CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Night Before Christmas
Harry walked up the stairs to his dormitory late that night and lay in bed thinking about the events of the day. Things were good between him and Hermione now, which made him very pleased. But something was still bothering him; it was just one week before Christmas Eve and he still had no gift for Hermione.
He pondered many things. It was now almost three months since they had started dating, and Harry was wondering if he should propose. It WAS early in the relationship, with only two and a half months under their belts. But Harry had loved her much longer than that, so it seemed like they had been together for more than just two an a half months. They HAD been friends since they were just eleven years old, and Harry had always wanted it to be more since their fifth year.
A ring would either make her happy, or make her angry. Harry didn't want to risk making her angry again, so he decided against a ring. Harry had always gotten her books in the past, knowing as to how she loved reading so much. But it was different now that they were dating, every gift had to be better and more spectacular than a book.
Harry was beginning to get frustrated. He had to get her something that she had no chance of being mad about, sad about, or in the least bit unhappy about. That meant he couldn't get her anything that might remind her of Krum, or of the fact that they had been fighting. He couldn't get her a book; in fear that she might think he didn't love her enough to get her beautiful things. Harry just couldn't think of any way to make Hermione happy this Christmas. Maybe he'd get her an animal, seeing as to how Crookshanks had died after being pulverized by the Whomping Willow last year.
But no, Harry had a better idea than a book, a pet, or a ring. He'd get her a necklace. A nice necklace. That was as close to a ring as he was getting, so Harry decided on a necklace.
On their next trip to Hogsmead, Harry stepped into a jewelry shop not far from the Shrieking Shack. He looked into the glass cases full of rings, watches, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, but didn't see anything that interested him.
"Can I help you, Lad?" asked a homely old woman behind the counter.
"Yes...what do you get a girl that you've known practically your whole life, but just recently started dating?" he said quickly. The woman raised an eyebrow and looked into the case he was staring into.
"Don't get her diamonds." She said simply, and went back doing whatever it was she was doing before. Harry took her advice and stepped over to the case with the other precious jewels in them. There were Sapphires, Rubies, Pearls, Opals, and Emeralds. It was the Emeralds that caught his eye. There was a set of earrings, a necklace, and a matching bracelet, made entirely out of the green stones. There was only one problem; the set cost $400.00 in Sickles.
"Ma'am, is there a way-"
"The prices are non-negotiable." She said.
"How many Sickles is that then?" he said, pointing at the set of Emeralds.
"Oh, I'd say about...seventy." She said. Harry sighed, and got the coins. The woman raised her eyebrow again.
"Where's a young lad like you get money like that?" she asked, taking the coins.
"Inheritance." was all he said. The woman asked no more questions as she took the Emeralds out of the case and putting them in the bag. "Thank you." He said, walking out of the store.
Harry got back to the common room only to see that Hermione was sitting at a table in the corner studying.
"Hermione? What are you studying for?" he said, sitting down in the chair next to hers.
"Finals." Was all she said as she turned the page.
"Hermione... finals are in May..." he said to her with a questioning look on his face.
"That's just it Harry, there're only about five months until finals, and last year I wasn't prepared at all-"
"The hell you weren't, you only missed one question!" he exclaimed.
"I want to get a perfect score, Harry! This year I have to go out with a BANG!" (Emphasis on the "BANG") she said, turning the page so violently that it ripped. "Damn!" she shouted.
"Hermione, just calm down! This is vacation, study in January, that'll still give you a good four-and-a-half months." He said, cupping her face in his hand. Hermione let out a sigh.
"You're right, Harry. Why study now? Vacation's supposed to be fun, not stressful. Thanks." She said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Oh, is that all I get for saving your vacation from you?" he asked playfully.
"The way you're acting, yes." She said, closing the book.
"Oh? And just how am I acting."
"Like a sex-crazed seventeen year old boy." (Ok, so he isn't a boy, he's a man, but he's acting like a boy, so it seemed appropriate) she replied.
"Boy? You know very well, Miss Granger, that I am NO boy." He said.
"Ah, I had almost forgotten." She said, getting up from her chair. Harry looked up at her from where he was sitting. She was so beautiful, especially in the dying light of the fire.
Just then, Ron and Astrid burst through the portrait whole, trying to catch their breath.
"Aye, where have you two been?" said Hermione.
"Uh..."
"Midnight sn-snack." Said Astrid.
"Yeah, heheh, a snack." Ron said. Harry raised an eyebrow, then gave Ron a look that said, 'We are in the middle of something, so leave us alone.' Ron got the hint, and told Astrid that they should get to wrapping presents. Astrid agreed and retreated to the seventh year boys' dorm. Wrapping presents indeed...
Hermione looked down at Harry with a mischievous look in her eye. She was just about to lean down and kiss him when the clock stuck twelve (A.M.).
"We should get to bed, after all, it's Christmas now, we don't want to be tired tomorrow." She whispered, her ace inches from his.
"Yeah...goodnight kiss?" he asked, with a mock pout. Hermione just nodded and kissed him. Harry stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, and she put hers' around his neck. When they broke apart, they were out of breath. "Wow." Said Harry.
"Yeah." She said, staring deep into his eyes. "We really should get to bed...before we-"
"I agree." He said, cutting her off. They went up into their dormitories, put on their pajamas and went to sleep.
