A Very Harmony Christmas

As Subtle As A Brick

Disclaimer – I solemnly swear that JKR owns everything Harry Potter. Whether or not I am up to no good with her characters is for you to decide.

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Prompt: December 1st. Harmony's first Christmas together. Write a story featuring HHr celebrating their first Christmas together. They can be friends, dating, engaged, or married.

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As Subtle As A Brick

The sound of the doorbell was preceded by less than a second the raucous voice of Mrs Black screeching at the top of her lungs, both sounds diametrically opposed to Sirius singing his versions of Christmas carols. Thankfully for Harry, all three sounds were faint, distant. An unsurprising fact considering that he was currently in the attic of Grimmauld Place, about as far away from everyone as he could get.

Quick, heavy thudding on the steps caused his head to turn slightly towards the door; the heavy, tattoo that beat on said door had him grimacing. Couldn't people understand that he wanted to be left alone, needed to be left alone, that it was safer for everyone if he was left alone? Accordingly, he ignored it, sure that whoever it might be (and his galleons was on it being Mrs Weasley trying to convince him to come down and eat) would quickly give up and go away if he didn't respond.

"Harry James Potter! What is the meaning of this?"

Harry had shied away from the door crashing open, a hand whipping out to his side the only thing that had stopped him from falling into the old, dry hay that he was sitting on.

He stared at Hermione, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. She wasn't supposed to be here. But there she was, framed in the doorway, her hair seemingly cracking with energy as she stared at him, her chocolate eyes staring at him. He saw her chest rise and fall as she took a deep breath, some of the tension in her shoulders loosening.

He watched as she turned around, closed the door and then pulled out her wand. Instantly, he scuttled backwards. He'd seen what she could do with a wand when she was angry, indeed, he'd seen what she could do without a wand when she was angry. Inexplicably, though, her wand wasn't pointed at him. He watched, entranced, as she pointed it at the door.

"Colloportus!" she incanted, making the door instantly glow blue. Next, she began pointing her wand at the walls and even the floor, sending silencing spells into them.

"There," she said, putting her wand away, "that should give us some privacy."

Harry stared at her. "Hermione?"

His question was ambiguous with multiple meanings but, Hermione being Hermione, he knew that she'd understand every single one of them.

"Did you know, Harry, that magic cannot be detected when performed within the confines of wards, especially wards that surround and protect ancient, magical houses?" she asked lightly. "I must admit that I was surprised to find out that fact in a conversation that I had the other month with Susan Bones. Of course, I checked for myself in the library but she was right, unsurprising, really, considering who her aunt is."

He stared at her. They could do magic here and it couldn't be detected? But surely Mrs Weasley and the other adults here knew that! Pushing the thought to the side to be studied later, before addressing his best friend once again.

"Hermione?"

But she wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, she was facing Buckbeak. He watched as she gave the proud hippogriff a low bow, never once taking her gaze from him. As Harry knew he would, Buckbeak bowed back to her from where he was resting on the other side of the room.