A/N - Written for marenkp for the Christmas Gift Giveaway.

Prompt: Several kisses

Under Mistletoe

.

1999

The tradition started unassumingly enough.

It was the first Christmas since after the Battle of Hogwarts and people celebrated by going all out on decorations and presents. Everywhere she looked, there was a happy child or a beautiful-voiced caroller, who was spreading the cheer. Everyone seemed to be into it, except for Harry Potter.

Hermione huffed as she looked around Grimmauld Place with a distasteful expression. "You haven't even decorated."

Harry, who hadn't noticed that his friend had entered the house, quickly shrugged on a coat as he glanced around. "I didn't have the time."

Hermione glanced at him briefly, making sure that her expression conveyed exactly how much she didn't believe him. "No, this won't do."

"What won't do?"

"After we go to the Weasleys' we are going to shop for decorations. You are going to celebrate with some Christmas spirit, even if it kills me."

Harry smiled at her with amusement. "Can I assume that you will be helping me put it all up?"

"No," she said sternly, enjoying the way his grin fell instantly. "Where's the fun in getting other people to do your work for you?"

"It's a lot of fun, I gather."

"You would be misled by something like that." She leant forward and kissed his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Harry."

His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "What was that for?"

Hermione pointed up at the mistletoe he had never noticed before.

"Where did that come from?"

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly! I put it up."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Started decorating already?"

"It's always better to be early than late. Let's go before we get the stern Molly Weasley look for getting late."

Harry chuckled as he started to follow her out. "I thought I already see that expression on you too often to be affected by it."

The only response she felt he deserved was a firm glare, which only made him laugh out loud.

2000

Hermione blew out a low breath, one that caused the curls to bounce across her face before she ran her sleeve across her forehead in an effort to wipe the sweat off her brow. The concept was not a warm Christmas. It was supposed to be a very cold Christmas indeed. And, yet, here she was, sweating profusely because of a charm that had gone wrong.

A single knock on her door made her smile. "Come in!"

Harry came in quickly, wrapped up in layers of wool before he pulled out a box from his pocket and handed it to her. "Why is it so hot in here?" He shrugged out of his coat and his scarf, even going so far as removing his Weasley-made sweater.

Hermione took the box from him happily as she immediately started adding the missing ingredient to the potion she had been working on. "Because the spell didn't work." Stepping back, she pulled out her wand and did a complex move without uttering a word. A puff of blue smoke came out of it, before there was snow falling in her apartment.

"You wanted to make snow?" Harry asked in awe.

"Not just any snow."

Harry watched as the snow seemed to fade before it reached the floor.

"It's recyclable snow. It disappears just before it hits the ground and appears at the highest point in the room. It takes a bit of precision because I have to change the potion depending on how many feet they are supposed to fall."

His gaze met hers as he grinned widely. "You're brilliant."

She blushed. "I know," she said with a teasing lilt to her voice. "Thank you again for bringing royal root for me." Leaning forward, she pecked him lightly on the nose. "Let's go. I want to see Arthur's expression when he opens this present."

Harry nodded as he helped her pack up all the items she needed. He only noticed the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling when he was closing the door behind him.

2001

Harry came forward to sit with Hermione on the Weasley couch, his expression cautious as he delicately tried to broach the subject.

"I shouldn't have come," she said softly, beating him to the fact the way she always did.

"No, they invited you."

"That was before Ron and I broke up." Her gaze rose to the Weasley kitchen where everyone was laughing and having a family-centric Christmas. She made a move to get up. "I better go."

Grabbing onto her hand, he kept her beside him. "Don't be daft. They want you here."

"Molly hasn't even acknowledged me."

"She's busy with the turkey. Look…" he said quickly when he saw the way her jaw tightened with determination. "They are not happy about your break-up. None of us are."

He dropped his gaze just as her eyes met his. "But, if you leave now, it will look like you don't want to be here. That's worse."

It took a while, but once he heard her let out a low breath, Harry knew that he had gotten through to her.

"Thank you, Harry. You're right. I shouldn't give up."

Before he could say anything, she had pulled him into a hug. They stayed like that for a moment, Hermione burying her face against his neck as he buried his face in her hair. He lightly rubbed her back with long, calming strokes and pulled her in closer when her fingers ran through his hair in the familiar he loved so much.

And when his lips lightly graced her neck, she shivered before pulling back. With her gaze dropping from his, she left quickly, leaving Harry to let his head fall back on the couch and contemplate the mistletoe that he saw hanging above him.

2002

If Harry had been anyone else, he would have slammed the door shut the moment he had opened it to see who was standing outside his house. But, he could never do that to her. So, he simply stepped back and let her walk into the house with a vengeance.

