Hello everyone and welcome to the Christmas chapter! Happy holidays!
A massive thanks again to my editor for making this chapter shine! You're the best!
By the way.. we're almost at 90k! How crazy is that? Absolute madness.
Read on and enjoy!
Hermione stood in an Edinburgh street, trying not to look like a tourist.
Around her, the city was heaving with people. Chattering on their phones, laughing and talking, drinking from takeaway cups. Thousands upon thousands of people, and not a single witch's hat among them.
It was like being in a different world. The cars, the billboards, the sheer noise . The fact that this would have once seemed normal to her was part of what made it all so strange; as a muggleborn, this was just as much a part of her heritage as Hogsmeade was, and yet she spent so little of her time in the muggle world these days that this was all just a little overwhelming.
Might as well get this over and done with. Hermione thought, and crossed the street to use a payphone. She started dialling. Her nerves rose.
This was not a conversation that she wanted to have face to face. She hated letting her parents down more than pretty much anything else in the world.
Not wanting to risk charming her gloves to warm her hands while surrounded by so many muggles, she tucked her free hand under her armpit. It was December, and even by the standards of Scotland, it was bitterly cold.
After a few rings, her mother picked up. There was the usual small talk. Were the students alright? Was she writing any new books, working on any new inventions? Hermione asked after their Practice, their neighbours.
Eventually, the dreaded topic that she had called about came up. In her ear, her mother pleaded, "Hermione, dear, will you be coming home for Christmas this year? Your father and I miss you-"
She tried to break it to her gently. "I'm sorry, mum, there's a lot going on. They really need me-"
Hermione heard her father calling out in the general direction of the telephone, "Tell her they can't make her work on Christmas, it's illegal! I checked."
Hermione tried, and failed, to suppress a smile. Her father, the warrior. "I can come for a few hours on Christmas Eve but that's it. Sorry mum, dad, I'll make it up to you-"
"What on earth could they possibly have you doing on Christmas Day?" Jean Granger very rarely got cross, but she sounded cross now. "Surely all the students will be home for Christmas? And I know you can't be behind in marking all the coursework."
"Well that's the thing, mum." She said slowly. "Not all the students will be going home."
There was a pause, and her dad spoke directly into the phone to ask, "So you're staying behind to look after them?" He sounded much more understanding now, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
"Exactly. Not everyone has a place to go that's really…"
She trailed off. It was hard to know what to say when all she could think of was Harry. She hadn't thought much of it as a child, but in her memories now he was always skinny. His clothes obviously secondhand and ill-fitting, and the way he seemed so grateful for any small thing anyone did for him.
And hungry. Always so, so hungry.
But that wasn't her story to tell, and so Hermione just said, "Anyway, I checked with the Headmistress and she agrees. I'm going to do something for all the children who can't go home. It should be a special day for them, too."
The other end went silent, and Hermione worried that the connection had dropped out. Then she heard her mother sob, and her father said, " That's our daughter!"
Hermione let out a breath and leaned against the inside of the booth, grinning through her tears.
Hermione Granger had suffered a great deal in her relatively short life, but she'd also been given gifts beyond measure. Good health. Incredible abilities. Most of all, she had her parents. Jean and Richard Granger.
Her mum pulled herself together and said very cheerfully, "Right then, you take care of all the kids, we love you very very much, we'll send you some money to get them something nice from us. We'll see you on Christmas Eve though, won't we?"
Hermione knew a lost battle when she saw one, so she didn't try to refuse the money. No matter how many times she explained to them that she had more than enough of her own, it made them happy to help her every now and then.
"Absolutely. I'll be home at lunchtime for Christmas Eve, okay?"
Her parents agreed, and hung up.
The party was the reason Hermione had given them, and it hadn't been a lie, exactly, but it was far from the only reason she couldn't go home for Christmas.
Shacklebolt had written to her personally to ask her to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays. He had emphasised that while it was her choice to make, the situation with the dementors (though improving by the day) was far from resolved. The aurors he'd sent hunting dementors had found that the dark creatures were encroaching on smaller muggle towns and villages, ones too small to be given a communal Joy Stone yet.
She had every confidence that her parents would be safe. Both of them wore Joy Stones, though they were blissfully unaware that the watches she had given them might save their lives one day. That didn't mean that their anxiety couldn't attract more dementors to their vicinity, though, if they knew what was happening. To tell them of the threat would put innocent lives at risk, and so she had given Kingsley her word that she would never would.
Christmas was fast approaching, and Hermione had a lot of work to do if she was going to make the party a success.
There were the presents, obviously. She'd taken care of those straightaway. She wanted to make things fair, so she tried to get presents that all cost about the same amount. They were the sorts of small things that any child could presumably like; a selection of treats, enchanted quills, and quidditch memorabilia. She felt reasonably happy that there should be enough for everyone. But then there was the food, the tree, the decorations. She couldn't just hold the celebration in an empty room, could she? Everything had to look right and feel welcoming.
