A/N: Ok, so my friend and I were PMing late at night, and we decided to try a Prompt Exchange.
Prompt: Thanksgiving.
Notes: This may be continued with my friend, Queen Billie Jean (Go read her side of the prompt! And her other story!), but don't expect updates regularly. We will probably pay attention to the main holidays, and maybe a few random prompts, and write a short one-shot for each one. Thank you for your support and not getting mad at me when I PM you at all times of the night.
Warnings: No pairings.
Happy reading!
Hogwarts was awfully cold in the winter, and, technically, it wasn't even winter yet. As Hermione Granger hurried through the chilly hallways the day before Thanksgiving, she pulled her woolen coat closer to her slender frame.
She pulled the door open to the Gryffindor common room, and sighed in relief. Her two best friends of five years sat on seperate sides of the room, backs turned, arms crossed, and glaring at the other out of the corners of their eyes.
"What is going on here?" Hermione asked in a clipped voice. "Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I will refuse to talk to you both if you don't straighten up right now! I will not abide any ridiculous spats on one of the most important holidays of the year!"
"Or what?" Harry muttered sulkily. "You'll take away points?"
Hermione drew herself up. "Potter, I happen to be a prefect, and I will do what I must to maintain the peace. If that means taking away points from my own House, so be it. But on your own head lies the blame!"
Ron snorted. "I think you've read too many books, 'Mione. You're even starting to talk like a fake character."
"Oh, look," the witch replied derisively, "Ickle Ronniekins managed to pronounce a three syllable word! Call the Daily Prophet! Warn Voldemort!"
Ron flinched at the name, then scowled at Hermione. "It's none of your business," he grumbled in a tone similar to Harry's.
"Just my two best friends arguing the day before Thanksgiving. None of my business," Hermione agreed sarcastically.
"You have no idea what we were fighting about!" Harry protested. "You wouldn't understand."
Hermione's face softened slightly. "Harry, I'm a prefect," she bagan, before the dark-haired wizard cut her off.
"We know!" He exclaimed. "Merlin, you've only told us...what, a few thousand times?"
Hermione sniffed and turned her nose up. She continued, "As a prefect, I have duties. One of them being that I have to listen to little kids whinge to me all day long about their problems. I think I've gotten pretty good at understanding."
Harry glared at Ron. "Well, Carrot-head here said that I should come over to the Burrow for Thanksgiving since I have no one to go home to, and no friends here."
Hermione gasped, and turned to glare at Ron as well. "Ronald, you didn't!"
The redhead squirmed under the hot stares pointed at him, and muttered, "It just slipped out."
"Oh, it just slipped out, did it? Your brain has no power over your big, fat mouth, is that right?"
Ron held his hands up in a surrender motion. "We were just talking, and Harry said he wondered what to do for Thanksgiving, and then it just...I didn't mean it!"
Harry snorted and said sarcastically, "Oh, Carrothead said something he didn't mean. Tell me, Hermione, how often does that happen?"
The petite witch placed her hands on her hips. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, Harry James Potter, you two apologize right now, or I won't let you go to the feast!"
Harry and Ron exchanged horrified glances and immediately blurted, "I'm sorry!"
The brunette smirked. "That changed your minds, didn't it? I should remember that; no food makes you listen to me. I'll have to tell Professor Snape."
The trio looked around at one another and collapsed in gales of laughter.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron entered the Great Hall. It was decorated with orange paper turkey garlands and there were wicker cornucopias at each place setting. For the first time in five years, it hadn't been overdone.
The teachers sat at the High Table, several of them with turkey hats. Even Snape had one on, though his black scowl rather counteracted it. Umbridge wore an orange skirt and another of her ugly cashmere sweaters. Dumbledore was dressed in a bright orange turkey costume, and he was trying to convince McGonagall to put on live turkey slippers, to no avail.
Everyone sat down and Dumbledore rose from his chair. "Welcome to another Thanksgiving feast, students. I hope you have all have learned lots—"
Students grumbled under their breath, "Not bloody likely," but Dumbledore ignored them and continued.
"Please join me in voicing something you are all thankful for. As your name appears, please stand and say something you enjoy daily, or are thankful you have."
He waved his wand and ribbons shot from the tip, forming the name Pansy Parkinson.
The pug-faced girl scowled, stood up, and said, "I'm thankful for money."
