Author's Note: Hello there. As always, any greatness that you recognize belongs to the Queen, JK Rowling. I could only wish to write something one eighth as amazing as Harry Potter has been. Since I can't, I borrow the characters to have fun, not make money.
Also, I know that in fifth year Mr. Weasley was attacked before Christmas and none of the children spent Christmas at the school. This story is slightly AU.
And this one is late again. Complications put us behind but I will try my best to have the final part up tonight as well. If not, you will get it for Christmas. I promise.
And of course, the companion piece to this can be found with my friend Evan Mers ( u/7371564/Evan-Mers)
Enjoy!
Hermione stretched and slowly blinked open her eyes, noticing the form of her ginger cat now laying beside her, yellow eyes staring into hers. She carefully turned to her side and reached her hand out to stroke behind his ears. The cat purred happily as his eyes drifted shut.
"Merry Christmas, Crooks." Hermione whispered. The cat replied with a small meow and Hermione smiled before sitting up and examining the empty dormitory. She was the only one sleeping here now as everyone else had gone home for Christmas. The arrangement suited Hermine just fine, she didn't like listening to the other girls gossip anyways. Hermione glanced at the pile of packages set upon her trunk before looking out the window.
The sun appeared to have just made its way above the horizon, so it was unlikely her two friends would be up yet. She glanced back at the pile of gifts. Perhaps she could open them anyways? Hermione shook her head of the thought and pulled out her Potions notes from second year, going over them in preparation for her OWLS. Crookshanks attempted multiple times to occupy her lap, but Hermione gently brushed him aside, using one hand to stroke his soft fur while the other flipped through the pages.
Once she had finished going over the notes, Hermione glanced out the window yet again. The sun was higher in the sky now. She rose and changed out of her night clothes before leaving the dormitory and heading down the steps to the common room. Hermione stopped halfway down the steps before glancing around the room, which seemed deserted save for a couple of students setting up for a game of chess.
Hermione frowned and glanced at the staircase leading to the boys dormitories. Perhaps she could go wake them up? Hermione was about to descend the stairs to do just that before she changed her mind. It was Christmas after all, and she always got up early. She could let her friends sleep in during the holidays. Instead, she climbed the staircase and returned to her room.
Upon returning to her room, Hermione began to pace back and forth in front of her bed, glancing at her gifts. It was Christmas, she should be opening them, shouldn't she? Finally, Hermione sat at the foot of her bed and picked out the presents from Harry and Ron, wrapped in red paper with gold ornaments and blue paper with snowflakes respectively. She carefully set these packages aside on her bed before opening the rest of her presents.
The first she opened had been a gift from her mother and father. They had included a muggle Christmas card of a red cardinal sitting on a snowy branch. Hermione read the short note inside, wishing her a happy Christmas and wishing her well. She set the card on the bedside table before carefully removing the shiny, silver paper. Inside was a brown cardboard box. Hermione frowned as she opened the box to find three books packed inside.
Hermione pulled out the books. Two were collections of short stories by well known authors. The first was Angels and Visitations: A Miscellany by Neil Gaiman. The next Great Tales of Horror by H.P. Lovecraft. The final book was Walden and Civil Disobedience by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Hermione flipped through the books before setting them aside. They were thoughtful gifts, but she wished her parents had gotten her something different.
Hermione reached next for a white package with holly sprigs. She unwrapped it to find her traditional Weasley sweater, this year in a deep purple. She smiled as she set it aside and found another, thin box lying beneath. Inside was an assortment of Christmas cookies. Hermione grabbed a thumbprint with apricot jelly and ate it. It was one of the best she'd had and she was thankful Mrs. Weasley had taken the time to make them.
The next gift was wrapped in the same wrapping paper as Ron's gift and the tag revealed it to be from Ginny Weasley. Hermione smiled as she opened the gift, expecting something slightly girly, but not too much so. Maybe a nice bracelet like she'd gotten Ginny, or a mildly scented perfume. Hermione frowned as she set the paper carefully aside. Ginny had also gotten her a book, one she'd had for a couple of years already: Cram It!: How to Soar on Your O.W.L.s.
