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Chapter 13: A Christmas Surprise
"Midterms, I hate midterms." Ron said as he sat down with a thump on the bench in the Great Hall and started to mechanically put Shepherd's Pie into his mouth. Harry agreed silently with Ron, not having the strength to talk.
"Oh, Ron they weren't that bad!" Hermione stated sitting down on the other side of Harry.
"Just because they are a piece of cake for you doesn't mean they are a piece of cake for the rest of us." Ron replied grouchily.
Two owls swept down for the ceiling and landed on the table in front of the trio. The tiny one was Pig Ron's owl and he held a note clasped in his beak and was hooting excitedly. The other was one of the school's owls; Harry recognized it as the one that Hagrid uses to send him his birthday gifts.
Ron, with difficulty got the letter from Pig and to pacify the now hooting owl tossed him his toast. Slitting the letter carefully he pulled out the parchment. Scanning it quickly he gave a whoop that caused Hermione to jump.
"Ouch Ron that was right in my ear!" she complained. Ron appeared to not have heard her.
"Cool, Mum wants me and Ginny to come home for Christmas for a change; she says that the whole family will be there even Percy, who as she says 'has seen the errors of his ways." Ron turned and looked at Harry, "I hope you don't mind pal, but I haven't seen everyone for quite a while and…" his voice trailed off.
"No Ron I don't mind." said Harry firmly, trying to convince himself that he didn't mind having Ron leave for Christmas.
"Thanks, now I have to go find Ginny, excuse me." He hurried out of the hall looking for her.
"What does your letter say Moine?" asked Harry, suddenly remembering that she had also received a letter.
"Well in short my parents also want me to come home for the holidays." she said, looking positively distressed.
"Oh." was all Harry said the smile that had been on his face disappeared and he stared glumly down at his plate.
"Oh Harry, I am so sorry, but with all that happened last year and since I wasn't able to go home over the summer vacation they kind of miss me. Oh, Harry, don't look at me like that." Harry was giving her the puppy dog sad look that he knew Hermione had trouble resisting.
Harry sighed and gave up, "I just don't want to be alone for the holidays Moine, with Ron going home to his folks, and you going home to yours I won't have anybody to share Gryffindor tower with. You know as well as I do that we are the only ones from Gryffindor that stay over for Christmas." he looked so depressed it all but broke Hermione's heart to see him like that.
"I know Harry and I am so sorry, but there isn't anything that I could say to persuade them to let me stay here," then an odd look came over Hermione's face.
"What?" said Harry looking at her carefully. "You worry me when you look like that."
"Oh, nothing Harry. Oh look at the time I really need to get going to my Runes test see you at dinner Harry!" And she left the Great Hall with all speed.
Harry frowned as he watched her leave. Something was definitely up, considering that she had had her Runes test yesterday. Harry shook his head whatever it was he would find out soon enough, he thought. Glancing down at his watch he also started to gather his things up. He didn't need to be late to the DADA test.
Ron met Harry outside Lupin's classroom at the end of the testing period. Harry came out sore and tired but confident that he had done well. In silence they both walked down toward the Great Hall. As they passed the entrance to the Owlery Hermione came out.
"What were you doing in there?" asked Ron as she matched their stride down the passageway.
"Obviously Ron I was mailing a letter. Why else would I be in the Owlery?"
Ron shrugged and had the grace to look embarrassed.
Hermione turned to Harry, "How did your DADA test go?"
Harry shrugged, "I felt pretty good about it actually. The written stuff that usually gave me trouble I breezed through."
"See I told you that studying would help!"
Ron and Harry glared at her and grumbled under their breath.
The next day at breakfast which happened to be the last day of the semester, Hedwig swooped into the Great Hall, but instead of landing in front of Harry she landed in front of Hermione and dropped the letter on top of her eggs.
Hermione grabbed the letter as Harry raised his eyebrows at her.
"Oh I hope you didn't mind that I used Hedwig to mail my letter yesterday, she was the fastest owl in there at the time."
"Oh no I don't mind it just surprised me that's all."
Hermione didn't answer, she was scanning the letter very quickly and a huge grin crept over her face.
"Hermione? Are you feeling o.k.?" asked Ron glancing up from his bacon to look at her.
"Oh yes Ron I am just fine!" she said happily, "Harry go get your stuff packed, Mum just wrote back and said that you could spend the holidays at my house!"
Harry and Ron both stared at her as if she was mad.
"Wait, stop, rewind, play and run that by me again but in English this time." Said Harry.
"Yesterday I felt bad that you would have to spend Christmas all by yourself so I wrote back to Mum and Dad to see if they would let me bring a friend home for the holidays. They said here in the letter that they would be delighted to have you over. Though how they guessed it was you I don't know, I only said 'a friend'."
Harry stared at her for a second before recovering the ability to talk. "Uh, Mione? Do they know about us? If I was a parent I wouldn't let me daughter bring her boyfriend home for the holidays."
"No they don't but don't worry they take surprises very well, and they have wanted to meet you for a long time."
"Well this will be one surprise they won't forget for a while I'm sure."
"So you will come? Oh Harry I just knew you would agree!" she cried, and Harry was rewarded with a kiss. Ron made a face at them from behind their back then smiled and went back to his breakfast.