Christmas was as magical as Hermione had expected it to be. Perhaps even more so. Last year had been wonderful because of the ball. This year was wonderful because she got to spend it in her pajamas surrounded by people she loved.
She was glad of the pajamas, fluffy periwinkle fleece with a fun argyle pattern on the pants. They were beyond comfortable, and she was warm. Especially in a drafty old house, such things were important. And the fact that they were a gift from her parents made them even more special.
She snuggled into Viktor's side as everyone opened their gifts. There were the obligatory Weasley sweaters. Everyone got one. Ron moaned about maroon, though it was probably one of the best colours for his complexion.
Fred and George swapped theirs immediately. Mr. Weasley put his right over his pajamas. Sirius looked strangely distinguished in the bright purple pullover. Harry looked stunning in the green sweater. And Ginny looked slightly miffed at the pink her mother had chosen.
Hermione was pleased with the light sky blue sweater with a book on the front. Viktor looked dashing a bright red. And both the Grangers were wearing sweaters decorated with teeth. They looked utterly gleeful.
Hermione was glad that her presents were well received. She had spent enough time worrying over that. But it looked like she hadn't needed to worry.
Harry and Ron were probably going to be okay with whatever she had gotten them. But she had decided to get a broom cleaning kit for Harry. Even if he wasn't exactly allowed on the team anymore, he still liked to take care of the gift from Sirius.
For Ron she had gotten him a large assortment of candy from Honeyduke's. He was always eating something, and she thought that maybe if things were individually wrapped he might not shove them in his mouth as fast. But she also knew that he sometimes wished for more candy. He had a huge sweet tooth.
Fred and George had gotten permission for testing of new products for one month. She did say in her note that they had to explain to the students what they were doing, but she wasn't going to do anything. It was the best gift they had gotten in a while.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were now the proud owners of an electric kettle. Hermione had had her parents help out with that one. She had found that getting her hands on muggle items was incredibly difficult while at Hogwarts.
Sirius got a new cloak. It had protective charms woven into the very fabric. And then she'd cast a few more. One could never be too careful. Especially when one was an escaped convict.
Hermione's mother had gotten a complete wizard history of witch burnings. Spells had even managed to copy a few primary sources. Helena had a hard time not opening the book and being in her own little world for hours.
It had taken Hermione more time to figure out what to give her father. In the end, she settled for a hand knit hat in his favourite shade of green. There were no spells knit into it. No magic had been used in its making. It was just a hat. But he put it on his head, and wouldn't take it off.
Her gift for Viktor hadn't been shared yet. That was something she didn't want everyone to see. While she had been nervous about them liking their gifts, it was nothing compared to how nervous she was about Viktor's reaction.
When everyone dispersed after brunch, she pulled Viktor into an empty room. She pulled a box, conspicuously small, out from behind her back.
"Here you go," she said.
She held her breath as he opened the box to reveal a simple locket on a long chain. Inside there was a picture of the two of them, laughing together. Her mother had taken it over the summer, and had Mrs. Krum develop it in a potion so it would move.
He looked up at her, a hopeful look on his face.
"Her-me-own, does this mean…" he trailed off.
She nodded. "I wanted you to know that I felt the same way about you."
He picked her up and twirled her around, box still clutched in his hand. She squealed with delight. And Viktor pulled Hermione in for a deep kiss.
The Grangers were watching from the doorway, their hearts aching. Part of them wanted Hermione to stay young for much longer. But another part of them didn't want to take away what obvious happiness she had found. And there was no doubt that Viktor made her happy.
They snuck away, not wanting to interrupt anything. They knew Hermione was responsible, and Viktor wasn't likely to do anything to hurt her. Not if they understood the gesture he had made in the necklace he had given her. The one she had just returned.
A/N: It's done! I know this chapter is slightly shorter than some of the other ones. Quite a bit actually. But I'm just so glad to have gotten through Christmas. And yes, it's done in the time frame I was hoping for. I already have a vague outline for the next chapter. It's been plotting in the back of my head for a while. Ever since I had the idea for having Cedric and Cassius get married, this next chapter has been brewing in my head. It's going to be awesome. And it should be done fairly soon. Hopefully in time for Valentines. (Even though I don't celebrate it I figure it would be nice to have a romantic chapter posted in time for the holiday.) Yay! I'm also thinking of drawing the dress Hermione's going to wear in the next chapter. But I'm not sure I could do it justice. I think I'll still try.