Cristina: Hey, let's go steal Harry Potter
Jen: *gasp* That's against the law!
Cristina: *evil laugh* do I seem to care? I am evil! I will steal Harry Potter! *walks off*
Jen: *nods head sadly* Cristina, no. Really, just no.
Cristina: *comes back* it seems Harry Potter is too heavily guarded. It will never be mine
Jen: I told you so
Traditions
Hermione hummed gently as she pushed the key into the lock of her London flat. She leaned into the door and it swung open. Papers, books, and all sorts of files from work spilled from her arms onto the dining room table. She groaned as she quickly relaxed her muscles, pulled off her coat, and flung it on the back of a nearby chair. Even though it was supposed to be her vacation, she had no better to do than be working on New Year's Eve. It's not as if she had been invited to any New Year's Eve parties anyways.
"Damn it!" Hermione cried as she stubbed her toe closing her door. She had been in an especially cranky mood ever since she had learned she would be spending one of her favorite holidays alone. Ron, Luna, Ginny, and Draco were all celebrating New Year's Eve their own way…with their significant other. She promptly turned them down, not wanting to be surrounded by the happy couples. She hadn't heard from Harry in a few days, but figured he would be spending it Remus, the last memory of his parents.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hermione looked to her window to see Pig fluttering around excitedly. Hermione opened the window with a groan. A letter dropped from Pig's beak onto her table. He took a quick sip of the water bowl she refilled regularly for any Owls coming in, and fluttered out the window again. Hermione picked up the letter and was greeted by the tidy cursive of Luna.
Hermione-
The offer to come hang out with us for New Year's is still on. I think Harry's coming too. It's gonna be a bash!
-Luna, Ronald, Draco, Ginny
Hermione sighed. Crumpling up the piece of paper, she tossed it into a nearby trashcan. She had already said no three times. When would they accept the fact that she didn't want to be bothered by all the happy couples on New Year's Eve?
"Damn friends of mine," Hermione cursed. She picked up her shoes and walked to her bedroom, neatly placing them in her closet. It was already 8:00, and Hermione started to get worried that she wouldn't have enough time to set up for her one-person celebration.
In case you haven't noticed, she was being sarcastic.
She flipped on her TV and went to a random channel. They were showing some New Year's Eve related programming. She began humming to herself again, a song she had become rather enthralled with over the past couple of days. Mindlessly sifting through papers on her dining room table, she didn't notice how a tear slowly slipped down her cheek. It wasn't the fact that she'd be alone on New Year's that bothered her. It was the fact that Harry had managed to break their tradition. Every year, they would get together for a little New Year's bash. Usually, they weren't the only ones, Ginny, Ron, Draco, and Luna would come too. But Harry and Ron were both too caught up in things to even notice that Hermione was home alone, celebrating by herself.
"Alone," she sighed to herself once she had gotten all her papers in order. It was about 9:30 by the time she settled onto her couch, with a blanket and a tub of ice cream. Whenever she needed comfort, out came the Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. Hermione was silently singing the same song she had been humming to herself, wrapped up in her own little world. She was so lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed the little click followed by the squeak of her door opening.
"Hey there," came a voice.
Hermione jumped and let out a squeal, followed by, "Harry!" She leapt up and threw her arms around him.
"Didn't think I'd forget tradition, did you?" Harry asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. She smiled into his shoulder.
"For a minute, I thought you would," Hermione mumbled.
"Don't ever think that. I'm sorry I haven't been in touch but Hedwig's been extremely sick, and Ron wouldn't let me borrow Pig," Harry explained, then added, "bloody wanker."
Hermione laughed softly. "What's in the bag?" she asked, pointing to the large white bag he was holding.
"I got us some dinner and desert, because knowing you, you've been working so hard you haven't eaten in weeks." Hermione blushed a soft hue of pink.
"I'd say my last meal was either breakfast this morning or dinner last night." Hermione took a whiff of the aroma permeating from the bag. "I'm starving. What'd you get?" Harry set the bag on her coffee table and pulled out a few food cartons.
"I got some ziti and marinara sauce, some bread, Chicken Parmiagan, and a Canoli or two," he said, picking the tops off of the cartons.
