Hi!
WARNING, FURTHER CONTENT MAY CAUSE HEART FAILURE OR SOMETHING OF THE SUCHLIKE:
Ok, I'm going to say this very slowly…
I. Am. Posting. A. New. Cha. Pte. R.
WOOHOO! I can't believe it either! It only took me like two months or something!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud. Well, on with it then!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
Chapter Eighteen: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
"So, have you figured out your plans for Christmas yet?" Harry asked Hermione over breakfast. "Now that things are good with your parents, do you think you will be going home? Hogwarts is usually pretty great during the holidays as well though, so that's something you can think about too. I've told you plenty of times how amazing it is here. Hagrid brings in all these huge trees and such. It's great."
Hermione smiled, "Yes, I've been thinking about that. I had figured I would be staying because of this whole row with my parents. But, since things have changed…I'm not so sure anymore. I should probably go back home, especially since I've been away for so long. What about you?" She asked, looking over at her raven-haired friend.
Harry shrugged. "I dunno. Since you had originally planned on staying, I was going to as well to keep you company, but if you're going home, I dunno. Mum had said something about it in her last letter. She is expecting me to come home, but at the same time…it's my last year here, you know? But I imagine I'll go home for the holidays as well, just to please the parents."
Hermione nodded, "Yeah, it might not be that bad of an idea. Maybe you can even tell them about your new friend." She said with a wink.
Harry forced a laugh. He knew he couldn't keep Hermione a secret forever. He was shocked it had lasted this long. He would have to tell them eventually, he knew. But he also knew his parents would not be accepting at all. His family was always so against Grangers. He couldn't even quite comprehend their hatred.
They continued to talk for awhile before they were joined by Ron and Draco. Then classes were about to begin, so they had to leave the Great Hall and go to class.
000000000000000000
"Ha, well the way I see it, if he didn't want anything to happen, poor Ernie shouldn't have tried to get in our way, the wanker. Always trying to be the boss. Honestly, Ron, I see him as a younger version of your brother Weatherby." Draco snorted, laughing.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione joined in. They were sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts, practicing spells. Harry was just about to comment when a noise stopped him dead.
"Wow, it's been quite awhile since I've been in here," a too familiar voice floated across the room as a guest stepped into the room-none other than James Potter himself.
Harry immediately panicked. His father was here! And he was right here with Hermione!
"Harry, it's your dad. Looks like he's-" Ron's voice trailed off once he caught sight of his friend's expression. "Oh shite!" He exclaimed.
Harry looked at Hermione, who had slightly paled. Harry could only imagine what must be going through her mind, having "killed" this man in a dream. Harry watched as his father strode up to Sirius and Harry could tell he had already assessed the situation and wasn't going let anything happen. Harry calmed slightly.
He looked at his friends. "What do I do?" he whispered helplessly.
By this time, Hermione had gained back most of her composure. She straighted her skirt. "Well, he's got to find out sometimes. My parents were okay so maybe-"
Ron cut her off, "Have you gone nutters, woman? You don't know these people. That is the last thing that should be done."
Hermione scoffed.
Before Ron or Hermione could retort, Draco's voice of reason stepped in. "Go over there so he doesn't come over here. Ron is right, you'd be mad to let him find out now. Hurry, go!"
Harry nodded and quickly walked over to his father with a bright, fake smile on his face.
"Well hello there, son." His father greeted him as he messed up his son's dark unruly hair by ruffling his fingers through it.
"Hello, Dad. How are you? Mums good, I hope?" Harry asked politely, glancing over at Sirius for help.
James grinned, "I'm brilliant, and of course your mother is top notch, as usual. She misses her little boy, but as I've tried to explain to her, you're not so little anymore. Ron and Draco doing okay?" Harry's father asked, casting a glance over towards Harry's mates.
Harry followed his look and saw that Hermione was slightly away from the two boys, her nose in a book, though he could feel her glace on him from time to time.
Harry smiled and replied, "As good as they can be. What brings you here?"
James shrugged, "I was bored and had some time off, so I figured I'd come and see my old friend Padfoot here and make sure my son is behaving."
Sirius laughed, "Well, he's behaving about as well as his father did in school."
