Hermione knelt before the open box on the floor in front of her and carefully considered the Christmas decorations stored within it. She had gotten half way through the box before realizing they were almost all a shade of blue, ocean blue, sky blue and every shade of blue in between. Christmas for most people meant red, green, silver and gold, but for Hermione it had somehow become associated with the color blue. She smiled as her thoughts drifted back to christmases past that had led to this odd tradition.

Her 14th Christmas.

She had trembled slightly under the dark gaze of the first man who had made her feel beautiful. As the fairy lights sparkled against the soft satin of her periwinkle dress gowns, she swayed in a dizzying swirl of blue satin and strong, steadying arms. That one magical night in blue satin had changed her forever. She was no longer less than the other girls. She was no longer unwanted. No longer alone.

Her 15th Christmas

She had been sitting angrily in the Gryffindor common room, rubbing the painful lacerations left from Umbridge's blood quill. She had gotten little sympathy from anyone, after all she had been the one stupid enough to talk back to Umbridge in the first place. She was the one who got everyone else into trouble. With a harsh glance, Parvati carelessly tossed a small gold package bound with shimmering gold ribbons on her study table. Hermione stared for a moment at the unexpected gift. She found no card to identify the sender.

'Too fancy too be from Ron or Harry.'

The thick, expensive paper fell away revealing an exquisite gold locket embedded with deep blue gemstones. The pain and humiliation of Umbridge's punishment evaporated. Someone still cared for her. She was not alone.

Her 16th Christmas

She had been holed up in her dorm room, holding back tears of frustration from the latest row with Ron. Unable to dispel the images of Ron and Lavender in her head she had retreated there to collect herself.

'Why does he have to treat her this way? One minute all attentive, the next being a complete arse.'

Her thoughts were distracted by the discovery of a golden gift that had been left on the foot of her bed. Even through her unshed tears, she couldn't help but smile remembering a similar discovery last Christmas. She opened the paper to find her favorite dark blue flowers, a longevity charm already in place to protect them from decay. They were beautiful. The angry tears disappeared as she held the flowers close to her heart. Someone out there cared about her.

Her 17th Christmas

The war was over. So many lost, so many shattered lives. The sad task of rebuilding was underway. There would be no celebrations this Christmas, too much pain and loss to even consider it. As she stood looking across a heavily damaged Hogwarts, Hagrid lumbered over to her, solemnly handing her some more of McGonagals files and another mysterious package wrapped in delicate gold paper to her.

"It's got yer name on er." was all he said before lumbering sadly away.

Paper falls away to reveal a bracelette with sparkling blue gemstones. Someone still thought of her even now, after everything that had happened. Suddenly the darkness was not quite so insurmountable. She was not alone.

Her 18th Christmas

She had been spending Christmas at the Weasleys. Her heart fluttered with nerves from the decision she had made, a decision precipitated by the obvious distance growing between her and Ron. His selfishness and often childish behavior had begun to tear at their relationship. Admittedly, she had her faults too. She knew she was often pushy and impatient. These opposing traits may have been surmountable as friends, but not so much as lovers. She realized that now. She had sat very quietly not wanting to ruin their Christmas by telling him she was leaving. That could wait a day or two. Even surrounded by people, she'd never felt so terribly alone. Charlie Weasley had slipped her a package with a sly remark about secret admirers. She looked down at the familiar gold wrapping and wondered at how the package mysteriously found her even here at the Weasley's. Gold paper fell away and a blue silk scarf slipped softly through her trembling fingers. Her uncertainty disappeared and her loneliness ebbed away. Someone still thought of her. She was not alone.

Her 19th Christmas

She was sitting alone in her flat watching the snow fall through her small window, debating if it was even worth decorating the small tree she had delivered. She had no one to share Christmas with this year. Loneliness consumed her as she decided there was really no point. A sharp creaking sound and a dark shadow outside her door caused her to reach for her wand defensively. There were still rogue death eaters on the loose and one never knew when or where they would strike. She flung the door open, wand at the ready, to find a startled Viktor Krum hunched in front of her door depositing a gold wrapped package on her doorstep. She watched in shock as he rose sheepishly and without speaking a word handed her the familiar golden package. Dumbfounded she had lowered her wand and the paper fell away revealing blue crystal hair combs. Realization slowly dawned on her as she gazed down at them. She looked up into his eyes finally able to speak.

"It was you? All these years?"

"Da. Yes. I am sorry. I no mean to disturb you or your family."

Not considering how rude keeping him standing there on her doorstep would be, she asked the question that had been plaguing her for years.

"How did you always know where I was?"

He looked slightly sheepish for a moment before answering.

"I haff kept track of you. Mainly through papers, sometimes through contacts. I..I worried for your safety, so I tried to watch out for you."

Hermione was touched by his answer, but still had one more question she needed answered.

"Why blue?"

He was not the least bit phased by this second question. He seemed to be expecting it.

"It reminds me of you. Whenever I see something blue, I think how beautiful you looked that night, how you felt in my arms. I...I wanted you to haff them."

Hermione remembered that night well. It was the best Christmas she had ever had in her life, even though her infatuation with Ron had marred it somewhat.

"You...you never signed any of them."

"When you stopped writing to me I understood. You had made your choice long ago. Vas not so easy for me as it vas for you I am thinking. I am sorry I haff disturbed you. I vill not do so again."

He looked at her with such longing before he turned to walk away.

"Viktor, wait. Please. I..I don't want you to go."

He smiled gently at her.

"Christmas is for family Hermionee. I do not vish to keep you from yours."

"You're not. I.. I don't have any family. Not anymore."

He looked over her shoulder into the empty house, a look of sympathy mixed with hopefulness.

"You are alone? For Christmas?"

She nodded, afraid her voice would tremble if she spoke the words aloud. He smiled at her with the same warmth she remembered from years ago as he happily followed her inside. Her loneliness evaporated quickly. She was not alone.

Her 20th Christmas

Hermione smiled as she finished reminiscing Christmases past and gathered up the predominately blue ornaments and carried them to the living room. She paused in the doorway to watch the large Bulgarian carefully holding the tiny, sleeping bundle wrapped in a soft periwinkle blue blanket. A small hand would occasionally reach up for his face accompanied by soft cooing. He kissed the small hand and hummed softly trying to lull her back to sleep.

He looked up as Hermione finally entered the room carrying a box of ornaments. He peered into the box critically.

"Maybe you are vright loff. Ve haff too much blue. Is not good Christmas color."

She smiled at his soft scowl. A scowl most people would read as anger, not the concern and self-doubt it truly conveyed.

She thought about how the color blue had brought her to this wonderful man before her, along with the precious bundle he held in his arms and decided that blue was the perfect Christmas color after all.

"No Viktor. All I want is right here. Blue is perfect for Christmas. Just perfect."