Disclaimer: I own nothing! Well, I write this in every chapter, check the others!

A/N: Sorry if this chapter comes so late! Really sorry, but I have to write the chapters and then send them to my beta-readers, then they have to send them back and then I have to re-write them! It's a long and hard work! Then my computer has been a little bit off! Sorry again! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Let me know! LOL

To Angel of the North: Thank you for beta reading, I'll never stop thanking you! Always so nice!

To Erin: Thank you to you too for beta reading! I hope you enjoyed the work! LOL!

Waiting for Christmas

Christmas was approaching rapidly, and everyone was excited.

Everybody but Hermione.

"Love" John called her one evening at their usual restaurant "I've great news!" he said smiling.

Ever since September 1st, and Lilian's leaving, she'd been plagued by worries about her daughter.

It had been affecting their relationship, and though John wasn't the world's greatest lover, he wanted Hermione to be happy.

"What?" she asked casually.

"I've arranged it so we can be together for Christmas. All of us."

Hermione looked up from her plate to John. "All?" she asked with something like panic in her voice.

"Yes. You, me, Lilian - I've just arranged to rent a house in central London. You'll love it - it's a big Georgian townhouse."

She was speechless for a minute, then nearly yelled at him.

"Y-you what-t?"

Lot of people jerked their heads round towards their table and John hissed a "shhhh" to her.

"I thought you would be happier-""I-I'm happy.""Are you sure?""I'm just surprised."

They spent the next few moments in silence, John busying himself with his over-cooked steak, while Hermione tried desperately to come up with a reason for calling off the trip.

"What about your wife?"

"My wife? I told her that I would be on a business trip."

"B-but I don't think I can afford a holiday now."

"I'll pay for everything. Don't you worry."

"But-"

"Stop it, Audrey. Are you hiding something?"

"N-no," she stammered.

"So don't worry. Everything will be fine, I promise. Oh, and you have to phone Lilian, she'll be overjoyed about the news."

"Yes," she hissed.

John smiled and looked at his watch.

"Oh, gosh! It's getting late. I must go." He called the waiter. "The bill, please."

The waiter brought the bill very quickly and John paid in spite of Hermione's objections. Then he accompanied her to a taxi and kissed her.

"We'll leave in a fortnight, I hope you'll have everything ready in a week. And if you need money just ask me and I-"

"I don't need any cash. Thank you John, you did so much, you really shouldn't have done all this" she kissed him back, left quickly.

John Cliff watched the yellow cab leave, wondering about what Audrey had said. He couldn't see a reason why she wouldn't want to go to London, but she obviously wasn't all that short of money. Eventually he gave up, and wandered back to his wife. He didn't realize that she was trying to think of excuses not to go to London.

When she got home she started to speak alone (Uh! Uh!).

"That stupid jerk! How can he do this to me? 'I've just rented a wonderful house in central London! You'll love it!' How can he pretend to know what I love? London - central London is near Diagon Alley. I can't afford to go that near to Hogwarts, let alone staying next to the biggest centre for Wizarding in Europe! That means serious trouble."

She took a piece of paper and, still muttering about how much of a jerk some men could be, she started to write.

Dear Lilian,

How are you? I hope you're enjoying your studies,and getting good marks. I have some wonderful news for you: John and I will be spending our Christmas holiday in Central London. He's arranged to rent a house for the three of us. Are you happy? Well, I'm very happy. I can't wait to see you next week.

Love,

Mom.

She re-read the letter, and decided that there were times women could lie very well.

"Come on Hermione, you must be happy," she said, still talking to herself "You'll see your daughter and your parents too."

Sighing, she called the owl over from the tree next to the house. It was a Hogwarts owl, and had been awaiting an answer for a week. It wasn't that Hermione didn't want to write to her daughter, but more that she didn't have time to write about her very dull life, as she saw it compared to Hogwarts.

She gave the letter to the owl and it disappeared into the night.

As she watched the owl flying off, she wondered how it could manage such long distances.

