The days leading up to Christmas were filled with a flurry of activity. After having completely ignored the holiday the year before, Hermione threw herself into the spirit of Christmas with a vengeance. She decorated her room with garland and tiny fairies that would blink on and off when the lights were out. Crookshanks, to his immense displeasure, now sported a festive red and green bow, complete with three tiny bells that ran through a litany of carols. She had snowball fights with Harry, Ron, Parvati, and Lavender, and hung mistletoe in the Common Room over all of Ron's favorite seats.
Professor Dumbledore had announced there would be a holiday mixer performed by the Hogwarts Choir, and a Yule Ball. When reminded that Hogwarts didn't have a choir, he rectified the situation nicely by asking the Sorting Hat to coach select students and teachers. Hermione was one of them, and to her amazement, so was Professor Snape. After hearing each of them sing on their own, the wisest of hats proclaimed that they were to have a duet. When told what the Hat had in mind, Hermione started choking and Seamus Finnegan had to pound her back before she could draw a breath.
Snape threw aside the lyrics sheet and argued with the Hat. "I'm not singing that song!" he said, the familiar scowl on his face once more.
"It's a lovely holiday tune," the Hat argued back. "Someone's got to sing it."
"I can't call Miss Granger 'sweetlips'! It's degrading and ridiculous!" Snape shot back.
The Hat was adamant. "Dumbledore specifically asked that this song be a student-teacher duet. It's either you and Miss Granger or Mr. Malfoy and Professor McGonagall. How would the students react to hearing Professor McGonagall call Mr. Malfoy 'honeybunch'?"
Draco shot Snape a horrified, pleading look and shook his head vigorously. Snape sighed. "Fine, I'll do it," he snapped, and retrieved the paper.
When she wasn't at choir practice, classes, attending her Head Girl duties, or studying for her NEWTs, she could be found teaching Snape the basics of chemistry. He was a quick learner and started combining what she taught with his potions knowledge to create more potent formulas. She found him in the dungeons one day, holding a bottle filled with cream and a look of triumph on his face.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing.
"Just some hair conditioner," he said smoothly, putting it aside. She shrugged and started the lesson.
Harry had gotten the courage to ask Mandy Brocklehurst to the Ball. Ron and Parvati, who had announced their relationship shortly after Harry left the hospital wing, were going together as well. Everyone was shocked when Ginny revealed her date was Draco Malfoy. Hermione had turned down one of the Hufflepuff prefects and was planning on going alone when Dean Thomas asked if he could accompany her. His girlfriend attended Beaubaxtons and wouldn't be able to make it for the Ball. Hermione happily agreed.
Most of the school had signed up to stay over the holidays, and the Great Hall was filled with parents and students on the night of the mixer. The performers were anxiously rushing around the area behind the stage that had been erected for the event. The Hat was perched on a stool, giving last minute advice between wails of "Where's my robes?" and "There must be hundreds of people out there!". One unfortunate first year clutched at his stomach and rushed to the bathroom. Hermione and Neville stood waiting together, dressed in the heavy white robes for the first number. Neville was nervous about a solo he had later in the program.
"What if my voice cracks, or I get stage fright?" he asked, agitated.
"You'll be fine, Neville. You were great in practice," Hermione said comfortingly.
"Miss Granger is correct, Mr. Longbottom," Snape's voice carried over to them. He appeared from behind a large piece of plywood charmed to look like a snowman. "Just look over the audience's head and you'll do well."
Neville looked surprised by the encouragement from the Potions Master, who looked very un-Snape-like in his white robes. "Thank you, sir. I'll try."
Snape nodded one and joined a group of other teachers who would be performing as well. Neville looked after him in amazement. "Was it just me, or did Snape's hair look clean?"
Somehow, they made it through the majority of the concert without incident. They sang portions from Handel's Messiah, acted out a few skits, and reenacted the Nativity with the ghosts acting as angels. Neville sang beautifully, and one of the sixth year girls performed the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker, to a standing ovation. Before Hermione knew it, she was being helped into the red dress for the last number- her duet with Professor Snape. Someone shoved her out on the stage, where she practically collided with Snape, who had been the victim of the same treatment from the other side.
Professor Dumbledore himself announced them, saying the song was his favorite holiday piece and it would be performed by two of his favorite people. "Hermione Granger and Professor Severus Snape, performing 'Baby, It's Cold Outside'!"
Hermione was glad the spotlight shining on them, so she couldn't see anyone in the audience past the second row. She could hear Ron wolf-whistling from someone in the middle and gritted her teeth in embarrassment. She shot Snape a look filled with panic right before the piano started. He leaned close and whispered, "Just play along". Right before Hermione's cue, he placed an arm around her waist and nodded.
