Wishes for a Happy Christmas
by Little Tee

Disclaimer:See Chapter 1.

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Hogswarts' Library Corridor: 8:05 am, December 21, 1991

Hermione frowned as she tried opening the doors to the library again, but she still found them refusing to budge.

"The library should be open," she huffed checking her watch again. Was Madam Pince late?

"Well, it isn't and doesn't open till one o'clock," remarked a voice from behind her. She tried to muffle her apparent surprise but the answering snicker told her she had failed.

"Oh, Severus?" she inquired as she saw the shape of a lanky, shadowy figure sitting, clearly waiting, in the small alcove across from the library. Even though the small alcove was situated between two large stained glass windows it was shrouded in shadows.

"If you knew that the library wouldn't be open till after the Hogwarts Express pulled out for the holidays, then why are you even here?" she further questioned as she joined him on the stone bench that was nestled between two statues. "Funny, I have never noticed this alcove before," she muttered to herself absently running a hand over the smooth polished surface of the old bench. There were ancient runes engraved all along its border. She frowned trying to see if she recognized any of them. Three caught her attention. They were the symbols representing man, birth and love.

"I'm here," Severus began, closing his book with a dull thud and placing it between them, which helped snap Hermione back to the matter at hand, "because I want to beat the Christmas rush."

Hermione blinked and cracked a weak smile. "Oh? Is there much of a queue for the library during the holidays?"

"Oh yes. They hardy can keep all the books on the selves with all the demand." He drawled, leaning back against the stone wall, encircling his hands behind his head.

"Oh, really?"

"Really... You doubt otherwise?"

"Actually, yes. Yes, I do."

"Shame."

"Shame?" She was enjoying their playful conversation. She hadn't had this type of discourse before. She was finding that she rather liked it.

"Yes. Here I thought you were," he paused turning to look at her, "gullible."

She huffed. "You obviously thought wrong then. I am many things, but I am not gullible."

"Obviously," he smirked and turned away from her. They sat there in a comfortable silence for awhile. Severus staring at some spot on the opposite wall before them. Clearly in thought about something, Hermione mused as she shifted her focus back to the bench they were on. She lightly lifted Severus' book and tried to read its title. Dark Arts, A Defense Against: through the ages by John Snow. She hadn't seen this one in the library, but then again the last few weeks she had been trying to find information about Flamel, and not just pleasantly perusing the library selves for her own academically-minded endeavors.

"All silliness aside," Severus began suddenly causing Hermione to drop the book like it had burned her. He looked between her and his book, and dismissed it with a raised eyebrow. "As I was saying, I am here early because I like to be the first one to enter, and I have already said goodbye to my House-mates and my friend, Lily."

Hermione didn't missed his use of friend, in the singular tense instead of the plural, but she decided not to press him on it. "You're not going home for the holidays then?" She asked instead.

He straightened and frowned. "Not if I can help it." He muttered. "I take it, that you are heading home for the Winter Holidays?"

"Yes-"

"Severus!"

Hermione and Severus both turned to their left as a girl with red-hair marched down the corridor towards them. Severus uttered something under his breath and stood stiffly, facing the newcomer.

"Did you write this?" The girl asked Severus handing him a wrinkled letter. "Did you send this to Tuney?"

Hermione watched as Severus examined the letter, nodding his head after reading it, and handing it back to the girl. "Yes."

"You had no right to send that letter to Tuney, or say those things to her. Why?" The girl asked, her tone softening more as she spoke.

Hermione had politely excused herself and was making her way down the stairs when she heard Severus' reply. She almost missed it.

"She made you cry... Lily I … I just wanted her to see that you are not a freak. That if anyone is a freak it would be her. She's a Muggle."

Hermione didn't hear Lily's response. No, instead she heard a fervent croak from no other than-

"Trevor! Whatever are you doing all the way up here by the library?" She asked the toad as she bent down and retrieved it from its perch on the top step of the spiral staircase that led to the first floor below. She hadn't expected a response, and wasn't disappointed when the oversized toad remained quiet.

.

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As she was stepping off the last staircase and into Gryffindor Tower she spotted a panting Neville headed her way.

"Neville, is everything okay?"

"Lost Trevor again... didn't see you at the morning feast... You okay?" He panted leaning against the nearest wall as he caught his breath.

Hermione smiled and held up the wayward toad to its owner. "I found Trevor, he was over by the library, and I must have lost all track of time. What time is it?"

"Nearly nine." Neville automatically replied grateful to have his toad back. "At nine Professor McGonagall will be taking roll for everyone going home for the holidays, and then each year will follow a prefect out to Hogsmeade Station."

"Then we better say farewell to Harry and Ron." Hermione frowned and began walking towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"They aren't up yet. Wanted a bit of a lie in. Since the holidays have begun." Neville explained following Hermione into the Gryffindor Common Room; after she had given that week's password to the portrait.