Lilian's answer arrived two days later with a big brown owl. The same day, Hermione also received a bouquet of roses from John and a letter from the hospital where she'd had the tests.

Seeing the roses, she sighed, and put them in a vase, before picking up the letter, and putting it in her bag to open later. She wanted to read Lilian's letter first.

Dear Mom,

I'm fine, thanks. How are things with you?

Don't worry about my marks; they're pretty good. Alex and Josh call me a bookworm; I spend so much time in the library. I saw my first Quidditch match at the weekend - it's well cool. There are seven players, and four balls, and oh, yes, the players play on broomsticks. It's really exciting. You know, I'm pretty good - maybe I'll get on the house team when I'm older. The only first year that played for his house was my Defence Professor.
I received your letter, and I'm really happy about the news. I can't wait to see you, either. Here it's really cold - as cold as New York. It snowed today, and me, Alex and Josh went out for a big snow fight, and I won!

I love you, Lilian.

She sighed.'Come on, it can't be too hard to do, after all I need only to be careful and everything will work,' she thought happily.

In the meantime, Lilian was happy about her mum coming to England, and the excitement spread to Alex and Josh. Alex would be going to his grandparents' house, where there was going to be a grand reunion. Harry and Josh would be there as well, and this news meant that she wouldn't have to stay at Hogwarts alone.

Everybody at the castle felt the Christmas atmosphere. Hagrid brought a big fir tree to the middle of the Great Hall and Professor Flitwick dressed it as a Christmas one. It was huge and with lots of wonderful decorations. There was also a charm that made it shine all day and night.

Hagrid handed out sweets to all the people he met, but anyone who'd been at Hogwarts for more than a term knew better than to accept them, unless they wanted a trip to the dentist.

His hut near the Forbidden Forest was now full of mistletoe and he was very happy about the feast that was coming. Happy until he met Lilian, Alex and Josh.

He had invited them for tea and biscuits and they were having a talking about their plans for Christmas (Hagrid wanted some clues for their gifts) when Lilian said in a casual voice.

"Hagrid - did I tell you? Mom's coming for Christmas. She and John are renting a house in central London for a couple of weeks, so you'll be able to meet her again."

"Who's John?" asked Alex with his mouth full of cookies.

"My mom's boyfriend," said Lilian, blushing a little.

Hagrid gave him a withering look and Alex didn't ask anything else. Then he turned pale and started to stammer:"O-oh! R-really? Y-yer mum's comin'? W-why? I mean, I know why, but- h-how? W-when? -"

The trio watched Hagrid with a puzzled look. Why was he so concerned if Lilian's mum was coming to London?

"Hagrid - are you OK?" asked Lilian.

"Y-yeah, s-sure," he answered. "Oh! It's late - it's better if yeh come back ter the castle," he said, pulling them to the door.

When they were out he slammed the door, and they looked at each other stupefied. Lilian wanted to knock on the door, but it was getting dark and they were already late for dinner. Thus they made their way back to the castle talking about what they could buy or make for Hagrid as a Christmas gift.

Hagrid watchedthem leaving from a window. He sat on the sofa and started to caress Fang.

'Why is she comin' here? I can't understand her. She's comin' with that git! She doesn't know that Ron and 'Arry are very close ter the truth. Only two days ago they've been here askin' fer information abou' her and I'm not very good abou' keeping a secret. What will happen?'

The day after their talk, Ron and Harry went back to Hagrid's hut. They were sure that, if Hagrid knew something, it would be easy for them to make him talk.

Hagrid saw them from the window that overlooked the castle and started to prepare tea and biscuits as he was used to doing when Harry and Ron came to see him.

"Ron! 'Arry! Finally yeh come ter see me! I though' I needed ter come and pick yeh up!" he said when they entered his hut.

"Hi Hagrid," said Harry in a serious voice.

Ron nodded.

"What's up with yeh, guys?" said Hagrid cheerily. "Come on, it's almost Christmas, yeh should be happier. Sit and have a cup of tea."

"Thanks, Hagrid," said Ron.

