Unofficial Portkey Archive

This was a quick bit of Christmas fluff that I wrote for the wonderful Victoria Tonks - a sort of Christmas/atonement present to make up for something I unleashed. It's expanded and cleaned up a bit from the original drabble on my LiveJournal (which was knocked out in under 4 hours - when the plot bunny attacks it's like that frelling rabbit in The Holy Grail!). The only completely different thing is the title. Enjoy.

One Simple Thing

He'd only been in Professor Trelawney's classroom for a few moments, but already Harry was feeling uncomfortably warm and befuddled.

"Today my dear students, we will be working on a Christmas assignment," she spoke cheerfully to the assembled class, which, in and of itself, was quite uncharacteristic. "Are any of you familiar with concept of the vision quest?"

Harry and Ron both glanced around the room. Being in a class without Hermione did have it's drawbacks.

"No one then? Oh dear." Trelawney gave a small, woeful shake of her head before continuing. "Well then, I have foreseen that you will all find this most interesting."

Ron rolled his eyes and Harry suppressed a grin.

"My dears, as the holidays approach, many of you have no doubt experienced numerous friends and acquaintances asking you what you would like for Christmas?"

Nearly everyone's head nodded at this question, except for Harry, who had few friends and no family worth mentioning.

"Well, as I'm certain most of you have experienced, you may have a few nebulous ideas. However, I predict that many of you will be disappointed come Christmas morning, for it will only be then that you remember what you truly wanted, and forgot to tell anyone."

Many heads nodded in agreement.

"What we will be doing today is a less potent, less ambitious version of the vision quest. Even those of you who do not possess the strength of the Inner Eye," her gaze lingered on Harry and Ron, "will still benefit from this exercise, as it's more a process of your own magical ability than true seer ability."

"For this, you will all need your wands," there was a low hum of noise as everyone shifted about to draw their wands. They had never used them in Divination before. Professor Trelawney also produced a wand, and Harry thought it strange when he realized he'd never seen her with one before. Once everyone was prepared, she continued.

"Each of you will be concentrating on the question, 'what is one simple thing that I would like for Christmas?' The charms you cast will enhance your thought processes, and, if done correctly, will show you your actual desire, whether you were aware of it or not. This exercise is the first of many vision quest assignments we well be exploring next term. In the meantime, I would like you to become familiar with them here by doing this simple task. The enchantment itself should only last a few moments. You will be in pairs, and when you are each ready, you and your partner will simultaneously cast the charm," she showed the correct flourish of her wand, "ostendo! Repeat after me class, without wands."

"Ostendo!"

"Good, good. Now then, clear your minds and focus... one simple thing."

Harry had never particularly looked forward to Christmas, and, as the previous year was both the first and last Christmas he'd ever spent with Sirius, he wasn't looking forward to this year either. He closed his eyes and, not for the first time, the thought of 'why am I still taking Divination,' crossed his mind. He concentrated on clearing his thoughts and focused on the singular question.

'One simple thing? Well that's simple... Sirius, my parents, even Cedric... everyone that's ever died because of me.'

'That's hardly something simple,' he admonished himself in Hermione's voice.

'Something I can actually get then... what do I want to get?' He couldn't think of a singular, tangible item that he wanted. He was still too depressed, too consumed with guilt to be focusing on himself.

'I wish I had a little peace... that's all I want... a little peace and happiness...'

"Ready then? Minds cleared?" Trelawney's voice was soft and dreamy. "Now face your partners and cast your charms."

Harry opened his eyes and faced Ron.

"Ostendo!" They cast together.

Harry felt as if a soft and warm gush of breeze had blown through his mind, clearing away the cobwebs of guilt and pain and worry. He felt remarkably light and focused, his eyes shut and a placid smile on his face.

A glimmer of light was in the distance, coming slowly towards him.

'That must be it,' he thought. 'That must be my one simple thing.'

The light came closer, then slowly engulfed him. When the glow began to dim, he saw himself standing in a room, not terribly dissimilar to the living room of 4 Privet Drive. He looked around, puzzled. Surely this living room couldn't be his one simple thing. He had expected something more obvious. A new cloak or a foe glass perhaps.

