A fresh blanket of wet, fluffy snow smothered the Hogwarts grounds in pure white glitter and soaked the bottom of Harry's robes as he ambled back to Gryffindor tower after a visit at Hagrid's hut. Tomorrow would be Christmas day. Over the holidays this year, the Gryffindor house was completely deserted except for one other student: Hermione. Even Ron had left to spend his Christmas at the Burrow. Harry remembered the expression on Ron's face as he was saying goodbye to - in other words, embracing and kissing - Hermione; it contained a slight hint of uncertainty and hesitant suspicion. It was clear that Ron could sense that something in his two best friends had changed, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Harry arrived in the Gryffindor common room, shaking the snow off of his shoes. Hermione was sitting by the fireplace, absentmindedly watching the hypnotizing flames curl upward. She must have either just woken up, or had been feeling too languid to get dressed, because she was wearing the thin, skimpy lace slip she wore to bed that accentuated the delicate beauty of someone between girlhood and womanhood. It showed more of her skin than Harry had ever seen before.

She looked up at him and smiled, rather self-conscious, and said, "I didn't think you'd be coming back so soon," referring to her reason for her careless choice of dress.

Harry surprised himself by saying, "I'm not complaining," and then went slightly pink after saying it, as if he had only just realized what he'd said.

Hermione laughed a little, but then a solemn look passed over her face. "I've been thinking..." she started.

"About what?" Harry asked, removing his cloak and draping it casually over the arm of a chair.

"About what's been going on." Hermione answered, lowering her eyes. "I don't know if I can handle this. I haven't quite been myself since that night on the roof." She paused, as if expecting permission to continue talking. It was strange how Harry was the only person she could express her deepest emotions to, yet he was so entwined in the situation that created these emotions that it was difficult for her to talk so candidly about them. Nevertheless, she took a breath and went on. "All my life I've been Hermione the know-it-all, always buried beneath a stack of books. I never attempted something I wasn't sure I could accomplish, which is why I never surrendered to the risk of letting myself fall in love. Even when I was with Viktor, and when I started dating Ron, I never let romance get the better of me. But that's because I never felt truly overpowered by it... like I do with you." She fidgeted with the strap of her slip as she spoke, her voice trembling. "The only love I ever felt for Ron is friendship. I've never felt this kind of love before, and it scares me. I've changed. And I think Ron's picking up on it, too. I could see it in his face when he was saying goodbye to me, before he left for Christmas break. I'm not the same, and he knows it. And I don't know what to do."

Harry gazed at her, entranced with sympathy, the love he felt for her mingling with pity. Words failed him; he knew there was no way to articulate his intense desire to somehow protect this fragile, petite figure sitting beside him and relieve her of all harm that could ever befall her way. A wave of overwhelming affection for her swept over him, and he moved into her seat and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against his beating heart and feeling closer to her than he'd ever felt to anyone, both physically and mentally. She leaned on him, letting her full weight rest in his arms, allowing him to support her and act as her savior. It wasn't only her attire - or lack thereof - that made her feel so exposed; she felt as open and as vulnerable as she would if she'd been wearing no slip at all. Harry was amazed at the amount of trust she felt for him. To feel Hermione hurt made him hurt as well. He couldn't help thinking that he had caused this weakness in Hermione and because it was his fault, he shouldn't be the one consoling her. He felt his heart in his throat and choked, "I'm sorry... You shouldn't have to be going through this..."

"But I'm not the only one going through this," she whispered, her arm sliding around Harry's shoulders. "I don't want you to feel sorry for me... Just like I know you wouldn't want me to feel sorry for you."

After a long, heavy pause, Harry spoke up. "We have to tell Ron." His voice was firm and final in the knowledge that it was ultimately their only choice.

Hermione knew that this was the right thing to do, but still, doubt stirred in her heart - not doubt of Harry's love, nor of their strength as a couple, but doubt of Ron's capability to handle the news. She was frozen by the fear of abandoning the solid ground she'd stood on for thirteen months and leaving her two best friends and herself vulnerable to the pain and loss that came with upsetting the routine she'd followed for so long. Life as Ron's girlfriend was not the happiest of existences she could imagine for herself, but it was safe and comfortable. Straightening up and peering into Harry's captivating green eyes, she said quietly, "Aren't you worried about how Ron will react?"

"Of course," said Harry simply. "But there are things that are more important than fear. Like love. Love doesn't come without risks, and I'm willing to take them, for you... for us. We just have to do what we have to do and see what happens. It's for the best. We'll never know what could've been unless we try, and I don't want to be kicking myself twenty years from now because I didn't have enough guts to tell Ron that you're the only person I can imagine myself spending the rest of my life with."

Momentarily forgetting her anxieties, Hermione's eyes lit up like fairy lights and her lips parted to form a smile. "I am?"

Harry nodded, leaning in slightly so that his forehead was pressed against Hermione's, his face getting warmed by the puffs of air emitting from Hermione's lips. He felt Hermione draw in an excited breath and lean in even further to kiss him, but Harry interjected. "I don't think we should..." Hermione nodded, understanding, not wanting to betray Ron any more than she already had.

* * *

Harry awoke the next morning with someone on top of him, their legs digging into his ribs and their hands gently shaking his shoulders to wake him up.