The Night Before Christmas
Harry walked up the stairs to his dormitory late that night and lay in bed thinking about the events of the day. Things were good between him and Hermione now, which made him very pleased. But something was still bothering him; it was just one week before Christmas Eve and he still had no gift for Hermione.
He pondered many things. It was now almost three months since they had started dating, and Harry was wondering if he should propose. It WAS early in the relationship, with only two and a half months under their belts. But Harry had loved her much longer than that, so it seemed like they had been together for more than just two an a half months. They HAD been friends since they were just eleven years old, and Harry had always wanted it to be more since their fifth year.
A ring would either make her happy, or make her angry. Harry didn't want to risk making her angry again, so he decided against a ring. Harry had always gotten her books in the past, knowing as to how she loved reading so much. But it was different now that they were dating, every gift had to be better and more spectacular than a book.
Harry was beginning to get frustrated. He had to get her something that she had no chance of being mad about, sad about, or in the least bit unhappy about. That meant he couldn't get her anything that might remind her of Krum, or of the fact that they had been fighting. He couldn't get her a book; in fear that she might think he didn't love her enough to get her beautiful things. Harry just couldn't think of any way to make Hermione happy this Christmas. Maybe he'd get her an animal, seeing as to how Crookshanks had died after being pulverized by the Whomping Willow last year.
But no, Harry had a better idea than a book, a pet, or a ring. He'd get her a necklace. A nice necklace. That was as close to a ring as he was getting, so Harry decided on a necklace.
On their next trip to Hogsmead, Harry stepped into a jewelry shop not far from the Shrieking Shack. He looked into the glass cases full of rings, watches, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, but didn't see anything that interested him.
"Can I help you, Lad?" asked a homely old woman behind the counter.
"Yes...what do you get a girl that you've known practically your whole life, but just recently started dating?" he said quickly. The woman raised an eyebrow and looked into the case he was staring into.
"Don't get her diamonds." She said simply, and went back doing whatever it was she was doing before. Harry took her advice and stepped over to the case with the other precious jewels in them. There were Sapphires, Rubies, Pearls, Opals, and Emeralds. It was the Emeralds that caught his eye. There was a set of earrings, a necklace, and a matching bracelet, made entirely out of the green stones. There was only one problem; the set cost $400.00 in Sickles.
"Ma'am, is there a way-"
"The prices are non-negotiable." She said.
"How many Sickles is that then?" he said, pointing at the set of Emeralds.
"Oh, I'd say about...seventy." She said. Harry sighed, and got the coins. The woman raised her eyebrow again.
"Where's a young lad like you get money like that?" she asked, taking the coins.
"Inheritance." was all he said. The woman asked no more questions as she took the Emeralds out of the case and putting them in the bag. "Thank you." He said, walking out of the store.
Harry got back to the common room only to see that Hermione was sitting at a table in the corner studying.
"Hermione? What are you studying for?" he said, sitting down in the chair next to hers.
"Finals." Was all she said as she turned the page.
"Hermione... finals are in May..." he said to her with a questioning look on his face.
"That's just it Harry, there're only about five months until finals, and last year I wasn't prepared at all-"
"The hell you weren't, you only missed one question!" he exclaimed.
"I want to get a perfect score, Harry! This year I have to go out with a BANG!" (Emphasis on the "BANG") she said, turning the page so violently that it ripped. "Damn!" she shouted.
"Hermione, just calm down! This is vacation, study in January, that'll still give you a good four-and-a-half months." He said, cupping her face in his hand. Hermione let out a sigh.
"You're right, Harry. Why study now? Vacation's supposed to be fun, not stressful. Thanks." She said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Oh, is that all I get for saving your vacation from you?" he asked playfully.
"The way you're acting, yes." She said, closing the book.
"Oh? And just how am I acting."
"Like a sex-crazed seventeen year old boy." (Ok, so he isn't a boy, he's a man, but he's acting like a boy, so it seemed appropriate) she replied.
"Boy? You know very well, Miss Granger, that I am NO boy." He said.
"Ah, I had almost forgotten." She said, getting up from her chair. Harry looked up at her from where he was sitting. She was so beautiful, especially in the dying light of the fire.
Just then, Ron and Astrid burst through the portrait whole, trying to catch their breath.
"Aye, where have you two been?" said Hermione.
"Uh..."
"Midnight sn-snack." Said Astrid.
"Yeah, heheh, a snack." Ron said. Harry raised an eyebrow, then gave Ron a look that said, 'We are in the middle of something, so leave us alone.' Ron got the hint, and told Astrid that they should get to wrapping presents. Astrid agreed and retreated to the seventh year boys' dorm. Wrapping presents indeed...
Hermione looked down at Harry with a mischievous look in her eye. She was just about to lean down and kiss him when the clock stuck twelve (A.M.).
"We should get to bed, after all, it's Christmas now, we don't want to be tired tomorrow." She whispered, her ace inches from his.
"Yeah...goodnight kiss?" he asked, with a mock pout. Hermione just nodded and kissed him. Harry stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, and she put hers' around his neck. When they broke apart, they were out of breath. "Wow." Said Harry.
"Yeah." She said, staring deep into his eyes. "We really should get to bed...before we-"
"I agree." He said, cutting her off. They went up into their dormitories, put on their pajamas and went to sleep.