CHAPTER ONE

The Bet

There are few things in the world that drove her truly mad and Muggle Christmas songs were at the top of the list. The Brenda Lee song, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, was one that Aunt Petunia enjoyed immensely and it was currently stuck on infinite loop in her head. Even the breathtaking view afforded from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's owlery wasn't enough to wipe the sickening song from her mind.

The brisk, cheerless wind and the bleak, overcast skies belied the happy undertones and melody of the anguish that was silently playing at the moment and the surrounding owls weren't making enough of a racket to drown it out. Christmas was one of those seasons that just didn't make any sense to her and as she breathed the cold, crisp air in through her nostrils, she mentally admonished everyone who enjoyed listening to such rubbish.

She was perfectly happy where it was quiet, where the only thing that could be heard was the gentle breeze through the trees and perhaps a babbling brook or some cheerful tweets and twittering of an unseen bird that didn't migrate to the south like most sensible feathered creatures did. Even bears had sense enough to hibernate over the winter months, but there were some animals that just didn't seem to care.

She rolled her large, surprised looking eyes at the soft pitter patter of the second most annoying creature on the earth. She turned her gaze towards the bow-legged, bottlebrush tailed fluff of ginger that was trying to be stealthy and let out a sound of irritation.

Crookshanks mewled in his customary fashion when visiting the owlery and seemed to smirk in satisfaction as the less foolhardy owls flew to the higher perches, out of the reach of his sharp claws. Pigwidgeon hopped nervously from perch to perch, hoping that Crookshanks' mistress would soon follow with a letter or package to send to her family.

Even the ginger menace that called Hermione his pet grumbled at the miniature owl but quickly returned to the business at hand.

"Up for yet another verbal sparring match?" he asked Hedwig as she returned her gaze to the snowball fights of the students far below. "Or are you still too jealous to admit that Harry has it bad for Hermione?"

"Oh, please," Hedwig hooted in indignation. "It's plain to see that he doesn't feel that way about her." She ruffled her feathers for a bit more insulation and looked dreamily to the sky. "With You Know Who running about trying to kill Harry, he doesn't have the time to think about romance... especially with her."

"I don't see you complaining when she has you carry packages to him or her parents," Crookshanks drawled. "What do you have against her anyway? She's a wonderful human, look how she's treated me after everything that we went through with Sirius."

Hedwig glanced at her feline companion with a look of sadness in her large yellow eyes.

"Sorry, he was a good human too, but I'm not going to beat myself up over his ascendance," Crookshanks said with an unconvincing, apologetic look. He yawned and looked up at Pigwidgeon, who was still expecting Hermione to walk through the door at any minute.

"He was Harry's chance at freedom from those evil people," Hedwig hooted angrily. "He may have taken the path earlier than he was supposed to, but it still hurt Harry deeply."

"You do realize that he can't love you that way, right?" Crookshanks drawled and quickly ducked, expecting Hedwig to strike at him. "You're an owl for Ra's sake—"

"Athena's granted her faithful their wishes before!" Hedwig returned hotly. "I still have my hopes that she'll answer my prayers one day."

"And in the time your Goddess makes up her mind, Hermione will have already won his heart, had his litter, and you'll be heartbroken," the cat mewed softly. "Hedwig, give it a rest, humans prefer humans and he's going to wake up one day."

"I'll be happy for him if he can find any happiness," Hedwig cooed as she turned away from the squashed face of her company. "If it's through a human, or someone who'll always be there for him, always, then I'll support him. Besides, she doesn't think that way about Harry, the debate, as you call it, is pointless."

"What if I gave you proof?" Crookshanks offered tantalizingly, "cold, hard, evidence that she's a smitten kitten?"

Hedwig snorted, which is rather uncommon for any type of bird to do, and glanced over her shoulder imperially. "She's much too young to be thinking that way."

"Humans discover love at a much younger age, you, of all creatures, should know this," Crookshanks meowed with laughter.

"She's interested in Harry's friend Ron, and he is with her," Hedwig hooted in reply as she ruffled her feathers once again.