It was a lot of work, but luckily the other staff members had given their support. In addition to Minerva's announcement, the other Heads of House had promised to speak to their Prefects, Head Girls and Boys individually to make sure they were reminding their Houses. Everyone who wanted to come, could come.
Hermione would be there after breakfast. She refused to let herself think of how embarrassed she'd be if no-one came. At least a few children would surely come, and she knew that those who did would appreciate it.
Grubbly-Plank had offered the use of the Hufflepuff Common Room for the party and Hermione had been all too happy to take her up on it. Aside from being a great deal more spacious than the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers, Hufflepuff's Common Room was generally considered neutral ground and it wasn't unheard of for members of other Houses to be allowed there.
As if this wasn't enough, there was also the Yule Ball to think about. Hermione had spent so much time on organising the children's party that the Yule Ball itself, which should have been the highlight of the year, had sort of faded into the background.
This year it was to be held on the night of Christmas Eve. Minerva had reasoned, quite soundly, that if they held it on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day itself, more children might actually be able to attend.
Hermione hadn't put a great deal of effort into her Yule Ball plans. She loved a Ball as much as the next person, but the children were her priority. This wasn't to say she wouldn't be going to the Ball; she'd planned to start getting ready as soon as she returned from lunch with her parents. It simply wasn't her focus.
Hermione was willing to admit, at least to herself, that the greatest possible appeal that the Ball could hold for her would be a chance to spend time with Lucius. And to dance with him again... Merlin. Could she do it? She had danced with him at the Halloween Ball because she hadn't understood what she had begun to feel, and she certainly hadn't realised that he'd felt anything for her. Could she do it again, knowing?
Yes, I could.
It was useless even to hope. Lucius was, above all, a family man. He would be with Draco for Christmas. Whatever was between them, it hadn't developed to the point where inviting her along to a family Christmas would be even remotely appropriate.
One day, though… Pursuing any sort of romantic relationship with Lucius meant that they would eventually have to tell Draco. Have to spend time together, even. The idea was off-putting, to say the least. She'd long since forgiven Draco for his role in the War. What Lucius had told her, all those months ago in the Head Club, had made sure of that. But when she remembered all of Draco's bullying and cruelty, it made her feel distinctly uncomfortable at the thought of being near him.
Even so, be willing to give Draco a chance to show that, like the rest of them, he had changed. To do otherwise would be beneath her. Whether or not Draco would respond in kind was entirely up to him.
Neville surprised them all with a visit at the staff table one morning. Hermione was delighted to see him. Since the birth of his son, Michael, he'd been on paternity leave and they'd seen little of the Herbology Professor. He'd come bearing photos and footprints done with sparkling ink. The ink was blue, and remnants of it still marked his hands and his hair. Hermione didn't mention it; it actually sort of suited him.
Neville had to pull up a chair beside Minerva. When Neville had gone on paternity leave, Lucius had taken his chair so he could sit on Hermione's left. It was a welcome change. Aside from the fact that she generally enjoyed having him nearby, there was only so much neck-craning and raising her voice that she could do.
Surprisingly, the other staff members hadn't batted an eye at this, and Neville didn't complain. Hermione could only be grateful for how oblivious they could be.
Neville was as euphoric (and tired) as only a new parent could be. Hermione didn't complain when he showed them the same photo more than once. She didn't bat an eyelid over his insistence that she admit that Michael was "the most beautiful and sweet baby in the whole world, except for Lana obviously since the two of them were tied." She just smiled, thought of Amelia, and said nothing.
Notably, he didn't bring Michael or Hannah. The wizarding world made a big deal of young children, and new mothers in particular. The Dragon Pox epidemic probably had something to do with it, but Hermione knew there was more to it than that. For non family members, being allowed to see a newborn baby was seen as a real privilege, and generally wasn't done at all until the baby was a month or so old.
Grubbly-Plank's entrance gave her a blessed break; suddenly Neville had someone new to show his photos to. Hermione was able to think of other things.
Beside her, Lucius' eyes were alight with something, and he tucked into his breakfast with obvious relish. Looking up and down the table, he asked the general question, "And what are our holiday plans for this year?"
"I'll be busy with the children." Hermione said, suppressing the urge to remind him that they had already discussed this on several occasions. Lucius liked to play these games, at times. She was starting to think he enjoyed being scolded by her.
"A fine idea." Lucius said warmly. "Though I'm sure your family will miss you."
What a difference a few years could make. "They understand, and I'll be seeing them for Christmas Eve."
