All I Want for Christmas by faithful2thecall Rating: PG Ship: Harry & Hermione Canon: Books 1 - 6 Genre: Romance Status: Complete Length: 34,880 words in 19 chapters Published: 11 Dec 2005 Last updated: 1 Feb 2006 Harry and Hermione spend the Christmas holidays at her house with her folks during their 7th year. Mr. and Mrs. Granger seem to have a hidden agenda. What are they up to? The story is hopefully far better than the summary. R/LL implied. Lots of talking (and thinking) and very little action in this story. Excerpt: "Mrs. Granger crossed back to Harry and cupped his chin in her hand, lifting his chin so he was looking into her eyes. “Harry,” she started softly, “That’s what we’ve been trying to show you. We want you two to find the love we did…where we did…in each other.” From the Unofficial Portkey Archive: https://portkey-archive.org/story/5495/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Arriving at the Grangers 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. Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. All characters belong to J. K. Rowling. All I Want for Christmas Chapter 1: Arriving at the Grangers It's strange to be somewhere other than Hogwarts for Christmas, Harry thought to himself as he followed Hermione and her folks up the walk to the Granger residence for the Christmas holidays. I've spent the last six Christmas' at Hogwarts. This is going to be quite different than what I'm used to. Harry looked to his right and saw the excited anticipation radiating from Hermione's eyes as she followed her folks up their walk. The bright smile on her face could light up the Christmas tree in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. She was cheerfully humming what Harry recognized to be a Christmas carol, but he couldn't remember the words to it. “So Harry,” Mrs. Granger's voice broke through his thoughts, “Has Hermione been staying out of trouble?” “Mum!” exclaimed a shocked Hermione, as a stunned look suddenly replaced the smile that Harry had been silently admiring but a moment ago. Mrs. Granger chuckled, “I just thought I'd ask, dear. I trust that you've been behaving yourself.” Harry turned to Hermione with an impish grin on his face, “Oh yes, Mrs. Granger,” Harry replied in a light tone, “Hermione's been behaving quite nicely. Her biggest challenge has been keeping Ron and I from getting ourselves killed.” Harry winked at Hermione with a knowing smirk while clearly recalling their most recent adventure, for which she smacked his arm. “I hope you two aren't going to act like you're 12 the whole time you're here,” Mr. Granger said just forcefully enough to make Harry and Hermione realize that it was time to stop for the moment. Hermione leaned over and whispered to Harry excitedly, “I'm sure you're going to love it here. Mum and Dad have been raving excitedly about your arrival for weeks now.” “Hermione,” Mr. Granger said as he opened the front door, “Why don't you show Harry to his room, and then I think your Mum has some eggnog and cookies waiting for you in the living room.” He added a wink that earned him a smack from Mrs. Granger just like the one Hermione had given Harry just moments before. “Those were supposed to be a surprise until after they had put their stuff in their rooms!” Mrs. Granger playfully scolded him. “Let's go upstairs, Harry,” Hermione said to him as he turned to face her with a silly grin on his face. “You're sleeping in the guest room, which is right next to my bedroom.” Harry followed Hermione up the stairs. Hermione is so incredibly lucky, Harry thought to himself, she has a family that loves her. I have no memories of a loving family. I just remember those torturous years at the Dursleys. Harry suddenly walked straight into Hermione, causing her to fall to the ground. “Didn't you hear my question?” she quizzed him as Harry helped her back to her feet. “I'm sorry I was lost in thought for a moment.” “I asked you how you think Luna's going to do at her first big Weasley family gathering.” Harry chuckled, “She'll probably have them rolling around the floor in stitches in no time. I'm sure they love her. Just like they love you.” “Well, here's your room,” Hermione informed him as she smiled at his last comment. She pushed the door open and stepped inside, and went right over to the full-sized bed and sat down. “Penny for your thoughts?” she offered, patting the space next to her on the bed. Harry set down his stuff and sat down next to her. Harry stared at his feet, uncertain how to explain what was on his mind. “Well...” Harry started softly after hesitating for a minute, “I was just thinking about how lucky you are. That you…” Harry suddenly went silent. “…have a family that loves me,” Hermione finished for him quietly. Harry merely nodded sadly while staring at the floor in front of him. “You have a family too, Harry,” Hermione told him, placing a hand tenderly on his cheek. Harry gave her a puzzled look. “Ron and I are your family,” she pointed out to him. “We both love you just like we love our own families. So that sort of makes you the part of two families.” Harry offered a slight smile at that. “I suppose,” Harry conceded, “or you could say that I have three families since you're the mum of Ron and me.” “Who said I am the mum of the two of you?” Hermione countered. “Maybe I'm the big sister. Or maybe you two are dad and son. Come on, Mum has eggnog and cookies downstairs for us.” She got up and strode purposefully over to the door, and turned back to face him with a smile on her face. Harry looked up at Hermione with his penetrating gaze, trying to make sense of what she had just said. He slowly stood up and followed her out of his bedroom for the holidays, and downstairs for eggnog and cookies. “Maybe you two are dad and son.” Harry pondered. What the bugger did she mean by that? If she's the mum, does that mean she fancies one of us? If so, which one of us? A/N: Yes, this was a fairly short chapter, but it's really setting the stage for what's coming. I do have a couple more chapters written, but I'm going to wait for some reviews to see if I want to change or add anything to the chapters I have written already. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. A Conversation Over Eggnog and Cookies 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 so far! It's quite flattering to know that so many of you are enjoying my story, especially since this is my first attempt at writing fan fiction. Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. All characters belong to J. K. Rowling. All I Want for Christmas Chapter 2: A Conversation Over Eggnog and Cookies Why in the world did I say that Harry and Ron could be father and son? Hermione pondered as she led Harry downstairs and into her mum and dad's living room. If I don't have a clue why I said it how in the world can I tell Harry what I meant by it later. I know he's going to ask me about it too. He always asks me about things like that that I say that he doesn't understand. The problem is…I don't understand it this time either. “Hey sweetie,” Mrs. Granger said with seemingly endless enthusiasm as Hermione entered the living room, followed closely by Harry. “Harry, it's so good to have you here for Christmas this year. Hermione's told us how you've always been at your Aunt and Uncle's or stuck at Hogwarts. If there's anything you need, just you ask, and we'll get it for you.” Hermione couldn't help but to smile amusedly at Harry turn a light shade of red in embarrassment in response to her mum's comments. “Umm…thanks, Mrs. Granger,” Harry stammered. “I'll be sure to let one of you know if I need something.” “I'll leave you two to relax and enjoy the eggnog and chocolate chip cookies,” Mrs. Granger told them, and smiled at the two of them before leaving the room. “Don't mind Mum,” Hermione reassured Harry after her mum had left the room, “she's like that every time we have company, which is quite often. It's not like it takes much to please you either.” She added teasingly with a wink. Harry chuckled for a moment, then suddenly turned grim. “It would take even less if Voldemort wasn't after me anymore,” he said bluntly. Hermione instinctively reached out and grabbed Harry's arm firmly. “Let's not talk of Voldemort during the holidays,” she told him. “This is supposed to be a time when you can forget about that, if only for a couple of weeks.” “I'm going to have to face him for the last time soon, you know, Hermione.” “I know, but let's not talk about it anymore. The holidays are supposed to be a happy time, not one where we dwell on things that make us sad or worried.” Hermione touched his smooth cheek tenderly. Harry smiled at her in gratitude. “All right. I'll try not to think about it while we're here…too much.” Hermione smacked his arm. “No! You won't think about it at all while we're here,” she scolded him. “We're going to relax, have fun, and enjoy ourselves.” Harry merely lifted his hands in surrender, and then poured himself a glass of eggnog and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and sat down on the couch. She did the same and sat down next to him. Well, at least he promised me that he'll try not to dwell on it while we're here. I wish I could stop his dreams about Voldemort, though, Hermione thought as she carefully took a bite from her cookie. I wonder how long he'll wait before asking me about that father/son thing I said earlier. “Hermione,” Harry interrupted her thought process, “You remember that song you were humming as we came up the walk this afternoon? What was it?” What was I humming earlier? It must have been a Christmas carol. Bugger, I can't remember which one it was. “I'm sorry, Harry,” Hermione said apologetically, “but I don't remember what Christmas carol I was humming earlier.” “You mean `All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth'?” Mr. Granger, who had entered the living room without Harry or Hermione noticing, interjected with a chuckle on his way through the living room towards the stairs. Harry also chuckled at the title. Hermione smacked him. “Thanks Dad,” she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “No problem,” Mr. Granger said jovially as he disappeared up the stairs. Harry looked at her. “Didn't remember or didn't want to tell me?” he asked with a spark of mischief in his eye. Hermione smacked him again. “I honestly didn't remember,” she protested. “I believe you,” Harry said with a big cheshire grin on his face. “I just found it amusing that you would be humming a song about wanting your two front teeth after all the jokes that have been made about them at Hogwarts.” Hermione leaned her forehead against Harry's, “You can certainly be a dork when you want to, Harry,” she said with a clearly amused tone in her voice. She noticed a cookie crumb at the edge of his mouth, so she wiped it off with a finger and showed it to him. “Saving some for later?” she questioned. Harry wiped it off her finger with his napkin. “No, Mum,” he said with that all-to-familiar mischievous twinkle in his eye. Hermione smacked his arm again. “I never said that I was your Mum.” “That's right, you said something else. Now what was it…” Harry's voice trailed off in thought. Please don't let him remember, Hermione pleaded. I want to figure out what I meant before I talk with him about it. “Oh yes, now I remember!” Remind me to curse you later, she told the unknown being she had been pleading to. “You said something about Ron and me being father and son. Which of us is which and where do you fit in that picture?” Hermione stood up and walked over to the window with a contemplative look on her face as her mind raced away from her. How did I mean that? Which of them would be the dad? Which one the son? What should I tell him? Why did I say that? Suddenly, she felt the warmth of Harry's hand on her shoulder. “You don't know, do you?” he said softly. All she could do what shake her head sadly with tears welling up in her eyes and droop her head. “I understand,” Harry reassured her, cupping her chin with his hand and lifting it up. “Knowledge comes so easily to you, but this doesn't seem to be knowledge you can read in a book, otherwise you would know the answer.” Hermione smiled weakly through her tears as Harry continued, “This must be knowledge of the heart instead. I wish that I could help you understand it. If you want my help in trying to figure it out, I'd be glad to offer it, but I don't think that I'd be the best one to help you find the knowledge you're seeking right now.” When did Harry get to be so wise? That's my job. “Who do you think would be best able to help me?” Hermione asked through her tears. Harry softly wiped her tears away. “Your parents are the people you have easiest access to. Ginny might be able to help too, and you could always owl her. Hedwig could use the exercise. Besides, that would allow us to find out how Luna's surviving her first Weasley family gathering.” Hermione smiled up at him gratefully. “Thanks Harry. You always seem to know just what to say at times like these.” The red crept back onto Harry's cheeks at her praise. “I'm going to go wash up, and then we should go see if Mum needs any help with dinner.” “That sounds fine, Hermione,” he told her as she started towards the stairs. “I'll wait here for you to come back.” Hermione nodded to acknowledge that she heard him and disappeared slowly up the stairs. Harry sat down on the couch to wait for her. A couple of minutes later he heard heavier footsteps than Hermione's on the stairs, indicating that Mr. Granger was coming down the stairs. Harry turned around to look at him, and saw that Mr. Granger had a contemplative look on his face. “Harry, would you please come up to my room with me?” --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. A Surprising Conversation 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 so far. I'm glad that people are enjoying what I have posted so far. I hope the rest of the story won't disappoint you. Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. All characters belong to J. K. Rowling. All I Want for Christmas Chapter 3: A Surprising Conversation Harry's face went ashen, like he was looking at the scariest thing he'd ever seen. “I told Hermione I'd wait here while she went up to wash her face before we went to help your wife with dinner,” he stammered. “It'll be alright,” Mr. Granger tried to reassure him. “I'll explain why you weren't waiting here for her later. Come on.” What does he want? Harry pondered as he followed Mr. Granger up the stairs and into Mr. Granger's bedroom. Does he think I made Hermione cry? I don't know that I should be the one that explains why she was crying. She should do that. But why else would he want to talk to me alone? This could be really bad… Mr. Granger sat at his desk and motioned for Harry to sit in a chair on the opposite side of the desk. Harry did so slowly. At least the desk is between us now. Why am I so scared of what he wants? I've never been this afraid of Voldemort. “Relax, Harry,” Mr. Granger told him smiling reassuringly. “You're not in trouble. I just wanted to talk with you privately.” Harry swallowed hard and tried to relax. What does he want? Why couldn't he talk with me about…whatever it is that he wants to talk about in front of anybody else, that he had to bring me into his bedroom to discuss it. I'm not going to mention that Hermione was crying if he doesn't. Mr. Granger reached into his desk and pulled out a picture that clearly was typically on his desk by the frame it was in, Harry noticed. He must have been getting ready for this conversation earlier when he went upstairs while Hermione and I were talking in their living room. Mr. Granger smiled at the picture, and then handed it to Harry. “This is a picture of my wife and I from before we were married.” Harry looked at the lovely young couple, very much in love in the picture with a slight smile and a slight smile came across his lips as well. They look so much like the pictures I see of my mum and dad. Young and clearly in love with each other. “How old do you think we are in that picture, Harry?” Harry looked up at him blankly. Why in the world would he ask me that? Harry looked back down at the picture. “Maybe 19 or 20,” Harry answered him hesitantly. “Gee, I know we were told that we looked old for our age, but not by that much,” Mr. Granger laughed, causing Harry to give him an uneasy grin. “How old were you?” Mr. Granger held out his hand, and Harry handed the picture back to him. Mr. Granger took the picture out of the frame and turned it over and handed it back to Harry, backside up, with a big smile on his face. “Read this.” Harry looked at him with a puzzled expression, but took the picture from Mr. Granger. Why doesn't he come straight out and tell me how old they were? Harry then looked down at the picture. This handwriting looks a lot like Hermione's. Harry looked up at Mr. Granger with a mixture of surprise and confusion on his face. “Read it.” “The love of my life, on her 17th birthday, just after I proposed to her.” Harry looked up at a now beaming Mr. Granger. “That's right, Harry,” Mr. Granger informed him, “We got engaged when we were 17. Our folks did make us wait until we were 18 before we were actually married, but she was well worth the wait. Our little pride and joy came into our lives a year after we were married.” Harry looked at Mr. Granger with a puzzled look on his face. I knew that Hermione's folks were quite young, but I didn't realize they were that young. Why would he be telling me this? Harry turned the picture back over to look at the beaming couple. They seem so content. So in love. I wonder what that's like…to love someone, and have them love me back. Harry saw Mr. Granger reaching towards the same desk drawer that he pulled the first picture from out of the corner of his eye and watched him pull out another picture that looked like it typically was hung on the wall. “Look at this picture now,” Mr. Granger told Harry as he handed the new picture to Harry. Harry tried to hand the first picture back to Mr. Granger, but he refused, “No, no. Just hang on to that one for now.” Harry looked at the new picture. A fond smile immediately came to his face as he instantly recognized the picture. This is that picture that Colin took of Hermione and me at the end of fourth year. Harry looked at their beaming faces as he smiled at the memory. “See any similarities, Harry?” Mr. Granger broke through his reverie. Harry looked up at Mr. Granger with a confused look etched on his face. What? Suddenly, Harry's eyes widened, as he realized what Mr. Granger was talking about. Harry quickly put the two pictures next to each other and looked at them. My goodness! The poses are identical! This is some strange coincidence. Is Mr. Granger trying to hint at something? Harry looked back up to be greeted by the knowing smile of Mr. Granger. “My wife and I both immediately recognized that the poses in these two pictures were identical, but we've never told Hermione. We figured that we would wait for the right time before revealing our revelation to the two of you. It's clear that the two of you are very fond of each other by the way you interact. I also see that Hermione has inherited her mum's willingness to provide a love tap to the one she loves when they deserve it.” Mr. Granger added a clearly amused tone to his last sentence. Harry chuckled, knowing exactly what Mr. Granger was talking about by “love tap,” after seeing Mrs. Granger give him one on their way into the house. “The one she loves”? Harry's face scrunched up in thought. Does Mr. Granger really think that Hermione loves me in that way? Has he gone mad? There's no way that Hermione loves me like that. We're merely platonic best friends. That's all we'll ever be. Mr. Granger smiled knowingly as he watched the confusion etched on the features of the young man sitting in front of him. “Harry, I know this all has been thrust on you rather suddenly, but I want to ask you something. Maybe you won't have an answer for me now, but maybe you will by the time you and Hermione go back to Hogwarts.