"A bit of a lie in?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Honestly, boys." She muttered as she took a quick glance around the Common Room just in case they had stumbled out of bed. "Neville would you go wake Harry and Ron up, and tell them that I need to speak with them before we board the Express back home?"

"Okay. I needed to check if I had everything ready for the holidays anyway." Neville agreed going up into the boys dormitory.

Hermione took the time to quickly run up to her room and grab her traveling cloak, scarf, and her wool mittens. She was already packed and had her travel bag standing by her bed ready. She waved at her room-mates and walked back down to the Common Room, her bag in hand.

She needn't have rush. Harry and Ron hadn't come down yet. She restrained a sigh and decided to go ahead and put on her winter outerwear as she waited.

"There you two are!" Hermione hissed racing towards Harry and Ron. They had just entered the Gryffindor Common Room from their dorm room. Their hair was stuck up at weird angles, and their clothes were clearly thrown on haphazardly.

Neville had told them how Hermione wanted to speak with them desperately before she left for the Christmas Holidays. Harry had raced to get dressed, and had to help Neville in rousting Ron from his sound sleep. It hadn't taken much though. Harry only had to whisper that it, "Could be that Hermione had found something on Flamel". That had been the magic phrase, and Ron had moved remarkably fast throwing on a pair of pants and a shirt. He was not wearing his school robes during the Holidays. Period.

"Did you find out who Flamel is?" Harry whispered hurriedly searching Hermione's features to see if he had guessed right.

"Yes and no," Hermione pulled them over to the fireplace and lowered her travel bag beside them. "I met someone. Someone whom happened to have read about Flamel from the Encyclopedia Britannica before coming to Hogwarts."

"You told someone else about Flamel!" Ron exclaimed before both Harry and Hermione shushed him.

"No I didn't. Remember when you came barreling through the library to inform me that Harry had left in a hurry, and that he could have found something on Flamel?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you let the name slip in front of another student. A student I had collided with not minutes prior to your careless slip, and I must have dropped my list of possible reference books. Long story short-"

"To late for that," Ron muttered stealing a glance to the stairs that led to his comfortable, warm bed. Thankfully, Hermione chose to ignore his comment and continued on.

"He believes that I am looking for Nicolas Flamel for a class project, and he mentioned that he read that name somewhere before. After some thought he was able to tell me where he read it and that Nicolas Flamel is an Alchemist."

"An Alchemist?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.

"Honestly, don't you two read?" She rolled her eyes. "If I remember correctly Alchemy is a field of sorcery that is focused on the elemental magical properties of objects. I-" she paused tapping her chin in thought, "I think I read somewhere that they wanted to be able to transfigure lead into gold."

"Lead into go-!" The boys exclaimed only to be silenced by Hermione clapping a hand over both of their mouths.

"Yes, lead into gold." She hissed removing her hands.

"Blimey Hermione," Ron whispered, "how can someone turn lead into gold. Whoever could do that would be rich. Really rich."

Harry's usually bright and wide green eyes were narrowed and darkened.

"That's why Snape is after this object from Flamel."

"Professor Snape," Hermione absently corrected Harry.

He didn't notice as he tried to see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. "I wager that whatever is hidden in the third floor corridor is what you need to turn lead into gold."

"Why didn't we find Flamel when we have looked through all those books?" Ron asked.

"Because we weren't looking in the right sections," Hermione supplied gathering her bag. "The library won't open till after the Hogwarts' Express leaves Hogsmeade Station so I can't check it out before I leave -"

"We'll check it out. Won't we Ron?"

"But-" Ron began dreading having to spend the first day of the holidays in the library, but one look at Harry, and he knew that was exactly what they would be doing. "Yeah, we'll check it out for you."

Hermione grinned. "Here is a list of titles that might prove useful." She handed them the list and bid them farewell and joined the rest of the gathering Gryffindors by the entrance to the Common Room. Professor McGonagall and all of the Gryffindor prefects were already assembled to help manage the students safely through and out of the castle grounds. McGonagall called roll and explained the procedure once again, then all the years lined up behind their appointed prefect; except for the seventh-years; which would be following McGonagall out; and starting with the seventh-years; they began to file out of the Gryffindor Common Room.

Hermione turned and looked at Harry and Ron one last time before the portrait closed behind her. She was homeward bound now. Hopefully, they could look after themselves for the next two weeks. . . Hopefully.

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Author's Note: Okay, I must apologize for not updating this story sooner. Real life got in the way and then because of it I kind of lost my inspiration to write anything for a while. Thankfully, I have rediscovered my inspiration again and I am trying my best to get this back to a more regular updating schedule. Same for my other current fics.

Now, originally this chapter had a whole lot more to it but because of time restraints and wanting to post something for y'all I decided to cut it here and upload the remainder (except for one cut scene) later next week. Or, at least that is the plan for now since mid-terms are upon me.

And, as always, if you had read this far please consider leaving a review on what you thought of this. It does make my day and, I don't want to sound like I'm blackmailing you – because I'm not - it just that reviews help encourage me to continue writing.