"Italian…mmm…my favorite," Hermione commented, licking her lips.
"You look so adorable when you do that," Harry laughed.
"Why thank you, Mr. Potter," she responded, picking up the ziti and a nearby plastic fork.
"Hey, that's mine!" Harry whined, picking up his own plastic fork and taking a small bite from it. Hermione gasped playfully and took a small bite of the chicken on his lap. "No, you did not!" Harry huffed, taking a larger bite of her ziti.
"Yes, I did," she retorted, taking an even bigger bite of his meal. Soon enough, all traces of both their meals were nowhere to be seen, except a little smudge of sauce on Harry's upper lip.
"You look ridiculous," Hermione chuckled, pointing to his lip. He dabbed it off, and then tossed the napkin into the white bag they were using for trash.
"Well, now I don't," he responded. Hermione smiled. It was much better having him here for New Year's.
"Here," she said, offering him a side of the blanket she was wrapped in once more. They both huddled under it, watching the New Year's Eve programs on the television.
"Thanks for coming, Harry," Hermione whispered after about forty-five minutes of small talk and silence.
"I always come, Hermione. It's my job as your bestest friend in the whole entire world," he said in a childish manner, kicking the blanket off of himself and climbing onto Hermione. She squealed, chuckled, and was sent flying back onto the couch.
"Harrry…" she whined. "You know I have two bestest friends ever." She looked him in the eye, and this had to be the first time she saw laughter in them for a long time.
"But you gotta admit, you love me just a smidgeon more," he pleaded. Hermione sighed, and smiled slightly.
"Ok, but don't tell Ron I said that," she said, putting a finger to her lips, silently telling him it was a secret. Suddenly, a loud announcement on the television informed them ti was only an hour to the New Year.
"Ooh, yay!" Hermione exclaimed, bolting upright so Harry fell backwards and knocked his head on the end table. "Whoops, sorry Harry." He sat up, rubbing his head.
"Yup, I'm ok."
He and Hermione eventually snuggled under the blanket again, talking of times past.
"Oh, remember that Quidditch match when Crabbe and Goyle completely messed up the banner, so it said Gryffindor Rules, Suckers instead of Gryffindor Sucks?" Hermione laughed out loud, and then let out an un-lady like snort.
"That was so funny! Or the Care of Magical Creatures class when the Dillypod sprayed its gases all over Malfoy? He smelt like rotten eggs and cabbage for almost a month!" Harry burst out laughing, and soon they were clutching their stomachs gasping for breath.
"Oh, I miss Hogwarts so much!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Me too, but you can't say you're not loving the free life. No Snape, no classes, no ten foot essays!" Hermione sighed before nodding.
"Yea, I guess I do love the free life. Except for the fact that I have papers stacked to the high heavens on my dining room table." Harry laughed.
"You've always liked a challenge. That's not your fault." Hermione smiled, and wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulder.
"I had fun tonight Harry. I'm glad we started this tradition," she commented.
"Me too," Harry agreed.
The New Year was soon to come, as Harry and Hermione huddled together on the couch, counting the minutes down.
"Hermione?" Harry asked tentatively.
"Yes?" she responded softly.
"I want to tell you something," he whispered.
"Anything, Harry," Hermione responded, just as the people on the TV began counting down the last minute of the year.
"Hermione, I," Harry took a deep breath. "I love you."
Hermione began staring disbelievingly at Harry. He looked sheepishly down to his hands, which were fumbling around. Hermione smirked to herself, lifted his chin with two fingers, and covered his mouth with her own.
"…three, two, one!" There was a bang and fireworks began to go off, not only on the TV but for the couple, currently joined at the lips. They pulled apart, and Harry smiled softly.
"Happy New Year's, Hermione," he murmured. He looked at her to see her smiling back, but lost in thought. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"I'm just thinking…I guess we've started a new tradition," she whispered before capturing his lips in another kiss.
A/N: I'm so sorry. It was a plot bunny that wouldn't go away, and I'm sure it's really cruddy. I did it in like three hours, so yea, it sucks. I'm sorry.
Review or I'll go all Voldemort on you. Seriously, I will.