Chapter Text
It was Christmas Eve and Hermione Granger felt like life hated her.
She was stuck at London airport after an extremely turbulent and scary plane ride. Because of the big snowstorm, all taxi rides were cancelled, and there was no way she was going to make it to her parents' house in time for the holidays. With no means of transportation and with her parents' house miles away, Hermione decided to take advantage of the little battery she had left on her phone to let them know that their festivities were going to have to be delayed, although she doubted they would care. Their relationship was no longer the same as before; it had started to crack the moment she told them of her decision to go live and study in France, and it had finally broken the moment she thought it was a good idea to introduce her boyfriend to them.
They hated him from the first moment and since then they have not missed an opportunity to highlight each of his defects, using them as justifications for why they did not consider him the right one to date their daughter. The fact that she kept going to their house to spend the holidays was just a formality to deny that during the year they hardly spoke to each other, except on important dates. She could understand that they didn't like Cormac -their personalities were very different- but that they didn't make the slightest effort to be in the same room with him and have a civil conversation, it hurt her. There were countless times that she had been put in an uncomfortable position, forcing her to choose between her parents or her boyfriend; so after a year of failed attempts she had given up.
Hermione was an adult and Cormac McLaggen made her happy. The sooner they understood that, the better.
They met by chance, they both attended the same university, and if it weren't for one day he hit her in the face with a ball that nearly broke her nose - Hermione was too engrossed in her book to notice where she was walking - they would probably never have found out about each other's existence. They were completely different: he was a year older than her, a head taller, broad-shouldered, light-eyed, and very silky hair. He got good grades and was an athlete. There was no person who did not love the floor where Cormac walked and the air he breathed. Hermione, on the other hand, was nobody. No one knew her or knew her name. She was skinny, of medium height, with brown eyes and hair that was more like a lion's mane. She didn't play sports or have a dream body like all the cheerleaders her boyfriend hung out with.
They had nothing in common except for one thing: their obsession with being the best. They were the best in their classes, the highest grades, and the ones who always had the answer to any academic question. That little trait they shared had led to a friendship and then a relationship. And it was the only thing that kept them together today, although she wouldn't admit it to herself.
After a fifteen-minute conversation with her mother, who deigned to show a little concern about her only daughter being stuck in an airport on Christmas Eve, Hermione set out to call her boyfriend. Doing so meant breaking the rule of not calling him until after eight because he was going to be very busy studying or training, but the situation warranted it.
"Hermione!" Cormac exclaimed as soon as he answered "This isn't the best time, I'm a little busy. Is it alright if we talk in an hour?".
She could hear laughter and shouting in the background, implying that she had interrupted one of his sacred practices.
"That's the problem, we won't be able to talk for the next few hours."
"Why not? What are you talking about?".
Hermione managed to explain the situation to him as quickly as possible, holding back the tears that stung her eyes. She took a moment to take a deep breath, and was about to continue when Cormac interrupted her.
"Everything will be fine. Your parents can pick you up at the airport, right?".
"No, dad doesn't want to risk getting stuck in the middle of the road and having his car break down. They say that in this way the three of us are protected from the cold."
"Well, if you look at it that way it makes sense. It is better that you stay where you are, with food and heat. I'm so sorry this is happening to you, but eventually the storm will end and you can come home to me."
"Yes, but Christmas..." her voice came out weaker than usual, a clear sign that it wouldn't be long before she started crying. Cormac gave her a few seconds before speaking.
"I know it's hard, love, but everything will be fine. You will see. These things happen."
Hermione knew that her situation could be much worse and that her boyfriend was only trying to comfort her, but being told "These things happen" didn't make her very happy. She was about to tell him everything on her mind when her phone chose that moment to run out of battery. She stared at it, frozen in place, as all the rushing people pushed her for being in the way. Feeling a tear running down her cheek didn't help anything, so she ran to the bathroom, determined that no stranger would see her in that state. Surprisingly the place was empty, as if someone knew she was seconds away from having a crisis and had taken pity on her dignity.
She felt lonely, sad... She had mentally prepared herself to spend some uncomfortable days with her family: with her parents pretending that they cared about her life and with her trying not to mention her boyfriend in every sentence so as not to bother them. But after all, she was going to be with her family, in the neighborhood where she grew up, with the warmth of the fireplace where she spent countless nights reading and with her mother's tasty food. Now the only thing she had was an anguish that ran through her entire body and a tiredness of those who do not spend sleeping.
