A/N: This story was written for Hermione's Holiday Hideaway hosted by Hermione's Haven on Facebook. This collection is to spread the cheer of our favorite Gryffindor as well as the holiday season for the fifth year in a row!

My pairing was set to be Hermione Granger & Alex Karev and my location was Tokyo, Japan as well as a holiday song, I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm by Billie Holiday. All of these make an appearance in this story in some way.

I hope you enjoy this story as well as the rest of the stories in the collection. I know that many of these authors have worked very hard on all of their collection pieces for this group as well as a few other holiday-themed events going on this time of year.

If you enjoyed my story and would like to check out some of my other works, feel free to search up starrnobella on most social media and you will be able to find a way to contact me outside of FFN.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Love always,

~starr

Hermione Granger had always been at the top of her class - during her time at Hogwarts and then continuing into her university years in London, where she studied to perfect her craft as a healer. However, her time spent working in magical hospitals in London did not give her the fulfilling feeling she was hoping it would. After an unfortunate case at St. Mungo's, Hermione decided to leave her position there and move to the states to find what she was missing.

That decision brought her to Seattle where she landed an internship at one of the most prestigious teaching hospitals in the city, Seattle-Grace Hospital. The hustle and bustle of working in a level-one trauma brought the thrill she was missing from St. Mungos. Every day was a new adventure as new cases constantly came in with new challenges.

Even though she had left her friends behind when she moved to the states, Hermione was never lonely. She had made quick friends with the rest of her intern class. Each one came from the unique situations that led them to Seattle-Grace and a love for helping people.

Alex Karev was the polar opposite of Hermione in almost every possible way. He didn't have a great childhood - he was picked on a lot and bounced around to different foster homes after his dad left because his mom couldn't take care of him and his siblings. He knew from a young age that he wanted to be able to take care of the people around him which led him to success in the medical field.

During their internship, Hermione and Alex were often paired together on different cases and that continued well into their residency. It became apparent to everyone that the two made quite the team; with each case, they worked together a miraculous save was made. Hermione and Alex continued their medical partnership through their entire residency and fellowship years well into the beginnings of their years as attending physicians at Seattle-Grace.

Their easy partnership on cases led them to work together on the innovation contest that Seattle-Grace put on to increase the hospital's visibility in the run for the Harper Avery award each year. Hermione had assisted Alex with his research on the kids from Africa, and Alex assisted Hermione in her work replacing traditional medicines with herbal replacements that would lower the cost of medications for patients.

Their hard work didn't go unnoticed. In recognition of the hard work she and Alex had been putting in for the hospital, the pair were lucky enough to be chosen to attend the International Conference of Health, Science, and Medicine (ICHSM) in Tokyo, Japan, to represent Seattle-Grace Hospital. Hermione pulled her coat tight around her stomach as she made her way out of her hotel room ready to brave the snow to explore Tokyo Station. According to her research, the station was the best place to see the incredible illuminations that decorated the town.

Pressing the call button for the elevator, Hermione slipped her mobile out of her pocket to check the weather. She had heard something about a large snowstorm brewing that would potentially extend her trip over the holidays - not that she would object to spending a little more time in Tokyo.

"Did you hear about the storm?"

Hermione jumped at the voice, clutching her mobile device to her chest as she took a deep breath and turned to see Alex making his way toward her. "Karev, you scared the hell out of me. You can't sneak up on someone like that," she huffed, rolling her eyes as she pushed her mobile into her pocket. "I did. It looks like we won't be making it back to Seattle before the holidays."

"Apparently not," he replied, shrugging his shoulders as he stepped towards her. "Where are you off to? Didn't you see the snow coming down outside?"

Hermione laughed, nodding her head. "I did see the snow, but a few snowflakes aren't going to stop me from adventuring into the city to see the lights at Tokyo Station. Where are you off to in the snow?"

Before Alex could reply, the elevator chimed and opened. "After you," he said, resting his hand against the opening of the door to hold it open for Hermione to step inside. "I was also planning to go check out the lights at the station. Would you like some company?"

"Thanks," she replied, nodding in his direction as she moved to the inside corner of the elevator. Hermione thought about his question for a moment and slowly nodded her head. "I guess some company wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

Hermione had a soft spot for Alex after their internship. She had seen the kind and caring side of Alex Karev that he tended to keep secret from everyone else. The more time she spent with him, the more she found herself laughing at his jokes, smiling more whenever he was around, and her heart fluttering when he walked into the room and called her name.

