Charms

Charms 6

The sixth day of Christmas dawned bleak and depressing. However, to the girls currently sleeping in the Gryffindor Fifth Year Girls' Dorm, the start of the day proved...interesting, to say the least, as Dobby the house elf practically flew into the room.

"Wake up miss!" attacked their ears as Dobby leapt onto Hermione's bed. In his arms was a gigantic bouquet of flowers...but not just any flowers. It was a bouquet consisting of the flowers they needed to know for the days Herbology test. Samples of Mons igneus, Morsmordre, Creeping Mundolo Pansy and Ostrum could all be seen in the collection. Along with the bouquet, Dobby was also carrying a thick package. The reason for Dobby's distress was obvious: the Pansy was trying to latch onto him with the sharp teeth hidden in its delicate vines. With a quick "Stupefy" from Hermione, the plant stopped moving and Dobby was able to put both parcels down, and run from the room.

Highly amused by the sight of a house elf fleeing from a flower, the girls decided to brave the weather and get up and dressed. However, they were overjoyed to discover the contents of Hermione's other package...

**********

Later at lunch, even the Slytherins could be heard to remark on Hermione's other gift.

"Oh Hermione, that cloak is simply darling!" cried Pansy Parkinson.

"I find Perfection such an expensive place to shop, don't you? I simply can't imagine the cost for a cloak like that..." chimed in Winifred Blake, a Slytherin Sixth Year. "Where on Earth did you find the money?"

Hermione couldn't help but stammer and blush. "It's a present from my secret admirer..."

With gasps of envy that a nerd could receive such a rare and valuable gift, the other girls quickly returned to their house tables to gossip on who could have given her such a gift.

"It's designer, so the giver must be someone rich..."
"The giver has to be a Slytherin, who else would choose one with silver flecks like that..."

"Maybe it was a Ravenclaw, they are known to have taste in clothes..."

"It's perfectly cut to her figure..."

"That dark shade of red matches her coloring exquisitely..." "I can't imagine how expensive it could be..."

"Those are goose feathers, right? Aren't they supposed to be incredibly warm and soft...?"

Amidst it all, Hermione sat proudly in her cloak. Ginny and her roommates had explained its value to her earlier, so she felt incredibly lucky to own such a garment. The rich burgundy with silver flecks made her entire complexion glow. The fit was such that she had easy movement, but it hugged her curves and flared out behind her when she walked, giving her a dramatic and an almost threatening air.

The outside feathers of geese were very warm and absorbed protection spells easily. They also helped to block unfriendly spells. All in all, it was a very thoughtful gift.

**********

"Now, all of you that received a score of more than 80% in the last test that we had, I would like you to all meet me back here at dinnertime tonight. Food will be supplied for you, and this meeting is tremendously important, so don't be late."
As the timer ran out on McGonagall's desk, Hermione packed up her bag and joined Lavender and Parvati as they walked out the door.
"What score did you two get?" asked Hermione as they made their way down the stone corridors.

"I got 65," remarked Lavender.

"Me too. I just don't get inter-species Transfiguration, it makes no sense," added Parvati. Hermione had gotten 98%, so she excused herself and went to the Library to get some studying in, enjoying the feel of her cloak moving around her. The way it flared out behind her made her feel powerful, like a gangster from a Muggle movie. The envious looks she got from most of the other students, male and female alike, only added to her joy.

*~ Someone likes me, and is sending me expensive gifts...~* In spite of still being upset from her fight with Ron and Harry, Hermione felt cheerful every time she thought of one of her gifts. Plus, Ginny was still calling Hermione a friend, so she decided that life could be worse. As she reached the Library, Hermione received a pleasant shock as she found Draco sitting at her regular table once again.

"Draco!"

*~ Did I just call him by his first name?~*

He didn't seem to notice if she did. Instead, he looked up, and gave her a cheeky grin. "Hi Hermione. I hope you don't mind that I'm at your table, but I was hoping you'd come here and give me a hand with this Arithmancy work, I have no idea what I am going to do about it as none of my calculations seem to match what I already know about these people..."

Hermione laughed. "Seems like I'm not the only swimmer around here."

Setting her books on the table, she pulled a chair up beside him, and got to work.

