Author Note: The normal as usually, Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, my grammer might not be all that great, don't flame me please I only write these for fun, thanks. This is in answer to WIKKT's Christmas Spirit Challange, hope you will enjoy and leave a Comment.
The school was aflock with holiday spirit, here and there the younger children trying to get peeks in the presents under the huge tree's in the Main Hall, the older students seemed to have found an unlimited supply of mistletoe just lying around to be used at there earliest convience, it seemed a great game to see who they could get under the mistletoe.
"I swear by Merlin's wand if you look at me like that again...Ron Weasley you will be happliy spending Christmas as a a goose!" Hermione said her honey brown eyes were narrowed in her annoyance at the red-head, he had been for four days in a row attempting to catch her with the mistletoe, if she never saw another piece of mistletoe again, it would be far to soon.
"You don't know that spell 'Mione.." he said in a low voice, though the hand holding the mistletoe lowered and he took a step back. There were few in Hogwart's that weren't Professor's who knew as many spells as Hermione Granger, Head Witch of Gryffindor. "You wouldn't would you, me mum might pluck me on accident." he now sounded worried.
That brought a brief smile to her face and she shook her head lightly "No I wouldn't now I really need to go study, I have so much to do." she announced to no one in praticular and hurried off in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.
"Seems you have problems young Weasley." came a warm grandfatherly voice, and Ron nearly jumped from his robe to find Albus Dumbledore standing there his hands folding in the great flowing blue and gold robes he wore today, his hat resting stylishly ontop of his head, he figured once you got to be as old as Dumbledore you could dress ever how you see fit.
"Just wanted to get a Hermione under the mistletoe,but she wasn't having it." he sighed softly.
"Ah, my boy thats because prehaps she's got interest elsewhere." Dumbledore said and patted his shoulder. "Remeber some souls are intwined, it takes something great to bring them out and together." he said and with those words went gliding down the hallway leaving a very confused Ron in his wake.
"Okay.." he muttered to no one in praticular, it didn't matter the Chuddly Cannon's were suppose to be playing and he wanted to find out how that went.
Harry was curled up with a book open on his lap in Gryffindor Tower's Main Room and gazed up at the girl who entered, she wasn't the same little girl who had come through those doors some seven years ago, he noticed, she was slender, long legged and pretty, though she wouldn't claim it in the least, her soft hair fell in waves now not the frizz it once was, her eyes however were still of that same girl, bright and knowing and currently holding a look of death, he started.
"Ron?" he asked
"Who else?" Hermione asked in a huff, her hands going to the hips of her black robes. " I swear that he does that to make me mad, he's interested in Lavender, I see it every time he looks at her, and I think he's too stuck on the idea of me being all alone to notice,I don't need a boyfriend, I have my books." she said and spun on her heels still in a tiff.
" Now you sound look Snape, only needing his potions." called Harry and recoiled as she pivoted her right foot coming to face him again and raised her brow. "Prehaps, I understand him now, better then I did then, who needs a significant other, when there is so much knowledge out there, so much to learn and explore. " she inquired defensively.
"Whoa, calm down Hermione." Harry said taken back her her ferocity. "It was only a comment,I didn't mean it like that." he said in a low tone. "I just mean, all those things are better if you have someone to share them with."
Hermione sighed and nodded her head once. "Indeed they are, but there are hardly any boys beating down my door to ask me out, Harry." she said "So I fear that it shall be alone that I face the holidays , I plan to stay at Hogwarts." she explained, he knew that she wasn't getting on well with her parents these days who hoped she'd be coming home for good.
"You could come home with Ron and Me to the Weasley's you know that Molly would love to have you there." he said hopeful and wanting to cheer the Head girl up.
"Your sweet, but no." she said and continued on her way to her set of rooms, leaving Harry stareing after her. He sighed and went back to his book, something had to be done, he figured when he was troubled he could talk to Dumbledore, so quietly closeing the book and setting it on the table he rose to his feet and exited the Tower.
Professor Dumbledore stood in the Professor's Lounge with a bright smile and a twinkle in his eye. "Oh come now Severus, you would do fine as Santa, I can't do it this year as I have planned a sickness for that day." he said and continued to press the case. "And my knees aren't what they use to be."
"No, and I mean it this time." stated the black haired man as he stared up at one of the few people in the world he cared for and respected. "You will not ask that of me Professor Dumbledore, I will not dress up as Chris Kringle." he stated as he folded his arms across his chest.
"No one would need to know it was you." Dumbeldore said "A little holiday cheer would do you good." his tone warm and friendly as always.
"Absolutely not, Albus." came the stern answer. "I am too thin for Santa and I have things I need to do." he continued. "I have a test that will be completed before all these empty brained twits get visions of sugar plums ingrained in there brains." he added with a snort.
"You will think about it won't you, say Severus what are you doing for Yule this year?" the question caught the surly potion's Master off guard and he turned his back to the Headmaster. "Keeping away from my family, I will be here for Yule, blissful in my dungeon away from good tideing and wretched good cheer." he added.
Albus nodded sagely. "I see." he said "Alright Severus, I will be Santa again this year." he conceded though he had only prosed the question to get other information out of the Potion's Master, his earlier conversation with young Harry Potter had proved most enlighting and he had a plan all his own to make Severus and even Hermione smile this Christmas.
TBC