Neville spoke up, "Hannah and I are taking the kids to St Mungos first thing in the morning, then we're having dinner at home. We're saving the presents till last. I've been planting a winter garden for Lana and the baby. It's taken me months. You have no idea how hard it's been to keep it a secret; Lana's only young but kids see more than what you'd think. She's going to lose her mind. "
This prompted a chorus of approving noises from the rest of the table, and suddenly everyone started talking about what they were going to be doing. Hagrid, she learned to her horror, had decided to take Olympe to visit Norberta and her most recent clutch in Romania. The groundskeeper refused to listen to any of Hermione's repeated entreaties for him to do something less dangerous instead. McGonagall was visiting family in the far north of Scotland for a day or two. Grubbly-Plank was going to take stock of the Swiss Unicorn herds, and pretty much everyone else was staying at school. Tiberius planned to wrap up a few arithmantic conundrums he had been working on. Binns was working on his lesson plans. How he could be doing that Hermione had no idea, since his lessons were the same every year. Sinistra was going to be performing some charmswork on the telescopes, which Hermione would have loved to help her with if she hadn't already been so busy. Hooch was working on her lap times. Old age, the Quidditch coach said, was no excuse to get rusty.
At this point, Hermione realised that Lucius probably wouldn't have asked the staff table what their plans were unless he'd wanted to talk about his own.
"What about you, Lucius?" She asked, and hid a small smile at how he puffed himself up. Honestly. She couldn't believe that she'd once thought him mysterious. In a way, Lucius was perhaps the simplest man she'd ever known.
He replied, "My family and I will be going on a trip together."
Because she knew it would make him happy, she asked, "All of you?"
"Oh yes." He said, as if it wasn't a big deal. She knew that it was. "All of us together."
She wasn't sure if this included Narcissa, his ex-wife. As a muggleborn, Hermione had gone to great lengths to learn as much about wizarding society as she could, but she did have a few blind spots. Divorce was one of them. Unfortunately, wizards and witches didn't like to write about it. She had no idea whether Lucius would be on friendly terms with Narcissa or whether it would be appropriate for the two of them to spend time with one another.
Hermione decided that it was better to avoid asking about something that might come across as insensitive, or worse, hurt his feelings. Instead, Hermione asked, "You must be really looking forward to it. Where are you going?"
She was actually very curious about that. Where exactly would a family like the Malfoys go on Christmas holidays? Surely they would have travelled the whole world by now.
Lucius didn't seem to really care. "One of the islands. In the South East, I think. Draco prefers the heat."
Hermione couldn't think of anything to say to that, but she didn't need to. Lucius needed no further prompting and started asking her about her own travel experience. She greatly disappointed him by telling him that she had very little. Though she didn't come out and say it, the most travelling she had ever done, aside from her trips to France with her parents when she was a little girl, had been when she had been apparating around Britain with Harry and Ron. It did not particularly bother her. Going travelling for the sake of it had always seemed stupid to her. She had work to be doing, after all.
Lucius seemed to take this lack of wanderlust as a personal affront. "I'm surprised at you. You cannot want for resources. Travel sharpens the mind, Hermione. You must make time for it. Do not let the Headmistress work you too hard."
From her place in the center of the table, McGonagall muttered, "As if I could persuade Hermione to work less."
Lucius continued solicitously, "Should you ever decide to try it, I would be glad to make recommendations to you."
Hermione shrugged. "It wouldn't happen anytime soon. I'm far too busy for holidays."
The Slytherin seemed to take this as a challenge. "I'm sure I could think of a few places that might tempt you."
"I don't think so." She said with a smile. "I can read anywhere in the world, and invent anywhere in the world. Why should it matter where I am? Sitting on a beach somewhere is just a waste of time and besides, it might distract me."
Lucius shook his head slightly. He looked almost as if he felt sorry for her.
"Ah. Perhaps I am running when I should be walking. Well, if travel for the purpose of leisure does not suit you, would a working holiday be more to your tastes?" He turned his eyes up to the enchanted ceiling in thoughtful contemplation. "Let me see… what about the Witches Sanctuary in Slovakia? When I was young, it was considered a necessity for any witch of standing to go there at least once. Or the Archival Catacombs in Nepal? Inventors have gone there for centuries. Do they hold no appeal to you at all? Lake Tanganyika is truly beautiful, and it's waters are said to have many magical properties I am sure would entice you. I can think of a dozen such places which I am sure you would enjoy very much."
Lucius paused and gave her a knowing smile. "And I can see you are about to tell me that since you have already read about these places, you have no need to visit them. There, I am afraid, you are mistaken. There is a great difference between reading about a place and actually visiting it. Besides, you forget your significance to our people. You owe it to all of wizardry to have a little break every now and then. Imagine what heights of spellcrafting you might reach if only you rested your brain!"
Our people. There was something about the way he said it. The way his eyes held hers. She was reminded of that knowing smile of his that day in the Ministry.
'Well, well, well. Isn't this interesting?'
