A/N: A million thanks to sodamnrad for the alpha work when I couldn't decide and to magical_traveler for beta-reading this one at the last minute and also! whipping up this gorgeous cover art! 333
All remaining mistakes are my own.
Happy Holidays!
Disclaimer: I don't owe anything, I'm just having fun with the characters. And upping the numbers of Theomione stories!
Hermione ducked down into the Runes and Arithmancy aisle in Flourish and Blotts, dodging a charmed toy-sized Santa sleigh pulled by reindeer as it flew a tight turn. It made its way back to the front of the packed store, several people jumping out of its way. Parents reprimanded their children to not run around in the store and to watch out for the sleigh.
The store was bustling with last-minute Christmas shoppers hoping to find the perfect gift one day before Christmas. Wizarding folk were as unorganized as muggles, she'd found out after all those years. She was thankful they were all scurrying around the main displays in the front of the store and she was almost alone in the Runes department. There was only one other customer at the other end of the aisle, intently browsing the shelves.
She strolled down the long shelf, sweeping her fingers over the different spines, some of them covered in dust, others looking as if they were added that day, crammed into some freed-up space.
Her gaze wandered over the titles, scanning for the book she was searching for. The info-witch had told her they had only one left in stock and was about to give her the shelf number but had been dragged away by an older gentleman in desperate search of a Muggle Gingerbread Recipe book for his wife.
If she'd known the store to be this busy, she'd have waited until after Christmas or simply told Harry or one of the Weasleys to gift it to her. But now that she was already here, she'd get it herself and then not leave her flat for a week.
She already pictured herself all snuggled up in front of her fireplace, wrapped in a blanket with Crookshanks on her lap and a cup of tea on the side table. No obligations and no stress over the holidays; just her and her new book.
She heard the wooden panels creaking next to her and assumed it was the other customer making his way out of the store. She kept her gaze locked on the shelves in front of her, determined to find the book and leave.
She finally found it on one of the upper shelves, only slightly out of her reach. It sat tightly pinned between the other books, waiting for her to fetch it. History of Nordic Tales and Runes.
She pulled over a step ladder from two shelves over and, after carefully stepping on the first step, leaned over and reached for the ice-blue book with its golden letters. Her fingers slipped on a layer of dust that had gathered on the book. Dust gently settled down to the floor and she held her breath to not inhale it. She gripped the book tighter and began drawing out the tome, resulting in even more dust whirling to the ground.
"What in–" Someone coughed next to her. "Oh, that's the book I was looking for."
When she looked down, she found the other customer standing next to her. He was clad in an elegant coat and his dark brown hair was mussed in a way that made her want to run her fingers through it and now that she'd stared at him long enough, she recognized him. "Theodore?"
"Theo, please," he said, a smile playing around his lips after he was done coughing.
"Theo," she corrected herself, smiling back down at him. "Sorry about the dust. I'm afraid this is the only copy they have."
"Blimey!" He grimaced, dragging his fingers across his face and through his mussed hair.
Thinking she could maybe buy another book or read one from the untouched stack at home, she offered the book to him. "Do you want–"
"No, take it. You had it first," he interrupted her, motioning her to keep it.
"I don't need it now." She had no idea why she was trying to persuade him to take the book she'd been so looking forward to reading. Maybe it was the Christmas spirit, or the look on his face when she told him it was the only copy. Most definitely not the wizard himself.
"It's fine. I'll find another copy." He nodded at her in a wishing of goodbye. "It was nice meeting you, Hermione."
"Theo, wait!" She'd called his name before she could think her sudden thought through.
He turned back, his head cocked in question.
"I thought–" she glanced down at the book in her hands "–I could owl it to you once I'm finished? I should be done next week latest." It was probably a stupid idea, she already felt the blush creeping up on her cheeks. He belonged to one of the wealthiest wizarding families and she offered to send him a book he could easily order somewhere else. But somehow, she didn't want him to leave yet. There'd always been something intriguing about him in school.
"That would be nice."
Not having reckoned with that kind of answer, her eyes snapped back to his. She blinked and she saw his cheeks were slightly flushed.
"Can I invite you for a coffee so I can return the favour?"
She nodded, smiling at him like a dorky Third Year. "Yes, I'd like that."
"Great! When?" He paused. "I mean, um, only if you're not busy…" He scratched his neck, a lopsided smile on his lips.
