Comfort

Chapter 1

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Comfort

Chapter 1

"He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Hermione Granger shut the large picture book and laid it in her lap. She looked around the small group of children situated about her chair in a semi-circle and smiled. "That my sweet little ones is one of the most popular muggle Christmas stories." A small red-haired little girl raised her hand shyly. "Yes Clara?"

"How does he really get down the chimney?" She asked her eyes wide with wonder. "I mean, one time my mum hexed my father out of the house and he tried to go down the chimney, but she just flooed him away. Wouldn't that happen to Santa Cause?"

"Santa Claus." Hermione corrected gently. "And no, Santa had his own special magic that lets him do all the things he does. Now, let me tell all of you about a special little reindeer called Rudolf."

It was Christmas Eve, and the large general room of the children's ward of St. Mungo's hospital was decorated from top to bottom with festive decorations. Hermione had been there since leaving Hogwarts a few years back. She had been offered many positions, and researched all of them before her heart made the decision for her. She had been offered the position of head Mediwitch at the hospital. It was her chance to work with the top witches in the field. Working together to find cures for the most incurable of curses.

As she toured the different wards, the hospital director had shied away from the sixth floor. She told Hermione she didn't want to see the poor patients doomed to live their lives there. Hermione was adamant. If she was going to work for the hospital, she wanted to know every square inch. The doors were unlocked, and she was granted access. The site inside broke her heart. It was full of children. Poor little witches and wizards, sitting there, just staring into space. No one played, no one spoke. Hermione stepped inside, and never found it in her heart to leave.

The children of floor six rarely responded to the new potions and charms that came in on an almost daily basis. Hermione found out very quickly though, that the best medicine of all was a little tender loving care. A little attention and even the most cursed could fathom a smile. She rarely left, even with the prodding of her co-workers. This was her work, this was her life. With a little help and some charmed supplies, the children had decorated the room every year for the holidays, and every year Hermione told them the same stories that she had heard year after year as a child. Every pair of eyes in the room was focused on her, listening intently, drinking in every word she spoke.

At least almost everyone was enjoying her stories. A pair of slanted gray eyes stared at her from the back of the room. A lone person dressed in black instead of the standard red and green. He wore no Santa hat, no jingling bells. Just a frown as he sipped some sickingly sweet hot chocolate. Draco Malfoy was by no means enjoying himself.

He had a fortune. His father had made sure of that. But Draco knew, no matter how much money he had, it wouldn't last forever. He had to invest it in something. Something that would profit him in the long run, even if he had to spend a little every now and then to make sure of it. Even with the Dark Lord gone, people still got sick, and curses were still abundant. So Draco did what he thought was best. He purchased St. Mungo's. Although it had set him back quite a few galleons, the incoming profits from the new potions that were being discovered every wekk, he had more than doubled his investment in the first year.

Double would have been plenty for most people, but he was a Malfoy and as usual, he wanted more. That was the sole reason he had not requested, but demanded that St. Mungo's employ the best, and only the best. Which is why he sent the director after Hermione Granger. He didn't like her, he never had, but even he couldn't deny she was smart. An asset. He watched her reading utter nonsense to the little brats, filling their already useless minds with stupid muggle stories. He sighed, tossing the paper cup into the closest trashcan. At least she was easy on the eyes, well when she had that bushy mane pulled back anyways.