Her cheeks grew very warm, all of a sudden. She tried to make light of it. "If I didn't know any better, Lucius, I would think you're making fun of me."
He answered her blush with a ready smile, and her question with a look of false horror. "Make fun of you , Hermione? Never. I would not dare."
The Christmas Holidays began and the school started to empty as the children started going home to their families. Hermione exchanged presents with the staff, with promises to open them first thing on Christmas morning.
The Hogwarts express was running every other day to take students home and bring them back. Of course, most of the people over seventeen would just go outside the castle wards and apparate from there.
She'd gone with Lucius as far as Hogsmeade to say goodbye. He'd been wearing his best and carrying a black suitcase. She refused to get over-emotional about it and had pulled him into a fierce hug instead. She made him promise, for the third time that day, to write to her whenever he had time.
The last she saw of him before he turned on his heel and disappeared, he'd been blushing and avoiding her eyes.
As farewells went, it hadn't been bad.
The Yule Ball was wondrous.
The first thought that crossed Hermione's mind when she entered was that, somehow, a forest had taken root in the Great Hall. Tall, proud pine and fir trees filled the room, with stone-lined pathways between them. Bonfires at random intervals drew clusters of children and staff alike. There were great ice sculptures; dragons and unicorns, and manticores. Every now and then they would turn down their heads to watch the crowds beneath, solemn and silent.
And then there was the snow. It behaved itself, for the most part. Every now and then it would coalesce into a gentle snow-flurry. Laughing students would run to stand in the middle of it until the dancing snowflakes disperse.
The greatest bonfire blazed in the center of the room, and it was around this that the feast-tables were arrayed. The smells coming from those tables called her with a siren song.
Best of all, Hermione was pleased to note that Hagrid hadn't been able to convince Minerva to bring in a herd of reindeer.
Her footsteps crunched beneath her, and Hermione looked down at the snow with a frown. The unfortunate consequence of all this was that her heels were absolutely useless, so she conjured herself something more practical instead.
Lucius would have laughed. Her perfectly coiffed hair, gorgeous fur trimmed robes… and a great big pair of boots. Or perhaps not. Perhaps he would have called it a 'signature outfit' and praised her.
That sorted, Hermione made a beeline straight to the feast-tables, fully intending to try at least one of everything. The desserts, especially.
She spent the next hour or two chatting with her fellow staff members, stuffing herself silly, and trying to stop an excited group of Gryffindors from holding an impromptu ski race. This proved more difficult than she would have liked, though in the end she was able to bargain them down to a snowball fight. Soon, charmed snowballs were soaring through the air. Things escalated, as they often did. Before long, they were all (Hermione included) getting a stern telling-off from McGonagall. She felt a little guilty for getting the students in trouble, but it was well worth it. The snowball fight had been surprisingly fun. The fact that she'd been winning had nothing to do with it.
The rest of the students were enjoying themselves as well. The Ravenclaws were building a twenty foot snowman in one corner of the room. It had a massive, charmed carrot as a nose, and rocks stolen from the pathway as eyes. Currently, they were trying to enchant it to repeat a few simple riddles, but couldn't quite seem to figure out the enunciation. Hermione made a mental note to go over and help them in half an hour if they still hadn't figured it out.
The Hufflepuffs were playing Exploding Snap underneath the branches of a fir tree. They, at least, didn't require constant supervision. The few Slytherins that had stayed behind were playing with them. It was quite a sight. The Slytherins were cheating shamelessly, but the Hufflepuffs were very good at catching them.
She talked to her favourite students and yes; she did have favourites. She tried her best to treat everyone the same, of course, but she couldn't help but look forward to spending time with her NEWTs class in particular. Daniel was staying behind this year, and a few of his friends had chosen to stay with him. She found their solidarity very heart-warming, though she worried that he'd been unable to go home because he'd chosen to take her Charms NEWT.
She danced with as many people as she could make time for. Neville, Tiberius and Sinistra. Neville could only stay for an hour or two before racing back home to his wife and children, so they'd made it count. She helped him sneak food into a bag he'd brought; he wouldn't listen to her argument that, as a wizard, he didn't need to squirrel away mince pies and christmas pudding. She had no doubt that there would be plenty of House Elves who'd jump at the chance to work for him. Neville simply replied that Hogwarts food was best, and she was forced to agree.
She danced with Viktor Krum.
The wizard wore an outfit that was fairly reminiscent of the one he had worn to the Yule Ball during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The red stood out strikingly against the white snow. They chatted as they spun across the room. Viktor told her all about how Slytherin was going to win the Inter-House cup. She laughed at him. He apologised for not being there when the dementors had attacked, as if that had somehow been his fault. She assured him that it wasn't. Everything had turned out alright in the end, hadn't it? With her express permission, Kingsley had released the instructions on how to create Joy Stones to the world, free of charge. Viktor couldn't praise her, or the Minister for Magic, enough. When Hermione and Viktor went their separate ways for the evening, it was as friends.
