31.12

She scrunched her nose, a sorry attempt to hide her disgust over the overly strong perfume her friend had.

"You look rather… dashing," she managed to say while holding her breath. "Though I'd tone down on the perfume, Ron."

Ron sniffed his armpits. "I thought it was from you."

"Excuse me? I'm offended!" She put a fist on her heart with a dramatic gasp.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Only body oil and all that."

"It's healthy for skin, Ronald."

He sniffed again before he blanched. " I didn't find it strong."

"It's because you're used to the smell. That's why. Now, what you can do is, go back to your room and change your shirt."

Ron grunted his agreement as he walked to his bedroom. "Oh, and Harry!" He yelled to her, "He said to wake him up fifteen minutes before!"

"Fifteen?! Bloody hell. Just because he has a bike, it doesn't mean he can ride it as fast as he wants! Just last month he got five speeding tickets—"

"It wasn't him!" Ron interjected.

"— He could get into an accident — Oh no! Gods forbid!" She chastised her negative thought quickly, clearly ignoring her friend's input. She ran to Ron's room. "Ron!"

"Hermione!" He covered his chest.

"What if I jinxed it?!" Her eyes wide.

She hated jinx. She had always been an outspoken person, saying whatever things in her mind and only regretted it after. Luna berated her insensitivity, her lack of human's emotions understanding, as she said. She then explained to her about the power of jinx, the power of irony and karma. And apparently she had jinx magic, whatever it meant.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she registered his embarrassing posture. "Seriously? You're hiding you freckled man boobs?"

"Get out!" He kicked her out quite literally, closing the door. "Don't forget Harry!"

She walked to the living room to use Ron's phone since hers was still charging. She tapped on 'favourite' and smiled in glee to see her name was above Harry's. She covered her mouth to muffle her snigger. It has been a running fight between her and Harry to be on Ron's first spot. And clearly he hadn't noticed it yet. She tapped on 'Pothead', checking the time on her wrist, — an hour before their agreed time — and her fear for his friend's safety once again filled her. When Harry finally answered, she launched her worries.

"Harry James Potter! Fifteen minutes before? You think just because you ride some cool superbike you could ride to your death?! Oh, no! No, no! I take it back, Universe! Don't listen to me!" She looked up to the ceiling, sending her prayers to all the deities there was.

The other man roared with laughter. She would be annoyed and kept on ranting; only, it wasn't Harry. She knew Harry's laughter anywhere. And she knew very well Harry didn't roar.

"Uh, excuse me. Is this Harry Potter's phone?" She asked in a small voice, embarrassed of her outburst earlier.

The laughter subsided, yet Hermione could still hear the amusement in his voice. "Yeah. This is Harry's. He's getting ready so I answered for him."

"Well, uh, can you please let him know that we're leaving now?"

"And make him leave now, too? Earlier than 'fifteen minutes before'?"

She groaned, "Yes, earlier than 'fifteen minutes before', so he has no excuse to hit another speed limits."

"Oh? He did?"

"Yes! And he used my address when he bought the bike and I've already received four just within last week!"

"Uh-huh. Yeah… about that—"

He didn't get to finish whatever it was when Harry snatched the phone from him.

"Ron?" He called.

"Hermione," she corrected. "Get moving, Potter."

He chuckled. "I knew you gonna call earlier. I'm ready, mum."

"Oh, aren't you a perfect child. Not like your brother, Ron. An abomination!" She yelled the last part on purpose so Ron could hear her.

Ron didn't disappoint. "Hey!"

She giggled, focusing back on Harry. "See you soon?"

"Yeah. Love you!"

"Love you more!"

Ron came to her the second she hung up. He looked at her expectantly, both his hands outstretched to his sides and he did an exaggerated twirl. "So?"

Hermione put her nose up and sniffed. "Perfect. Now," she passed him his phone and grabbed hers, "let's do the countdown!"

"Ron! 'Mione!"

Hermione and Ron turned to see Harry jogged towards them, pushing his body against the rush of people.

"He's so short. I don't know how to tell him that those supplements he's been taking won't change the fact," Ron whispered to Hermione behind his grinning lips.

"I don't know how to tell him milk won't help, too. He's lactose intolerant for fuck's sake. He's so adamant to hold on to the myth," Hermione whispered back, also behind her grinning lips.

Ron snorted at the same time Harry finally reached them. "Happy New Year, mate."

"Happy New Year's Eve, " Hermione corrected.

"Whatever," Ron shrugged. "You alone? Where's your girl?" Ron hugged both Harry and Hermione on each of his side so they wouldn't get separated in the throng.

"Cho and I called it off," Harry ran his fingers through his hair, "said she couldn't stand you and Luna." He nudged Hermione's rib.

"Me? And Luna? But we barely talked to her." Her brows furrowed.

"I know. That's what I said. She said she couldn't accept Luna's… occupation."

Hermione swirled her head to face him square. "Excuse me? Rude! Luna is a Goddess! She should have bowed to her!"

"And that's why she couldn't stand you," Harry added.

