A/N: Nothing belongs to me except the plot

A/N: I haven't forgotten Where a Kiss Can Lead but I had some writers block going on so I decided I needed to start something new.

The Christmas Seduction of Hermione Granger

December 1

Hermione sighed as she flipped over her calendar to show December. Returning for her seventh year hadn't been as enjoyable as she'd hoped. Returning to rules and classes was a challenge, even as lax as they were for her year. With two months completed she could tell that the rest of the year was shaping up to be the same. She loved her friends but she was tired of being the extra wheel and she knew they were too. After the long separation Harry and Ginny never seemed to separate. Lavender seemed to calm down after getting bitten and she and Ron were together almost as much as Harry and Ginny. Even Neville and Luna were together although not quite as obnoxious as the other couples. Today had just been more of the same, sitting with whoever happened to be alone in whichever class and hear about their respective other half and how great everything was. At least in Herbology she could partner with Neville and talk about plants.

Grabbing her bag, Hermione shook her head to clear her thoughts as she left her room to head down to dinner. Moving through the halls she tried to think positively, the Christmas season had always been her favorite growing up and to cheer herself up she decided to decorate her room later. Sitting down between Harry and Neville still thinking about Christmas, she idly wondered if Honeydukes would have advent calendars like the ones she had when she was younger. Dinner was disappearing before she noticed that she hadn't contributed one word to the conversation going on around her.

Starting to ask Neville about the rest of his day while dessert appeared around them, Hermione stopped mid-sentence to stare at her plate where a fancy box had appeared with a square label with the number one on it in calligraphy. Everyone fell silent and stared at the box.

"Expecting something?" Ron joked, breaking the quiet.

"No," Hermione said, bringing out her wand to cast diagnostic spells over the box, a habit hard to break after the war. Determining the box safe she picked it up and turned it over in her hands curious to see if there was another note. Finding nothing she put it back on her plate and continued to stare at it confused.

"Well, open it," demanded Ginny impatiently.

Laughing Hermione picked up the box again and opened it carefully to find a package of sugar cookies.

"Well that explains the timing," she muttered as she picked one up and bit into it. Smacking Ron's hand away from the remaining cookies she stared down in shock, "I would swear up, down and sideways that these are my mother's cookies. I've never tasted anything like them at Hogwarts." Hermione fell silent, still staring. The rest of the group also stayed quiet, thinking of how the cookies ended up at Hogwarts. Everyone knew that Hermione's parents were still in Australia without their memories.

Picking up the package of cookies carefully, Hermione excused herself from the table and retreated back up to her room, treasuring the unexpected taste of home and wondering if the number one on the box meant there was to come.

A/N: This is for the Christmas Calendar Challenge. Day 1 prompt is Cookies!

Thoughts?