I know this is from Christmas time, but I'm just getting around to posting here...oops?
Disclaimer: Oh how I wish I any claim to Adrian, Charlie, Hermione, or the dragon reserve, but alas I do not. Sadly, I do not have any claim to the lyics for Silver Bells or Winter Wonderland, or for that matter the Christmas pickle of Cristinel Atomulesei. Can I have the Bolshoi Ballet? Rats, I believe that is a no too. I do however have claim to Ylenia and using the bell instead of the pickle.
My table prompts were 'bells' and lucky dip word 'cheeky'.
One thing before you start, the hidden bell and the Christmas pickle. If you do not know what the Christmas pickle is then here you go. In the US there are a number of families, most from Germanic descent, that hide a glass pickle ornament in their Christmas tree and on Christmas Day the person that finds the pickle can either be given a reward or have a year of good fortune. This tradition is said to have started back in the late 19th century. For the sake of this story and the fact that one of my promts was bells, I switch the pickle to a bell.
Last, but in no way least, I want to thank my two betas bunnyhops and Miss Fantastic who were both brilliant in helping me review this before posting.
Thank you for your time and please enjoy!
It was the Saturday before Christmas Eve and Hermione made her way down the busy sidewalks of Bucharest to purchase her last two presents. While the young witch disliked leaving the purchasing of her presents until this close to Christmas, she had yet to find a present for the last two people on her list in the Wizarding world. She was currently trying her luck in the Muggle world. Although both wizards she was shopping for were Purebloods, each one had found aspects of the Muggle world that they really enjoyed. Hermione knew the reason behind her delay. It was not because she didn't know what to give them, but because she was unsure whether the gifts would be received in the manner she hoped.
When Hermione arrived at the Romanian Longhorn Dragon Reservation back at the end of May, both wizards had taken Hermione under their wing, so to speak, and made sure she never felt unwelcomed. She had known both of them previously and her friendship with Charlie was no surprise to her friends back in England, seeing as she knew him through his family and his work with the Order. Finding a kinship with the other, Adrian Pucey, had come as quite a shock to most. Charlie, Hermione, and Ginny were not surprised by Adrian's help. The young man had spent time with Ginny and Hermione studying together, meeting Charlie when he needed to interview a professional for a project on dragons in Care of Magical Creatures, before he graduated from Hogwarts and the two wizards worked together after he left for Romania and the dragons at the reserve.
Now, secluded here in the Southern Carpathian Mountains with both men, the crush she had on each one during her school days seemed to resurface. Hermione was surprised a couple of months ago when she realized that her normally logical brain decided to take a vacation and let her heart open itself up to love both of them. The young witch had hoped to talk to Ginny, the only other person to know of her schoolgirl crushes, about her revelation before purchasing her presents, but neither witch's schedule allowed for the few personal moments needed. Ginny was training with the Holyhead Harpies and Hermione found herself very busy with her duties as the head Healer and part-time veterinarian at the reserve.
With all that on her mind, Hermione took a deep breath and surveyed the surrounding scenery. The streets were decorated as they were for the holidays. The sights, the feeling of the crisp winter air, and the sounds of children laughing brought back memories of holidays past with her parents. She smiled at the people she passed and made her way toward one of the local sports stores. She pushed open the door and her smile grew wider as she heard the bells jingle merrily overhead.
"Bună Ziua," the shopkeeper greeted.
"Bună Dimineaţa," Hermione responded in her broken Romanian.
The shopkeeper smiled. "How may I help you today, miss?"
"I was hoping you have some FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ gear. I have a friend that is a very big fan, particularly of the left back Cristinel Atomulesei. Do you have any of his jerseys?"
"Yes, I do." The shopkeeper walked towards the right side of the store. "Not many stores here in Bucharest have their gear, but I do have a few of the Atomulesei jerseys. Are you a fan yourself?"
Hermione chuckled, nodding. "While I did grow up watching football in England, the past few years I have not been able to watch as much as I did previously. I actually moved to Romania earlier this year, so I have not had much time to sit down and watch a game with my move and settling in to my new job."
"Ah, I understand." He stopped in front of a rack of jerseys. "Here are my Atomulesei and Constantin Ilie jerseys. If you have any questions, please let me know."
"I will thank you." Hermione spent a few moments looking at the jerseys for both players since she knew he was also a fan of Ilie.