Hermione set the book aside before stretching her torso out across the bed. "Crooks, why does everyone get me books? I know that I'm always reading, but doesn't anyone know me well enough to get me something else I like?" Her familiar just purred gently as he moved to butt his head against hers. Hermione sighed. She'd finally made real friends and she loved them all dearly, but it sometimes felt like they didn't know her at all.
Hermione stewed in her doubt for a moment before brushing it aside. It was Christmas and these were her friends. She sat up to find just one more gift to open. This one was rather small and wrapped in gold paper with silver swirls. Hermione carefully unfolded it and was about to set the paper aside before she noticed it had been written on.
Hermione! We saw this and thought of you immediately. Hope you love it. Merry Christmas. -Your Favorite Weasleys
Hermione smiled, realizing that this was a gift from Fred and George and it was much too tiny to be a book of any sort. She opened the small white box to find a bracelet inside. She looked at it curiously as she lifted it for better examination. The band of the bracelet was braided leather in a dark brown. In the center was the ancient rune, mannaz, in some sort of silver metal.
Hermione grinned as she fastened the bracelet to her wrist. The twins were right, mannaz was one of her favorite ruins. Mannaz represented mankind and the self, but it went deeper than that. It symbolized that everyone was part of the human family, regardless of circumstance, which spoke to Hermione being a muggle born in the wizarding world.
Mannaz also represented intelligence, forward planning, and cooperation towards the greater good and meant that a great destiny awaited you. She smiled down at the little silver charm before standing from her bed and moving the collected paper, as well as the books, into her trunk. She grabbed the two gifts from Harry and Ron and decided she'd wait in the common room for her she'd see the twins and get a chance to thank them.
As Hermione descended the staircase, gifts in hand, she heard a voice shout out to her.
"You only have two presents?" Ron asked, disbelief evident in his voice. Hermione looked up and noticed her two friends sitting by the fire. At least she wouldn't have to wait for them.
"I have more. I only brought my gifts from you two." she replied as she made her way to the bottom of the staircase.
"Why?" Harry asked. She shook her head slightly. They had to know all the details, of course.
"I've already opened my other presents. I wanted to open these with you." She explained, patiently.
"Blimey, Hermione. When did you wake up?" Ron questioned. Hermione rolled her eyes wondering why her friends thought it was perfectly normal to sleep in.
"About an hour ago." She answered, cutting the time a bit so they wouldn't feel too bad. She looked between the two. Harry's hair always stuck up, but the fact that Ron's was disheveled as well proved that he had recently woken. "And from the looks of you two, you just woke up a few minutes ago." She watched as Harry rubbed his hands through his hair, only making it stick up worse.
"Some of us need our beauty sleep." Ron replied. Hermione glared at him for the insult and noticed Harry glaring as well. Was he trying to say she needed to put more effort into her appearance? He was nothing great to look at either with his ruffled hair. "What? What did I say?" Ron asked, glancing between the two of them. Hermione decided to ignore him.
"There's a chair here for you, Hermione." Harry gestured to the chair between him and Ron. Hermione shot Ron one last glare for good measure before taking her seat between the two.
"Hermione, why don't you open your presents first?" Harry asked. Hermione noticed the appalled look on Ron's face, but decided to ignore it in favor of opening her gifts. She was surprised to hear Ron's response of "Alright, 'Mione, you first."
Hermione reached for the blue package with snowflakes and set in on her lap before carefully removing the paper and setting it aside. She looked down at the object in her lap and was disappointed that it was another book. She wanted Ron to know her better than that. She then became insulted when she read the title.
"Cooking the Muggle Way." she read aloud, her lips pulling into a frown. She could see Harry's disappointment as well, and Ron's excited look. After a moment of no one saying anything, Ron broke the silence.
