Disclaimer: I own Marta. I also do NOT own The Sound of Music. Very Unfortunate.
A/N: OMG! All reviewers, thank you all so very much! I'll try to update as much as possible…but as I said in my last chapter, my schedule is not a nice one, so my writing time is very limited. But wow, that was the warmest reception to a story I've gotten yet. Thank you very very much!
A/N I got this chapter out much sooner then I thought I would. But exams are in two weeks, so be patient for number three.
Hermione stared at the parchment. Come on, she thought to herself. It's a letter to Mum and Dad, why is this so difficult?
She knew why it was difficult, even if she didn't want to admit it. She wanted to write a hate letter. But it was December 23, and her parents were very good to her – usually. She knew that she was being very immature, because her parents could not control the weather. It was a fact of life. But she did want to write them Christmas wishes, and things were difficult at the moment.
"Dear Mum and Dad"
Well, good start. But that's what everyone wrote at the beginning of letters, so did that even count as effort? Normally, Hermione would say no. But these were the Christmas Holidays, and she was tired, annoyed, and overall feeling very lazy so in her mind she answered that question with a yes.
"Merry Christmas!" Wow, she was really feeling it now.
"I hope that you are doing well. Ron just tried to accuse Crookshanks of attacking his owl, but I proved him otherwise. Even though Ron doesn't know this, it was actually Harry's owl Hedwig who attacked Pig. She delivered this letter. Isn't she beautiful? Don't worry, she isn't dangerous. Ron's owl has just had it coming for a long while."
Hermione looked down at her handy work and shook her head. Even in her lazy state, this was not good. But Hedwig had just flown into the common room to leave Harry a note from Hagrid and Harry could only keep her there so long.
"Snow continues to fall here. Doesn't look like it's going to stop for a while, either. Is it like that at home?"
All of a sudden, Crookshanks jumped up on the table, tipping the inkwell. Fortunately, it spilled away from the letter. But Crookshanks did step in it before daintily placing a paw on the letter.
"Crookshanks!" Hermione scolded. She pulled out her wand, muttered something, and the spilled ink vanished. However, the paw print remained.
"Crookshanks sends his love, as you can see. I think he's been lonely lately. Whenever I'm in the common room, he's not so far away, and whenever he sees the opportunity he plops himself on my lap . The only other cat in the Gryffindor common room belonged to a seventh year from last year, so the only possible friend he may have had is no longer among us. Ah well. I can keep him company."
And then it happened. For the first time in her life, Hermione Granger faced an evil beyond any other: Writers' Block.
"I got to go now. I've got homework that needs to be done. I love you both, and Merry Christmas!"
Hermione smiled. No hate what so ever.
"Love forever from your daughter,
Hermione"
On the other side of the common room, Hedwig was getting impatient. All the more reason why the letter had to be short. Rolling it up, she walked toward the irritated bird.
"Hey Hedwig" Hermione said softly. The round pair of amber eyes stared back at her.
"Take this to my parents, will you? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
If owls could talk, Hermione was sure Hedwig would be saying "Well, you did. You owe me big time!" Hedwig stuck her leg out to Hermione. This time, the owl lingo was "Get on with it, why don't you?"
Hermione leaned over and tied the letter to Hedwigs' insistent leg, Hedwigs' eyes never wavering. She glared at Hermione, expecting some kind of thanks.
"I'll give you food when you get back, and yes, I know, the weather's awful." With this last statement Hedwig hooted angrily and took off without looking back.
"Geez, Hermione, don't turn my owl against people." Harry said, coming up behind her. "You know, when I'm with the Dursleys, she's the only living thing in the house that doesn't cringe when she sees me (A/N The basis of this line property of JKR). Please don't make me suffer alone!"
"Relax, Harry" Hermione said, picking up Crookshanks and tucking him beneath her arm. "Hedwig's just mad that she has to fly in this weather. I would be."
Harry shrugged.
