Alone at Christmas

Author's note: Now, I'm not somebody who needs reviews to keep me going, but it's frustrating to me to see that this story has more than 90 hits, and only one review. I like to hear what you think of my writing. I always want to improve as an author, and I can't do that without feedback. Please tell me what you think. I welcome constructive criticism.

As Harry entered his flat, he heard somebody doing something in the kitchen. He pushed his despair aside for a moment and drew his wand from its holster. He edged quietly towards the kitchen doorway, and whirled around quickly into the kitchen, wand pointed straight at…Hermione. He lowered his wand.

"Hello, Harry," she said without looking up. She was supervising his dishes washing themselves. Harry had a bit of a tendency to leave the dishes until either he was out of dishes, or there was something quite nasty growing on them, or sometimes both, and Hermione would still drop in on him to see how he was coming along, so sometimes she did it for him, and sometimes she would push him to do it.

"I just dropped in to see how you were doing," she said as she looked up. The smile that had been resting on her face got shoved off rather hard, and a scowl rested in its place. "Harry," she said, disappointment hanging on the edge of her tone.

Harry instantly felt guilty. He never quite understood why disappointment was worse than anger, but there it was.

"Harry, what were you thinking?" Hermione brushed Harry's cheek with her hand, and gasped. "You're freezing!" She unfastened Harry's cloak and hung it over her forearm. "Get yourself into a hot shower!" Before he could protest, she turned him around and began pushing him in the direction of the bathroom. "Now!"

When Harry emerged from the shower, wearing his bathrobe, Hermione was sitting on the sofa in his sitting room, looking upset. Harry sat next to her.

"Harry, you know how I feel about you going outside with just your cloak in this weather. We've been through this." She put her arms around him and drew him into a hug. "I care about you, Harry, but I need you to care about yourself a little more." She held him at arm's length. "So how are you doing?"

Harry shrugged. "I suppose I'm doing okay. It's kind of hard to be alone right now."

"Oh, honey, you're not alone," said Hermione, giving him a sympathetic look. "You've always got me, and Ron. You know that."

Harry shrugged. "I understand what you're trying to do, Hermione, but it's not quite the same."

"I know," said Hermione, pulling Harry into a hug. "But we'll be here for you. You're never alone. If you need me, anytime, just drop by. If I'm at work, they'll know how to reach me. If I have to, I'll call in sick in the middle of the day. You're my top priority, Harry. Anything. I mean it."

"I appreciate it, Hermione," said Harry.

"Now, if I know you, you went out because you're feeling down, and you needed to clear your head. Am I right?"

"Yeah," said Harry softly. He reflected that Hermione really did know him better than anybody else. He was lucky to have her. "It's getting on close to Christmas, and I just can't stop thinking about Cassandra. It's…it's a rough time of year for me." He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm just having trouble dealing with the fact that I'm spending another Christmas alone."

"Harry, I don't want you to be alone on Christmas. Ron and I were planning on getting together on Christmas Eve, just the three of us. I was going to invite you today, and it seems like that was pretty good timing." She put her arm around his shoulders supportively. "I know it's not the same, but you'll be with people who love you."

"Thanks, Hermione. I'll be there."

Hermione stood up, and pulled Harry up with her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him in a tight hug. He put his arms around her, and leaned his head on her shoulder, and they stood there silently for quite awhile.

When Hermione finally left that evening, Harry was feeling better. He wasn't feeling quite as depressed as before, and she had given him a book she had just finished that she knew he'd like. When he closed the door behind Hermione, he realized that for the first time in quite awhile, he had something to look forward to.