A HMS Harmony Advent Fest
12/1 Prompt — Harmony's first Christmas
It wasn't until Harry and Hermione had arrived in Godric's Hollow that he realized it was Christmas.
They moved cautiously on the sidewalk, even though they were wearing the faces of others. Hermione beside him, as always. He could practically feel her vigilance intermingling with her curiosity for this shiny new environment
Even from the roads, Harry could still see how some of the homes were decorated for the holiday to various degrees.
Both Magical and Muggle.
He could see lights on windowsills, candles on mantles, warmly ornate trees shining near lit hearths.
In wizarding homes, he could see fairies on trees and wreaths.
The smiles abounded as well.
It felt absolutely surreal. Harry would've never known a war was going on, if tonight in Godric's Hollow were his only judge.
Seeing the various festive family scenes, Harry couldn't help but wonder as they wandered about.
Did his parents walk these streets as well. With him maybe? Did the three of them walk these paths together some nights, even while they were in hiding?
Was a big black dog with them too? Or was Sirius able to walk openly beside them as well?
If he looked close enough, Harry felt like he could see the four of them, striding along together. The three of them singing off key carols to him as he lay snuggled in his mother's loving arms.
His father and Sirius adding more and more ridiculous, scandalous or off-colored ribald lyrics until his mother's resting disapproval face that reminded him of Hermione's imperious looks at the Twins finally broke into a mischievous giggle fit that spread to everyone, including his baby self who couldn't help but join in too, despite totally not getting the joke.
The sights and sounds of their merriment crested on the breeze, carried toward him up until the last moment, when Harry simply blinked.
And then, they were just gone.
Harry's eyes misted, he brushed his unfamiliar hand across his strange new face. Even this moment was tainted, as well. He couldn't even be free to walk near his childhood home while safely imagine an impossible dream without needing play pretend, in fear of his life.
What life, really.
Harry had always claimed Hogwarts as something of a home, but being here and now made it more clear than ever that he had no real idea of what having a home actually meant.
And that he'd never really had one since that Halloween.
Harry felt a hand slipping into his, snugly, tightly. Familiar yet alien at once. But somehow, he still knew, like always.
Harry looked at Hermione, both comforted yet disconcerted to see the same warmly compassionate and inquisitive expression he knew so well on a face he'd only seen long enough to steal a hair from its owner.
Harry's appreciative smile twitched oddly in response to the tumultuous yet congruent emotions
Hermione had the nerve to roll her eyes, giggling at them both. It was her giggle, which helped somewhat. "Yes, yes. I know. It's weird, for me too."
Hermione turned to look at her with such earnest care, it almost took his breath away. "Are you okay?"
Harry exhaled, releasing the edge of his brooding angst while inwardly savoring her affection as the balm it was. Even as he waved off her concern, Harry still felt warmed by it, slightly better for some reason yet unnamed.
He looked at her with all the affection he could muster, and shrugged. "I will be." She squeezed his hand, affirming them in that time and space, looking out at him affectionately while resembling a familiar stranger.
The moment was too uncannily surreal for him to maintain composure.
Harry snorted, then smothered a chortle behind his free hand, a hand that was his yet not his.
Hermione broke as well, just sniggering away. At least her laugh was similar.
Hermione grinned broadly. "Oh, honestly. It's-. Just-…Too weird. Ridiculous. Even for us. It actually took me an extra few just to realize you were truly bothered just then, all because I was struggling to read you like I normally do."
He turned to her, scoffing playfully, deflecting a bit. "Read me? Like one of your books? Am I a book to you, Granger?"
Despite her temporarily different face, Hermione's expression was still her familiar blend of warmth, bright, genuine, yet knowing. She gave him a look, then gave him a pass. "Yes, you are." She smiled coyly. "And one of my favorites, too. If you must know."
She smirked playfully then she winked.
Harry flushed and straightened, inordinately pleased but still not ready or willing to understand why yet. "Is that so?"
