Day 15 for Countdown to Christmas
Prompt:
Star
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
It was tradition in Hermione's family to bake cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.
She remembered when she was younger, dancing with her father in the kitchen to Christmas music, while her mother rolled the cookie dough and cut it into shapes. Her favorite one had always been a star, because in school it meant she had done something very well if she had been given a star. It was also a reminder to when her parents let her use the telescope, so she could gaze at the stars whenever she wanted.
"Fascinating," she had said once, on summer break from her second year at Hogwarts.
"What's fascinating, darling?" Her father asked her from his reading chair.
"These stars," she turned away from the telescope to look at her father, "They're dead, yet they still burn bright. They still manage to shine all the way over to Earth, like they want to be remembered for living once."
Her father smiled at his amazing daughter, "You'll be remembered, too," he said. "You're too special not to be known."
And he was right - she was remembered, but not by him. Her parents didn't remember who she was anymore.
"Hermione?"
The voice snapped her out of her reverie. She quickly wiped her eyes, then putting on a fake smile for her husband.
"Hey - it's okay," Ron whispered, coming closer to put his arms around her.
Hermione did her best not to break down, the last she wanted was for Rose and Hugo to come and see her sobbing. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she kept muttering to him, also trying to convince herself. She pulled out of her embrace, and ran her hands through her hair.
Taking a glance at the cookie dough that lay abandoned on the kitchen counter, she took a deep breath.
"Go get the kids, we've got some cookies to bake," she told Ron.
o.O.o
That night, there were dozens of star-shaped cookies on a plate next to the tree, waiting for someone to gobble them up.