Characters/ship: Harry & Hermione
Item: Santa Hat
Line: "I thought it was a good idea…"
The wind and rain battled to keep the front door of Grimmauld Place open while Hermione pushed all her weight against the heavy door to shut herself inside. A slew of shopping bags were at her feet, having dropped them as soon as she was inside. One hand braced against the wall, the other against the door, she raised one leg to push her golosh against the door and with one final heave, it was closed. Mumbling to herself, she levitated her bags and sent them up to her room. "Stupid house… Harry doesn't believe me but I know you're against me. Just wait and see if I don't convince him to replace every single last nail in this sodding place if I have to…" She'd need to wrap the few gifts she purchased before giving up hope for the day but first she was going to have a glorious soak in her gorgeous clawfoot tub. Their bathrooms were the first thing to be renovated, and she couldn't have been happier about that decision right now.
She pulled off her coat and boots in the hallway, then padded down the hall thinking perhaps she'd stop for a cup of tea before heading upstairs as she dried her hair just enough to stop the dripping. As she got closer to what they were now calling the living room, she heard what sounded like Celestina Warbeck's Christmas album warbling out of the room.
Distracted from her plans and confused, Hermione turned into the room to see Harry Potter standing at a massive Christmas tree that had been shoved into a corner of the room, tinsel clinging to his jumper in odd places, hanging ornaments while dancing about, wiggling his behind in a way she was sure he never would had he known she was standing there.
Hermione glanced about the room to see decorations spilled about everywhere: garland across the couch, ornaments on almost every table, snow globes, and what looked like spontaneous tests of some kind of permasnow charm. There were pine needles clumped in odd spots across the floor as well. He must have tried it in different places before he settled on that corner, she thought, her eyes landing back on the absolutely massive tree. The top was brushing the tall ceiling and looked as if some may have come off to fit. The circumference of the tree was so wide that the branches were taking up a significant portion of the corner. There was no way they would be able to fit presents under the tree, he obviously had not attempted to fit a tree skirt below – she could magic one into place – and some of the branches extended precariously close to the fireplace.
"Harry, what's going on?" she shouted above the holiday music.
Harry stopped, his arm half raised, about to put up another ornament on the tree and turned around to look at Hermione standing in the doorway. A grin lit up his face as he pushed up his glasses and exclaimed, "Christmas!"
"Yes, Harry… I know it's Christmas," Hermione said as she slowly entered the room, setting her wand down on her way to the brightly-lit tree. As she walked closer, the enormity of the tree became more evident. There's no way even Harry can reach the top of it! I wonder if he went out and chopped it down himself… Her gaze broke away from the tree, onto Harry who was walking over to the record player to turn down the volume.
"It's nearly Christmas, and we didn't have any decorations up," Harry said as he walked over to stand at her side, both gazing at the glittering tree. Looking down at Hermione, his cheery grin still in place, cheeks bright from his exertion while wearing a heavy Weasley Christmas jumper in a room warm from the roaring fire, his eyes turned just a touch more thoughtful as he added "Thought we'd bring in a little holiday cheer what with us all being… Well, you know how it's been…" He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the wooden unicorn ornament still in his hand. Harry cleared his throat, "Just wanted something to be back to normal. Y'know? Or a new normal, anyway… Maybe a new tradition." He brought his eyes back up to meet Hermione's and added "I thought it was a good idea…"
Hermione stared back at her best friend. This man who had busied himself so much in the last few months that she didn't get to see him nearly as much as she'd like to. True, they shared space in the library while she read and he studied for the Auror program but it had been a long while since she had seen this particular spark of life within her oldest and truest friend. She realized Harry was doing this for himself as much as for her, and he was right. They both needed this. A new normal, for themselves.
Smiling with just the slightest hint of mischief in her eyes, Hermione turned and snatched something off the table and spun back around to face Harry. "I think it's an excellent idea," she pronounced as she stepped onto her tiptoes and pulled a Santa hat over Harry's head. Laughing, Harry caught her in his arms and pulled her in tightly. If his strong arms were crushing her just the tiniest bit, she wasn't going to say anything. If the fuzz from the hat was tickling her nose as it fell into her face when Harry bent his head down to bury his nose in her curls and take a steadying breath, well she wouldn't say anything about that either except to squeeze back tighter.
He loosened his grip, and looked down at her once again. "C'mon, help me finish decorating. There's plenty more to do." Handing her the unicorn ornament and stepping away, Harry watched Hermione turn and put it on a small side table half hidden amongst the branches.
"We should set some aside for Teddy to put on when he comes over tomorrow."