This caused James to chuckle. "I should hope so! Anything more and I'd be embarrassed!"
"And anything more, and Lily would have all our heads!" Sirius shot back, earning a mutual nod of agreement from both Potters.
After a few more minutes of mindless chatter, a bell rang somewhere, signaling their next class. Harry wished his father a farewell and cast Sirius a meaningful glance before collecting his things and meeting his friends in the corridor.
"That was close!" Ron said loudly, shaking his head. Draco nodded in agreement.
Hermione huffed, "I still don't see what the big deal here is. Maybe he would have taken it okay. You never know!" She insisted somewhat stiffly.
Harry shook his head, "No, you don't understand. My family has very deep feelings about this, especially my mother. She isn't even really a Potter and she has so much hate." After noticing the look that passed over Hermione's features, he quickly continued, "Yes, I know. I don't get it either. But us not understanding isn't going to make a difference."
"So, am I just going to be shoved in a broom closet every time they're around?" Hermione questioned. Harry could tell she was not very happy about this, but he didn't know what else to do.
After a few seconds of silence, Hermione sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, it's just frustrating. I'm sorry." She apologized, looking over at Harry.
Harry smiled, "It's fine. Don't worry, they'll find out soon enough." He reassured her.
"Which is when you will need to worry." Ron snickered. "I mean, I've seen Harry's grandparents use the Granger's name to describe some pretty foul things!"
Harry ignored him and glanced over his should one last time before heading to their next class.
Hermione could understand how Harry was feeling, but at the same time, with all the new things that have been going on, she just wanted to get things out in the open. She didn't understand-however-why this family could harbor so much hate for her. What could she possible have done t make them like this?
Throughout the rest of the next class, and even lunch, Hermione noticed a difference in Harry. He seemed constantly nervous and kept looking over his shoulder. She wished she could help him, but there was nothing she could do. Finally, after the last of their classes for the day, Harry excused himself for "a big of fresh air.' Hermione took this time to go up in her room and do some homework before dinner.
A half an hour later, Hermione was engrossed in her homework when something out the window caught her eye. She had a clear view of the Quidditch pitch. She watched as a familiar silhouette zoomed around in the air. She had watched him fly countless times and could spot him easily.
She looked down at her unfinished homework before she grabbed a blanket, conjured up some hot coco, and found a comfortable spot by the window. She watched silently for a few minutes, slightly in admiration. He was a spectacular flier.
A group of people came into view, perhaps five or six people. The small group walked onto the Quidditch pitch, broomsticks in hand.
Quidditch practice?
One of the boys on the ground flew up to greet Harry, and then both returned to the ground. Upon a closer look, Hermione picked out Harry's father, Sirius, Ron, Draco, and perhaps Jeremy. They talked for a few moments before dividing into two groups and setting forth a big trunk.
A Quidditch game. Hermione frowned slight and furrowed her brow. Didn't they know Harry wanted to be left alone right now? It was obvious! He did go out there, alone.
Perhaps it would just be a short game, Hermione thought.
At some point while she had been lost in her thoughts, the game had began. After glancing over towards her undisturbed homework, Hermione took a sip of her sweet coco and returned her eyes to the Quidditch pitch.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Harry zoomed through the air, the Quaffle tucked between his side and arm, as he headed for the goal posts at the end of the pitch. They were playing a pick-up Quidditch game. There were six of them, so each team had one Keeper and two Chasers. They didn't play with the Golden Snitch.
His father was close behind him, so Harry dived before quickly pulling back up. He laughed loudly as his father tried to catch up. Harry threw the ball as hard as he could to Draco. His laughing stopped when Sirius appeared out of nowhere and intercepted the Quaffle. Harry slowed and turned around as he flew after him.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Hermione sighed. They had been playing for quite some time. She continued to watch, slightly aggravated by now, as the boys played well into the sunset. When were they going to stop? Great Wizards, Harry had went out there to be alone. He didn't even want to play in the first place. Could they see that?
But still, they played on. And still, Hermione watched, growing more reproachful by the minute.
Finally, once it grew too dark to see, Hermione could just make out their dark figures exiting the pitch.
About time!