Hermione managed to get up after a while and get out of the cubicle she was in. She finished washing her face just in time for a mother and a girl of about five years to come in and not notice her red eyes. They were laughing and talking to each other about something funny that had happened to them, which only made her want to cry again as she compared their relationship to the one she had with her mother.
With the little energy she had left, decided to go to the bar and order something to eat and drink. The red-haired boy who served her didn't pay much attention, informing her that they didn't have many supplies, except for water, alcohol, chocolate muffins, and some reheated pizzas in the microwave. Feeling more miserable than ever, Hermione ordered a bottle of beer and two muffins. She couldn't help thinking that if her parents saw her do that combination they would be very disappointed. She felt sorry for herself, but was too tired to care. After a few minutes the person next to her moved and spoke.
"That's a little sad."
Hermione looked up to see a very handsome guy looking at her with beautiful green eyes. She took a minute to appreciate his attractiveness, until her brain processed his words.
"Sorry?".
"I said it's a little sad. You're having a beer with some hard chocolate muffins in an airport on Christmas Eve. It is a sad image."
"And how do you know if they are hard or not?" She decided to ignore the comment that it was sad, because she was already aware of that.
"Because my friend Ron works here." he gestured to the tall redhead who had served her "And those muffins arrived last week. I myself helped him unload the boxes. Those are the last ones left and, dare I say, they must be rock hard."
"Yes, well... I don't care, I'm too tired and hungry to care." God! She sounded like a homeless! She wanted to cover herself with five blankets and start crying again.
"With each passing minute, you give me an increasingly sad image. You're lucky I don't care, someone else would have run off by now. I'm Harry, by the way." he gave her a smile that left her dizzy for a few seconds.
"Hermione. Do you always make those kind of offensive comments?".
"It was not my intention to offend you, I just wanted to see if I could make you smile. But you're not one to laugh at your own misery, noted."
"I have a boyfriend." She had never made a comment like that. Hermione wasn't stupid, she knew how to recognize if someone was flirting with her (which happened very rarely) and always tried to be courteous and discreet at the time of rejection. But then again, nothing was going her way and her brain didn't seem to control what came out of her mouth. The comment had the expected reaction, Harry's mouth crinkling at the corners as if he was trying to suppress a smile. He raised his eyebrows a little and drank that was left of his drink, giving her a few seconds to escape from that awkward moment. But her mouth decided to speak again without authorization "The only reason why I said that..." she began to explain at the time that she realized that was putting them in an increasingly uncomfortable situation "Is because I would like to call him, but I don't have battery."
"I can lend you my phone if you want, but I don't know if I have coverage." He took his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it over "You can take as long as you want."
"Thank you." Totally surprised by his kindness, Hermione moved a few meters away and dialed Cormac's number. She tried not to look too frustrated when after several tries all she kept getting was voicemail. Harry gave her one of his smiles again along with a shrug. "He must be busy practicing."
She was waiting for him to ask her something else, so she could start her classic speech, explaining all the activities Cormac did and why most of the time he couldn't take five minutes to answer his girlfriend, but he did not do it. Instead he got up, put some money on the table and stared at her.
"I'm going back to my house, why don't you come with me? At least there you can relax and be calmer. My mother wouldn't forgive me if I didn't invite you."
Hermione thought about it. It was an unusual offer, that's for sure. But her other alternative was an airport full of people who did not stop making noise and uncomfortable seats in which she was going to have to sleep. At least in Harry's house she was going to be able to sit on a sofa and maybe even ask him for an aspirin for the headache she was beginning to feel. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to go without thinking about the consequences, she couldn't ignore that part of her consciousness that was still functioning and was yelling "Stop! Danger!".
As if he could read her thoughts, he opened his wallet and started taking out a few things.
"Here, a little proof of identity. It's my driver's license, don't notice the haircut please. There you can see my name, my address... It's all there." he handed her the card and started to get something else "And these are my parents, Lily and James, I'm an only child. You can see why I am so beautiful."
As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't. His parents seemed to be young but definitely handsome. In the photo they were all three smiling and hugging. It seemed to be from a few years ago. They gave the impression of being a normal family, the kind that would have no problem receiving any girl on Christmas Eve. Hermione couldn't help but notice that there was another photo in the wallet, one of him with a girl with Asian features and black hair. All of that made her feel more secure; he was a normal boy, with parents and a girlfriend, who was willing to help her. He even had a last name: Potter.
"It is very far?" she asked.
"A kilometer from here."
"One kilometer?".
"Well, a kilometer if we take the shortcut. I do it all the time to get there faster, don't worry, it's not much." But Hermione was already starting to worry.
"Are you sure your family won't care?".