Dumbledore wanted a show?, Hermione thought. She'd give him one! She placed her hand on his chest, as if to pull away, and laughed in what she hoped was a seductive manner. "Well honeybunch, it's been fun, but gotta run."
The students whispered to each other, "Did she just call Snape 'honeybunch'?" Ron and Harry stared in shock. McGonagall choked back a laugh.
Snape dipped her back low and leaned close. She could have sworn that he was fighting not to laugh. He said his lines in a loud, clear voice that carried through the Hall. "Oh sweetlips, stay a little while longer won't you?"
The Great Hall exploded in laughter. Hermione smiled at Snape and straightened, turning away slightly. "No, it's very late, baby. I really got to go," she said. They acted the rest of the dialogue, before Hermione turned to the audience and sang in a clear, sweet voice, "I really can't stay..."
Snape joined in immediately. "...but baby it's cold outside!"
"I've got to go away...."
"...but baby it's cold outside!"
They worked their way through to rest of the song, playing up their lines. The audience burst out in laughter again when Snape sang, "It's not a couch puddin' pop, it's a love seat!". Finally, they were at the end, and as their voices joined together, they clasped hands and sang the last line, "ah, but it's cold outside!". The audience rose to their feet and and it took a very long time for the cheering to stop.
As soon as they were backstage, Snape turned to her with a grin. "I can't believe we just had to do that. Dumbledore had better keep an eye on that Hat of his."
Hermione's eyes were filled with laughter, "Oh, come on 'honeybunch', once I got in to it, it was kind of fun".
Snape smiled evilly. "If you don't watch yourself, Miss Granger, I shall call you 'puddin' pop' for the rest of the year."
She howled with laughter and after a moment he joined in. The other performers came up to congratulate them on their number and whisked them off to a "cast party" they had set up. Harry and Ron were waiting for her, and as they chatted happily, Dumbledore came over to offer his thanks on what he said was, "a job well done indeed".
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Christmas morning dawned sunny and clear. Hermione woke to a heavy weight on her chest; it was Crookshanks, pawing miserably at his holiday bow. The little bells were ringing out "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear". She laughed and ran her hand down the cat's silky fur. "It's just for one more day. You can handle it."
Someone pounded on her door. "Hermione! Come on, we want to open the presents!" Ron yelled.
"Coming!", she yelled back. She moved Crookshanks, rolled out of bed, and pulled a green dressing gown over her pajamas. Gathering up the presents at the foot of her bed, she joined her friends in the common room.
She received the customary sweater from Mrs. Weasley, along with a tin of cookies. Hagrid gave her a tin of treacle fudge and a small enchanted hippogriff figurine that looked exactly like Buckbeak. It moved around on her palm and preened.
Harry's gift was a pensieve, and Ron had assembled an album filled with pictures of her years at Hogwarts. The last few pages were empty, to add shots from the rest of the year, he explained. Sirius sent her a talking mirror, and Remus gave her a book, "Living Magical in a Non-Magical World", which proclaimed itself to be the "number one guide for surviving among Muggles". Ron and Harry caught sight of the book, but didn't say anything. Hermione knew they didn't understand her need to go to a Muggle University.
Harry had just picked up his Weasley sweater to put it on when he said, "Hey, Hermione, there's one more under here for you". He passed the small box to her and pulled the sweater over his head.
She took it carefully. It was plainly wrapped, with her name written across the front in small print. There was no indication of who has sent it. She was just about to open it when Ron nudged her and said, "He's about to open the box from Sirius". She slipped the box in her pocket and turned her attention to Harry.
They watched in silence as Harry lifted the lid. There was a letter lying on top, and he read it carefully. When he looked up, Hermione could tell he was fighting tears. "It's the letter Dumbledore wrote to the Dursleys after my parents died." There was another letter underneath the first, and he read that one aloud.
"Harry,
These are a few of Lily's belongings that I've collected over the years. The blanket is one that she knitted for you herself, when she found out she was expecting. It's also the one you were wrapped in when you came to us. The wand she got shortly after her Hogwarts letter. I'm ashamed to say I hid it from her and she had to get a new one, but maybe now that's a good thing. The album has photos of her when we were growing up, and her school letters as well. The necklace was given to her by our parents on the day of her christening.
I wish there were more.