Hermione headed down to the Great Hall for dinner, hoping to meet up with Harry there. Unfortunately, once she walked in, she was Harry sitting with his father, Sirius, Ron, and Draco. Her smile faltered a bit. She had half a mind to march right up to that James Potter and tell him exactly what she had thought of him and his prejudice. Just as her temper was beginning to flare, a dreamy voice spoke calmly, "You can sit with me, Hermione."
Hermione looked over and saw Luna staring at her with wide, misty blue eyes. She had a smile on her face. Hermione forced a smile, "Oh, um…I dunno, are you sure?" She asked. She had spoken to Luna somewhat over the last few months, though the prospect of sitting down with such an odd girl for so long seemed somewhat awkward.
"Of course, "The blonde replied before leading her over to an open spot at the Ravenclaw house table. Hermione sent one last look in Harry's direction and caught his eye. He gave her a silent apologetic look. She returned it with a smile of understanding before following Luna to her new dinner seat for the evening, readying herself to hear about imaginary creatures that were bizarre to such an avid reader as herself.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Harry watched as Hermione followed his Ravenclaw friend. He was very grateful. He felt terrible for Hermione having to be away in the first place. But he knew now wasn't the time nor the place to open this can of worms. With an inward sigh, Harry tried to forget about the whole thing and instead tried to focus on the conversation at hand, Quidditch.
He had to admit, it was nice spending time with the guys. He had been limited to basically just Hermione's company over the last little while; talking with blokes was a nice reprieve. And it would be good for Hermione to talk to Luna as well. With that reassuring thought in mind, Harry reentered the conversation. Ron was talking about the Chudley Cannons, as always.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
"So how have you been, Hermione?" Luna asked before taking a sip of her water.
Hermione gave the younger girl a small smile. "Well, I've been having a bit of a rough patch lately, but thankfully things are beginning to look up. How about yourself?" She asked politely.
Luna Lovegood looked over at her friend and replied, "Well, the Humly Craterstick has been causing me to lose a tad bit of sleep, but luckily we are close to the holidays and in won't matter so much anymore."
Hermione gave a nod to the girl with absolutely no notion whatsoever concerning what a Humly Craterstick was. Still, not wanting to offend the girl, she politely asked for details and commented on what she had to say. As she sat there and listened to her chat animatedly about this bizarre creature, it occurred to Hermione that this was probably the longest friendly conversation she had ever had with a fellow student here at Hogwarts one-on-one besides Harry. Sure, she had talked to Luna in the past-she may even consider the odd girl as a friend-but it had never escalated into a full out conversation. With that slightly disturbing, slightly relieving thought tucked away safely in her mind, Hermione continued with her dinner in the Great Hall and talking to her friend.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000
Hermione glanced up once she heard the Portrait Hole open and watched as Harry, Ron, and Draco made their way into the Gryffindor Common Room. Is father was nowhere in sight, so Hermione decided it was safe to associate with her friend now. They were all standing on the other side of the Common Room, talking to Neville and Seamus about something comical by the expressions on their faces. She was just gathering up her things, thinking something along the lines of `Well it's about damn time!' when she suddenly stilled.
This was humiliating.
Ron and Draco didn't have to hide when Harry's parents were around. They didn't have to sit at another table or pretend they didn't even know him. Then, once the coast was clear, ran up to them as if they were starved for human contact.
Yes, this was very embarrassing. Why should she stand for it?
Hermione gave her friends a quick peek, deciding they hadn't seen her yet, sitting over here alone in a corner like the outcast that she was. Then, she tossed a sideways glance over at the Girls' Staircase. Before she could properly make up her mind, Hermione found herself darting-unseen-for the stairs that led to her lonely dormitory.
She was not some petty friend who was going to wait around for him to not be ashamed of her in front of his parents. No, she deserved more than that.
As she raced up the staircase, she stopped in mid-step and looked back behind her. "Asshole." She muttered under her breath, in a bitter yet almost gleeful tone before returning to her quest for the solace of her room.
She was torn. Part of her knew it wasn't Harry's fault and had it been up to him things would have been much different. For one, she would have been able to join him at dinner. She could almost visualize the cheerful grin he would greet her before politely demanding Ron or Draco or whoever to scoot down and make a space for her, proudly right at his side.
