Hermione Granger arrived at her office in a tizz. She dumped her bags on the floor and threw her coat haphazardly over her office chair and sat, exhaling loudly. She had come across every lunatic possible on the tube and had waited what felt like hours for her coffee. Now that she was finally at her desk she breathed a sigh of relief before groaning when she caught sight of the mountain of paperwork she had to sift through. Cursing under her breath she reached for her mail. Sitting atop the heap of letters and scrolls was a medium sized gold box. She frowned, noticing there was no return sender just her name and address scrawled in ink. She carefully opened the box and fell back with a supressed scream. A rapidly growing tree emerged from the box, golden pears sprouting from branches and a bird perched on top, peering down at her stoically. Hermione could simply stare back.
The young witch sat quietly on the steps of town hall, eating her sandwich slowly and thoroughly. She went through the mental checklist of things she had to do, never noticing two white balloons floating towards her. Just when they were above her head, they popped, sending her tumbling down the few steps. She looks up in wonder at the fine mist of glitter as two white doves emerged, flapping their wings and disappearing into the cold afternoon.
She was awfully tired, rubbing her eyes as she waited in line behind a particularly large and brash woman. The small basket of food she had was nothing compared to the trolley full in front of her yet she waited, silently chastising the woman for being in the express lane.
"What in the bloomin' hell?!" the woman shrieked, stumbling backwards and falling onto her large backside.
Hermione peered into the trolley, wondering what she'd find and couldn't help but laugh at the three clucking hens sitting in her trolley, scratching at packets of crisps.
"I'm telling you Ginny, it's the 12 days of Christmas"
"You keep saying that but I have no idea what you're talking about" the redhead sighed, rubbing at her face as her son happily chewed on his mother's keys. Ginny wrenched them from his grasp but quickly handed them back when he let out a scream as loud as a howler.
"It's a Christmas poem. One of my favourites. I've seen the first three lines now"
"And what's the fourth?" Ginny asked, trying to substitute a teething toy instead of metal keys and failing miserably.
"Four colly birds"
"What the hell is a colly bird?"
Hermione opened her mouth to explain but was interrupted by the screech of four large blackbirds swooping down to sit on the vacant chair across from them. Hermione grinned widely as the birds proceeded to squawk the tune of the poem. They flew away, leaving Ginny bewildered and James delighted.
"So you're wearing it?" Harry asked, eyeing the five stacked rings on Hermione's hand.
She rolled her eyes at his caution. "I did check them first. I'm not a complete idiot"
Harry's neck flushed. "No I know it's just…well it's all rather odd isn't it?"
"What is?" Fred Weasley asked as he unwound his scarf, his brother following closely behind and shutting the back door softly.
Hermione blushed, quickly looking down when Ginny slumped into the seat beside her.
"What're you hollering about Fred?" she asked, eyeing off her son as he followed around Crookshanks.
"I was simply asking what Harry found so odd" he replied, ruffling his younger brothers head. Ron cried indignantly, swatting his hand away and patting his hair back down.
"You must be asking about Hermione's secret admirer"
"What's this now?" Ron asked quickly, almost toppling off his chair.
Ginny shot a disgusted scowl at her brother and ignored his interruption turning back to the twins. "Hermione has got herself a secret admirer. He's sending her the 12 things of Christmas apparently. Gold rings yesterday, gold geese today"
"Geese?" Ron asked, frowning.
"Shut up you git" Fred muttered "So any ideas Hermione?"
She shook her head, looking down at the shining rings on her finger and twisting them.
"…and then the box folded out into a small lake and seven swans were swimming in a circle."
Molly Weasley arched an eyebrow at the tale. "Seems to me that someone is trying to woo you, my dear"
Hermione blushed. "Oh no. I think its Ginny; she knows how much I love Christmas"
Molly chuckled at the naivety. "Oh right, yes. Ginny"
Hermione laughed at the older woman, continuing to dry the dishes from breakfast. The two watched the extended Weasley family all playing in the snow, throwing lobs of powder at each other while Ginny chased after her son telling him no.
"Hermione?"
She turned, coming face to face with George Weasley holding a small silver box.
