AN: I'm really excited about this story! It's loosely based on the song His Favorite Christmas Story by Capital Lights. I hope you guys enjoy it! A big thanks to my beta reader, she is amazing! If you enjoy the story please let me know! Merry Christmas!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the song His Favorite Christmas Story by Capital Lights. This work is purely for entertainment I do not receive compensation for it. :)
His Favorite Christmas Story
"Uncle Moony, will you tell us the story?" The small bespectacled boy with messy black hair looked up at Remus with a questioning stare. The small group of children behind him nodded in agreement. It had become a tradition, that at the Order of the Phoenix's annual Christmas party Remus would tell the kids their favorite Christmas story.
"Sure, little pup. Ok, kids gather around. This is the story about the girl with no name." Remus smiled at the children, their faces showing how eager they were to listen to him. "I met her in Hogsmeade in 1977. She was a vision, her hair was a mess of unkempt curls, she had eyes the color of whiskey and lips that were the brightest shade of red I had ever seen. For me, it was love at first sight…"
Throughout the years the faces of who listened changed. As the kids grew older and the second Wizarding war raged on, new faces were added to the audience, and some familiar faces had heard the story for the last time. But Remus always told the story exactly the same way, and whoever was there to hear it was always captivated by the story of Remus' long lost love.
"Hermione, you are the woman of my dreams. The light of my life, the only one for me," The redhead gave her a cheeky smile.
"Fred, what do you need? I am trying to get ready for the Christmas party. It's starting in 2 hours, and you know how important this one is, being the first Christmas since Voldemort was defeated and all," Hermione sighed, setting the poinsettia down on the dining room table of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
"Oh, I don't need a thing Dove. I just wanted to offer you a Christmas treat." Fred held a small green plate out to Hermione, the only thing on it was a small piece of chocolate, engraved with two interlocked hearts.
"Fred, I may not have finished my education but surely you do not believe me dense enough to eat anything you, famed prankster, were to offer me," she replied back haughtily.
"Oh my Dove, you wound me. I would never do anything to put my future bride into any kind of danger. I am merely offering you a token of my love and devotion," he smiled back at her innocently.
"When you put it that way Fred, then I must decline solely based on the fact that I am not your future bride, nor am I your 'Dove' as you keep calling me, now please stop bothering me, so that I can go get ready." With that, Hermione pushed past him and walked up the stairs toward her bedroom.
Once safely inside her bedroom, Hermione pulled the red cocktail dress out that she had been saving specifically for tonight. She held it to herself and looked in the floor length mirror, a bright smile coming to her face, before she spun around in a circle and draped herself across her bed. That was when she noticed a box of chocolates with a note written in Harry's messy scrawl.
Hermione,
Happy Early Christmas! Enjoy!
Harry
She opened the box to see an arrangement of chocolates that looked much like the one Fred had offered her earlier. Harry wouldn't give me anything that wasn't safe. I think I will have one of these once I am ready. She smiled to herself, before getting back up to start on her hair and makeup.
An hour later Hermione was pleased as she looked at herself in the mirror. . Her hair fell onto her shoulders in wild curls, her eyes were done in a very light makeup, but her lips were bright red, to match her dress. Hermione smiled as she once again twirled around, admiring the way the skirt of the dress swirled around her legs. She was just about to leave her bedroom and check on last minute decorations, when the box of chocolates caught her eye once again. I'll have just one. She had no sooner swallowed the treat, when she felt the world begin to spin, and everything went black.
When Hermione came to, she was outside in a pile of snow. Still quite confused, she heard a chime in the distance signaling it was now 9 o'clock. She stood and dusted herself off. Thank Merlin I wore tights. She thought to herself. Looking around she found herself in Hogsmeade. That's strange, what was in the candy? How did I end up here? She felt around for her wand, but it was nowhere to be 's when she noticed a small piece of parchment in the snow next to where she landed. When she picked it up and began to read, she was fuming.
Hello, excellent patron! May I be the first to congratulate you on finding your Soulmate! Soulmate Melts are a new product for us, here at Weasley Wizard Wheezes, and we are excited to be a part of your search for Mr. or Mrs. Right. You are given a 3 hour window, in which time you will meet the Witch or Wizard you are destined to be with. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for trying our product, we hope you find many years of love with that special someone.
Disclaimer: Here at Weasley Wizard Wheezes we strive for the utmost in customer satisfaction, however we are not responsible for who your Soulmate is, nor the circumstances in which you meet them.
Hermione crumpled the parchment in her fist. Weasleys! Of course they were behind it. Hermione was pulled from her thoughts when a solid mass collided into her.