'Maybe it's something in the house,' he reasoned. And so he began searching for whatever it was the vision had intended him to see.

The house appeared to be larger than the one in Little Whinging, and much more cozy. There was a large fireplace roaring away with several glowing logs and a beautifully decorated tree sat near the large window. The golden white rays of early morning were drifting in, throwing the tree into a soft silhouette. He walked towards it and marveled at the array of ornaments that hung there.

'This must be a wizard's home,' he realized, as many of the ornaments were too unusual to be from an ordinary muggle home. Many of the gold balls appeared to glimmer - a small series of flames dancing within. The red balls looked as if they were filled with darker and lighter crimson silt, that constantly shifted in some clear, viscous fluid. The beaded garland, he noted with some amusement, contained several miniature snitches, that fluttered lazily. Other ornaments chimed soft songs if they were tapped, while tapping multiple ornaments caused them to harmonize. In short, it was the most amazing tree Harry had ever seen.

And then he noticed it. An ornament that was quite unlike the others. For one, it was a soft and pale blue, which stood out from the mostly gold and maroon decorations. It also had swirling, opalescent mists inside it's transparent globe, and striking, gold writing on the surface. Whatever the message was, it kept slowly writing itself over and over again, like a lazy, flashing sign. Harry moved closer to get a better look.

Baby's First Christmas
December 25th, 2000

'2000,' he noted. 'This is the future then.'

The writing faded away, and another series of words was written in it's place.

Sirius James Potter

He blinked. Then he shook his head as if his eyes were faulty, and read it again.

Baby's First Christmas
December 25th, 2000
Sirius James Potter

'Where the bloody hell am I,' he thought, a mild panic beginning to seize him.

He reached up and lightly touched it, afraid it might break if he tried grab it too quickly. But rather than being reassured, he nearly knocked it off the tree when it responded to his touch. The opal mists cleared and showed a brief image of a small Sirius James Potter, aged 3 months. He was lying on a red blanket adorned with Christmas trees, a shock of black hair standing up at all ends. He was wearing the smallest jumper Harry was certain Mrs. Weasley had ever knitted, a tiny 'S' in green yarn across his chest. He was laughing and attempting to pull his socks off.

Harry's head was buzzing, and he was certain that was caused by the blood rushing mercilessly through his ears. He felt both faint and somewhat giddy at once.

'A baby? A son?' His 16 year old brain could barely comprehend what he'd seen. 'Is that... could that be it? What I want most?' He barely believed he'd survive to see seventeen, much less live to start a family. He tried to think, but was feeling overwhelmed. 'One simple thing...' he thought, and then something occurred to him.

He glanced around again quickly, before inspecting the tree again. Sure enough, there was another blue ornament, slightly higher and to the right.

Baby's First Christmas
December 25th, 2004
Ronald Arthur Potter

'Merlin... what IS THIS?'

He felt a little weak in the knees and swayed a bit, when he noticed yet another ornament, this one pink.

Baby's First Christmas
December 25th, 2002
Lillian Minerva Potter

He fought another wave of dizziness before thoroughly inspecting the tree again. Nope, no more pastel colored ornaments.

'A family,' he thought. 'Do I live to get a family?'

He steadied himself before exploring the rest of the room. That's when he noticed the fireplace mantle, and the five stockings that hung from it. There were two larger ones on either end, one adorned with a snitch, the other had an odd looking symbol that looked vaguely familiar. The three in the center each had the names of the children. However, that wasn't the most extraordinary thing he noticed - that would be the photographs on the mantle.

He slowly approached, afraid they would disappear before he reached them. There were easily fifteen to twenty pictures here, staggered along the depth of the mantle, each showing the children and... was that him?

Harry picked up the framed 8x10 sepia photograph. It showed him dressed in a Father Christmas outfit, laughing and holding a small boy and small girl in each arm, an older boy clinging to his leg. They were all laughing and the smaller children were pulling at Harry's fake beard.

He had to tear away his gaze from that photo to look at the others. In one was the young girl, 'Lily,' he thought. She was taking tentative first steps towards Harry's outstretched arms. Although the colors in the photo were faint, as in most wizard photographs, he could tell that her hair was auburn, just as his mother's had been.

