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THE FRUIT THIEF
By: tweety-src-clt9
It’s the 23rd of December 2009. Harry Potter is feeling frustrated when he went down the kitchens to check on the large stock of fruits he ordered. They have to pile thirteen varieties of round fruits and hand them over in beautifully decorated gift baskets for their family and friends.
Given their extended family and the many friends they made throughout the years, there is still so much preparation to do. The fruits had been delivered by their favorite supplier two days ago. The only problem is that he noticed that the large stock of blueberries seems to gradually diminish. If this carries on, he needs to make another order just to replace the missing ones. Furthermore, he could not identify the reason as to why it has been getting lesser and lesser. He tried asking Kreacher but the house-elf only shrugs and shakes his head. He also asked little Teddy but the boy only gives him a funny look. He did not ask Hermione since she hated blueberries.
So, the first thing he has to do is to identify the mysterious fruit thief. Maybe there is an unknown magical creature lurking in 12 Grimmauld Place who has been stealing blueberries. He must solve this mystery since it’s been expected of the Potters to give fruit baskets for Christmas.
His wife started the Potter Fruit Basket tradition after learning about the significance of giving a basketful of thirteen round fruits for good tidings during their honeymoon all around Asia five years ago. Since they got married during Christmas Eve of 2004, they decided to go on cultural immersion in Asia for their honeymoon. On their trip, they learned about the unique yule traditions of several Asian cultures. Given that he was married to the Brightest Witch of The Age, Hermione learned the significance of all the practices they witnessed. Her favorite is the giving of Christmas Fruit Baskets. The round fruits symbolize prosperity and good luck for the incoming year. Also, they both agree it’s cute that they have a trademark gift.
His eyes glanced on the stock of strawberries, apples, oranges, grapes, peaches, pears, apricots, plums, pomegranates, watermelons, raspberries, cherries, and the infamous blueberries. Everything seems to be in place. Only the blueberries have been touched by the thief. Merlin! I don’t have the time to solve this mystery. I’ll be late for work.
He was shaking his messy hair in frustration as he thought about the missing blueberries while walking up the stairs. He’ll figure out what’s causing this problem later. He has an early meeting at the ministry so he cannot be late.
Draco Malfoy noticed the Deputy Chief Auror’s frown. Harry Potter had a faraway look on his face. His fingers tapping on the oak desk. Something is bothering him.
He glanced at Longbottom who noticed the same thing. He honestly cannot think of anything that could bother Harry Potter. Their weekly auror meeting with the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement just consisted of last-minute briefings for the Yule holidays. There’s not much trouble in Wizarding Britain lately so he cannot understand Harry’s upset face.
“Potter, you alright?”
“Yeah, mate. What’s up?” Neville added.
“Well there’s a mystery at home,” Harry had a thoughtful look on his face.
“What mystery?” Ron joined the conversation. He rolled his eyes at the redhead’s antics. Ronald Weasley was busy munching on cookies that he did not notice his best friend’s worried look. Sure, he’s worked well with Weasley, Longbottom, and Potter as Aurors. They even formed an odd friendship dynamic but he still could not understand Ron’s behavior sometimes.
“You all know about the fruit basket tradition, right?” Harry looked at all three of them.
“It’s a Potter tradition. So of course, we do! Plus, we get free fruits.” Ron grinned. He could only shake his head in exasperation. When you’re with Ronald Weasley, you’ll get used to him always talking about food.
“Right. Well, it’s just ever since we had the fruits delivered, I noticed that the stock of blueberries has been touched. I already asked Kreacher and Teddy but they have no idea. Of course, I skipped asking Hermione since – “
“Wait! Wait! There’s missing fruit, right? And it’s only blueberries?” Neville interrupted Harry’s narration. The Deputy Chief Auror nodded.
“Mate! That means that either you have a sneaky little creature, like a gnome or something, or it means Hermione is pregnant!” Ron said.
“But Ron, Hermione hates blueberries. Besides, she cannot get pregnant, remember? The healers say that – “
“I still feel so bad about not defending Hermione at the manor. If only I – “
“Look, Draco, it’s been so long. Besides, if you risked helping Hermione, you both could end up being killed by Bellatrix. It’s not your fault, mate. Honestly!” Harry huffed.
“Seriously though, Ron’s got a point. When Luna was pregnant with our little Kimora, she was so demanding and her cravings were wild. Given how unique my Luna is, that’s saying something.” Neville smiled fondly at the thought of his wife.
“You sure got it right, mate! Witches and pregnancy! Bloody scary if you ask me. Susan is the same when she was pregnant with Chudley.” Ron mused.
“Stop complaining, Weasley! Ginny does not let me sleep in our bedroom since she hates my bloody face when she was carrying our little Lyra.” He snorted.
“No! No! That can’t be it. We’ve been trying to get pregnant for five years and the healers say it’s impossible. We also tried muggle medicine but it’s still no use. Maybe the fruit thief is some sneaky creature,” Harry sighed.
Draco looked at Ron and Neville. All three of them understands how badly the Potters wanted a baby of their own. Despite having little Teddy Lupin in their lives, he understands the need to have biological children. When he first held Lyra Narcissa Malfoy in his arms, he could not explain it. He was simply overwhelmed with love for his daughter and his wife who carried their little bundle of joy in her womb. If only the Potters could experience the joys of parenthood with a child of their blood.