Hermione rolled her eyes. Of course Parkinson would say that. Beside her, Ron and Harry nudged each other and snickered quietly.
Astoria Greengrass.
"I'm thankful for my sister."
Ronald Weasley.
"Uhh..I guess I'm thankful for, um...food?" His tone made it sound like a question, and everyone laughed at his predictable answer. Dumbledore smiled indulgently at the redhead.
Hannah Abbott.
"My family."
Theodore Nott.
"Chicks."
Ginny Weasley.
"Broomsticks." She didn't go into detail, leaving everyone wondering which broomsticks she was talking about and stifling their giggles.
Professor Umbridge.
"My job," the vile woman simpered. "Thank you so much, by the way, Headmaster!" Everyone gagged behind their hands, but Umbridge didn't seem to notice—that, or she was used to it.
Draco Malfoy. Hermione took a sip of water, wondering what the blond ponce would say.
Malfoy stood, seemingly bored, and drawled, "Sex." Hermione choked on her water, and everyone laughed at her reaction. Malfoy, the git, smirked at her. Probably thinking what a prude I am, Hermione thought bitterly.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and he covered a laugh with a cough. Professor McGonagall.
"Pussy-cats," the stern-faced woman said.
Neville Longbottom.
"Plants."
Fred Weasley.
"My brother. Oh, and also pranks. Pranks are awesome!" Without waiting for any response, he flicked his wrist and threw something into the air. Above them, fireworks burst, spelling out 'Happy Turksgiving!"
Everyone clapped, and Dumbledore grinned like a little kid on Christmas. George Weasley.
"Same!" The other twin stood and threw more fireworks up. They exploded, forming animated turkeys that ran around in mid-air and even made noises.
Vincent Crabbe.
The pudgy boy heaved himself to his feet and grunted, "Cake. And cookies. And pie."
Gregory Goyle.
"Same."
Madam Hooch.
"Kids who can fly without killing themselves!"
Adrian Pucey.
"Riding a big cat. Like a lion." The entire Slytherin table sniggered at the veiled innuendo.
Terrence Higgs.
"Flying, I guess."
Tracey Davis.
"Boys." She fluttered her eyelashes at Terrence, who blushed.
Hermione Granger.
Everyone waited, expecting the bushy-haired witch to say books or the library. Instead, she stood and announced. "Everything. Everything in our lives is precious. I'm grateful that I am here, for my friends, for all the support I've had from my parents attending a school for magic...and I'm also thankful for the library, of course!"
Her little speech got a standing ovation, even from the Slytherin table, although they did it slightly more reluctantly.
Professor Snape.
The entire Hall quieted and listened, waiting for the dour Potions Master to say something about punishing students, or brewing potions.
Instead, the greasy-haired man said softly, "Love. I'm thankful for love." His eyes seemed a bit misty, and Hermione wondered what had happened to make him sad about love.
Dumbledore nodded slightly to Snape, and turned back to the students. Alicia Spinnet.
"Quidditch. Duhhhh!"
Daphne Greengrass.
"My sister."
Millicent Bulstrode.
"I dunno. Prob'ly my cat, Gina."
Marcus Flint.
"People should be thankful for me."
Parvati Patil.
"Fashion!"
Lavender Brown.
Hermione's roommate stood up and thought for a minute before announcing, "Mouths. Both for talking, and snogging!"
Padma Patil.
"My twin sister.
Michael Corner.
"My girlfriend." Harry clenched his fists as Michael winked at Ginny, who blushed and blew a kiss back. Hermione patted his arm consolingly, but Ron, as clueless as ever, just glowered at his sister's current boyfriend.
Angelina Johnson.
"Balls." Seeing everyone's faces, she explained quickly, "Quidditch balls! Good grief, people, get your minds out of the gutter!" The entire Great Hall erupted in gales of laughter.
There were no others, as they had gone home for the holiday. Dumbledore sat back down and the food appeared with a snap of his fingers. "Please, dig in," he invited, gesturing everyone to begin eating. "Thank you all for taking part in that little activity. You all have, ah, interesting things that you are thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!"
A/N: Thank you for reading this short little fic! Definitely not my best work. What are you thankful for? Please leave a review!
I'm thankful for my family, my friends (Queen Billie Jean included!) , my computer (I seriously cannot live without it!), and, of course, MY READERS!