"An owl just dropped this off for you" he murmured, handing her the box.
She smiled shyly at him and softly thanked him, setting the box down to untie the elaborate ribbon. Molly Weasley shot her son a look, watching him as he watched the younger witch delicately unwrap a painting.
"Oh my" she whispered, watching as eight silver cows frolicked in a field while eight maids ran after them.
Hermione woke with a smile excited to see how her eleventh day would turn out. She had been thoroughly surprised at how the last two days had panned out. Everyone in the ministry foyer would certainly still be talking about the nine dancing women that had put on a show for the morning or the lords a leaping that had interrupted everyone's morning commute. She rolled out of bed, shoving her feet into her slippers and trudged into the kitchen, whispering warming charms to take away the chill in the air. She heard a faint tapping behind her as she filled the kettle and almost dropped the contraption in shock; floating at the window were 11 flutes. She opened the window and laughed as they played and swirled into her room, turning in steady circles.
The wind blew straight through the woollen coat of Hermione Granger, snow falling thick and fast and freezing her toes. She cursed at the predictable lateness of Ron, cursed at the miserable day she had experienced and cursed at her disappointment at not receiving her twelfth day. Diagon Alley was dark, the torches extinguished and not a witch of wizard in sight. Figures. It was Christmas Eve. No normal person would be battling their way through the cold on a night usually spent with family and friends in the warm confines of the family home. A shot of pain flashed through her chest at the thought of family, the Weasleys were always so welcoming but sometimes she still felt like an outsider. Sometimes she missed seeing the faces of her own parents instead of a sea of redheads. She swiped at her numb cheeks, rubbing away the wetness and powered on. She frowned at the sound of carols. It was odd to hear muggle carols in Diagon Alley, even odder to hear them tonight. She turned, trying to find the source of sound and noticed a flicker of light behind the door of Weasley Wizard Wheeze. She pushed at the glass door, surprised when it opened and slowly walked to the back office. George sat behind his desk, sipping from a tumbler filled with amber liquid. Carols filled the air and he tapped his foot in time with music, staring stoically into space. She cleared her throat, tapping lightly on the door frame. George startled, quickly standing.
"Hi" she muttered feebly, wiggling her fingers at him in a weak attempt at a wave.
George watched her wide eyed, his knuckles whitening as they clutched his glass for dear life. "What're you doing here?" he managed to say, taking a hearty swig from his glass and topping it up with the bottle beside him.
She eyed the bottle off before turning her eyes back to him, smiling pathetically and shrugging. "I heard the music and I was intrigued. I didn't know you liked muggle carols"
He seemed to still be stunned by her presence so Hermione slowly sat in a chair pushed against the wall.
"You have snow on your hat"
"What?" she asked puzzled.
"Snow. On your beanie"
She reached up with a bare hand, feeling the flakes and brushed them off, taking the beanie off and shaking it.
"You cut it" George murmured, eyebrows raised.
She nodded and smiled, rubbing a hand over her short locks. "It was meant to be a surprise for tomorrow. Surprise" she finished lamely, eyes downcast.
"It looks lovely. Really. It suits you" George rushed out, his cheeks turning rosy.
She smiled at him, opening her mouth to ask about the carols again when Fred barged in yelling
"Still listening to these sappy songs? I can hear them from outside you git. When're you gonna man up and tell her you lo…oh hello Hermione"
Hermione jumped up, hugging the Weasley twin and placing a small kiss on his cold cheek.
"Fred. How are you?"
Fred grinned back at her, running a hand over her head and ruffling the flat hair. "Looks nice. Suits you. Brings out your eyes. Don't you think George?"
George Weasley took a hefty gulp of fire whisky, coughing at the burning sensation running down his throat and into his chest. His cheeks turned pink and he nodded. "Yes"
Hermione blushed and quickly averted her gaze, glancing down at the intricate embroidered rug on the floor of the twins office.
Fred cast a knowing grin in the direction of his brother and gave him a covert thumbs up before exiting the room in a flurry of shouted goodbyes and merry Christmases.
George gestured at the seat across from his desk and Hermione smiled, graciously sitting. The two fell into silence, none knowing what to say.