"Yeah, well, I've – "
"Harry Potter, don't you dare give the "I've played Quidditch in just about every weather speech!" Hermione could feel her cabin fever building. It would take all of her self control just to maintain this boiling tempest inside of her to a rain shower. In an effort not to scream at him, she turned and faced the window sill, pulling Crookshanks tight against her chest.
"Hermione, I was just trying to make a point about having seen her fly in every kind of weather."
Hermione took a deep breath and turned to face Harry.
"I'm sorry, Harry." She began, "It's just been difficult lately, with my parents being snowed in, and I'm tired." She once again tucked Crookshanks under one arm and reached out to hug Harry. "It's nothing against you, I think I just need to go to bed now."
Harry pulled away from her looking shocked.
"But it's only nine o'clock!" He gasped. "There isn't any school crucial assignment that needs to be finished in order to save the world?" She glared at his Cheshire Cat grin.
"Ha ha, very funny. No, there is not. By the way, it's probably a good thing that you let me use Hedwig. It's not going to be long before Ron figures out who really attacked Pig."
"No he won't." That reply was a bit too casual for Hermione's liking.
"Harry, Ron does pass here, even if he does copy off my homework half the time. He will figure it out."
"HARRY POTTER!" An enraged roar came from the boy's dormitories. Wow, that must be a record – two in one night.
"Told you so," Hermione muttered. "See you tomorrow, Harry."
"But you're not just going to leave me here, are you?" He begged desperately.
"Now Harry, you wouldn't want Ron to think I egged her on, now do you?" She said quite mischievously as a very red Ron stormed over to Harry.
"'Night, Boys"
"Night, Hermione" Harry answered, trying to look innocent and failing miserably. Ron didn't even answer, but as she was climbing the stairs to the girl's dorm (Crookshanks at her heels), she heard Ron screaming at Harry.
"YOU WERE MY BLOODY BEST FRIEND, YOUR PRECIOUS GODFATHER GAVE HIM TO ME, AND WHAT DOES YOUR MONSTER DO?"
It went on for a long while, but as Hermione slipped into her comfortable cotton pajamas, all the world seemed to be nothing more but a dream. Just like in that song, the one about rowing the boat down the stream. At that moment when she first slipped under her covers, she felt at peace with herself. Maybe it was because she managed to get her cat out of trouble with Ron, something that she had never been able to do quite truthfully, and she was proud of it.
Crookshanks jumped up on the bed with Hermione, and soon plopped himself on her stomach. Instinctively, her hand went up and she began to pet him. He purred softly. Ron was still having a go at Harry, but with the doors closed she couldn't quite make out what was being said.
"Yes, Buddy, those big nasty boys down there are still at it, aren't they? And this time it's not about you, you're too nice to attack such a pathetic owl, because you know he's not worth the effort, don't you?"
Crookshanks continued to purr and became ever more demanding on where he wanted to be petted.
When his purring decreased and his eyes were firmly shut, Hermione slowed her speed and decreased the pressure of the pet and with her other hand picked up her book and began to read it. It was a good book, really; a mystery involving the overly glamorous wife of a banker. She read until her eyes became too heavy to keep open any longer, and before long she was asleep.
Christmas Eve went by in a blur. The day went by quickly, but otherwise was quite uneventful. Three more points were added to Hermione's side of the board, which Hermione was certain that Ron still didn't know about yet, judging by the fact that she had only found out the day before. The snow had still not stopped falling. Hermione wondered if it would ever stop, and how much the muggles were worrying over this. She was also worried about Hedwig. Sure, she had saved her from possible mutilation from Ron, but was sending her to do a delivery in this weather too much to ask? Yes, Harry had said that he'd seen Hedwig do deliveries in this kind of weather, but it was ridiculous how much it was snowing, and it could be very dangerous.
When she hadn't returned by the time Hermione crawled into bed that night, Hermione was very worried. That had been dumb. Very dumb. What if she got lost and ended up on the other side of England? What if she flew head-on into a tree? Thoughts like these would not leave Hermione alone until at last her eyes fell shut on their own.
