Unofficial Portkey Archive

I'm kinda bringing this back to life. For now. Until my muse leaves me again, and work consumes my life.

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Title: "christmas' treats"

Rating: PG

Words: 1,688

Theme/Prompt: #07 - pie

Warnings/AN: post-ootp, 6^th year au

Summary: In which Harry suddenly realizes why his two best friends are not compatible. Then learns something important as well.

Disclaimer: The Usual.

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For someone who claims rather loudly to fancy the girl, Ron certainly has an uncanny talent to upset Hermione.

The fact that the red-haired boy is already miffed due to having been rejected by said girl doesn't help, but seeing them bicker now, on Christmas' Eve, Harry can't help but think Hermione is actually onto something when she'd loudly proclaimed in the middle of the Common Room she and Ron were as compatible as Ron and Malfoy. Okay, maybe yelling that to his face had not being the best, but Ron had been at fault, needling her and pestering her to convince her to go on a date with him.

Harry considers himself lucky, that both of his friends had stormed off at that point, thus sparing him the uncomfortable job of choosing sides (although, he knows which side he'd have taken). And he had tried to play peacemaker the next day, while walking Hermione to her Runes class, inquiring about her words and if she had not acted in haste to reject Ron like that. After all, didn't their fights mean there was tension between them? Maybe they could be compatible if she tried.

It had been the wrong thing to say, as he'd been witness to something he desperately wishes to never see again.

Hermione's eyes had, for an eternal and tortuous moment, lost all their light; her face becoming a perfectly blank canvas. She'd then said, very quietly, that hurtful comments and petty fights did not make a relationship; that demeaning someone's beliefs was wrong if you did it simply because those beliefs were different from yours.

She'd said, very, very quietly, before leaving him standing there, utterly shocked, in the middle of the hall, that she would not allow someone else's expectation dictate who she should love.

Harry hadn't brought that topic up again. Even going as far as preventing anyone to bring it up to her, especially Ron.

~

"I just can't-ugh, why does he do that?! Does he get some sort of satisfaction by annoying me, by trying to ruin everybody's Christmas!?"

Harry doesn't know what to respond; well, he does, but is not sure if he should. He actually understands Hermione's ire, really, even he is angry at Ron right now.

Sirius had gone out of his way to organize this Christmas so both his best friends and their family could spend it in the newly remodelled Grimmauld Place. Harry had thanked him profusely, once more telling him he was the greatest Godfather of the world.

But Ron had made it his personal mission to make everyone as miserable as he felt for being rejected by one girl.

Granted, he'd probably be the same if he were to be rejected by Hermione; Harry doesn't know why, but the thought of it being most likely a certain thing leaves him feeling irrationally angry and depressed at the same time.

He's already getting lost on his thoughts of certain rejection when Hermione snaps him out if it.

"Say something, Harry!"

He blinks, rather stupidly he thinks, and shrugs. "I dunno… Hermione, I'm not exactly on the best position to comment on this."

The pain he sees flashing through her eyes tells him he said the wrong thing, again, her following words only confirms his realization.

"I know you won't side against your best friend, Harry," she says, looking away from him and staring at the lone piece of pie sitting on the table in front of them. "I suppose I should have expected it."

"I didn't mean it like that, Hermione," he says quietly, not knowing what to do but wanting desperately to comfort her.

"It's okay, Harry."

"No, listen." He grabs her hand, gently urging her to look at him. "Ron is wrong to act like a git because you don't return his feelings. And you're right, Hermione; nobody can force you to care for someone like that. Those things happen on their own… Also, I'm sorry about what I said to you that day."

Hermione's whole demeanour immediately softens at that. "Oh, Harry, it's really okay. You are socially awkward, I should've expected such questions."

Her little smile is enough to take the sting out of her comment on his social skills. "Thanks, and really, I guess I am starting to see what you meant by saying you and Ron are incompatible."

"Oh?"