But then there was the other part of her that was childish and felt scorned by his behavior. Well, if he wanted to act like that, so could she. Now the scene of the Great Hall in her mind changed to Harry looking over at Ron or Draco and asking of her whereabouts. Perhaps they would reply with something witty like, "Maybe she is hanging out with Luna" or "She must be off doing something more interesting than hanging out with us." Oh how that would take him down a peg or two! She would suddenly shift from desperate friend to mysterious and not at all interdependent of his company. That would teach him!
Hermione felt horrible for her thinking like this, yet at the same time, she felt that it was deserved. As she thought of this, old proverbs swam around in her head, `Two wrongs don't make a right,' `Fighting fire with fire on results in a bigger fire,' and `Forgive and forget.'
But there were other as well, such as `Revenge is best served cool,' and `don't get mad, get even.' And that's exactly what she was doing, giving him the cold shoulder.
`Great Wizards, I'm so pathetic,' Hermione internally groaned. Honestly, what was this proving? Why would he prefer her company over Ron and Draco's? Hermione sighed. Today had proven that. Hermione gave an angry huff before collapsing on her four-poster bed. After extinguishing all the light in her room, Hermione curled herself up into a ball, partly cursing Harry, partly cursing herself.
000000000000000000000000000000000
The next morning, Harry had asked why she retired to her room so early. Hermione feigned supposal tiredness the night before. Harry had frowned slightly, but accepted her lie nonetheless. He inquired politely about her time with Luna, as well as apologized profusely for her behavior, and made her wonder who had really suffered from her antics the night before-herself or Harry?
However, her remorse lightened later that day as Harry had decided to participate in a snowball fight with some of the guys after classes were over. Ever since Ron and Draco came back, other males seemed not so bother by Harry's presence either. He had gotten a sliver of his old life back, his old life that didn't involve her. He had asked her to join in, but she politely refused. It would have made her very uncomfortable, as well as the other students. She didn't want to put a damper on his good time. Instead, she took a lonesome tour of the grounds, and ending up in front of Hagrid's hut.
Hermione had met the gamekeeper on a few other occasions. Harry had introduced them. He was clumsy and even slightly intimidating with his abnormal size and wild beard, but Harry had assured her that he was harmless.
Feeling awkward, Hermione wasn't sure whether or not she should knock. Sure, she had been there and he was nice, but it had always been with Harry. Before she could make a decision, however, the door swung open with a loud scrapping sound.
"'Ermione!" Hagrid's booming voice greeted her. "'Ello there! I though' it was you! Come in, come in. Too nippy `ter just be waitin' outside!" He cried, ushering Hermione inside. "No `Arry?" The half-giant asked, though not in a voice oozing disappointment, as she had anticipated.
Hermione smiled as she sat down in a chair beside Hagrid's black canine friend, Fang, who had slobber hanging from his mouth. "No, Hagrid, not this time. He's actually in the middle of a snowball war. Been at it for quite awhile." Hermione responded, appreciating the warmth his hut provided.
Hagrid laughed, causing the table to shake slightly. "Yea,' I though' I `eard some loud ruckus. So `ow are you? Excited abou' the `oliday?" He asked, as he poured them both steaming cups of tea and uncovered some rock cakes.
They chatted for awhile, talking about holiday plans and such. Hermione expressed her desire to go home and Hagrid agreed, though he added her presence would surely be missed.
After spending a little more time with the gamekeeper, Hermione bade him farewell and wished him happy holidays before leaving and heading back out into the snow-covered grounds. She noticed the boys were still throwing around snowballs. She made sure she kept a distance from them so not to get hit. However, despite her plans to steer clear of the battlefield, she still became a target. Out of nowhere, she felt someone collide into her and tackle her into the snow. She shrieked out of surprise as she felt arms lock around her and heard a muffled familiar laugh in her ear. She tried to scramble away, but Harry still managed to cover her face with snow.
"Harry!" she yelped again, finally able to get away.
Harry snickered before jumping up and extending a hand to help her up as well. She only stuck her tongue out at him and rolled around to get up herself. Harry snorted at her antics before brushing his hands off. He glanced over at the snowball fight he had been partaking in. He waved farewell to Ron and Draco then returned his attention to Hermione. "So what have you been up to?" he asked, leading them towards the lake.