"Do you have time now? We could start having a look at the book together? I mean, if you have time." She hoped her blush didn't show and brushed some more dust off the book cover to busy herself.
"I do!"
"Have you ever been to the new one Hannah opened recently?" She'd only heard about it from Ginny and Lavender but according to them, Hannah did the best cakes Diagon Alley has ever seen.
"I haven't! Even though Blaise nagged me to pay them a visit."
"Blaise?" she asked, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. She'd thought Hannah ran the café on her own.
"I'll explain on the way" Theo winked at her, motioning for her to lead the way.
"So why is Hermione Granger spending the holidays on her own?" Theo asked, silently stirring his tea with a natural grace only his Pureblood upbringing could explain, the platinum signet ring shining in the café light.
She regretted telling him about her plans and why she could send him the book after a few days already. He sat across from her at the small table, their knees almost touching.
They'd snatched the last one in the corner, far from prying eyes, the newly opened café also packed with people (how did she expect anything else?). Hannah had done a double-take at seeing them together when she'd come over to take their order. At Hermione's uncertainty, she'd recommended a Twinkling Hot Chocolate. It came in a white mug with blue trim, the whipped chocolate cream twinkling like the night sky and topped with white chocolate sauce and sprinkles, looking too good to touch.
Hermione stirred her hot chocolate, concentrating on not spilling anything. "Well… Ginny and Harry want to spend their first Christmas as first-time parents together. The Weasleys offered but I politely declined," she said, grimacing at the thought of how Lavender would be all over Ron. "And my parents are…on vacation." She tried not to think about the irreversible Memory Charm she'd placed on them.
"Over Christmas? Leaving their daughter alone?"
"They have their…reasons." She took a spoonful of chocolate cream and hummed as the rich chocolate flavour spread across her tongue.
Theo looked at her but didn't say anything, as if he understood to not probe.
She was silent for a moment. "So what did you need the book for?"
"I found a box in my families' vault which has a runic inscription I've never seen before. I've been trying to open it but so far, no luck."
"You're not afraid of what's in it?" She thought about all the dark objects gathered at Grimmauld Place and how long it had taken to sort everything out.
"Part of the fun, isn't it?" He smirked, dimples appearing on his cheeks which did something to her lower abdomen she didn't want to think about.
"How do you know they're Nordic?"
He looked at her. "I know enough about runes to specify that part, Hermione."
"If they're old, they could also be Icelandic or Faroese which would be the most native ones or West Germa–"
"Hermione," he interrupted her, raising an amused eyebrow at her eagerness, "take a breath."
"Sorry, I love runes. And it's nice to talk to someone who understands them." If she thought about Ginny, Ron or even Harry, whenever she started talking about runes, they all pretended to fall asleep instantly to mess with her.
He grinned. "I barely noticed."
"Do you remember any rune? We could look for it in here." She extracted the book from her bag and set it on the table between them.
"They all seem to be combinations, like this–" He searched his coat for something and produced a pocket-sized self-inking quill and began drawing on the napkin.
She moved closer, their knees brushing under the table, sending a jolt through her body. He didn't seem to notice, still concentrating on setting the lines in the right way.
"Here." He slid the napkin over to her.
At a first glance, the combination looked like a snowflake.
"This," he pointed to the outer part, "is the rune for protection."
"Or moose," she said, remembering the one basic lesson they had in Ancient Nordic Runes.
He laughed. "Yes."
"So this could be–" she pulled the napkin closer to her, studying what Theo had drawn. She began turning the pages in the book until she'd found an overview "–the rune for peace or new beginnings."
"Or birch," Theo added, having read across her shoulder from the table. He winked at her. She hadn't noticed him moving closer to her and being this close to him made her heart speed up.
"Let's see what the book says about it." She flipped through the book until she'd found the appropriate page, skimming the text.
Theo was as engaged as she was, his finger moving along the lines of his side of the book as he scanned the text. She noticed how neat and tidy his hands were.
They searched the book until they had found every combination, Theo making notes along the way and adding details or similar runes, their hot drinks long forgotten. Then and now, Hannah and Blaise, from what she'd learned co-owners and also a couple, checked in on them and they decided to share a plate of shortcakes on which they nibbled over decoding the runes.