Harry gave him a didn't-we-have-to-ask-him-something look. Ron shrugged his shoulders as he said "We can't refuse Hagrid's biscuits."

Harry sighed and they sat down.

After three cups of tea and about a barrel of biscuits, Harry spoke.

"Thanks, Hagrid. Everything was very good. But now Ron has to ask you something."

Ron, who was eating his fifth biscuit, stopped with his hand in the middle of the air and looked at Harry.

"Why me?" he asked.

"Because you're the one most involved in this story."

This time it was Ron's turn to sigh.

"I think you're right. It's just that I don't know where to start-"

"I think yeh can start from the beginning," said Hagrid, very nervous.

"Well, Hagrid. We know that last summer you went to the States and picked up that girl: Lilian Smith."

"Y-yes," he stammered.

"We wanted to know why."

"W-why?"

"Yes, why did you have to go to the U.S.A.? I mean we know that there's plenty of schools there, so why did Dumbledore sent you there for a common muggle-born girl?" he paused "Because she's a muggle-born, isn't she?"

"W-what d'yeh mean?" asked Hagrid, wiping the sweat off his forehead "Why wouldn't she be a muggle-born?"

"She just looks like some one we know very well and who is not a muggle"

"She's not related to Hermione -" he said with panic in his voice.

"I didn't say Hermione." said Ron calmly.

"B-but yeh meant her-"

"Why?"

"W-well, I can say that there are some things that remind me of her in that little girl, b-but-"

"Only some? She has bushy hair like Hermione, chocolaty eyes like Hermione, she's top of every class as if it were Hermione all over again, she spends more time in the library than in her Common Room, like Hermione-"

Hagrid now was walking up and down with a blank expression.

"What are yeh gettin' at? I won't say anythin'-"

"What won't you say?" asked Harry.

"N-nothin'-"

"Are you sure? Hagrid, there's something you're hiding from us?"

"D-don't talk rubbish, 'Arry! I'm not hidin' anythin'!"

"Hagrid you know something about Hermione, you must tell us."

"I don't know anythin' about her, last time I saw her was 12 years ago-"

"Are you sure?" he repeated.

Hagrid nodded, or maybe it was just a nervous gesture.

"Then, why does Dumbledore want her here?" Ron asked again.

"I-I don't k-know. W-why don't yeh ask him?"

"We've tried, but he's as silent as the grave."

"Maybe 'cause he has no time ter waste," he said in a rude tone that he didn't mean.

Harry and Ron looked each other stupefied. Hagrid blushed and became more and more nervous.

"S-sorry. I-I didn't mean ter be so rude."

"It's OK, Hagrid," said Harry.

There was a deep silence for a few minutes and then Ron spoke suddenly.

"Hagrid," he said looking the half-giant in his beetle-eyes "Hermione left 12 years ago and we've always missed her. We would do anything to find her, you know that."

Hagrid nodded.

"I was sure. So, please, if you know something about her just tell us."

"I-I can't -"

"Why?" almost shouted Ron.

"S-she asked me when she left-"

Harry and Ron watched each other, struggling to believe what they had heard. Hagrid had known it for twelve years, and possibly even knew where she was, and why she'd left, and he'd managed to keep it secret. No one knew quite how, of course...

"I-I can't believe it." stammered Ron "Y-you've known all this time where she was, and you never told us-"

Hagrid looked at the young men with a stern look, something that neither Harry nor Ron had never seen on his face.

"I gave her my word. I can't betray her," said Hagrid. "You won't have a word from me."

Ron looked at him desperately, but Hagrid didn't mean to speak, on the contrary he stood up and moved towards the door. He opened it and Harry and Ron understood they had to leave.

Harry sighed. "I can understand you, Hagrid," he said, standing up. "But you should try to understand us."

"Harry, I don't want yeh ter understand me, I want yeh ter understand Hermione." And with that he closed the door behind him.

He sat on the chair and sighed. They were getting so close to the truth and nobody could have stopped them. He was afraid. He wanted them to find Hermione, but he thought that she wasn't ready to face her past.