"I won't let you keep avoiding me."

"I'm not avoiding you," Harry muttered tiredly.

Hermione looked around Grimmauld Place in surprise. She hadn't expected him to do any sort of decorating for Christmas after what had happened. Yet, here she was in a very festive house with a very sullen host.

"You're avoiding me," she said quickly as she grabbed his coat that was hanging near the door and shoved it against his chest.

He took the coat from her but didn't make any effort to put it on. "I'm just not in the mood."

"That's too bad," Hermione said sternly. "Because you are going to come with me and make this right."

"It's not going to work."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

Stepping forward, she grabbed a hold of his shoulders and gave him a meaningful look. "You are going to get Ginny back, and I'm going to help."

"What?" he asked with confusion.

"Put on your coat, Harry. We're going to make her regret breaking up with you."

It was all he could do to grab a hold of her arm as she walked past him with determination. "She didn't break it off, I did."

She faltered. "Why?"

Shifting uncomfortably, he dropped his gaze. "Do I need a reason?"

"Yes." She eyed him incredulously. "Of course you do."

"Well, I don't." Harry shrugged.

She glared at him. "I don't believe you."

They watched each other warily before Harry looked up at where one of the floating mistletoe happened to stop. Hermione didn't notice that she was standing right under it. Making the decision without thinking about the consequence of his actions, Harry looked at her seriously.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione," he whispered, before he took her face in his hands and kissed her firmly. Her eyes widened and she gasped, but her lips parted, and for one brief moment, she kissed him back just as he pulled away.

He didn't have to say anything, because she was the one person in his life he never had to explain anything to.

Hermione's eyes stayed wide as Harry stepped aside to let her pass. Hermione stood there for a moment, unsure and practically shaking before she shook herself out of the sudden shock she had experienced.

"Merry Christmas, Harry," she said softly before leaving quickly.

2003

It was an awkward year. There were a lot of brief moments, unspoken words, stolen kisses, and Harry couldn't help but think of all these things as he nervously knocked on her door.

She opened the door without hesitation, as if she had been expecting someone, which Harry found more distressing than the idea that she was avoiding him. She had even hung a mistletoe under the entrance of her apartment as a form of welcome.

"Hello," she said with a brief smile.

He ducked his head as he pulled out the present he had brought her, while he tried his best not to stare at how she effortlessly leant against the door as if they had been friends for years. He didn't feel like they were friends, not anymore. And that felt like a loss that was too difficult to bear.

"I thought I'd drop this off."

Her smile fell. "Oh. Thank you," she said cautiously as she took the box from him.

A moment passed as they eyed each other carefully before he turned to leave.

"You're not coming tonight?" she asked, her tone a bit panicked.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't come last year—"

"And Molly was upset about that. You should come. Ginny's bringing Dean."

She eyed him as if she was waiting for a reaction, which Harry liked to think that he didn't give her.

"Maybe next year."

"You can't spend Christmas alone, Harry."

Deciding to leave for his own sanity's sake, he took a step forward and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Merry Christmas, Hermione."

He started to step back when he was suddenly stopped by her fingers on his collar as she kept him close. Her nose bumped his gently as her lips found his, and for what felt like the hundredth time that year, Harry kissed her enthusiastically as she kissed him, his hands tightening around her waist and pulling her unbelievably closer.

"Invite me in," he whispered against her cheek before placing a light kiss on her jaw, her neck and then her collarbone.

Hermione shook her head. "You're not over Ginny yet."

"Trust me." He kissed the corner of her lips. "I am."

"Good," she whispered against his lips before she proceeded to snog him senseless.

It took a bit of manoeuvring and stumbling, but once he was inside her apartment with his hands under her shirt and her one hand in his hair while the other clutched his gift to her chest, all it took was a swift kick to the door to give them a few hours of much needed privacy.

2004

The Weasley family dinner was as boisterous as ever. During the past few years, the family had extended by nearly twice its original size and the backyard of the Burrow had a tradition of having less room with each passing year.

This was no exception as Harry placed his arm around his wife and kissed her hair. Hermione looked up at him and smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye telling him that maybe this was the right time to tell their makeshift family the good news regarding the newest addition to their family.

But, before he could do that, Charlie couldn't help but point out that one of George's charmed mistletoe had settled on top of them. The entire family clapped as the tradition was that a kiss had to be given to free the mistletoe to keep on floating around the table until it stopped again over another couple.

It was Hermione who pulled him down and kissed him firmly, and it was Harry who didn't let the groans of embarrassment deter him from kissing his wife enthusiastically.

It took him too many years to reach this point of perfect happiness, and he wasn't going to stop showing how grateful he was every chance he had.

Fin.

A/N: Merry Christmas, Everyone!