A/N: Just a short wintery one-shot that has been floating around in my head. Not my usual paring, but here it is nonetheless. I hope you enjoy it, and enjoy the Holidays (no matter what you may be celebrating!). I myself plan on having a very happy Christmas. Reviews are extremely appreciated.
The young witch lay with her head on her arms as the snow lazily fell around her. She had cast a warming spell nearly three hours ago and hadn't moved since, just happily watching the drifting snowflakes, and letting herself relax.
A lot of her classmates thought that Hermione Granger didn't relax—that it wasn't possible. They were entirely incorrect. She just had very specific ways of relaxing, and a deep understanding of when was the appropriate time. She couldn't ignore her school work, or whatever shenanigans her boys were getting themselves into. Those were her responsibilities. But every once in a while she had the chance to truly relax, and she loved those moments.
Sometimes it was on a Sunday, nestled in the back corner of the library, a bit of muggle fiction resting in her lap and a mug of tea beside her. Other times it was deep in the fields near the Burrow, when the world was so quiet and still that she could hear every slight rustle of the wind.
Other times it was like this. With a warming spell cast over her clothes the young student would sneak out of the castle and find a secluded bit of space to lay herself out. From there she would sit quietly and let her mind rest and wander. She would watch the snowflakes and the stars, and she would marvel at the pristine silence which had settled over the entire castle.
If nothing else, she was thankful to be a witch because of those warming spells. It was sad to think that a muggle could never experience this—that the cold would always get in the way.
It was nearly 3am, and Hermione knew that she should retreat back into the castle—enjoy some much needed sleep, but she just couldn't tear herself away. Heaving a sigh, she began to count to five—it was a trick her mother had taught her many years ago and somehow it stuck. Once she got to five, she would have to stand up.
"One," she whispered, cringing to break the silent spell that had descended over the grounds.
"Two," she stared across the frozen lake, smiling as she watched each flake hit the ice.
"Three," she sat up slowly, chuckling lightly as she shook the snowflakes out of her hair.
"Four," whispered a voice from behind her and Hermione leapt to her feet, her wand dangerously brandished at the whispering stranger.
From behind her Luna Lovegood raised her hands carefully above her head, "Sorry Hermione, just me."
Hermione lowered her wand, her heart pounding in her chest, and tried desperately to catch her breath. "Jesus, Luna, you scared me half to death! What are you doing out here alone? And at this time of night?"
Luna smiled slightly, "I suppose I could ask you the same question," she said quietly. "I saw you from my window, and I wanted to make sure you were alright."
Hermione smiled genuinely at the caring girl, over the last few months they had become incredibly close. While they had always been friends, this year things had changed. It was their seventh year, and Harry and Ron were both caught up in their own respective world-wind romances. Harry and Ginny had promptly reconnected after the war, and Ron had surprised everyone when he began dating Susan Bones. Both were now deliriously happy, as well as being rather preoccupied.
That is how Hermione had come to befriend Luna. She finally understood exactly why the odd girl was housed in Ravenclaw—unsurprisingly, she was brilliant. She also studied nearly as obsessively as Hermione. They had run into each other at the library during the first few weeks, and had been studying together since. Studying had quickly turned into meals together, and the occasional Hogsmeade trip—and now apparently early morning walks in the snow.
Hermione couldn't blame the girl for following her; she would have done the exact same thing. Instead she smiled, appreciative of the gesture. "I'm fine, Luna. I just needed some time to breathe tonight, and I wanted to see the snow. It really is lovely out."
"Warming spells?" the blonde confirmed.
"Yup, and apparently you have been stealing my tricks," Hermione grinned. The Ravenclaw was currently wearing a simple nightgown, and a pair of leggings—and nothing else. Even her feet were bare.
She nodded happily and then spontaneously spun around, "Oh Hermione, this is perfect! It's absolutely beautiful, and completely quiet—well, aside from us, of course. I'm sorry for ruining the silence."
"Not a problem, Luna. I was about to head inside anyways. I know I need to sleep eventually."
Luna pouted slightly, "Oh but it's so beautiful; couldn't we just sleep here?"
Hermione laughed lightly, "In the snow?"
Luna just smiled and shrugged, "We've got our warming spells, and we would be safe together. Add in a few deterring spells, so that we're not noticed, and we could camp out all night!"
"Luna," Hermione argued, "I'm the Head Girl, I can't just spend the whole night sleeping outside! That could get us expelled!"
Luna's own jingling laugh filled the air, "Hermione you saved the wizarding world, I think they'll forgive you for being outside. Besides—you've already been out hours past curfew, what would a few more hurt?"
Hermione stared into the glinting eyes of her friend and felt her resolve shatter, "Alright, alright, but if we get in trouble, I'm completely blaming you."
Luna let out a gleeful cheer and began waving her wand, "What are you doing?" Hermione interrupted.
"A couple of wards and a cushioning charm on the ground, as well as a silencing spell so no one will accidentally hear us."
Hermione was floored; she hadn't thought of any of that, not that she was thinking much at all at this point. Luna was now lying down on the snow and smiling prettily, "Come on, Mione. Don't just stand there gawking," she teased, and Hermione listened. She laid down beside the younger witch and smiled as a silence descended over them and the snow began to land lightly in her hair once more.