"Don't you like it?" he asked, uncertainty replacing the excitement on his face. Hermione turned to face him.
"Ron, why would I need a book on muggle cooking methods?"
"You're muggle-born. I thought it would come in handy. You could cook meals for your parents back home." The excitement had returned to his voice and Hermione marveled at how someone could be so oblivious. She began to question what she liked about the boy. "What?" He asked after her expression did not change.
"I already know how to cook the muggle way because I'm muggle-born, you pea-brain." She explained, trying to keep a hold on her temper.
"Oh." She watched as Ron frowned. "I hadn't thought of that." Hermione felt the control on her anger slipping.
"You haven't been doing a lot of thinking lately." She replied coldly. Ron looked slightly hurt by her comment, but she decided to ignore it.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. Before Hermione could open her mouth to respond and let Ron know everything he hadn't thought about, Harry played peacekeeper and changed the subject.
"You should open your other present, Hermione." Hermione was about to smile and thank Harry before Ron butted in, yet again.
"I want a turn!" he whined. Hermione found the sound very annoying. "She's already opened all her other presents."
"And she only has one more, Ron." Harry reminded the boy. "We have a whole pile of presents to open." Harry tried to make Ron see his reasoning. Hermione was thankful for the effort.
"Alright." Ron spoke in a defeated voice. "Well, go on then. Open it."
Hermione nodded slightly before grabbing the red package and carefully opening it to find yet another book inside. Her disappointment was becoming harder to conceal.
"Another book." she said, her voice lacking any enthusiasm.
"Well, yes." Harry replied, the uncertainty clear in his voice. "Don't you like books."
"I do. It's just…" Hermione trailed off. How could she make her friends realize that she was more than a girl who liked books. Looking towards the book in her lap brought her attention to the bracelet on her left wrist. She smiled at the rune before reading the title of the book.
"Cheering Charms. A spell book?" she asked, looking towards Harry quizzically.
"You missed the lesson on it in third year. I thought you would want to become an expert on it, like you do with everything else." Hermione looked at her friend. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she'd mastered it shortly after missing the class. His gift had been more thoughtful than just 'give the bookworm a book' and he'd taken time to consider something she liked doing, mastering magic.
"Thank you, Harry. That's very thoughtful." She heard Ron groan as Harry smiled. "Well, don't just sit there." Hermione gestured to the pile of presents by the boys. "Open mine. Open mine." She was excited to see the looks on their faces. The three of them had a silent agreement that Hermione gave the best gifts.
Hermione watched as Harry calmly reached for his package before noticing that Ron was already beginning to tear through his. Hermione cringed as the good paper was ripped, but smiled at Ron's reaction as he pulled out an orange and red scarf.
"'Mione, you didn't." he asked, turning a huge smile on her. Before she could inform that she in fact did, Ron continued. "You're amazing, 'Mione." Hermione felt her cheeks blush at the compliment.
"It's just a scarf." Harry stated, trying to get a better look at the object Ron was gushing over. She was about to explain, but Ron did the work for her.
"Oh, it's not just a scarf, mate." Ron's smile was growing wider and wider. "It's a Chudley Cannon's scarf." Harry still seemed skeptical to the idea, but let it slide. Hermione was glad to see Ron so pleased with his gift when she noticed Harry beginning to open his gift, and gave him her full attention. She was pleased when he carefully removed the paper before setting it by her neat stack.
"Quidditch Informer." Harry read the title out loud, a small grin forming on his face. Ron seemed to realize his friend was opening a gift and began to pay attention.
"It's a quidditch magazine." Hermione began to explain. "Actually, it's a monthly subscription to a quidditch magazine. That's this month's edition." Harry turned his smile towards her and was about to speak before Ron cut in.
"That's not fair!" The redhead protested. "He gets a gift from you every month. Hermione let out a tired sigh.