Still, Hermione was not completely happy. Lucius was not here. His absence was like a foul taste in the back of her mouth, and she only banished it by thinking of how happy he must be with his family, and how much she would have to tell him when they next saw one another. That being the case, it seemed hopelessly juvenile and a little self-destructive to spoil what could be a lovely evening with pining.
And so Hermione threw herself into the night's festivities, only going back to her rooms when the Great Hall was almost empty.
The alarm rang bright and early.
Christmas morning!
Hermione tumbled out of bed and ran to the window for the obligatory peek. It was indeed snowing. The entire grounds were buried. Even the quidditch hoops were noticeably shorter.
It was absolutely perfect.
Hermione didn't run. After all, she wasn't a child. But she did leave her room and go out to her office very quickly .
Over the last few days she had been collecting quite the hoard of parcels and letters on her table. It was like a monument of friendship, and just seeing it made her too excited to wait. Still in her pajamas, she started unwrapping her presents, screwing up little wrapping paper balls for Crookshanks to chase as she went.
Ginny had given her a moving photo of them all together, which Hermione knew was destined for a pride of place on her desk. From Harry, a rather embarrassing collection of the new Chocolate Frogs with Hermione Granger cards. He apparently thought they were hilarious. Hermione made a mental note to return the favour next year. The Potter family had also sent a drawing of her from Amelia. Hermione studied it and her heart softened. The toddler really was getting better at drawing her hair.
She'd got cards from Cho, Angelina and Luna. Luna's spat glitter at her when she opened it up, and Hermione had to Vanish it from her pajamas. Tiberius had sent her an antique pair of lace gloves which he claimed would prevent her from being disarmed. Hermione put them to one side very gently, with plans to study them later.
There was nothing from Molly, of course. Hermione refused to let that hurt. Luckily, Grubbly-Plank and Minerva had sent her enough toffee, shortbread and boiled sweets to last a lifetime.
Finally, Hermione reached for the box she knew could only come from Lucius. A long, wide white box embossed with his seal. She had saved it till last.
She took a moment to savour the anticipation of it. She was really, truly glad that he'd gotten her something. Some witches and wizards celebrated Christmas the muggle way, with gift giving, and some didn't. Many witches and wizards didn't care about Christmas at all. Hermione had sent him something regardless, but wasn't sure if she'd get anything in return.
Hermione opened the box. Nestled within a swathe of tissue paper was a luxurious blue coat.
The coat was double-breasted. It was a deep, sapphire blue with silver buttons. Cut in a wizarding style, it had a deep, wide hood and long sleeves. When she stood up and held it against her, she saw that it would fall down to her mid-calf.
It was stunning, of course, but that wasn't really the best thing about it. The best thing was on the inside; on the left-hand side of the coat's inner lining was a buttoned sleeve for a wand. Just like the one she had seen in Lucius' coat when they had gone to the Forbidden Forest.
Attached to the box was a short note.
'Hermione.
I have often seen you struggling with your wand. This coat is done in the new style; you will note that the wand-sleeve has come pre-charmed to only accept the hand of one witch or wizard. The instructions to bond the sleeve are attached, though I am sure you will not need them.
You may expect me back on January 2nd. Below, I have enclosed an address you can Floo me at, should you need me. Do not send Atlas; it will be too far, even for him.
Merry Christmas.
Yours,
Lucius.'
She hoped he would like what she'd gotten him. In terms of material things, Lucius had almost everything a man could want. In the end, she'd decided on a nice bottle of brandy. Tiberius had strongly recommended it and it had cost her a pretty disgusting amount of money, so she felt reasonably confident that Lucius would like it.
They might even be able to drink it together.
After she'd finished unwrapping her presents, Hermione ducked into the Hall for a spot of breakfast. Only a handful of students were there and the mood was very relaxed. A few of the students from her own House had gone to sit at other tables and talk to their friends there. The sight of it warmed her heart. Right up until she saw that they had their feet up on the benches. At this, she frowned. The students jumped when they saw her come in, and looked ready to flee back to the Gryffindor table. Waving them off, she walked past them with a cheery 'Merry Christmas'. After all, if people couldn't relax on Christmas morning, when could they? A few of the students called out 'Merry Christmas' back to her as well.
The staff table was nearly empty, as she had known it would be. A few still remained. Sinistra gave her a polite smile. Tiberius was in his normal place, downing coffee instead of breakfast, as per usual.
And there in his normal spot beside hers, was Lucius. Shock slowed her walk for a moment before she resumed her quick pace.
Lucius gave her a nod and a thin smile as she sat down. He gave no explanation for his presence, and Hermione found the lukewarm welcome very telling. She couldn't even remember the last time Lucius hadn't gone out of his way to at least give her a friendly good morning.
