"Checkmate!" Ron Weasley boomed, beating Harry Potter at wizard chess for the second time that morning. Across from him Harry dropped his head into his hands and groaned while the scattered Gryffindors at the table laughed.
"I just can't beat you," Harry conceded with a good natured smile. It was clear that he never minded losing to Ron at wizard chess, not really. Next to the broad redhead, Lavender Brown giggled and nuzzled into his neck. "You're always a winner to me Won-Won," she whispered much too loudly into his ear. Hermione Granger rolled her eyes with a sneer at this exchange, a few seats down at the long table. Across from her, Ginny Weasely stifled laughter at Hermione's visceral reaction. After weeks of watching the couple unabashedly grope each other in the common room, Hermione was confident that all of Gryffindor was sick of these shows of shameless affection.
This morning most of the student body was leaving for Christmas break. The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement as students filtered in and out, grabbing breakfast and bidding friends goodbye before catching the Hogwarts Express home. The Gryffindor table was nearly empty now, signaling it was time for the stragglers to start leaving. Harry grabbed his trunk and walked towards Hermione.
"Are you sure you don't want to come to the Burrow with us?" Harry asked quietly, his green eyes studying his friend from behind his glasses. Hermione sighed. It was the third time that morning he had asked her. Logically, Hermione knew Harry was worried about her being the only student staying behind in their house and feeling lonely. It was his nature to be fiercely protective. It was also in his nature to be blissfully oblivious to things right in front of him.
Following Sirius' murder in June, Harry's subsequent emotional fallout from his loss, and the public nature of Voldemort's return, Hermione privately made the decision that she must protect her parents at any cost. Knowing this could be her last time with her parents, she had organized their summer holiday to maximize family time. Harry and Ron would have laughed at her color-coded schedule if they had known. From learning how to make her grandmother's famous Easter lamb dish to pushing her parents into writing down stories from their youth to planning trips to their favorite museums and restaurants, she worked with a silent determination to squeeze all their love and memories into something tangible to hold her over until the war was through. It was three exhausting months that she knew were worth every effort. But Hermione knew that all things, good as they may be, must end. The day before she was set to return to Hogwarts, she took them to Diagon Alley under the guise of buying school supplies, erased herself from their memories in a place her magic wouldn't set off alarms, and sent them to Australia. She had yet to tell anyone what she'd done, concerned that she'd be forced to bring them home regardless of the impending war. When this was over, if they won, she'd retrieve her parents and fix their memories...somehow. That she was sure of. Hopefully next Christmas she'd be leaving with her classmates, bound home for a full holiday with her parents after Voldemort was defeated. She started picturing her father in his favorite holiday jumper, featuring a jolly St. Nick, and her mother popping open Christmas crackers with her infectious laugh. Hermione smiled wistfully at the image, wondering how they'd be celebrating in Australia this year.
"Hermione?" Harry prodded gently, concern etched into his face. "Do you want to come? There is still time to grab your things." It was almost funny to her that Harry didn't want her to feel alone for Christmas, but he had no idea how alone she already was. Almost.
"No, I most certainly do not, thank you very much" she sniffed, looking pointedly at Ron, currently engaged in an outrageous display of affection for such a public place. Hermoine scowled despite her best efforts. The past few weeks of fighting with her best friend had already been hard enough. To continue to watch Lavender and Ron try to eat either's faces off had put a nail in the coffin for the crush Hermione had harbored for the last few years. Her fading feelings didn't make their row any less painful, however, and she did not want to put up with him for weeks. Besides, Hermione was also worried how she would act on Christmas when she missed her family, unwilling to tell her friends what she'd done in fear they'd try to bring them back. "With my parents on their research sabbatical in America, I've been looking forward to some peace and quiet. This is the perfect time to research ways to help you defeat Voldemort," she whispered her rehearsed lines to him with forced cheer.
"I'll miss you," Harry said sadly as he pulled her in for a hug. "Do take a break, Hermione. It is Christmas," he whispered into her ear. She nodded and squeezed him tighter. As they broke apart, Ginny ran up and gave her a hug too. "I'll keep the boys in line in your place Hermione," she said with a wink.
"Oh, very funny. I'm not their minder you know. You did remember to take the gifts for everyone?"
"Of course! I packed them this morning," her friend scoffed. "I'm especially curious about the gift for the twins because it was heavier than everyone else's."
"No peeking!" Hermione warned sternly, though Ginny's comment made her morning. She'd worked hard on the enchantment for George and Fred, eager to finally prank them back. Within the excessively heavy box she'd charmed sat just two eagle quills. After being the victim of countless pranks at the twins' hands as well as the target of many loving taunts, the prefect thought this harmless joke would be a welcome shock.