Alex couldn't put his finger on what it was that drew him to Hermione. All he knew was that being near her made him smile. She was one of the few people in his life that knew about his past and didn't pity him for being bullied or being in the foster system. Hermione accepted him for who he was and wanted to spend time with him - even when they weren't forced to work together. When he found out that they were both going to be attending the ICSHM for Seattle-Grace, Alex secretly hoped that they'd have a little down time to spend together, so the impending snowstorm that was about to trap them in Tokyo for a few days couldn't have had better timing.

Tokyo Station was a short walk from the hotel they were staying in, so Alex and Hermione made their way through the streets quickly and admired the snow that was lightly falling around them. The pair were so lost in conversation that they didn't notice when the storm started to pick up and it was getting harder and harder to see where the lights they were supposed to be admiring were.

A shiver ran down Hermione's spine as they made their way down the path of lights away from the station. Just as she was about to mention to Alex that it would be in their best interest to turn around, a large gust of wind brought a large blast of snow in their direction distorting their view of the path.

"We should find somewhere to take cover," Alex suggested, offering a hand to Hermione.

She glanced at his hand momentarily before grabbing a hold of him. If she was going to get lost in the middle of a strange city during a freak snow storm, then she was going to at least be lost with someone she knew. "Lead the way," Hermione replied, nodding her head as she followed after him.

The station lights were starting to disappear behind them as the snow picked up when they stumbled upon a small gazebo. Alex led them up the stairs. Luckily, there was plexiglass along the sides of the gazebo that kept most of the snow out. He led them to the small bench on the far side of the gazebo and took a seat, all the while still holding Hermione's hand.

A smile pulled the corners of his lips at the warmth of her hand in his and the almost perfect way that her hand fit in his. This trip had opened his eyes to so many things about Hermione that he had never realized in all the months working together. It also revealed to him the secret that he had been keeping from himself.

"You can let go of my hand," Hermione laughed, bumping her shoulder against Alex's as she took a seat beside him on the bench. "Otherwise, your arm is going to be pulled across your body for a while."

"Oh," Alex chuckled, letting go of her hand and sliding his hand against his leg. "Sorry about that."

Hermione looked at him for a moment with a confused look on her face, tilting her head to the side. Something about his demeanor had changed since the snow picked up. It seemed as though Alex was nervous, and Alex never got nervous.

"Alex, are you okay?" she asked, reaching out to place her hand on his and squeezing it gently. "Something seems off."

Alex stared at her hand on his for a few moments before reacting. He could feel his heart start to beat faster, so he took a deep breath before flipping his hand over to take Hermione's and turning to face her. "I have to tell you something."

"Okay," Hermione said, offering a smile as she scooted closer to him. "You can tell me anything."

"I think I'm falling in love with you," Alex blurted, squeezing his eyes shut tight.

His words caught her off guard and she dropped his hand momentarily. Alex's eyes dropped to his lap where Hermione's hand was no longer touching him. It felt as though his heart had dropped to the pit of his stomach when she let go. He knew there was a chance that she didn't feel the same, but after spending as much time together as they had over the years, he thought he knew her pretty well. He thought that she was feeling the same way.

Alex jumped up from the bench and started walking to the stairs on the far side of the gazebo. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest to pull his jacket tight around him as he was about to walk out into the middle of a snowstorm. He was mumbling under his breath as he walked away from her. "I'm such an idiot. I never should have said anything. This is going to ruin everything."

Hermione let out a sigh, closing her eyes as she tilted her head back. "Damn it, Alex," she groaned, opening her eyes slowly and noticing a familiar plant hanging above her head. A wicked smile pulled at her lips. She pushed up from the bench and waited to say anything until Alex had taken a few steps down the stairs. "I can't believe you are going to leave me trapped up here, Alex," she yelled, forcing him to turn back to look at her.

"What?" Alex replied, turning on his heel to look back at her. "You didn't say anything.."

His thought trailed off as he noticed Hermione pointing above her head. His eyes trailed up to the rafters and noticed the mistletoe hanging above her. A timid smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he made his way back up into the gazebo and over to where Hermione was standing. He placed a cautious hand on her waist and looked down at her.

Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling her close to him as she pressed up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. A smile pulled at the corners of each of their lips as she pulled away from him.

"I think I'm falling in love with you too, Alex," Hermione whispered, nuzzling her face into his chest in an attempt to get some warmth back to the frozen tip of her nose.

"Why didn't you say anything before?" he asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as his arms tightened around her waist.

"Because you stormed away from me before I could get the chance," she said, playfully smacking his chest. "If we are going to weather this snowstorm and the storm that is having a relationship with a fellow doctor at Seattle-Grace, then we need to do it together."