Hermione cocked her head towards him airily. "Yes, that's so. Very much so, even."
They had become somehow impossibly yet inevitably closer since Ron left, like a thing that had been put off was finally moving toward fruition.
They lamented his absence then soon recovered. Fairly quickly, to be sure. Much quicker than either expected, in fact, though neither wished to speculate as to why.
Somethings don't really need saying to be said.
And so, what was Three had been reduced to Two who were becoming One in a way neither ever expected but both seemed to welcome.
A One that was becoming stronger, better than their Two or Three ever was before.
There was more signs of a blossoming adoration, of blooming affection.
More lingering looks, lengthening touches, generous caresses.
No words for it, for them.
Not yet.
It was like something unspoken flittered not unpleasantly in the air between them. An evocative feeling of "not now, but soon…" stirring whimsically about.
Neither ever said anything, but they didn't have to.
Harry's face warmed again. "So, umm. Can- can you tell me then?"
Hermione tilted her face up like a curious cat, eyebrow raised in silent query.
Harry gestured to himself, somewhat anxious suddenly.
"Umm. This book, one of your favorites, you said?"
Hermione tightened her hand in his, the sensation was not unlike one of her hugs only in miniature. He really quite liked it.
Really liked it.
So he returned it in kind.
She flickered her eyes at him. "I did."
"Well, umm. This book. Did you finish? The book I mean?" Harry shook his head clear and looked at her again. "Just- How does it end? Do-do you know?" Harry swallowed.
Hermione turned to him then, stared at him while they stood in the shadow of the statue. She searched his eyes, eyes that weren't his but yet also were.
She saw whatever it was she needed, then smiled warmly, affectionately. "Well, with the happiest of happily ever afters, of course."
Harry simply stared at her earnest conviction, her palpable belief radiantly shining bright.
She shined for him; it humbled him as always. "Really?" His voice was a whisper, his fears and doubts weighing down the sound.
Hermione. His Hermione despite the disguise, just smiled at him. "Why, yes. I did say it was one of my favorites didn't I?" As if she didn't hear everything he didn't say.
As if those things not said didn't matter, not anymore, because…they were Them.
They were One.
And that was all that needed to be not said about it.
Harry could only shake his head with a rueful chuckle. "You did, yes." Acknowledging her, appreciating her.
"Yes, I did." Hermione leaned in, as if conveying a most important secret. "Well, here's another thing you might not have known about me, Harry James Potter." Her voice was velvet.
Harry leaned closer to her. "What's that?"
Hermione's impish little smirk was an infectious bit of sly. "I'm an absolute sucker for a good and well-earned Happily Ever After, Harry. Those are my most favorite of all, don't you know." Then she kissed him softly on the cheek.
Hermione lingered next to his ear, her sweet warm breath on his neck as she pulled him close to her. "Happy Christmas, Harry. And many more. Just like this one, I promise."
Harry shuddered in her arms and simply exhaled, bone deep. He felt the last of his anxieties fading in the light of her, as always.
He breathed in, taking in the festive holiday cheer, basking in her.
And in that moment, Harry knew.
He'd never said it before, to anyone.
But now, he just knew.
Because it's her.
And she's Home, always.
He pulled her closer, deeply, snugly.
With meaning, just to tell her.
To speak his heart to her without any fumbling, awkward things like words getting in between them, just yet.
Besides for this, he'd much rather wait until they actually looked like themselves, thank you very much.
Given her adorable little gasp, followed with a further tightening of her passionate embrace accompanied by a bit of pleased tittering murmurs, he knows she heard him anyway.
Loud and clear.
And she reciprocated, quite happily too.
With just a smidge of 'honestly, took you long enough' mixed in.
Of course, she'd already known.
Harry chuckled, grinned into her hair, anyway.
Tucking into his favorite book as well.
"Happy Christmas, Hermione."