The Chosen one
Harry couldn't figure out why Hermione was acting so oddly. The day before she had gone off to the library and an hour later came back looking like a ghost. Generally she looked more well-fed after a trip to the library than after a meal in the Great Hall. After Hermione had slinked off to her dormitory, he had been faced with a challenge. Sit there in the common room with Ron and the leech Lavender, or actually try and do homework...
The next day had found him with a disastrous attempt at a transfiguration essay, and a stern look from McGonagall. Where was Hermione when he needed her? She had seemed pretty shaken up yesterday...Harry decided that there had to be a way to lift both his and his best friend's spirits. Quidditch was out of the question. Hermione could barely balance on a broom. Hmmm... Maybe she was homesick this close to the holidays. He could get her to write a letter to her parents or something! Hedwig could even deliver the letter to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Surely, this idea could place a smile on her face. She was always telling him to be less selfish, and doing something for her was bound to earn him some brownie points!
The next hour was spent with Harry wandering the castle, trying to find Hermione She wasn't in Gryffindor tower, and Madame Pince hadn't seen her favorite student since yesterday. He'd even checked the kitchens to see if she had a renewed sense of duty towards S.P.E.W. Even Dobby didn't know where she was! In a last ditch attempt, he backtracked to his dormitory and got out the old Marauders map.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." A quick scan and a chuckle later, Harry found himself on the path towards Hagrid's hut. Smoke billowed out from the old stone chimney,mixing with gently falling snowflakes. He could see Hagrid's giant shadow through the window. When he was about fifty paces away, the door creaked open and out stepped Hermione, arms full of Hagrid's homemade biscuits.
"Thank you Hagrid. It was lovely to talk to you again."
"Come by anytime 'Mione. Fang sure did miss ya." Then the door swung shut and Hermione was bouncing up the path towards Harry.
"There you are! I've been looking for you since classes got out!" She scrambled to readjust her arms and waved to her friend.
"Sorry! Hey, could you help me out a bit? Hagrid dumped about thirty poppy seed biscuits onto me to bring back for all the Gryffindors." The Chosen One ran the rest of the way, taking off his cloak as he did so.
"Here," he said holding it out, bunching it together to function as a sack. "Put them in here."
"Thanks, Harry." They walked back to the castle together, skirting the black lake and watched as the Giant Squid tried in vain to catch a couple of birds skimming the was fairly cold though, so the duo passed on quickly to avoid frozen appendages. As they neared the castle entrance, Hermione groaned and stopped.
"What?" Harry shifted from foot to foot, trying to stay warm. Why couldn't they have levitated the biscuits instead of using his cloak?
"The entire entrance is overhung with mistletoe."
He craned his neck upwards.
"Oh. Uh, well, now what? This is the only way in, unless you want to hightail it to Hogsmeade and find a secret passageway." She sighed and rubbed her hands against her rosy cheeks.
"I am entirely fed up with mistletoe!" Hermione burst aloud. Whoah. Harry took a few steps back.
"Are you alright, 'Mione?" She sunk to the ground, sitting on the first stone step of the stairs leading up to the doors.
"No, Harry, I am just stressed." She blew out, steaming up the air in front of her face. He set the bundle of bread down and sat next to her.
"Would you like to share why?" Maybe this was why she was so upset yesterday. Maybe it wasn't homesickness after all.
She bit her lip, tracing a loop in the snow with her shoe. "Two nights ago Colin Creevey and I were caught under a mistletoe... It was an honest mistake, I thought nothing of it." He nodded, shaggy black hair falling in front of his glasses. "But then yesterday... Malfoy found me in the library... apparently I had sat in a chair underneath another sprig of mistletoe."
Harry shot up, kicking snow .
"Please tell me you didn't."
"... I did."
He moaned."Hermione," he paused, looking for adequate words. All he could come up with was, "That's disgusting!"
"Don't worry, I know," She scrunched her face up, " I scourgified my mouth as soon as I got back to the tower."
Well, that was a relief for Harry. He turned towards the doors ahead of them.
"We've gotta get inside though. Dinner's soon." Hermione slowly got up and stood tall. Harry found himself being dragged by the hand up to the door, cloak and biscuits slung over her shoulder. She turned to face him.
"Please get this over with." Hermione pleaded. Harry nodded, pushing his glasses up higher onto his nose. Here goes nothing.
He ducked down and placed a chaste peck on his friend's lips, which were very cold and slightly chapped in this weather.
"Come on Hermione, let's get you inside. You're freezing." She nodded her assent and let him help her through the door, into the warm Hogwarts castle, leaving the dastardly mistletoe behind.