"What? Is it because they're constantly scratching and hissing at each other?" Crookshanks scoffed. "When was the last time you fell in love with someone who treated you that way? Or was your previous master such a saint that you—"

"You will NOT mention that vermin in my presence! I should have eaten him that day!" Hedwig screeched angrily.

"Ok, calm down!" Crookshanks said as his ears flattened in anticipation of a fight. "That crazy old woman I spent the first eight weeks with wasn't my cup of tea either! Listen, Hermione's writing a letter to Harry right now, why don't I nick one of the others for you to read? I mean, it can't hurt, now can it? And you'll have your proof."

"She writes letters to Viktor Krum," Hedwig sighed as she rolled her eyes. "I know; I've had to deliver them to that wretched creature."

Crookshanks screwed up his face and looked at Hedwig with curiosity but shook his head. "No time for that now," he snorted and returned to the plan at hand. "We only need a diversion that will draw Hermione from the common room and I can bring back her latest letter. That's all the proof you'll need: Hermione's in love with Harry."

Hedwig shook her head once again and glared at the cat sitting beside her. "Fine, bring your so-called proof to the Gryffindor window ledge, I'll read it from there."

"We'll need to get both Hermione and Ron from the common room then," Crookshanks mewled deviously. "There's no telling what mischief he'd cause if he saw those letters."

Pigwidgeon suddenly flew about the owlery in excitement as a girl from Ravenclaw entered the room. Hedwig noted the surprised look on her face and how she adored the irritating little owl.

"Pigwidgeon..." Hedwig hooted softly, a sudden idea coming to mind.

"What about the little freak?" Crookshanks snorted in response.

"We could use him to distract the prefects! Ron and Hermione are both prefects!" Hedwig hooted in sudden excitement. "But not only would it keep those two busy, it would keep Pigwidgeon out of our feathers for a spell as well!"

"That might just work," Crookshanks purred as his own mind began cranking through the possibilities. He looked up in surprise as the blonde girl from Ravenclaw gently kissed Pigwidgeon on the head. "Did she just do what I think she did?"

"She's here quite often, actually," Hedwig hooted dismissively. "She doesn't say much and generally dotes all over little Pigwidgeon as if he were her only child."

"That's disgusting," Crookshanks mewled as the blonde waved happily to the miniature owl and disappeared from the tower.

"SHELIKESMESHELIKESMESHELIKESME!" Pig hooted excitedly over and over as he spun around everyone's disgruntled heads. "SHELIKESMESHELIKESMESHELIKESME!"

"Pigwidg—"

"SHELIKESMESHELIKESMESHELIKESME!"

"PIGWID—"

"SHELIKESMESHELIKESMESH—"

"OI! PIG!" Crookshanks meowed as loudly as he could when Hedwig's polite attempts at attracting his attention failed.

"CROOKSHANKS! HEDWIG! SHELIKESMESHEREALLYDOES!" Pigwidgeon hooted excitedly and flitted around their heads instead of the entire population of the owlery.

"PIG!" Hedwig hooted suddenly, startling both Crookshanks and the overexcited little owl. "Pigwidgeon, we have a job for you," Hedwig cooed in a motherly fashion.

"You have a job for me?" Pigwidgeon hooted in unbridled anticipation. "I've never had an owl give me a job before!"

"Hooray for you," Crookshanks drawled flatly. "We need a distraction big enough to call out all the prefects. We're planning..."

"A... a... surprise party for Ron!" Hedwig hooted quickly.

"For Ron? A surprise party?" Pigwidgeon screeched in awe. "I'll do anything you want! I just want to see the look on his face! He'll be so happy!"

"Yeah, happy..." Crookshanks snorted in mirth as he glanced at Hedwig, who was still very straight faced. "Anything you can do will be great. Hedwig is going to wait on the common room window sill while I get things ready. But we need Hermione and Ron out of the room."

"What about Harry?" Hedwig hooted in concern.

