Cursed Wolf II

Chapter 8 Christmas Dinner


Hermione got all her shopping done with a few phone calls as well as a few clicks of a mouse and one trip to the mall.

She was giving her Grandmother a basket from Sally’s Bath for her bath, lavender scented bath oil beads, soaps, lotion along with a candle, a face cloth, a loofha and massaging sponge and a crystal bell ornament for her stocking.

Hermione got her mother bath oils, a silk shirt and matching pants and a crystal icicle ornament.
She got her father a bathrobe, slippers, cologne, and tie and a wood skiing ornament.
Kat was going to get a gift certificate for iTunes, a crystal snowflake ornament and a Christmas stocking.

She wasn’t sure what to get Harry. She wanted it to be special but not obvious that she really liked him. So she went with something simple - a green cable sweater and an assortment of loose teas in a nice wooden box. She hoped it was something he could use and enjoy since it was getting colder out. She also got him a crystal ball ornament and a Christmas stocking.

Hermione helped clean the house, which was easy once everyone went shopping; she just did a cleaning spell with her wand, and for the rest of the time she read her journalism books.

Christmas Eve they all decorated the house in holly and poinsettias. They hung the Christmas tree lights and ornaments on the tree; abandoning the popcorn stringing as the girls kept eating it and throwing it at each other. They hung the stockings and started making the desserts for the Christmas dinner. They put the presents under the tree before going to bed.

Christmas morning came with snow gently falling onto the ground. Hermione was more anxious and excited about seeing Harry, then she was about the presents that were under the tree for her. She wore a multi-colored v-neck sweater and blue jeans, which gave her a womanlier figure.

The doorbell rang and Hermione jumped for the door. She could hear it was her grandmother along with her father as they were arguing why Gram had rung the bell when he had a key.

Hermione greeted her grandmother with a hug and a kiss and took her stocking, filled it with stocking stuffers, and got another stocking holder to hang it with all the others in the mantle.

Just then there was another ring of the doorbell and Mr. Granger went to answer the door.

Harry stepped in the house after stomping the snow off of his boots. His black hair was sprinkled with snow and his glasses fogged up from the warmth of the house.
Under his arm was a bottle of wine and a small brown bag was in his hand.

Harry took off his glasses and wiped them clean.

“Happy Christmas. Here’s something to drink with dinner, I was told it was good year and it goes with anything,” Harry laughed, handing the bottle over to Mr. Granger.

Harry looked at Hermione, who was just hanging her grandmother’s stocking,
“Happy Christmas, Hermione! ” he said sweetly. His eyes went from her eyes, gazed down at her outfit and snapped back to her face, hoping he wasn’t staring at her for too long.

“ Happy Christmas, Harry.” Hermione said softly, forgetting to let go of the stocking and she accidentally pulled it off the mantle along with the stocking holder and they crashed to the ground, breaking the holder.


“Oh Damn!” Hermione moaned.

Harry just laughed a little and said,
“Don’t worry I’ve got this one. ” He took out his wand and pointed it at the broken holder and said “Reparo!”

Hermione smiled as she blushed, being embarrassed at her clumsiness.

“Harry, would you like something warm to drink…eggnog, tea, warm cider?” Mrs. Granger asked.

“I’ll take some tea please,” Harry replied.

“Kat? Would you like something to drink?” Mrs. Granger queried.

“I’ll have some cider please, ” Kat answered.

“Hermione. Want to help me with the drinks?” Mrs. Granger asked.

“Sure, mom,” she responded as she followed her mother through the dining room and into the kitchen.

The kettle was already hot with water and the cider was on the stove simmering.

Hermione poured a ladle of cider into a mug and put a cinnamon stick in it for Kat.

Hermione’s mother came up to her daughter and said softly,
“Harry’s very nice; he teaches what course?”

“Paranormal psychology I told you this already. He also helps me control my powers,” Hermione reminded her.

“Yes, of course I remember. Are you two …close?” Mrs. Granger asked anxiously.

“We’re friends, mum,” Hermione said, feeling a little annoyed, “I’m not dating him. Why? Do you not like him?”

“Like him?” she asked

“Mum, you’ve never liked any of my boyfriends. I would think you would like him after what he did for Dad … and what he is doing for me.”

“Yes, he is very nice, Hermione. But…”

“But what?”

