This is written for the Glee Prompt Challenge in the HPFC forum. The song is called 'Merry Christmas Darling' as sung by Lea Michele as Rachel for the hit TV Show, Glee.
As stated, I don't own Glee or Harry Potter. Otherwise, I'd be writing AVPM/AVPS references all over Glee just for Darren Criss.
"Hermione, keep up!"
I honestly hate it when people rush me into doing something. I can understand that there was a need to catch the latest bargains during the Christmas holidays. There were loads of things on sale—from new parchment paper to those wondrous peacock quills that I've kept my eye on for quite some time now at Diagon Alley. Of course, the only time that Diagon Alley ever had these sales had been during Christmas Eve, when naysayers like to postpone their Christmas shopping until the last minute. That is why I did all of mine early, as per usual—and why I've been dragged along by my best girl friend to do hers.
"Ginny, we've looked for a present for Harry for ages. If you can't find it by now, what makes you think that Diagon Alley would have what you're looking for?"
There was some truth in my statement. We have gone back and forth through the one street shopping center countless of times and still haven't found the exact thing that Ginny was looking for. Not that I haven't a clue what she was looking for—she wouldn't tell me anything so that I could help her in her quest. I could tell she was exhausted with me as I was with her—she didn't speak to me for a good five minutes as we walked along the pathway once again.
"What did you get Ron, then?"
I smiled and crossed my arms as she asked the question. I already knew what Ron would have instantly wanted. I grew up with him—knew what he liked and didn't like. I knew what he desired and what he didn't care for. It was one of the perks that Ginny didn't have with Harry. I knew then that I had been harsh and rather pushy to just judge that she knew everything about her boyfriend like I knew everything about Ron.
"I got him a broom kit and a card."
I could tell that Ginny was quick to assess me about my lack of romanticism in the gifts that I chose for my boyfriend—but even then, Ginny didn't know Ron like I knew Ron. I knew that all romance would have been lost for him in the gifts if it wasn't spelled out for him.
"Hermione, you got him a card? I hope it wasn't like the ones that you sent out to everyone."
I shrugged my shoulders, keeping my arms crossed about my chest. It wasn't the same card that I sent out to everyone. I wasn't about to disgrace the female side of me so disdainfully. His was special, there were added messages to the card and even then, like I said before, romanticism was lost on Ron if it wasn't presented out for him thoroughly.
"Aren't we supposed to be looking into your own love life instead of wondering about mine?"
The quiet returned which I was thankful for, and we quickly dove into Quality Quidditch Supplies for the fifth time. And for the fifth time, Ginny was bombarded because of her status with the Holyhead Harpies. I was thankful it wasn't me this time they were after.
"You're right, Hermione. There was nothing in Diagon Alley for Harry."
I smirked knowingly, of course. I was usually spot on with everything that came to be with my friends, but Ginny was persistent and stubborn in keeping strictly gift giving to herself that she didn't want my advice. I let her play out until exhaustion took over her. And then I would offer my help.
"Do you have muggle money then," I asked her and could see her nod though the hoards of people starting to pile into the street again. I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the Leaky Cauldron and into the busy streets of downtown London. It was time she took Ginny here and into a Harrods or a Selfridges and introduce her to a world that was entirely different from our own.
It was easy to spot the Selfridges from the Leaky and I pulled her in quickly. The mesmerizing look, usually reserved for Harry and Quidditch, overtook her and the smile on my face couldn't have been wider.
"It's a shame Harry and Ron have to stay at the Auror Academy this year."
The smile on my face faded when she spoke the inevitable that arose. I was quite saddened that Ron and Harry weren't going to be with us this year. It was a shock, for sure, but eventually I faltered and knew that they would be home by summer. It was their dream to be Aurors and I wasn't going to stop them from doing what they wanted with their lives—just as they couldn't stop me from going back to school with Ginny or going straight into the Ministry of Magic afterwards. It was, by far what I thought, the least I could do.
"Yeah, such a shame."
"Hermione, a package came for you by owl today."
I didn't even get into the house yet before my parents bombarded me with that. I solely thought it was a mistake—the Ministry had given me days off and there couldn't have been something that I needed to do from home. I dropped my own packages on the floor and hurried along to where my mother told me the owl was. My heart melted. There, in my parents kitchen, was Pigwidgeon hopping along on top of a large package. It was Ron's owl, so this had to be Ron's package.
I ran over, giving the owl a pat on the head and a piece of bread that I found before it sped off. I gathered that it had done what it needed to do when it sped off without a reply. I smiled, despite feeling a tinge of loneliness and jealousy when Ron's owl flew away—back to Ron, where it could see him every day, and I was stuck here with just photographs and letters to correspond with.
Surely, the package that he had delivered had to have meant to be open tomorrow, but I couldn't wait. I tore the card from the wrappings and opened it immediately.
Merry Christmas, Darling. We're apart, that's true. But I keep dreaming in my dreams, I'm Christmasing with you. Holidays are joyful. There's always something new. But everyday's a holiday, when I'm near to you. Oh the lights on my tree, I wish you could see—I wish it every day. The logs on the fire fills me with desire to see you and to say that I wish you Merry Christmas, Happy New Year too. I just wish one wish on this Christmas Eve; I wish I were with you.
I didn't even realize I was crying until the card had an unmistaken blob of water on it. Of course Ron had opened my present early and the card that I sent him. I had to thank Professor Lockhart for the inspiration. A singing Valentine was disastrous, but everyone loved a singing Christmas card.
What was left to do was to tear open the package see what he got me. I was never one to care about the wrappings during Christmas time. Like an eager little girl, I tore open the package, only to be left in confusion. Why would Ron send me a button? Did I need it? Was it a clue to what I was really getting for Christmas?
I didn't think before I picked up the small thing until I was sucked into a vortex. It was a portkey, but where the hell was I going?
"Finally!"
I knew that exasperated voice anywhere, but was it really him?
"Ron", I asked tentatively for my own sake, wanting none of the disappointment that would come if it wasn't him. I even closed my eyes during the portkey over for dramatic effect.
"Yes, Hermione. Open your eyes."
And I did. And it was him, dressed in a Weasley jumper that his mother had knitted for him with a smile—that dashing smile—on his face. Immediately I ran to him, enveloping him in the most bonecrushing hug I could muster before pressing my lips to his feverishly. I couldn't believe it. I hadn't seen him in months and he gives me what I fully wanted for Christmas.
"How did you know", I asked him after I pulled away from the kiss, my arms still around his frame.
"Your card. I did listen to the lyrics, you know. It's what I wrote down for yours. I got clearance for a few hours."
And before he could finish his sentence, I stopped him with another passionate kiss. It was a Merry Christmas, indeed.
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