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Do you love Hermione?” Harry's mind raced off as his eyes grew as big as a snitch. He has seriously gone daft. Why would he ask me a question like that? What should I tell him? No? Yes? Maybe? Well…to be honest, none of those answers would really be truthful, because I've never really thought about it before. I don't want to get on Hermione's folks bad side, so I probably better be honest with him. Harry took a moment to make sure he was composed before answering Mr. Granger, “Well, to be perfectly honest sir, I've never really thought about it before.” Mr. Granger nodded, as if he had been expecting an answer like that, “That's what I figured, since the two of you and what's-his-name have been so busy fighting to save your world that you wouldn't have had time to sort through any feelings that you may have realized that you have towards her. You should try to take some time while you're here to think about it. The power of the love between a man and a woman can probably beat any spell or curse that your world has.” Harry's thoughts immediately turned to his parents. They certainly loved me. Their love was what saved my life the night that Voldemort murdered them. If Mr. Granger only knew how right he is… Harry didn't even notice that Mr. Granger had stood up and had moved to behind Harry until he put a hand on Harry's shoulder. “I think I've given you enough to think about for right now. Come on, let's go see if the ladies need any help with dinner.” Harry smiled at Mr. Granger in gratitude. He then stood up, and followed Mr. Granger out of Mr. Granger's bedroom and down the stairs to rejoin the ladies. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Woman-to-Woman 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. I continue to be amazed at how many people are reviewing my story. It means a lot to me to know that you are enjoying my first fan fiction of any sort. Thanks a lot to everybody who's reviewed my story so far. 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 Chapter 4: Woman-to-Woman Well at least I don't look like I was crying a few minutes ago. Hermione told herself as she looked at herself in the mirror. I don't want my mum asking me about why I was crying. Hermione left the bathroom and went down the stairs to the living room, where Harry was waiting for her, so they could go help her mum with dinner. Where is he? She wondered as she entered the living room. He was supposed to wait for me here. I don't think he brought his invisibility cloak with him, so he can't be hiding under that. Besides, I would have heard him come upstairs to get it. He must have gone into the kitchen to help Mum. Boys can be so impatient at times, especially when it's in regards to food. Hermione made her way to the kitchen, where she found her mum working by herself, while humming a Christmas carol that she didn't recognize. Where the blast is he? “Mum,” Hermione called as she entered the kitchen, “have you seen Harry recently? By the way…what's the name of the Christmas carol you're humming?” “No, I haven't seen Harry recently. The last I knew, the two of you were talking in the living room,” her mum told her. “And the song, that's `All I Want for Christmas is You',” her mum told her with a bit of an embarrassed smile. “Strange. He was supposed to wait for me in the living room while I went to use the bathroom real quick, but when I came back, he was gone.” “Were you two going to do something that you might have regretted later?” her mum asked with a raised eyebrow. “What are you suggesting, Mum?” Hermione asked in shock. “Nothing, sweetheart. It's not that I don't trust you and Harry by yourselves. It's just that the two of you are getting to the age where lots of guys and gals realize that there are certain things that they can do together that they didn't have the desire to do before.” “Mum!!! Harry and I wouldn't do anything like that! We're just platonic friends. Neither of us are interested in each other romantically or sexually.” Her mum raised a suspicious eyebrow, “And when is the last time that the two of you talked about how you feel towards each other?” “We don't need to discuss it. We can read each other like an open book. If either of us were romantically interested in the other, the other one would know.” “He's a guy, Hermione. They can be very slow to pick up on things like that. Fortunately, your dad is not like most guys. He caught on very quickly that there was more than a friendship between us.” Ron is definitely like that. He wouldn't catch on to the idea that somebody fancied him until they snogged him. I don't think Harry's that dense, but I haven't given him a chance to test that theory. “Enough with the nonsense, Mum. What are you getting at?” Her mum smiled, “That's the Hermione I know. Straight to the point. No beating around the bush.” Hermione couldn't help but to smile sheepishly and turn red as her mum continued, “What I'm saying is that from watching you and Harry interact with each other this afternoon I have to wonder if your feelings towards each other have grown beyond platonic best friends into love.” Hermione dropped the wooden spoon she had picked up to stir the sauce for the pasta they were having for dinner. “WHAT??? How could you say something like that?” Have you gone mad? Harry and I will never be more than platonic best friends. Her mum smiled one of those I-know-something-you-don't grins that Hermione was well-known for at Hogwarts. “It looks like he quite enjoys the love taps that you give him, just like your dad enjoys the ones that I give him, and you clearly enjoy his company, like I enjoy your dad's. I've noticed that during the summers since you started at Hogwarts, that hearing from Harry or spending some quality time looking at a picture of the two of you together has made your day. Even more so than when you find a really good book.” Hermione's eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Really?” she asked. “Do I really act like that?” “Indeed you do, sweetheart,” her mum confirmed. “I may have even been understating your reaction a bit.” Hermione's face went into one of her contemplative looks. “Wow,” she muttered to herself, “I never realized I did that.” I wonder if that means anything. “I wonder, sweetheart,” her mum continued thoughtfully, “if your feelings for each other have grown into love, and with all that the two of you and Ron have had to do, that neither of you has had time to think about how the two of you feel towards each other. You should try to take some time while your home to think about that before you two go back to school and get back into whatever it is that you do there.” “Maybe I should,” muttered Hermione. “Thanks, Mum. I'll try to find some time to do that.” “I'll try to help you by trying to find a way to distract Harry so you can go off and have some time to think. Does that sound good to you?” Hermione smiled at her mum in gratitude. “Yes it does. Thanks Mum.” Her mum smiled back at her daughter, “You're welcome, sweetheart. You know that your dad and I would do anything for you.” Her mum paused for a moment, listening intently. “It sounds like we finished this conversation just in time, cause it sounds like the men are coming.” As soon as she finished saying that, in walked Mr. Granger with Harry right behind him. “Hi, Hun,” Mr. Granger said, kissing his wife on the cheek. “Need any help with dinner?” Mrs. Granger smacked him, which caused Harry to smile in amusement, which Hermione couldn't help but notice. “It's actually almost ready. No thanks to you stealing Harry and worrying our daughter half to death.” Harry and Hermione shared a private, knowing smile, which didn't go unnoticed by her folks, who smiled knowingly at each other as well, which did go unnoticed by Harry and Hermione. Mrs. Granger continued, “You and Harry go set the table, while Hermione and I finish in here.” Hermione watched Harry and her dad leave. I wonder why Harry is so amused by seeing my mum smack my dad… A/N: Again, not really a cliff hanger, but this chapter didn't really lend itself to one. The whole shape of the story is now becoming more clear in my mind, so hopefully it will turn out well. I still have a fair amount to write, as there are several more conversations to be had before this story ends. I'm already getting ideas for a sequel to this story that I won't say anymore about, because it may give away how this one ends. Yes, I realize that I may come across as bashing Ron in this chapter, but have no fear Ron fans, he is presented in a much better light later in the story. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Dinnertime Exchanges 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. Thank you to everybody who's reviewed my story so far. I've gotten some very helpful feedback from you. I'd enjoy hearing from more of you. 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 Chapter 5: Dinnertime Exchanges Within five minutes, the table was set, the food was on it, and the four of them were around the small round table in the dining room enjoying their first meal together. Harry was sitting with Hermione to his right, Mr. Granger to his left, and Mrs. Granger across from him. They all started savoring their pasta and fresh tossed salad. “This is really good, Mrs. Granger,” Harry informed her. Mrs. Granger smiled warmly at him, “why, thank you Harry. My cooking tends to go underappreciated around here most of the year.” All three of them turned to look at Mr. Granger. “What? I love your cooking! I just don't say it at every meal.” “When's the last time that you said that you loved my cooking before ten seconds ago?” “Um…” Mr. Granger stammered, with a look of concentration on his face. “My point exactly.” Mr. Granger gently took his wife's hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. “I'll make it up to you later,” he promised her. Mrs. Granger leaned her forehead against his, “I never have been able to stay mad at you for long,” she conceded. Harry looked over at Hermione and interjected with a smile, “Has anyone ever told you how much like your mum you are?” Hermione blushed in embarrassment as Mr. and Mrs. Granger smiled at each other, seeming to speak volumes to each other through their smiles. Harry didn't miss their look. I wonder what they're thinking about. Harry pondered in his mind. Is it something concerning what I said to Hermione or something from their exchange just before that? It must be something from their exchange just before I made that comment to Hermione. “Harry,” Hermione's voice broke through his thoughts, “didn't you hear what I just said?” This time it was Harry's turn to turn red in embarrassment. “Sorry, Hermione,” Harry apologized, “I guess I didn't.” “I said that at least this time you didn't refer to me as your mum,” Hermione repeated for him, drawing chuckles from Mr. and Mrs. Granger. “Does Hermione act like a mum for you and Ron at school, Harry?” Mrs. Granger asked. “At times,” Harry said glancing quickly at a shyly smiling Hermione. “She gets us back in line when we get too far out of it.” More like all the time, but it's not like that's a bad thing. “What sorts of things have the three of you been up to recently?” Mr. Granger inquired. Harry and Hermione looked at each other with concern clearly etched on their faces. What should we say? How much can we tell them? Very few people in the wizarding world know that we've been looking for and destroying the horcruxes while attending classes. They wouldn't have any idea about what they are or the implications of their destruction either. Hermione finally answered after a long pause, “Well…” she started, “We've been studying hard for our N.E.W.T.s in the spring, and having a bit of fun too. We've also been working on a secret project in our spare time.” Nice cover, Hermione. Harry smiled at her appreciatively. It wasn't lying, but it was still vague enough not to give anything away. “That sounds just like our sweetheart,” Mrs. Granger said smiling broadly. “Indeed it does,” Mr. Granger said proudly. Harry and Hermione smiled at each other. If they only knew half the stuff we've been through. She's saved our lives on several occasions. Sure, she's gotten us into some trouble over the years, like for the troll on Halloween our first year, but her quick mind has gotten us out of more than enough tough situations to make up for the occasional trouble she's gotten us in to. “So Harry,” Hermione broke through his thoughts, “What did Dad want to talk to you about earlier?” Harry looked at Mr. Granger while he thought about his response. What do I tell her? I don't want to tell her exactly what we were talking about. She'd think both her dad and me have gone mad. “We were talking about guy stuff,” Mr. Granger bailed him out. Harry smiled at him in gratitude. Mr. Granger nodded as if to say “anytime.” Hermione and Mrs. Granger looked at each other with raised eyebrows, but sheepish grins on their face, knowing that they had a conversation that they didn't really want to tell the guys about either. They continued eating in silence for a few minutes, and Mrs. Granger went into the kitchen and brought out bowls of vanilla ice cream for each of them. “Make sure to brush your teeth well before you go to bed, you two,” she told Harry and Hermione. “Yes, Mum.” Hermione responded automatically. Harry started to eat his ice cream, but suddenly put down his spoon and put a hand to his head. Not now! Voldemort, why do you have to pick the worst possible times to give me a headache? Headache…that's a good excuse for getting out of the room to lie down for a bit. Hermione saw his hand go to his head and worriedly grabbed his arm to support him. Her eyes went wide in fear. “Are you alright, Harry?” Mrs. Granger asked, clearly concerned. “Headache,” Harry muttered, pushing his chair back. “I'm going to go lie down for a bit.” “We have medicine for headaches, Harry,” Mrs. Granger countered, “I can go get some for you if you'd like.” “It's okay, Mum. When Harry gets these headaches he needs to lie down for a bit,” Hermione informed her mum. “Go on, Harry. I'll be up to check on you in a few minutes.” “Thanks,” Harry murmured as he made his way slowly towards the stairs. Hermione worriedly picked at her ice cream for a few minutes while her folks watched her. Then, she set her spoon down and pushed her bowl towards the middle of the table. “I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going to check on Harry.” She was out of the dining room before either of her folks could say a word. “Ice cream headache?” pondered Mr. Granger out loud. “Maybe,” Mrs. Granger responded looking towards where Harry and Hermione had left the room contemplatively. “She really does seem to be a good mum for Harry, though,” Mr. Granger added. Mrs. Granger smiled weakly at him. “I'm sure it's more than a mum-like feeling…” she trailed off in thought while continuing to look towards where Harry and Hermione had exited the room. A/N: This is my last update before Christmas. As I said in response to a couple of reviewers who asked if I was going to have this finished before Christmas, there is no way that I possibly could have finished this story by then. You'll see why once I get more of the story up. I also won't be as quick about responding to reviews for this chapter as I have been for other chapters, as I'm going out of town for a few days and won't have computer access until I get back. Please keep reviewing though. I really appreciate your feedback. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Soothing Touches and Awkward Moments 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. I'm a bit disappointed by the number of reviews I've received for the last chapter, but I figure that it's probably partially due to Christmas. Thanks to those who did review, though, as the quality of the reviews was very good. I enjoy hearing from those of you who are reading my story. 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 Chapter 6: Soothing Touches and Awkward Moments Hermione was worried as she rushed out of the dining room and up the stairs. I hope this isn't a really bad “headache.” Why did Voldemort have to make Harry get a “headache” now? It's almost like Voldemort doesn't want Harry to be happy. Well, of course…Voldemort wants Harry dead. Harry will defeat him, though. I know he will. I don't want to imagine life without Harry. I hope Harry's scar won't burn for too long. “Harry, how are you feeling?” she asked as she quickly stepped into his room, shutting the door behind her. “Bloody miserable,” Harry muttered from his bed. Hermione quickly crossed to him and sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Harry. “Did you learn anything?” Hermione asked inquisitively. “He doesn't know that we only have to find one more horcrux before we can defeat him for the final time. He was telling one of the Death Eaters that he was quite safe because I don't know about the horcruxes,” Harry informed her. “What made Voldemort so angry then?” Hermione pondered aloud. “I don't know. He was shouting as I was first able to hear what he was saying,” Harry told her. “Then it was probably that a Death Eater disappointed him somehow,” Hermione speculated placing her hand on top of Harry's. “That's what he seems to get mad about most often.” Harry seemed to relax under Hermione's touch. “As always, you're right, Hermione,” Harry complimented her, “that certainly is what Voldemort gets mad about the most.” I wish I could take away his pain. Or at least share it. It hurts me to see Harry suffer so much. We need to find and destroy the last horcrux soon, so Harry can rid the world of Voldemort. Hermione's eyes watered up again. “Hermione, are you alright,” Harry asked putting his free hand on Hermione's cheek. “You typically don't cry this often.” “I'm scared, Harry,” Hermione confessed as a single tear ran down her cheek. “I want this all to be over as soon as possible so you don't have to suffer anymore. I want you to be able to move on with your life, and not have to keep looking over your shoulder to see if Voldemort is right behind you. I want you to…” Hermione broke down and wept. Harry pulled Hermione down to him, so she was crying into his white t-shirt. “Don't worry Hermione,” Harry reassured her. “Soon we will put an end to Voldemort's reign of fear, and I'll be able to live like you want me to be able to. I promise you. We'll soon be able to live free of the fear of Voldemort lurking around every corner. Free to laugh as loud as we want. Free to do what we want to do with our lives. Free to love those whom we want to love, without the fear of losing them in the next moment.” “Love whom we want to love”? Is Harry in love with somebody, but not want to tell them because it would make them a target for Voldemort? Who is it? Ginny? No, he's over her. Harry always tells me everything, so why don't I know who he's in love with? Hermione sniffled and looked up at him, “You mean that?” Harry nodded at her with a tender smile on his face, “I meant every word.” Hermione pulled Harry into a big hug. “Thanks,” was all she could say. Harry looked at her with a pain-free expression, “I feel a lot better now too. I think I may even be able to manage going back downstairs to talk with your parents.” Hermione smiled at the idea, and Harry continued talking, “Why don't you go wash up and come back here, and then we can go downstairs to the living room and talk with your parents for a while.” Hermione smiled at him and stood up. “I like that idea,” she said, smiling shyly, “I'll be right back.” Hermione turned and quickly walked out of Harry's room. Why do I cry in front of Harry so often now? I never did that before. When did I become so emotional? Hermione walked into the bathroom and ran some cool water on her face and dried her face with a towel before looking into the mirror. Is Mum more right than I thought? Does Harry fancy me? I don't know why he would. I'm just a plain-Jane bookworm. I'm certainly not as beautiful as Cho or Ginny or any of the other girls that Harry's fancied, so I don't know what he sees in me if he does fancy me. More importantly…do I fancy Harry? If so, when did my feelings towards him change and has he figured out that I fancy him? How could my feelings towards him have changed without me noticing before? I don't think it's possible, but I need to try to keep an open mind about the possibility. Hermione left the bathroom and returned to Harry's