Another photo showed Harry holding an infant in St. Mungo's, which he recognized because of the distinctive robes of the mediwitch who was trying to take the baby out of his arms for a changing.

'I wonder if that's Sirius or Ron?' He was amazed at how readily he was beginning to accept that this must be his family. 'It must be Sirius. It must be my first, because I can't bear to let him go.'

A stupid grin was unwittingly spreading across Harry's face.

Another photo showed the young Sirius, his black hair now more pronounced, crawling towards whomever had taken the photograph.

Sirius was now a smiling toddler, holding a screaming Lily in his arms.

Lily was in Harry's arms, giving him kisses and trying to pull off his glasses.

Harry was asleep with Sirius nestled in one arm and Lily asleep on his chest.

Harry was rocking a newborn Ron in his arms.

Sirius was jumping up and down trying to catch a snitch.

Lily was grimacing as Ron pulled on her hair.

Sirius, Lily and Ron were all playing in the garden.

Sirius, Lily and Ron were running down the stairs.

"Happy Christmas! Happy Christmas!" Cries of mirth followed them as they bolted down the staircase, making a beeline for Harry and the presents under the tree.

"Happy Christmas Daddy!" An eight year old Lily threw herself into Harry's arms, nearly knocking him over, while a six year old Ron dove under the tree and began grabbing presents.

"Happy Christmas Dad!" A grinning, ten year old Sirius wrapped himself around Harry's midsection, then quickly let go.

"Ron, what are you doing?!" Sirius began barking at his younger brother.

"I'm getting presents!"

"Not without Mum you're not!"

'Mum!' Harry's eyes grew wide.

'Well of course there's a "mum" Harry! What, did you think you propagated this lot all on your own - bit of a feat of magic there mate! Are you now the Boy Who Had a Uterus?' Odd how Ron's voice was always the one to chastise him for missing the painfully obvious.

"But she's still asleep!"

"Well then go wake her up!"

Harry was snapped back to the present - or the future - or wherever it was that found him in this living room.

"Oh, I'll go! I'll go!" Lily shrieked with excitement, then looked momentarily torn between rushing upstairs and leaving Harry's arms. She looked at him forlornly.

Harry couldn't help but smile back at her, momentarily forgetting his panic.

"Go get Mum," he said, and a wave of butterflies rushed through his stomach. "We'll wait 'til you come back."

Lily grinned at him, then jumped from his arms and ran back up the stairs.

Harry couldn't ever remember feeling so lightheaded, so giddy, with a bizarre mixture of excitement, dread and curiosity. He found his way to the couch and watched in wonder as Sirius and Ron began sorting the presents. Sirius looked like he was tall for his age, the spitting image of Harry without the glasses and, most notably, without the scar.

Ron was a little plump, but nowhere near Dudley-like proportions. He was currently suffering from an extreme case of bed head, with dark brown waves of hair sticking up at all ends. His eyes were dark brown as well, and there was something so terribly familiar about the way he was chewing his bottom lip in anticipation, studiously checking each gift then placing it into a specific stack.

'That's funny,' a fleeting thought breezed through his mind. 'He sort of reminds me of...'

'No...'

'Oh no...'

'Oh no WAY!'

That's when Harry glanced at the other stocking again.

The symbol on it... it was a badge.

A SPEW badge.

His eyes widened in shock as he heard footsteps. Lily came running back into the room.

'There's no way.'

'It's YOUR vision mate.'

Harry squeezed his eyes shut.

Was it possible? Is this what his future might hold in store for him? As daunting as the prospect was, it certainly beat the idea of having no future at all.

But Hermione?

Him and Hermione?

It was ridiculous... wasn't it?

Not that there was anything wrong with Hermione - other than the fact that she was his best friend, and, most likely, the object of affection of his other best friend.

Hermione.

Was it really so ridiculous to imagine a future - this future - with her?

She was his best friend after all. There was no one in the world he trusted more. She had always stood by him, even when Ron hadn't. She had always supported him, even when he had chased others away. Even if he didn't think he had ever, or would ever have those feelings for her; even if he had never entertained those feelings; even if Ron did most likely have those feelings - well, if he had to pick someone to share a future with at that very moment, he'd have most likely picked her. She was, after all, his best friend.

