Next year

Emma jumped down the sledge in front of a familiar house. She was all dressed up in a blood red skirt and a fluffy red crop top with fluffy white border looking all more like Santa that she is. But her head still deprived of the hat.

She walked to the door with a bag in her hand and present in the other. Standing in front of the door, she took a deep breath and knocked.

Draco had lost all the hopes of her coming back. His injuries healed but his heart hadn't. He fell in love with a person who didn't want to stay. With his broken heart, he continued his daily life with an empty heart. His face deprived of emotions. Not even disgust or anger which used to reside there.

By the end of February, he had completely lost hope of her return. He had her hat safely tugged in his wardrobe. Every now and then, he would caress it and remember the minutes he spent with her. He missed her smile, her laughter and her love for Christmas. He still had those cookies he baked for her. Every day he would eat one in her remembrance.

Now that it was holiday season again, all those bitter memories came back. How he kicked her out of the house and how his heart was broken.

Just like every year, this year too he went shopping for groceries. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he expected her to show up once again like last year. But it never happened. He ignored the stares of people and their mutters as he entered the holiday's aisle of the shop. He picked up some cake mix and cookies and walked out to pay. Even the cashier was shocked to see the Christmas spirit Draco showed.

Without further thoughts, Draco stuffed everything in the car and made his way home. When he reached there, he saw someone sitting on the porch in the snow. The person was sitting Indian style and was looking expectedly at the door. It looked as if they didn't know that the owner wasn't home. They had a bag with them too.

Draco was confused. He never had any relatives. So where did this person come from? He walked to the door. As he reached there, the person looked down and turned around so that he could open the door. When he looked at the person, he was stunned.

She didn't expect the door to stay locked. But she was patient. She waited an entire year, a few minutes more are still worth it. She heard him come and her breath quickened. When she looked up, she saw him stunned.

She wanted to hug him and kiss him but she knew better. She had some explaining to do. Even he understood that. He moved aside and let her in. The house was still deprived of decorations. She sat down on the sofa and looked at him. He knew they had to talk. He had so many questions for her. How was she? Where was she? Why she's back?

"Hi, Draco."

She knew she should initiate the talk. It was too awkward and confusing for him to talk. He cleared his throat.

"Hello, Emma."

She fiddled with her fingers and sighed. Smiling, she decided to continue.

"I'm back. For you."

"Huh?"

He was still confused about everything that's going on. I shook her head and readied her explanation.

"After I went out of the door, my grandpa came to get me. He too had suffered from the same fate as I did. So he decided to let me be the Santa and-"

"If you are Santa then why are you here? Weren't you supposed to stay there?"

"I was but my paa said that I can work from here for the rest of the year only if I went back during Christmas eve."

"So you why are you here? After all this? After an entire year? If everything was decided then why are you here so late?"

She got it. It was hard for both of them. Not too hard for her than him. She knew she was coming back but he didn't. She had hope but he didn't. She had messed up once but not now.

"I had to train. Also, my paa told me that the souls that fall in love during Christmas and separate on the same day have to meet on that day only."

"Huh..."

He was trying to gather the information. He was trying to accept the fairytale around him.

"So you just... You will... Stay?"

"Yes!"

His confusion was met with her excitement. He saw her properly for the first time. She looked every inch of a Santa. He rubbed his face trying to grasp everything. She knew it was too much for him to take in. She went down on both knees in front of him and held his hands.

"I know you had lost all the hopes. I had too. It was my paa that gave me the hope to see you again. I asked him to come to you and tell you about this too but he refused. He said that if you really loved me as much as I love you, then you'll wait as long as it takes."

"That is one twisted way to give hope to someone."

She giggled and slowly it turned into laughter. Looking at her, a smile it's a way to his face. Eventually, he joined her. Laughter filled the room. The snow grew softer outside. Everything brightened more. The fireflies surrounded the skies.

He walked to her and cupped her face. Her laughter died down leaving a small smile on her face. He massaged her cheeks with his thumb. She looked in his eyes and felt warmth all over her. As if she was diving in the molten chocolate.

He just looked in her eyes once and he was in a winter wonderland. Those snowflakes swirling in her eyes made him feel cold yet so warm. He never knew when he leaned in close to her. As if they were drawn to each other.

Their shared kiss was a new feeling for them. They communicated their lost time like never before. They made up for their miscommunication.

"I'm not leaving you. Ever."

"And I'm never letting you go too."

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