"My mother would punish me like a child if I didn't offer help to someone, especially on Christmas Eve."
"Well..." she said after a few seconds of looking around and not seeing any better option than the one he offered "I'll go with you".
As they got up and put on their coats, Hermione caught a glimpse of the redheaded boy (she now knew his name was Ron) nodding to his friend, before a customer called out to him. They approached the door, with Harry dragging her suitcase and she carrying her handbag, and took a deep breath before going out into the cold. In a matter of seconds the snow was up to their knees and flakes fell into their hair. They advanced a few meters and he looked at her, silently asking if she was okay or if she wanted to repent while still had time. Without giving it much thought, Hermione nodded and they continued walking.
They left the airport on a small secondary road, guided only by the few position lights of the cars that passed by every few seconds. They were silent for at least fifteen minutes. Talking used up too much energy and they needed it to keep going. Besides, opening their mouths would mean that all the frigid air would enter their lungs. Each step was a small challenge. The thickness of the accumulated snow was so thick that it pushed Hermione's feet down every time she stepped. She could see that he was struggling to move her suitcase and felt a little guilty.
When they had settled into a walking rhythm, Harry was encouraged to end the silence and start a conversation.
"What's going on with your parents?" he asked.
"What's going on with them?".
"You mentioned that your boyfriend is busy practicing, but you didn't say anything about your parents." Hermione was silent for several minutes and didn't realize that a long time had passed until she saw his worried face "I'm so sorry, they... did they die?".
"Oh! No, god, no. I'm sorry, it was my mistake." she quickly apologized as her cheeks turned red from embarrassment "It's just that... we don't talk much. I told them what had happened to me, but my mother didn't show much concern and I'm sure my father didn't either."
"Why? If I had a daughter stuck in an airport on Christmas Eve, I would move heaven and earth to make sure she was safe." The comment brought tears to Hermione's eyes again, although she tried to hide it. But, Harry must have noticed because spoke again "I'm sorry, I'm an idiot. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Hermione thanked him silently and she could feel how he understood her without words, again. They walked on for another five minutes until she got up the nerve to speak again.
"It's just that... they don't get along very well with my boyfriend, although, to be honest, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Our relationship began to deteriorate when I decided to move to Paris on my own to study law, rather than follow in their footsteps and become an orthodontist. We stopped talking regularly and now I come less often to visit them." As if it were the simplest thing in the world, Hermione started to explain all her fears and sadness. All those things that she felt she couldn't talk about with anyone, sometimes not even Cormac, began to flow naturally with Harry. The feeling that, even though he was silent, he was not judging her but giving her space and listening carefully, made her feel better "Everything ended up getting worse when I introduced them to my boyfriend, they hated him from the beginning and they continue to do so. They say that we are very different, that we will never be happy, that he is very selfish and conceited and does not deserve me. After a while he started criticizing them too, so I stopped asking them to meet all together. And that brought me here; stuck in London in one of the biggest snowstorms in recent years, far from home and with parents unconcerned about their daughter's safety."
"And going to the house of a stranger." Harry added with a smile trying to cheer her up. And he achieved it.
"And going to the house of a stranger!" Hermione repeated, laughing "This is ridiculous. And pathetic, just like you told me at the airport." She saw him make a face with his mouth and could see in his eyes that he was about to apologize. But she didn't want to talk about any of that anymore, so she interrupted him before said anything "Enough about me, let's talk about you. Don't you think your girlfriend will be mad when she finds out that you picked up a stranger and let her stay at your house?".
Hermione said it to sound observant. She expected Harry to ask her how she knew he was in a relationship, then she would reply that she had seen the photo in the wallet and they would strike up another conversation. Instead he jerked his head away and kept walking with a firm step and long strides.
"There is not much left, but at this point a decision must be made. From here, we can continue along two paths: the one that follows here will take us about forty-five minutes going at this pace or we can take the shortcut." he explained without leaving his serious expression.
"Let's take the shortcut." she answered immediately and without hesitation.
"Well, basically the shortcut takes us behind those houses. Mine is right there, about a hundred and eighty meters. I think."
They continued along a totally dark path that ran between some houses. As they walked, Harry spoke again.
"What's your boyfriend's name?".
"Cormac McLaggen. He is an athlete, that's why he couldn't answer me when I called him, he should be busy in a practice."
"So he has no idea of everything that happened to you?".
"Oh, no. Yes, he knows. Before my phone ran out of battery I managed to call him and tell him everything."
"And still he doesn't attend to you?".
"He's busy." Hermione snapped. She wasn't in the mood to hear another opinion against Cormac "He'll call me when he can. And when my phone comes back to life."
