On the 21st Day of Christmas...
Eight fans screaming from hp_muffins.
A double dose of Snakey from lysa1.
A Hint of Christmas Fluff from karma171091.
**
Hermione Granger loved the snow. She liked the way it sometimes dropped down in little flecks, showering the world with a heavenly white layer of beauty. She especially liked the way she could catch the flakes all over her body until she felt that she was white all over.
Harry Potter loved the snow. He liked the way it sometimes pelted down mercilessly, soaking pedestrians to the bone as they rushed through the streets trying to find shelter. He especially liked the games one could play in it. The possibilities were endless: snow angels, building snow families, and the most fun of all...
Splat!
Hermione Granger shrieked out of surprise and shock. A very wet, very cold snowball had just collided with the side of her head, immediately melting and dripping into her sweater and in her hair. She shivered involuntarily and, putting on her iciest glare (which was very suitable for this situation), turned around and fixed it upon the grinning boy barely two meters away from her.
Harry Potter.
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STOP PELTING ME!" Hermione screeched, hair flying behind her in all its bushy glory as she walked briskly to where Harry was standing. He slowly backed away, his grin fading as he realized the enormity of the situation. Merlin...I've lit a fire! He thought. His grin faded completely as she started running full-speed at him. Turning around, he sprinted towards the Forest as fast as his legs would allow. As Hermione's footsteps faded away from behind him, he slowed his pace and turned around slowly, trying to catch his breath as he did so. To his great surprise, Hermione was nowhere to be found.
Splat!
A fat, watery snowball collided with the side of his head. Looking bemused, he turned to look for the source.
Splat!
Another one collided with the other side of his head. He trembled from the cold; the snowballs were beginning to melt.
Shaping a handful of snow between his hands, he turned around slowly until he heard a scuffle in the trees behind him. He turned around with lightning reflexes born out of years of Quidditch practice and hurled the snowball as hard as he could.
Hermione shrieked and darted out of the trees, attacked Harry with snowballs as she ran. Harry was forced to sink to his knees in the snow and raise a forearm to defend his already soaking head. Crudely balling a handful of snow, he raised his right hand and pelted Hermione with his improvised weapon.
The fight continued for several minutes, the melodic harmony of their laughter melding together, becoming one and rising into the cold air around them.
Feeling light headed, a soaked, shivering Hermione dropped to the snowy ground in a mock-faint. She reached up and caught Harry's trousers with her fingers. Pulling him down so that he fell to the snow with a small thud, she nestled close to him and breathed in his scent. Nuzzling her forehead into the crook of his neck, she felt his heart pound a tattoo against his chest.
Harry breathed deeply and draped his arm around Hermione's waist. He was content to lay there for a few minutes, absorbing Hermione's warmth and stroking her hair calmly. Nothing in the world mattered as long as she was by his side.
"Harry?" Hermione whispered into his chest.
"Mmm?"
"I'm happy the Weasleys took a family holiday this year."
"Me too, Hermione. This is our first Christmas since we got together and I can honestly say it's the best of my life."
Hermione raised her head slightly and pressed a feather-soft kiss on Harry's neck.
"It's the best of my life too," she whispered.
**
Nine Stockings Hanging from hp_muffins
And from the music department Meet Me Under the Mistle Toe by Harry and the Potters. Oi - before anybody says anything to me about The Trials and Tribulations of File Sharing, this song was made available for download (for free) at MySpace.com and if you don't want to get it from here because that's 'sharing badly' (to paraphrase) then bah humbug & go download it from MySpace instead. The end.
Happy Wednesday,
♥.