Almost Doesn't Count
The halls at Hogwarts were almost always quiet during the Christmas holidays. Especially this year. Mostly everyone had left for home. But Hermione Granger was not one of these people, not this year. AT the mention of Ron possibly leaving, Hermione couldn't stand the thought of Harry spending Christmas alone.
As she walked the empty corridors, her mind drifted to thoughts of Harry. He had gotten a lot cuter in the past few months. His dazzling green eyes had matured much. He had grown up a lot since she had first met him. The playfulness that was usually in his eyes vanished and was replaced with seriousness. She longed to see him cheerful again. Lost in thought, she didn't notice she bumped into anything until she was on the ground. Startled, she looked around and spotted Harry lying sprawled out on the floor with a pained expression of his face.
"That's what I get for not watching where I'm-" he started to mumble, but noticed Hermione sitting next to him looking bewildered.
"What on Earth, Harry, where are you going?" she asked him. He was wearing his winter coat under the invisibility cloak.
"Oh, well I fancied a walk outside." He answered back with a sheepish smile.
"Now, while it's snowing like mad out there?" Hermione asked. Harry smiled at her.
"Of course. It's quite pretty out there. Go get your cloak and meet me by the oak doors in the Entrance Hall. We'll go out there together." She nodded her head, and ran upstairs to get her cloak.
As she ran up to her dormitory a thought occurred to her. Where was Ron? As she came down the spiral steps from the dorm, she looked quickly around the Common Room and noticed Ron and Ginny sitting together facing away from her. She ran out of the common room unnoticed and down the stairs to Harry. When she got to the Entrance Hall, she had to look carefully for any sign of Harry, because he was wearing the invisibility cloak.
"Harry!" she hissed. A soft whooshing noise informed her of Harry's arrival. She turned in the direction of the noise and saw Harry holding the cloak up over his head, allowing her underneath. She quickly went over to him, and as he let the cloak down over her, she smiled up at him. He motioned towards the doors and they slowly walked to them. They opened the oak doors and stepped out into the snowy grounds. Harry heard Hermione gasp and smiled to himself.
The snow was falling thickly all around them, but there was no wind to pound it into their faces. It was a beautiful sight to see. The whole area was covered with the thick white stuff; big pearly flakes fell to the ground. Harry pulled the cloak off of them and folded it into his coat. He smiled as he watched Hermione. She began to spin slowly, catching snowflakes on her face and in her hair. A thought occurred to him so suddenly that his stomach did flip-flops. She looked so beautiful spinning like that. Her hair twirled around her and her cloak frayed out.
"Enjoying yourself, Hermione?" he asked her. She stopped spinning and staggered backwards and fell with a soft whoosh. Harry was about to get up, but he heard a soft giggle come from where she lay.
"Hermione?" Harry watched in amusement as she began to flop her arms and legs in the snow. She was making a snow angel, but stopped when she noticed Harry starring at her.
"What's the matter, Harry?" she asked him, about to get up, but he stopped her.
"Don't move an inch, 'Mione!" He warned her. He watched her stiffen, but asked.
"Why, what's wrong?" He slowly walked closer to her, one foot on either side of her. He offered her both of his hands. She took them and he pulled her to her feet, one hand behind her back on her waist. She looked up into his green eyes and noticed something familiar flicker into them. It was the cheerfulness that she had missed so much.
"Turn around, 'Mione." He said to her. She slowly turned around and looked at her snow angel. She smiled as looked at how perfect it was. He saved her angel from the inevitable handprint that usually ruined them. She turned around in his arms and smiled up at him.
"Thank you for saving my snow angel, Harry." She told him.
"I couldn't let it get ruined by that handprint." He said to with a smile. Without even realizing what he was doing, he tilted his head down as though to kiss her, but stopped midway. Instead, he leaned down and grabbed a considerable amount of snow and dumped it on her head, then ran for it.
"Harry Potter, you get back here right now! I'm going to hurt you!" she screamed and ran after him. As she ran for him she thought about how Harry had almost kissed her.
"But almost doesn't count, 'Mione." She muttered to herself and continued to run after him into the dense snow.
