Beautiful Dreamer

Chapter 3

Christmas Surprise

Harry woke up the next morning in the living room of Chrysoberyl Manor, having been moved there during the night by Sirius, his head still in Hermione's lap. Hermione was sleeping soundly, leaning her head on the arm of the couch, her hand resting on Harry's head. Harry gently lifted her hand from his tangled mane and placed it on her lap as he stood. He carefully picked up her legs and swung them so that she was stretched out on the couch in a somewhat comfortable position. He glanced around the room and found a light blue blanket and draped it delicately over her sleeping form. For a moment Harry just stood there, looking at her. He reached out his hand and touched her silky hair gingerly before turning to enter the kitchen.

Sirius was leaning up against the sink, sipping a cup of coffee silently. Harry found that he could not look up to meet his godfather's eyes. Harry sat down at the table, feeling hollow. He was vaguely aware of Sirius as he came and sat down next to Harry.

"Want to talk about it?" Sirius asked kindly. Harry shook his head, too tired and too depressed to make an attempt at sleeping.

"I know that you still have questions," Sirius said knowingly. Harry clenched his hands into fists.

"Why does she have to die? She didn't ask to be the Supreme Chancellor," he said bitterly.

"No she did not ask for the responsibility, but when asked if she would take the job, she consented," Sirius said fairly. Harry, however, did not want to be fair.

"It still isn't fair!" he yelled at Sirius, forgetting that Hermione was sleeping in the other room. Sirius was not disturbed by Harry's uproar.

"Would it be fair for Hermione to turn into a Hessonite? I'm sure that Hermione has explained to you what they are by now."

Harry said nothing. Not only had Hermione told him a little on Hessonite, Harry had looked them up and seen one himself; of this Sirius had no knowledge.

"I don't want to loose her," he said sadly. Sirius looked sympathetic and sad for a moment.

"I don't think anyone does. Except maybe for the Malfoy boy," Sirius said, having long heard tales of Malfoy from the trio. Harry pondered this. Malfoy was probably as upset about this as Harry was. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that the slimy Slytherin was in love with his Hermione. Harry thought back to the time he had "talked" to Malfoy at the lake.

~

"You love to cause trouble, don't you? Why her?! Why now?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Can't you tell that she's sick?! What's the matter with you!?"

Malfoy whirled around and marched back into the castle. What Malfoy had been talking about was a complete mystery to Harry. Harry had been suspicious before, but now he was certain. Malfoy was in love with Hermione.

~

A noise at the doorway caused Harry to snap out of his thoughts. Hermione was leaning against the doorframe, watching the pair of them.

"Good morning beautiful. How was your night?" Harry asked.

"Mine was wonderful with you by my side." Hermione replied smirking. Harry smiled.

"It's a good morning beautiful day!" sang Margaret's voice as she came strolling into the kitchen in a purple bathrobe. She looked between Harry and Hermione for a second and then blushed, unsure of what to say.

That was exactly how Harry felt. Unsure. He didn't know what to do. It was two days until Christmas and he was far from the Christmas spirit right now.

_-_-_

The two days before Christmas were sad and slow. On Christmas Eve the four of them all sat around the Christmas tree and sang Christmas carols. None of them were very cheerful, but they had all come to a silent agreement that they were going to go on with life as if nothing had changed. But things had changed, and not for the better.

_-_-_

It was Christmas morning. Harry stared up at the ceiling. My girlfriend is going to die soon. If that doesn't make you want to say "Merry Christmas" I can't think of what would, Harry thought bitterly, not really wanting to get out of bed. But then Harry thought about how this would be Hermione's last Christmas, and he finally got up, determined to make it the best one of her life.

He walked down the stairs in his bathrobe. Margaret and Sirius were already downstairs, but they were doing something that made Harry stop in his tracks. They were kissing. Harry flushed scarlet and dashed as quietly back up the stairs as he could.

He stood in the hallway, still shocked by what he'd seen. He then looked up and saw Hermione's bedroom door. He went to the door and knocked quietly on it. He pushed it open cautiously.