What are you doing here, Lucius?
Hermione was very, very tempted to outright ask him, but after a moment's thought the answer was so obvious that to ask would have been worse than heartless.
Short of severe injury, there could only be one reason that Lucius would miss an opportunity to spend time with his son and grandson. Either Draco, or Astoria, or potentially both of them, had told him he wasn't welcome, and he'd been left behind.
Hermione felt an overpowering rage at this. She knew that Lucius' relationship with his son was complicated, but to be cut out at the last minute? At Christmas, of all times?
She wanted to ask him what possible reason had been given for the decision, but they were not alone and besides, she didn't want to cause him more pain. All she knew was that seeing him here hurt. Last night, she would have done pretty much anything for even a few minutes conversation with him. She'd missed him that badly. But now?
"Good morning, Lucius." Hermione said in a casual sort of way as she took her seat. "I hope you're feeling alright."
He assured her that he was, but though his tone was polite, even friendly, she was not convinced. Now that she was closer, she could see that he was wearing the same robes that he'd worn yesterday. That was… worrying. In all her time working with him, both at Hogwarts and at the Ministry, she had never known Lucius Malfoy to wear the same clothes two days in a row.
Eventually Tiberius separated himself from his cup long enough to ask Lucius the question that was on her own lips.
"Lucius, old boy, weren't you supposed to be with your family for Christmas? I'm surprised to see you back."
But before Lucius could say a word, Hermione cut in, "I was feeling a bit overworked, so Lucius offered to help me set things up for today. It was really nice of him."
There was the tiniest little pause, before Lucius smoothly said, "It's no trouble at all."
Tiberius looked surprised, but pleased. "Marvelous. I say Lucius, you have really mellowed out, haven't you? One of the benefits of age, I assume?"
This went as well as could be expected, and Hermione didn't get a rational word out of either of them for the rest of the breakfast. She didn't mind one bit.
Sometimes, listening to the two of them squabble could get a little frustrating. But as they went on, Lucius seemed to get more and more of his spirit back, and by the time Hermione had to excuse herself to get ready for the party, she was no longer quite as worried about him.
In her many years at the castle, Hermione had explored a great deal of Hogwarts. She still hadn't found a single place more comforting, more reassuring, than the Hufflepuff Common Room. Even the Room of Requirement couldn't match it for heart-felt authenticity.
The room was of a beautiful, circular design. The overstuffed armchairs were made of pale wood and golden cushions. Plants were everywhere; hanging from the ceiling and sitting next to chairs in bronze pots. The Hufflepuff's had lit a fire in the fireplace, over which a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff smiled. The sound of the popping wood logs only added to the atmosphere.
It reminded her of a sort of den, but in a nice way. The Hufflepuffs had turned this old wine cellar into a home. The fact that it was below ground level did mean that the single window was totally blocked by a snowdrift, but even that only added to it's charm.
In terms of decorations, she hadn't had to do as much as she'd feared. The Hufflepuffs had told her they would handle it, and they hadn't let her down. The Common Room was looking very festive indeed. The mantlepiece had little carolling badger dolls. The Christmas tree was almost totally covered in tinsel, glowing stars and ornaments. The low ceilings meant it wasn't overly large, but Hermione reasoned that would only make her pile of presents look bigger. Holly had been cultivated over the archway leading to the student dorms.
The Hufflepuffs were helping the castle Elves set the table. All Hermione had to do was add the finishing touches of Charmwork here and there. She added a few board games to the pile; Monopoly, Cluedo and another Wizard chess set, just in case. Finally, she added her presents beneath the tree, fishing out the whole contents of her handbag in a great pile. Hands on her hips, Hermione surveyed the room with a smile.
Hermione was something of a family-Christmas veteran. She'd planned today with experience gained from Christmases with her parents, the Potters, and the Weasleys. She was very happy with this one; now all she needed was the students.
She didn't have to wait long. The Gryffindors came first, of course. Not individually but as a group. Some of them she hadn't seen at breakfast and they looked half asleep, bless them, so Hermione passed round cups of tea and coffee as she ushered them in.
With the Gryffindors, the Common Room was already starting to look more full.
Still, Hermione tried not to get her hopes up. They were her own House. If no-one else, she could have relied upon them to come. Joanna, her Head Girl, approached her with a grin.
"Morning, Hermione. Morning badgers. Love the food. Hope you got more where that came from; saw plenty of Ravenclaws following behind us, though I think you might want to get out there. A couple of them were fiddling with the jinx on the barrels when we came in."
The Hufflepuffs were appalled and ran out to herd the Ravenclaws in. Five or six Ravenclaws soon joined them, not looking the slightest bit ashamed of themselves. They started quizzing the Hufflepuffs on the jinx, and Hermione got distracted trying to stop the Gyffindors from opening their presents before it was time.