bedroom. Harry was still sitting on the edge of the bed when Hermione reentered the room. It looks like Harry's deep in thought about something. I wonder what he's thinking about. Is he thinking about me? Why would he think about me? Is he scared to lose me like he lost Sirius and Dumbledore? He wouldn't be alone if he did. I'm scared of the idea of losing him. “Hey, Harry,” Hermione said as she put her hand on his shoulder. “You ready to go downstairs and talk with my folks?” Harry looked up at her and smiled. “I'm ready,” he told her. “I was just taking advantage of the quiet to think about something for a bit.” “What were you thinking about?” “I'll tell you some other time. I'm not ready to share it quite yet.” Hermione puzzled over what Harry had just said. He typically tells me what's troubling him right away. What would he not be willing to tell me right now? Is it something about a girl? He generally even tells me that though. I'm not going to push him on this. If he needs time before he's ready to tell me what he was thinking about, then I'm going to give him as much time as he needs. “I'll be here whenever you're ready to talk about it, Harry,” Hermione promised him. “Come on, I'm sure my folks are getting worried about us.” Hermione led the way out the door and downstairs to the living room, where they found Mr. and Mrs. Granger sitting in chairs across from each other. Mr. Granger was reading the newspaper, while Mrs. Granger was knitting something that looked like it was going to be a sweater. “Feeling better, Harry?” Mrs. Granger asked as Harry walked into the room. Harry smiled at Hermione before turning to look at Mrs. Granger, “oh yes, much better now. Thanks,” Harry replied. “I get those headaches every once in a while at random. I just have to lie down for a bit and wait for it to go away.” “I'm glad to hear you're feeling better,” Mr. Granger said relieved as he finished reading the newspaper and put it down on the coffee table in front of him. “Please, have a seat.” Harry and Hermione sat down next to each other on the couch they sat on earlier. They looked at the clock and saw that it was 8:55 already. “So, Harry,” Mr. Granger said, “do you have any idea why you get those headaches?” Harry smiled at Hermione before answering. “Well, Mr. Granger,” Harry replied calmly, “I have an idea, but I haven't been able to prove it yet.” Hermione smiled at Harry's reply. Nice answer, Harry. Vague, but honest and complete enough not to provoke further discussion on the subject. “How's work been, Dad?” Hermione asked in a clear attempt to change the subject. “It's been fine. Nothing new or interesting, but it pays the bills,” Mr. Granger told her. “It's always a nice feeling knowing that you've helped people feel better after they've been in pain, or if they just need something to fill up a hole in their mouth.” Mrs. Granger jumped in, “it's sort of an analogy for life. There are people who need certain things to fill up, or complete, their lives. People can help them out by finding ways to help people with empty spots in their lives to fill them, sort of like what we do as dentists…we fill holes in people to help make them whole again.” Harry and Hermione each risked a quick glance at towards the other, hoping not to get caught doing so. Their luck did not hold, though, as they looked at each other at the exact same time. They both quickly turned away with bright red faces. I wonder why Harry was looking at me. Hermione thought to herself. Mum seems to think that Harry and I are missing love in our lives, and thinks that we may be in love with each other. I still think she's mad, but I'm not totally willing to rule out that idea just yet. I wonder what Dad wanted to talk to Harry about…was he talking to Harry about the same sort of thing? That'd be a scary thought. “So, Harry what do you hope to do after you graduate from Hogwarts?” Mrs. Granger asked him. “Well,” Harry said glancing at a very interested Hermione before looking back at Mrs. Granger, “career-wise I have a couple of interests that I would like to explore. Apart from a career, I'd eventually like to marry and have a family that I'd get to know longer than I knew my parents. Of course, I have to save my world before I can do any of that.” “It seems strange to trust the future of your entire world to a 17-year-old young man,” Mr. Granger observed. “It was a prophecy made many years ago that one of us will have to destroy the other before either of us can truly live,” Harry informed him. “Have no fear, Dad,” Hermione jumped in. “Harry's the best of our age at what he does, and is one of the most powerful of our kind at all. He'll save our world. Ron and I will be right there to help him do it. It's what we're meant to do.” “I still think that it sounds strange,” Mr. Granger said, “but I do trust that the three of you will be able to do it. There is nothing that the two of you can't do together.” Mrs. Granger yawned. “Well, I think it's high time that Dad and I went to bed,” she said. “We had an early morning today, and another one tomorrow. We'll leave you two to talk here,” she added looking directly at Hermione, as if to say “don't even think about it.” Mum, Hermione thought to herself. I already told you that Harry and I wouldn't do anything like that. You must be going mad from all the long hours you've put in recently. “I agree, Hun,” Mr. Granger added quickly as he stood up and went to stand at the foot of the stairs. “Good night, you two. Don't stay up too late.” “Good night, Mr. Granger,” Harry replied. “Good night, Dad,” Hermione added. “Good night, dears,” Mrs. Granger said as she joined Mr. Granger at the foot of the stairs. “Good night,” chorused Harry and Hermione together. Mr. and Mrs. Granger headed upstairs to get ready for bed. I'm a bit tired myself, but I'm not quite ready to go to bed yet. Harry looks like he's going to want to go to bed pretty soon too. That headache seemed to take some of his strength away tonight. Hermione took a quick glance at Harry, and saw him staring at the ground in front of him, clearly deep in thought. I wonder what he's thinking about. I hope it's not Voldemort. Though, I know that it would be hard for me not to think about Voldemort right now if I was in his shoes. We need to put an end to this soon. We need to find Nagini and destroy him, so Harry can finish off Voldemort once and for all. I know he'll be able to do it. We'll get through this, and then we can really sort out if we fancy each other or not. Though, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to think about it a bit during the holidays… “Hermione,” Harry interrupted her train of thought, “we probably should get to bed too. After all, we worked really hard the last couple of weeks, and even you've been having problems staying fully awake in classes at times.” Hermione smiled guiltily. I didn't think anybody had noticed that. “You're right, Harry. We probably should go to bed early. I wonder what Mum and Dad are planning to do tomorrow. I thought that they were planning on taking the day off to spend it with us, but needing to get up early seems to imply that they have a meeting or something. They'll probably eat breakfast with us first, though.” Harry stood up, and helped Hermione to her feet. Hmmm…he has a nice, strong grip, but it's gentle at the same time. It feels really nice to have Harry hold my hand. I wish he'd hold my hand more often. He looks like he never wants to let go of me. Wait a minute…what am I thinking? They walked to the foot of the stairs side-by-side, where Harry paused and gestured for Hermione to go ahead. “Ladies first,” Harry insisted with a broad smile on his face. Hermione felt her cheeks heat up a bit. He looks so cute when he does that. He can be such a gentleman. He's going to make some woman very happy someday. I wish it was me. Hermione, bad girl…what are you thinking? You don't like Harry like that. He's your best friend. You can't possibly fall in love with your best friend! He'll never fancy you because of your history with Ron, his best mate. He's too selfless to let himself fall for you. She led Harry up the stairs, and they stopped midway between the room he was staying in and her bedroom. “You can use the bathroom first, Harry,” Hermione told him. Harry smiled, “I suppose you won't let me let you go first all the time, so I won't even bother trying to argue with you.” Hermione smiled back at him, “You're right. I won't. You don't have to be so selfless all the time. Sometimes you need to put yourself and what you want first.” “I'll try to remember that,” Harry told her. Hermione wrapped her arms around him in a big bear hug as if her life depended on it. Oh, this feels so good. I wish I could stay wrapped up in his arms like this forever. I feel safe in his arms. No! Bad Hermione! Don't make me scold you for that again. They reluctantly broke their hug after about a minute, both of them clearly wanting to continue the hug. “Good night,” they told each other at the same time before going into their respective rooms. Harry quickly gathered his things and went into the bathroom to take care of his nightly rituals. He hustled through them and quickly returned to the guest room. Hermione was listening for Harry to pass back by her room and go into his room. A few minutes later she heard what she was waiting for, the familiar sound of Harry's steps as he passed by her room and moments later she heard his door open and shut. I want to make this as quick as possible. Hermione told herself. I have a hunch that I'm going to have trouble sleeping tonight because I have a lot to think about. Why did this all have to spring up now? Hermione quickly took care of her nightly rituals, but it wasn't quick enough for her taste. I know I can get them done faster. She scolded herself as she made her way back to her bedroom. She changed for bed, climbed into bed, and turned off the light. She lay there in silence for a couple of minutes, wanting to avoid questioning herself on what her true feelings towards Harry are. She listened intently, but heard no noise coming from the guest room that Harry was staying in. I wonder what Harry's dreaming about tonight… --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Maybe We Do 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. Wow! I'm amazed at the response I got after the last chapter. It's really reassuring to me that so many people are interested in my story. You are my inspiration to keep writing. Thanks for all your support thus far. I hope you'll be able to be as supportive of my work in the future, especially as I continue to educate myself about the series while I'm writing. Please point out any inconsistencies with the series that you see, because I want to be as true to the series as I can. 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 Chapter 7: Maybe We Do Harry wasn't dreaming. He was staring at the ceiling, thinking about what had transpired that day. Is it possible that I really fancy Hermione? I've never thought about it before. Why wouldn't I have noticed that my feelings towards her have changed if they really did? When could have my feelings towards Hermione changed? Okay, let's think through these questions logically, like Hermione would do. First, could I possibly really fancy Hermione as more than just platonic best friends? Mr. Granger certainly seems to think so. What did he say about it? He said that it's clear to him and Mrs. Granger that Hermione and me are quite fond of each other. They haven't seen the two of us together much, so if it's that obvious to them, what do kids at school think? Many of them wouldn't even consider the possibility of dating either of us. Those that would, like Ginny, are more fond of the idea of dating one of us than the idea of an actual relationship. Mr. Granger also showed me those pictures of him and Mrs. Granger and of Hermione and me that had identical poses. That was some freaky coincidence. I don't think I can put any meaning to it. Or can I? Didn't I think to myself when I first looked at the picture of Mr. and Mrs. Granger when they were our age that they looked like the pictures I've seen of my parents? Didn't I think that they looked young and clearly in love with each other? So, if what Mr. Granger said is true and that Hermione and I love each other, then that could explain the coincidence of the poses in the pictures that Mr. Granger showed me being identical. Maybe Mr. Granger was on to something after all… But how could I possibly fancy Hermione? Or maybe the better way to phrase it is: Why would I fancy Hermione? She understands me better than anybody I know, even better than I understand myself at times. She's been there for me through thick and thin. We compliment each other as people really well. People do consider us to be the most powerful wizard and brightest witch of our age, but Hermione wouldn't care about that, and I don't really either. We have no problem with showing affection towards each other in public. You know something, she's really beautiful too. I just never allowed myself to think about her like that before because we've been platonic best friends for so long. Maybe the best question to ask is: Why wouldn't I fancy Hermione? Harry searched his memory for several minutes trying to come up with a reason. That's a good question. I can't come up with a reason why I wouldn't fancy Hermione. We don't argue a lot, like Hermione and Ron do. Or have a purely physical relationship, like Ginny and I did. There is no reason that I can think of to say that it's impossible for me to fancy Hermione. We've been purely platonic best friends for so long, though…what would dating do to our relationship? Does she even fancy me? Mr. Granger seems to think so. I don't. Hermione and I know each other so well that I'd know if she started fancying me. Or would I? I'm starting to believe the possibility that I fancy her, and she doesn't appear to have picked up on it yet if I do. So maybe she does fancy me, and I'm so close to the situation that I'm missing the obvious signs that she does. Maybe that's why kids at school seem to think that we'd be good together. You know, I remember hearing somewhere that sometimes the last two people to realize that they are meant to be together are the two people meant to be together. Maybe that's the case with us. Maybe Hermione and me are meant to be together and we're the last two people to figure that out. Come on, even Mr. Granger seems to think so, and Mrs. Granger probably does as well. Wait a minute, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm not even sure that I fancy Hermione yet. It certainly seems to be a possibility, but I haven't proved it yet. Is love something that you can prove? How could love be provable? How would we act if we're in love? Would we act differently than we do now if we do fancy each other? Maybe not. If Mr. Granger seems to think that we love each other already, then we probably wouldn't do anything to change how we act towards each other. Well…other than showing affection in public by hand holding and quick kissing and stuff like that maybe, but we wouldn't change how we act towards each other beyond that. We are rather affectionate towards each other in public compared to most opposite sex friends at school already. We do help each other out a lot. We have been through a lot together already. We've been each other's rock that the other has been able to count on at all times. I can't imagine what life would be like without her being there for me to depend on. Hold on…I seem to remember somebody saying something like “Don't marry the person you think you can live with. Marry the person you can't live without.” People only get married if they love each other, though. If, according to whomever I heard say that, I should marry Hermione because I can't imagine living without her, then I must love her. Me. In love with Hermione? Since when? That's an interesting question. There are way too many coincidences lining up for everything to possibly be purely coincidence. I must love her after all. I can hear that she's thrashing around on her bed. She must be having problems sleeping. I wonder why that is… Maybe she's trying to figure out how she feels about me. Nah. That's ridiculous. She'll never see me as anything more than her platonic best friend. Still, the idea does give me hope that maybe she'll someday feel the same way towards me that I feel towards her. I wonder when I fell in love with her… A/N: *ducks the flying objects from those who are upset at the very misleading red herring and the way Ginny is presented in this chapter* The red herring was something I tossed in to help make Hermione more real by illustrating that she isn't always right. Like I said after Chapter 4 regarding Ron—have no fear, Ginny fans, Ginny will be presented in a much more favorable manner later on. This probably goes without saying, but Chapter 8 will be back in Hermione's room where we'll see why she's “thrashing around on her bed.” --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. There's No Way 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 read and reviewed my story so far. I'm still stunned at how supportive most people have been of my first attempt at writing fan fiction, especially when it's about a series that I don't know as much about as most of my readers do. 