The next day, the first thing Hermione saw when she woke up was a huge pair of brown eyes staring back into her own.
"Hello, Hedwig" She murmured. She was about to lay back and fall asleep again; it had been well past one when she had finally fallen asleep, but then she saw the pile of presents at the foot of her bed and realized that she would not fall asleep again until all had been opened.
As Hermione leaned in to grab a present, Hedwig hooted angrily at her. Hermione then realized that she would be a promise breaker soon if she didn't do something.
"Hedwig, give me a minute, someone would have had to send me food."
Hedwig ruffled her feathers, clearly angry that Hermione hadn't prepared for this.
She sat on the floor and unwrapped the first parcel. It was a book called "Hexes For The Teenaged Girl" by Ramona Frackette from Ginny. Of course. Ever since Fred had taught Ron the shield charm that worked against her bat-bogey hex, Ginny had been at a loss on how to teach Ron that she was indeed a person who had feelings. Hermione was willing to bet her prefects badge that Ginny had bought a copy for herself, too.
The next present made Hermione groan, which was not something she would usually do. She obviously had made a mistake in politely telling Hagrid that she liked his teeth gluing treacle fudge, because he sent her a tin.
Note to self, she thought as she set the tin aside. Never be honest with Hagrid when it came to his cooking.
From Hermione's bed post, Hedwig hooted angrily.
"Trust me, you don't want this" Hermione warned Hedwig, but Hedwig would not relent, so Hermione opened the tin and held out a piece for Hedwig.
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Hermione called after Hedwig as she flew out the window. Hermione opened the rest of the presents in peace. She received a new sweater from Harry in the pale blue that he knew she liked, a pair of mismatched socks from Dobby, a Chudley Canons Hat from Ron, and a pair of earrings with badgers on them from Luna.
As Hermione was cleaning up her wrappings, she realized that she had not received anything from her parents. Odd. Hedwig had come back, after all.
And then she saw the letter.
It had been lying at the foot of her bed. How could she have been so blind?
"Dearest Hermione," The letter read.
"Thanks for the holiday wishes, they were greatly appreciated. The snow continues to fall here, and there's no sign of it stopping. Yes, Hedwig is indeed beautiful, thank you for assuring us that she isn't dangerous. Tell Crookshanks we send our love right back to him. We're sorry to hear he's been lonely; don't spend too much time trying to comfort him though, cats are naturally solitary so don't spoil him.
We are so sorry that it was impossible for you to come home for Christmas this year. We know that nothing material can make up for that, but we hope that the presents we send at least help. We think that Crookshanks will like one of them very much, from your description of what's been going on with him lately.
Merry Christmas and lots of love,
Mum and Dad."
Hermione was confused. Her parents hadn't sent anything, there was nothing in the pile from them. Maybe they had fallen off and slipped under the bed? She got down on her knees and checked.
No, nothing under the bed.
As she sat up confusedly, three owls entered the room. Ah, there they were. One was long and skinny, probably a poster of some sort. The other parcel was very strange looking.
It looked like three Chinese food boxes secured together side by side with only god knew what. The two owls that carried it were holding it by the little wire handles of the boxes. Along the outside were holes. What on earth?
Two of the owls set the two packages down at the foot of the bed, hooted a greeting, and flew off. The other owl dropped the tube – like gift on the floor and faced her. He held a letter in his beak, which Hermione took gratefully. He then took off.
Well, her parents really got into this writing thing now, didn't they? She opened the second letter
"Hermione, open the tube first." It said.
Not wishing to argue with her parents, she did so.
It was a huge movie poster of The Sound of Music, that American movie that she loved so much. It made her squeal with joy when she saw the giant form of Julie Andrews in the nun's habit. When she unrolled it, another note fell out, and on the outside were strict instructions not to open the note until the other present was opened.
Reading those, instructions, Hermione turned to the other box (Or was it boxes? It was still hard to tell, even with a better look) but almost instantly jumped back in fear.
The box moved.