He points at the piece of pie with his free hand, grinning lightly. "Take that for example. Yeah, it's not the best Christmas pie ever, but it tastes okay, yet Ron had to go and make a big deal because it didn't taste like his mother's. I'm starting to understand how relationships should work; Sirius explained something about that. The person who wants to be with you ought to be supportive, yet should be able to offer constructive criticism. He shouldn't be insulting or demeaning… He should go out of his way to make you smile, not cry…"

Harry falls into silence then, oddly mesmerized by the soft smile Hermione is giving him. There is a brief moment where his subconscious tries to tell him something, but he fails to grasp it before the thought is securely put aside. He'll revisit that later, his objective now is to cheer his best friend up, and he seems to be succeeding brilliantly.

"…That's right, Harry. A relationship should be like that." Hermione leans forward and places a kiss to his cheek, pulling back slowly afterwards. "So, you really liked the Christmas pie I made?"

Just to prove his point, Harry reaches over the table to grab the last piece of pie, taking a huge bite and wagging his eyebrows at her. He's rewarded with her delightful laughter. And he really is enjoying the pie; it's true that it's not the best one out there, but it's not bad either and Hermione put a lot of effort into it. And to be her first try, Harry thinks she did a wonderful job.

Swallowing his bite, and putting enough of a show to make his appreciation clear, to which Hermione grins happily, Harry proceeds to move on with their conversation. "Now, see? Your pie is fine, maybe the crust is a little burnt, and it didn't taste sweet enough, but it's still fine and… And, Hermione, someday you'll meet someone who knows how to appreciate you, how to be supportive and loving, and who'll like everything you cook! Who knows, maybe you already met him and he's just waiting for you to notice him!"

His last statement accomplishes what he'd wanted, Hermione laughs again, her earlier anger completely forgotten. But then she smiles at him, a somewhat different smile, because he's sure he can recognize all of her smiles and this one definitely feels different. Somehow it's gentler, sweeter… His thoughts are derailed as she leans closer again, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight against her body. And he hugs her back because she's Hermione and this is what she does. But then, she pulls back, although not completely, and kisses his cheek again. Another Hermione thing, but like her smile, this kiss feels different too.

When she settles in his arms, her chin resting against his shoulder, Harry is left wondering what was it that he clearly missed.

"Maybe you're right, Harry… Maybe, my special someone is already here but the one actually doing to waiting is me, that's okay though." She kisses his cheek again before pulling back completely, still smiling differently. "I don't really mind waiting; especially now that I know my special someone will take notice soon."

Hermione stands up then, biding him a good night and telling him to go to bed as everyone is expected to be up bright and early tomorrow to open presents. Harry nods but stays where he is, turning to stare at the empty plate thoughtfully, trying to decipher the meaning of Hermione's last words.

He can't and finally decides to go to bed.

~

Grimmauld Place has never been more alive with happiness before now, he knows. Sirius had been very honest when he told him of his past with his family, as he had been when he finally told him about his life with the Dursleys.

Neither he nor Sirius had had many happy Christmases before, so they can actually appreciate this more than anyone else.

Harry doesn't rush like the Weasley kids to open his presents, preferring to observe his friends and family first. When he does start opening his presents, he starts with Hermione's. It's the shape of a thin book and he almost expects it to be that, but found something completely unexpected instead. With a note from Hermione advising him to cancel the Shrinking Charm when he has some privacy, as it would be impossible to redo later.

The thoughtfulness of her gift leaves him almost in tears, only his desire to avoid being questioned prevents him from letting said tears fall while rushing to hug her.

It is to this that Hermione's words from last night return, finally making sense.

"…Maybe, my special someone is already here but the one actually doing to waiting is me, that's okay though…"

She'd been talking about him. Of course she'd been talking about him.

Shaking his head, he feels like laughing, settling instead to smile like an idiot and rightly so because he feels like an idiot. It's so obvious, really. He clutches Hermoine's gift against him, thinking, maybe, he can forgo the tears if he simply crosses the room to her side and kisses her silly.

He doesn't though, simply because it would be her first kiss and Harry knows she wants that kiss to be special. So, he thinks, he'll make it special.

"Everything alright, Harry?"

Turning to Sirius, he grins happily before turning to look at Hermione and finds her looking at him nervously. Harry smiles, without a care, probably broadcasting to her all he's been thinking, and she smiles back just as wonderfully as she did last night.

"Brilliant," he says to Sirius, his eyes still firmly on Hermione. "Everything's brilliant."

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End.

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