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 Chapter 8: There's No Way Harry wasn't the only one having a restless night. Hermione was thrashing around on her bed. It wasn't that she couldn't get comfortable. She wasn't ready to curl up in her favorite sleeping position just yet, because she had too much on her mind to allow herself to fall asleep. Argh!!! Why did Mum have to pick today to have a conversation like that with me? Harry's here so I can't get away from him to be able to push that conversation out of my mind until I go back to school. Being around him is enough to keep what Mum said fresh on my mind. She has definitely gone mad. Me? Fancy Harry? Nonsense. That will never happen. We've been platonic best friends too long for that to ever happen. And to think that she actually had the nerve that Harry and I were thinking about having sex! What is it about being a mum that makes you go crazy? As much as I'd like to be a mum myself someday, I don't look forward to that part of it. Mum and Dad somehow have this uncanny ability to make Harry and me get embarrassed more often than usual too. What is with that? Kids at school can't embarrass us nearly as easily or as often as Mum and Dad did in just a few hours. Mum tried to say that hearing from Harry during the summer or looking at a picture of us is proof that I fancy him. What a load of rubbish! It's not often that I hear from Harry during the summer, so of course hearing from him would make my day. I think she was exaggerating the picture thing too. I don't look at pictures of us for that long. Maybe a hour or so six days a week, but I'm thinking about what we've done and wondering how he's doing, not pining over him. Mum can over-exaggerate the littlest things. Like I told her, “we can read each other like an open book.” If either of us fancied the other, then the other would know it. Since they count on me for knowledge, you'd think I'd know better than either of them if I fancied one of them. After all, Ron didn't have a clue that I fancied him until I told him that I did. Harry's not that dense, but I'm sure that I would know before he did that I fancy him. Anyways, he doesn't fancy me like that, so it's not worth worrying about. He'll never see me as anything more than his platonic best friend. So, even if I did fancy him, I wouldn't tell him because it would make things between us too awkward. We can't afford to have that now when we have to deal with Voldemort yet. But what about after Harry defeats Voldemort once and for all? Then if we realize that we fancy one another it wouldn't be so fatal for either of us. But what if Harry has to sacrifice his life to defeat Voldemort? I can't bear to think about what life without Harry would be like! It's a dreadful thought! Bad Hermione! Harry will defeat Voldemort and LIVE! I know I'll find love eventually, but definitely not now, and definitely NOT with Harry. The idea is impossible. I do want to marry and have a family of my own someday. I also want to live a quiet life, and life with Harry would never be quiet. I'm not sure what I want to do for a career yet either, and I want to be settled into that before I go looking for a man to share my life with. I do want that to be a man that I can be good friends, if not best friends, with though, and Harry is one of my best friends. Ron may be my other best friend, but we already proved that we're only meant to be friends, and I'm sure that the same thing would happen with Harry if we would ever date each other. I'm not willing to put him through the heartbreak of another romance that didn't work out, so I'm not even going to try. I know that Harry and me dating would be a heartbreak waiting to happen. So, why can't I get what Mum said out of my mind? Is this something related to the Harry and Ron being dad and son thing I said this afternoon? How could the two possibly be related? Harry's got me wondering the same thing that he asked about earlier…Where do I fit into that picture? Which of them is which? Why is that image so important? Why does it keep coming up? Maybe there is something to what Mum was saying…Harry is a wonderful guy. He's now more fanciable than he's ever been before. We don't fight nearly as much as Ron and I do. He's been there for me whenever I've needed him. He's a great hugger. He's probably a good kisser too, but I'm not going to ask Ginny about that. Bad Hermione! Thinking about kissing your platonic best friend! What's gotten into you? You don't like him like that. He may be a great guy for you, but you'll never be the lucky woman that ends up with him. He'll never see you as anything more than a platonic best friend. Won't he? What if he did fancy me? How would I respond? I'd cry. That's for sure. But would they be happy or angry tears? They'd have to be angry. I'll never like him like that. He'd also never say anything about his feelings because of my history with Ron, and Harry's too loyal to ever do anything that would hurt his best mate like that. I suppose I could ask Ron about how Harry feels about me. I don't know that Harry'd tell him, though. Especially considering my history with Ron. Harry's kept things from Ron before that he's told me. Does that mean anything? What might it mean? Harry would trust either of us with his life. He also seems to trust me with his life more often than he does Ron. Why is that? You'd figure that a guy would trust his best mate with his life more than he would be best girl friend. Wouldn't he? Or is there some reason that Harry trusts me with his life more often than he does Ron? Could he possibly have a reason along the lines of he's already given me his heart, so it's easier for him to put his life in my hands than Ron's? Then why has he dated other girls then? What significance could his trust in me have? Argh!!! Too many unanswered questions! Harry did say something about that dad and son image I used earlier potentially being knowledge of the heart, which he said that I can't find answers to in books, instead of knowledge of the head, where I can. I don't know where I can find knowledge of the heart, though. Who could help me find answers? I think Mum is too mad to be of any help, and I don't want to ask Dad about it. Harry did suggest Ginny…I know she doesn't fancy him anymore, so she might not be a bad option. She always has seemed to have a better grip on knowledge of the heart than I have. I think I'll write to her in the morning and get her perspective on what Mum said and the whole knowledge of the heart thing. I'm still convinced that there's no way that Harry and I could ever fancy each other. Or is there… --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Coffee and Conversation 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. Thank you to everybody who's read and reviewed my story. I appreciate everybody's feedback. Please keep reviewing. 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 Chapter 9: Coffee and Conversation “Good morning, dear,” Mr. Granger said as Mrs. Granger walked into the dining room. “Coffee?” “Yes, please,” responded Mrs. Granger sleepily. Mr. Granger prepared Mrs. Granger's coffee just the way she liked it. With a spot of milk added. “It'll be nice to have a few minutes to talk before the children get up.” “Indeed,” Mrs. Granger said. “Thank you,” she responded as Mr. Granger handed her coffee to her. “I can certainly see why their old headmaster said that those Hermione and Harry seem to be destined to end up together. And that's after seeing them together for only a few hours.” “I agree. It's clear to me that they love each other, but they don't realize it.” “Well, I talked to Harry yesterday just before dinner, and I'm assuming you talked to our daughter at the same time.” “Yes, I did. We finished as you two came down to the kitchen. How did your conversation go?” “I'd say it went pretty well. I think I scared Harry a bit by how I had to get him up to our room. I don't know why he was so nervous about it. But once he settled down, he seemed open to the idea of exploring how he feels towards our daughter. He seemed to put the pieces of what I was trying to tell him together quicker than most guys would have been able to. He seemed to lose himself in thought a couple of other times last night, so he may have been thinking about it quite a bit. How did your conversation go?” “You know our daughter. She was fighting the idea tooth and nail. I don't think it seemed logical to her that she could be in love with her platonic best friend. I also think that she didn't really appreciate that I used sex as my transition into the discussion…” “Sex? How did you make that work?” “She said when she came in that she had just been in the bathroom and that Harry was supposed to wait for her. The fact that she said she used the bathroom `real quick' suggested to me that it wasn't totally mad to think that they may have been thinking about having sex.” “I can definitely see why she probably didn't appreciate your transition. It probably seemed to her like you don't trust her alone with Harry.” “I told her that I did. And how about you almost blowing the cover on our plan last night right before we went to bed by telling them that there's nothing that the two of them can't do together right after we had been talking about the three of them?” “That sort of slipped out. They probably passed it off as us being tired.” “I hope so. I don't want them to get suspicious about what we're doing.” “What we're doing at their old headmaster's request, you mean,” Mr. Ganger corrected while pouring himself another cup of coffee. “Right. If they act at school the same way they act here, it's no wonder that so many people there have figured out that they love each other. I hope what we're doing will help them see that as well,” Mrs. Ganger responded as she held out her cup for a refill, which Mr. Granger obliged immediately. “So do I. They fill the holes that the other has so well.” Mrs. Granger smiled at his reference to the analogy she had shared with Harry and Hermione the night before, “Exactly.” She paused for a moment, “Refresh my memory. What exactly did the letter from their old headmaster say?” Mr. Granger reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. It was on yellow parchment with loopy handwriting. Mr. Granger handed it to her, “Here you go. Read it out loud. They aren't up yet to hear it.” Mrs. Granger read it: “Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I don't know how much your daughter has told you about who I am. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster at Hogwarts. I want you to know what an amazing young woman your daughter is. She is the brightest witch that I have seen in all my many years at Hogwarts, which covers a span of more than 50 years. Her love of knowledge has saved her life as well as the lives of her friends and classmates numerous times while she's been here at Hogwarts. She is a remarkably brilliant witch, and has a wonderful memory to compliment it. She has proven herself to have a great deal of courage on many occasions, sometimes at great personal risk. While your daughter seems to have more head knowledge than almost all of her classmates put together, she seems to lack behind her peers in heart knowledge. This is my reason for writing you. I find it a matter of utmost concern that she seems to be having a great deal of difficulty in identifying the deepest and most desperate desire of her heart; to find a man she loves that loves her in return. Having observed her quite closely during her nearly six full years here at Hogwarts, I have gotten to know her quite well, as have several of her classmates. I believe that many of them, as well as myself, have seen whom the man that she loves is, even though neither she nor him has realized it. I find it quite likely that you have been told a great deal about the young man in question, since he is one of her best friends, Mr. Harry Potter. As you probably are well aware of, they have been best friends (along with Mr. Ronald Weasley) since their first year here, and have continued to be extremely close to this day. She may believe that she fancies Mr. Weasley right now, but I believe that she will come to realize over the next few months that he is not well suited for her. There is a prophecy in our world that Mr. Potter will have to destroy the most evil wizard that our world has ever known. Part of that prophecy states that Mr. Potter will have a “power the dark lord knows not.” If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Potter's power is his ability to love, and the love that he and your daughter share, though unrealized right now, would be a very formidable weapon against the most evil wizard in our world. After this school year concludes, Mr. Potter will go in search of artifacts that, once destroyed, will help Mr. Potter defeat the evil wizard. With how loyal your daughter and Mr. Weasley have been to Mr. Potter during their years here at Hogwarts, they will most assuredly be going along with him on his journey. Needless to say, it is highly unlikely that your daughter will be home this summer for very long (if at all). Hopefully, during their journey they will discover what several of us at Hogwarts have already come to realize—that Mr. Potter and your daughter love each other very much. So much so, that they would be willing to sacrifice their lives for each other, which is the greatest type of love a person could have for another. Their love seems to have been destined to occur since the prophecy was made many years ago. Why do I share these things with you? I will not be here much longer to look after them. Before I am gone, I will suggest to your daughter that she bring Harry home for the Christmas holidays next year. I am sure that she will be delighted by my suggestion. If they have not discovered their love for each other by that time, I would like the two of you to try to help them find that love, but please do not tell them what you are trying to do. Together they can do anything they put their minds to. Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” She folded it up and handed it back to him, and watched him place it back in the breast pocket of his shirt. “He truly is a wise man,” Mrs. Granger observed. “I agree. He knows our daughter really well by mainly observing her, at least based on what he said in his letter, but he was spot on about her personality.” “Watching them together reminds me a lot of us when we were their age.” “How so?” “They're clearly in love with each other, like we were, and it's clearly going to be a love that lasts. You can tell by the way they treat each other.” “True, but we were engaged by the time we were their age.” “You know as well as I do that love stories don't all play out the same way! If they get together this year, I wouldn't be surprised if he proposes to her next Christmas. After all, you asked me to be your girlfriend on my 16th birthday and proposed to me on my 17th.” “That's if he doesn't propose by graduation.” “Good point. They're more in love now than we were when we started dating, so it might not take them as long to realize that they should get married.” “It may all come down to how long it takes them to defeat that evil wizard that their former headmaster was talking about.” “Right. If they defeat him soon, then they may be planning a wedding after they graduate. If it's closer to graduation, then they may start planning next Christmas. Speaking of planning…I should start planning breakfast now. They should be getting up soon.” “Very well,” Mr. Granger said. “I'll read the newspaper now, since I'm not sure when we'll get back from Christmas shopping with the lovebirds tonight.” As the two of them went about their tasks while waiting for Harry and Hermione to wake up, they were both thinking the same thing: I hope this works. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Sleepy-Heads and Owls 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. Thank you to everybody who continues to read and review this story. I'm glad that so many of you are enjoying this plot idea that I'm working with. Please keep reviewing. You can help me improve my stories through them. 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 Chapter 10: Sleepy-Heads and Owls 45 minutes later, Hermione slowly made her way down the stairs and into the dining room. I wonder where Harry is…I would have sworn that he slept a lot better than I did last night. “Have problems sleeping, sweetheart?” Mr. Granger asked. Hermione moaned in response. Problems sleeping is putting it mildly. “Can I get you something to drink?” “Tea would be nice,” she responded. Mr. Granger got up and went into the kitchen to make Hermione a cup of tea. Moments later Mrs. Granger came out of the kitchen. “Sweetheart, you look absolutely miserable! What happened?” Mrs. Granger asked her. “I couldn't get to sleep because I was thinking about what you said while we were preparing dinner last night,” Hermione said giving her mum as evil a look as she could muster, considering how tired she still was. Mrs. Granger ignored her look, “And did you figure anything out?” “No. I'm even more confused now than I already was.” “That's too bad.” “What's `too bad'?” Harry asked groggily as he entered the room. “Nothing, Harry dear” Mrs. Granger tried to reassure him. “Okay,” Harry muttered. Maybe Harry didn't sleep as well as I thought. He's got bags under his eyes this morning too. He didn't have another nightmare. I would have heard that. He must have been thinking about something. But what? “I have to go back into the kitchen and finish breakfast,” Mrs. Granger informed them. “Harry, would you like something to drink?” “Tea would be nice,” Harry said tiredly. Mrs. Granger went into the kitchen to tell Mr. Granger to make Harry a cup of tea as well. “Didn't sleep well, Harry?” Hermione asked in surprise. “Yes,” he muttered, “Why does that surprise you?” “I suppose because from my room it sounded like you were soundly sleeping.” “I wasn't. I was staring at the ceiling thinking about something.” “What were you thinking about?” “The same thing I was thinking about when you came back into the room I'm staying in after washing your face last night.” “Okay.” I'm not touching that subject any further until he's ready to address it. He seems a little more relaxed this morning after mentioning that than he did last night, though. I wonder if he figured something out… Just then, Mr. Granger walked into the dining room with two cups of tea. He set one down in front of each of them and then took his seat. “Other than being tired, how are the two of you this morning?” he inquired. “Not too bad. A nice cold shower will help me wake up after breakfast,” Harry responded. “I'll second that,” Hermione murmured before taking a sip of her tea. “That's good. We,” Mr. Granger said pointing at the kitchen as he continued,” have a meeting this morning, and then we're going to take the two of you out this afternoon to do something.” “Where are you and Mum taking us, Dad?” Hermione inquired. “You'll have to wait until this afternoon to find out. Just dress like you would for a typical day.” Harry and Hermione exchanged a sheepish smile. Yeah, right Dad. Harry and I are going to wear our robes out in public. NOT!!! A moment later Mrs. Granger entered the room carrying four plates with eggs, bacon, and toast on them. “Eat up,” she told them setting the plates down on the table. They dug in. Eating in silence for a moment before Harry turned to Hermione and asked, “Why were you thrashing around on your bed so much last night?” Oh, crud. I was hoping he didn't hear me. He's sure to ask what I was thinking about if I tell him that I was, but I can't lie to Harry either… “Well…” Hermione finally said after taking a deep breath, “I had the same problem you did. I had something on my mind that I had to think about.” “What were you thinking about?” “I'm going to ask for the same patience that you did. I need to think through things a bit more before I talk with you about them. I'll tell you when I'm ready.” Only fair that he give me the same thing he's asking for. Harry raised an eyebrow, but answered lightly, “Sure thing. Take all the time you need. I'll be here for you whenever you need to talk” Hermione gave him a puzzled look before turning her attention back to her breakfast. I wonder why Harry raised his eyebrow like he did…Does he think that he has an idea of what I was thinking about? I hope not! That would be an awkward conversation to have. Hermione was the first to finish her breakfast. “I'm going to go shower,” she informed them before focusing on Harry, “Can I borrow Hedwig this morning? I need to owl Ginny about something.” “Absolutely. She'll be glad to get the exercise.” “Thanks,” she said, smiling gratefully at him. If only you knew exactly what I was going to write to Ginny about… Hermione quickly made her way upstairs, grabbed the stuff she needed for her shower, and headed to the bathroom. Good. A chance to think about why I have so little knowledge of the heart. Hopefully I'll be able to figure something out before I write to Ginny so I can run any idea I may come up with by her. 20 minutes later, now wide awake and ready to face the day, but still just as clueless about her problems, Hermione emerged from the bathroom and returned to her room to write to Ginny. Hermione grabbed a new sheet of parchment and her quill and sat down at her desk. She took a few deep breaths as she tried to figure out how to start her letter. Relax Hermione, she told herself. This is only a letter to Ginny to ask for her advice about girl things. This is NOT an admission that you're in love with Harry, because you're not. Just write and let your feelings come out on the paper. Don't try to revise it. Just send it as it turns out. She'll be best able to help you if you do it that way. Just like you look over Harry and Ron's assignments and help them out. It sure feels weird to have the shoe be on the other foot. Okay, enough blabbering to yourself. Just write already! Hermione took a huge breath and said aloud, “well, here goes nothing,” and she started to write. Ginny, I really need your help with something! My mum thinks that Harry and I may fancy each other. I think she's gone mad, but I can't stop thinking about what she said. I can't possibly fancy Harry. Can I? I know that you don't fancy Harry anymore, so I feel I can talk to you about this, despite the fact that you and Harry have a history. Maybe that will help you be the best person I could possibly turn to, because I can't possibly talk to Harry about it right now. Yesterday, while I was talking to Harry in my folks' guest room (where Harry's sleeping while he's here) I said something that even I don't understand. He said that I was like a mum to him and Ron, and I told him that I wasn't necessarily their mum, and one of the counterexamples I used was that they may be like a father and son. You know Harry. He asked me about it later, and I didn't know what to say. It's sure hard to tell somebody what you meant when you don't know what you meant yourself. Harry tried to reassure me by saying that I didn't know because it's knowledge of the heart instead of knowledge of the head. That's bothering me, because now I'm asking myself why I have so little knowledge of the heart. Do you have any ideas? I know that Harry meant well, but he left me with more to think about. To be honest, I don't know how I feel about Harry any more. What if I fancy him, but he doesn't fancy me back. I don't want to tell him that I fancy him if he doesn't feel the same way. Do I even want to fancy him? He still has to face Voldemort, after all. I know he'll defeat Voldemort, but what if he has to give up his own life in the process? I'd die! I can't imagine living without Harry!!! Talk to Neville recently? I can tell he fancies you. It'd do you good to date somebody. Why does life have to be so complicated? Please help me!!!!! Your friend, Hermione Hermione folded the letter, placed it in an envelope, sealed it, and made her way to Harry's room to give it to Hedwig. She heard the shower running, so she knew that Harry wasn't in the room. She opened Hedwig's cage and let her out. Hedwig flew casually around the room before landing on the desk that Hermione was standing next to. Hermione patted her and gave her the letter. “Can you take this to Ginny for me?” Hedwig hooted an affirmative reply as Hermione went to open the window for her. Then, she flew out the window and off towards The Burrow. Hermione watched as Hedwig disappeared into the distance, thinking, I sure hope Ginny can help me figure out the most confusing thing I've ever had to deal with… --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Insights from a Woman 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.” --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12. Maybe It's Time to Give Love a Chance 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 all of you who have reviewed my story so far. Your feedback is what keeps me going. I'm sorry this chapter took a little longer to get posted than most chapters have, but I figured that it would be neat to dedicate this chapter to my closest friend, who played a large role in me being willing to give the Harry Potter series a chance. Happy Birthday Sarah! 