"Be sure to open our's too - especially mine. Promise," the fiery redhead leveled her gaze into Hermione's whiskey eyes. "Christmas morning, you deserve it."
"Okay, I promise! I will owl as soon as I open them."
Shifting awkwardly behind Ginny, Ron did not move closer to Hermione. The ginger boy caught her eye and nodded goodbye to her. That pang of hurt rose up in her chest again, but Hermioine tried to keep her face neutral as she returned the nod. Space was going to be good for the both of them, she mentally reminded herself as she watched them walk away.
She turned back to the Gryffindor table to see it was completely empty. Of course the first year she couldn't be with her parents, she wouldn't be able to go to the Burrow and no one from her house was spending the holidays at Hogwarts. The petite witch sighed to herself and she sank back into her seat, eyes lifting up to the snow enchanted to gently fall from the ceiling. "Some Christmas this will be," she thought miserably. She eyed the stack of books in front of her and resigned to pull the one off the top. At least she'd have her homework to keep her occupied today and then she'd be free to do her research for the rest of the break.
"What is the point in drinking alone?" Draco griped across the hall, shoving the engraved silver flask back towards Theo. The Slytherin table was mostly abandoned, save some first years chatting towards the end of it. Even with the cheery Christmas decor, the Great Hall felt colder and more unforgiving than it ever had to Draco.
"Come on Draco, if you won't drink it now, promise me you'll celebrate Christmas with it," Theo nudged the flask again into Draco's hands.
"Eager to get me drunk, Theo?" Draco smirked at his friend, pocketing the flask. He briefly recalled the first drink he'd ever had: a sneaky pull from Theo's father's decanter on a dare by his friend. It had tasted like fire on the way down, his 11 year old self being sent into a coughing fit that almost blew their cover. It was Theo's laughing fit in response that actually got them caught and removed from the study by one of the Nott's house elves.
"Eager to get you to relax mate," Theo grinned. "I'm worried about you," he dropped his voice to a whisper, his smile fading. "We both know what will be waiting for you next holiday break. Live a little while you still can."
"Live while I still can," Draco repeated quietly, staring down at his breakfast solemnly. They both knew he was facing nearly certain death in the new year. He looked up at his brunette friend. "I suppose thanks are in order. I didn't get you a gift you know. Didn't realize we were doing this sort of thing now."
"Oi - that flask is a loaner," Theo cracked, with an elbow to Draco's ribs. Draco rolled his eyes amicably before spying Potter across the Great Hall. He was whispering something to Granger as they embraced.
"Bit of a long embrace really," he thought. Malfoy had been the one who started the rumor in fourth year that Scarhead and Granger were together. He had used some nasty words then, of course. "Perhaps there is something there," Draco mulled on the possibility, still watching them. Then the Weaseltte hugged her too, shouting something about presents in the same volume she did on the quidditch pitch, Draco noted with annoyance. "Obnoxious obviously runs in the family." And finally the Weasel unhinged himself from that loudmouth Brown long enough to give Granger a curt nod. She returned it with a grimace. "Interesting." Draco made a note of the tension for future insults should the Weasel King bother him in the new year.
Then he realized the witch had no luggage. Draco wondered what she was thinking as she watched her three friends walk out of the Great Hall together, without her. She slowly sat back down at the table and returned to her reading. "Of course," Draco internally jeered. "If the witch could marry a book, she probably would. Swot." He rolled his eyes before hearing a soft chuckle next to him.
"What?" Draco demanded, looking at Theo's mirth in surprise. His best friend had been nearly as stressed as he had this year. "Without even being tasked by the Dark Lord. Prat."
"Nothing," Theo said with a smug smile playing at his lips, his blue eyes twinkling "Just be sure to have fun over the break. Hard as it may be without me." Theo grabbed his trunk and gave Draco a two-fingered salute before walking off.
"Happy Christmas, tosser" Draco bid his friend goodbye with a small wave. He watched Theo leave before turning his attention back to those who remained in the Great Hall. Draco had never stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays. Usually his family spent the holiday visiting family in France before his mother threw an outrageous New Years Eve Ball. There would be no pomp, circumstance, or merriment this year. His father took his mother along for a major strategy session with his business associates, as he referred to them.
His eyes landed once again to the caramel nest of curls across the Hall. Granger was still buried in her book. He wondered if she too was missing holiday traditions at home or if muggleborns didn't celebrate the holiday. He shook his head - why did it matter what muggles did? "Perhaps I should have that drink now," he mused, tearing his eyes off the witch as he rose to leave. "Hopefully I won't see her for the duration of the break."