All I Want for Christmas

A/N: This is my first attempt to write fan fiction of any sort. Plus, I don't have the knowledge that most of you do about Harry Potter, as I've only read fan fiction and seen the movies. I've tried to be as true to the series as I can considering my knowledge, but the story may be slightly AU. Please be constructively critical of my work. Thanks in advance for your kindness. Maybe I'll write more of these in the future if this one goes well.

Thanks to everybody who's reviewed thus far. I greatly appreciate your feedback. Please keep reviewing.

At the suggestion of one of my reviewers, I'm going to ask people to include their guesses as to when Harry and Hermione are going to get engaged in their reviews. I look forward to reading your guesses. I will say that I will not comment on them, so as to keep you all guessing.

If any of you want to try to figure out where I'm going, you might want to read my replies to people's reviews, as I will occasionally drop a hint in there. However, be wary, I have been known to toss out some red herrings too. Speculate at your own risk.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. All characters belong to J. K. Rowling. “All I Want for Christmas is You” has been recorded by several artists, and no copyright infringement is intended.

All I Want for Christmas

Chapter 11: Insights from a Woman

After a quiet morning with Harry and Hermione relaxing around the house, and Mr. and Mrs. Granger returning as soon as possible after their meeting, the four of them sat down for a simple lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

As everybody finished up, Mrs. Granger turned to Harry and asked, “Harry, dear, would you be willing to help me with the dishes?”

“Sure, Mrs. Granger,” Harry replied immediately. I'm glad to help out. That way I can feel like I'm not totally mooching off of them.

Mrs. Granger turned and winked at Hermione, earning a quick, almost imperceptible nod from Hermione. I wonder what that's about. Mrs. Granger and Hermione seem to be up to something, but what?

Harry followed Mrs. Granger into the kitchen to see what she wanted him to do. I wonder why Mrs. Granger asked me to help her with the dishes. Does she have something that she wants to talk to me about? If so, what?

Harry silently watched Mrs. Granger fill the sinks with hot, soapy water while listening to the radio play Christmas carols on the corner of the counter.

Mrs. Granger glanced at Harry as she picked up the silverware and put them in the sink. “I bet you're wondering why I asked you to help me with the dishes, aren't you?” she asked.

“I don't mind helping, but I can't help but be curious as to why you asked me,” Harry admitted.

“It's good to know that you don't mind doing housework,” Mrs. Granger stated, smiling. “Most guys your age don't want to do anything that remotely resembles work.”

Harry couldn't help but smile a sad smile as he recalled Dudley sitting around most of the time. He isn't the only one that seems to avoid work whenever he can. Several guys at school are the same way.

“I don't know that you've noticed, Harry, but I've been observing you and Hermione since we picked you up at the station yesterday. And from what I've seen there's a question that is begging to be asked: Is there something going on between you and Hermione?”

Harry's eyes grew wide. Okay…that wasn't what I expected her to talk about, but she's like Hermione—she's straight to the point. “Well…Mrs. Granger,” Harry started as he picked up some of the silverware that Mrs. Granger had dropped in the sink, “to be perfectly honest with you, I'm not totally sure myself. I just realized last night that I care for your daughter in a different way than I thought I did, but I don't think that she cares about me in the same way.”

“I wouldn't be so sure about that,” Mrs. Granger countered with an encouraging smile. “You said you just realized that you care about her in a different way last night. Maybe she needs a little more time to come to the same realization. Don't give up hope. She'll come around. You know how stubborn Hermione can be at times.”

Harry smiled sheepishly. Stubborn is right. She'll keep at you until she gets her way if she feels strongly enough about it. “I don't want to drive her away from me if she doesn't feel the same way if I accidentally let it slip that I fancy her.”

Mrs. Granger turned to him and looked him square in the eyes, “Don't cut yourself down like that. Don't tell her that I told you this, but she keeps telling me after each school year that you're becoming more fanciable as the years go by. She just needs some time to realize that she cares for you in the same way.”

Harry turned as red as the Weasleys' hair. “I wish I had your confidence,” he muttered, turning back to the rinse sink.

“Women tell each other things that they wouldn't tell a guy—even if their best friend was a guy. Women also tend to be more perceptive of people's true emotions than guys are, though stubborn women can be a bit oblivious to a guy who likes them, especially when he's been her best friend for six and a half years.”

Mrs. Granger reminds me of Mrs. Weasley, she's straight to the point. Harry picked up a plate that Mrs. Granger had placed in the rinse sink. “As scared as I was when Mr. Granger asked me to go up to your bedroom with him yesterday before dinner, I'm more scared about messing up the beauty of what we have now.”