Mrs. Granger was getting the teacup and setting to the tea ball in the cup pouring the water over it. She said in a warning tone, “He’s just very possessive…”

“Well,” Hermione's grandmother came in to the kitchen with a huff, “ I guess I’ll get my own drink if no one will offer me one,” walking up and pushing the two of them apart with her hands as though they were sliding doors so she could get to the eggnog, “Excuse me, girls.”

“Gram!” Hermione said as the older woman nearly knocked her off-balance.

“What?” She poured herself a cup full of the cold eggnog and took a sip of it.
“Not bad, could use some nutmeg,” smacking her lips at the taste,
“When will dinner be ready?”

“In about an hour,” Hermione’s mother informed the older woman.

“Good, that means we have time to open our gifts,” she announced, picking up the tea for Harry, grabbing Hermione by the arm, and leading her to the living room where the tree was.

“Who wants to start passing out the gifts?” Hermione’s grandmother asked, while Hermione handed Kat her warm cider. Kat thanked her but had a ‘naughty, up to something expression’ on her face as she said, “Thanks for the drink.”

“I guess I’ll pass out the gifts,” Mr. Granger bellowed out, getting up off his chair and going over to the fireplace.

He passed out the stockings first and everyone got a deck of cards, some sort of trivia game cards first. Everyone got a deck of playing cards, some sort of trivia game cards, chocolate coins, other candy and an ornament that Hermione had snuck in each of their stockings.

Mr. Granger then started to hand out presents.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger got Kat a set of pajamas and slippers and Harry a gift card for his cell phone and a leather wallet. Hermione got a set of pajamas and slippers as well a card that had an invoice indicating that she was getting a new computer.

Hermione laughed with delight and gave both her parents a huge hug and kiss.

Gram gave Mrs. Granger, Kat and Hermione soft red scarves with mittens and a hat.
She got Mr. Granger and Harry the same, just in a dark blue.

Kat and Harry opened their presents from Hermione. Kat was very happy at getting the iTunes gift card and ready to download songs she’d wanted for weeks.

Harry lifted his green cable sweater out of the box and pressed it against his chest.
“I’ll keep warmer this winter,” he said as he looked at Hermione.
He laughed as he open the box of assorted teas. “ This is great. I can drink and then read,” and he laughed again.

Hermione was the only one who laughed but she and Harry knew what he was talking about. And for a moment they were the only people in the world.

Gram opened her gift and was overjoyed with it. “ I can’t wait to take a bath now, thank you Hermione.” Hermione’s mother and dad were happy with their gifts, too.

Kat, not having a lot of money, gave Hermione a book on "How to remember your dreams.” She had framed a poem, which she had written, for Hermione's parents, and read it aloud to them. And Kat gave Hermione’s Grandmother and Harry a Happy Christmas hug.

Harry gave Mr. and Mrs. Granger a book "The Muggle World and The Wizarding World and the Magic in them.”

As they looked at it, Harry said in a calm voice, “This book will help you understand what goes on in the other world and not to be afraid of it. Hermione asked me to bring her there sometime.”

Mr. Granger smiled and nodded, while Mrs. Granger started to quietly cry. She looked at Harry with tears and asked, “When?”

“When she wants to, when she is ready,” he said in a tone trying to comfort but also inform them.

“Mum why are you crying? Have I done something?” Hermione asked.

“Oh no, dear,” her grandmother intervened, “Empty nest blues.” She patted Hermione on the back to comfort her.

“Empty nest blues. I didn’t know you had that, Mum, ” Hermione said, looking at them feeling they all knew something that she didn’t. Had she done something wrong and not remembered?

“Just from time to time but I’ll be fine. You had to leave us sometime,” and her mother snuffed back some tears, “ but you know you’re always welcome back home.” Her mother embraced her saying, “ This is your home - the door will always be open to you. Never forget that.”

Now Hermione knew something was wrong. Her mother wasn’t the clingy mother type, well not physically clingy, but here she was embracing her daughter as though she was sending her off to war and might never see her again. ‘Maybe she was going through menopause or maybe she and Dad are having problems?’ Hermione thought to herself.

“Come on, it’s Christmas,” Mr. Granger was comforting his wife now, “We have family and friends here to celebrate with us.”

“I know I know. I’m going to check on dinner.” Mrs. Granger said, and turning, she left the room.