She felt her heart beat faster in excitement as they were close to solving the rune combination Theo had drawn on the napkin. "If this is the rune for wisdom and it is the wrong way round it could also mean weakness or–"
"But we have to take into account that—" His fingers brushed hers naturally as he turned the napkin back in his direction. Over the course of the past hour, he'd shifted to sit next to her so that they both could easier read the book. When he moved, she could notice his aftershave.
"Oi, lovebirds! We're closing," Blaise said from somewhere far off.
"We're not–" she began defending them until she looked up into his gleaming eyes. When she looked around, they indeed were the only ones left. The tables had been cleared, the chairs neatly tucked under the tables and the café looked peaceful, as if it hadn't been bursting with people mere hours ago.
Blaise snorted. "Believe me, Granger, if Theo would be dating you, he'd tell me. I meant this–" he pointed above them and when she looked up, she found a mistletoe hanging above them. It jingled, the twigs floating softly up and down. Had it been there all the time or had Blaise put up a spell to mess with them?
"Did you–" Theo glared at Blaise who raised his palms defensively.
"I swear I didn't do anything. It's the place. The previous owner told us it could happen though I've never seen it. Apparently it's like a curse that has been around for decades."
"Blaise, you can't have people be coerced into kissing others without putting up a warning," Theo said, expressing exactly what Hermione felt.
"I thought he was kidding."
"Guys, it's fine. We'll just vanish it," Hermione intervened, feeling awkward about Theo apparently being appalled to kiss her.
"Hermione, I'm sure if it would be easily done with a vanishing spell, it wouldn't have been in place for decades," Theo deadpanned.
"Evanesco," she tried and the offending twigs disappeared, leaving both Blaise and Theo gaping at her. Pleased with herself, she tucked her wand back into her pocket. "See? Everything's fine." Pocketing the book, she looked at Theo. "Should we leave?"
He nodded and helped her into her coat, their fingers brushing again when she slipped into it. They bid their goodbyes to Blaise and Hannah, both apologizing for staying this long.
Theo held open the door for her and they stepped out into the cold winter air. Now that it was dark, Diagon Alley was lit with dancing fairy lights, spreading a warm glow.
"This was nice," Theo said, his breath visible in the December air.
She nodded. "We should do it again sometime."
"Would you– Do you want to come by tomorrow? I'll be alone, too and we could work some more on the runes?"
She nodded again, her face lighting up. "I'd love that."
"Great–" He stopped talking as the familiar sound of the mistletoe jingled from above them.
She glanced around, finding it hovering directly above them. "I thought I vanished it."
He smirked, his dimples sending a new heatwave through her body. "Seems to be a persistent one."
"Uhm… do you think we should–" She didn't dare finish the sentence in case he thought she'd gone mad.
"I–Uh, yes." His cheeks were blushing but she wasn't sure whether it was from their impending kiss or the cold.
"O–Okay." She stepped close to him and he put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, glancing at her lips. She slid her arms around his neck and raised herself on tiptoes, he steadied her, a smile on his lips.
His lips gently brushed against hers, his breath hot on her skin. She fought the urge to pull him closer; It was only to divest themselves of the mistletoe, she told herself. Theodore Nott would not kiss her otherwise.
They both pulled back and, looking up, found the mistletoe still there, the jingle becoming louder.
"Should we try again?" Theo asked, his hands brushing over her back as if to make sure she was okay.
She nodded.
This time, he kissed her harder, extricating a soft moan from her. His tongue slipped into her mouth and her fingers found their way into his hair, playing with his locks. She thought she felt him smiling against her lips, his hands tugging her even closer into him, sharing each other's warmth.
She was snogging Theodore Nott in the middle of Diagon Alley and she didn't care if anyone saw. She was happy, relishing in the feeling of his lips against hers, her body close to his.
She felt hot and cold on her skin and when they pulled back, they both panted heavily. The mistletoe was gone, instead, a flurry of snowflakes danced softly around them, covering the ground in a fresh layer of white bit by bit.
"Wow," she breathed, resting her forehead against his. "I love magic."
Theo chuckled, interlacing their fingers as if they hadn't just kissed for the first time. "Me too. I can't wait for tomorrow."
She grew bold, her heart beating faster. "Can I invite you over to my flat for a coffee?"
He smiled his lopsided grin again, pulling her back to him for another breathy kiss. "Yes, I'd like that."