The Christmas Ball(one-shot)
Disclaimer: j.k. rowling's
Hermione sat in front of of the tree; boxes of ornaments beside her. The faint smell of gingerbread cookies wafted through from the kitchen. A faint tinkle of old Christmas carols playing from an old dusty recorder echoed all throughout the house.
She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sound and smells of the holiday. She willed herself to believe that nothing had changed. That once she turns around the smilling happy face of her parents will be there.
Sighing, she opens her eyes and started digging through the boxes. Silently humming to herself the melody hanging in the air.
Mechanically she started putting up all the ornaments. Trying to block impulses from her brain. She tried to erase all the memories that's slowly coming back to her with each trinket that she hangs.
Harry stopped at the bottom of the stairs and placed the box of old belongings in the corner with all the other boxes. He peeked inside an pulled out a picture frame wrapped in black cloth. Carefully, he removed the cloth and stared at the picture.
A perfectly still picture of her parents on their wedding day.
He sets it aside and and pulls out a white wedding gown and a box of dried roses.
He carefully closed the box again and walked toward the open door of the living room.
Hermione was standing on front of the Christmas tree, hugging a small glass ball to her chest. Harry stared at her, unsure of what to say.
"Hermione, I finished packing...." His voice trailed off. Tears fell down from her vacant eyes.
Harry opened his mouth and closed it again. He shoved his hands in his pocket and walked to her form. "I'm sorry."
Harry looked down to his feet as she stared at him. She wiped her tears away, "No, its not your fault. I-I just can't believe that..." She felt her whole body tremble as the scene of her parents death flashed before her eyes.
He wrapped his arms around her body. He couldn't say anything else. He felt hers arms drape over his neck.
Over Harry's shoulder, she looked at the christmas ball she held in her hands.
Shedding her last tears. She let it go. She watched silently as it fell down and shattered into a glittering heap of glass.
"Harry," she whispered, "promise you won't leave me." He pulled out of the embrace and stared straight into her eyes. The pain was still there, but it's slowly dissolving.
"I won't." he whispered back.
Placing a kiss on her forehead, he wrapped his arms around her again.