“Here Hermione, this is from Harry,” her father said as he handed a box.

Hermione opened it and inside were three books - one on Spells, on Potions and one on Charms.

“Books. I can’t wait to read them. Thank you Harry.” She got up and was about to give Harry a hug to thank him when Kat asked, “What was that?”
Hermione stopped and replied, “What was what?”

Kat had her hand up as to quiet them, “Listen, ” and she paused, “ That. What was that noise?”

“What noise?”
“That! Right there. Is that thunder?” Kat asked, looking puzzled. “Hermione, please go outside and see if it’s raining. I thought I heard thunder.”

Hermione went to the window and looked out. “It’s still snowing, Kat.”

“But I heard it. Go outside and look would you?” she pleaded, and then added, “ Harry why don’t you go with her?”

Hermione looked at her roommate, who was trying to hide a smile.

Hermione went to the front door and out onto the porch that stretched along the whole front side of the house. She leaned over to see if she could see any rain clouds or hear any thunder.

A few moments later Harry was on the porch and looking around. “Hermione, why are we out here? Is Kat afraid of thunderstorms?”

“No, I think she likes them. I swear everyone is acting so strangely today,” Hermione thought aloud.

“It’s the holidays. People get more stressed out these days. I’m sure your mum is fine,” Harry tried to comfort her.

“Mum seemed upset about the book you gave them,” Hermione added.

“The wizarding world is place they don’t know or understand. It’s a different world to them. They are afraid that if you go there you might not want to come back to them,” Harry explained.

“When are we going there?” Hermione asked.

“Maybe after school’s over; come, let’s get back inside,” Harry said and he went back in.

Hermione stayed out for moment longer listening, but all she heard was the wind and she saw the big snowflakes floating down.

Dinner was almost ready and Hermione and Harry set the table while Kat, Gram and Mrs. Granger put the food into serving dishes.

Mr. Granger opened the wine Harry brought. ‘ A wine for All Occasions’ it said on it. Hermione read off of it out as her father tried to figure out how to open it as it had a champagne stopper in it. Mr. Granger finally asked Harry how to open it.

Harry just took out his wand and the stopper popped into the air.

Everyone sat down at the table, the Grangers at the ends, Hermione and Kat on one side, Gram and Harry on the other with Harry sitting across from Hermione. They bowed their heads and said a quick grace and then everyone started filling their plates with roasted turkey, potatoes, parsnips and swede, stuffing, bread and butter.

“Would anyone like some wine?” Harry asked.

No one said anything for a moment and then Hermione said, “I’ll try some,” and with that one by one everyone else had their wine glass in their hands.

With each glass, the wine changed slightly. Hermione’s wine was white, Kat’s was a dark gold, Hermione’s grandmother was a red wine, Mrs. Granger’s was a blush and Mr. Granger’s was a deep burgundy. Harry’s was white like Hermione’s. She smiled at him. They raised their glasses and everyone said, “Happy Christmas.”

Everyone ate and talked. Hermione’s grandmother asked, “ So Hermione, how did you do on your finals?”

“I’ll find out in a few days how I did on two. I have one more test in one journalism class,” and then added in a teasing tone, “ and I have a paper due in.. … another class.”

“What class?” Kat asked.

“Professor Potter’s class.” Hermione answered in a teasing whisper.

Harry almost sprayed his drink between his lips laughing.

“Will you be taking another class with young Professor Potter?” her grandmother asked patting him on the shoulder.

“I don’t know. Are you teaching anything else, Harry?”

“Well they did ask me to stay for the next semester, but I’m not sure.”

“Wait. The other teacher is on sabbatical, so she is gone for a year,” Hermione pointed out.

“But she was thinking of coming back in January,” Harry told her.

“You mean you might be leaving, after all the work you did making the class a serious class? The other teacher made it a joke,” Hermione said angrily.

“Hermione. It’s her class, not mine. I only filled in for her. If she comes back I’m out,” Harry told her. “I signed a contract for one semester, with the understanding that it would be renewed if she decided to take a full year off.”

Hermione didn’t want to hear anything more; she didn’t want to hear he was leaving the school and leaving her.

“Well I don’t think I’ll take the class if she teaching. Besides I have to take writing classes.” Hermione said aloud, “Unless I change my major …again.”

