#christsmas

Ron gulped nervously. “Well it’s colourful” he offered, hoping Hermione couldn’t pick up on his anxiety. “And?” Hermione asked, her brown eyes wide with nervous excitement. “Looks comfy, I’m sure Dobby will like it” Hermione grinned. “It’s not for Dobby silly, it’s for you!” Hermione said. Ron’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “Oh! That’s nice ‘Mione. Thanks” Ron replied, taking the sweater from Hermione.

“Aren’t you going to try it on?” Hermione asked, her enthusiasm fading. “Huh? Oh, of course, I’ll uh try it on” Ron tugged the sweater on and examined it. It just about fit, with a too wide neck hole and the sleeves too long. But it was quite comfortable.  Hermione pulled out her wand muttered a spell, a mirror materializing in front of Ron. “Well?” she  asked.

“It fits me” Ron replied, afraid of hurting Hermione’s feelings. “Do you like it?” she asked hopefully. “It’s comfy” Ron replied, repeating what he had said earlier, afraid of saying anything else. “Oh good! I thought you wouldn’t like it” Hermione glanced at the grandfather clock leaning against the wall of the common room. “Look its dinner time! Let’s go!”

Before Ron could protest, Hermione dragged him off to the Great Hall, giving him no time to tug off the sweater. Thankfully, since the Christmas holidays were to start the next day, there were barely any students left at Hogwarts. The only ones left were Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, two Hufflepuffs, a few Ravenclaws and three Slytherins. Unfortunately these Slytherins were Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. As Ron and Hermione entered the Great Hall, he mentally prayed, hoping Malfoy would just ignore them. But of course that didn’t happen. As they reached Harry and Ginny who were sitting next to each other and talking about something, Draco let out a hoot. “Wow Weasley! Knew you could only afford hand-me-downs, but at least have some taste in fashion. That is the ugliest sweater I have ever seen!” he drawled as his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle laughed.

Hermione’s ears turned pink and Harry and Ginny got up, about to retaliate, but Ron spoke up. “Well it may not be as well sown as yours Malfoy, but this was made by someone important to me, one of my best mates. At least I have friends. You only have followers!” Malfoy’s face paled and he spun around, clearly humiliated.

As Ron and Hermione, sat down at the Gryffindor table, Hermione quietly spoke. “Is it really that awful Ron?” she asked, looking forlornly at her food. “Well, it’s not exactly bad as it is chaotic” Ron replied, speaking each word carefully. “Chaotic?” Hermione asked. “Well, yeah ‘Mione. It looks like one of those bloody muggle ‘abstract paintings’” Ron immediately regretted the words as Harry and Ginny looked at him like nice knowing you.

Ron was sure Hermione would hex the lights out of him, instead she burst out laughing. “Well if you felt that way, why didn’t you just tell me? I can take a little constructive criticism. I’m not fragile you know” she said. Ron sighed in relief. “It’s not hurting your feelings that I was worried about ‘Mione. It was about you hurting me. With magic”  

Hermione laughed. “Of course not! Now at least I know I need to work on my knitting skills a little more” she glanced at Ron who was still wearing the sweater. “Actually a lot more” with this she left the Great Hall, taking a scone with her as she did.