She narrowed her choices down to two and started to select one when she heard a heavily accented voice behind her, "I would choose the other one, it is my favourite."
Hermione looked over her shoulder and snapped her mouth shut, cutting off her reply. She took a quick peek back at the jerseys and returned her eyes to the now grinning man behind her.
"Mr. Atomulesei, I presume," she inquired, shocked to see the subject of her search standing behind her.
The footballer nodded his head and extended his hand. When Hermione extended her hand, he grasped her fingers and kissed her knuckles, "At your service, miss."
Hermione smiled at the gesture, and felt her cheeks heat slightly in response. Rushing past the flattered feeling, she cleared her throat and asked, "So why is this jersey your favourite?"
"I feel it best represents the team, plus very few places are allowed to sell this particular jersey."
She looked back at the topic of their discussion. It was hanging in front of her in the bright orange and yellow of FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ. "I do have to agree with you. Thank you, Mr. Atomulesei. Why is it that not many places sell this one?"
"It is a limited edition jersey we had made earlier this year. It was something the team decided on at the end of last season. Something different."
Hermione nodded her head and removed the jersey from the rack, making her way towards the counter with the man to whom she had been speaking with. "What brings you down to Bucharest from Piatra Neamţ?"
"When we're not in season, I visit my uncle at the store from time to time."
"The shopkeeper is your uncle?"
"Yes, which is part of the reason why he carries some of our gear, because he's family."
"That makes more sense now. I thought I was going have to go from store to store to find anything for your team and I was surprised when the first one I walked in to had something." The two stopped at the counter and Hermione turned to the shopkeeper. "Thank you ever so much, Mr.?"
"Atomulesei, Cristinel's father is my brother," Cristinel's uncle replied. "Is there anything else you'll be needing today?"
"No, nothing else today." Hermione handed over the amount needed to pay for her purchase. "Actually, do either of you know where I might find a store that sells vintage music including rock n' roll?"
"There is one a couple of blocks over," the shopkeeper responded as he handed over her wrapped parcel.
"Thank you once again, both of you, for all your help. Which direction is it located from your shop?"
"If you will give me but a moment, I will walk with you. I am headed in that direction myself," Cristinel explained.
"Okay, thank you." Hermione watched as he walked into the back room and returned a moment later with his winter coat and a paper in his hand. When he stopped at the counter again and set the paper down, she saw that it was his photograph.
"I don't normally do this," the footballer grinned sheepishly, "but would the recipient like an autograph?"
Hermione heard a quiet chuckle from his uncle.
"Oh very much so." Hermione grinned, knowing that the addition of the signed photograph would make the present even more special. She really hoped he liked it even more now.
As Cristinel handed her the photograph, Hermione thanked the two men again, adding, "I cannot believe how lucky I am to have come to your shop, Mr. Atomulesei. You were my first stop in looking for a jersey and not only did you have what I wanted, but I was able to meet the man on the jersey himself. You both are great and I can never thank you enough. Cristinel, the addition of the signed photograph will be brilliant. Thank you again."
"Our pleasure, anything for such a lovely lady," the shopkeeper replied. "If you ever need anything else, please let us know. You can even order tickets through me, if the need should ever arise.
About forty-five minutes later, and Hermione found herself finished with both presents and slowly making her way back to the Apparition spot in the wizarding section of Bucharest's city center.
Now, that she was finally done, she felt she could really take in the sights and sounds of the city. The sun was setting and all of the streetlights were turning on to make their own long merry string of lights. She even noticed the stoplights blinking from bright red to green to yellow and then back to bright red.
There were still quite a few shoppers out purchasing their treasures for friends and family before rushing home for the evening. As she made her way closer to the wizarding area, she noticed that the other shoppers became few and far between.
While the young witch was used to seeing quite a bit of snow after having lived in Scotland for seven years and hearing all the kids crunch around in the bright, fluffy whiteness, she did appreciate the differences she saw here in Bucharest. In Scotland, and even the Carpathian Mountains, there was quite a bit of snowfall, but in Bucharest, the amount of snowfall was much less. There had yet to be any snowfall this year in the city, but that did not stop the patrons from getting into the spirit of the season. The city was decked out in all that is needed for Santa Claus, or Moş Nicolae in Romania, to visit again after Saint Nicholas Day earlier in the month.
As Hermione started to enter the wizarding world again, she stopped. Bells across the city started ringing and she wanted to savour the moment, loving this time of year. She smiled one last time as she entered the wizarding world, knowing that it would soon be Christmas Day.
