A/N: Sorry it took me a bit, but I had a trip to Europe. Thank you to those who've continued to read Hunny, or have looked at my other stories; it means a lot to me(:

"She also considered very seriously what she would look like in a little cottage in the middle of the forest, dressed in a melancholy gray and holding communion only with the birds and trees; a life of retirement away from the vain world; a life into which no man came. It had its attractions, but she decided that gray did not suit her."

December 14

Theodore woke up in excitement. Today was the day Hermione had decided to get the group together before winter break to exchange presents. He remembered the day he woke up to her decorating their dorm.

Theodore yawned and rolled over to see what time it was. 5 am. The bloody witch was making this much of a racket at 5 am. Groaning, he got out of bed and stumbled his way out of his room and into the living room. The sight definitely woke him up. "What in the bloody hell are you doing?" He asked, watching in amazement as Hermione tried to wrestle a tree into a standing position. His eyes grew even wider when she squeaked in surprise and dropped the tree, scattering pine needles everywhere.

"Merlin Theo! Do you need to be so scary?" Hermione held a hand to her chest. He leaned back against the doorframe and stared at her, slowly shaking his head in disbelief. She was louder than the Great Hall at this unholy hour, and she was asking him, why he was being "scary". "Did I wake you up?" She asked, biting her lip. Theo stared at her innocent face surrounded by her wild curls before taking in her pajamas. Red shorts, oversized green shirt, and candy cane striped socks. He decided to take it easy on her. It had absolutely nothing to do with how cute she looked.

"No I normally wake up at this ungodly hour."

Hermione rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip, "Well in that case," She smirked, "Grab a cup of cocoa from the kitchen, and help me decorate." Clever minx. She turned from him and went back to facing what Theo had decided was more of a monster than a tree.

"Aren't there…." Theo waved his hands trying to grasp the right words, remembering how adamant Hermione was about House Elf rights, "Don't the house elves enjoy decorating for the holidays?" There, that should've been worded safely enough. Beside, it was early, and he was tired. He could always turn this on her. Hermione turned her head over her shoulder and instead of the glare he was expecting, her eyes were wide.

"You've never set up decorations for Christmas with your family? Or even by yourself for that matter?" She asked, and then paused, her eyes filling with a little horror, as if realizing her question could've been a bit too personal. But that was ridiculous; there was no way she had realized what life for him was like back at home, so he played it off as if it was nothing.

"Nah, never was that good at the whole designing thing." He lied. He had never tried. He didn't even know that people decorated for Christmas themselves, let alone families getting together to do so. The extent of his knowledge was of the winter balls that his mother and the other pureblood wives would take turns organizing. Hermione gave a small, knowing smile at his lie, and he was terrified she had read through him for a moment. If she had though, it seemed she gave him the luxury of ignoring it.

"Well then I can show you if you want." He studied her for a moment, and then disappeared from the living room, before coming back with a steaming cup piled with marshmallows. Hermione beamed at his arrival, and handed him what seemed to be an endless line of silver fuzz. "Now you wrap this around and around…"

Pulling on a shirt he washed away the emotions on his face and managed to walk to the door without running. When he walked into the living room, he saw that it was already occupied.

"Merry Pre-Christmas, Theo!" Hermione smiled at him. She was sitting squashed next to Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Luna, all sipping hot cocoa in front of the fire.

"Merry Christmas Mate." Harry greeted him, the others nodding and smiling in his direction.

"Merry Christmas." Theodore smiled back in awe. Hermione had definitely added more decorations to surprise them all. It was wonderful. She had charmed the fire to glow different colors, bewitched a train that would swoop down every so often, to fly across the room, and had cast spells on the tree decorations to animate them.

Hermione beamed when she saw the awed expression on Theo's face. She had spent an extra hour or two after he fell asleep to make the dorms extra special for everyone. She was staying at Hogwarts for the break and didn't want anyone to know and want to stay with her out of guilt. However that didn't mean she wasn't going to have a Christmas with all of her friends and she already knew Theodore wouldn't receive anything like what she was capable of doing back at his home. So, like usual, she had gone all out. And everyone's expression when they saw her wand work made it all well worth it.