Hermione was still asleep, curled in a small ball under her many layers of blankets. Her face was white like it always was and her hair was tangled around her face. He walked silently over to where she lay and sat down on her bed. He leaned down and whispered through her hair,

"Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,

Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee,

Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,

Lulled by the moonlight have all passed away!

Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,

List while I woo thee with soft melody;

Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,

Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me,

Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me..."

Hermione stirred as he finished and blinked up at him. She smiled and he kissed her softly on her mouth, as if any harder would break her. Hermione closed her eyes again, still very, very tired and went back to sleep. Harry walked back down the stairs to greet Margaret and Sirius.

_-_

"Is she ready?" Sirius asked in an excited whisper.

"Yes," Margaret whispered back.

Harry was getting very annoyed with the pair of them. Since he'd come downstairs, Margaret and Sirius had been giving him strange excited/nervous looks and wouldn't tell him what on earth it was about.

"I'll just go get Hermione then," Margaret said loudly this time.

"Why don't you go with her, Harry?" Sirius suggested as he began down the hall toward the ballroom. Harry nodded his reply and stood up to go upstairs.

Margaret and Harry climbed the stairs silently for a while when Harry broke the silence quite irritably.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?"

Margaret looked at him, startled. She then donned a very sly grin.

"Sirius and I cooked up a bit of a surprise for you and Hermione. We just need to get her downstairs..."

Margaret came onto the landing and pushed open the door to Hermione's room. Hermione was up now, sitting sleepily on the edge of her bed in her nightgown. She smiled when they entered.

_-_

"What's all the secrecy about?" Hermione asked. Hermione was blindfolded and Harry and Margaret were steering her toward the ballroom, Harry still oblivious as to what was going on.

"We're here," Margaret said, coming to a stop in front of the extra large doors. She turned to Harry and raised her wand.

"Mufflubius!" she said and suddenly all sound in the world stopped. Harry looked around, panicked. He looked back at Margaret who mouthed back wordlessly to him, "It's ok."

Margaret pulled open the large doors and Harry beheld the strangest sight of his life. Margaret whipped the blindfold off of Hermione and Harry saw her mouth fall open in a gasp.

There were at least a hundred and fifty people standing in the large ballroom. They were all wearing a deep shade of purple and facing where the three of them stood. Margaret led Hermione to the middle of the room, and then walked off to the end of the front row of people.

Then an even stranger thing happened. They all began to sing. Every mouth was open and even though Harry couldn't hear them, he could sort of feel their voices in his chest somewhere. Harry sat down, suddenly dizzy. He looked around and saw Sirius sitting on the ground too, staring at something. Harry followed his gaze and saw what he was staring at. He was staring at Hermione.

Hermione was standing in the center of the room, her nightdress suddenly whipping about her legs in an unseen wind. Her hair flared out behind her, her eyes closed and her arms outstretched. Harry watched in amazement as Hermione lifted off the ground to float five feet in the air.

The people singing must have been singing louder, because the feeling in Harry's chest suddenly intensified. He wrapped an arm around his chest and watched as Hermione was suddenly consumed in a glittery golden haze that came out of nowhere. A sudden flash of blinding light caused Harry to close his eyes. When he opened them again, Hermione was lying on the ground.

Harry leapt to his feet and went to run out to her, but Sirius grabbed him before he could.

Harry watched as a strong looking young man came out of the front row. He had dark brown hair and a rough look about him. He walked over to Hermione and gently lifted her into his arms and took her over to a giant couch in the corner of the room Harry had never noticed before. Margaret ran over to Sirius and Harry and the other people began to disperse from their "formation" and go over to crowd around Hermione.

Suddenly, Harry's hearing was restored to him. He looked at Margaret.

"What in the hell just happened?!"

"Those people," Margaret waved a hand at the large group, "are the strongest Vesuvians still alive. I had to take away your hearing because they were singing a very powerful chant right then and it would have caused anyone not Vesuvian to go deaf."

Harry, confused, said, "Why were they singing a chant?"

Margaret smiled large and replied happily, "If it worked, the charm on Hermione that is killing her should be gone!"