And with this rationale Harry opened his eyes and looked up at the staircase.

And all his theories of never having had those feelings conveniently vanished.

There she was, wrapped tightly in a red flannel robe, a Gryffindor lion stitched in gold on the pocket. Beautiful thick waves of deep honeyed hair framed her face, which was still glowing with the warmth of slumber. She was older, just beginning her thirties now. She had a slightly more voluptuous frame - but certainly not one that betrayed that she was the mother of three. She saw Harry and gave him a sleepy smile that made his heart melt, his eyes fixed to the size of saucers.

"Happy Christmas love." Her voice was throaty and deep, and Harry's stomach gave a satisfying lurch of excitement.

She came over to the couch and kissed him on the cheek, then worked her way under his arm to snuggle up next to him.

Harry was in complete and utter shock as the entirety of the situation struck him... his kids... his wife... his... his Hermione!

"Daddy, can I go first this year?" Lily looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes, eyes that looked just like... just like her mother's.

Harry looked into those eyes and knew at that moment that he would never, ever, be able to say 'no' to them.

"I should go first! I'm the youngest!" Ron was pouting.

"No, we should let Dad go first this year." Sirius, the great peacemaker.

"Yes Dad, you should go first this year." Hermione's breath was warm in his ear as she placed her hand on his chest and kissed his cheek again.

Harry felt himself go three shades of red as the kids all jumped up and down excitedly.

"Go on then Ron, give him that one... no, the one wrapped in gold." Hermione was waving her hand toward the gift, the hand that had been on Harry's chest. Her other arm was tucked between them, that hand resting innocently on his thigh.

Harry turned his legs a bit, then shifted his robe.

"Here Daddy! Open this one!" Ron presented him the gift, and Harry let it sit on his lap while he looked thoughtfully at it.

Hermione brought her other hand back around to rest on Harry's forearm. He looked over at her and she flashed him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

He must have stared too long, because her expression became slightly concerned.

"Harry, are you alright?"

His voice caught in his throat just as he tried to respond, so he smiled back at her, then unwrapped his gift. When he saw what it was, he felt a sudden warm prickle of tears rise up around his eyes.

The framed photograph sat in his lap, everyone smiling up at him. Harry was in the center, his arm around Hermione. Each of the kids was seated in front of them, laughing and nudging at one another, but doing their best to stay still. Hermione would look up at Harry and he would turn to her, then she would rest her cheek on his shoulder while he softly brushed an errant strand of hair from her forehead.

"Do you like it? Sirius thought you should have a new one for your office." Hermione had nestled tighter to Harry as she looked at the photograph.

"Yeah Dad, that one you have now... I look so silly!"

"That's because you let cousin Harry cut your hair that time," Lily chimed in.

Harry blinked.

"Cousin Harry?"

"Oh, poor little Harry. Luna and Ron were so mad at him for that." Hermione gave a soft laugh at the memory.

'Luna?! Ron?! Little Harry?'

'Does Ron fancy Luna?!'

Harry was surprised at the sudden warmth of relief that flooded through him with this thought.

"So do you like it Dad?" Sirius looked up at him hopefully.

Harry looked at him, then looked at the photo, then looked at the assembled family, his assembled family, and felt the threat of tears again.

"It's... it's the best gift I've ever had."

Sirius flashed him a huge grin, then flushed with pride.

"Thanks Dad."

Harry felt overcome with love and joy and peace.

"Oooh now me! Now me!" Lily was jumping up and down.

"No me!" Ron was jumping too.

Sirius was trying to be diplomatic about sorting the two of them out. Harry just smiled.

"Happy Christmas." Hermione breathed into his ear, and he turned to look at her. She gave him that incredibly beautiful smile again, then said the most incredibly beautiful thing Harry had ever heard.

"I love you Harry."

He was so overcome he nearly burst into tears. Hermione leaned into him and gave him a painfully tender kiss. He was shocked at first, then, slowly, a floodgate of emotions he never realized he'd been suppressing were let loose. He kissed her back. He gently cupped her cheek and kissed her, tentatively at first, then more assertively, as if making a promise to her - to himself.