Petunia"
Harry stared into the box for a long time before pulling out the wand. He ran his fingers over it, remembering Mr. Ollivander's words. "Willow, 10 ¼, swishy. Good for charm work," he murmured before putting it back. He set the box gently on the table and stood. "I'm going to go for a walk. Want to come?" Ron agreed, and they both looked at Hermione. "Go ahead", she waved them away. "I'm going to read for a bit."
"Read?", Ron looked shocked. "But it's Christmas!"
She gave him a look, and Harry dragged him toward the portrait hole. "See you at dinner!" Harry called back to her, before they disappeared.
She gathered up her gifts and returned to her room, reclining on the bed next to Crookshanks. He mewed pathetically and shook his head hard, trying to dislodge the bow, which had moved on to "We Three Kings". She finally took pity on the poor cat and tapped the bow with her wand. It turned back into Crookshanks' normal rhinestoned collar. He purred gratefully and curled up in Hermione's lap for a nap.
Hermione stroked his fur, thinking about Sirius' gift to Harry and the Yule ball that night. She knew the boys' liked her gifts; she had gotten Harry a Remembrall that doubled as a snitch, and Ron his own broomstick servicing kit. She had given gifts to Hagrid, Sirius, and Remus as well, like she did every year. This year however, she had also given a gift to Severus Snape.
She had asked William Morgan to retrieve the gift from her vault and sent it to her. It was just as she remembered, bound beautifully in leather and decorated with gold leaf. It was her father's prized first edition Lord Byron. She knew Snape could appreciate the gift like no one else. It wasn't right keeping something so beautiful locked up, she thought, not when someone could make use of it. She hoped he liked it, and didn't think her too presumptuous for sending it.
She shifted, and felt something digging into her side. It was the small box she had slipped into her pocket earlier. She's completely forgotten it once Harry had opened Lily's things. Hermione pulled it out now and unwrapped it.
It was a box from Asprey and Garrard, London's most famous, not to mention expensive, jewelry store. She gasped and tried to imagine who could have possibly purchased something for her from such a store. Slowly, she raised the lid and her breath caught in her throat.
It was a platinum cello on a fine chain. The tuning pegs were tiny well cut diamonds and when she reached out to touch it with a trembling fingertip, it began to play Bach's Suiten fur Violincello in low, rich tones. There was no note, but she knew exactly who had sent it.
She met Harry and Ron coming back in the Common Room. They were all wearing their Weasley sweaters, and they were starved. Ron sang dirty versions of Christmas carols as they went to the Great Hall. All signs of the concert the night before had disappeared, and the regular house tables had been brought back in. They took seats at the end of the Gryffindor table and ate cheerfully. Hermione looked at the High table several times, trying to get a glimpse of Professor Snape, but his seat remained empty throughout the meal.
After dinner, it was time to prepare for the Yule Ball. Hermione, as Head Girl, had her own room, and she and Ginny crowded inside to chat and giggle as they got ready. Half a bottle of Sleakeazy's Hair Potion later, Hermione gave up. "It's not going straight, no matter what I do," she wailed. Ginny took one look and sent her back to the shower. "Wash that out, use a drying charm, and let me take care of it," she ordered, and Hermione gratefully obeyed. When Ginny had finished, Hermione's hair had been swept into a loose up-do, with curls tumbling down around her face. Even Hermione, who hated her curls, had to admit that it looked far better than her attempts at straightening.
They took turns making up their faces in front of Hermione's new talking mirror, which proclaimed them to be "absolutely stunning". Ginny put on her gold robes and spun. "Well?" she asked Hermione, her eyes alight.
"You look gorgeous. Draco's not going to know what hit him!" Hermione replied with a smile. Ginny's ears went slightly pink. "How do I look?"
Ginny took a step back and studied her friend. Hermione was wearing shimmery robes of dark green that left a good deal of shoulder and cleavage exposed. Her hair was lightly glittered and several curls were framing her lovely face, which was lightly made up. "Oh, wait a minute!" she said. She withdrew a box from her trunk and fastened the necklace it held around her throat. "OK, now," Hermione said, and turned back around.
"You're beautiful, Hermione," Ginny said enviously, "Even if you are wearing Slytherin colors!" She winked at her friend and Hermione laughed delightedly. "I didn't even realize that, honestly, but you don't have much room to talk. What time is Draco going to be here?"
Ginny checked the clock. "Five minutes. We should get to the Common Room. I don't want Ron to be alone with Draco, even if Harry's there. We might not make it to the Ball at all."
"Oh, he's not that bad anymore, now that he's had time to get to know Draco again," Hermione said, shutting the door behind her. "I know", Ginny answered, "but he's still my big brother".