DISCLAIMER: doesn't own Charlie. Check. Doesn't own Hermione. Check. Doesn't own the song Christmas Wrappings. Check. There we go. Owns the idea…
"Bah, humbug!" No, that's too strong
'Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year's been a busy blur
Don't think I have the energy
Hermione sat curled up in a chair at home, reading a book, thinking about all the things that had been happening in the past year: defeating Voldemort, Bill and Fleur getting married, Harry and Ginny getting engaged, her and Ron breaking up. Hectic.
To add to my already mad rush
Just 'cause it's 'tis the season.
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left from
Hermione thought about Things. Well, more specifically, A Thing. Well, to be very precise, a SOMEthing. To be exact, a SomeONE. Someone she had met, and felt very---strongly---about. She wasn't really sure about her feelings, precisely, but she wished they had just, kind of – wrapped things up.
Last year, ski shop,
Encounter, most interesting.
Had his number but never the time
Most of '81 passed along those lines.
Charlie Weasley was, after all, a very interesting person. She had really gotten to know him at the Weasley's when she had stayed for Christmas the year before. they had had a long talk, him telling her about dragons and Romania and things, and her listening mostly, but also talking about what she knew of dragons as well as her own career, as a Healer and as the head of S.P.E.W., which was becoming steadily succesful, passing many laws for House-Elf rights, which meant that many House-Elves were BORN into a world where they had rights, wages, and happiness, therefore preventing them from being sucked in to the happy-slave mindset of most House-Elves. She thought it would probably be extremely easy to get in touch with Charlie, being close friends with the Fiancee of his sister, but she just wan't completely sure of anything. So it was weird.
So deck those halls, trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer,
I just need to catch my breath,
Christmas by myself this year.
She looked around the room at the decorations and things, the tree, the cards, everything. She decided, once and for all, that she was going to just spend some time alone, relax.
Calendar picture, frozen landscape,
Chilled this room for twenty-four days,
Evergreens, sparkling snow
Get this winter over with!
She stared at her calendar, a landscape photo of some evergreens in the snow, and wished Christmas would just be OVER already. She was sick of it, even if it was her favorite.
Flashback to springtime, saw him again,
Would've been good to go for lunch,
Couldn't agree when we were both free,
We tried, we said we'd keep in touch.
She thought about the time she saw Charlie, in the spring, when they went to the Weasley's for Easter and he was there. He was very busy the whole time, though, and they were going back to Hogwarts before he would have free time. So she didn't get to spend any time with him then, either. She sighed heavily. They'd planned to keep in touch.
Didn't, of course, 'til summertime,
Out to the beach to his boat could I join him?
No, this time it was me,
Sunburn in the third degree.
That summer she got a summer 'experience' in Romania, at the same dragon preserve where Charlie worked. She didn't know it was the same one, as there were several, and didn't see him until it was almost time for them to leave, and even then she couldn't spend time with him, as she had been ever-so-slightly burnt by a couple of hatchlings.
Now the calendar's just one page
And, of course, I am excited
Tonight's the night, but I've set my mind
Not to do too much about it.
She was, of course, excited. It was christmas, after all! Only one page left on her calendar, and then it would be a brand-new year. It was getting late, and it was Chritmas Eve – and she was staying at home.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
She just wasn't interested!
Hardly dashing through the snow
Cause I bundled up too tight
Last minute have-to-do's
A few cards a few calls
'Cause it's r-s-v-p
No thanks, no party lights
It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax
Turned down all of my invites.
Of course, the Weasley's had invited her for Christmas, but Charlie couldn't make it so she had declined, preferring to wind down and stay at home. Spend some time with herself, thinking about Everything.
Last fall I had a night to myself,
Same guy called, halloween party,
Waited all night for him to show,
This time his car wouldn't go,
Then that autumn Fleur had asked Charlie to come for a Halloween party. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to make it, and she had ben unable to see Charlie then, either. She had been getting steadily pessimistic about ever seeing Charlie alive on this Earth again.
Forget it, it's cold, it's getting late,
Trudge on home to celebrate
In a quiet way, unwind
Doing Christmas right this time.
She walked into her bedroom, flopped onto her bed, turned on her T.V. for some background noise, and opened her book, trying to relax and have some 'Hermione time'. She wanted to have one holiday turn out right.