Ron ruffled her curls. "You made fun of her before, too, remember? Calling her Loony Lovegood every time she talked shit."

"That was before she read my cards, Ronald. She read my life scarily accurate!"

"Tarot card reader is a pretty sketchy job," Ron mused.

"You just said that 'cause she told you Pansy won't say yes until after February," she retorted and snickered when Harry tried his best to cover his laughter.

"Oh? You think it's funny, Harry Ginny's-lover-since-forever Potter?" Ron tightened his grip on Harry's shoulder.

"It's not easy! I changed her diapers when she was little! It's fucking awkward to confess my feeling to her!" Harry blushed furiously. "Anyway, I came with my godfather."

"That's wonderful, Harry! I'm so happy for you!" Hermione hugged him, breaking their small cocoon. "Where is he?"

Harry let go of her and looked around. "Somewhere, I guess. I was excited to greet you two that I sprinted off."

"You called that sprint? Very cute, Harry," Ron looked at him with mock adoration only to receive a punch on his arm.

Hermione nodded her support. "Yes, Harry. Punch him harder!"

The trio bickered, laughed, and shared more stories while waiting for midnight. It was New Year's Eve, and the square was so crowded with people, waiting excitedly for the countdown. It was their ritual to do so and then continued the party at one of their houses; ever since they were done with boarding school. Hermione looked up to the big screen and jumped in excitement.

"Oh, it's starting!" She squealed as she took out her phone, ready to record this year's New Year.

Just when she tapped the red button, a woman walked past her hastily, knocking her phone down.

"My phone!" She tried to pick it up but it was kicked around further and farther away from her. She turned to her friends and kissed their cheeks sloppily. "I'm gonna get my phone! Happy New Year, guys!"

Hermione left them and hated to see their dejected face. But her phone was a priceless possession of hers. She had pictures in it that she hadn't yet transfer to her laptop. Her eyes stung at the thought of losing them. Her small stature helped her snuck between people swiftly, but it also meant people could easily shove her off.

Her eyes never wavered from her phone, still and all. And much to her relief, it stopped at someone's pointy boot.

"Excuse me!" She tried to call the person while her eyes still trained on her phone. "Excuse me! My phone! Your boot!"

She let out a content sigh when she saw the person picked her phone up. "Oh, thank all the Gods!"

"Ten!" The crowd started chanting.

Hermione was so close to her phone.

"Nine!"

She stood right in front of her lifesaver, catching her breath before she looked up to see him — her phone was in his leather gloved hand.

"Eight!"

She held his hand and beamed brightly at him. "Thank you, mister! You're a lifesaver!"

He didn't move. His grey eyes bored into her brown.

"Seven!"

He regarded her hand on his hand, her phone still in his grip, and cocked an eyebrow. "How can I know whether this phone really belong to you or not?"

She squinted her eyes, "Are you serious?"

He grinned from ear to ear.

"Six!"

"Why, of course I am." He sounded so delighted. Too delighted.

"Fine! I'll show you the photos. You'll see thousands of my face there," she huffed, crossing her arms indignantly.

"Five!"

He hummed. "There's passcode though. You know what?" He took out his phone. "Give me your number and we'll see if it rings."

She closed her eyes and exhaled. "Are you fucking serious?"

He laughed— roared — so hard at her question. She had no idea what was so funny.

"Four!"

"Fine!" Defeatedly, she gave him her number.

He put his phone on his ear, smirking when the crowd shoved her closer to him. "Hug me or you'll fall."

"Three!"

She wasn't planning to, but all the pushing made her lost her balance. So, with pouty lips, she heeded.

He wrapped his hand around her waist. "Good girl."

"Two!"

Hermione scowled. And she hated how easily her blush crept up just because this stranger locked his eyes on her. Suddenly a smile crossed his face, a handsome, genuine smile. She hoped he didn't notice her palpitating heart.

He leaned back a little, his eyes trailing from her hair to her face. "Snow."

"One!"

She tilted her face up and a toothy grin plastered on her face. She laughed, bouncing up and down and their awkwardness was long forgotten. She looked back at him with mirth twinkled in her eyes. "It's snowing!"

"Happy New Year!"

She didn't bother to watch the fireworks, neither did he. The excitement around them couldn't faze them from each other. It was, however, broken by the man behind him who yelled: "Kiss the lass! Or you'll have a bad year!"

Not taking any risk to ignore her jinx magic, she bit her bottom lip and said, "So…" she cleared her throat. "Uh. New Year's kiss?"

He put their phones in his pocket before he took off his gloves. "New Year's kiss."

He sprawled his hand on the nape of her neck, prompting her head to tilt up and stared at each other for quite a moment until slowly, he leaned down.

His kiss was sure. It wasn't tentative, it wasn't hesitant, it was firm. Confident and firm. Was it because he was older? Age like a fine wine, they said. Ripe fruit and all that. She didn't care. She thought he might be in his 30s, still, she honestly believed he could pass as late 20s if it wasn't for his not so obvious wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.

And with his tongue tasting her lips like that, confidently probing them to dive deeper into her mouth, she could definitely say she didn't mind his age at all.

