Love's Worth

By mArsbAr

The character of Holly Golightly is mine. Her name isn't though; it belongs to the author/s of "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Hey, I'm sorry! I couldn't resist - it's such an adorable name! =} The rest of the charas are property of the good Mrs. J.K. Rowling.

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"If I could protect you from all the hurt and disappointment in this world, I would... If I could take your pain and make it my own, I would... Just to make you happy because you're my friend and will always be."

Chapter One: Breakfast

            "And for tonight's news, Christmas won't be so merry for two young ones' families: those of Patrick Abberman and Lindsey Trable. Both were found dead due to numerous injuries across their bodies, as if carelessly handled toys that had been played with brutally and discarded. Patrick and Lindsey were reported to be in different dumpsters, the lass in Kent and the lad in..." 

            "Holly..." an angry Dr. James Golightly started, speaking over the dully droning television. "How many times have I told you to put away those dolls?" He snatched the dolls, one girl and one boy, away from the pouting toddler. He looked sternly at them, taking notice of the darned material and splotches of dirt. He murmured, "You've been fooling around with them long enough!" He absentmindedly switched off the tv without tearing his eyes off the dolls.

            "I'm sorry, daddy..." Holly whispered, still pouting. She blinked up at him innocently. "I just really wanted to play..." she added, but her father was far from listening. 

            "Honey, dinner's ready! Bring Holly in with you, all right?" came Mrs. Golightly's voice from the kitchen, where the scent of a delicious Christmas dinner allured Holly's father into hastily picking her up, deciding not to scold his daughter on Christmas Eve, and carrying the tousling little girl over his shoulder.

            What he didn't see was his daughter, hands outstretched, summoning the two dolls to her. They floated in midair, flying behind Mr. Golightly. Holly chuckled with childish amusement and grabbed the dolls once again. And in the blink of an eye, she had shrunken them to miniscule dots, and when her father had put her down, she dropped them straight into the right pocket of her pink dress.

            "Did you hear all that dreadful news on the tv, darling?" Mrs. Golightly asked her husband as she set a pitcher of water on the table. "About those kids getting killed right before Christmas?" She shook her head, thoroughly upset. "What kind of heartless criminal wouldn't even take a rest for the jolly holidays, eh?"

            "It's nothing to get worked up about, dear," said Mr. Golightly, and he smiled at Holly. "As long as OUR little one is safe..."

            The dream faded as Holly Golightly woke up to the brightly shining sun. "Aww..." she grumbled as she sat up in bed. "Let me at whoever gave me the spot by the window..."

            Hermione Granger, whose bed was next to hers, laughed. "It's your own fault, Holly. You were so busy poking around the common room on the first day that we'd all picked the good spots."

            She stretched, got up and as soon as they had freshened up, walked with Hermione to the Great Hall for breakfast.

            "You know, Hermione..." she began. She could vaguely remember the dream she had last had. It involved a little girl... and two dolls. But aside from what the dolls looked like, that was all she could recall.

            "What is it?" Hermione asked. "Look, I'm really sorry you got stuck with the bed by the window, but..."

            "No it's... nothing. Forget it," Holly said, still trying to grasp what little was left of the dream.There was a girl, wearing a red longsleeves jacket over a white frilled blouse and a turquoise ruffled skirt. And the boy was wearing khaki slacks and a light blue sweater over a navy blue collared shirt... 

            Hermione was about to comment on Holly's glazed over look, when Neville Longbottom popped up from downstairs, panting as usual.

            "Neville, will you please learn to not hurry around all the time. I  mean, a diet is one thing but to run around unnecessarily can be quite a hazard," Holly scolded, secretly happy for something to take her mind off things.         

            "Oh, but I run with purpose, Holly," Neville replied, still jogging in place.

            "And what is that purpose, pray tell?" Hermione asked with equal curiosity as her roommate. Holly, on the other hand, couldn't help but giggle at Neville who couldn't seem to stand still.

            "Err... I'd tell you, but I suggest we do it back in the common room," Neville said as a group of other students passed them on their way up.

            "Oh don't be silly, Longbottom," Holly said irritatedly. "I'm rather hungry and I'd appreciate it if you cut the nonsense and just tell us."

            "Well..." Neville, turning serious managed to stop jogging and started to walk with the two to the Great Hall. "I think a big fight is about to break out at breakfast. So I grabbed a jelly donut and was about to head back."

            "Head back? But a fight is no reason to eat and run, Neville. I mean, as long as it doesn't concern you, and it doesn't, right?" Hermione said.

            Holly shook her head, amazed at how quickly Neville managed to wolf down a jelly donut in the short distance of the Great Hall and the stair well.

            "Oh yes it is, in this case, Hermione. I'm too disgusted to watch it." Neville grimaced, then after receiving none more than still questioning looks from both girls, he continued hesitantly. "Colin Creevey was at the Great Hall early, waiting to thank Harry for his saving him from being petrified for good. When Ron left to watch a chess match between two other Gryffindors, Colin came up to Harry and uh... began his confession."

            Holly blinked. "Pardon... his CONFESSION?!"

            "Yes... Apparently Creevey likes Harry more than 'just an idol'. After reading his... love letter..." Neville shuddered a bit, "he touched Harry's cheek with a trembling hand and kind of..." he demonstrated it by dramatically pushing his bangs behind his ear, "fixed Harry's hair or something... Harry was much too shocked to object... I know I'd be if I was him..."

            "My goodness..." was all Holly could say, her jaw slightly dropping. Hermione was at a loss for words.

            "Wait 'till you hear what comes next," Neville said, stopping in his tracks, since the Great Hall was only a few feet away, and his desire to escape it still hadn't been forgotten. He looked at Holly and Hermione, who were still trying to gulp their surprise down. "Draco Malfoy suddenly grabbed Creevey's caressing hand and stopped him."

            Holly and Hermione exchanged glances, and without thinking twice, they both made for the Great Hall.