"How is he? Apart from being an athlete, of course."
"He's smart. It's one of the things we have in common. Sometimes he can be a bit pedantic, but he doesn't do it meanly. He's not one of those who always have to tell you his average grade, but sometimes he can't help it. He doesn't need to kill himself studying to get good grades, and he doesn't care about them that much either way. But he usually gets very good grades, like me. Sometimes we participate in math contests together. He also plays football and is very popular, but in that we are no longer alike."
When Hermione finished speaking she realized that had said "The speech". The one her parents always complained about. In which it seemed like she was trying to sell Cormac and his accomplishments, instead of just talking about him. And seeing Harry's amused face made her feel even more embarrassed.
"Impressive resume. But what is he like?" he asked again.
"He's like... Like I just told you."
"You told me what he does, I want to know about his personality. Does he like poetry? What are the movies he likes the most? Is he funny like me? How is he?".
No. The answer was no. Cormac was many things, but funny wasn't one of them. They had a hard time having fun together because they were both serious and obsessed with their studies and work. But she wasn't going to tell him that, of course not. So instead, she replied: "He's intense, but I like that about him."
Harry got the message and didn't speak again. They walked in silence until they came to an empty space, just with a couple of trees. In the distance, at the top of a hill, there were more houses. Hermione caught a glimpse of the distant glow of Christmas lights. The snow was falling so hard that everything was blurred. The shower of snowflakes would have looked pretty if it hadn't been for the fact that they stuck into her skin like needles. Her hands were frozen and her legs didn't seem like they were going to hold her much longer. Harry reached out and forced her to stop.
"You see, I have to explain something to you. We are going to cross a small river. It's frozen. I have seen people skating across the surface before."
"How deep is it?".
"It's not very deep. A meter and a half, i think."
"Where is it?".
"Somewhere right ahead of us" he said. They looked at the horizon but only darkness was seen "We can go back."
"Were you going to go that way?" she asked him.
"Yes, but we don't have to."
"I know, but I want to. So we keep walking and that's it?".
"That is the plan."
And that was what they did. They knew they had reached the river when the snow cover thinned. They noticed that the surface became slippery compared to the solidity and resistance that they had perceived until then when stepping on the ground. They advanced cautiously, being extremely careful where they placed their feet. He was in front, with one arm guiding the suitcase and the other extended behind him in case she wanted to catch him. And she did. Not because she had slipped or anything, but because it gave her security.
But instead of grabbing his arm, Hermione's brain made her cling to his hand. Neither of them wore gloves, so their skins were immediately in contact. Maybe it was just her imagination, maybe it was the cold that penetrated her bones, but she felt a shudder that ran through her entire body. She was about to pull away and put some distance between them, when Harry squeezed her hand gently. And the shudder ran through her again. They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds in total silence. And in that same silence they managed to hear a noise. It was new, different from the rest of the noises they had heard all the way there. It was like a sizzle, like the crackling of a burning log, which, considering the cold, was ironic. They both stood still. Harry shot her an alarmed look.
"Do not move...".
Then the surface they were on sank.
During the first seconds, neither was able to react. When they assimilated what was happening they tried to get out, but the ice cracked every time they exerted pressure on it. Hermione had water right up to her breasts. Harry had it above his belly button. She began to move desperately, so he hugged her as an automatic reaction.
"Cal...Calm down." he said without stopping trembling "We... We should... Brea...Break it." They began to break the ice with stiff arms, moving slowly, until reached the thickest layer "I'll lift you with one hand. Come on."
Trying to calm down and ignore the sensations that coursed through her every time she was near him, Hermione tried to move her leg and failed. She had numb legs from frostbite that no longer responded to her. By the time she managed to move them, Harry's hands were too frozen to support her. They had to try a couple of times, until she finally managed to put her foot down. As soon as she got up, discovered that the surface was slippery, so turned as best she could to help him out. The biggest challenge was getting the suitcase out of the water. Being wet it weighed more than usual.
"Is... Is not... Is not far." Harry said. He took her hand and pulled her toward his house, which was just down the hill. If he hadn't, she wouldn't have made it to the top. When they finally arrived, they entered through the back door. Hermione felt the warmth of the fireplace and the aroma of freshly baked cookies instantly, and wanted to stay there forever. But Harry didn't stop pulling her hand until they reached a door, after which there was a very clean and tidy bathroom "Go ahead." he forced her to enter quickly "Shower. Now. With hot water."