"Have you seen him lately?" Crookshanks meowed. "He won't notice anything since he's still staring into the fire like he was the first day of classes..."

"Something big..." Pigwidgeon twittered absently then looked up so fast he had to hop to keep from falling over. "I've got it! Leave it to me!" he hooted and took off like a bullet.

"It looks like we have to take action now," Hedwig sighed as she watched the ever-excited little owl flit about the owlery like a hummingbird caught in a sugar rush.

"See you in a little while," Crookshanks drawled as he shot from the room.

Nobody in the castle seemed to notice the frantic run of Hermione's cat as he shot down corridor after corridor and up stairways and secret passages that had slipped even the Marauders during their reign of mischief. Cats, after all, had their own secrets and nobody suspected that Mrs. Norris nearly tripped over herself when Crookshanks asked for her help learning the castle grounds a few years ago. After he'd helped his mistress and Harry out of a tight spot with Filch, Mrs. Norris had given him the cold shoulder.

That didn't matter at the moment since there was no telling what Pig was doing and Crookshanks didn't underestimate the little pest. By time he reached Gryffindor tower through a hidden tunnel that was barely big enough for him, a great commotion was going on outside. Curiosity getting the best of him, Crookshanks played the part he was doled at birth and chanced a quick look out the window. His jaw dropped when he beheld the spectacle that Pigwidgeon had devised.

Nearly every owl from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade was flying over the grounds in erratic patterns. Every so often, one would swoop towards an unsuspecting student and let loose a large snowball before flitting back to the top of the school. With so many owls in the air at once, this dive-bombing happened quite often.

"How in Thoth's name...?" Crookshanks asked himself before stepping back and continuing down the stairs that led to the common room. "I'm not going to ask."

He stopped and scouted the area carefully, smiling inwardly that the only three people present where Hermione, Ron, and Harry. His mistress was currently bickering with a red-faced Ron and Harry was sitting by the window staring into the roaring fire in the great fireplace.

"Ron, how many times do I have to tell you that to whom I write is none of your business?!" Hermione barked in anger. She rolled a rather lengthy piece of parchment into a tight cylinder and slipped it into her bag where a dozen others were waiting.

"Come off it, Hermione," Ron spat back. "How many times are you going to write Vicky?! If you're not dating him, you sure write him an awful lot!"

"Don't call him Vicky!" Hermione shrieked in irritation.

Just then, the portrait opened and Professor McGonagall stepped through the door, brushing snow from her hair and cloak as she did so. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, if you'd come with me, please," she said exasperatedly. "It seems the school's and Hogsmeade's owls have gone mad! And your miniature owl seems to be the cause of it all!"

"Pig?" Ron asked in confusion.

"What's happening, Professor?" Hermione asked in concern as she wrapped her cloak around her and grabbed her wand.

"I'll explain it to you on the way, Mr. Potter, please stay inside where it's safe," the thin-lipped professor said as she glared at a snow-white owl that was sitting calmly on the window sill outside the common room. "And bring your owl inside! That'll be one less pest we have to worry about!"

Harry looked up at the professor lethargically, but complied and opened the window for Hedwig. The owl looked at him concernedly and nipped gently at his fingers as he absently ran his hand over her soft feathers.

"Give it a break," Crookshanks mewled after the two prefects and Professor McGonagall disappeared through the portrait hole. "He doesn't even know that's a kiss!"

Hedwig hooted indignantly at Crookshanks as he scurried towards Hermione's bag and pulled it over. He began sniffing at the rolls of parchment and growled in irritation, unable to discern which one was her latest letter. Crookshanks grabbed one of the cylinders and yanked it out of the bag. The ribbon that held it in such a firm shape slipped off during the struggle and the parchment unrolled as he pulled it over towards Hedwig.

"What are you doing, Crookshanks?" Harry asked curiously and scooped the surprised cat into his arms. "This is Hermione's. What would she say if she found out that you were running off with it?" He admonished the fidgeting cat and pulled the letter from Crookshanks' mouth.