"Hermione," he yawned, reaching around blindly for his glasses, "you're not supposed to just barge in here... it's the boys' dorm..."

"But you're the only boy in here," she persisted.

"Well, what if I'd been getting dressed?"

Hermione grinned dreamily. "Hmm, that thought didn't occur to me." She rested her cheek on his chest, burying her nose in the collar of his pajamas and inhaling the way warm flannel smelled after being wrapped around Harry for a night. She murmured "merry Christmas" in his ear, which he returned sleepily.

"Come on," Hermione said, sitting up, "let's open our presents." She handed two neatly wrapped packages to Harry. "You first."

The first parcel he unwrapped contained a book called "Quidditch All Over the World". The second was a large book with no title, bound in leather. He opened it and saw a collection of photographs, awards, school papers written on scraps of parchments, and other assorted relics, all belonging to the same two people. It was a scrapbook of his parents.

"I wanted to get you something that would mean a lot to you," she explained, "so with some help from Sirius, Lupin, and Dumbledore, I was able to put this together."

Harry was speechless, but Hermione understood how touched he was.

Next, Hermione opened the presents Harry had gotten her. The first box contained a delicate, dainty silver charm bracelet, bewitched so that the charms moved as if they had lives of their own. The second gift was a book of Muggle fairy tales. Harry explained the latter. "I was in Flourish & Blots, looking for some sort of textbook I could give you. But then I saw this, and I remembered that first night on the roof, when you told me how you heard all these Muggle fairy tales while growing up, and you were afraid that those sort of things don't really exist. But I think that someday I'll be able to prove to you that they do. So I figured you have enough textbooks already, and I got this for you instead, so I could give you something with a more sentimental value."

Hermione smiled broadly, surprised at how thoughtful Harry had been to remember such a small detail she'd once mentioned. "I love it," she said softly as she inched closer to Harry and threw her arms around him. After their hug, Hermione remained curled up in his arms, enjoying the moment. They stayed in that position for a little longer, temporarily detached from the rest of the world.

* * *

Harry and Hermione had forgotten breakfast, so they were hungering for lunch more than usual. The air in the Great Hall was rich with the sumptuous scents of turkey, gravy, potatoes, chipolatas, crumpets, and, for dessert, pumpkin pie, moist and loaded with spices.

Since there were so few people staying at Hogwarts for Christmas, Harry, Hermione, and the other remaining students ate with the teachers. After the feast, Dumbledore led everyone in a boisterous chorus of his favorite Christmas carols, and everyone joined in - except Snape, but Hagrid's booming voice more than made up for his silence. Crackers were passed around and pulled open, and Harry's contained a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Unfortunately, a sardine-flavored bean obliterated the pleasant taste that the Christmas lunch had left in his mouth.

As Harry and Hermione were leaving the Great Hall, they noticed that they were standing directly underneath a sprig of mistletoe, which they were sure hadn't been there when they had entered.

"Hmm, do you think it's a sign?" Harry said, looking half-amused and half- curious.

"I... guess so." Hermione murmured, and Harry leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips (as they were still not too far from the teachers).

Hermione broke the kiss with a giggle.

"What?" Harry asked, a concerned look passing over his face.

Hermione blinked. "Your mouth still tastes like sardines."

With the Gryffindor common room and dormitories all to themselves for the rest of the Christmas break, temptation constantly loomed over their heads like an ominous cloud on the verge of letting a downpour of rain burst out of it. But they resisted giving in. Whenever they were incited to take advantage of Gryffindor tower's vacancy, they'd distract themselves by reading from textbooks or the books they'd gotten eachother for Christmas, or sitting in front of the fireplace sipping hot cocoa while discussing lighthearted subjects, but mostly they practiced spells. The provocation was so strong and frequent, in fact, that Harry ended up learning more spells in that one week of vacation than he had learned the entire year.

* * *

Love can make you blind. That's why neither Harry nor Hermione noticed the stony atmosphere that had settled in the Gryffindor common room the evening of Ron's return to Hogwarts.

Ron had pulled Hermione into one arm as he played Wizard's Chess against Harry with the other so that they could snuggle up near the fire, and Hermione had obligingly rested her head on his shoulder. Every now and then, she couldn't help but let her gaze flicker in Harry's direction for an instant, allured by his presence across from her.

"So, Harry," Ron said, after his castle smashed Harry's queen into shards, violently leaving Harry's kind in a helpless position and resulting in a checkmate, "Going to take Cho to the next Hogsmeade visit? It's next weekend, remember?"

"No," Harry answered, "We're not dating. I told her I don't feel that way about her. We're not going to go out anymore."

Ron's eyes grew as wide and round as saucers. "What'd you do that for?"

Harry shrugged. "She just wasn't right for me. I need someone who makes me feel..." he glanced at Hermione, and their eyes connected for an instant. "...someone who makes me feel... complete."

Ron shook his head, in grim disappointment of Harry. "You're mad, you know, to give up a girl like Cho!" he exclaimed.

"If you think she's such a good catch, then why don't you go out with her?" Harry muttered rudely.

"What's with you lately?" Ron exploded in frustration.

Hermione glanced awkwardly at Harry, who cleared his throat and said, "Ron, there's something we need to talk to you about."