.

"I'll do my best," she murmured. Then she drew a deep breath and tugged on one of his hands. "Come on, Malfoy. Let's go."

After making sure their masks were secure, Draco led her out of the tent and made a beeline for the registration area. The judges were there—Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic; Chestina Salchow, a figure skating champion from days of yore; and Jimmy Moore, the head of Charitable Giving at the Ministry.

Percy Weasley was in charge of skater registration. A dark-haired witch wearing a pointy black mask and matching skating dress was leading a black-clad, dark-skinned wizard away from Percy's table as Hermione and Draco approached. He looked up at the feathery pair and pompously declared, "I need your skating names, the name of your chosen charity, and your wands, please."

She adjusted her mask self-consciously. "Our skating names?" she whispered to Draco.

"Remember? Competitors wear masks and use pseudonyms to prevent favoritism," he murmured.

"As if your hair isn't a giveaway?" she replied with incredulity.

Draco just shrugged. "And yours isn't?"

Hermione touched her hair in a panic, afraid it had come free of its updo. It was still neatly braided and tucked away. He smirked. She stuck out her tongue. "Just for that, I'm picking our names."

Draco looked panicky. "Please don't call me something stupid, like Mr. Sparklebuns or Sir Skates-a-lot!"

"Don't worry. I'll call myself Hot Cocoa and you Toasted Marshmallow," she said with a grin. Ignoring his groan of dismay, she turned back to Percy.

"Hello," she rasped, trying to disguise her voice. She could practically hear Draco rolling his eyes.

"Wands and names, please," Percy intoned again.

She reached back to yank Draco's wand out of his fist. She handed both of them to Percy. "Our charity is the Hogwarts War Orphans Scholarship Fund. Call us—" She felt Draco's arm, which had never left her waist, tighten up, and his fingers dug into her hip. She scanned the list of other registrants. The couple just before them had registered as Black Ice and Special Snowflake. That had to be Blaise and Pansy. She hesitated only a moment before smiling at Percy. "You can call me the Angel of Mercy, and my friend here is the Heavenly Host."

She gave her speechless partner a saucy grin as Percy recorded their names. "Pairing: Angel of Mercy, Heavenly Host. Got it. See me after the event to retrieve your wands. You have thirty-five minutes until ice time. Next!" he said, all in a monotone. Hermione thanked him and led Draco away to practise.

Half an hour later, after some stretching and warm-ups, all twelve pairs of ice dancers were called to the official skating arena by magically amplified jingle bells. Snow was still falling steadily. As each pair skated up, Percy announced their names by way of a Sonorus. The crowd cheered. Hermione felt her stomach fill with butterflies as she and Draco took their places. They found themselves positioned near Black Ice and Special Snowflake.

"Hey, Heavenly Host," Black Ice called out.

Draco slowly looked in Blaise's direction. Blaise's dark eyes glittered behind his crystalline mask, which looked to be made of darkest ebony and was all sharp edges. Special Snowflake's mask was also black and did look like a six-pointed snowflake. They both wore black velvet costumes, which were the only remotely soft things about them.

The other woman studied Hermione with a total lack of recognition. Hermione smiled when she realized that Pansy didn't know who she was.

"Mum's disappointed, Draco. She heard about Astoria and thought you were a guaranteed escort for this year's Yule Ball. But you managed to find a replacement partner, I see," Blaise was saying. "Or did your mother set you up with this one, too?" He glanced briefly at Hermione. "She's different from your usual fare." He had his hands on Pansy's willowy waist. "She's short, for one."

"And curvy," added Pansy. "Dat ass!" She slid her hands up Blaise's chest and laughed.

Draco surprised Hermione by pulling her against him in a protective gesture. One of his hands was pressed firmly against her back, the other held her hand in preparation for the music to start. She could feel the tension in his entire body.

"She's the best partner I've had," he said to Blaise. He looked into Hermione's eyes. "I chose her especially."

The heat in his eyes startled her, but the announcer began to explain the rules before she could say anything. She settled for holding Draco's gaze with her own as they listened. Dancers were to always be in contact with their partners, blah blah; all dances had to be recognizable, not just skating to the music, ho hum; and any fall would be considered a disqualification. Any skater who touched someone not their partner would also be disqualified.

"Remember, this is not some kind of skating derby!" Percy finished to laughter from the crowd. "The winning couple will be the last one skating. The judges will have the final say on any disputes. Now, enjoy yourselves! Break a leg out there!"

Draco winced at that last. Hermione squeezed his hand reassuringly. Then the music began, and Draco led her into their first dance.

He hadn't been exaggerating; he really could skate, and oh, was he smooth! She was enthralled. Even though she was shorter than he, she had no trouble keeping up with him stride for stride. They held hands as though they'd been doing so all their lives. She'd always enjoyed the speed and freedom of ice skating, but this was the first time she'd skated in tandem. It felt wonderful.

"You should have asked me to be your partner three years ago, Malfoy," she said after a crowd-pleasing twirl. She was sure her skirt had given the spectators a good glimpse of her bum. "I'm having so much fun!"

"I didn't know you well enough then," Draco said, picking her up effortlessly for another spin. "But I wish I had."

