Author's note: The following four drabbles were all written by request for the holiday season in 2004.
Written for darkladyothsith.
In the Common Room
The scarred wood was strewn with leather-bound volumes and rolls of parchment, most of the latter already covered with her small neat handwriting, but just now Hermione's attention was not on the open page before her. Harry and Ron at the far end of the table were making their usual pretense at studying, but really they were talking about the latest Quidditch match.
Hermione ran her quill along the edge of the parchment that held her Arithmancy homework, double-checking it. The sound of laughter from the other end of the table raised the familiar double response of irritation and self-satisfaction.
Written for jelazakazone.
Holiday
"...seven, eight, nine!" Tilth laid the last candle down next to the multi-armed brass candlestick that stood in a window embrasure of the Ravenclaw dormitory. "Hurry, Dobby," she called. "The students are coming back!"
Her fellow house-elf quickly finished straightening the covers on the last of the six beds. Together they slipped out of the room before they were seen at work.
"We must remember to check the candles every day for the next week, so that if one burns too short we can replace it," Tilth remarked.
Dobby pulled up his mismatched socks. "Dobby will remember," he said proudly.
Written for my Significant Other.
Pensieve
Sometimes when Dumbledore looked at Harry, it was James Potter he saw. The years melted away, and instead of Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, it was Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew who seemed to be sitting next to the boy at the Gryffindor table. Time had taught Dumbledore to observe without being seen; a good thing. What he had done already had endangered Harry. Too-visible evidence of Dumbledore's attention – no, be honest, affection – would make matters worse. So he clapped his hands for the opening of the new year at Hogwarts, and kept his eyes turned away.
Written for dorothynoland.
Lead Us Not. . .
Remember, he is not a friend.
Looking at Malfoy, Harry recalled the discussion he had had with Ron and Hermione, when they encouraged him in this mad idea.
"Of course it can go wrong, but we need to get him on our side," Hermione had said earnestly.
"I've seen him watching Harry," Ron had agreed. "If anything might work. . . Harry, you have to try it."
So now he was here, with the Head Boy, clumsily trying to seduce him to the cause of right. When his kiss was returned, Harry began to wonder if perhaps Malfoy had the same plan.