Chapter Text
Their small, weak Christmas tree looked pitiful inside the tent. Its branches were virtually devoid of green, though it shined here and there, and the ribbons they had conjured hanged loosely from the top branches. There was a small star at the top, golden and slightly deformed—he had tried to conjure it three times before he was satisfied with this one—and, contrary to its purpose, added a bit more misery to the overall tree.
Harry sighed, frowning and looking at the decorations before staring down at the two small boxes beneath the branches. He and Hermione had forced themselves to celebrate together even as it felt like the world was pressing down on them, trying to find a sliver of comfort before the battle would find them again.
There was no big Christmas dinner—they didn’t have the resources for that, but both of them had made sure to get at least one gift for the other, no matter how small. It had taken him time, and he had feared he wouldn’t have anything to show for it, but he had managed to swipe a keychain in the form of an otter the last time he visited a store. With a little bit of magic and a string, he transformed it into a necklace. He hoped she liked it.
Footsteps alerted him and he turned to see as Hermione entered the room, giving him a small smile and reaching for the two boxes. He straightened, pushing his cup away and waiting until the gifts were on top of the table. They were devoid of any wrapping paper, simply being cardboard boxes from food they had bought stitched together in a somewhat rectangular shape.
“You first,” Hermione said, pushing her gift towards him as she anxiously played with a lock of her hair.
He obliged, quickly opening the box to find himself gazing at another one, this one made of wood. The top was glass, transparent and clean, and beneath it, on a cushion of velvet, was a small model of his own firebolt. There was a string looping around the handle, in which his initials shined golden.
Harry chuckled softly, taking out the necklace and looking at her with amusement on his eyes. “Thank you. It’s lovely, though I feel bad now.”
“What for?”
“I got you the same thing, kind of,” He confessed. “Though mine isn’t as beautifully wrapped as this. Should’ve done better.”
Hermione smiled, taking out the otter necklace. Her eyes lit up at the curled up form of the animal, her fingers caressing the ridges and texture of it before looking back at him.
“I’ll forgive you, only because it’s cute,” She said, looping the string around her neck.
He copied her, putting the firebolt around his neck and inside of his shirt, feeling the form of it against his chest. All of a sudden, as he gazed at her and the spark of light on her eyes when she turned towards him to speak, their little Christmas celebration didn’t look so miserable after all.