Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or the song The Christmas Shoes.
Hugo Weasley sat next to his mother, Hermione Granger nee Weasley, who lay on her bed. Hugo tried to keep his tears at bay, at least for his Momma.
"Hugo," his daddy said, "let your momma sleep, she needs the rest." Hugo reluctantly nodded and leaned over and placed a big sloppy kiss on his momma's hair.
"Good night Momma... I'll ask if I can bring a story in and read you to sleep." He whispered quietly, and tip-toed towards his daddy, Ron Weasley.
"Go get your sister, I have to talk to you two." He ruffled his hair, and gently pushed him towards Rose's closed bedroom door. Hugo walked slowly to her room, scared that she would snap at him if he woke her up.
He knocked softly, and whispered loudly, "Rosie? Are you awake?" He heard her groan, and got ready to run for it, but the door swung open, and he was met with Rosie's bed-head. He took a step forward and grabbed her slightly bigger hand and tugged her towards the living room.
"Daddy wanted to speak to us. Maybe it's about Momma getting better!" He said excitedly, tugging a bit harder.
Rose discreetly wiped her eyes and whispered, "I doubt it Hugo..."
Draco stood in another Christmas line, hoping to buy a last minute Christmas gift for his Mother.
It was almost Christmastime and there I stood in another line, trying to buy that last gift or two, not really in the Christmas mood.
Standing right in front of me was a little boy waiting anxiously, pacing round like little boys do, and in his hands he held, a pair of shoes.
Draco tapped his toes impatiently, keeping an eye on the little boy with bright red hair and freckles.
What's a Weasley kid doing here? And judging by the bushy hair, he was Weasley and Granger's kid.
And when it came his time to pay, I couldn't believe what I heard him say!
"Sir, I wanna buy these shoes, for my momma please. It's Christmas Eve, and these shoes are just her size. Could you hurry sir, Daddy says there's not much time, you see, she's been sick for quite a while. I know these shoes will make her smile, and I want her to look beautiful, if Momma meets Jesus tonight."
Draco was stunned. If his assumptions were correct, and the little boys mother was Granger, she was sick, and on her death bed. He felt... guilty?
The boy dropped the money on the counter and bounced up and down.
He counted pennies for what seemed like years, then the cashier said, "son there's not enough here." He searched his pockets frantically, then he turned and he looked at me. He said,
"Momma made Christmas good at our house, though most years she just did without. Tell me sir, what am I gonna do, somehow I've gotta buy her these Christmas shoes!"
He gaped at the little boy for a bit, and felt his resolve crumble. If Granger was dying, and this was her son, he loved her a lot. He just wanted to buy her some shoes, and Draco had more than enough money to spare.
So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out. And I'll never forget the look on his face when he said,
"Momma's gonna look so great!"
Draco smiled slightly as the boy ran out of the shop.
I knew I caught a glimpse of Heaven's love, as he thanked me and ran out. I knew that God had sent that little boy, to remind me what Christmas is all about.
Hugo ran home as fast as he could. That man was very nice! He'd have to thank him some way or another.
"Thank you God... For that man." He prayed silently, and hoped that his mother hadn't went with Jesus yet. He had to give her the shoes!
He pumped his legs a bit harder and wiped his eyes to get rid of the warm tears running down his face. Hugo was getting more excited the closer he got to their house. Momma would look absolutely beautiful with the shoes he had bought her!
"Momma, Daddy!" He yelled loudly as he barreled through the door and went upstairs to his momma's room. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to knock or not, but since the door was already open he walked in, clutching the shoes to his chest.
"Hugo, what have you got there?" His mother rasped, trying her best to sit up, but Ron pushed her gently down and scolded her.
"No, Momma! You don't have to sit up! I just... I got you a Christmas gift. See, if you go and meet Jesus tonight, you'll look even more beautiful than you normally do." He looked up from fiddling with the shoe box, and saw both of his parents were crying. He cocked his head in confusion.
"Momma, Daddy? Are you OK?" He asked quietly.
"Yes, Hugo. Could you... Would you mind putting the shoes on me? Their absolutely beautiful, and I would like to see what they look like with them on my feet."
Hugo grinned widely. She liked the shoes he had gotten! Just to make sure she had liked them, he had gotten them in Gryffindor red and gold!
"Of course Momma!" He set the box down on the ground, and carefully took the shoes out. He took the right hand one and slipped it on her foot.
"Hugo sweetie.. Wrong foot." Hermione laughed, her smile twisted by pain.
"Oh... whoops..." He quickly took it off, and slipped it on her other foot, and put the other one on too.
"Hugo," she coughed harshly, and Ron wiped the blood off her chin and her chest.
"Their absolutely beautiful. Jesus will be impressed."
Hugo closed his burning eyes as his momma couldn't stop coughing and finally took her last breath.
"I love you Momma..."
Draco took a deep breath and knocked on the Weasley's front door. He shifted around anxiously, and patted his son, Scorpius, on the shoulder, and his wife smiled reassuringly at him.
After he had gotten the gift and went home, and had told Astoria about what had happeened, and his son, bless his little heart, had insisted that they make them homemade cookies.
His wife agreed immediately, and they had set to work. Now, the next day, they were outside their door, ready to give them homemade cookies.
"Yes?" The door opened just a bit, and the little boy he had seen at the store yesterday poked his head out into the cold air.
"Hello! It's you, from the store! Thank you, thank you, thank you for what you did for me! Momma liked her shoes a lot, and she told me Jesus would be impressed! She went with Jesus yesterday... But I won't be able to ask her what Jesus said because she won't be able to come back.."
Draco closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. This cute little boy sure did know how to tug at his heart.
"Well, mister... I have no idea why you're here... but Daddy hasn't come out of his room since yesterday, so I guess I'll have to take a message."
Draco felt a strange sense of affection for the boy in front of him, and Scorpius thrust the cookies towards the boy.
"I made you some cookies, because I heard about your Momma. I don't know what I'd do without my momma and her cookies, so I figured you'd like some of mine!"
Draco looked at the Weasley boy and he saw his eyes filled with tears and some falling down his face.
"You people are probably the nicest people on the Earth... God is probably so proud of you."
Draco couldn't help himself anymore, he surged forward and took the little boy in his arm and hugged him as hard as he could.
To say the least, Astoria was surprised. Draco wasn't a touchy feely person, but now he was hugging a sobbing boy to his chest.
"MALFOY, UNHAND MY SON RIGHT NOW!" Hugo jumped up and grabbed Draco's hand, hauling him to his feet.
"Daddy, this is the nice man that gave me the money for Momma's shoes. He's a very good man."
Ron eyed Draco a bit before sticking out his hand for him to shake.
"You made my wife happy before she died. Thank you. I owe you."
AN/ I was just listening to Christmas music, and this came to mind. The Christmas Shoes is probably one of my favorite Christmas song, and I cry almost every time I listen to it. I hope you liked it, and please review! Reviews are like Milk and Cookies to Santa!