"Do I have to explain everything to you?" she asked. The confused look on his face told her she indeed did. "Harry gets one magazine each month," she began, "but as soon as he reads it, he's done with it, unless he wants to read it again. You, on the other hand, have just one gift, but you can use it whenever you want. Don't you see?" His still confused look explained that he did not. Hermione tried to find the simplest way to state the conclusion. "Both of you have gifts that will last for a long time." She fought to keep her frustration under control. Luckily, Ron seemed to finally get it.
"Oh." Ron responded before smiling. "At least my gift is more useful." Harry and Hermione sighed in unison. He obviously wasn't going to understand.
"I'm going to the library." Hermione announced as she grabbed her two new books and stood from the chair."
"You aren't going to stay?" Harry asked while Ron asked "What for?"
"I need to study for my O.W.L.s" she stated. "The exams are at the end of this year and I don't feel prepared at all." The boys stared at her in disbelief, which she quickly dismissed. They'd change their minds and be begging to study with her in the next few months. "I'll bring these books along with me. Perhaps they'll help me study for Charms and Muggle Studies." She began to approach the staircase to the dormitories and had taken the first steps up when Ron called out to her.
"Oy! I thought you said you were going to the library." Hermione shook her head at his thoughtlessness.
"I am." she called down to him. "I need a couple more books." Before she could be interrupted from her mission again, she hurried up the stairs and into her dormitory. Once inside, Hermione set her new books on the bed before opening the trunk. She put the books from Ginny and her parents inside the trunk before pulling out a few of her previous yeas' course books to study from. Satisfied with her selection, she added them to the two books from Harry and Ron.
Crookshanks had found his way onto the foot of the bed and Hermione stroked him before noticing her new sweater on the bed. The castle seemed to get colder the further down you went, and since she was going to the first floor she decided an extra layer might come in handy, slipping the purple garment on over her shirt.
Satisfied that she had everything she needed, Hermione grabbed the books and headed out the dormitory and to the common room. The boys noticed her arrival and told her goodbye as well as wishing her a merry Christmas. She waved at the boys before exiting the portrait hall.
The halls of Hogwarts were as deserted as the common room had been. Hermione made it down three staircases which had thankfully not decided to move, and only had three more to go when she quite literally ran into someone, almost dropping her books. She looked up, surprised to see who she'd bumped into.
"Draco?" she asked upon seeing the blonde Slytherin. "What are you doing here?" The glare he shot her made her wish she'd run into anyone else. She looked over his shoulder to find Crabbe and Goyle there as well.
"I go to school here." he replied in a sour tone. "Honestly, I don't know why people think you're so smart." Hermione was distracted from her fear by the comment.
"You're not usually at Hogwarts during Christmas break."
"What's it to you?" the Slytherin asked, temper rising.
"Nothing. I was just wondering why…" Hermione was cut off as Draco took out his wand and pinned her to the wall, her books falling to the floor.
"It's none of your business why I'm here, Granger, so stay out of it." The boy shouted at her.
"Put me down!" Hermione demanded, her fear growing stronger. She shouldn't have pushed the boy. How could she be so naive? Things were clearly different this year than in the previous years. If he would just let her go, she'd forget about it, grab her books, and leave.
Instead of placing her to the ground, he picked up one of her books. "What do we have here?" he asked, examining the title. Hermione glanced down to see that it was the book Ron had given her. Things were getting worse by the minute. "You don't need this." Draco sneered at her. "You're great at being a Mudblood on your own." Hermione paused at the insult. She should be used to it from him, but it still stung every time.
"Put that down!" She demanded, eyes still on the book."
"Which is it? You or the book?" Hermione focused her gaze on Draco as he teased her, the other two Slytherins laughing behind him. If only Hermione could reach her wand, but fear was keeping her immobilized against the wall.
"Leave her alone!" Hermione heard a voice call from down the hall. All four students turned to see Luna Lovegood striding down the hall, stopping a short of the group.