It felt like hours before either of them spoke again, each caught up in their own thoughts and memories. "When I was little, before Mom died, we would do this every year," Luna whispered finally. "Daddy travels a lot for the newspaper, so one night of the year she would set up a whole area behind the house for us. We would sit for hours just watching the snow fall and making up stories, and then we would sleep there. By morning we would be covered in a blanket of snow. It was always my favorite day of the year."
"That sounds beautiful," Hermione sighed, looking over through the snowflakes.
Luna was still staring at the sky, though her eyes glistening slightly with tears. Snowflakes had stuck to her eyelashes, and were threaded through her long fine hair. She looked ethereal, looked like she belonged among the snowflakes.
"Thank you for coming out here, Luna."
She smiled lightly to herself, "When I saw you out here, all alone, I wasn't actually worried Hermione. You were smiling and were partially covered in snow, and I just—you looked so happy, so at peace, and I wanted to be with you in that moment. I wanted to see that. You're always working so hard, and trying so desperately to please everyone—I wanted to be there when you were just letting yourself go. Letting yourself be free for a moment."
"You're probably the only person, aside from my parents, who has ever seen me like this," she admitted. "I don't let my guard down very easily."
Luna reached over lightly and threaded her fingers through Hermione's, "You can do that with me, if you want. I won't ever let anyone hurt you."
"Luna," Hermione tried, her voice caught in her throat.
"Hermione, I came out here wanting to tell you something," Luna whispered—her voice oddly serious. "I—Hermione, I care about you. Not very many people listen to me, or take me seriously, but you do. Even when you think my ideas are crazy, and I know that is fairly often, you don't ridicule me. You take me the way I am."
"Of course I do," Hermione smiled, "You've become one of my best friends, Luna."
"I know," Luna sniffled, "But when I say I care about you, I don't mean as just a friend. You are—you're so much more to me. You're my best friend, and you're everything I've ever dreamed of—to me, you're perfect."
Hermione sat up slowly, and Luna followed after her. "Luna, are you saying…?"
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, I just—I thought you should know. I thought you deserved to know that someone sees you like that, sees you for what you are." She stared at her hands, and was obviously willing herself not to cry, completely confidant in the rejection which would follow her statement.
Hermione just stared, and then she looked back into the falling snow; her mind desperately trying to process everything that she had just been told, yet for once she just wasn't keeping up. Luna… cared about her? It sounded like she was in love with her. Her best friend—a woman, was in love with her.
If Hermione was honest with herself, she hadn't really had feelings for many people at all. There was the abysmal crush on Ron, which she was thankfully well over. And a short bout of butterflies for Victor Krum, but that was more due to the attention he was giving her, and less because of him as a whole. For the most part, Hermione had simply never had time. There was always another evil lurking in the distance, another monster to defend her friends from, and she still hadn't quite figured out what it meant to be safe.
And now this.
Sweet, wonderful, beautiful Luna was telling her she had feelings for her. The thought sent a wave of butterflies fluttering up into her chest. Hermione had never considered the idea of being with a woman, not really. But she hadn't really considered herself with a man either. She had mostly considered herself alone…
She certainly loved spending time with Luna, she was smart and funny, but also thoughtful and could understand a lot of things that the boys just couldn't. She was passionate, and enthusiastic. She was also stunningly beautiful. Hermione had caught herself staring on several occasions, smiling crookedly at the brilliant Ravenclaw. It wasn't that she was conventionally beautiful, she was just purely her. She was unfiltered sunlight and goodness, and she almost always smiled. She was perfect.
Forcing herself back into her current reality and looking down at her friend, she found that the girl was crying slightly, "Oh god, Luna, what's the matter, why are you crying?" Without a moment's hesitation Hermione pulled her into her arms, her fingers lightly brushing her hair out of her face as she moved.
"Hermione, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I shouldn't have—this was a mistake. Please, just don't stop being my friend, I know I sound pathetic—I just need you in my life, please."
For once, Hermione just followed her instincts, leaning down she gently brushed her lips over Luna's, quieting the girl immediately. It took a moment for her to respond, but she soon gasped and placed a gentle hand on Hermione's neck, her other lightly cradling Hermione's face in her hands.
Hermione's head was spinning. She had kissed her best friend—her best friend was kissing her back, and she couldn't deny that she was enjoying it. It was as if Luna knew this was her one chance to convince Hermione, because she was pouring all of her heart into the kiss, and Hermione couldn't contain the small moan as she pulled the girl ever closer.
Finally pulling away, Hermione grinned and brushed a few snowflakes from her hair, "Well I guess that answers my questions, doesn't it?"
Luna smiled, "You don't have to; you know that right? I just want to be your friend, more than anything I want to be your friend, Hermione."
"Luna—stop worrying," Hermione laughed, placing a light kiss on her lips again and laying back against the snow once more. "I'm supposed to be the one that does that."
Luna smiled brightly and took Hermione's hand once more as she stretched out in the smooth white expanse. In the morning, they would figure everything out, but until then they would just lie together beneath the snow, and enjoy the quiet peace that the winter's night could bring.
Thanks for reading!