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 Chapter 12: “Maybe It's Time to Give Love a Chance” That's the selfless Harry I know, Hermione thought to herself with a fond smile as she watched Harry and her mum head into the kitchen to wash the dishes, always willing to help somebody in need. Hermione then turned and headed to her bedroom to think. Ahh…a nice chance to think about how I feel towards Harry and to try to figure out what I meant when I offered the image of Harry and Ron as father and son. Thanks Mum. Hermione closed the door behind her as she entered her bedroom and went and sat down on her bed with her back against the headboard. Why does everything have to be so confusing? Why did I have to become so confused about how I feel towards Harry now, just before he has to face Voldemort for the final time? Okay. Let's think this through logically… Do I fancy Harry? No way. We'll never be anything more than platonic best friends. Why's that? a voice in her head asked. We've known each other for too long to ever think of each other that way. Is that so? How long were your mum and dad friends before they realized that their feelings weren't purely platonic anymore? the voice pressed. Crud…what was it Dad told me? Six and a half years, wasn't it? the voice reminded her smugly. What are you getting at? Nothing. Just pointing out that people who have been friends for as long as you and Harry have can have their feelings for each other become non-platonic, the voice in her head responded lightly. Argh! I hate when you're right. Hermione's argument with the voice in her head was interrupted by a knock on her door. “Who is it?” she called out. “It's me,” her dad's voice responded. “Can I come in?” “Sure, Dad.” Her dad entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Then, he made his way over to the bed and sat down next to his daughter. “Penny for your thoughts.” “I'm really confused about some stuff,” she told him. Her dad looked at her knowingly, “About something related to Harry?” She looked at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. “How do you know? Did Mum tell you about our conversation?” “She didn't have to. I'm your dad; I can read when you're troubled and I seem to have a good intuition as to what it's about most of the time.” He has proved to be right most of the time over the years… “You're wondering about how you feel about Harry, aren't you? Hermione's face turned bright red. She nodded her response. Her dad smiled reassuringly at her. “Sweetheart, that's perfectly normal at your age…” “Is it perfectly normal to wonder about how platonic your feelings towards your best friend are?” she interrupted. “It's not as uncommon as you think in situations when best friends are of the opposite sex. As a matter of fact, my childhood friend, Tim felt sure he was going to marry his best friend when we were around your age.” “What happened?” “They never even went out. He could never work up the courage to tell her how much he loved her,” Mr. Granger recounted looking directly at her. “She ended up marrying somebody else. He never thought about seeing anybody else, and ended up dying a week after her wedding. Nobody was able to pinpoint a cause of death. I'd swear it was a broken heart.” Why did Dad look straight at me when telling me that story? “But Dad,” she started, “I'm not even sure that I fancy Harry, never mind love him. How would I know if I fancy him? What signs should I be looking for? How should I tell him if I do fancy him? How…” Her dad put his hand up, cutting her off. “Slow down, Hermione. I won't be able to keep up with all the questions you're asking if you ask too many at once. There's no set of signs to be able to determine if you fancy him or not. If you do fancy him, you'll just know. I can't even begin to describe how it feels…words fail to adequately describe it. You've known Harry for long enough that if you fancy him, you'll know better than I would how the best way would be to tell him. I will say that whatever you do, don't force the conversation if it does come to that point. You're a brilliant young woman, sweetheart. You'll be able to find the words to tell him when the time comes…if you need words to tell him.” “If I need words to tell him? What do you mean by that?” “If he fancies you back, especially if he's known it for a while, then he may be able to tell how you feel about him without you having to tell him. He might even realize how you feel towards him before you do.” Hermione couldn't help but laugh at her dad's last statement. Harry realize that I fancy him before I do. That's rich, Dad. I'm supposed to be the smart one. Well…smarter in terms of book knowledge anyways, he may have more heart knowledge than I do… Her dad broke into her train of thoughts. “Sweetheart, look at this picture and tell me what comes to your mind,” he instructed her handing her a picture that she could tell normally belonged on a desk. She looked at the younger versions of her folks before glancing up at him with a puzzled expression on her face. “This picture's normally on your desk. It's from just after you proposed to Mum.” “So, it would be safe to assume that we loved each other at that point, right sweetheart?” “Of course, Dad. You wouldn't have proposed otherwise.” Her dad brought picked up another picture that he had set on her bed when he sat down. “Now look at this picture and tell me what you see in common between the two pictures,” he said, handing her the picture that she could tell normally hung on the wall. Her eyes immediately widened as her eyes instinctively went to where the picture normally hung. How did I fail to notice that it was missing? She took another look at the picture that Colin took of her and Harry together at the end of their fourth year with a fond smile on her face before she brought her folks picture next to it to compare them. As the pictures became side-by-side, her mouth dropped open in shock. The poses…they're…they're…IDENTICAL!!! Harry has his arms wrapped around me the same way Dad's are around Mum. We have the same expressions on our faces too. This is freaky. Hermione set the pictures down next to her on the bed, still in a state of shock at the coincidence. She didn't see her dad's knowing smile as he watched her. Then, straightening his face, he took her hands in his, causing her to look into his eyes and see a softness in them that she had only seen him have when he was looking at her mum. “Hermione,” he said softly, “maybe it's time for you to stop fighting the idea of having non-platonic feelings towards Harry and let your heart speak to you. Let it tell you how it feels. Maybe it's time to give love a chance.” She pulled her dad into a tight hug. “But I'm scared to, Dad,” she confessed. “What if I do fancy him, but he doesn't fancy me back? We have so much that we need to do in the next few months, and we don't need our feelings to become a distraction. How could I go on if we fancy each other, but then he has to give up his life to defeat the evil wizard we're trying to defeat? I can't imagine my life without him in it!” she broke down and wept in his arms. “Love can be scary, sweetheart, especially early on. Don't worry about him not fancying you. I've watched how he interacts with you, and I can tell that he fancies you. He's acting a lot like my folks told me I was acting just before your mum and me got together. He fancies you. There's no doubt in my mind about it. I need to finish getting ready to go, and so do you. You should go wash your face so Harry and your mum can't tell you've been crying,” he said, drying her tears as tenderly as Harry had done the day before. She smiled weakly at her dad and said, “thanks, Dad.” She walked to the bathroom to wash her face. When she returned, her dad was gone, and the picture of her and Harry was back on the wall where it should be. She closed her door and returned to her previous position on her bed to think about what her dad had said. Maybe Dad's right. Maybe I should stop fighting the idea of fancying Harry and honestly think things through. He was certainly more considerate than Mum in how he brought the topic up. I can be downright unreasonable about believing things that I'm sure can't be right, like Lockhart being a fraud and Draco being a Death Eater. I owe it to Harry to be honest with myself in regards to how I feel about him… Hermione was startled out of her train of thought by a knock at her door. “Who is it?” she inquired. “It's me,” Harry's voice came from the other side of the door. “Hedwig's back, and she brought you a letter from Ginny.” Hermione got up and walked over to the door and opened it to get Ginny's letter from Harry. “Thanks, Harry,” she said as Harry handed her Ginny's letter. “You're welcome,” he said smiling at her in a way Hermione didn't recall having seen before. Then Harry turned and walked back to the guest room. She heard the guest room door close, then she closed her door. That's strange. I figured Harry would have wanted to know what Ginny had to say, especially if she mentioned how Luna's handling her first big Weasley family gathering. She returned to her position on her bed, and opened Ginny's letter. I wonder what Ginny thinks about what I said in my letter… --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. A Surprise Letter 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 so far. I really appreciate hearing from all of you. You help to keep me going. If you've been bothered by the shortness of my chapters, then you aren't going to be happy about the length of this chapter, and Chapter 14, which should be the two shortest chapters in this story. I separated them for reasons I explain at the end of this chapter. 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 Chapter 13: A Surprise Letter Harry was sitting on the edge of the bed in the guest room deep in thought after the conversation he had with Mrs. Granger a few minutes earlier. Hermione fancies me, but may not have realized it yet? How is that possible? She's the smartest witch of our age. If anybody knows something, it's her. She has been acting a bit strangely today, but I figured that was because she didn't sleep well last night. She certainly doesn't need to get me anything for Christmas, because she's all I need for Christmas. I hope she'll be willing to take a chance on letting our relationship become non-platonic. If only I could find the right time to ask her to be my girlfriend. I wish I had a way to go shopping to get her something to help me tell her how much she means to me. I love her… Harry's thoughts were broken into by a tapping from the window. Hedwig had returned from The Burrow with a pair of envelopes. Puzzled, Harry went over to the window and let Hedwig in. I thought that Hermione only sent a letter to Ginny. Ron never owls without me owling him first. Did Mrs. Weasley or Luna send Hermione a letter too? Harry looked at the envelopes and had his mouth drop open in surprise. Here's one for Hermione from Ginny…and one addressed to me in what looks like Ron's handwriting?! Why would Ron choose now to write a letter to me when I hadn't written to him first? I'd better take Hermione her letter. After doing so, Harry sat on his bed and opened the letter addressed to him. The letter was in Ron's handwriting as well. Hey Mate! I bet you're surprised to be hearing from me when you didn't owl me first for once. My family adores Luna, and she's having a great time here. Just like you said would happen. She's even got Fred and George humming “Weasley is Our King” whenever I walk into the room now. I don't care, though. I like her too much to let that bother me. Now, getting on to why I owled you in the first place. What I'm about to say may come as a surprise to you right now, but it's something I need to say. I know that you fancy Hermione, and I know that you also don't want to hurt my feelings by getting together with her because of my past with her. Towards the end of when I was dating Hermione I could tell that she fancied somebody else instead, so we talked about it and mutually decided that it would be best if we went back to just being friends. I realized how attractive and fun Luna was shortly after that, but you knew that. Luna has been the best thing that has ever happened to me besides you and Hermione. I don't know if you've noticed me observing Hermione since we broke up, It was so I could figure out who the bloody git was that stole her heart from me. At first, I wanted to kill the bloody bloke, but a month ago I realized who she fancies, and much to my surprise…it's YOU! You lucky stiff. I can't kill my best mate. Not that I'd want to kill the bloke anymore either anyway. I've completely gotten over my fancy of Hermione now, thanks to Luna. Go for her, mate. You two deserve to be happy, and over the last six and a half years, I've come to realize that what makes you two happiest is each other. Your best mate, Ron Harry's mouth hung open in surprise at what Ron had to say. Ron, who has the emotional depth of a teaspoon, realized that Hermione and I fancy each other before we did? We've both been extremely dense if that's the case. Or maybe, like Mrs. Granger suggested, we've been too close to the situation to realize what was developing between us. Harry flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling. When did I fall in love with her? How could I have possibly failed to realize how I feel about her before last night? “I have no bloody idea,” Harry said very softly to himself. There's so many times it could have been…like when she fell at the Department of Mysteries…or at the Yule Ball…or when we had to part just before I faced Voldemort first year…I don't know that I'll ever be able to pinpoint when I fell in love with her was, though subconsciously at the time. Harry had a slight smile cross his face. Ron's fallen hard for Luna. I'm glad for him. He deserves to be happy, and the happiest I remember seeing him has been when he's with her. If only Hermione and me could have that sort of relationship with each other… Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. “Who is it?” he inquired. “It's time to go, Harry,” Mr. Granger's voice came from the other side of the door. “All right, I'll be right down,” Harry responded. Harry folded up the letter from Ron and stuck it in his stuff. Grabbing his wallet, he headed towards the door. When should I tell Hermione that I love her? A/N: Sorry this chapter's so short, but it needed to take place in a pretty quick timespan, so it couldn't be too long. Some may say that I could have put this chapter together with the next one (which will finally be Ginny's reply to Hermione) to form a longer chapter, but I didn't want to have the drastic POV change mid-chapter, so I thought it would be best to make them two separate chapters. I'm going to try to post the next chapter tomorrow, because I'm making good progress on Chapter 15. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14. Friends and Parents May Know Best 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 has reviewed my story thus far. I really appreciate everybody's feedback. It will help me become a better writer, which hopefully will in turn increase your enjoyment of my work. 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 Chapter 14: Friends and Parents May Know Best Hermione slowly opened the letter from Ginny with trembling fingers. Why am I so nervous about what Ginny has to say? It's not like I confessed to her that I love Harry or anything like that. “Let's see what she has to say,” Hermione muttered softly to herself as she started to read. Hermione, You've got it bad girl! Your mum's right…you DO love Harry. Don't worry about me. You're right, I don't fancy him anymore. I know that we'll never be more than friends again, and he's a great friend, so I wouldn't risk throwing that away anyway. Do you know what his favorite thing to do while I was dating him was? It wasn't snogging. It was watching you! Harry fancies you too. Have no fear of that. He probably doesn't want to say anything because of your history with Ron. You know Harry; he wouldn't want to wreck things with Ron, though Harry should know that he wouldn't since Ron's with Luna now. Mum and the rest of the family absolutely adore her! What you said to Harry about him and Ron being like a father and son is something that you have to figure out on your own. All I can tell you is this: your heart holds all that you need to know if you'd just take the time to listen to it. If Harry hasn't made a move on you by the time we get back to school, I'm going to have to have a word with him. You two deserve to be happy, and in the five and a half years that I've known both of you, I've realized that what makes you two the happiest is each other. No, I haven't talked to Neville recently. I'm taking a break from boys right now. Go get your man, Hermione! Your friend, Ginny Hermione set the letter down on her bed chuckling to herself and shaking her head. Ginny's convinced I love Harry too. Why is it that the only people that aren't convinced that Harry and I are in love are the two of us? Are you so sure about that? the all-too-familiar voice came from inside her head. What do you mean by that? I mean that maybe Harry's realized that you two belong together too, the voice in her head speculated. What makes you think he has? You noticed that the smile he had on his face when he handed you the letter from Ginny was one you hadn't seen before. He's been acting strangely all day. I think that he may have figured out that the two of you belong together last night, the voice speculated. I think you're mad, but that's not an impossible theory. Who's the mad one? You're talking to me, the voice countered Ginny wasn't much help. Wasn't she? She told you that you and Harry love each other, and that she's willing to help bring the two of you together if he hasn't made a move by the time you two get back to school, the voice offered. True. I'm beginning to suspect that my parents are trying to bring the two of us together too. Parents know best, don't they? the voice inquired. If they haven't gone completely mad. Are you saying that your's are mad? the voice demanded. Well…maybe they're not as mad as I thought earlier… Hermione's argument with the voice in her head was interrupted again by a knock on her door. “Who is it?” she called out. “It's time to go,” Mr. Granger informed her from the other side of the door. “I'll be right down,” Hermione told him. I'll finish this discussion with you later, Hermione told the voice in her head. Hermione made her way down stairs and out to the emerald green Chevy Lumina in the driveway. She climbed into the backseat next to Harry, who smiled at her shyly as she climbed in and buckled up. Maybe the voice in my head was on to something… The car backed out of the driveway and headed towards a destination that neither Hermione nor Harry knew. A/N: Again, sorry for the shorter than usual chapter, but I felt this chapter needed to be separate from the last one because of the difference in POV. Hopefully the next chapter will make up for the shortness of these last two chapters. As I said at the end of the last chapter, this chapter takes place in a short amount of time, which helps account for its brevity. Yes, we are approaching the end of the story, but we obviously need something important to happen before that point. ;-) --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15. What Do I Get Him? 