“I’ll find another job at different school if she comes back,” Harry said casually.

Hermione bit her bottom lip; fighting back the tears were welling up in her eyes. She drank down her wine to hide them and then excused herself from the table to go to the bathroom.

She dried her eyes quickly and thought ‘even if he did stay she wouldn’t see him that much’.

Everyone had their fill of dinner and Mrs. Granger come out with the desserts, vanilla ice cream, chocolate cake, pumpkin pie and sugar cookies along with coffee and tea.

Kat helped herself to the chocolate cake, and Hermione’s grandmother nibbled on a cookie.
Harry asked for a piece of pumpkin pie as Mrs. Granger was cutting a piece for Hermione.

Mrs. Granger gave Harry a huge of the pie with heavy cream on top of it.
He looked at it and started to say, “This is more than I can eat. Hermione would you like to share?”

But Mrs. Granger put a piece of pie in front of her daughter before he could finish.

“Oh Harry, I’m sure you can eat that.” Mrs. Granger insisted.

Hermione looked at her piece of pie and saw it was a very thin slice. “Mom? Can I have a little bit more?” she asked softly.

“Oh Hermione, I gave you a small piece so that…” her mother started to say in a lecturing tone and then stopped, thought a moment and continued, “ you could have a little of all the desserts without you … feeling stuffed.”

“ Or get fatter cheeks and arse this holiday?” Hermione murmured softly.

“What was that Hermione?” Mrs. Granger asked.

“That’s a good idea mum, ” Hermione replied. “ I’d like to try all of them.” She looked at Harry who had slipped half of his piece on to her plate and was hiding a smile as he dug in to his piece of pie.

Hermione’s grandmother was in the living room on the couch was looking at her Lavender Bath Basket and trying to smell the bath oil beads. She opened the box to sniff the perfumed balls and the container slipped out of her hand. The transparent gel balls rolled on to the floor. “Oh no!” the old woman said out loud. The woman started to crawl on the floor in attempted to retrieve the gel spheres.

Hermione jumped to her feet, “Gram, I’ll get them; get off your hands and knees before you hurt yourself.”

“I’m perfectly able to get them on my own,” she retorted getting back on the couch.
Hermione found the gel balls under the tree, the table and at the front door.

Harry came up behind her with the bath oil ball container as Hermione was on all fours gathering up the rolling lavender scented orbs.

Kat was giggling and called out to Hermione. “Hermioneeeee,” she sang out, “ look above youuuu.”

Hermione looked up. There, dangling was something green with a red bow holding it to the ceiling.

Hermione heard her grandmother say, “You’re under the mistletoe Hermione… Harry.”
Hermione looked at Harry who was also looking up at the green plant.

“It’s tradition!” Kat said aloud.

“Put the bath oil gel…things in here,” Harry said softly offering her the container.

“Come on, kiss.” Kat laughed.

Hermione glanced up at the mistletoe and then at Harry. They leaned in and they kissed each other’s edge of their mouth. Hermione felt his warm lips on her skin and the tingling sensation on her lips. He exhaled onto her cheek and lightly in her ear.
They slowly pulled away. Harry smiled at Hermione as she felt her face get hot and her head a little light headed. She laughed off the embarrassment, looking away from him and pushing her hair back behind her ears, playing with her locks nervously.

“It wasn’t that bad was it?” Harry teased.

“Oh, come on,” Kat whined, “That wasn’t a kiss.”

“That was a respectable kiss for a teacher and student to have,” Mrs. Granger said in a relieved tone.

“It’s the way two friends would kiss,” Hermione’s grandmother noted, “in front of her parents.”

“What did you want?” Hermione asked them all, “I’m sure Harry wouldn’t want me to give him a big slobbering kiss. That would gross him out.”

Everyone looked at Harry, who said, “It was a respectable kiss,” and escaping, he went back into the dining room.

Hermione was kneeling down on the floor helping her grandmother put the box back into the basket. She peeked at Kat who was sitting on the floor.

Kat looked at her in a disappointed way.
“Why didn’t you kiss him?” she mouthed.

“He’s my teacher.” Hermione mouthed back.

“It’s Christmas - besides who’s going to tell?” Kat added.

“Just drop it,” Hermione whispered, getting onto her feet and rubbing her knees.