"Why are you listening to muggle carols?"
George's head snapped up at the question. He rubbed a hand over his head. "I ah, I'm dating a girl who likes them"
Hermione let out a small "oh", cold seeping into her chest at his words. "Well that's nice of you"
He watched her carefully and nodded. "yes"
"Not really dating, more wooing. I'm trying to anyway"
"Oh"
Hermione abruptly stood, sending George scrambling to stand too. "Well I'll be off. Goodnight George. Merry Christmas"
She rushed from the room in a flurry of knitted hats and gloves, shoving them on and almost running down Diagon Alley.
Hermione sat in her dark living room, the only source of light the crackling flames in the hearth. She sipped at her hot chocolate, wood popping and clicking as she stared into the fire. A delicate knocking disrupted her and she stood, grabbing her wand and moving towards the door.
"It's me. It's George. I can hear you Hermione. Please open up"
She frowned, opening the door "What're you doing here? It's almost midnight"
"I know. I forgot to give you your Christmas present"
"You what?"
"Present. Can I please come in?" he asked, smiling weakly.
She stared for a moment longer before stepping back, allowing him to walk into her apartment. He placed a large brown box on the coffee table, warming his hands in front of the fire. Hermione edged closer, noticing the blue of his lips and instinctively touched his cheek. George blushed at the contact.
"Merlin! George you're freezing!" she rushed for the stove, pouring a cup of hot chocolate and draped a large blanket over his shoulders "sit down you madman. What were you doing? Standing out in the snow?!"
"Well, yes"
She paused in the act of spelling a warming tonic, eyeing him oddly. "What?"
"Well I was. I was standing outside your building for a good hour before I had the courage to come up here"
"Courage? George, whatever are you on about?"
He moved closer, putting his mug down and taking her hands in his. "Hermione, are you really so oblivious?"
Hermione couldn't think, her mind had stalled. She simply stared at their entwined hands, trying to process what he was doing and saying.
"Hermione. Look at me"
When she didn't respond he tilted her chin up with his fingers, briefly lingering before taking her hands again. "I'm trying to woo you. I've been madly in love with you for years. Since Hogwarts, during the war, when you started dating Ron, when you broke up. I've been I love with you since you threatened to owl my mother"
"What?"
He stared at her dumbstruck look, smiled at her wide eyes and open mouth. "Here" he took the box he had brought her, placing it gently in her lap "Open it"
She stared at him and slowly undid the string, opening the lid to find a single drum sitting at the bottom.
"A drum" she whispered, the whole thing finally dawning on her.
"Here"
George leant forward, striking the drum once. Silence fell and suddenly the room was filled with the sound of an orchestra, the one constant sound being the striking of twelve drums. The song quickly ended, Hermione in awe at what she had just heard.
"You're the Christmas poem admirer" she said, dumbfounded.
George nodded, watching her anxiously. "I know you're in shock but your silence is scaring the shit out of me"
Hermione laughed, staring at him in wonder. She placed the drum on the coffee table, scooting closer to the trembling man.
"Since I owled your mum hey?"
George chuckled weakly, shrugging. "You're bossiness got me all caught up"
She smiled widely, resting a hand on his knee. "Thank you. For the past twelve days. It has been magical"
He stroked her face adoringly. "You're most welcome"
Hermione Granger hummed cheerfully to herself, collecting the mash and beans she had been told to take into the crowded dining room. She smiled at her best friend, squashing the pots of food in between turkeys and hams and every side dish you could think of. She turned and almost ran into George Weasley, smiling widely up at him.
"Merry Christmas" she whispered.
George grinned down at the witch "Merry Christmas"
"Oi! You're underneath mistletoe"
They turned to see a smirking Fred pointing at the bunch of berries above their head.
"Oh come off it. Hermione isn't going to kiss George" Ron scoffed, shovelling more food onto his already loaded plate.
"Shall we tell them?" George whispered.
Hermione nodded and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him long and hard, deaf to the catcalls and blind to the knowing grins. George Weasley could only hold her tight, happy to finally get his Christmas wish and promising he'd never let her go again.