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. Thank you to everybody who's reviewed so far. This chapter is certainly a bit of a make-up for the shortness of the last couple chapters, as this is one of the longest chapters so far in this story. I hope that all of you will enjoy it. Please read and review. 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 only one of the characters in this story, and he appears in this chapter. I didn't include him in the A/N for any other chapter because he only will appear in this chapter, and I only thought of the idea for him while I was writing to help me get to where I wanted to get to more efficiently. All other characters belong to J. K. Rowling. All I Want for Christmas Chapter 15: What Do I Get Him? You could cut the tension between Harry and me with a knife right now, Hermione thought to herself as her dad drove them towards a destination that neither of the passengers in the backseat knew. Harry had been staring out the window for most of the trip thus far, sneaking occasional glances at Hermione, while she watched out the front windshield to try to determine where they were going. “It's awfully quiet back there,” Mrs. Granger said to Mr. Granger just loud enough for Harry and Hermione to overhear. Mr. Granger replied concernedly, “It's too quiet. Hey, Harry,” he said over his shoulder, “Are you excited for what could be a magical Christmas tomorrow?” “Huh?” came a surprised voice from behind him. “Well…I umm….suppose it could be a magical Christmas,” Harry said, risking a quick glance in Hermione's direction, and being greeted by Hermione's tenderly smiling face, which led Harry to take a peculiar interest in his window again. Is Harry being so shy because he doesn't want to tell me that he fancies me? How would I respond if he said he did? To be honest, I'm not sure how I would respond anymore. Would I slap him? Cry? Hug him? Kiss him? “Umm…Harry,” Hermione started shyly, “Ginny said that the rest of the Weasleys love Luna.” “I know,” Harry told her, keeping his gaze on his window. “Ron said that in his letter to me.” “Ron sent you a letter? Why?” “Just to let me know how things are going at The Burrow and to discuss guy stuff.” “But Ron never sends a letter unless somebody sends him one first. Did you send him one and not tell me about it?” Hermione asked, grabbing Harry's shoulder, turning him to face her. “No, Hermione. That's not the sort of thing that I'd keep from you. I was just as surprised as you are when I saw it,” Harry told her, looking square into her eyes to prove that he was being honest. “When did it arrive?” “The same time as your response from Ginny. What did she have to say anyway?” Harry inquired. Crud! I don't want to tell him about what Ginny said. How do I get myself out of this one? “Well…” Hermione stammered trying to give herself time to come up with an excuse. “We're here!” Mr. Granger called out, pulling into a parking space. Thanks Dad! You're a lifesaver! “The mall?” Hermione asked. “Why are we here?” “We figured that the two of you might want to do some Christmas shopping today, and I figure that Harry hasn't experienced what the mall is like on Christmas Eve before,” Mrs. Granger offered as an explanation. Harry smiled gratefully at her. “You may never know how right you are,” he told her. What in the world does Harry mean by that? “Besides,” Mrs. Granger continued looking at Hermione, “didn't you say that you have some shopping left to do for some people that you've been having problems shopping for this year?” Hermione turned bright red. I forgot that I told them that. I don't have a present for Harry yet! What in the world do I get him? The four of them climbed out of the car and walked into the mall. As they passed approached a doorway that was only wide enough for two people to go through at a time, Mr. and Mrs. Granger casually slowed down to let Harry and Hermione go through the door first. As Harry and Hermione started through the doorway side-by-side, Mrs. Granger called out to them causing them to turn around where they were. “You two do realize that you're standing under mistletoe right now, right?” she asked innocently. Harry and Hermione looked up simultaneously, confirming what Mrs. Granger had just pointed out. When their gaze returned to each other, they both turned as red as the Weasleys. You did that on purpose, didn't you Mum? Hermione silently demanded of her mum, giving her a mean stare. “Umm…well…” Harry stammered, trying to figure out what to do. Well…this is just…a LITTLE awkward, being caught under mistletoe with Harry…I suppose I could let him kiss my cheek. That would satisfy the obligation, but not be too embarrassing. I'm not sure that I want to let him kiss me outright here in public for our first kiss, especially when I'm not sure how we'll react to it. Hermione turned her cheek towards Harry. He immediately caught on, grinning sheepishly before giving her a tentative kiss on the cheek. Hermione quickly returned the deed as tentatively as Harry had done, and they were on their way. Mr. Granger making sure to allow Mrs. Granger to go through the door first so they weren't caught under the mistletoe too. After a quick tour of the mall to give Harry a sense of what was there, Mr. and Mrs. Granger stopped at a bench to give instructions to Harry and Hermione. “We'll meet back here in three hours. That should give all of us enough time to do any last minute Christmas shopping we have to do.” With that, Mr. and Mrs. Granger strolled off into the crowd to do their last bit of Christmas shopping. Harry gave Hermione a quick hug before he likewise wandered off into the crowd. Hermione sat down for a minute to try to collect her thoughts. I know what I'm going to get my folks, but what do I get Harry? It needs to be something special. Something fun, but practical. I have absolutely no bloody idea. Well, I suppose I could get Mum and Dad's gifts while I think about what to get Harry. At least I know what I'm going to get them. Hermione started striding off purposefully to get her mum's gift, while letting herself ponder things regarding Harry and their feelings. Why does everything have to be so complicated? Everybody seems to think that Harry and I are in love with each other. I have no idea what he thinks about this, but I'm sure he knows that people think we should be together. Even though he can be dense at times, even he's not that dense. I'm not even sure how I feel about this. I mean…he's a great guy, and the best friend a girl could ask for, but could he ever be more than that to me? The biggest drawback on the idea of a relationship with Harry is his destiny to defeat Voldemort and the fact that he might have to give up his life to do so. Otherwise, he would easily be the most fanciable young wizard in the world…or at least Europe. Will he ever find me to be beautiful? I'm no Cho or Ginny, so I don't think I stand a chance to win his heart. Do I even want to? Hermione arrived at the store where she would be able to find her mum's gift and quickly went inside. Less than five minutes later, Hermione was on her way to a different part of the mall to get her dad's gift. This isn't helping me figure out what I should get Harry. I need to focus on that first. I can wrestle with the other stuff later. They're totally unrelated after all. Hermione's eyes went wide with a sudden realization. Or are they? Maybe if I figure out how I feel about Harry my gift to him can be a way to try to tell him how I feel. Or would that be too obvious? He may not be the brightest bulb on the tree at times, but he is still an exceptionally smart wizard for his age. Okay…how do I proceed from here? The stuff regarding Harry and my feelings for each other may influence what I get him for Christmas, but I don't have that much time to think things through. I know that the idea is becoming more and more believable that Harry and I may have non-platonic feelings towards each other. I know that pretty much everybody that's close to us thinks that the two of us fancy each other. I know that this wouldn't be a good time for Harry and me to start a relationship because we still have the war to fight. Wait a minute…I think that this isn't a good time for Harry and me to start a relationship. There's no way that I could know that for sure. At that point, Hermione arrived at the store that had the present that she was going to get her dad's Christmas present. She saw a messy head of black hair disappear quickly around a corner just before she made her way inside. That looked a lot like Harry. What would he have been doing in this part of the mall? Again, less than five minutes later, Hermione was leaving the store with her purchase. She placed the bag with her dad's gift inside the bag with her mum's gift and wandered slowly to a part of the mall that wouldn't give away what she had gotten anybody. She sat down on an empty bench to think. Well, I've gotten Mum and Dad's gifts…now I just have to figure out what to get Harry before we leave in a little over two hours. What would he be able to use? What does Harry need? I want to get him something special this year, but I don't want it to be too extravagant either. After all, he wouldn't want me to break the bank on his Christmas present. He'd claim that I don't need to get him anything. The big question is: Do I fancy him enough to get him a present that helps show him that I'm interested or do I get him something as his platonic best friend? He's the best friend I could ask for. He's become more and more fanciable every year since I've met him. For some reason there seems to be something…how should I put this…different about our relationship recently. But I'm not sure what it is. “Excuse me,” came a soft voice from just over her left shoulder, interrupting her thoughts. The six foot tall young man about her age looked at her with brown hair and a friendly smile on his face continued, “staring off into space like you were is an invitation to be robbed.” “Thanks,” Hermione said as she smiled back at him. “I'll try not to space out so much next time.” “My pleasure,” the young man responded lightly. He then gestured at the empty seat next to Hermione on the bench and asked, “May I?” “Of course.” The young man sat down and looked at Hermione. “Thomas Larson,” he said, introducing himself. Hermione smiled at the friendliness and aura of trustworthiness that radiated from the young man sitting next to her that reminded her so much of Harry. “Hermione. Hermione Granger,” she told him, shaking his hand firmly. “Pleasure to meet you,” he said. “If you don't mind me asking: What were you thinking about?” Should I tell him? He seems to be a trustworthy person. He could be of some help to me. “I was trying to figure out what to get somebody for Christmas,” she told him. “It must be somebody special, to have you thinking so hard on Christmas Eve about what to get them.” “He is special. He's been my best friend since we were 11. And he was one of my first true friends. We've been through a lot together over the years.” “Like what?” he inquired. I know he's not a wizard, and I couldn't really tell him much even if he was. “Stuff that most people our age wouldn't dream about dealing with.” “Like parenthood?” Hermione slapped Thomas across the cheek. “Not that it's any of your business, but I can assure you that my virginity is safely intact,” she fumed, standing up and preparing to go somewhere else in the mall to get away from him. Thomas jumped to his feet and grabbed her shoulders, preventing her from walking away. “I'm sorry,” he said earnestly, looking directly at her with his sparkling green eyes showing obvious regret. “I had no right to say what I did. It was wrong of me to even suggest such a thing. I apologize. Please, sit down, and maybe I can help you figure out what to get him.” Hermione looked at him contemplatively while she debated her options. He just insulted my honor, but he did immediately realize his mistake and offered to make amends. It's sort of like he had a Harry moment there, speaking before he thought about what he said. If it wasn't for Harry, this guy could be really good boyfriend potential. Wait a minute…I haven't even determined that Harry is good boyfriend material yet! Never mind. I'll figure that out later. Thomas made an honest mistake. Most guys in his shoes probably would have done the same thing. I made a mistake by slapping him. He deserves another chance. Hermione returned to the bench and sat down in the same spot she had vacated a moment earlier. “I'm sorry as well,” she apologized. “I shouldn't have slapped you like I did.” “I deserved what I got,” Thomas reassured her. “You have nothing to feel sorry about.” Hermione smiled gratefully at him. “What else do you want to know?” “What's he like?” Hermione smiled dreamily as she started to speak. “He's a real gentleman most of the time…He's a great listener…We know each other better than we know ourselves…He's really cute…He's amazingly kind and generous…He's really thoughtful most of the time…” “It sounds like he's also holding your heart,” Thomas interrupted gently. Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock as she was shaken out of her reverie. Thomas too! We've only been talking for about ten minutes and he's convinced that I fancy Harry. “You didn't realize that you fancy him, did you?” Thomas inquired. “I find it hard to believe. We've been best friends for so long that I find it hard to believe that we could possibly fancy each other, even though most people that know us seem to be convinced of that fact. My parents even are, and we haven't been together around them much because of the boarding school we're at.” “Hermione,” Thomas said softly, looking directly into her eyes, “get him something that will be meaningful to both of you. Something that helps the two of you express how much you mean to each other. He'll like it. Trust me. I'm sure he loves you too.” Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. “I never said I was in love with him,” she insisted. Thomas raised an eyebrow in return and smiled a knowing smile, much like the one her mum had given her the day before when talking with her about her feelings for Harry. “You didn't have to. I could see it in your eyes and I could hear it in the way you spoke about him. You didn't verbally have to admit it for me to know that it's true.” He'd have made a good Ravenclaw if he was a wizard. He would have been a hit with the ladies at school too. Suddenly, Hermione's eyes grew wide as an idea came to her. “Thank you so much for helping me, Thomas,” she said, giving him a quick hug before standing up. “You've been a huge help. I know exactly what to get him now.” “It was my pleasure,” Thomas said, bowing slightly. “I wish the two of you all the happiness in the world. I hope to see you around sometime in the future.” “I'm sure we'll meet again some day,” Hermione told him. “I really must be going now. Thank you again, and good bye.” “Good bye, Hermione,” Thomas said with a big smile on his face. Hermione strode off quickly to a part of the mall that she hadn't been to yet that day to get her present for Harry. She took a quick look at her watch. I have two hours to find exactly what I'm looking for and to get back to the meeting bench. I may need every bit of that two hours… A/N: There Sarah, you got the mistletoe you asked for. :-P I just didn't use it the way you probably wanted me to, but this is the way it worked best to get it into my story. Some of my readers probably enjoyed the awkward moment that it led to between Harry and Hermione. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16. Fireside Chat 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 for their patience with me as I didn't get this chapter out as quickly as the others. My homework kept me busy last week. Thanks to everybody who's reviewed my story so far. You help encourage me to keep writing. I'd enjoy hearing from more of you. I will say that this is the chapter that I feel will have the best line of the story. I'll leave you to figure out which line I'm talking about. Now, to debunk a couple of theories from reviews I got in response to the last chapter. No, Thomas is not Harry using the Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself. Thomas is also not a son of Harry and Hermione's from the future. 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 Chapter 16: Fireside Chat That night, after they returned home from the mall, Harry, Hermione, and her folks sat down in front of the fireplace with some eggnog and Christmas cookies. Fatigue was apparent on all of their faces after spending three hours doing their Christmas shopping. They had all gotten their gifts wrapped at the mall to prevent anybody from knowing what they were getting. That didn't keep them from asking, seeing if anybody else would slip. Nobody would offer any hints. “Did you enjoy yourself, Harry?” Mrs. Granger inquired. “Definitely,” Harry answered with a wide smile on his face. “This was the most fun I've ever had shopping for Christmas presents.” “More fun than when we've gone shopping together in Hogsmeade?” Hermione demanded. “That was fun too. Don't get me wrong, Hermione,” Harry defended himself. “Today was fun in a different way. You know what I mean, right?” “Yes, Harry. I understand. I sort of feel the same way,” Hermione conceded turning slightly red before leaning over and putting her head on Harry's shoulder. Harry tilted his head so that his right cheek rested on the top of her head. This feels really comfortable. I'd love getting to do this with her more often. I wonder if she's enjoying it as much as I am… A contented sigh from by his right cheek answered his question. “You two look so cute sitting there like that,” Mr. Granger said. “It makes me wish I had my camera handy at the moment.” “It's alright, Dad,” Hermione reassured him. “You might get other chances to take a picture like this one.” “You know, we could fix this problem magically,” Harry whispered to Hermione. “I know, but I feel too tired to get my picture taken right now,” Hermione murmured in response. “Just one,” Harry pleaded. “You don't know if we're going to get another chance like this or not.” “You're right, Harry,” Hermione conceded after a moment. “He can take one.” “Accio Mr. Granger's camera!” Harry said softly holding up his hand. Moments later, Mr. Granger's camera floated into the room and into Harry's hand. Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked on in surprise, never having seen that spell done before. Mr. Granger slowly stood up and walked over to Harry to get his camera. As he took it from Harry, Harry told him quietly, “One picture. That's what Hermione asked for.” Mr. Granger slowly backed up and focused the camera on Harry and Hermione cuddled up on the couch. They looked up at him with contented smiles on their faces and waited for him to take the picture. I wish we could stay cuddled up like this forever, Harry told himself while he was waiting. This feels so natural. So right. I wonder if she feels it too… Click. That quickly the picture was taken, and Mr. Granger was setting the camera down on the coffee table and sat back down in his chair by the fireplace. “Do you know what's so great about this time of year?” Hermione mused aloud. “There's a lot of stuff that's great about this time of year, sweetheart,” her dad said, “What did you have in mind?” “It's great to be able to spend time with our families and people that we love,” Hermione responded contentedly. “People that we love”? Does that mean that Hermione has figured out that she fancies me too? I would like to think so, but I can't assume so right now. This wouldn't be a great time to ask her out anyway. I want to wait until the right moment before doing that. “Yeah, it is great,” Harry affirmed with a dreamy smile on his face. “Have the two of you thought about how you would raise a family of your own?” Mr. Granger inquired, earning him a glare from Mrs. Granger. I wonder why she didn't like him asking us that question. It almost seems like they're trying to bring the two of us together. Hermione gave her dad a puzzled look before responding. “Of course,” she said baffledly, “every girl has by my age.” “How do you plan on raising your family?” Mrs. Granger inquired. “As much as I enjoyed being an only child, it's not something that I would wish on any other child, so I hope to have more than one. Three or four might be a nice number, especially if they come close together.” “That's understandable,” Mr. Granger interrupted, earning a glare from Mrs. Granger. “You asked the question,” Mrs. Granger pointed out. “Give her a chance to answer it.” “Thanks, Mum. But actually, YOU asked the question. Dad just asked if we had thought about it.” Her mum waved her hand dismissively. “Never mind that,” she said. “Keep going.” “I would want to be firm with them, but not overly strict either. I'd try to encourage them to pay more attention to books than sports, but won't complain if they want to play sports, even very dangerous ones,” she added glancing up at Harry, who grinned despite himself. “I would like my husband to help me around the house with the chores, especially because we'll probably both be working. If my children have magical abilities, when the time comes, I'll want them to go to Hogwarts.” “You've proven that you've given this a good deal of thought, sweetheart,” Mr. Granger cut her off. “I'm curious as to Harry's answer.” Well, Hermione provided a good jumping off point for me. Let's see what else I'll be able to come up with. “I've definitely given the subject some thought,” Harry informed them, much to Hermione's surprise. “I've had several examples of how NOT to raise a family, so my experiences have helped me develop some of my own ideas as to what might work for my family.” “Why didn't I think of the fact that after living with the Dursleys, you would probably have a good idea of how you would like to raise your family?” Hermione interrupted. “Probably because this isn't a subject that mixed gender company would discuss in a normal conversation,” Harry reassured her. Hermione smiled up at him. “Go on,” she encouraged. “I'm curious as to what you think.” How do I make this not sound like I'm copying her ideas? “I definitely want multiple children. Maybe two boys and two girls so one isn't outnumbered by their siblings. I want to be quite involved in their lives, but not be overbearing either. I want them to be happy, no matter what they want to do, even if it is reading,” Harry added with a wink at Hermione. “I want to share the duties around the house with my wife, because I'll be able to enjoy doing the mundane, everyday things after having to do extraordinary things for so long. I also would like my children to go to Hogwarts if they are magically inclined. Whatever happens, I want my children to have a happy childhood. One where they know their parents for more than a year. One free of the stresses that I've endured.” Mr. and Mrs. Granger exchanged a knowing smile, which went unnoticed by Harry and Hermione, who were both staring at the fire—deep in thought. It's funny how important some of the people closest to you are without you ever realizing it, or at least it taking a long time to realize it. Hermione and I would seem to be well suited as mates, since we have a lot of the same ideas as far as how we want to raise our families. I'm definitely going to marry her if I don't have to surrender my life to defeat Voldemort. “Well,” Hermione said with a yawn, breaking through Harry's train of thought. “I'm tired, so I'm going to call it a night.” Hermione gave Harry a big bear hug before going over to her folks and giving them a hug and kiss good night as well. Then Hermione disappeared quietly up the stairs. Strange how the hug she gave me was a lot longer and firmer than the hug she gave her folks. I wonder if there's something to that… “Did you enjoy our trip, Harry?” Mr. Granger asked. “Definitely,” Harry told him. “I was hoping for a chance to go shopping to get something for the three of you, especially since you were kind enough to welcome me into your home for the holidays.” “It's our pleasure, Harry,” Mrs. Granger reassured him. “We have company over quite often. It's always a pleasure to spend time with one of Hermione's friends. Especially one she talks about as often as she does about you.” Harry blushed slightly. “Does she really talk about me a lot?” he asked in surprise. Mr. Granger smiled, “oh yes, she talks about you every day during the summer. She cares about you a great deal.” Harry reddened even more. Wow! She may fancy me even more than I realized. Has she figured out that she does, though? “How do you plan to support yourself once you finish school, Harry?” Mr. Granger inquired. “I was left a good deal of money by my parents and godfather, so I can afford to take some time off after I finish school if I need to, to be able to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I actually have enough that I wouldn't have to work a day in my life, but I'd go insane if I did that.” “As would our daughter,” Mrs. Granger interjected. “I noticed that you and Hermione listed a number of very similar ways you intend to raise your families. Have you given serious thought as to how our daughter will fit into your life after you graduate from school?” How should I answer this question? I love Hermione. But am I ready to admit that to other people? Especially her folks. I would like her to be my girlfriend, but am I ready to consider marrying her? Should I even consider telling her how I feel right now? “You're not totally sure yourself, are you?” Mr. Granger said softly. “I know that I love your daughter, sir,” Harry began. “I'm not sure that we're ready to talk about getting married yet, but it would be an honor to be your son-in-law if we were to eventually marry.” “You're a remarkable young man, Harry,” Mr. Granger said admirably. “You're far wiser than I was at your age. My wife and I are very proud of you both. If anybody deserves to be happy, it's you. I can understand your hesitancy at the prospect of getting married young. I was a bit nervous about the prospect myself, but I knew it was the right thing to do.” “What makes you so nervous about the idea of marrying young, Harry?” Mrs. Granger asked softly. “Part of it's that I'm concerned that we'll make the wrong decision and regret it in the long-term. The other part is that it would sort of feel like we were rushing into it.” “Harry, you don't have to commit to marrying our daughter now,” Mrs. Granger reassured him. “We just want to get an idea of how you feel and what your plans are.” “Harry, if your life were to play out perfectly, how would it look?” Mr. Granger asked. Harry laughed. “There's no way it will,” he said, “but a man has to have a dream. If I were to have all the breaks fall my way I would be happily married with a couple of children. I wouldn't have to be looking over my shoulder all the time to see if somebody that wanted to kill me was behind me. I'd be enjoying a challenging, but relaxing career. We'd be living out in the country. Friends would visit us regularly. There's more I could say, but that gives you a pretty good general idea.” “That sounds like an enjoyable life for anybody,” Mrs. Granger mused. “Do you see where our daughter fits into that dream, Harry?” Mr. Granger inquired. Harry closed his eyes. Let's see where I can see her in my dream life…There she is right next to me as we talk with Ron and Luna…There she is sitting next to me as we enjoy a sunset together by ourselves…We look so happy together…There she is holding a baby. I want a closer look at the baby she's holding. Am I seeing things? She's holding a baby girl that has messy black hair and cinnamon brown eyes. That would have to be our child… “What is it, Harry?” Mr. Granger asked seeing Harry's mouth drop open. “I see her holding…a baby…that has to be…ours,” Harry stammered. “Interesting…” Mr. Granger replied thoughtfully. Interesting is putting it mildly. “Harry, what are your fondest memories from school?” Mrs. Granger quizzed. “Let's see…There's when we rescued my godfather during our third year…There's me teaching other students how to defend themselves…There's Hermione saying the evil wizard's name for the first time, because so few people are brave enough to say it…Wait a minute…all of those memories include Hermione!” “What an interesting coincidence…” Mrs. Granger observed. Is it a coincidence? My times with Hermione have been some of the best times of my life. I want them to happen after we leave Hogwarts. I want to make sure that Hermione continues to play a significant role in my life after Hogwarts and Voldemort. “Well,” Mr. Granger said, standing up, “I think it's about time that we went to bed.” Mrs. Granger nodded and stood up as well. “Don't stay up too late, Harry,” she told him as they moved towards the foot of the stairs. “Wait a minute!” Harry said jumping to his feet and turning to face Mr. and Mrs. Granger. “Yes, Harry?” Mr. Granger inquired. “Umm…well, I was wondering…if the two of you would be okay if I…if I…asked Hermione to be my girlfriend,” Harry stammered nervously while staring at the floor. Mrs. Granger crossed back to Harry and cupped his chin in her hand, lifting his chin so he was looking into her eyes. “Harry,” she started softly, “That's what we've been trying to show you. We want you two to find the love we did…where we did…in each other.” Harry looked at her with a stunned expression on his face. “You mean to say,” he started, “that the two of you have been trying to help us realize how much we care about each other?” “Yes, Harry,” Mr. Granger said crossing to them. “We already knew that Hermione cares a great deal about you, and we saw very quickly that you care just as much about her. You two deserve to be happy, and I've never seen Hermione look happier than when she's with you or looking at something connected to you.” “If it wasn't for the fact that as I've explored my feelings that I've realized that I've subconsciously loved Hermione for quite a while now, I'd feel like you were trying to force the two of us together. As it is, I'm glad that the two of you have helped me realize just how much I love your daughter. Thank you.” Harry gave Mrs. Granger, and then Mr. Granger, a big hug. “It's our pleasure Harry,” Mr. Granger told him. “You'll realize when you have children of your own that their happiness brings you great joy as well. I'm sure that you and Hermione will be very happy together.” “I hope so,” Harry said to them. “I think it's time that I go to bed too.” The three of them walked quietly up the stairs trying to be careful not to make too much noise in case Hermione was already asleep. Harry stopped outside the door to the guest room. “Good night,” he called softly after Mr. and Mrs. Granger. “Good night, Harry” they responded in unison. Harry entered the guest room, grabbed his stuff, and took care of his nightly rituals in the bathroom. As he walked back to the guest room after finishing in the bathroom, he stopped outside the guest room and looked at Hermione's bedroom door. “Good night, Hermione. I love you,” Harry whispered before entering the guest room and shutting the door quietly behind him. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17. Is It True? 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 again to everybody for their patience with me. My class schedule for this semester has led me to have a lot of homework, so I don't have as much time to write as I would like. I appreciate everybody who's reviewed my story so far. I'd enjoy hearing from more of you. 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 Chapter 17: Is It True? Hermione quietly shut her bedroom door after finishing her nightly rituals. That felt really nice. Leaning on Harry like I was. We should do that more often. Wait a minute…that might give him the idea that I fancy him though, and I'm not sure I'm ready to come across like that to him. “Why does everything have to be so bloody confusing?” Hermione grumbled to herself as she made her way to her bed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling. Why does everybody but me seem to be sure that I fancy Harry? Maybe it's because you do, the all-too-familiar voice in her head suggested. Not you AGAIN! You said that we'd finish our conversation from earlier later, and now is the perfect time, the voice pointed out. Hermione sighed. You're right. Why do you have to be so bloody persistent? Why do you have to be so bloody stubborn? the voice shot back. I'm not stubborn! Then why won't you admit that you love Harry? the voice demanded. Because I don't…Do I? You know, denial is not just a river in Egypt, the voice stated. I'm not in denial. Not as much as earlier, but you still refuse to admit your feelings for Harry that we both know that you have, the voice countered. I don't know that I have feelings for Harry. Who said you were the second part of “we”? the voice demanded. Are you suggesting that Harry knows something about me that I don't? You two know each other better than you do yourselves, so why is that surprising to you? the voice pondered aloud. But it isn't logical for me to love Harry? Love isn't always logical, but you and Harry makes a whole lot more sense than you think, the voice informed her. How so? We just went over the fact that you know each other better than you know yourselves. You two have been best friends for six and a half years. You two have been through more together than most people your age. Need I go on? Hermione's eyes widened at the use of something she had said to Thomas earlier in the day. No. Now, if you'd kindly leave me alone so I can think things through, I'd greatly appreciate it. Sure thing, lovergirl, the voice said. Don't call me lovergirl! Hermione sat up with her back against the headboard. Do I love Harry? We mean a lot to each other, but is that enough? Or is that love, but using other words to describe it? It's possible. Maybe I do love him and haven't wanted to admit it to myself. I did think that Harry was good boyfriend while I was talking to Thomas…Maybe subconsciously I've realized that there's something more than just a friendship between us. He's certainly more fanciable than he's ever been. Not only has he become more handsome over the years, but he's matured nicely too. Maybe the better question to ask is: Why (not including Voldemort) would I not love Harry? Hermione stared at the ceiling as she pondered her question. Failing to come up with an answer to her question, Hermione stood up slowly and walked over to the spot on the wall that hung the picture of her and Harry that her dad had used earlier in the day, and gingerly took it off the wall. Caressing it, she held it and watched the moon illuminate her and Harry's beaming faces. Harry's been my life for the last six and a half years. We've been through everything together. We've been there for each other when the other has needed us the most. I can't imagine what life would be like if Harry wasn't there to share it with me. I love him. Hermione gasped. “Did I just think that?” she whispered to herself. “Is it true?” She paused for a moment and looked affectionately down at the picture. “It's absolutely true. I love Harry. I'd marry him tomorrow if he asked me to,” she said aloud quietly to herself before hanging the picture back on the wall and returning to bed. When did I fall in love with Harry? There's so many possibilities, that I don't know that I'll ever know for sure. There's watching him teach the DA…There's when he insisted on going to try to rescue Sirius from the Department of Mysteries…There's after the Triwizard Tournament…There's when we rescued Sirius from getting The Kiss…There's when I first saw him after being unpetrified…Then there's…Then there's…when I had to go back to help Ron and Harry had to go on to face Voldemort by himself… Thinking back on it, it must have been that last one. I almost told him that I loved him then. Though, it probably wouldn't have been the same sort of love then, but that would mean that I've loved him since we were first years. Could I have possibly loved him subconsciously for six years? Absolutely. Wait a minute! Now the Harry and Ron being father and son image makes sense…Harry would be the dad, Ron would be his son, and I'm Harry's wife. We're always looking after Ron to keep him out of trouble like parents try to keep their children out of trouble. Harry and I are also more mature than Ron, as he can be a big prat at times. Harry'll be a great father. I'd love to have children with him. Wait a minute, Hermione…let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here. You haven't even told Harry that you love him, and you're already thinking about having children with him? Let's take this one step at a time. Hermione put a hand to her face in realization. All I needed to do was listen to my heart to hear it tell me that I love Harry before I could understand the image. Hermione jumped out of bed and quickly walked over to the door. I should tell him now how I feel and what I've figured out. Hermione grabbed the doorknob and started to turn it, but then turned around so her back was against the door. No, I can't! Harry doesn't fancy me, and I don't want to make things awkward between us. As soon as she said that, she heard a very soft voice saying “Good night, Hermione. I love you.” Hermione's eyes grew wide. That sounded like Harry! It must have been in my head. But, it sounded like it was coming from the hallway. I'll have a look, just in case. Hermione turned back around and put her hand back on the doorknob, and after pausing for a moment to gather her Gryffindor courage, she opened the door. Hermione peaked her head out into the hallway and looked in both directions, but saw no one. Sighing disappointedly, Hermione closed the door again. I wish Harry had been out there. I would have told him that I love him too if he was. With that, Hermione made her way over to her bed and laid down again. “Good night, Harry. I love you,” she whispered softly, before settling into her favorite sleeping position and falling into a restful sleep. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18. Bedside Realizations 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 my story. I really appreciate hearing from all of you. This story is definitely winding towards its conclusion, but we have a little unfinished business to take care of first. I do plan to write more stories in the future, including a sequel to this story, but my writing time over the next few months may be hindered by my classes. 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 Chapter 18: Bedside Realizations Harry took his time getting undressed and crawling into bed. