A/N: Just a short Christmas story on a Christmas day. Merry Christmas to all of you ;)
Diclaimer: I do not own "Harry Potter."
Christmas, elves and books at Weasley's
Hermione lifted small Claire and put her on the top of the table in the kitchen, where they were baking Christmas cookies. The four year old girl grabbed half empty advent calendar and asked,
"Granny, can I open next window?"
"Only, if you count how many days are left till the Christmas day," answered the old lady.
Through all those years, wrinkles appeared on Hermione's face and palms, but her hair stayed brown and bushy, like in her youth times. Children of Ron and her grew up and they started their new families, so the old couple could spoil their grandchildren. Of course, they were doing it differently. Hermione tried to wake their young minds up, in the same time remembering about small gifts for completed quests and small gifts for their loses. Meanwhile, Ron spoiled them without thinking, giving them sweets for every occasion, well without occasion as well, not noticing the protests of their parents and his own wife.
" One, two, flee..."
"Three," Hermione corrected her with a smile.
"Tflee, four, five. Bunny, it's only five days left. It's soooooo soon," the little girl smiled. She looked a little bit like Ron and a little bit like Hermione. Bushy brown hair with red reflections, hazel eyes and many freckles. Smart face expression and stubbornness of Ron. She was definitely their granddaughter.
"Very good. Five days. Now, you can get your chocolate."
In the same time, when she finished her sentence, they heard a loud sound from the living room, a few steps and suddenly everything came quiet. Hermione and Claire looked at each other and heard.
"Girls, come here. Claire, quick," they heard Ron's loud voice.
Hermione took the girl from the table and let her run away. She joined them soon, wondering what her husband did.
She expected to see a Christmas tree on the ground, or even worse - on fire. She didn't even want to think about worse possibilities. But, instead of that, she found Claire, standing in front of the Christmas tree with her eyes wide open and shocked expression on her face.
"Wow, Claire, where did that came from?" she asked, knowing already what the loud sound was.
"I don't know, bunny. Maybe grandpa knows," told her Claire, finally closing her mouth. "Grandpa?"
"Yes, Sugar?"
"Where it is from?"
"That is a very interesting question, so I think we need milk and cookies to listen to that story," said Ron, sitting on the armchair in front of the fire place. The whole room smelled of ginger, which was used to bake cookies. Fairy lights were everywhere and were sparkling in many colors. Claire grabbed a cookie and sat on her grandpa's lap.
"So, far, far away, on the north pole, where the snow lies all year long, Santa Claus lives with his..."
"But, Grandpa, I know where Santa Claus lives. But, but, I don't know, how he puts aaaaall the presents," the girl stopped him.
Ron smiled and continued.
"Like I said, on the North Pole, Santa Claus is living, and as you surely know, elves help him making toys.
"Yeah, I know, but how..." the girl stopped him again.
"Well, well, I'm not sure. It's really a hard question. Maybe we should asked your grandmother. I think she will know best." Ron was curious what version his wife would tell.
"Bunny, bunny, you know?"
"Of course, my dear. The night is too short for Santa to come to every child on the earth, so he needs magic. Santa has to move really, really fast, and only the elves' magic is strong enough to help him. So they all gather together and do their magic, so Santa Claus can be as quick as he needs. They do it only in this one night in a year, because it is really difficult. Thanks to them, Santa is so quick, that no one can see him. But one day, if you'll be really, really quiet, you can hear him, sneaking to your room and putting presents under the Christmas tree," said Hermione.
"I will be quiet. I plomis."
"Good. Maybe, but only maybe, you will see his shadow on the wall," added Ron, not caring about what his wife said, that Santa is invisible."
"And now, little girl, eat your cookies and we have to finish decorating the tree."
"Cooool!" scream Claire and jumped on Ron's laps. She couldn't wait till Christmas.
Christmas Day
The Weasley's family sat in the living room, eating their Christmas meal. Many games and jokes were there and only small Claire was sitting in the corner, quietly looking at the door to the living room, where the Christmas tree was.
Suddenly, she screamed.
"Here, there he is!"
"Who?" asked Hermione.
"Santa, santa came," she screamed again and ran to the living room, to get her shining presents.
"Hey, come here, our presents are here. Come one."
All children ran to her, screaming with excitation.
When, all of them were out, grandpa Harry, took his cloak of invisibility, holding his leg.
"Ouch, those kids left traps for Santa and I fell on the pile of Hermione's thick books. Ouch, that's really hurt," still holding his leg, he heard questions from the living room about presents and where they came from and a voice of a small copy of Hermione - Claire, saying them who and how did that. Everyone smiled.
"She's exactly like her grandma. Hermione, you should be proud of her," said Ron and everyone laughed, coming back to their Christmas meal.
Merry Christmas x)