Christmas, 1999.
Mr. Granger was cleaning up the last bits of wrapping paper, Mrs. Granger curled up with one of the new books she had been given for the holiday (her daughter definitely got it from somewhere) and Hermione was putting the kettle on to give everyone a fresh cuppa before they got dressed to go round to a family friends’ place for Christmas dinner.
“Hmmm… it seems we missed a present.” Mr. Granger had discovered one last present tucked away, behind the tree. Neither he nor his wife recognized it. He was still examining it when Hermione reentered the room. “It looks like you have another one dear. Did you put it there?”
Hermione shook her head, her heart in her throat as she took the squashy bundle. Could it really be? Did she finally get what she had always secretly wished for?
She checked the tag. “It’s from Ron’s mum. An owl probably delivered it during the night.”
She could scarcely breathe as she untied the ribbon and folded back the paper. There, in Gryffindor red that would go much better with her coloring than it ever did with Ron’s and his siblings’, was a hand knit sweater, with a golden stack of books and an H on the front..
Much to the bemusement of her parents, she immediately burst into tears. Despite her mother’s protestations, she wore the sweater to dinner.
She was still wearing it when she got to the Burrow for Boxing Day lunch, and immediately gave a surprised Mrs. Weasley a giant hug and whispered “thank you” before she teared up again. Ron looked embarrassed, but Harry and Ginny just smiled.