Notes: Eighth Year!AU, Post DH

Christmas was right around the corner for the students that stayed behind at Hogwarts. Harry was surprisingly alone; he had told Hermione and the rest of the Weasley family that he wanted to stay behind.

It had taken nearly an hour to convince the Weasley matriarch he was going to be fine on his own. It was out of his character to do such a thing, but there was no changing his mind.

Though Harry had an ulterior motive for wanting to be on his own. He had made a promise to someone that Harry didn't feel would be as accepted as others in the Weasley home.

What that promise entailed was getting said person in a real Christmas spirit. So he was out in the courtyard that was covered in layers of thick snow, rolling up some of it in large ball shapes.

He was placing a Gryffindor scarf around the 'head' and sticks on the sides of the 'body' when he saw a figure approaching. It was the very person he had made his promise to: Pansy Parkinson.

Pansy blinked at the sight before her. "What in Merlin's balls is that monstrosity, Potter?" she asked.

Harry scratched his cheek and chuckled. "It's a snowman, Parkinson," he told her.

"What sense does it make to create a man out of the snow?" she asked, wrinkling her nose, "It hardly resembles a man. Let alone an actual human being!"

"It's the thought that counts."

"Well my thoughts consist of three Flitwick-sized balls stacked on each other."

"I thought you wanted to learn about these things."

Pansy sighed and rubbed her arm. "I did...I do," she replied, tucking her dark hair behind her ear, "I suppose it just wasn't what I expected. As a child I was taught that playing in the snow was for the more incompetent lot."

"I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the smartest person out there," Harry remarked, "but there's nothing wrong with playing in the snow. Making snowmen is one of the better things about Christmas if you ask me."

Pansy tilted her head curiously at Harry. "Why's that, Potter?"

Harry looked to the other side of the courtyard before meeting Pansy's eyes. "I didn't have friends growing up with my aunt and uncle. They were the closest thing to company that I had."

Pansy bit her lip before quickly fixing her face. "Sounds lonely," she commented.

"It'd sound even worse if you had to experience it," Harry pointed out before shaking his head, "but never mind that. We're out here for you, not me, remember?"

Pansy nodded, clasping her hands together. "I remember."

Harry have her a nod and adjusted his glasses. "Right, well, let's get to building that snowman, yeah?"

The witch pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "As long as it doesn't poke my bum with its twigs for arms and I don't ruin my nails, I'm ready."

Harry's brow quirked up as a smile tugged at his lips. "Where did you hear that?"

"Blaise told me."

"Huh, and you actually believed him?"

Pansy's cheeks tinted pink as she scowled. "Shut it. Let's get this over with."

She marched past him in the snow, earning a laugh from Harry. He would have continued to laugh if a ball of snow would not have connected with his face.

Pansy snorted at the surprised look on Harry's face as he wiped the snow off his face.

"At least you're getting into the Christmas spirit."

The fire was roaring in the fireplace of the Gryffindor Common Room, enhancing the warm feeling of the area despite its lack of usual student activity.

Harry was sitting against one of the sofas, glancing over at the girl lying on her stomach in front of the fireplace. Before arriving in the common room, he had to hear her cries of completing things 'the muggle way', but Harry felt that she secretly enjoyed playing in the snow.

"I have to admit, Potter, if I didn't have the qualities of a snake, I'd have jumped in the lion's den a long time ago," Pansy complimented with a snort.

"Are you sure your friends would have allowed that?" Harry asked, leaning his head on his elbow.

Pansy turned to her side and met Harry's eye. "I've made a lot of mistakes in the past because of my family and 'friends', and it almost cost me a great opportunity."

"Oh," Harry raised his eyebrow, "what opportunity?"

Pansy sat up and made her way over to the platter of cookies the House Elves had brought in. She sat next to Harry and placed the platter in the space between them.

"The opportunity of knowing who The Boy Who Lived really is," she told him.

Harry swallowed hard, heat rising to his cheeks at the intensity of the situation. "What changed?" he asked her, "For you to want to know me."

Pansy looked down. "I lost my mother a week after arriving here," she whispered, "nothing else mattered to me anymore after that."

Harry frowned, looking at her. "I'm...I'm sorry to hear that."

She scoffed harshly. "I don't need your pity."

"And I'm not offering it. I'm being sincere," he argued.

"Why?" Pansy demanded. "Why are you being sincere? How can you be sincere to someone like me? I tried to get you killed, Potter!"

Harry bit his lip before sighing. "I've been guilty of not looking past the exterior before, and I was wrong for doing it." He shook his head. "I can't be mad at you for doing what you thought was right. Perhaps in the past, yes, but now? It wouldn't be right."

Pansy just glared at Harry. "I want to hate you for being so...so you right now."

He scratched the back of his head. "Do you know why I promised to show you what a real Christmas celebration is like?"

She shook her head, prompting Harry to continue.

Harry swallowed and drummed his fingers together. "Because even the grinchiest of people have hearts that can grow, if there's someone willing to show they care."

From the expression on Pansy's face, Harry guessed that it was one of the first times she'd heard something like that. He believed in his heart that it was something she needed to hear.

Harry didn't know what he was thinking when he had made the promise to Pansy when their paths crossed in the corridor, but he meant every word he had given so far. It was their last year in Hogwarts, and it was time to grow past former grudges.

If that meant making snowmen and eating cookies by the fire with Pansy Parkinson for the holidays, then so be it.

A/N: Written for The Houses Competition and HSWW (Challenges and Assignments)

(THC) House: Hufflepuff; Position: HoH; Category: Short; Prompt: [speech] "Huh, and you actually believed him/her/them?"

(HSWW) Assignment #6 Transfiguration Task: Write about someone going through a change (minor or major, physically or mentally is completely up to you)

Insane House Challenge: Event - Christmas

Word Count: 1,120