"This is none of your business, Loony, so get out of here!" Draco snapped. Hermione watched as the other girl's face fell.
"Yeah, Loony!" Crabbe and Goyle agreed. Hermione felt the need to do something. Not only did she have to find her own way out, but she had to help Loo- Luna, as well. She tried to reach for her wand, but Draco's pressed more firmly into her and she froze in fear again.
Luna came closer to the group. "I'm not going anywhere until you release her." A confused look seemed to cross Luna's eyes as she looked to Draco. "Since when are you interested in Muggles?" Hermione watched in horror as Draco threw her book to the ground.
"What? I'm not!" he defended as he turned towards Luna, leaving Hermione free to move, but shock and fear still held her in place. "I told you to stay out of this!" he reminded as he pointed his wand at the girl. Hermione closed her eyes against the attack, disgusted by her own cowardice. She was supposed to be a Gryffindor, but it seemed she needed her friends to remind her to be brave.
""Were you seriously considering attacking a fellow student in front of me, Mr. Malfoy?" a cold voice asked. Hermione recognized the voice and opened her eyes to see Professor Snape striding down the hall, Draco's wand in hand. She also noticed that Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be seen.
"Professor, I…" Draco stalled for words. Snape seemed to ignore him and cast his glance upon Hermione. "Miss Granger, are you harmed?" His voice shook her out of her shock and she finally moved away from the wall, turning to face him.
"No, I'm alright." she replied. He seemed to nod in satisfaction before turning his attention to Luna.
"Miss Lovegood?"
"I'm fine as well. Thank you." the blonde girl replied.
"Then off with you." Snape said, his voice laced with ice again.
Hermione wasted no time bending to collect her books. She was surprised to see another pale set of hands aiding her and smiled as Luna grabbed half the books. The two girls stood and hurried down the hall, away from the angry Potions Master.
After they were a safe distance away the two girls stopped. Hermione accepted the books Luna handed to her and tucked them under her arm with the others.
"Thank you, Luna." Hermione said. She meant it. Who knows what would have happened to her if she'd stayed alone in the corridor with the three Slytherins.
"You're welcome." Luna responded. Something seemed sad about the strange girl as she turned to walk away. Hermione remembered Draco and his friends calling her Loony and instantly felt bad for using the insulting name to describe the girl. She was no better than them.
"No, really." Hermione called after her, trying to convey her sincerity. "Thank you. For saving me. And for grabbing my books. It was really nice of you." She watched as the other girl smiled. "If you hadn't been there, I'm not sure what Draco would have done."
"Professor Snape was nearby. He would have stopped Draco." Luna reminded her.
"I suppose that's true…" Hermione, who was less skeptical about Snape than her two friends, wondered how true that was. Besides his obvious favoritism, it might have been the argument that drew his attention. Hermione certainly hadn't been doing anything to free herself and felt the shame and self anger grow again before dismissing it.
Hermione examined the girl in front of her. Sure, she was quirky and saw the world in a way most other people didn't, but wasn't Hermione the same way? Didn't she often reach to do things the muggle way, before remembering that there was a magical alternative? She viewed the world differently in a way a lot of witches and wizards didn't. And the girl was in Ravenclaw, the house Hermione was almost in. Surely they might have something in common.
Hermione looked up to find Luna further down the corridor. "Luna." she called after the girl who turned to regard her. "Would you…" Hermione paused. She was going to invite the girl to the library with her, but would the girl want to go? Her friends usually denied her. "Would you like to...come with me to the library? I was going to study for my O. ."
Hermione watched as Luna examined her. "You're at the top of your class, aren't you, Hermione?" Hermione nodded at the question she usually got. No one seemed to understand that she was at the top of her class, precisely because she studied so much. "I think you should relax more often." The blonde girl continued. "Too much stress and your head will explode." Hermione smiled as she wondered if wizards knew about brain aneurysms. She was about to turn to leave on her own when the girl began talking again.