There was a knock at the door, and Hermione turned to see Lucius Malfoy stood surrounded by a gaggle of Slytherins. They were looking at their feet, at the ceiling, at one another. Anywhere but her or the other students.
She smiled. And it wasn't just at seeing him . "Merry Christmas, everyone. Come in, come in." She said, trying to sound as welcoming as she could. "There's plenty for everyone. Daniel, Miss Flint, nice to see you!"
Despite her best efforts to help, the Slytherins stuck out like sore thumbs at first. Even if they hadn't been ushered into the room by Lucius Malfoy, something about them set them apart. The way their eyes swept the room, checking the corners. The way they stood together. Even their clothes were different; they wore neat casual while the other children wore pajamas or scruffy daywear.
Once they had gotten over their instinctive desire to appear too cool to be there, the Slytherins started ingratiating themselves amongst the other students and quickly charmed their way amongst them.
Reasoning that about as many people had come who would come, Hermione finally gave the all clear for the children to start opening the presents. Before long, the children were sitting around the tree and tearing at wrapping paper.
Hermione watched them from her armchair by the fireplace. Lucius sat beside her.
"This is nice." She said softly, watching as Joanna supervised an argument about Quidditch, making sure things didn't get too out of hand.
"It should not be necessary at all." Lucius replied tightly. Where she watched the children with pleasure, his jaw was clenched. "I can't imagine why any family would choose to be apart when they could be together."
Hermione didn't say anything. She knew he was speaking from a place of pain. What she wanted to do was reach over and take his hand in hers, but to do it with so many students all around them...
"It's lovely to see the Slytherins here." Hermione said, instead. It did not feel quite enough, so she continued, "I'm happy you all came."
Lucius shot her a grateful look. "I must admit that I felt a little guilty at the prospect of you taking this all on alone. Since my other plans- well, since I was going to remain at Hogwarts regardless, I thought I might as well chaperone them."
And bully them into coming in the first place, she thought. She didn't mind. Slytherins had a tendency to try to squirrel themselves away. Old, and young.
"I'm really happy you came." She said again. "And I loved my present, Lucius. Thank you."
Lucius pulled himself up a little bit in his chair. "I'm glad. I'm sorry to say I haven't opened yours. I'll open it tonight."
"It's alright, Lucius. You can open it whenever you like."
Lucius smiled, and they fell into a comfortable silence for a while.
A particularly frazzled looking Ravenclaw challenged a slick, dark-eyed Slytherin fifth year to a game of Wizard chess. The Slytherin smiled in answer and a chorus of 'ooohs' went up from a few nearby students. The Hufflepuffs pulled them up a couple of chairs, and they sat down with a crowd forming around them.
Hermione watched them all with real pride. This was what they needed. A way to bring everyone together.
Quietly, he observed, "That was a very kind thing you did for me earlier today, Hermione."
He meant the lie; that he'd stayed behind of his own free will.
Hermione fidgeted. "Lucius, honestly. It was nothing."
"It was far from nothing. Thank you."
Hermione tapped her fingers on her knee, struggling to find the words she wanted to say. Finally, she said, "Lucius… look, I don't want to poke my nose in, but seriously, if anything like this happens again, I'd rather you just came to me about it."
He gave her a look. "I beg your pardon?"
Hermione pushed on. "When did you find out about it? When did they tell you they didn't-?" Hermione reconsidered. "That they would rather you left?"
Lucius said nothing, and for a while, Hermione worried that she had gone too far. She and Lucius were… close. Even ignoring their feelings for one another, she really thought that she might be closer to him than she'd ever been with anyone. But she also knew that Lucius had his own life, and his own boundaries. This might be crossing them.
Eventually, he answered. "Yesterday afternoon."
Yesterday afternoon. And he hadn't said a word.
"So you came back?" He nodded reluctantly. "But you just… stayed in your room? All day, and all night, by yourself?" The idea of him in pain, of him feeling abandoned and alone, physically hurt her. "Lucius, you should have Floo'd me. You shouldn't have been alone."
Lucius looked away. "I would have been poor company. I knew you were at the Ball."
"That's not the point." Hermione said flatly. "I wasn't exactly good company either, the last time we were alone." She wouldn't say, when we made the Joy Stones together. "You helped me, remember?"
Stubbornly, he said, "It isn't the same."
Hermione had to restrain the urge to scoff at him.
People were so, so strange. If someone tripped over and got a tiny little bruise, they would rub a healing salve on it, or at the very least point it out to all their friends. But emotional pain or injury? They would bottle it up, ignore it, excuse it away, do anything other than acknowledge it.
Pain was pain, and loneliness was a particularly cruel kind. Lucius had needed her. He had not come to her. She hated that.