“That's perfectly understandable, Harry. Two friends realizing that they have non-platonic feelings for each other scares the bravest people because love can put people in scary positions. If you don't believe me, just ask any couple the morning of their wedding. Almost every couple gets extremely nervous right before the ceremony starts. At the same time, love between friends can be like a rose blooming, one of the most beautiful things in the world. I think the love between you and Hermione is like that. Does every romance between friends work out? No, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take the risk because of the chance that it won't work out. The friendship that the two of you have appears to be so strong that it would survive a failed romance, just like Hermione's friendship with Ron did.”

Well, their friendship was a bit strained for a while, but they've clearly put their issues on the back burner to focus on me and the task at hand. I'm willing to take a chance on dating Hermione, but I don't want to make a move unless I know that she fancies me too.

“I'll think about it,” Harry told her.

“Good,” Mrs. Granger responded, draining the water from the sink as Harry did the same. “Let's go into the dining room and sit at the table and talk for a bit longer. I'm sure that Hermione is up in her room thinking about how she feels about you.”

Is that why Hermione and Mrs. Granger winked at each other during lunch? Harry thought to himself as they grabbed seats at the table.

“So, Harry,” Mrs. Granger started, “What are you looking for in a wife?”

What?! Mrs. Granger, what was in your coffee this morning? You are all over the map today. At least I've given this idea some thought, so I have an answer.

“Well…she has to be a kind and considerate person…she needs to be logical to help me keep from being too impulsive…she needs to be smart, because I need help figuring out things at times…we have to be able to laugh together…she needs to like me for who I am, and not the celebrity image of me that most girls have…she needs to be somebody that I feel comfortable sitting and talking for long periods of time with…she needs to be a strong woman to help pick me up when I fall…she needs to be…somebody like your daughter…” Harry's voice trailed off in realization. Maybe we're a better match than even I realized…

“Have there been any common reasons for past break-ups that you've been involved with?” Mrs. Granger quizzed.

“Yeah,” Harry answered immediately, “they've been jealous of Hermione and how close we are.”

“Why is that?”

“Because we spend a lot of time together and we tell each other everything.”

“Is that all?”

What are you hinting at, Mrs. Granger? “Those are the main reasons I can think of.”

“I'm going to offer another idea that you may think is ludicrous, but hear me out. I think it may be that they knew that they could never get as close to you as Hermione has because you had unknowingly already given her your heart.” Harry opened his mouth as if to interrupt her, “Wait. Let me finish. It sounds like the two of you interact at school the same way you have since we picked the two of you up at the station yesterday, and assuming that's true, I figure that they realized that you love Hermione before you did, and they've probably figured that out about how she feels towards you too.”

“If what you're saying is true,” Harry started cautiously, “then why didn't I realize how I feel towards your daughter before now and why haven't I been able to tell that she fancies me?”

Mrs. Granger paused for a moment before answering, “Well, I think that it may be because the two of you haven't had much time to think about how you feel towards each other. As for your second question, you may be too close to the situation to be able to see it objectively, plus the change in your feelings for each other was probably a gradual one, so the two of you might have missed the changes in how you treat each other.”

She's making a lot of sense. She's like a wise old owl imparting her wisdom on me. Sort of like Dumbledore…

“Harry,” Mrs. Granger broke into his thoughts, “listen to this song. You may be able to relate to it.”

Harry tuned in his mind to the song that had just started playing on the radio.

“Take back the holly and mistletoe
Silver bells on string
If I wrote a letter to Santa Claus
I would ask for just one thing
I don't need sleigh rides in the snow
Don't want a Christmas that's blue
Take back the tinsel, stockings and bows
'Cause all I want for Christmas is you

I don't need expensive things
They don't matter to me
All that I want, it can't be found
Underneath the Christmas tree

You are the angel atop my tree
You are my dream come true
Santa can't bring me what I need
'Cause all I want for Christmas is you

I don't need expensive things
They don't matter to me
All that I want, it can't be found
Underneath the Christmas tree

You are the angel atop my tree
You are my dream come true
Santa can't bring me what I need
'Cause all I want for Christmas is you
'Cause all I want for Christmas is you
'Cause all I want for Christmas is you”

As the song ended Harry turned to Mrs. Granger with a dreamy grin on his face, “You're right, Mrs. Granger. I can relate to that song. I really liked it. Thanks.”

“You're welcome, Harry. I think I've given you quite a bit to think about, so we'll end the conversation here. You can go off and think about what we've said or whatever. We'll leave for where we're going this afternoon in a little while.”

Harry stood up and gave Mrs. Granger a hug. “Thanks a lot, Mrs. Granger,” he told her. “I really appreciate that you helped me out when you didn't even know that I had something on my mind.”

As Harry left the dining room and headed for the stairs he didn't hear Mrs. Granger say softly to herself, “I wish my daughter would be accepting of the idea of a life with Harry. He would be great for her, and I'd love to have him as a son-in-law.”

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