"I'll go with you, though. Maybe I can research some magical creatures." Hermione smiled that the girl had agreed and the two began to make their way down the hall and to a staircase that would lead to the library. Perhaps she had judged the girl too quickly in the past; Luna could turn out to be a great friend. They reached the staircase and had only taken a few steps before the staircase began to shift.
Hermione quickly grabbed the railing with her free hand, trying not to fall. "I hate these bloody staircases!" She yelled. Muggle staircases were definitely superior. They never tried to lead you somewhere else.
"I wonder where these stairs are taking us?" Luna asked calmly. Hermione looked at the girl in wonder, not understanding how anyone could be calm in such a situation.
The stairs eventually shifted into their new place and the two girls continued on their way, pausing to figure out where they had ended up. They finally made it to the first floor and Hermione sighed in relief. The rest of the trip would be simple now that the castle couldn't try to send them somewhere else.
Hermione smiled happily as she entered the library and found a nice table to set her books at, occupying the chair before reaching for a potions text and continuing her studies. She was so absorbed in her work, that she hadn't realized Luna had wandered off, until the girl joined her at the table again.
"Is she always this strict?" Luna whispered to Hermione. Hermione, still in the middle of a paragraph, just nodded. She'd learned a long time ago to just ignore Madam Pince. "How do you stand it?" The girl asked again. Hermione shrugged, trying to concentrate on her studies. "She's still staring at us. It's unnerving." Hermione didn't comment on the last remark, busy reading the ingredients list to a potion she'd forgotten about. How was she going to pass her O.W.L.s if she couldn't remember something so simple?
Hermione was glad as Luna fell silent, mostly muttering to herself. It didn't last long though. "Your cat is a half-kneazle, Hermione. What's his name again?"
"Crookshanks." Hermione answered, now absorbed in the brewing process. She half heard Luna flipping through the pages of her book. "Hermione, look." Hermione did not look, but listened to the girl as she flipped the page in the potions book. "This book mistakes the power of Naviancoras for that of Ramoras." Hermione continued to skim through her book, only half paying attention to the girl. "Hermione, I don't think this author knows about Naviancoras."
Hermione thought that the majority of the wizarding world probably didn't know about Naviancoras, but did not comment, now engrossed in the effects of another potion. Luna, however, continued to try to converse with her.
"I'd like to meet Mr. Scamander." Hermione heard the book close. Hermione recognized the name and when she looked up she recognized Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She'd read the book herself and it was quite old.
"He's probably dead by now." she informed the girl.
She watched as Luna examined the picture of Mr. Scamander before nodding in agreement. "Then I'd like to meet one of his relatives. Someone should update his book." Hermione had heard the girl's words, but had also begun to flip through her own text again. Luna was silent for a moment, only the furious flipping of pages provided any sound in the otherwise quiet library.
"He didn't know about Perifaeries, Hermione." Hermione moved closer to the potions book, trying to concentrate on the different names for aconite and a few other ingredients. "Hermione." Luna said again, but Hermione continued to pay attention to her text. If she could just finish this section. "Hermione!" the girl whispered more loudly.
"No talking." Hermione looked up at the voice of Madam Pince who was standing behind Luna, arms crossed and an annoyed look on her face."
"But we were whispering." Luna pointed out. Hermione had a feeling that this was not going to end well.
"No whispering." The librarian amended.
"But-" Luna was cut off before she could protest.
"No arguing."
Luna didn't know when to quit and Hermione resigned herself to closing her book, knowing the outcome already.
"Madam Pince, I don't think-"
"Get out of my library!" The woman demanded, pointing towards the door. "Out!"
Hermione shot an annoyed look at Luna, mad about having her studies in the library cut short. If she went back to Gryffindor tower, Harry and Ron would only pester her. Hermione stood and gathered her books, following Luna to the door.
"Are those my books, girl?" Madam Pince called and Hermione fought back the snarky remarks she could make.