Hedwig hooted in alarm and glared accusingly at the put off cat. Crookshanks looked up at the snow-white owl and shook his head, still stunned that Harry had even noticed.

"This is addressed to me," Harry said in surprise. "Why didn't she owl it to me?" He sat down hard on the couch and began reading the letter aloud.

Dear Harry,

I know we've only known each other for only a few months, but I still want to thank you for saving me from that Troll. A MOUNTAIN TROLL! Who would have thought such things actually existed! I never thought I'd see one in person, but there I was, walking from the cubicle and smack into its stomach! I don't know if I would have ever survived if you'd never shown up. Though, I have to admit that I'd never heard of someone jamming their wand up the nose of a Troll.

I have a feeling that I'll be writing you often seeing as we've both only known a Mugg... a non-magical existence. Muggles, honestly! I can't believe that people refer to my parents and family as Muggles. Why not magically deficient or non-magical people? I mean, what a derogatory word Muggle is!

Harry stopped reading, chuckling slightly as Hermione had gone into another 'save the downtrodden speech' that she'd become famous for with S.P.E.W. and he quickly re-rolled then tied the parchment.

Crookshanks looked up at the beaming Hedwig and let out a disgruntled yowl before noticing that Harry was untying another letter.

Dear Harry,

He read aloud once again.

Professor Snape is rather crafty to use logic for that puzzle, don't you think? I know you two don't get along well at all, but perhaps next year things will be different! You never know, right?

I'm very happy that Quirrell didn't kill you in the end and that you're all right. I would hate to think that just after I'd finally found friends I'd lose them both! Ron had me so scared when the queen took his piece and then you had to go on by yourself! Promise me you won't do that again, I'd hate to lose one of the best friends I'd ever had the honor of meeting.

Harry put down the letter when Hermione started talking about her grades and classes and retrieved another from the bag.

Dear Harry,

I would have written sooner but I was petrified if you recall. I don't know how to describe the feeling to you but I'll try. Have you ever fallen asleep and not had a dream? Even though you're sleeping, you can still hear things and incorporate them into your perceptions. Being petrified was nothing like sleeping as some might think. It was like being encased in a slab of concrete but even then there's so much to hear! Your heartbeats, the blood rushing through your ears, hearing the air fill your lungs... I didn't experience any of that. It was all still, as if I were dead, but even then there's motion!

I can only guess how you and Ron reacted at seeing me. I must have looked dreadful! It must have felt like I was wax, assuming you touched my hand long enough to pry out that book page.

I wish I could say that I'd never experienced that, but knowing the basilisk is dead is enough for me. Thank you for doing that, Harry, though I'd have been upset if you died while fighting it. It's good that Fawkes was there to heal your poisoned wounds! You saved so many that day, Harry, I'm very proud of you.

Crookshanks looked over at Hedwig as Harry went for another letter. The insane hooting heard through the still open common room window was enough to calm the three lone occupants of the room and Harry began reading another letter.

Dear Harry,

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about the visions you're having when you're under the influence of the dementors! I can't even begin to imagine what you went through as a baby!

Now that I've said that, I want you to know how angry I am with you for taking Ron's side over and over again! Crookshanks DID NOT eat that filthy rat! And I'm sorry you may never get your Firebolt back but if it is from Sirius Black, there's no telling how dangerous it could be! I may be angry with you, Harry, but I don't want to see you get hurt! Last year with that rogue bludger was enough and when you fell off your broom during that Hufflepuff match, I was afraid that was it for you!

Harry, I just don't want to see you get hurt, ok? Can you please stop treating me like I'm some prison guard keeping you from having fun?! BLAST! I'm late for class! I'll write you again in a few minutes!

I really wish you'd have taken Arithmancy instead of Divination...

Harry yawned and absently stroked Crookshanks' soft fur before rolling up the last letter and grabbing another. "I can't believe she's never sent me these," he said quietly as he opened another roll. "Do you know why, Crookshanks?"