"I... I love you too." He was surprised at how natural it felt to say it - to be with her like this. Although he wasn't quite ready to admit it, he was certain that this was how some part of him must feel - had always felt.

She blushed, overcome by his sudden ardor. Then she smiled again and kissed him back.

Harry continued to gently kiss her, lost in the sheer happiness of the moment, the playful banter of the children a comforting hum in the background.

"Harry?"

Harry was too engrossed in kissing Hermione, too contented, to pay attention.

"Harry!"

Someone was shaking him.

"Harry, wake up!"

Harry begrudgingly opened his eyes - his vision - his dream - completed.

"Bugger all Harry! You had me really worried!"

Harry slowly sat up, the Divination classroom coming back into focus.

"My dear boy, are you alright?" Professor Trelawney was peering at him through her ridiculously large spectacles.

"I'm... I'm great!" His eyes were wide with wonderment as the feeling of the vision slowly drifted from him. Then he noted the surprised expressions of Ron and Trelawney. "I mean... fine...," he amended, "I'm fine. What happened?"

"You must possess a hitherto unrealized fortitude of the Inner Eye my dear," she proclaimed.

"Wh- what do you mean Professor?"

"You've been in that trance for over half an hour Harry!" Ron exclaimed.

"Half an hour?"

"Yeah! We've been trying to wake you up for ages now. Thought we were going to have to take you to the hospital wing, except for..."

"Except for what?"

"Except for that stupid grin you've been wearing the entire time!"

Harry blushed.

"My dear, I do believe I must reassess your abilities. Were you in the beyond? Did you see some future series of events?"

"I hope so," he said quietly.

"What was that dear?"

"Er, I said, 'I don't know'."

"What did you see Harry?" Ron was looking at him, full of curiosity.

"Well, um, what I most wanted, I suppose."

Ron nodded his head, trying to prod him into continuing.

"Aaaand...?"

"Errr..." Harry had to do some quick thinking. There were so many things he wanted from that future. So many things he'd need to do to secure that future. He thought of sitting on the couch with Hermione, happily watching the children banter over their presents. Then he thought of the present they had given him.

"Photographs."

"Photographs?" Ron looked as if he'd misheard him.

"Yeah," Harry elaborated, thankful for the sudden inspiration. "You know that photo album that Hagrid gave me? Well, I've been meaning to update the photographs in there. Maybe I should ask Colin for help. I guess that's my one simple thing then - pictures of everyone." He had said this all in such a sudden rush, afraid Ron might not believe him.

"Pictures," Ron didn't look entirely convinced, "right then." Ron slowly collected his things, looking suspiciously at Harry, who refused to look back at him.

They descended the ladder and headed back toward Gryffindor tower, wanting to leave their books behind before continuing to lunch.

Harry still had that stupid grin on his face.

"...shopping before Christmas."

Harry barely caught the tail end of Ron's sentence.

"I'm sorry Ron, what was that?"

"Harry, are you sure you're alright. That old nutter didn't have me accidentally befuddle you, did she?"

"What? Oh no, I've just got some stuff on my mind. But never mind, what were you saying?"

Ron looked at him suspiciously again, then continued on.

"I was just saying that we'll have to try and get away from Hermione tomorrow in Hogsmeade, as it's the last bit of shopping before Christmas."

Ron didn't notice Harry blush at the mention of her name.

"So, do you know what you're going to get her yet?"

"What?"

"Hermione? Do you know what you're going to get her yet? I mean, books are so easy. I was hoping we could get her something different this year."

Harry couldn't help but let that stupid grin wash over his face again as he remembered his vision.

"A robe." He said, before he even realized he'd spoken aloud.

"A robe?" Ron questioned.

"Yeah, a nice flannel bathrobe, with a gold Gryffindor on the pocket." Harry's face was beaming.

"Oh... um, alright then. What made you think of that?"

"Oh, it was just... just an idea I had."

Then Harry stepped through the portrait hole into the common room and was greeted by a smiling Hermione, ready to walk them to the Great Hall. He smiled back at her, the excitement of possibility suddenly running through him, and realized, at that moment, that he had gotten exactly what he wanted most for Christmas.

His one simple thing.

Hope.