Hello hello again! I know Christmas is over now, but this is the original story I was going to post before I got writer's block for it... Anyhow, it's just a small cutesy oneshot, of course. Something that came to mind when I was thinking about mistletoe.

Enjoy :)

Mistletoes and Missed Kisses

Three missed mistletoe kisses and the one that wasn't. [Draco tries three times to trap a certain witch under the mistletoe with him - and fails. And then there's that one time he doesn't.]

X

Attempt No. 1
December 1, 1999

He's standing in the shadows behind a tapestry in the corridor outside the library, patiently waiting. He knows she's in there – she's always in there. And he knows that it's only a matter of time before she comes out to go back to her common room – the library closes soon anyhow, so it isn't like she even has a choice. So he waits.

His plan is already set in motion; the enchanted mistletoe he purchased from the Weasley twins is hanging on the ceiling just a few feet away from the doors, positioned perfectly. And like any of his devious plans, it's fool proof. She'll walk out of the library, her nose buried in whichever book she took from the shelves, and walk briskly along the otherwise deserted corridor and then, when the time is right, she'll get stuck under the mistletoe. She'll be trapped, unable to move from the set perimeter, until someone comes along and kisses her to lift the spell. And that someone will no doubt be him.

He smirks at the thought of catching her off guard. At the confused, but ultimately intrigued look she'll get on her pretty little face when he recites that he is the only person within kissing distance of her and that, therefore, it is his duty to the Wizarding World to break the enchantment. She'll probably argue, say she'd rather kiss the floor at her feet, insist that she would just stay here until someone more noblecomes along. But he'll kiss her anyways because it's all a part of his plan.

The creak of the old, large door opening pulls him out of his thoughts and he casts his gaze towards the entrance of the library. He sees her unruly, untamable and all around messy, bouncing, luxurious curls first – and he wants to lose his hands in them. And sure enough, her nose is buried in a book. Just as he had anticipated, she heads down the corridor, directly in the path of his mistletoe. She almost reaches the perimeter when an annoyingly familiar voice echoes in the emptiness.

"Hermione! Wait up!"

It's the redheaded, blubbering idiot.

He watches as the redhead stumbles out of the library after her and frowns.

"I told you to hurry up, Ronald."

"I didn't think you'd just leave."

"Well maybe you should think," she snaps.

"You're going the wrong way," he calls after her, ignoring her last comment.

To his own horror, she stops walking just before the beginning of the perimeter. She turns around to face her dumb friend, closing her book as she hugs it to her chest. "What are you talking about?"

"This way's faster," Weasley says, pointing in the opposite direction.

From his hiding place, he fumes.

"C'mon," the idiot coaxes, cocking his head in the other direction.

She concedes easily, sighing as she walks back towards the redhead.

He nearly gives away his hiding spot when he growls low in his chest, watching the pair fall into step. It seems that his plan wasn't so foolproof after all.

Ten minutes later, once he's calmed down and begun thinking rationally – as in no longer wanting to actually kill the dumb Weasel King – he decides to just try again. He willget his kiss.

Draco Malfoy willkiss Hermione Granger.

X

Attempt No. 2
December 5, 1999

He plants his second mistletoe outside in the corridor where he knows Granger's doing her rounds. He, himself, has just finished his own rounds – of which he gave out three detentions for snogging in abandoned corridors after hours and took away 10 points from a Hufflepuff for being, well, a Hufflepuff. After finishing his post, he makes his way toward where he knows she's going to finish up her post.

He rounds the last corner before the corner where he hung the mistletoe and stops when he sees Longbottom walking towards him at the other end of the corridor. He groans, clenching his fists at his sides. What the hell is the oaf doing here? He was scheduled to be on the other side of the bloody school, for Merlin's sake – he made sure of it.

As if on cue, Granger appears. She sees the long-bottomed Gryffindor first. "Hey Neville!" She greets him cheerily.

Draco frowns.

"Hey Hermione," the tall, lanky fellow replies. "Finished?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah. Shall we walk back together?" Longbottom asks her, playfully offering her his arm.

She giggles and takes it. "Thanks!"

They both start to walk towards him and having not yet seen him, Draco ducks into an alcove. They're coming dangerously close to the mistletoe hanging above and he curses. No, no, nonono! Longbottom cannotkiss Granger! On instinct more than anything, he points his wand toward the pair and mutters a spell under his breath.

Within seconds, Longbottom 'slips' and the both of them stumble sideways into the far wall and, more importantly, away from the mistletoe.

"Oof!"

"Oww..."

"Sorry," Longbottom apologizes shamefully. "I-I don't know what happened..."

"It's okay," she laughs, waving it off as she pushes herself to her feet, brushes off her pleated skirt – Draco doesn't even get a nice view of her knickers – and helps her friend to his feet. "Okay?"

"Fine. You?"

"Yeah," she breathes, glancing up and down the corridor.

Draco fumes, watching from his current hiding spot as she disappears down the corridor. Damn Longbottom and his impeccable timing.

X

Attempt No. 3
December 11, 1999

His third mistletoe hangs from the door frame leading into the kitchens. He knows she's going to be there tonight because he heard her telling the She-Weasel that she was going to bring the elves some Christmas cookies she bought in Hogsmeade.

He gets there early and stands in the shadows to wait for her. The sound of her foot falls against the concrete floors reaches his ears before he sees her round the corner. She's holding a large red tin box with white and silver snowflakes. She looks happy. Cheerful. Excited, almost. He smiles to himself.

As if on cue, the large wooden door to the kitchen opens and a small, frail looking male elf walks through the doorway and into the corridor. And Draco knows that this can't mean anything good.

"Hermione Granger!" the elf squeaks.

"Hi Linx," Hermione greets the creature, smiling warmly. Ever noticed that her smile is the same for both humans and elves?