Hermione checked that her wand was set to 'alert.' Technically she was still on call, but she did have the rest of the afternoon off. That being the case, she quickly made her way home so she could help finish making Christmas Eve dinner with her co-workers and housemates. As she walked from the medical building towards her modest shared home on the reservation, she realized that this Christmas in Romania was her first away from her family and friends back in England. Although when she really thought about it, this would not be her first Christmas without her parents.
Two years ago had been her first Christmas without her parents. Before the Horcrux hunt and the Final Battle, Hermione had wiped their minds and sent them to Australia to keep them safe from Voldemort and his followers. After the war, she had gone to Australia to bring them back home to England and was dismayed to find out that the couple had divorced and both had moved away from Australia. Neither parent had left behind a forwarding address.
"Mia, wait up," a voice called breaking her from her saddened thoughts.
The young woman turned and smiled to see both Adrian and Charlie making their way through the snow towards her and their home. Hermione silently appreciated the distraction, while Christmas may be a time for reflection; it was not a time for sadness.
Hermione chuckled at the sight of the two dragon tamers when they stopped in front of her. Both men were covered head-to-toe in dirt. Adrian had straw stuck in his hair and it looked like a piece was sticking out of the collar of his shirt. Hermione could not fathom how pine needles ended up scattered throughout Charlie's hair.
"Merlin, what have you two been up to"" Hermione snickered, "You're disgusting."
Adrian held a hand to his heart. "Disgusting? Oh love, why do you wound us so? Us, your dragon tamers, who work so hard to earn money to put food on our table?"
Even Charlie laughed at Adrian's theatrics as Hermione shook her head. "Now, Pucey," Hermione smirked, "you know where you can take your cheeky response and shove it, don't you?"
Charlie chose to chime in, "Oh yes, he does. But it's so much more fun to rile you up, our dear Mia." He reached over and ruffled Hermione's hair.
Hermione rolled her eyes, ignoring Charlie's own cheeky response, and turned back to make her way home through the winter wonderland that was the mountains they lived in. She was stopped in her tracks when she felt something hit her in the back of the head. Instead of getting upset, she decided to get even. Magicking her own snowballs, she turned and threw the first, barely missing both wizards, but hitting Adrian in the neck with her second.
"This is war witch! I'll get you for that," he yelled as he started towards her.
Hermione turned and ran, not knowing if it was just Adrian or both men chasing after her, but called over her shoulder anyway, "You both started it, so shouldn't I be declaring war?"
Adrian threw a snowball and just grazed her shoulder. "It was Charlie, not I, my beautiful Mia. I am innocent."
The young witch burst out laughing. "You innocent? Neither of you have an innocent bone in your body!"
Another snowball went whizzing past her head. Charlie called out, "You believe neither of us have an innocent bone in our body? Don't you think that to be a bit harsh, love?"
Hermione abruptly stopped and turned, causing Adrian and Charlie to crash into her, knocking all three of them down into the snow. Hermione caught her breath and then chuckled, Adrian and Charlie quickly joining in.
After their laughter subsided, Charlie brushed a snow-covered lock of hair back from her face and questioned, "Do you really believe that neither of us has an innocent bone in our bodies?"
Despite her predicament of being pinned into the snow underneath both men, Hermione smiled at the sad, but curious expressions on both their faces.
"Of course I don't believe that." She looked between them, placing a hand on each of their cheeks. "If that were true, then neither of you would be as amazing as you are at your jobs. You have to have at least one to be able to care for those fantastic beasts the way you both do."
Leaning up, she kissed the cheek opposite from where her hands were resting. Patting their cheeks, she spoke again, "While I love conversing with both of you, my arse is freezing, so please get off me."
A slow smirk spread across Adrian's face and he turned to face Charlie. "I don't know about you mate, but I'm pretty comfortable here. I seem to be protected from the cold, wet snow."
Charlie snorted and rolled away from his position on top of Hermione. Standing up, he countered, "That may be Ade, but do you really want to face her wrath? You saw her fighting in the war."
"Touché." Adrian rolled over and stood up. As both wizards helped Hermione up from the ground, Adrian added, "I never want to be on your bad side and Charlie here is very good at reminding me about that. I don't want to receive what you gave to Malfoy back in your third year."
Hermione grinned. "That slap was so satisfying." She turned to link her arms through one of theirs when she caught sight of their snowman just mere feet away. She pulled out her wand and whispered an incantation.