"Oh! I am so sorry, miss. I didn't hurt you, did I?" Hermione looked up to see a wizard with short brown hair and deep brown eyes. She could do nothing but shake her head no. "Oh good, here let me help you up." He smiled reaching down, she took his hand, once she was back on her feet he spoke again. "Well miss, are you on your way to the party at the Three Broomsticks? Well of course you are, look at the way you are dressed. Please, let me walk you there, it's the least I can do for knocking you over. I am meeting my fiance there, but she won't mind, she knows how clumsy I can be after all," The stranger gave her a smile. "I am Frank, by the way."
"Thank you Frank, yes I was heading to the party. I would be delighted if you walked me." She smiled at the wizard and they made their way to the Three Broomsticks.
Remus sat at a table wondering how he had let his friends talk him into attending tonight. He sat alone at their table while James and Lily danced, Sirius chatted up a group of seventh year Ravenclaws, and Peter was nowhere to be found. Happy Christmas Eve to me, he thought bitterly.
"Why so moody, Moony?" Sirius asked with a cheeky grin, as he sat down across from his best mate. "There are plenty of attractive birds here to chat up, no reason to be moping in the corner. It's almost 10 o'clock and you haven't asked anyone to dance. Why not?"
Remus just shrugged, "No one has caught my eye, I guess."
"You always were a picky one Moony," Sirius chuckled. "Ok, let's make a deal. The next bird to walk past the table, you have to ask her to dance tonight."
"Fine," Remus sighed, knowing he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't give into Sirius. The two boys sat back sipping their firewhisky and watching the crowd for a few moments before he saw her.
"What do you mean you gave Hermione a spelled chocolate?" Molly Weasley roared at her twin sons.
"Well, you see Mum, it's a funny story really…" Fred started.
"Yes, you see, Fred distracted her, and I slipped a box of chocolates and a fake note from Harry onto her bed," George continued sheepishly.
"What do the chocolates do?" Remus calmly asked.
"Well, they transport her to the time and place she is meant to meet her Soulmate. She will be back in roughly three hours. We have both tried it, I promise it's safe," Fred assured them. "We just felt like our dear bookworm needed a nudge in the right direction."
"And what direction is that?" Remus questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"The direction of her true love of course, our best guess is she's in Hogsmeade in 1977." George replied with a cheeky grin.
Remus turned to Molly and sighed. "I think we should just go ahead and start the party. We can make sure she's okay when she's back." Molly simply nodded in aagreement
Hermione had seen him the second she entered the crowded bar. He had been sitting at a table by himself with a sour expression on his handsome face. She had always known Remus Lupin had been attractive as a young man, but the boy across the room had nothing on the man she longed for in her own time.
"So, I've never seen you around here. Are you attending Hogwarts?" a question from Alice, Frank's fiance, brought Hermione's attention back to her current company.
"I'm just a traveler looking for a way to spend Christmas Eve." she smiled at the other witch.
"Oh, secretive. That's so fun!" The other witch exclaimed, feeling quite tipsy. Alice then turned to Frank and asked him to accompany her to the dance floor.
Hermione took the moment alone to scan the crowd and find Remus. She saw he was sitting at the same table he had been, but now he was accompanied by none other than, Sirius Black.
When she looked back to Remus, she realized he was already looking at her. She quickly averted her gaze, though she could already feel the blush on her cheeks. I need another drink, she thought as she approached the bar.
"Padfoot, I think I'm in love," Remus spoke so quietly Sirius almost didn't hear what he said. Sirius followed his friend's eyes to a small brunette witch standing alone by the bar.
"Then ask her to dance, Moony. You're a good looking bloke. I'm sure she'd be delighted to dance with you," Sirius encouraged his friend.
Remus watched as she was approached by Harold Abbott, a seventh year Hufflepuff who has no trouble with girls. He felt his heart sink. Of course he'd missed his chance. He couldn't help but watch as Harold chatted up the pretty brunette. Then he had to laugh when he saw Harold's surprised face when the witch shook her head no, likely declining to dance with him. "See Padfoot, she just turned Harold down, I wouldn't stand a chance," Remus sighed looking at his friend.
"Remus, mate, I know it's in your nature to be dramatic right before the full moon, but get over it and go talk to her. If it's any encouragement, she's not looked away from you since Harold walked off." Sirius raised an eyebrow at Remus, daring him to doubt his chances.
Remus looked up and met eyes with the beautiful girl for the second time that night. She gave him a brilliant smile before looking away.