"These were Christmas presents."
"Let me take a look." Hermione reluctantly handed the books to the librarian, watching as she closely scrutinized each one before handing them back to Hermione. "Alright then. Get out of my library. Both of you." Hermione left the library, Luna following behind her. Hermione became lost in her thoughts of where to go and study when Luna broke the silence.
"I'm sorry Hermione." Hermione faced the girl who seemed sincere. "You were studying and I ruined that."
Hermione already liked Luna. Harry and Ron would not have realized what was wrong until a few days after the fact, when she'd forgiven them already. Luna was a nice girl and Hermione wished she'd tried to talk to her before then.
"It's alright, Luna." Hermione said with a smile. She then remembered what Luna had been telling her about before they'd been kicked from the library. "You were telling me something about Purffuries?"
Luna let out a small laugh and Hermione wondered if she'd done something wrong. "Perifaeries." Luna corrected her. "I discovered them a few months ago here at Hogwarts." This piqued Hermione's interest.
"At the school?" she asked, wondering why no one else had seen them.
"Yes!" Luna replied, a visible energy flowing through her. "I could show you, if you'd like." The excitement of the girl was contagious and Hermione found herself wanting to see these creatures herself. Before, she would have thought Luna was crazy, but now she thought there might be such a thing. Afterall, when she'd tried to explain T.V. to Ron, he had thought she was mad.
"That…" She watched as Luna cast a hopeful glance her way. Hermione smiled. "That would be nice."
"Great! They live in the trees outside."
Hermione cast a doubtful glance out the nearest window. Snow covered the ground and ice clung to the castle. "In the trees?" she questioned. "None of the trees have leaves this time of year. It's winter. Do they migrate?"
Luna shook her head. "They don't live in the branches. They live under the bark. They're still there. Trust me."
Hermione nodded before pulling her wand out to shrink the books she was carrying before safely tucking them in her pocket. It would be a pain to walk all the way back to Gryffindor tower with them. Once she was satisfied that they would not slip from her pocket she followed Luna outside the castle and onto the white grounds.
Luna explained that the Perifaeries were drawn towards moisture and had made their homes in the trees near the lake. Apparently, it didn't matter that the lake was frozen over. The Perifaeries were not very smart and would not move their homes.
As they got closer to the lake, Hermione noticed four familiar shapes. One of them had recently stood and seemed as if their legs had been injured. They were throwing colorful snowballs that seemed to be enchanted. Hermione shook her head and stopped close by the two groups.
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, arching a brow and smiled when the four boys turned to face her. She noticed one of the twins, George, seemed to have purple hair and wondered what they had been up to. It also seemed that the colored snowballs left color on the victim. The twins were a shade of turquoise and Harry and Ron were covered in orange and purple spots.
"We're having a snowball fight." The twins answered, simultaneously. Hermione shook her head at the answer.
"This isn't a snowball fight." she corrected. Snowball fights didn't have colored, exploding. hexed balls. "This is barbaric."
"Oh no!" Hermione heard Luna cry behind her and turned to watch the girl quickly head to a tree behind Harry and Ron. "This is where the Perifaeries live. You're ruining their home!"
Hermione noticed everyone turn to give Luna a confused glance. Surely they hadn't heard of the creature before today as well. Hermione turned to examine the tree, confusion on her face as well. She couldn't understand why the faeries would not defend their home.
"The what?" she heard Ron ask. She hoped he'd be a bit more sensitive to Luna than he was to her.
"The Perifaeries." she listened to luna explain again. "They're tiny fairies that live under the bark of trees. You have to stop."
"Luna, I'm sure the Perifaeries are gone." Hermione was thankful Harry was trying to be understanding. He'd seemed to like Luna well enough since they'd met earlier that year. "The tree is iced over after all." Hermione looked at the tree again and wondered if that was why the faeries weren't defending their home. Perhaps they couldn't escape from the tree?