His hand moved from her neck down to caressing her spine up and down. She twined her hands around his neck, angling her head to different angles now and then so she could taste all of him, and he did likewise.

He tasted like tobacco and coffee, smelled like Bleu of Chanel — she gifted the same perfume to Harry on Christmas. She hoped she didn't taste like the strawberry milk she drank on their way to the square, and she prayed she didn't smell like Ron's awfully strong perfume. She delved her fingers in his hair, pulling it just enough to make him groaned in their kiss.

She smirked. He chuckled. And they broke the kiss together.

"I believe our new year is now secured," he said with a smile, his thumb wiping her bottom lip tenderly.

She smiled back, noting his swollen lips and felt proud that it was her doing. "I believe so, too."

They kept staring at each other and she tried, she really tried her best, to not close her eyes at the feel of his thumb on her lips. The perfectly-timed snowing made the picture so fairytale like. She loved it.

"'Mione!"

Ron's voice reminded her there was no fairytale when she had a tactless with impeccable timing friend like Ron. She couldn't see him, but she knew her red-haired friend was in hysteria mode right now. She sighed, cataloging the man's face one last time. It seemed like he had the same idea, too. He took her face between his hands, and let his eyes roamed to every corner of her face. And her hair. And her neck.

He took out her phone and gave it back to her.

"I thought you want to verify the ownership first?" She accepted it and raised an eyebrow.

The man chuckled, twirling a lock of her curls around his finger. "Nah. Never need to."

"'Mione!"

She sighed again. How fitting. Just when the clock struck midnight, the magic happened and the magic lost. She tucked her phone into her pocket, and decided — for extra new year luck, as she told herself — to tiptoe and pecked his lips as her goodbye.

It startled him of course. And it didn't take long for the shock turned to jolly.

"Happy New Year," she said, "and thanks for the phone."

He was still grinning, "Happy New Year to you, too, love."

She grinned back and turned to find her friend.

She'd missed the fireworks, she'd missed the countdown, she'd missed her friends. But she hadn't missed the New Year's kiss.

Hermione surmised, who'd give a damn about all those when she hadn't missed the prime essence of New Year celebration.

she laughed at her own thought when she saw her friend's striking hair.

"Ron, I'm here!" She called him.

Ron pulled her hand and forced her through the mob. "We've been looking for you!"

"I'm sorry! Where's Harry?" She asked, scanning around till he saw him ran towards her.

Harry hugged her and gave her a once-over. "Are you hurt? Did they stomp on you?"

"Ha ha! Very funny. The short man jokes about short people," she rolled her eyes. "Nevermind that. Happy New Year, boys! I love you both! I'm so happy we're still friends after all the crazy stuff we've been through!"

She pulled them down to her height, peppering their faces with kisses and tears. "Now, let's go to Ron's place!"

"Why is it always my place?" Ron once again, — as the tallest among the bunch — hugged them both and led them out of the crowd.

"You have food," Hermione said.

"And beers," Harry added.

"And comfiest sofa, thanks to your mum," Hermione added more.

"And a wide collection of movies," Harry said.

"And I'm the one who'd do the cleaning," Ron chimed defeatedly.

"Exactly!" Both Harry and Hermione chorused at the same time.

"You both are the shittiest friends. Let's go," Ron leaned down and kissed the top of their heads, "Happy New Year, you lil' shits."

1.1

Hermione was the first one to wake. She slowly sat up, massaging her headache away from all the drinking last night. She checked her phone for texts and smiled as she read all the wishes from her family and friends. Her brows knitted together when she saw an unknown sender sent a photo. She downloaded the image and left it on the sofa she was sleeping on to get a glass of water. When she sat down, taking a sip while tapping on the photo, she splurted her drink onto Ron and Harry — both were sleeping on the floor.

"Mum! It's tsunami!" Ron yelped in his sleep.

It was funny. He looked comical. Hermione would have recorded it or took a picture of his ridiculous face. But she couldn't take her bulging eyes away from the screen of her phone.

It was a picture of her, in the crowd, last night crowd to be exact.

"Thank you for the kiss. I can already tell the year is going to be good.

ps: Your pink cheeks looked lovely under the snow."

She could feel said pink appearing on her cheeks right now. "Holy shit!"

"'Mione, shut up—" Harry whined.

She ignored him and laid down, squealing and rolling from left to right like a high school girl. She looked at the text again and weighed her option: to reply or not to reply. "Oh, fuck it!"

She started typing with a stupid toothy grin on her face all the while as she figured his trick to get her phone number out.

"Give me your number and we'll see if it rings."

She giggled before she forced a cough out. Her ego wouldn't let herself to giggle like a lovesick puppy. And yet, once she pressed 'send', she couldn't help but giggled like one. She made a mental note to call Luna and tell her everything from last night later, once she was home alone. After all, It was a good start of her new year.

"Thank you for the kiss. I can already tell the year is going to be good.

ps: Your pink cheeks looked lovely under the snow."

"Want to make it better? x

ps: So did yours."