Remus was a foot away from her when he first spoke. "Uh, would you like to dance with me?" He asked nervously. He was pleasantly surprised when she smiled and took his offered hand.
"I'd love to," she replied softly.
He led her to the edge of the dance floor and pulled her in close. He was amazed at how this little witch felt in his arms. She melted into him, and fit together like they were puzzle pieces meant to interlock with one another. They swayed together for several minutes before he finally got the nerve to speak to her. " I haven't seen you around before?" His words came out as a question.
"No, I am only here for a short time," she gave him a sad smile. They fell into easy conversation as they swayed to the music. Remus felt like he was talking to an old friend, not a girl he had met minutes before. It was some time, and many dances later when the young couple's conversation was interrupted by a loud voice.
"Ok ladies and gentlemen, We are winding down another Christmas Eve party here at the Three Broomsticks. We would like to remind you to tip your waitress, and get home safe. Don't drink and apparate! Now, here is the last song of our 1977 Christmas Eve bash. It's a slow one, so grab someone special and get out on the floor."
Hermione's eyes widened as she processed what the DJ had just said. It's 1977 and she's in Hogsmeade. She turned, looking wide eyed at Remus as the realization dawned on her. I am the girl with no name.
"Well it looks like we have one more dance." Remus smiled down at the witch as he pulled her back into his arms. He felt this heartbeat quicken as the little witch laid her head down on his chest as they swayed to the last song.
The last song was over much too quickly for Remus. He looked at his little witch sadly, "This is goodbye, then?"
She returned his sad smile, "I can promise you that you will see me again, but for now I do have to go." She leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. The way he blushed made a smile curl on her lips. "Goodbye."
He caught her hand as she turned to leave, "Wait, I didn't get your name."
She just smiled back at him and said "No, you didn't," and with that she pulled her hand away and disappeared into the crowd. Remus was left speechless, confused, and with hope to see his witch again.
Hermione had barely made it outside of The Three Broomsticks when she started to feel faint and again everything went black.
When Hermione came to, she was laying on her bed back at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. She could hear the Order Christmas Party downstairs in full swing. She quickly got up, and made sure her hair and makeup were still perfect, before throwing open her bedroom door and descending the stairs. She was passing the library when she heard it, the beginning of the story she had ached to be part of for so long.
"This is the story about the girl with no name." Remus started. With a smile she opened the door to the library and interrupted him."I met him in Hogsmeade. It was 1977," when Remus looked up his breath caught in his throat. She looked exactly how he'd remembered. "He was a sight to behold. His shaggy light brown hair fell over his forehead, and he had eyes the color of the sea. I was in love before I had even laid eyes on him. The evening was spent looking at each other from across the bar."
Hermione paused only to move further into the room. She was painfully aware that all eyes were on her, but she refused to look away from Remus' gaze. "It was Christmas Eve and a quarter to eleven, but I am so glad he got up the courage to ask me to dance. We didn't exchange names, though I knew his, to him I was, but a traveller, Someone to only share a single dance, and a promise that we'd meet again." At this point Hermione was only a foot away from the chair that Remus was sitting in, their eyes still locked on each other.
"Um. I think this is our cue to go downstairs," Harry mumbled to the others in the room. He managed to get the others up and on their way out the door, but not before Fred Weasley conjured up some Mistletoe to bloom above Hermione's head.
Hermione was biting her lip looking at Remus, nervous because he had not yet said anything. When he stood up and moved next to her she felt her pulse quicken. "How did I not realize before?" He mumbled, reaching out to touch her hand, moving so close she could feel his breath as he spoke.
They say hindsight is 20/20," Hermione laughed nervously. She was unsure of what to make of his intense gaze, but she knew she wanted to pick up where they had left off. Please just kiss me. She silently begged.
Hermione's world was spinning, and all that felt real was Remus. His arms were now fully encircling her body as he pulled her flush against him, her arms found their way around his neck. His face was so close to hers that she now noticed for the first time, the specks of gold near his pupils. Her breathing was uneven, and she felt her lips were unnaturally dry. His gaze left hers as he watched her tongue dart out and wet her lips. His eyes flicked back up to hers, as he lowered his head the rest of the way and captured her lips in a kiss. The warmth of his mouth sent a current running through her body. Just when she didn't think it could get any better, she felt his tongue trace the seam of her lips begging for entrance, which she eagerly gave. As his tongue danced with hers, Hermione found herself lost in his taste of chocolate and peppermint. It was several seconds later when Remus broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers, "Remind me to thank the Weasley twins, would ya?" Her only reply was a quiet laugh, before she took his lips in another kiss.