"You don't understand, Harry." Hermione listened to Luna explain. "They're not very smart to begin with, but they're also faeries. They don't mind the cold."
"Luna," Fred began, "I'm sure the iced-over bark will protect them from our snowballs." Hermione found that reasonable. If they couldn't get out, perhaps the snowballs couldn't damage the home.
"If you won't stop, then I'll have no choice but to protect them." Hermione watched as Luna took a seat in front of the tree. She was about to join her unlikely new friend before she heard Fred call out to her.
"Do you want to join us Hermione? I know you would love to hit Ron in the face. This is your chance." She blushed slightly as the two twins winked at her. They didn't know how right they were.
"'Mione wouldn't fight against us! She'd help us beat you." she listened to Ron shout. She was about to correct him before Harry turned to her.
"Come on Hermione. Have some fun with us. It's Christmas."
Hermione looked between the twins, her two best friends, and Luna while she chewed her bottom lip. True, Harry and Ron were her best friends, but Fred and George were also fun to be around, and they'd gotten her such a nice present. She then looked to Luna, alone under the tree. There was no way the girl would join in if it meant abandoning the faeries. Was it alright to leave her there alone?
"Fine." Eventually, Hermione's loyalty won out and she joined her two friends behind their snowbank.
"Hermione." both twins moaned from across the field. She spared them a small smile before turning her attention back to her friends.
"Welcome, 'Mione." Ron greeted and she watched as he stooped to turn some of his snowballs pink before handing one to her. She stared at the pink ball. Pink? Because she was a girl? She considered smashing it into his face before leaving to join the twins instead, but realized he was attempting to be thoughtful. Realizing his attempt, she smiled down at the ball in her hand.
"Don't blame her." she heard Harry call out to the twins. "We do everything together, just like the two of you."
"Everything, huh?" George called back.
"Kinky." Fred commented and Hermione felt herself blush. She had never said so outright, but Fred and George knew how she felt about Ron. They never missed a chance to tease her about it. She didn't notice her two friends blushing as well as she lifted the her hand with the pink snowball and threw it right into Fred's face.
This seemed to spur the twins on and soon the fight was on full force. Hermione occasionally glanced behind her to check on Luna, who was doing a good job of casting deflecting charms when a snowball came to close. Unfortunately, the twins began to use this to their advantage and would use the barrier as a way to attack from behind. Hermione knew she couldn't ask Luna to drop the barrier, so she enlarged their snowbank to move away from the tree. This seemed to please Luna and it took away an advantage the twins had.
After a while, Hermione ducked behind the barrier. She'd had a brilliant idea. Who had ever said that snowballs had to be ball shaped? She enchanted snow into small creatures which proceeded across the field to do their snowy attacks on the twins. Her personal favorite were the bunnies that would burrow underneath the ground to keep from being stopped and pop up behind the twins snowbank.
The boys however, seemed to like her dragon, which flew across the field and breathed snow upon the twins. She heard Fred and George discuss how they could profit from her idea and made a note to teach them how to do it.
A few minutes later, a large white bird flew over the field. She thought perhaps she wouldn't have to teach the twins, but when she looked over at them she noticed them staring in awe at it as well. She glanced back up at the bird, wondering where it had come from just as it exploded into snowballs, raining down on both sides of the field.
There was a moment of confused silence before the group burst out laughing. Hermione examined those around her. Fred and George now had some pink on them as well and both wore a huge grin. Ron and Harry were smiling as well, and Hermione found she herself was enjoying the battle more than she thought she would. A glance over at Luna showed her smiling and talking to the tree. Hermione wondered if the faeries were in there and if they could hear Luna.
Hermione smiled. So, perhaps this morning had started off badly. She'd gotten books and more books, but her friends were trying their twins had gotten her a nice gift, though. And she'd been caught alone in a hall by three Slytherins, but because of that she'd made a new friend. This seemed to be the best Christmas Hermione had ever had.