Chapter 59: Chapter - 59 : Crossed Wands and Unspoken Truths part - 4
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"It's my duty as a best friend to know when your birthday is, I'll bet you know mine?"
"Harry, the entire castle knows when yours is, I'm surprised it isn't a public holiday..."
Hermione was stopped from saying any more when Harry pressed the present Bill had slipped him into Hermione's hands. It was an exquisite inlayed and lacquered wooden box that measured about eight inches by two, though wasn't even an inch thick. She opened what she guessed was a jewellery case, only to snap the lid closed after barely a glance. "Harry - oh shit Harry - this is way, way too much. It's only my birthday! This is birthday, Christmas, Easter and anything else you can think of for the next decade."
Harry's smile never wavered as he opened the box and took out what was inside. "What we have here is a cultural difference Hermione. Goblins don't celebrate Christmas, Easter or any other wizarding holidays, so nothing is more important to us than someone's birthday."
This news rocked Hermione back on her heels. "You don't celebrate Christmas Harry?"
Padma and Neville had hung back to give their friends a moment, having been in on Harry's plan. Both had gifts for Hermione that they would give her tomorrow. Padma knew how excited Harry had been about this and didn't want her friend getting sidetrack and disappoint him.
"Hermione, the Patil family doesn't celebrate Christmas either. As Harry said, it's a cultural thing. Now stop going off at a tangent and show me what Harry got you, he wouldn't even give us a clue."
While this had been going on, Harry had used the time to fasten the bracelet around Hermione's wrist. Her first glance at it in the box had told the birthday witch Harry's gift was beautiful, seeing it on her wrist changed that opinion. Beautiful just didn't do this work of art justice.
The bracelet was made from gold yet of a design she'd never seen before. There were five gold disks that had tiny sapphires around their edges. These disks were encased in a filigree design that would have all other goldsmiths weeping with envy, before taking up lumberjacking. Compared to this, they might as well have been practicing their trade using axes.
Two of the disks had engravings on them that Hermione didn't recognise, the other three though had her heart doing backflips in her chest. The one on the left proclaimed HARRY while the right one was engraved with her own name. It was the one in the middle of these two that had tears of joy slowly running down her cheeks, it announced to anyone glancing at her wrist that they would be BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.
Padma's hands shot to her face the instant she laid eyes on Harry's gift. "Oh Merlin's hairy left buttock! Hermione, that's goblin made jewellery."
Hermione thought that would be obvious, since it was a gift from Harry. She didn't understand the emphasis Padma was placing on its manufacturers.
Neville was happy that for once he could supply his friends with some answers. "Hermione, the goblins are world renowned metal smiths. They not only make fantastic blades, they have no equal when it comes to making jewellery. What makes it even more sought after is that they hardly ever let any of it fall into wizards or witches hands. The Longbottom family has one item that has been passed down the family for hundreds of years."
Padma was nodding like a lunatic, unable to take her eyes of the bracelet her friend had on her wrist. "Hermione, you'll start a riot when you walk into the great hall wearing that tomorrow. Please make sure that bitch Chambers gets a good eyeful of it."
"This is too fine to wear everyday..."
Harry interrupted the birthday witch. "Hermione, I want you to promise you'll never take that off. It contains protective runes carved into two of the disks. Just by being in contact with your skin, the bracelet generates enough protective power that it would easily have deflected both the curses you were hit with last week."
"Oh shit, shit, shit - enchanted goblin jewellery! Hermione, when anyone asks - just say it was a gift from Harry and act dumb about everything else. Trust me on this, your bracelet is worth its own front page headline in the Prophet."
Neville agreed with Padma. "Goblin jewellery is extremely rare, your bracelet though might be the only piece of enchanted goblin jewellery not owned by a goblin."
All eyes were now on Harry, he chose Hermione's arm that he had placed the bracelet and brought the back of her hand to his lips. "It says right there that we will be best friends forever - that to me is priceless. Happy Birthday Hermione." Harry then kissed the back of Hermione's hand and had the birthday witch practically swooning. "Now I hate to ruin this moment, but if we don't get a move on we could be spending your birthday in detention. Everyone else has left."
Professor Sinistra emerged from the darkness, loath to break up the cutest thing she'd ever seen. She could hardly wait to tell Minerva in the morning. Aurora agreed with Miss Patil though, and would not be mentioning that Miss Granger's bracelet was enchanted.
"Not quite everyone has left Mr Crow, Happy Birthday Miss Granger. Now I will escort you four to your houses, just to ensure no one gets detention on such a special day."
Harry held out his arm for Hermione and all four followed the astronomy professor. Hermione though took a moment to kiss Harry on the cheek. "Thank you Harry, it's absolutely gorgeous and I love it." Both may have been blushing as they made their way along the corridor but their wide smiles could practically light their way back to Ravenclaw tower.
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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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