The door slammed shut and Hermione heard him run out. She immediately took off all her clothes and staggered forward. The clothes weighed heavily as they were soaked with water, snow and mud. She stood under the shower for a long time, leaning against the wall as the bathroom filled with steam. The water changed temperature once or twice, probably because Harry was also showering elsewhere in the house.
She only turned off the tap when started to feel cold. When she came out realized that all her clothes were gone. In their place were two huge towels, a pair of gym pants, a tracksuit, socks, and slippers. The clothes were boy's, except for the stockings and slippers, which were the only things that fit her without being too big. After a few minutes, she cracked the door open and peeked out. The kitchen seemed empty. Hermione opened a little more and suddenly a woman appeared. She seemed to be quite young, with beautiful reddish hair that rippled every time she moved and smooth features. She was smiling kindly at her and holding a steaming cup.
"Poor dear! Harry is upstairs. I am his mother."
Hermione accepted the cup and drank quickly, enjoying how the hot liquid ran down her icy throat.
"We'll get you warm again. I'm sorry I couldn't find anything that would fit you better. It's all Harry's clothes, it's the only clean and in your size I could find. But the socks and slippers are mine, apparently we fit similarly. I've put all your things in the wash, and your shoes and coat are drying on the radiator. If you want to call someone, use the home phone. Don't worry if it's a long distance call. My name is Lily, by the way."
She smiled at her again and Hermione felt a little more comfortable. It was strange to think that Lily had only known her for twenty minutes and had already seen her underwear and was offering her son's clothes. But other than that, there didn't seem to be anything about Lily that could unsettle Hermione. She immediately sat her down at the kitchen table and began to take out countless plates of food wrapped in cellophane from the refrigerator.
"We have celebrated Christmas Eve dinner before Harry and James, my husband, left to help Ron who had a problem with the car. He is a friend of my son."
"I know, I met him. He works at the airport bar." Hermione commented.
"That same one! Anyway, I've prepared a lot of things, so you can eat whatever you want. Don't be ashamed, it will do you good."
She served her a hearty plate of turkey and mashed potatoes. Harry reappeared through the door just as Hermione was taking her first bite. He was wearing very warm clothes. Pijamas with flannel buttons and a sweater that seemed to be very comfortable. Perhaps it was the headache that was still throbbing or the ice water had entered her brain, but she found him very cute and attractive at the same time.
"Will you take care of preparing everything for Hermione to stay the night?" his mother asked "Your father must already be finishing preparing the guest room where she is going to stay."
"I'm sorry, I don't want to be a bother..." The brunette quickly apologized. At that moment she was aware that had slipped into their lives without asking and at Christmas.
"Nonsense! Do not apologize! I'm glad Harry had the good sense to invite you. We will take care of you. I'm going to make sure that your father has put enough blankets for her to be warm at night." then Lily looked her up and down and added "Look at her! You need one right now. It's freezing. And you too. Come sit down."
She bolted upstairs as called for her husband. Harry raised his eyebrows, like asking God for patience. But Hermione didn't have time to answer him because Lily was already back with two fleece blankets. In seconds Hermione was wrapped in a navy blue one as if she were a newborn, so tight that it was a little difficult to move her arms.
"You need more hot chocolate." she pointed "Or tea? We have all kinds."
"I'll take care of it, Mom." said Harry.
"More soup? Have some soup. It's homemade. After the cold that the two have been through..."
"I'll take care of it, mom." Lily took out the half-empty soup cup, refilled it to the top and put it in the microwave.
"Make sure you tell her where everything is, Harry. If you need something during the night, you grab it. Or you can ask us. The door across from you is Harry's, the one on the right is ours. Make yourself at home. You're one of us now, Hermione."
A man almost identical to Harry appeared through the kitchen door. He had the same unruly raven hair, mischievous smile, and very similar glasses. The only differences were that he was older and had hazel eyes. He moved closer to Lily and wrapped his arms around her waist. They looked very cute together.
"Relax, honey. The room is ready and heated. She won't need anything." Suddenly his deep eyes settled on Hermione and he smiled at her "It's a pleasure to meet and receive you. I can tell by your face that you're tired, so I think it's best that we all go to sleep. We can talk in the morning."
"Yes, that's the best." His wife commented in a low voice. You could tell from the expressions on her face that she was still thinking about what her guest might need. James rolled his eyes and placed a kiss on the top of her head as the two youths chuckled. Lily must have noticed because in response she paid him gently on the arm, although a smile was beginning to appear at the corner of her lips "Have a good night."
"Good night." Hermione replied under her breath as she watched them leave the kitchen with their arms around each other.
And with that, Lily and James retired to their room. And with that, Hermione's Christmas with the Potters began.