Inell's Fanfiction Archive

It’s the first Christmas since the war ended, and Hermione’s staying at Hogwarts for the holiday because there’s nowhere else to go. Kingsley has reached out to the Australian Ministry of Magic in an attempt to locate her parents to no avail, and the Weasleys don’t need her underfoot when this is their first Christmas without Fred. There are other students like her, orphans from the war with no home to return to for the holidays, so she’s stepped up to help Headmistress McGonagall with taking care of them because the distraction keeps her from dwelling on thoughts of what once was and what will never be again.

After breakfast, she bundles up before sneaking down to the kitchens to get a thermos of warm cider from Winky. There are gifts waiting for her in her dorm, several owls to answer, and a few classmates mentioned playing cards later, so there’s plenty to do at the castle. However, she needs a moment to herself before dealing with the rest of the holiday celebration.

It’s snowing and probably much too cold to be outside, which means no one else is around. Hermione heads to the lake, to the spot where she spent so many hours with Harry and Ron plotting and planning for the future. Now, they’re living their future, working as aurors under Kingsley’s special proclamation, and she’s back at school alone. It’s the first time she’s been apart from them for such an extended time, and it’s odd how difficult it is to be Hermione after years of being HermioneHarryRon.

She misses them even more than usual today because it’s Christmas, and she wonders if she made a mistake not going to the Burrow, after all. Luna had invited her to stay with her, and Harry had been rather upset that she wouldn’t just stay at Grimmauld Place with him, but she’d been melancholy about her parents and thought being alone would be best. Maybe it’s what she deserves, considering it’s her fault they’re lost to her. There’s also a part of her that knows her decision is also based on the desire to avoid any awkwardness with Ron, since they broke up before she returned to school, and she misses him, but not as much as she misses Harry. Which is something she tries not to dwell on.

The lake is frozen, and it’s so quiet. The silence is more comforting than unpleasant, though, so she sits on the snowy ground to watch the snowflakes fall. She sips her cider as she leans against the tree, resting her head against the bark as she counts snowflakes in an effort to avoid thinking for a bit. If she’s got numbers running through her mind, she can’t dwell on those who aren’t celebrating this year or worry about her boys and the Weasleys or wonder how little Teddy’s doing.

The sound of crunching snow interrupts her after she counts number eighty-six. Turning, she doesn’t see anyone there, but she can see footsteps that are bigger than the ones she left. “Harry?”

“You’re difficult to find,” Harry mutters, pulling the invisibility cloak off until his head appears to be hovering in mid-air. “I’ve skulked all over the castle looking for you. Winky told me you’d gone outside, but I thought she must be daft considering how cold it is.”

“Harry?” She blinks at him, uncertain if he’s actually there or whether she possibly fell asleep, which is dangerous because she very well might freeze before anyone realizes she’s gone.

“Happy Christmas,” he says, giving her a sheepish smile as he pushes his spectacles up his nose. A snowflake is dripping down one lens, and she can’t stop blinking because she’s now got tears in her eyes.

“Oh, Harry!” She drops her thermos of cider on the ground as she stands up and rushes towards him, hugging him tight as he lifts her off the ground and buries his cold nose against her neck.

“I know I’m not supposed to be here, but I couldn’t stay away,” he admits, warm breath blowing against her ear. “I’ve missed you, Hermione. So bloody much. I don’t…I think…you’re…”

“Shh. We can talk later. I’m just glad you’re here, Harry. I’ve missed you, too.” She knows the way she’s feeling isn’t just because Harry’s her best friend, and it should scare her, to realize she’s got those sorts of feelings for him, but she isn’t afraid of anything when he’s got his arms around her and he’s holding her so tight.

End