Kat smiled, got up from the floor, and walked into the dining room asking out loud,
“By the way Hermione, how did you meet Harry?”

Hermione thought she must have looked like a confused mouse in a maze test.

Harry spoke up in a nervous sort of way, “Eh, we met many years ago at Hermione’s grandmother’s; I was playing in the woods and ran into Hermione, who was lost. Well she thought she was lost. I showed her the way home and we played all summer long. I had a mad crush on her. She went home and didn’t come back until just a few years ago. We bumped into each other, became friends again, and we kind of dated.”

“Kind of?” Kat asked.

“We hung out a lot at the lake.” Harry said.

“You taught me spells and potions out there in the woods,” Hermione chimed in, remembering the potion lesson not too long ago.

Harry looked a little surprised and nodded, “Yeah, I did.”

“ And you told me to run,” Hermione said casually as she drank her wine, “ What game were we playing?”

Harry dropped his fork with a piece of pie still on it, and Mrs. Granger gasped.

“We were just chasing each other around, I guess, or was I teaching you to find me,” Harry said quickly and picked up the fork and cleaned up the pie on the floor.

Hermione saw herself running down a hill, her heart pumping, “I remember running for a long time. Running home feeling safe for a moment than regretting it.”

She looked at Harry, wanting to know the answer to her feelings of confusion in her mind, “I can’t remember.”

Harry put down his fork and walked over to her, “Sit down, Hermione.”

Hermione sunk into her chair and Harry sat next to her. “ I told you to run.. You see I.. I asked you…” Harry paused, looking away, thinking of the right words,
“ I asked you to marry me in an odd way. And I told you to think it over for a few days,” Harry paused again, “but…,” his eyes half-closed with pain and sadness,
“I rushed you for an answer. I told you to run and if you let me catch you that was a ‘yes’. You ran home. You got home. Your answer was ‘no’. No, ” and he sighed.

Hermione wasn’t sure what to do or say. She was trembling now and feeling very confused.

She looked up at him and asked, “Why can’t I remember?”

“I erased it from your memory,” Harry admitted.

Hermione looked into his eyes and could see that there was more to it. “You haven’t told me everything,” Hermione said.

“I’ve told you what you needed to hear. Now I think it’s time for me to go,” explained Harry, his expression full of pain. Then he got up and got his coat.

“Harry, wait,” Hermione said, “ You have to tell me everything.”

“Hermione, it’s complicated,” Harry said.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Gram and Kat. Happy Christmas,” putting his coat on, “We’ll talk about it when we are back at school, Hermione,” and then he left.

~ ~

Hermione was pulling the covers up over herself as she wrestled herself into bed.

“Hermione? Why do you think you turned him down?” Kat asked from across the floor.

“ I don’t know.” she said with tears welling in her eyes, “ but I have to talk to him.”

“Hermione, be careful when you talk to him. I’ve never seen a guy look so hurt and sad in all my life. I’m sure it hurt him to talk about it. You rejected him and he still is willing to help you with controlling your powers and teaching you spells. I’m almost sorry that I put up the mistletoe; I just thought you two should have a chance to kiss. I was hoping you two would go out the front door together to check out the thunder and have you kiss then. Bloody took you guys forever to stand underneath it. I wonder if he got jealous of Cedric?” Kat wondered aloud.

“Cedric kept saying Harry was always looking at me funny,” Hermione remembered and felt somewhat satisfied that Harry had watched her and perhaps was jealous of Cedric.

“If you could, would you go out with him?” Kat asked.

“I don’t know. He’s a great guy, a wonderful teacher.”
“You talk about him all the time, Hermione. Hell, if you don’t go out with him I will.”

“DON’T YOU DARE!” shot out of Hermione’s mouth before she knew what she was saying.

“I think that means ..yes, you’d go out with him,” Kat reasoned. “Hermione, why are you fighting it?”

“Fighting what?” Hermione posed.

“Your feelings for him. Tell him before he finds someone else,” Kat said.

“Do you think he still has feelings for me?” Hermione wondered.

“If it still hurts him .. yeah, I think so,” Kat said, turning out the lights.
“Now let’s get some sleep.. Oh, I hate sleeping alone. Fucking bastard. God I miss Terry,” Kat murmured in the dark.

gennastar could you email me please? I'm not sure what you mean in your review... Lilacsprite5@yahoo.com