The ginger cat simply purred contentedly in reply, but smirked at the worried look Hedwig was shooting them. The noise outside had dropped considerably, yet Harry started reading anyway.

Dear Harry,

I can't believe all the fuss people are making about us! I mean, we're just friends! Can you believe that the only one who hasn't been asking about you at all has been Viktor? Honestly, he's one of the sweetest people I've met outside of the Weasleys and you, Harry. I just wish people would stop jumping to conclusions about us, you know? So we spend a lot of time together and I've helped you with your homework and spells this term! Did they think you'd be able to face that Horntail without as much practice as you had? Really!

Oh, and about the Yule Ball! I understand that you wanted to ask Cho, but why did Ron wait until the last minute? Doesn't he realize that I'm not some safety net that's there to catch him whenever he's in a tight spot?! Well, I'd be there if it were life and death, but a date?! Had he asked me first, I would have gone in a heartbeat, though, I would have gone with you if you'd have asked as well. I knew Cho and Cedric were going to the ball together, he asked her the day it was announced. I'm sure you would have asked me if you'd known that, and I'm sorry you didn't have as much fun as you could have.

The sounds had all but died away outside and Harry looked around quickly before grabbing one more scroll. Again, it was addressed to him and Crookshanks mewled in triumph when he recognized the writing as today's letter. Hedwig looked over Harry's shoulder eagerly and read along with her favorite human.

Dear Harry,

I'm so, so sorry that you're still grieving over Sirius, I really am, but you're pushing me, Ron and me, away from you. Please don't do that, Harry, I want to help you! It kills me to see you so depressed and distant!

I was only trying to comfort you the other night and you didn't have to bite my head off when I asked if you wanted to talk. I had hoped that the anger you felt last year was all because of Voldemort, but I guess I'm wrong, huh?

I know you're tired of hearing me say this, but I don't like seeing you so depressed! Let me help you, let me in, Harry, let me heal your heart! You have to know that I (the text was scribbled out) care for you very much; you're my best friend and I can't...

I can't stand being away from you, Harry, I need you in my life and I'm only trying to be there for you, to... to show you that you're still loved...

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Hermione's shrieking voice caused all three occupants to jump simultaneously.

"These, they're addressed to me..." Harry stammered.

"That doesn't give you the right to rifle through my things and read what you find there, Harry!" Hermione said coolly and swiped the letter from his hands.

"I'm sorry, Crookshanks—"

"Oh, come off it, Harry! Even Ron is smart enough to not blame my cat!" She said in disbelief. "You had no right going through my things!"

"Hermione, I'm sorry... I didn't think—"

"That's right, Harry," Hermione deadpanned. "You don't think before you do anything! You push us away from you without thinking about how we feel about it, you don't think before running off—"

"Don't say it," Harry growled angrily. "I thought he was in danger!"

"I know that!" Hermione shrieked. "I'm not blaming you for what happened! It was Voldemort's fault!"

"But he did it through me!" Harry said icily. "That's not going to happen again!"

Hermione looked at him incredulously then shook her head. "I get it," she said softly. "You're so afraid that Voldemort is going to come and kill me because I know the great Harry Potter! Well, i-if that's the way you want it, don't worry, Harry! You won't see me around you again!" With that, she turned and stalked up the stairs to the girls' dormitory, leaving four very bewildered individuals gawking after her.

A/N: This is the first of two chapters for this story.This was in response to the challenges: Learning to Cope by LadyTuesday and Christmas Time is Here by OvrtheMoon.

Just wanted to apologize for my lethargy in writing, RL has really been holding me hostage the last few years. I've finished my Bachelor's and am just finishing up my Master's... And am now working towards my PhD. The stories are still alive in my head, though book 6 sort of derailed my urges to write for this fandom for a while, but I hope to get back to writing again. Reviews help, let me tell you, the more I get, the more pumped up I get to write so think of reviews as an incentive for me to continue writing this stuff :) I'll post the other chapter to this story in about a week, hopefully.

This was written as a Christmas present a few years ago. I'm surprised I never got it uploaded here.