Hermione shrugged, "Not much. I saw Hagrid." She replied offhandedly.
Harry grinned, "That's nice. How's he?" He inquired, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep warm.
"He's doing fine. He's excited for the holidays." She answered, fowling suit and putting her hands in her own pockets.
They took a lap around the lake before going in for dinner.
As they sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall with Ron and Draco, Hermione couldn't help but miss the comfortable one-on-one conversation during their walk.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Here you go, Miguel, take this to Mum and Dad for me. Then you can stay there. I'll be home shortly after. Be safe!" Hermione called after her owl as he disappeared off into the blinding white sky. She watched as the brown bird flew gracefully off towards the horizon.
A familiar voice from behind her stirred her from her reverie. "So you're going home for Christmas then?" Harry asked, staring at her blankly.
Hermione jumped and whipped around, surprised slightly from the sudden interruption. "Harry!" she exclaimed, "You gave me a fright!"
Harry grinned, "I'm sorry." He said, not sounding very apologetic at all. "So, you're going home then?" He repeated, stepping further into the Owlery, dodging to droppings that litter the straw-covered ground.
Hermione smiled, "Yeah, I figured I probably should. They'll be expecting me to, plus, I do miss them dearly."
Harry gave a nod in understanding. "Well, that's cool. I'm going to go home myself then. Why knows, I may even be able to talk some sense into the parents." He joked.
Hermione forced a laugh. She couldn't help it. Lately, every time she was around Harry, she always felt awkward and out of place. She liked Ron and Draco, really, she did. But, whenever they were around, she felt as if she didn't belong. And times like this, when it was just her and Harry, she felt like maybe he felt obligated to be with her. He didn't necessarily show it or give off that vibe; it was all on Hermione. It sometimes appeared to her that he preferred their company over hers, which was why she had taken to spending time with Luna and visiting Hagrid. She had even had a nice chat with Professor Black, Harry's Godfather once. She couldn't help it. The trio had such a good bond, she felt like an outsider trying to fit in.
"I guess I'll have to send you your Christmas present via Hedwig then," Harry laughed, giving her a wink.
Hermione's eyes widened but she quickly recovered before Harry noticed and replied, "Yeah, and that means you'll be seeing Miguel."
Harry gave her a friendly smile, "Poor birds. They don't get a vacation. Shall we go to dinner?" He asked, waving an arm towards the door.
Hermione nodded and followed him out. She was calm on the outside, but inside, she was tossed every which way. She had completely forgotten to get Harry a Christmas present! She had been so busy lately with everything that had been going on; buying him anything had slipped her mind. She had picked her parents and Clarence up a few things in Hogsmeade on her last trip there, but was with Harry at the time so didn't get anything for him. Not to mention she had to face the anxiety of if she should get him anything, and if she did, what it would be. She calmed herself. Everything would be fine. She still had time to get him something. It's not as if it was Christmas Eve or anything. And he had already told her he got her something, so she no longer had to debate whether or not they were doing presents.
Everything would be fine.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Hermione and Harry shared a compartment with Ron and Draco on the way home. They all played a few games of Exploding Snap as well as a few other Wizarding games on the way home. Hermione had attempted to show the boys how to play a Muggle card game of euchre, but Ron couldn't fathom playing a card game where the cards do not blow up.
Harry and Hermione had decided to say their good-bye on the train, in case Harry's parents were waiting on him already. Her acquaintance might raise suspicion. Hermione watched as Harry went over to a couple Hermione immediately recognized as him parents. To her, they looked like such nice people. She couldn't see them hating her. But Harry knew them better than she did, and she would have to trust in his judgment.
Hermione's own parents were on the Muggle side of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, waiting on their daughter. Her mother eagerly ran up to Hermione and engulfed her in a hug. Hermione laughed at her enthusiasm. "It's so great to see you guys!" Hermione exclaimed, giving her father a hug as well.
"So are we!" Hermione's mother gushed, pulling Hermione in for another hug.
Hermione's father picked up the small bag Hermione had packed and threw it over his shoulder. "So ladies, shall we go to the car?" He asked with a smile. The two women nodded and the three Grangers made their way to a gray SUV.
