Disclaimer: All I want for Christmas is the rights to Harry Potter. That's all I ask!
The warmth that usually filled the house at Christmas was missing drastically. The laughter was gone, the smiles empty. We all tried hard not to look at the empty seat at the table or the space in the living room where he should've been. Nothing was ever going to be good again. Even the snow seemed darker than normal. We all tried our best to plaster on fake smiles and go on living our normal lives but it was impossible. His smile was reflected in all of us. Our eyes, our hearts. Instead we distracted ourselves by cleaning furiously for our guests that would be arriving soon.
Harry was the first to get there. He looked so much older than before it all. AS if the war, his actions had aged him. In a way it had. It had done that to all of us. He smiled at all of us but just like our family his smile was vacant. He saw me and tried to really smile but he couldn't. No one could looking at me.
"Hi George." He said grasping my hand in a firm shake.
"Hullo Harry." I replied. He searched my eyes for the blame, the hate he thought I must have towards him. "It's not your fault Harry. The universe has a way of course correcting. It would've happened one way or another." He nodded and moved on to Ginny, clutching her in a tight hug, her ring sparkling in the firelight. At least she would be happy. Truly happy. Then she walked in. The air around her seemed brighter than the air inside and clinging to us. Her smile wasn't faked or forced. She greeted everyone with a true 'Happy Christmas'. She turned to me and I was expecting the tears to pool in her beautiful chocolate eyes. After all, it was he she loved not me.
"Hullo Gorge." She said with her smile.
"Hullo Hermione." I replied. Then before I knew it she hugging me tightly. She wasn't hurt to look at me. She didn't burst into tears the way Angelina did. She treated me like she always had.
"We're going to be okay." She whispered. I nodded into her hair and she pulled away smiling. Ron come help me with the presents will you?" the two of them left talking quietly and laughing. I looked after them startled. Ron was truly laughing. It didn't seem strange at all. It was welcome. We sat in quiet till they came back, arms pilled with gifts. That Hermione. She had out done herself for us this year. Trying to restore some kind of order to our lives as best as she could.
We all gathered round the tree and so began the festivities. Things already seemed better. I sat across form her smiling, a real one too, at her every time she looked over.
"Go get her." I heard as lightly as a breath of wind. But I knew in my heart who was telling me to. "
"I will Fred. Promise." I muttered back. And I knew, wherever he was he heard, and he was smiling.