A&P has provided me
With the world's smallest turkey
Already in the oven, nice and hot
Oh damn! Guess what I forgot?
She scuttled into the kitchen to check the itty bitty turkey she was cooking for herself. It was almost done. She had started getting out other Christmas-y foods, when she realized she had forgotten something she considered to be a crucial element in a Christmas dinner. She smacked herself in the head.
So on with the boots, back out in the snow
To the only all-night grocery,
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
In the line is that guy I've been chasing all year!
She pulled on some winter clothes and dashed out into the snowy night, walking to the nearby all-night grocery store. She had just got into line when she noticed brilliant red hair in front of her in line. Oh great. A Weasley. Just what she needed. But which one? She tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around. Her breath caught in her throat. It was Charlie. He smiled brightly and her, and she managed to smile back.
"I'm spending this one alone," he said.
"Need a break; this year's been crazy."
I said, "Me too, but why are you?
You mean you forgot cranberries too?"
He gave a her a questioning look. "I'm spending this one alone" he said. "need a break; this year's been crazy." She nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. She wondered what he was doing here when he should undoubtedly be at home, doing….she didn't know, something.
"me too" she told him, and he gave her a small smile and a slow nod, indicating that Mrs. Weasley was not likely to let the fact that Hermione wasn't coming to Christmas dinner go unnoticed by anyone, in her family or not. Hermione recalled her earlier musings and gave him a look. "but why are you-" she stopped short when she noticed he, like her, was holding only cranberries, and she laughed. "you mean you forgot cranberries too?"
Then suddenly we laughed and laughed
Caught on to what was happening
That Christmas magic's brought this tale
To a very happy ending! "
He saw that was what she had come for as well, and he cracked a grin at that. The grin spread, and she couldn't help but smile back. Before they knew it, they were both laughing like idiots, figuring out that something-maybe something supernatural, maybe something more along the lines of a meddling matchmaker-has caused them to be both, at that moment, without cranberries and close to the same store. They smiled at each other, paid for the cranberries, and walked out into the parking lot, where Charlie paused, and turned to her. "want to come back to my place?" he shouted over the wind, looking as if he hoped she'd say yes. She had to admit he looked awfully cute, and she'd been dying to see him ever since they had had their discussion, so she nodded, and shouted back a 'sure'. He smiled and jerked his head int the direction he was headed. "come on, then!"
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Couldn't miss this one this year!
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Couldn't miss this one this year!
The two of them stepped over the threshold of Charlie's apartment, shaking out and taking off a great deal of wet clothing. Hermione heaved a sigh of relief that she had worn enough that her jeans and shirt weren't wet. Charlie was similarly dry. He was standing in the hall, at the doorway into the kitchen, waiting for her. she could almost feel her heart practically tearing itself into two pieces, this time not out of sadness or pain, but because she was so excited and worried. Excited that he might like her, worried that he didn't. she reached the doorway where he was standing, but then he stopped her. she looked up at him. "what?"
He smiled a bit. "nothing, just…" he trailed off, and she watched him, waiting for him to finish, if he was going to. He didn't speak.
"yes?" she prompted him. he turned directly towards her, his eyes practically burning holes into hers. She opened her mouth to tell him that he didn't have to tell her, whatever it was, but that little speech was quickly cut off by a kiss. His lips touched hers gently at first, hesitant, unsure of her reaction. When she didn't push him away, scream, or slap him, he pushed his mouth firmly onto hers, tugging gently on her bottom lip with his teeth. She felt several shivers run down her spine, and could have sworn she felt her heart fizz, almost like an electric shock. Her mouth opened slightly, and he reached his tongue into her mouth, tangling with hers. He was exploring her mouth. Slowly, he wihdrew his tongue and pulled back, staring at her, mouth slightly open. She imagined she wore much the same expression.
"God, I love Christmas." He muttered, before he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in for another kiss.
AN: yay. I wrote it. I've been dying to write it. I know it's not Christmas, nowhere close, but I felt like it. so there. Sorry if either of them seems out of character though it's be hard, as they have like three lines each. No, wait, I think it's less than that. I have no idea. Anyway, review if you want to, I understand if you don't. the hits are really enough. Merry Un-Christmas.