000000000000000000000000000
As Hermione walked into her untouched bedroom, a big smile crept over her features a safe warmth that had been absent from her body flooded through her veins. She was home.
000000000000000000000000000
The rest of that night went by smoothly. Hermione had expected for it to be difficult to get back into the routine at home, but it wasn't at all. Nothing had changed, though the atmosphere did seem to hold more cheer. It was similar to how it had been right before she left for Hogwarts. She helped her mother with dinner while her father was in the living room, watching a game show on TV and going through some papers.
She chatted with her mom about Hogwarts and a few things that had gone on. In return, her mother talked about the plans for Christmas. She was told they would be hosting the big Granger Christmas dinner this year. Her cousin Jenna from her mother's side would be coming tomorrow and stay with them until Christmas. Apparently, Jenna's parents had some sort of trip they had to go on for business for a few days to seal a deal for her father's company, so Hermione's mother invited her to stay here.
Hermione was excited to see her cousin. She hadn't seen her in a few years. They had been close as children, but as they grew older, Hermione got more involved into her magic while Jenna got more involved in…well, whatever it was that she fancied.
Hermione mentioned to her mother about needed to do a little last minute Christmas shopping and asked if she could take the car later.
"Why don't you just go tomorrow when Jen gets here, hun? Surely you would like a bit of company?" Her mother responded, folding a towel and placing it on the counter before calling to her husband, "Dear, dinner is ready!"
Hermione shrugged, "Yes, I suppose that would be nice as well." She agreed before sitting down to dinner with her mother and father.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Harry lay down in his bed and sighed. Finally, after a long day, he could relax. His mother had been overly delighted that her son had come home. But she was always like this. For the first few days after him being gone, she always acted as if she hadn't seen him in years. He couldn't blame her. He was her little boy, though she did need to realize he wasn't so little anymore.
He wondered briefly how Hermione's day had gone. He knew she made up with her parents, which obviously made things a lot easier for her. He silently hoped things had gone well. He glanced over in the corner of his room where her Christmas present sat, the wrapping slightly crinkled. He wasn't the best of wrappers by any means. But still, he thought she would appreciate it. He had agonized on a great gift for her. Finally, as they talked about movies and such that they liked, she mentioned having a soft spot for the Muggle TV show Friends. Harry was slightly familiar with the show, though he didn't really know much about it. He had made a special order a week ago for it. Today, after he had went home, he made a trip to a Muggle store and picked up a box full of all ten seasons, limited edition. It had been pricey-more expensive than Harry had thought. However, he could still afford it and bought it anyway. After how he had treated her, it would kill him. He just hoped she would like it as much as he thought she would.
With a small sigh, Harry hopped up and headed for the room beside his and dropped carelessly on the couch. He started one of his videogame systems before half an hour later tossing it aside and getting out his guitar. He hadn't played in awhile.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, praying for her headache to subside. She had been here at the store with Jenna for the last three hours, and still hadn't managed to pick anything out for Harry. She had never bought a friend a present, not since she had to in school as a child. Now, she had to buy a good friend who was a boy a present. And it had to be something good. She thought once she got in the store, she would be able to pick something out pretty quickly. But she was having no such luck.
"Well, what does he like?" Jenna asked for about the fiftieth time, unfazed by their long stay in the store.
Hermione groaned. What was she going to say? Broomsticks? Quidditch? His Invisibility Cloak? She was a Muggle, she wouldn't understand any of this. Instead, she just shrugged. "I dunno. He likes sports. And getting into mischief. Candy."
Jenna snorted. "Is that your way of politely calling him overweight?"
Hermione laughed, "No, not at all. I said he's likes sports!"
Both girls continued to laugh as they made their way down the aisle, pushing a near-empty cart. This was turning into a
long day.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in ev'ry store
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door
"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" Johnny Mathis
And….that's it. I feel like if I add anything else, I will just be dragging this chapter out. Eh, not my best, but there isn't a whole lot going on right now. Hopefully the next chapter will be more exciting. Well, thanks for reading, and please leave me a review!
P.S. The next time you all hear from me, I'll probably be graduated!!! Less than a month!!!! ^-^
Thanks!
*~Archie~*
-->