If only I was brave enough to help Hermione back then…
Once and for all, Harry is determined to solve the mystery of the fruit thief. He told Hermione that he would stay up late for some last-minute auror work. In truth, he plans to hide under his invisibility cloak so he could catch the thief. If it’s a magical creature, he will drive it away in a gentle manner. Hermione would make him sleep on the couch if he treats sentient beings rudely. She’s the fiercest crusader for creature rights at the ministry. Everyone is expecting her to someday take the headship of the DMLE and then, she will eventually be Minister for Magic. At thirty, Hermione is the youngest department head in the ministry.
He glanced at the grandfather clock. He sighed. It’s one in the morning and there is still no sign of a sneaky creature lurking in the dark. He yawned. He was squatting on the floor, his back leaning on the wooden cabinets, and his entire body concealed by the enchanted cloak.
His droopy eyes weakened his resolve. He should have been sleeping by now since he’s in for a long day ahead. They still have to pack the fruits in several baskets after breakfast. There are still so many Christmas Eve preparations to be done. When he imagines the disappointed look on his wife’s beautiful face, should their tradition be disrupted because of the missing blueberries, he pinched his cheeks to stop himself from falling asleep.
Feeling determined once again, he quietly waited. Finally, after four hours of waiting, he heard a noise. This creature seems to be bigger than he expected. He could hear footsteps walking towards the kitchen.
He was surprised when his wife entered the kitchen. Her hair of wild unruly curls covering some parts of her face. She was wearing her fluffy bunny slippers and a thick furry robe. Hermione Potter may be the fiercest advocate for equal rights in the ministry, but at home, he gets to see a side of her that no one else sees, like her love for childish sleepwear.
He was about to reveal himself when he saw her walk towards the stock of fruits with a determined and a feral look of hunger on her face. It reminded him of the way Ron looks at chocolate cake.
He gasped when he saw his wife devour a piece of blueberry. Her eyes closed as she savored the juiciness of the fruit. She moaned while she greedily consumes piece after piece.
He cannot believe it! Hermione had been the fruit thief all along!
He lowered the invisibility cloak so he could reveal himself.
“Hello, darling! Blueberry all good?” He teased.
“Harry!” She yelped. The startled look on her face reminded him of little Teddy when he’s caught stealing a cookie from their hidden stash of treats. In as much as they love the little boy, they always regulate his sugar intake.
“I thought you hated blueberries, my darling,” he said huskily as his arms wrapped around her waist. While her cheeks were flushed at being caught, she continued to munch on the fruit. He wanted to test how delicious it was since she sneaks in the wee hours of the morning just to devour them.
He was about to grab a piece of blueberry but she frowned.
“No! That’s mine!” She swatted his hand away. He was slack-jawed. His Hermione is a very giving person so she happily shares whatever she has with other people, especially her loved ones. The way she was acting right now reminded him of Ron. While seeing her like this is so adorable, he remembered his conversation with Draco, Neville, and Ron about pregnancy. Despite the healers’ statements about Hermione’s inability to conceive, he feels very hopeful with the way she's acting right now.
Hermione is never greedy over food, especially blueberries. She hates blueberries the most among all the fruits in the world.
“Darling?”
“Hmmm?” She was munching on another blueberry.
“Are you, er, pregnant?” He tried to keep his voice neutral. This is a very sensitive issue for Hermione. She always sees her infertility as a big failure.
Her eyes widened. She raised a hand before her fingers moved in a counting gesture.
“I’m three weeks late!” She exclaimed. He bit his bottom lip to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. This is it! Our Christmas miracle!
“We should do the test, darling. Just to be sure,” he suggested.
“But what if – “
“Whatever the result, you, Hermione Potter, should always remember that you are my angel in the night. You are my love, the love of my life.” He kissed the top of her head in support and quoted lyrics of their wedding song.
“Alright.” She took a deep breath as she flicked her wrist to summon her wand. Hermione waved it all around her in a series of intricate movements, and then, “Reprehendo Graviditate.”
He kept his fingers crossed as they waited. He was hoping for a pink or blue light to glow. If it glows white, then it means it’s just a false alarm.
Whatever the outcome, he would gladly accept it. He loved Hermione very much. He would never trade the life they built together with Teddy, for all the riches in the world.
After two minutes, her abdomen glowed. Two colors! One pink and one blue!
“Oh my!” Hermione gasped. Happy tears were falling down her face.
“We’re gonna be parents, Hermione! Twins! You did it, love! You did it!” He too had tears in his eyes as he carefully embraced her.
“I can’t believe it! After all this time… Harry, we’re pregnant!” She said before erupting into happy giggles, her eyes sparkling with joy.
“I love you, Mummy Potter!” He gave her a chaste peck on the lips before he jumped up and down in glee.
“Yes! Yes! Yes! I’m going to be a daddy! Woooh!” He pumped his fist in the air.
“Harry! Quiet! You’ll wake Teddy up,” she admonished but her tone reflected the same happiness he felt.
After calming down from his state of euphoria, he wrapped her in his arms once again. They held each other tight as they shared this wonderful news. This is their Christmas miracle. Finally, their prayers have been answered.
“Happy anniversary, Mrs. Potter!” He kissed the top of her head.
“I love you, Harry. Happy anniversary,” she whispered back. He slowly lowered his head so he could seal her lips in a loving kiss. Finally… the Potter family will have two new members soon.
Their family and friends received Potter Fruit Baskets per tradition. The only difference this time around is that there are only twelve varieties. The gift card says Mrs. Potter needs to devour all the blueberries for the Baby Potters in her womb.
Everyone is ecstatic about the good news. It is indeed a Christmas miracle.
THE END