Can A Phoenix Love A Lion? (Hermione Granger x Male Reader)

6. Christmas Holidays

Students in blue, red, green, yellow and black uniforms were mingling in front of the Great Hall, waiting to go to the train station. Y/N was walking down the stairs with Hermione. They would go to their places in little time, but Harry wouldn't, and there were things to be done. Y/N and Hermione walked inside the Great Hall, finding the two others sitting alone at one of the four long tables. As they came closer, they could see them playing chess.

"Knight to E5," Harry said. The piece he was talking to moved magically.

"Queen to E5," Ron commanded. The queen moved forward, stood from her chair, took it and smashed it on Harry's knight.

"That's totally barbaric!" Hermione exclaimed.

"That's wizard chess," Ron explained as he turned to Y/N and her. "I see you've packed."

"I see you haven't," Y/N said.

"Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother Charlie," Ron told him. "He's studying dragons there."

"Good," Hermione replied, "you'll be able to help Harry while we're not here. He's checking on Nicolas Flamel."

"We've looked over a hundred times!" Ron complained.

"Not in the restricted section," Y/N said.

"Exactly," added Hermione. "We'll see each other after the holidays. Are you coming, Y/N?"

"Yes, I am. See you next time, guys."

"Happy holidays!"

Y/N and Hermione went out of the castle with the other students. In little time, their robes were covered with snow. They got in front of the train, went inside and found a compartment for themselves.

"Where will you go?" Y/N asked after some time.

"I don't really know. Maybe close to a wood—my parents love woods—or in Scotland. . . . You?"

"My mother told me it was a surprise, but I think I'll go to France. The family on my mother's side lives there."

"So you know how to speak french?" she asked eagerly.

"If knowing how to ask for the toilets and how people are going, yes, I know. But aside from that, I don't speak it. And my accent is awful!" Y/N laughed.

The discussion went on. After some time, Hermione began to read next to Y/N a book named Intermediate Transfiguration, which he had seen in the hands of third and fourth years. Yet, he had got used to Hermione reading things far above first years' level. As the sun sank below the horizon, she fell asleep, the book still on her lap, her mouth half-opened. That was quite cute. Cute? You're weird, he told himself.

Once they got to King's Cross station, they separated to join their families.

"Y/N!" William's voice had been audible across all the platform.

"Hi! It's been so long!" Mr L/N said.

"Far too much!" Mrs L/N added as she hugged her son.

"You better tell us everything," Poppy said. "Your letters weren't precise at all."

"Not precise? Are you kidding? They were five pages each!" Y/N laughed.

Once in the car, he told them about how his first year had been going so far; his arrival at Hogwarts, with the great castle, the Sorting Ceremony, Quidditch, his friends—he didn't talk about the troll for the obvious reason he didn't want his parents to worry for him. Exclamations of wonder continually came out of William and Poppy's mouths while Mrs L/N didn't stop to ask if anything had changed from what she remembered of the school.