"There's cocoa and marshmallows in the kitchen, and so is your first present." Hermione directed him before returning with her conversation with Luna and Ginny about whatever managed to pop into their heads while Ron and Harry were discussing possible Quidditch strategies. Hermione was interrupted from her conversation when she heard Harry.

"Hey Theo, come sit with us. Help me explain to Ron that having a beater alongside the seeker at all times, is a stupid idea." Hermione hid her grin behind her cup when she saw Theo sit down on the floor with them, holding the cup she made for him with both hands. It was green with white stripes and had charmed polar bears running around the cup. She had made one for everyone, but seeing him with his was completely different. It seemed so out of character for the boy that constantly dressed in black.

"I think that's a perfect idea Ron." Theo smirked, making Harry's jaw drop.

"WHAT! No Ron, don't listen to him. The snake just wants Slytherin to win." Harry glared at Theo, but if it was meant to be intimidating the small grin the Boy-Who-Lived was wearing completely ruined it. Hermione laughed and Theo caught her gaze, giving her a small wink and mouthing the words thank you, raising his mug in her direction. She grinned and nodded before being nudged by Ginny.

"So you and Theo eh?" The nosy red head whispered. Hermione frowned at the mischievous glint in her eyes and shook her head, sighing.

"You are far too nosy for your own good, do you know that?"

"It's an inherited trait 'Mione, besides, nothing ever bad comes from my…. Help." Ginny grinned. Luna smiled and shook her head.

"Gin, this one should be left alone." Hermione and Ginny looked at each other then back at Luna. The girl had some strange seer tendencies and Ginny gave a wolfish grin when what Luna had said sank in.

"Knew it." She muttered into her cocoa, leaving Hermione bewildered and Luna smirking. "Time for presents?" Ginny spoke up, changing the subject before Hermione could ask what she meant.

"Sounds great." Ron beamed, crawling towards the tree, "I think everyone got a Weasley sweater." He announced, eyeing the tall stack of lumpy packages. Hermione's heart leapt to her throat. Theo. Oh lord. "One for you Harry, Ginny, Mione, Luna," He called out, throwing them to their owners, "and one for you Theo." He called over his shoulder, throwing it to the astounded Head Boy. Hermione watched, grinning in amazement as the raven haired boy quickly tried to school his emotions, saying a quick thanks. She'd have to thank whoever mentioned Theo to Molly.

"Haha! Finally, a different color!" Ginny cheered, slipping on her dark green sweater. Harry smiled, putting his blue one on and the group laughed when Ron opened his to reveal yet another maroon sweater.

"I swear, the woman wants me to look like a tomato." He groaned. Luna had received a silver and blue striped one and was currently waving her wand over it, probably trying to ward off some mysterious creature. Hermione pulled her mint green sweater out before watching Theo's amazement as he pulled out his own purple present.

"Well go on, if we have to wear them so do you." Ginny grinned at Theo. He looked around him, noticing everyone else wearing theirs, his eyes staying on Hermione longer than others before he pulled his head through the sweater, coming out with hair that contended with Harry's.

"Oh Merlin Harry, your hair is contagious." Hermione chuckled, making the others burst into laughter. Harry looked back at her in fake hurt before turning to Ron.

"Well its better than looking like a vegetable!" He tried, making everyone laugh harder. Hermione snuck a peek at Theo, who was actually chuckling. It looked good on him; he needed to try it more.

"Oi, sod off!" Ron laughed, tossing more presents to people. Hermione was glad Ron and her had remained friends after what had happened in the common room. They had broken up because he wanted what he considered a full relationship… and she could understand that, or more so she forced herself to. She really didn't know what she would do without the people around her.

Theo settled himself back down on the floor after getting another cup of hot chocolate, this time in between Hermione and Harry. He was completely surprised and… thankful… of how the day was playing out. He had actually gotten presents from the people around him. He of course had bought them some to make Hermione happy, as well as maybe… strengthen… a friendship of sorts with the others. And it apparently worked. Because they all loved what he had gotten them, and he enjoyed what he received. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had practically jumped him when they received Chudley Cannon tickets, all promising to take him with them. Hermione had actually squealed when he gave her the rather expensive gift card to Florish and Botts; she had tried to give it back though, saying it was far too much money. He had just grinned at her and given her another one of his presents, a honey colored stuffed owl he remembered her talking about once. She had tackled him in return, laughing her thanks. And he gave Luna a charmed pair of glasses that allowed her to see things that were invisible to help her search for her nargles.