**********

**Think snakes, think snakes...for Merlin's sake don't think of the way that her hair keeps brushing over your arm, or the feeling of her breath on your neck, or her incredible perfume...ARGH! SNAKES!!! Nasty, horrible, slimy...she's getting closer...hissing snakes...she's touching your hand, never wash it again...**

It was to Draco's great relief when he noticed that it was time for him to go to McGonagall's meeting.

"Hermione, I have a meeting with McGon-"

"Oh, I have the same one. So, do you understand it now?"

"Yeah, I do, thanks. I'm glad I'm not Tony Smith." Poor Tony was one of Hermione's people, and one of the only foods they could think of for him was Blood Flavored Lollipops.

"Yeah, but he got Butterbeer too, remember?"

At this, Draco scowled. Not only had he not been allowed to live in London, he hadn't gotten Butterbeer (either plain or chocolate). It was making him quite irate. Seeing his expression, Hermione hastily tried to make up for it.

"You got apples, and strawberries..."

"And Cockroach Clusters! I can't believe it!"

Hermione patted his arm kindly.

"Well, you can come and visit me in Venice, if you so wish. Or Athens..."

** Great. She gets two of the coolest places on Earth. I get to choose from Hogsmeade, Las Vegas, Munich, or Stratford-upon-Avon. How bloody brilliant. Hmm, she did get whipped cream...I can certainly think of some uses for that...**

Hermione looked down at her hand on Draco's arm, before moving her eyes up to his face. *~ Well, he hasn't noticed that it's there. Ah, screw it. I'm going to leave my hand there. I am going to walk confidently around Hogwarts with my hand on Draco Malfoy's arm...it feels so strong...mmm, Quidditch muscles. I wonder what he looks like shirtless...~*

As they passed a window that showed Hogwarts, once again, in white-out conditions, the words of this morning's note floated through their minds...

On the sixth day of Christmas, my love,

You are supposed to receive six geese a-laying.

Perhaps a winter cloak made of goose-down would be more appropriate?

I hope this keeps you warm until it is my turn to.

PS: Good luck for today's test. And Dobby volunteered for this one, so don't blame me.

**********

Hermione walked towards the Gryffindor tower trailing Ron and Harry.

*~ I still can't believe what they told me yesterday...I haven't felt this bad since Second Year, when Draco started to call me a Mudblood. He's really changed; he's being really friendly and nice lately. It was so nice how he just held me when I cried. His arms were so strong, so comforting. ~*

"So, guys, how did the meeting go?" asked Ginny as the three stepped through the portrait hole.

"Pretty good, Gin," commented Ron, as Harry sat down beside his girlfriend, giving her a peck on the cheek as he did so.

"McGonagall has given us an option to do some extra study and become Animagi. I think most of us will do it, I know I will," added Harry, pulling Ginny close. Hermione sat at Ginny's end of the couch in a fluffy, overstuffed chair near the fire.

"We got shown an image of the animal we'll have the most success becoming. Mine was a cat," Hermione said, smiling wryly. *~ Eh, I still like cats, even after Second Year. Who else but a cat lover would take Crookshanks? ~*

"I'm a wolf," was Ron's contribution, while Harry chimed in with

"A stag. I think it runs in the family. Or maybe the Fates just have a really weird sense of humor. But, enough idle chit chat! Team! Bed!"

Under Captain Harry's leadership, the Gryffindor Quidditch team were going to bed earlier, and having more morning trainings than ever before.

As the boys walked up the staircase towards their dorms, the girls followed more slowly.

"A cat, huh?" asked Ginny knowledgeably.

"Ironic, isn't it?" replied Hermione.

"So, who else was there?"

"Well... Terry Boot is a raven; it turns out he's one of the descendants of Ravenclaw herself. The house symbol was a Raven originally, but with the Raven's connections to death, they changed to a hawk. Hufflepuff's used to be a Wolf...only Slytherin and Gryffindor have remained the same all these years. Anyway, Hannah Abbot was a mouse, and Blaise Zabini was a mongoose."

"Was Malfoy there?" asked Ginny. He had some of the highest grades in the Fifth Year, and would probably continue have them even if Snape didn't favour him.

"His was probably the most ironic: a dragon."

**********

That night, Hermione Granger fell asleep to dreams of a dragon cuddled protectively around her bed, its scales reflecting the soft moonlight, changing from pale silver to smoky gray, as one brilliant blue eye stayed partially open to watch over her.

~

Fin.