THE END
The halls at Hogwarts were almost always quiet during the Christmas holidays. Especially this year. Mostly everyone had left for home. But Hermione Granger was not one of these people, not this year. AT the mention of Ron possibly leaving, Hermione couldn't stand the thought of Harry spending Christmas alone.
As she walked the empty corridors, her mind drifted to thoughts of Harry. He had gotten a lot cuter in the past few months. His dazzling green eyes had matured much. He had grown up a lot since she had first met him. The playfulness that was usually in his eyes vanished and was replaced with seriousness. She longed to see him cheerful again. Lost in thought, she didn't notice she bumped into anything until she was on the ground. Startled, she looked around and spotted Harry lying sprawled out on the floor with a pained expression of his face.
"That's what I get for not watching where I'm-" he started to mumble, but noticed Hermione sitting next to him looking bewildered.
"What on Earth, Harry, where are you going?" she asked him. He was wearing his winter coat under the invisibility cloak.
"Oh, well I fancied a walk outside." He answered back with a sheepish smile.
"Now, while it's snowing like mad out there?" Hermione asked. Harry smiled at her.
"Of course. It's quite pretty out there. Go get your cloak and meet me by the oak doors in the Entrance Hall. We'll go out there together." She nodded her head, and ran upstairs to get her cloak.
As she ran up to her dormitory a thought occurred to her. Where was Ron? As she came down the spiral steps from the dorm, she looked quickly around the Common Room and noticed Ron and Ginny sitting together facing away from her. She ran out of the common room unnoticed and down the stairs to Harry. When she got to the Entrance Hall, she had to look carefully for any sign of Harry, because he was wearing the invisibility cloak.
"Harry!" she hissed. A soft whooshing noise informed her of Harry's arrival. She turned in the direction of the noise and saw Harry holding the cloak up over his head, allowing her underneath. She quickly went over to him, and as he let the cloak down over her, she smiled up at him. He motioned towards the doors and they slowly walked to them. They opened the oak doors and stepped out into the snowy grounds. Harry heard Hermione gasp and smiled to himself.
The snow was falling thickly all around them, but there was no wind to pound it into their faces. It was a beautiful sight to see. The whole area was covered with the thick white stuff; big pearly flakes fell to the ground. Harry pulled the cloak off of them and folded it into his coat. He smiled as he watched Hermione. She began to spin slowly, catching snowflakes on her face and in her hair. A thought occurred to him so suddenly that his stomach did flip-flops. She looked so beautiful spinning like that. Her hair twirled around her and her cloak frayed out.
"Enjoying yourself, Hermione?" he asked her. She stopped spinning and staggered backwards and fell with a soft whoosh. Harry was about to get up, but he heard a soft giggle come from where she lay.
"Hermione?" Harry watched in amusement as she began to flop her arms and legs in the snow. She was making a snow angel, but stopped when she noticed Harry starring at her.
"What's the matter, Harry?" she asked him, about to get up, but he stopped her.
"Don't move an inch, 'Mione!" He warned her. He watched her stiffen, but asked.
"Why, what's wrong?" He slowly walked closer to her, one foot on either side of her. He offered her both of his hands. She took them and he pulled her to her feet, one hand behind her back on her waist. She looked up into his green eyes and noticed something familiar flicker into them. It was the cheerfulness that she had missed so much.
"Turn around, 'Mione." He said to her. She slowly turned around and looked at her snow angel. She smiled as looked at how perfect it was. He saved her angel from the inevitable handprint that usually ruined them. She turned around in his arms and smiled up at him.
"Thank you for saving my snow angel, Harry." She told him.
"I couldn't let it get ruined by that handprint." He said to with a smile. Without even realizing what he was doing, he tilted his head down as though to kiss her, but stopped midway. Instead, he leaned down and grabbed a considerable amount of snow and dumped it on her head, then ran for it.
"Harry Potter, you get back here right now! I'm going to hurt you!" she screamed and ran after him. As she ran for him she thought about how Harry had almost kissed her.
"But almost doesn't count, 'Mione." She muttered to herself and continued to run after him into the dense snow.
THE END