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he settled in between the covers and tried to get comfortable. I hope Hermione didn't hear me whispering in the hall. I don't want her to find out how I feel about her that way. I want to tell her to her face. Harry stared up at the ceiling as he let his thoughts wander to the beautiful brown haired young woman in the next room. When did I fall in love with Hermione? It must have been a while ago on a subconscious level, but when? In the Department of Mysteries? Possibly, but I don't think so. I think it was probably longer ago than that. It definitely scared me to death that it appeared that she might have been dead. At the Yule Ball? I doubt it. That was the night that I realized how beautiful she could be, but I want to say that my love for her probably goes back farther than that. When we had to part just before I faced Voldemort during our first year? That's probably too far back. I definitely wish that she didn't have to go back, but it was definitely for the best that she did. She might have been killed if she had faced Voldemort with me. That was a great hug she gave me just before she went back to help Ron, though. So, it appears to be sometime between the end of our first year and the Yule Ball. Harry got up and walked over to the window to see if that would help him solve his puzzle. There has to be a logical point when I fell in love with Hermione, but when would it have been? I don't think it was during the Triwizard Tournament, so it must have been sometime during our second or third year. Could it have been while we were saving Sirius during third year? That experience certainly brought us closer together, but was it when I fell in love with Hermione? It's possible. I wanted to try to protect her as much as possible, which could be taken for evidence that I loved her. I was trying the whole time we were trying to save Sirius though, which would suggest that I had already fallen in love with her. What happened before that which could have led me to fall in love with her? Stumped, Harry walked back to the bed, but paused before getting in and ran his hand slowly along the side in realization. Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? I must have fallen in love with Hermione when she was petrified second year! Not having Hermione in my life when I really needed her help must have led me to fall in love with her on a subconscious level. Harry climbed back into bed and stared at the ceiling. When should I tell Hermione that I love her? How will she react to my revelation? Has she figured out yet that she loves me too? Harry sighed deeply and rolled on to his side. As aggravating as Voldemort is, at least he's predictable. He'll go into hiding for a while and then come out and try to kill me. Love is different. Love's unpredictable. I have no idea how Hermione will respond when I ask her to be my girlfriend. She could tell me that I've gone mad. She could say that she fancies somebody else. I have no idea who that could be, but you never know. I'd like to believe that I'd know if she fancies somebody else, but maybe she's been keeping that a secret from me. Don't worry, a voice from inside his head told him, Hermione loves you too. You just need to work up your Gryffindor courage and tell her. Who are you and where did you come from? That's not what's important here. You're heart and both of your happiness is what's important here, the voice responded. How do I know you're not Voldemort trying to play a trick on me? Don't worry about that. I'm a friend to you, the voice responded. How do you know that she loves me? I've talked with her the same way I'm talking with you, the voice calmly informed Harry. What's she doing right now? If you needed to know, then I'd tell you. I might go tell her right now if I knew that she's still awake. Now isn't the best time to tell her, Harry. You know that just as well as I do. I know what you got her for Christmas, and I can assure you that she'll love it, the voice stated. So, are you suggesting that I tell her tomorrow after we open our presents? It is up to you to decide when to disclose to her how you feel. I'm only here to reassure you that you're on the right path, the voice informed him. What is “the right path”? That is another thing that you need to discover on your own. I will say this, though. What you have with her has been vital to both of you being here today. It will continue to be so in the future, however long that may be. Why must you speak in riddles? You're talking like you're Dumbledore, but it doesn't sound like you're him. The voice laughed. You're focusing on the unimportant again. Go to sleep. Don't worry about your relationship with Hermione. Things will work out. I assume that means that you're going to leave me alone now too. Silence followed. Asking Hermione after we open our Christmas presents seems to be the logical thing to do. I remember she said that we'll open the presents first thing in the morning, so I should be able to sleep in a bit even. Harry smiled, pleased at his decision. As he drifted off into a peaceful sleep he had only one thought on his mind. I'm in love with my best friend, and she loves me back. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 19. All I Want for Christmas is You 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. Thank you to everybody who has read and reviewed my first attempt at writing fan fiction. This is the end of the journey that we set out on together 18 chapters ago. I hope that you have enjoyed this journey as much as I have. I have a sequel to this story in the works, and hopefully will get around to writing it before too long, though I might not post it immediately. 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 19: All I Want for Christmas is You Harry slept in on Christmas morning, but woke up more at peace than he had in a long time, yet more nervous than when he had been called into Mr. Granger's room only two days before. This morning is the time to admit to Hermione that I fancy her. I know that I love her more than life itself. Has she realized that she loves me too? I can tell that she does. The way she cuddled with me last night on the couch in front of the fireplace seems to be proof of that. But that doesn't mean that she's figured that fact out yet. Will she be willing to take the chance and be my girlfriend? She doesn't need to have gotten me anything for Christmas; just being able to spend it with her is a gift enough. Just then he heard a knock at his door. “Who is it?” “Come on, sleepyhead,” a very familiar young feminine voice that he loved hearing called out from the other side of the door, “Mum and Dad are already downstairs waiting for us.” Harry couldn't help sighing contentedly at the sound of her voice. He quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt with a big smile on his face before opening the door to the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. It was Hermione, also in sweatpants and a t-shirt with a big smile on her face. She seems more at peace today than she was yesterday. What was troubling her yesterday? As they wandered down the stairs to the living room, where several presents lay underneath the tree, waiting to be opened, Harry started humming a Christmas carol. Hermione turned around and smacked his arm. “Quit humming `All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth'!” she scolded him while unsuccessfully trying to stifle a giggle. “Merry Christmas, sleepyheads!” Mrs. Granger exclaimed as she entered the room with a pair of cups of hot chocolate, which she handed to them. Mr. Granger entered the room from the dining room a moment later, “Merry Christmas to you both!” “Merry Christmas!” Harry and Hermione chorused together. Harry and Hermione sat down next to each other on the couch, while Mrs. Granger sat in a chair and Mr. Granger handed out the presents to each of them. Harry sat back and enjoyed the sights and sounds of this morning, which included Christmas carols playing on the radio in the corner. Harry even found himself humming along with one, and he heard Hermione start humming in harmony with him a few seconds later. Within a few minutes, they all had a small pile of presents sitting in front of them, and Mr. Granger had taken his seat across from Mrs. Granger. “Harry,” Mr. Granger said, turning to look at Harry, “since you're our guest this year you can open the first present.” Which one should I open? Harry picked up one that was clearly in a box to hide what it was and saw Hermione's familiar writing on it. I'll wait and open this one second. I'll open the one from her folks first. Harry picked up the rectangular shaped present from Mr. and Mrs. Granger and started tearing off the wrapping paper carefully. When he finished unwrapping it, he couldn't help but smile. The chess set will help me practice my chess skills for whenever Ron and I play. I wonder why they got me a journal, though. Guys normally don't write in journals. “Thank you,” Harry sincerely said to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. “I really like the present.” “You're welcome, Harry,” Mrs. Granger said to him. “We were told that you could use a little practice at chess, and I figured that it might be soothing for you to have a journal to write in with everything you have to do this year.” Harry looked at Hermione, and they exchanged shy, but knowing smiles before quickly turning their attention to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. “Hermione, you can open the next present,” her mum informed her. Harry watched carefully as Hermione looked at the two presents in front of her, as she debated which present to open. Oh please, let her open the other one first! Hermione looked at him, as if seeming to silently ask for his advice, then turned her focus back to her presents and picking up the one that was from her folks. Harry looked on curiously as she opened it very carefully to reveal sugarless snacks and a journal that matched Harry's. Harry and Hermione curiously looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Granger together. Are they up to something? No, they couldn't be. It must be a coincidence that they got us the same journals. “Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Dad,” Hermione said to them. “You're welcome, sweetheart,” Mr. Granger said. Mrs. Granger picked up a present that was clearly boxed by the shape of it. She looked at Hermione curiously as she started unwrapping it as carefully as Hermione had done. Once she had finished taking the wrapping off, she opened the box and looked inside before looking giving Hermione a knowing smile. Mrs. Granger then pulled a pair of bush trimmers out of the box for the men to see. “Thank you, sweetheart. I needed a new pair of these,” Mrs. Granger said to her daughter. “I know, Dad told me,” Hermione informed her. Harry chuckled to himself as he looked at Mrs. Granger holding the bush trimmers. The present is sort of appropriate since Mrs. Granger didn't beat around the bush when we were talking yesterday about how I feel about Hermione. Harry got busted. “What's so funny, Harry?” Hermione demanded. “Oh, nothing. I just thought about something funny.” “Care to share?” Harry turned slightly red before responding, “Umm…I'd rather not. At least not right now.” Mr. Granger decided to bail Harry out by picking up his present from Harry. Oh, he'll like this one, Harry told himself as Mr. Granger started to unwrap it. Moments later, Mr. Granger revealed a picture frame to the ladies, which caused Hermione to chuckle. Harry looked inquisitively at Hermione, who turned bright red in response. Harry raised an eyebrow at her. Why does she find the fact that I got her dad a picture frame so amusing? Did he show her the pictures he showed me or something? He might have. He also might just really like pictures. Mr. Granger smiled knowingly at Harry. “Thanks, Harry,” he said, “I really like the picture frame. I'll make sure to put a picture in it shortly.” Harry sat there for a moment wondering who was supposed to open the next present. I'd like what I got Hermione to be the last present opened. That way I'll have a natural way to tell her how I feel about her. Mrs. Granger seemed to sense Harry's hesitation and picked up her present from Harry, which was clearly boxed to hide what it was, and started unwrapping it as carefully as she had unwrapped her present from Hermione. I hope she likes it, Harry thought to himself, waiting for her to reveal what he got her. Mrs. Granger opened the box and smiled sweetly at Harry before pulling his present to her out of the box that it was placed in. “Thank you for the stuffed owl, Harry,” Mrs. Granger told him. “I really like it.” It fits her. She's as wise as an owl. Mr. Granger got the hint from his wife and picked up his present from his daughter, which was in a small box. He looked curiously at her before starting to unwrap it. I wonder what she got him that would fit in that small of a box. Oh, wait a minute! I think I have an idea…I saw her coming towards the store that I got her gift in as I left. It must be something from there. Harry glanced at Hermione curiously. I wonder if she saw me leave the store. Harry's suspicions were confirmed moments later when Mr. Granger pulled a silver pocket watch out of the small box that it had come in. He saw him smile up knowingly at Hermione before saying, “Thanks, sweetheart. I needed a new watch.” I wonder why they exchanged a knowing look...Did they have a conversation like both Mr. and Mrs. Granger had with me? If so, was it about me? Harry slowly reached down and picked up his present from Hermione. It looks like it's a book, but why would Hermione get me a book? And why would she give me a magical book in front of her folks? Harry glanced at a suddenly very nervous Hermione. Why is she so nervous? I'm sure that she knows that I'll like whatever she got me. Harry slowly, almost teasingly slowly, neatly unwrapped Hermione's present. Then, he looked down at it before looking at Hermione again with a look on confusion clearly etched across his face. Why did she get me this book? I figured that she would have gotten me a book that would help me, and this book doesn't seem to be one that will. Hermione could sense Harry's confusion, so she explained it to him. “I know you're not the greatest at expressing what's on your mind at times, and I figured that this might help when you're having problems expressing the thoughts that you can't quite express.” That actually makes a lot of sense. Is this her way of trying to tell me that she's figured out that she fancies me too? I sure hope so, because that'll make things a lot easier on me. Harry picked up the book of poetry that Hermione had gotten for him and flipped through it. She must have figured it out. There's a lot of love poems in here. Harry leaned over and gave Hermione a big hug. “Thank you, so much,” he told her. “I'm sure this will come in handy some day.” Hermione beamed at him, and then glanced down at the present from Harry that she had been holding on to for a while. She looked at him as if to ask “What is it?”, but Harry merely smiled at her as if to respond “Just open it.” So, Hermione very slowly started to unwrap Harry's present. I really hope that she likes it. I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't. I just wanted to try to express how much she means to me. It's almost like she's unwrapping my present really slowly to tease me. I wonder if she has an idea as to what it is… Hermione finished taking the wrapping paper off, revealing a small black box. Hermione looked up at Harry with eyes as wide as saucers, with her pupils as big as rings. She didn't even see that her mum and dad appeared to be just as surprised as she was. They were looking at Harry as if to ask “Are you seriously going to propose without dating for a while first? We gave you our permission to ask her out, not to propose!” Harry smiled at Hermione encouragingly. She hesitated for a minute before very slowly opening the box. Hermione's audible gasp made Mr. and Mrs. Granger lean over to try to see what was in the box. Hermione looked up at Harry with a stunned look on her face. Why won't she give me an indication if she likes it or not? It would break my heart if she doesn't. “Harry,” Hermione started so softly that her voice was barely audible, “it's beautiful. Where did you get it?” I guess it's safe to say she likes it. “In the same store that you got your dad's new pocket watch. I was afraid you might have seen me leaving, because I saw you approaching as I left with it. It was the first thing I picked up, so I didn't have another bag to put it inside either.” Hermione shook her head. “I didn't see you leave the store,” she told him, “but I do remember seeing somebody that reminded me of you disappear around a corner just before I went into the store.” Harry smiled guiltily. “Yeah, that would have been me,” he confessed. Hermione returned her gaze to the open box in front of her, as she slowly reached down and picked up its contents and lifted it up for her folks to see. Her folks gasped at the beauty of what their daughter was now holding in her hands. It was a pure gold necklace with a heart of gold on the end. On the heart it was clear that there were letters engraved into it, and a closer look revealed that the initials HG and HP were intertwined with each other. Hermione leaned over and gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek before giving him a big bear hug. “Harry, help me put it on please,” Hermione requested once she let go of him, turning her back and lifting her hair to allow Harry to put the necklace on for her. Harry gently took the necklace from Hermione and lovingly helped her put the necklace on, making sure that it clasped correctly. “Thank you, Harry,” Hermione said blushing, turning around after Harry finished putting the necklace on her. “This is the best Christmas present anybody's ever gotten me.” “I also want to thank you again for your thoughtful present,” Harry replied. “You know you didn't really need to get me anything.” “I know, Harry. I wanted to.” It is time. “Hermione,” Harry said, taking her hands in his gently, “I want to tell you something.” “What is it, Harry?” At that moment, Harry heard the opening chords of a familiar Christmas carol come on the radio. One he had heard just yesterday while talking with Mrs. Granger. One that would be a perfect way to start this discussion. “Let's listen to this song first,” he told her looking directly into her eyes. I could get lost in these eyes forever… “Okay,” she replied tenderly. As the words started to pour into the room, Mr. Granger went over and stood next to Mrs. Granger, taking her hand in his and smiling at the sight. Harry and Hermione were completely oblivious to what her folks were doing, because they were lost in each other's eyes, listening to the words flood over them. “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 last chord of the song played, Harry and Hermione leaned in towards each other and brushed their lips together briefly. “Hermione,” Harry started, “You've meant so much to me over the last six and a half years that I'm stunned that it took me this long to figure out how much you mean to me. You aren't just my best friend. You are so much more to me than that. You didn't have to get me anything for Christmas because just being here with you this morning is the best gift that I have ever been given. I asked your folks for their approval to do this last night after you went to bed, to make sure they were okay with me doing this, and they said that they saw the same thing I did before I had given the idea any thought. I don't want this to change things between us, but…” Harry wasn't able to finish because Hermione cut him off with a kiss. “Oh, Harry!” Hermione exclaimed elatedly once they had broken the kiss. “Of course, I'll be your girlfriend. It was last night when I was trying to fall asleep that I finally realized what everybody else seems to have figured out already. We belong together. I can't imagine what life without you would be like, and I don't want to. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, Harry. Thank you so much…” Hermione wasn't able to finish her thought because Harry returned the favor by quieting her with a kiss. After they had broken the kiss, they looked into each other's eyes before leaning in together and starting to snog, completely oblivious to the fact that her folks were still in the room, standing by the dining room door. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were reveling in the sight that sat before them with pure joy on their faces, enjoying the beautiful, simple harmony. The End -->