A Very Harmony Christmas

A Christmas Surprise

Prompt: December 12th. Advent Calendars. Harry and/or Hermione receive an Advent Calendar from a "secret" admirer.

~~~

A Christmas Surprise

The note that Hedwig brought was exactly what Hermione had been hoping for. Once again, her parents had come through. Carefully, she folded the piece of paper up and placed it in her coin purse, then, after a last thank you and stroke of Hedwig's feathers, she went in search of her target.

She found Sirius in the library, thankfully alone. After checking the hallway to ensure that it was empty, she closed the door behind herself and crossed the room to him.

"Sirius," she said, getting his attention, "I need your help."

"Hi, Hermione," he replied, looking up from the book that he was reading. "What's up?"

"I want to do something special for Harry but I don't want him to know," she said.

"Do tell," Sirius said, laying the book aside to give her his whole attention, his eyes brightening at what she was sure that he'd interpret as a prank of some kind.

"You know that Harry hasn't had the best life up to now and Christmas is no exception," she began. "Merlin, the very first time that he'd ever decorated a Christmas tree was a few days ago and that was for some tamarins!"

Sirius blinked at her and she realised that she'd lost the wizard.

"Monkeys," she elaborated. "At the zoo."

"Right," he nodded. "I remember you telling me. Harry really did enjoy himself that day. That was really the very first time that he'd ever decorated a tree?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

She saw his face change to one filled with pain. "Damn. I should have waited to put it up until after you lot had all arrived."

"It's not your fault," she said quickly, only to receive an extremely dubious look in reply.

"So, what is it that you need help with?" he asked.

"I'd like to give Harry the chance to participate in another Christmas tradition, at least, it's a tradition at my home, not that I've really been there the last couple of years to participate in it," she said. "But it does mean that I'll need to go out and get it."

"And you want me to take you?" Sirius guessed. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I can't. As must as I'd love to, you know how dangerous it is for me to be out there."

Her face fell as her grand plan was ruined at the first hurdle. Oh, she knew that there were other ways that it could be fulfilled, but not without a great deal of work, work that she neither had the time to complete or the space to do so in secret, not with the house as full as it was.

"However, what if I ordered Kreacher to take you?" Sirius suggested.

Hermione stared at him. The grumpy, old house-elf who hated her?

"That'd work?" she blurted.

"Sure," Sirius shrugged. "As long as I worded it right."

"Then I guess it'd be alright," she said slowly.

"Kreacher!" Sirius called.

Instantly, there was a pop and the ancient, grumbling elf appeared.

"What does filthy blood-traitor master want, Kreacher wonders."

"Enough of that!" Sirius snapped. "Kreacher, I want you to take Hermione to wherever she wants to go. You are to go there without being seen. You are to wait unseen for her. And when she is finished what she is doing, you are to bring her back here."

Kreacher looked askance at Hermione and she could feel the contempt that he had for her.

"As nasty Master commands," Kreacher replied reluctantly. "Where does mudblood want to go?"

"Oi! Kreacher, you will not use such a disgusting word ever again! That is an order!" Sirius yelled.

"Kreacher obeys," the old house-elf said after staring at Sirius for a full minute.

Hermione shot Sirius an indecisive look but he simply nodded at her encouragingly and gestured towards Kreacher. She really wasn't sure if this was the best idea, but then she reminded herself that it was for Harry and, without Kreacher, she wouldn't be able to surprise him. Steeling herself for what was to come and fervently hoping to get it over with quickly, she pulled out the note that Hedwig had brought and showed it to Kreacher.

"I need to go here," she said.

Kreacher peered at it and for a second, Hermione wondered whether the ancient house-elf even knew how to read.

"Fine. Kreacher take you there," he said.

She saw Kreacher hold out his hand and, once again, she looked at Sirius who simply grinned back at her. Then, reluctantly, she grasped the offered hand. A second later, they were gone from Grimmauld Place with a pop.

~~~

"Thank you, Kreacher," Hermione said half an hour later.

"Kreacher had no choice but to obey," Kreacher grouched, then, before he could be ordered to do anything else, he popped away.

"I take it that whatever you were doing was successful?" Sirius asked from where he sat in the same chair that he was in when she'd left.

"Yes, although choosing took longer than expected," she replied.

"May I see?" Sirius asked.

After showing him and seeing his blank expression, Hermione was quick to explain what it was and how it worked. This, in turn, had her thinking about Harry and his lack of experience with Christmas. Thus, before she went to hide it in his room for him to find, she wrote a note to go along with it. There was no doubt that he'd recognise her handwriting but, knowing him as she did, she was sure that he'd play along.

This is called an Advent Calendar. It's to help with the excitement leading up to Christmas. Each day, you open one of the little doors. Inside, you'll even find a special treat. This Advent Calendar is even designed so that it can be reused again and again, all that needs to be done for next year is to refill the Calendar with treats and to close the doors again.

Hoping that this brightens your Christmas experience and brings you joy.

Love from,
Your Secret (or perhaps not-so-secret) Admirer.

All that was left now was to hide it and to wait to see Harry's reaction. She couldn't wait!