"Actually, it is." Hermione said with a tight smile. I would rather have been with you, Lucius. Even if we'd just moped together in your office all night. I would rather have been there for you when you needed me.
Lucius looked as though he wanted to argue, but thought better of it. "Alright. If you insist."
It turned out to be a wonderful day.
It wasn't quite perfect, obviously. She hadn't counted on so many students coming and it turned out that there weren't enough presents for everyone. Lucius had nipped the resulting brawl in the bud by suggesting that Hermione could sign copies of her books for those who had missed out. The children had been very happy with that. She spent a good fifteen minutes signing books with personal messages, while Lucius smirked behind her.
They'd sung every carol they could think of, and Hermione had really tried. Lucius had a beautiful baritone. She would have happily listened to him all day.
The party was coming to an end, though. The Hufflepuffs had stopped eating, and some of the children had been observed yawning. She didn't blame them. Christmas was a wonderful time, but it could also be absolutely exhausting.
The chess game was coming to a conclusion. The Ravenclaw girl was dismantling the Slytherin. Her knight made one final sweeping lunge, the queen lost her head, and the Slytherins groaned. The Slytherin player laughed and held out his hand. After a moment of confusion the Ravenclaw took it and shook.
"Good game." He said, cheerily, and she smiled timidly.
Beside her, Lucius assessed the situation with a practiced eye and said, "I think that is about enough. I will take the Slytherins and Ravenclaws to their dormitories."
Hermione gasped. She'd almost forgotten. "Wait- wait just a second-"
Hermione ran to her bag and started rummaging through. "Before you all go, would you just stand together for a moment-?" The baffled students hurried to comply. "No no, in front of the fireplace- you too, Lucius"
Her fingers touched cool metal. There. Grinning triumphantly, she pulled out a tripod and magical camera.
His brow furrowed in confusion as he saw it. "What on Earth…"
"Humour me." She said as she adjusted the camera with her wand, fine tuning it with practiced expertise. When she and Ron had been a couple, they had taken a lot of photos together. At the Burrow, at her old London apartment… Best not to think about that now. The point was, she was no Colin Creevy, but she could take a good photo when she needed to.
The students were spread out a little too thin for the frame. A little prodding made them come in closer, got the tall ones at the back, and so forth. She joined them, nudging the children out of the way to stand beside Lucius. She saw him watching her out of the corner of his eyes and poked him until he looked at the camera.
In a low voice, she reminded him, "You said you missed the old Hogwarts traditions, Lucius. Think of this as a new one."
She truly hoped it would be. That this would be something they could all do together, every year. That Christmas could be something for them to look forward to, instead of feeling left out. She already had ideas on how next year's Christmas celebration could be improved. She should have brought more board games. She had underestimated the amount of students that would come. She needed more presents, more food.
And as for Lucius? For his sake, she hoped that next year he wouldn't be here.
The camera gave a high pitched buzz. That was their cue. She snapped out of her reverie. Everyone smiled, she looked to Lucius and saw he wasn't. He didn't look sour by any means, but he still wasn't posing properly .
She elbowed him in the ribs, hard.
"Smile, idiot!" She hissed through her teeth. This was going to be their first photo together, after all. She wanted it to be perfect.
The camera flashed.
A few dozen students and two adults stand before a great fireplace.
The photo is black and white. The students are from all different Houses. The photo moves; one can see the students fidgeting on their feet, casting jaded looks at one another that say they have better places to be. They are teenagers and have very little time for photos.
At the back the adults are looking very serious. The woman, on the left, because she is so obviously trying to take the perfect photo. Her mouth is set in a rigid smile. The man on the right because it is expected of him. The woman's hair is curling and wild. The man is sleek and polished. His eyes are cool and his back is straight.
The young witch elbows the handsome wizard. He half-turns to her in injured surprise, his hand pressed against his side. He pauses, and his eyes crinkle with mirth just as he tilts his head back in a great laugh. Everyone is caught totally off guard by this, the witch most of all. When the surprise fades from her face, it is replaced by the beginnings of a fond smile. And then the photo reverts.
It is a good photo.
Ahhhh I hope you liked it! This chapter was surprisingly tricky!
Next chapter is the New Year's chapter. It'll be coming on the 31st, which is fitting!
The New Year chapter is the end of part one of the story, and I'm sorry to say I may have to take a break for a couple of weeks after that. It's been an intense few weeks and I want to write lots more cutesy stuff for you guys before I get into the main story! I especially want to think of some new chapters if possible! Let me know if you can think of any sweet things you'd like them to see or do, I'm not too proud to take suggestions! The only thing is, their first date is already decided so that one's not up for grabs sadly!
I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and that 2021 is better for us all. May Jason Isaacs' cheekbones be a shield to you in these trying times, and may Emma Watson's little upturned nose light your path ahead.
See you next week!