The coal smile parted and the snowman spoke, "Are you married?"
Hermione giggled with glee and in a sing-song voice, sang, "No man, but you can do the job when you're in town."
"What on earth are you doing to our poor snowman," Adrian questioned.
Hermione turned to him, slightly surprised. "You love music and you've never heard of 'Winter Wonderland'?"
"No, can't say that I have," was the reply.
She turned to Charlie, who was also a lover of music; he too shook his head in the negative. Hermione linked her arms through theirs and they made their way home. As they walked, she sang in her competent voice:
"Sleigh bells ring
Are you listening
In the lane
Snow is glistening
A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland"
At the steps leading into their home, they stopped. "Any luck now?"
Both shook their heads.
She skipped the second verse and sang the lines from the third, which fit what just transpired back at the snowman:
"In the meadow we can build a snowman
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say "Are you married?"
We'll say "No Man"
But you can do the job
When you're in town"
Given the time of year she decided to be even bolder than she had been earlier and sang the next line:
"Later on
We'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
The plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland"
She separated herself from the two men and made her way up the stairs, at the doorway, she stopped and turned. "That's just a couple of verses from the song, but you get the gist of it." She smiled and opened the door to their home, "Now, you two go get cleaned up and I'm going to go see what needs to be finished up for dinner." She walked into the house, leaving the door open for Adrian and Charlie, muttering to herself, "Ylenia said she'd be in the kitchen, I'll dry off and see what help she needs."
As she walked through the door, Adrian and Charlie shared a look and a smile, both knowing that Hermione was in the dark as to their big present to her this year.
They started up the stairs and Charlie whispered, "I hope her charm on the snowman was a good sign otherwise tonight will not end well."
Adrian nodded and replied in an equally quiet voice, "Me too, mate, me too."
They left their heavy boots outside before closing the door and preparing for their Christmas Eve feast.
Dinner was finished, the leftovers were put away, and the dining room had been cleaned. Hermione and Ylenia quickly made their way into the living room, the rest of their group already having found places to sit. Their party wasn't very large, just consisting of the other two people in the house and some of their friends and co-workers. Hermione knew about half the group really well, working with them on a regular basis, but so far she had been unable to get to know the rest of the group, she was hoping that in this next year she would get that chance.
"I'd ask one more time what you got me, but there's no point now, is there," Ylenia questioned.
Hermione grinned at her best girlfriend, in Romania, dragon tamer, and fellow housemate. "Leni, you'll find out soon enough. You'll love it, trust me; just be patient a little while longer." They both stopped to pick up a glass of white wine. "I noticed earlier that the bell was no longer on the mantle, do you know who hid it?"
Hermione turned to survey the room for a place to sit, so she missed the knowing smile that spread across Ylenia's lips. When she looked back at her friend and housemate, there was no hint of the grin, just a happy smile. "I think it was either Ade or Charlie and if it was one of them, Merlin only knows where in the tree it's hidden."
"Very true." Hermione turned back to the room, continuing to talk as they made their way further in, "it looks like we've got the couch with the guys."
"You go on, I'll pass out the presents." Hermione nodded her head and quickly made her way to her seat on the couch, while Ylenia made her way to the tree.
As Ylenia started passing out presents, she brushed against the tree and Hermione heard the bell jingle from it's hidden spot. She squinted her eyes, looking for the telltale glint. After a few moments, she located the bell and stood up; she quickly made her way to the tree to pluck the ornament from hiding.
"Damn, she's good," Hermione heard someone mutter, but she missed, "I was wondering how long it was going to take her to find it."
"Go sit, I'll bring you the present with the rest of yours," Ylenia told her, "You cheater."
Hermione grinned as she made her way back to her seat. "I didn't cheat and you know it."
A few moments later, all of the presents had been passed out and everyone was opening their gifts and looking at the responses of those around them. Hermione started on her presents. She received many things she needed, but nothing that she absolutely wanted. She wasn't surprised, because she had done much of the same for the co-workers she did not know very well, although she did treat them with the same amount of thought as she did with her more personal presents. She was about to open her present from Ylenia, when the same young woman gasped from beneath her mound of presents.
She unburied herself from the wrapping and hugged Hermione, "Thank you so much. You are incredible!"
"What'd you give her?" Charlie prodded.