"Miss, it's past curfew," Linx whispers then, looking around as though she's afraid they're going to get caught. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"Oh, I know, it's okay though. I assure you," the witch replies. "I brought you something – actually it's for the whole kitchen," she says, bending down to be at eye-level with the elf.

Linx looks skeptical at first, and then curious as he walks towards her – right under the mistletoe; through the perimeter and everything.

Draco looks on, his brow furrowing in confusion as to why the elf didn't get stuck in the plants enchantment.

Hermione smiles, pulling back the lid of the tin box to reveal red, green and white Christmas themed cookies.

The elf's eyes grow wider than usual at the delicious sight before him before he frowns at himself and takes a step back. "Oh no, I couldn't – we couldn't. We shan't take gifts from-"

"Oh but I insist! I bought them in Hogsmeade for you and the others to have on Christmas," Hermione insists.

Draco rolls his eyes. When will she realize that the elves don't need – or want – to be saved? And yet isn't that what he sort of finds...endearing about her?

"But-"

"Please take them. In fact, I demand it and I won't take no for an answer."

The elf hesitates before he accepts the box and replaced the lid, thanking her profusely.

"You're very welcome, Linx. Happy Christmas," she whispers, leaning forward to brush her lips against the elf's forehead.

Draco nearly gags, his nose scrunching in disgust as she does so. And then he notices the blush creeping its way onto the elf's cheeks and his chest stirs; the bloody creature fancies Granger! He fancies her!

How dare he?!

Moments later, the elf is gone back into the kitchen and he's watching her walk away while the mistletoe still hangs from the doorframe.

X

The Kiss
December 15, 1999

With the Hogwarts Express leaving back for London in just five more days, Draco Malfoy is starting to panic. He's desperate. He needsto get his kiss before they all leave for the holidays. He has to. Otherwise, he might miss his bloody chance and he can't let that happen.

So, naturally, instead of planting another mistletoe somewhere in the castle and trying to trick her into stumbling into it, he's decided to do this the old fashioned way.

Upon entering the Great Hall for Sunday breakfast, his gaze settles on the Gryffindor table, searching for his brown-haired muggleborn. He sees her sitting across from Potter and Weasley, laughing at whatever mediocre joke the pair has probably just told her. He pauses for a moment, letting his gaze rake over her – her unruly curls, an adorable ugly Christmas sweater with snowflakes and reindeer and a jolly old fellow in an ugly red suit, and a pair of those tight, form-fitting black leggings all the girls like to wear which he really doesn't mind.

Someone enters the hall behind him and claps him on the back. He tears his gaze away from the table and finds himself looking at his Slytherin mate Theodore Nott.

"Well get on with it then," Nott tells him. The smirk on his face rivals his own.

"What?"

"If you don't kiss her soon, someone else will."

His gaze narrows dangerously as he turns to his friend. "If you lay one hand on her, I swear-"

"Relax," Theo laughs. "I'm just saying."

Draco scowls at him.

"Go. Before I change my mind."

The blond nods, to himself more than anything, before he begins his trek towards the Gryffindor in question. He stops behind her, ignoring Weasley's curious glare and Potter's knowing smirk. He clears his throat, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Granger."

She turns her head to face him and the smile that graces her lips takes his breath away. "Hey Draco. Here, sit down," she says, sliding over to give him room.

"I'm fine, thanks," he replies. His tone is a little more stern than he had originally intended. "Stand up."

She blinks, looking taken aback. "W-what?"

He shifts uncomfortably. "Um, please?"

"Okay," she whispers, giggling nervously as she swings her legs over the bench and then stands up. She's chest to chest with him.

He gulps, his grey eyes boring into hers. "I, uh, got you something. For Christmas," he murmurs, pulling a little black box with a red ribbon wrapped around it out of his pocket. He holds it out for her.

She stares wide-eyed at the box, her mouth running dry. "Wha-Draco..."

"Open it," he says, placing it into her hands. He watches her with baited breath as she unravels the ribbon and then removes the lid. He watches the smile form on her lips and the way her eyelashes flutter furiously against her cheeks.

She stares intensely down at the small white gold feather earrings inside the box. "I...Draco, I can't-"

"You can. I saw you looking at them through the window at Hogsmeade."

"Oh, barf," Weasley mutters from the other side of the table.

Instead of glaring at him, Draco ignores him and focuses instead on the girl before him with the dazzling smile.

She looks up at him. "I didn't get you anything."

He smirks, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, there is somethingyou can give me."

"What is it?"

He pulls his wand out of the back pocket of his trousers and with a flick of his wrist, a mistletoe twig is hanging above their heads. He grins as she rolls her eyes. "Kiss me."

She shakes her head, pushing herself into her toes as she curls her fingers around the colour of his green sweater. Ever-so-briefly, she presses her lips against his.

His blinks furiously, frozen to his spot from the moment her lips touch his. In truth, he hadn't expected it to be that easy.

"You're a conniving little git, you know that?" she murmurs as she pulls back.

"You don't even know the half of it," he breathes.

"That's disgusting," Weasley declares mockingly.

"Yeah, get a room," Potter teases.

Hermione rolls her eyes, adjusting the blonde's collar. "You didn't have to use mistletoe, you know. All you had to do was ask."

"Oh now you tell me," Draco grumbles.

"Well you didn't ask," she replies, sitting back down on the Gryffindor bench.

He rolls his eyes, sitting down next to her. Within seconds he falls into conversation with Potter and Weasley and while the latter chatters on and on about Merlin knows what, he chances a sideways glance at the beautiful witch beside him. The reason for why he is where he is.

She smiles at him, tilting her head to the side. "Happy Christmas, Draco."

He grins back. "Happy Christmas, Granger."