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 Hermione Granger!

My pairing was set to be Hermione Granger and Killian Jones. My phrase was snow angels and my location of the road trip was the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina. 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

The snow was softly falling outside, and Hermione caught sight of it through the window. The sight brought a smile to her lips as she tucked her feet beneath her, settling into the couch. She took a sip of hot cocoa and sighed as the warmth spread through her body. Everything was quiet, just the way Hermione enjoyed it to be. The crackling of the fireplace brought a sense of calm that she didn't experience all that often.

"This is nice," Hermione mused, softly to herself as she stared up at the Christmas tree. This was the first Christmas she would be spending in one place. Normally, she'd be apparating from house to house to make sure she spent time with everyone who mattered most, but not this time. She jumped at the chance to spend the holidays in the States when Killian gave her the chance to spend Christmas at the Biltmore Estate as a birthday present.

A smile pulled at her lips as she thought about the Christmas she had met Killian Jones by chance at the airport and he convinced her to run away to Storybrooke. As the memory flitted through her mind, her heart skipped a beat. It was hard to believe she'd been living stateside for five years now, but she was happier than ever with her life and her relationship with Killian.

The creak of the floorboards pulled her out of her memories and Hermione turned to find Killian leaning up against the door frame, a smile on his face and a cup of coffee in his hand. Hermione smiled, pulling the blanket up from beside her and tapping the empty spot on the couch.

"Join me," she hummed, repositioning herself to make a little more room. "We can enjoy the fire before the chaos of phone calls starts."

Killian raised his brow as he pushed away from the doorframe and crossed the room to take a seat beside her. "What phone calls?" he asked, setting the cup of coffee on the table and tugging the blanket onto his lap. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Hermione's cheek before she could respond.

"Well," Hermione said, resting her head on Killian's shoulder and grabbing her mobile off the arm of the couch. "Since I'm not spending the holiday popping from house to house, Ginny will be calling so that I can see the kids open their presents. Then not long after that, mum will call and that will be interrupted by Pansy wanting to show off her engagement ring because Ron has finally decided to pop the question, and-"

Killian leaned over and captured Hermione's lips in a kiss, cutting her off mid-sentence. Before she could protest, he reached up and cradled the back of her head in his hand and deepened the kiss. A few moments later, he pulled away, smirking at the grin left behind on Hermione's face. "Or," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "you could put the thing on do not disturb mode and just enjoy the quiet."

"Look at you," Hermione teased, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck, "being all technology savvy. You are absolutely right." She looked down at the device in her hand and held the power button in for a few seconds until the screen went black. "I can call them back later."

"Atta girl," Killian laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Have you been awake long?"

Hermione shook her head as she snuggled in closer to him, pulling the blanket up over her shoulder. "Half a cup of cocoa. I've just been watching the snow fall and listening to the fire crackle. Did you sleep well?"

"Aye," he said, nodding his head. "Until my personal heater crawled out of bed. Then it got a bit cold."

Hermione covered her face with her hands as she laughed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, love," Killian replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "What grand plans do you have for us today?"

"Not a whole lot," Hermione said, nuzzling her head into his chest again, taking a deep breath. She let out a sigh as a smile pulled at her lips. He smelled divine and all she really wanted to do was spend the day wrapped up in his arms. However, they were staying at the beautiful Biltmore Estate and there was so much to explore. With a sigh, she pushed her head up from his chest and sat up a little bit to face him. "We could explore the estate a little bit. Maybe go for a walk in the snow?"

"Anything you wish," Killian said, flashing a smile at her. "Even if it is bloody cold out there," he laughed, a shiver running through him.

"I'll keep you warm," Hermione teased, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips before pulling away. She jumped up from the couch and pulled the blanket off him, leaving him alone as she went back down the hall to the bedroom.

"Where are you going, love?" he called, watching the blanket trail behind her down the hall.

"To get ready for the day," she answered, glancing back over her shoulder. "Thought I'd take a nice warm shower first if you'd like to join."

Killian was off the couch and chasing her down the hall before she could even finish her sentence. He kicked the door shut behind them which was followed by the sound of Hermione's laughter and the crash of the water against the shower wall.

. . . . . . . . .

Hermione closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she held her arms out. The chill in the air and the snowflakes falling around her made it feel as though she was living inside a snow globe. She was in awe of just how beautiful it was at the Biltmore Estate when it snowed.

"It's been a few years since I've seen snow on Christmas," Hermione said, looking back at Killian as he carefully stepped toward her. He had a few missteps when they first came outside and found himself on the ground a few times. Apparently, his boots didn't have the best grip on them.

"Aye," Killian agreed, nodding his head slowly as he continued to watch his step. "Is there a reason we're out here in the bloody cold rather than inside in front of a fire?"

"Because the snow is magical," Hermione replied, offering a smile. She moved towards Killian with a hand offered out. "Take my hand."

Killian looked at her hand with a puzzled look on his face, but after a moment of hesitation and feeling his foot start to slide out from beneath him, he took it quickly. Hermione pulled him towards her and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pressed up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Thank you for my wonderful birthday present."

"You're welcome, love," Killian replied, kissing her once more. "Are you sure we have to stay out in the cold?"

"Just a little while longer," Hermione said, smiling up at him. "There's something else I want to do."

"What's that?" Killian asked, raising a brow.

"Have you ever made a snow angel?" Hermione questioned, studying his face as she awaited his answer.

Killian shook his head and before he realized what was happening, he found himself lying on his back in the snow with Hermione lying beside him.

"Spread your arms and legs out and slide them back and forth in the snow for a few moments," Hermione said, moving her arms and legs as she described. "Then when you get up…"

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, pushing herself up from the ground. She smiled brightly as she pointed down at the ground. "It makes a snow angel."

Killian shook his head with a laugh as he followed her instructions before getting up from the ground. As he stood up, snow fell off his back and he wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you," he whispered.

Hermione nuzzled her head into his chest. "I love you, too."