"She gave me two tickets to the Bolshoi Ballet's presentation of the Nutcracker on New Year's Eve!" Ylenia responded excitedly before Hermione could answer.
"I knew how much she loved Tchaikovsky's ballet, so I figured what better company to go see than the Bolshoi," Hermione added.
Ylenia looked at Hermione. "Will you go with me?"
Hermione grinned. "Of course I will, I'll just make sure Stewart knows he'll be on duty that night. Now, what is it that you have given me?" Hermione didn't wait for a response before she tore the wrapping off what she knew to be a book from the feel. When she saw that it was a rare Romanian medical text she had been looking for, she was shocked. "Oh Leni, this must have cost you a fortune!"
Her friend grinned, not giving anything away about the price. "Enjoy," was her only response.
Hermione turned to the wizard on either side of her. "You two open your presents from me."
They both grinned and tore into the wrapping. Adrian laughed at the sight of his gift, before explaining, "I was seriously considering buying these albums earlier this year and now I don't have to." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Mia."
As Adrian pulled out the three rock albums from Queen, The Beatles, and Def Leppard, Charlie pulled out the jersey Hermione had also found the Saturday before.
"Hermione, where did you find this?" Charlie questioned.
"At a little shop in Bucharest," she explained, "It is actually run by Atomulesei's uncle. Keep looking."
Charlie pulled out the signed photo. "He gave you a signed photo of his nephew?"
"No, Cristinel was there and signed it for you." Hermione was cut off from saying any more when Charlie pulled her into a huge hug.
"Thank you. This is a brilliant present and I cannot wait to take you to a match now that I know you like football." He looked over her head at Adrian. "Now, open ours," he leaned closer and whispered, "You might not want everyone to see though."
Hermione's eyes widened in curiosity and she angled herself so the others couldn't see her present. Ylenia, who heard the comment, quietly asked, "What in Merlin's shaggy beard did you two get her?"
Two identical sly grins spread across their faces. "You'll see."
Hermione glanced at Ylenia and at her encouraging nod, opened her second to last present. She sat in shocked silence for a moment before she began to process what it was laying amongst the tissue paper.
Hermione finally found her voice, "You two bought me a negligee? What po-"
Ylenia interrupted her before she could finish, "A very nice one at that." She pulled the other present from Hermione finding the bell and placed it on top of her new sleepwear. "Before you say anything else, open."
Hermione opened the envelope to find a coupon of sorts in her hands. She started to read out quietly what it said, "This coupon when relinquished by the holder, Hermione Granger, to Adrian Pucey and Charlie Weasley is to be used for an all-night…" She quickly stopped speaking and finished reading to herself.
Ylenia laughed at her stunned expression. "You didn't realize they felt the same way about you as you did them?"
"No, I didn't," Hermione paused, "wait, you knew about this?" She pointed to the coupon in her hands.
"Of course! Who do you think actually made that? These two dunderheads? Based on hiding the Christmas pickle in the Christmas tree story from America you shared with us, we used the bell and explained as tactfully as possible why we wanted you to be the one to find the bell." Ylenia paused. "I actually charmed the bell so that you would be the only one to hear it ring until you found it. That way no one else would be tempted to look for it when they heard it ring."
"Be careful Leni, you're talking about my dunderheads there," Hermione retorted and smiled, something she felt she was doing quite a bit of recently. Maybe it was the company or maybe it was the air or even the season, but whatever the reason, she had never been happier. "Thank you."
"Hey!" Adrian protested.
"We're right here, you know," Charlie added.
Hermione patted their knees. "Oh guys, we know that, but it serves you right for having me open these in front of everyone else." She looked around. "Thankfully they're all preoccupied with their own presents." She packed up her presents and stood up. Handing the coupon to both men, she spoke again, "Now, I'm going to head up, change, and I'll be waiting in Charlie's room to redeem this coupon."
Hermione made her way across the room bidding everyone a good night and a Happy Christmas. She wanted to run upstairs straight away, but knew she had to restrain herself. At the doorway, she turned and addressed them one last time, "And yes, to the last part," before mouthing the last part of the coupon that she hadn't read aloud, 'this will not be a one-night stand.'
She left the silent men behind as she made her way to her bedroom to change into the red velvet negligee and the skimpiest pair of green lace knickers she'd ever seen. Hermione thanked her lucky stars that she was going to be given this chance with both of them. While she knew that there was the slim chance that they may not work out, she knew that they could never say they didn't try.