What surprised him though, were the presents he had received. The mug from Hermione, the sweater, the things from his favorite bands (how they knew who he liked was beyond him) that Ginny had given him, the box of Weasley joke products from Ron's siblings and him, a book that wasn't even published yet from Luna, and a muggle TV and VCR for the living room from Hermione and Harry. They had spent the rest of the day snuggled on the couches, (Hermione had made him sit snuggled with everyone else and not on a separate couch) watching various movies, laughing, talking, falling asleep, waking up to make food. Bottom line… he had felt utterly comfortable around these people, and it was new and completely unlike home. His lips quirked at these thoughts. He placed his dinner plate alongside the others on the coffee table before resettling down to watch another movie.

"You know... we've seen three movies." Harry brought up.

"Yeah and?" Ginny asked, squirming against him, trying to get comfortable.

"Well it's snowing. We're leaving tomorrow after lunch, and we won't see Hermione or Theo for another 2 weeks." That brought a small smile to Hermione's face, and she got up from between Luna and Theo, pulling them up as well.

"Meet you guys out there." She beamed. The group of teenagers rushed out the door, Theo not even hesitant to join them. The field outside the castle, which had once been blanketed in white fluff was destroyed, laughter and snowballs flying everywhere. An hour or so later, when the group was lying down next to each other exhausted, Theo scooted closer to Hermione and asked her something that had been bugging him for the longest time.

"Why are staying at Hogwarts?" He whispered, earning himself a bewildered stare. Hermione quickly wiped the expression from her face and stared back at the stars, trying her best to remain inconspicuous to the rest of her friends.

"I'm not." She replied back. How in the world did he figure that out? She had made the others believe she was doing an internship.

"Don't lie." He shot back, raising an eyebrow at her. She turned her head, cushioning it from the snow with her hair and gave him an even look. "All I'm saying is that you don't deserve to be alone during break." He explained.

Hermione sighed, but refused to give herself up. "I have no idea what you're talking about or why you think I'm staying here." Theo shook his head and squeezed her hand before pulling his back and staring back up at the sky.

"It doesn't matter. I just think you should go with Harry and them." He replied evenly.

"What about you then?"

"I'll… be asked to attend one of Mother's balls. I'll probably see Draco and Blaise if they're not too busy with work. They're still sneaky gits, they always find a way to get out of these things." Hermione's face twisted at the thought of Draco but she didn't say anything bad. It wasn't worth ruining the peace. Hermione looked around at her friends, noticing they were all preoccupied with each other before letting out another sigh and looking at Theo.

"I haven't returned my parent's memory yet." Hermione deadpanned, looking for any sign of disgust on Theo's face.

"So they don't remember you?" He asked, deciding that why she had done it would be told to him when the time was right.

"No." The curly haired witch spoke softly. Theo rolled on his side and studied her face. Her cheeks and nose were red from the cold, most likely like his.

"I see." He turned back to look at the sky, not missing the slightly confused glint that crossed her hazel eyes. "It's not my business why their memory is missing 'Mione," He started, deciding the use of her nickname was appropriate for this, "but I'm certain you had a good one to do so. It also doesn't change that you shouldn't be alone. So go with the Weasleys and Potter. Or talk to McGonagall for help." He whispered. He looked at her when he didn't hear a reply, fearful that she'd be mad. She needed to hear it though. He imagined her reasoning was the war, and if it was, then what she had done was probably crucial to her parents' safety. She wasn't horrid at all for trying to protect them from harm or sadness if anything had happened to her. Instead of the hatred from his comments he expected, her eyes were closed and facing the stars, a small smile playing on her lips. One graced his face as well when her hand reached for his and gave it a squeeze, not leaving his hold.

A/N: So watcha think?