She was no Olympic skater, but neither was he. This was all about enjoying themselves and outlasting the other people on the ice. They waltzed. They foxtrotted. They danced the jitterbug and the rhumba. Always, they were smiling.

The first couple to go down was Sugar Plum and Sweet Meat. It was an all-male pair wearing peacock greens and blues, overcome with leg cramps. "There goes Finch-Fletchley," murmured Draco. Hermione giggled.

Candy Cane and Father Christmas went out after an unfortunate collision with Yule Log and Sleigh Bells. "Yule Log McLaggen should've kept it in his pants," Hermione remarked, making Draco laugh out loud.

As time went on, more couples were eliminated. Draco became bolder and his touches more intimate. Hermione found herself welcoming them. They had no need for Warming Charms. They were heating up well enough on their own.

After a couple of hours, only three couples were left: Mistletoe and Ice Sickle, Black Ice and Special Snowflake, and Heavenly Host and his lovely Angel of Mercy. Draco decided he needed to up the ante.

To his delight, just then the music changed. "Granger, it's time to tango," he said.

"Tango?" Hermione said, her heart beating even faster. "But that's such a sensual dance."

"Afraid, partner?" he breathed, their noses almost touching.

She looked him in the eye. "Never," she said, wrapping a leg around his.

His hand slid down to caress her bum.

"Did you just grab my arse, Malfoy?"

"You're damn right I did, Granger."

They began to tango. Lost in the dance and each other, Draco and Hermione missed Pansy's hissed whisper to Blaise.

"Did you hear that? That's Hermione Granger! I knew it! That bushy-haired Muggle-born's Draco's partner!"

Blaise stared after the feather-clad couple. "No. It can't be. There's no bloody way she's good enough for Draco."

"Who says Hermy-own-ninny not good enough for Malfoy?" rumbled a voice nearby.

They turned to see Ice Sickle just a yard away, glaring daggers at them through his simple eye mask. His red-haired partner, Mistletoe, was also glaring. Her brown eyes were narrow behind her red fox facade.

Blaise drew himself up, skating backwards while holding Pansy's hand. "I say. She's no match for Draco. Never was."

"Obviously, Malfoy think different," said Ice Sickle, gesturing at the silvery Veela couple.

Black Ice and Special Snowflake looked over to see the Heavenly Host locked in a passionate liplock with his Angel of Mercy. One of his hands had slipped under her skating skirt, and she had her hips pressed hard against him. In the late afternoon light, their feathery costumes were glowing. Amidst all of this, they continued skating. The crowd was cheering and whooping.

Blaise and Pansy stared. "I've never seen anyone kiss and skate at the same time," Pansy pouted. "They're practically shagging. Isn't that against the rules?"

"No," said Mistletoe, as her partner skated away from them all. "They're still touching each other, and they're still dancing. Unlike you two."

"What?"

Mistletoe smirked as Ice Sickle performed an ice skater's version of the Wronski Feint. As he streaked down the ice toward them, Blaise and Pansy both shrieked in panic and skated away in opposite directions. Mistletoe bent over laughing as Ice Sickle ploughed after Blaise. The blaring horns that announced the disqualification of both couples for lack of touching didn't bother her a bit.

Hermione and Draco remained oblivious until the bells began ringing to signal the end of the Ice-Dance-a-Thon. When they sounded, Hermione was the first to break the kiss.

She looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"Whazzat?" asked Draco, heavy-lidded. He tried to recapture Hermione's lips, but his mask's beak caught on hers.

She chuckled and covered his questing mouth with her fingers. "I think we've won, Draco," she said. "Look!"

The crowd was cheering and stomping their feet. Hermione pointed to the shore where Blaise and Pansy were in a heated discussion with the officials, all of whom were shaking their heads. They skated up to the table just in time to see Pansy dash her mask to the ice, where it shattered into a thousand pieces. She angrily stomped her foot, but her skate's blade caught the side of Blaise's and the two of them were knocked off balance. Pinwheeling their arms madly to stay upright, nevertheless they both fell with a solid whump onto their bottoms. Mistletoe and Ice Sickle, who had been watching the argument from nearby, clapped hard.

"If they weren't disqualified before, they certainly are now," Hermione remarked, smiling.

Ignoring everything else - Blaise, Pansy, the cheering crowd, the happy, chattering judges - Draco drew Hermione into his arms.

"You make an excellent partner, Granger," he said, grinning.

"Thank you, Malfoy," Hermione said. She removed their masks. "You know what, though? I'm still in the mood to tango."

"Are you really?" He began to leave a trail of hot, little kisses along her jawline.

"Really really," she said, arching into him. One of his hands obligingly cupped her arse.

"Maybe it's just the Veela costume," he mused. "They are dancers, after all. Maybe it's rubbing off on you."

"I don't think that's all that's rubbing off." She could feel something hard and hot against her stomach. "We should get out of these costumes and find out." She wriggled against him.

"Come on then, Granger," he said. He leaned over and snagged their wands from Percy, who'd been standing there blushing to the roots of his ginger hair during their Veela-like mating display.

"Send our belongings to my townhouse, Weasley," he told him.

Hermione called out, "Happy Christmas, everyone!"

Clinging to one another tightly, she and her partner Disapparated in a swirl of silvery feathers.