Fairy Lights

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JKR, except the plot. :)

A/N: This little ficlet was somewhat inspired by the Christmas challenge at catch_my_snitch on Livejournal. I never submit challenges, but this is not the first to give me inspiration. It's completely the wrong time of year for this, but I found it whilst clearing through my files.

Enjoy! :)

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"And the Harpies win, 540 – 10. An excellent beginning to their awesome season, and a disappointing and very embarrassing loss for Puddlemere..."

Ginny was on such a high as she danced from the pitch, arm in arm and being slapped on the back by the rest of her triumphantly celebrating team. It was her first match actually starting as Chaser and they had stormed over Puddlemere like a herd of rampaging Hippogriffs. She remembered Harry once saying that he felt like he could produce the world's biggest Patronus after winning his Second year match: she totally knew how he felt. Her blood was pounding and the adrenaline running through her bones would have allowed her to do just that.

"Did you see the look on his face when you blasted that Bludger at him?"

"Yeah, stupid git. Don't know why he's playing professional Quidditch; he should have just stayed at school with the other pretty boys!"

Ginny laughed along with them as they entered the changing rooms. Her first match was a complete success, despite how nervous she had been this morning. If it kept up like this, her career was going to go places.

As she was about to pass through the doorway, she felt a pair of hands grab her waist and pull her back.

"You were absolutely bloody awesome, Gin," she heard her husband whisper in her ear.

Dropping her Firebolt she turned, grabbing his cloak and pressing him up against the door. She was all muddy and sweaty, but by the looks of it, Harry really didn't seem to mind. He must have come straight from work as he was wearing his standard Ministry issue black Auror robes. She'd seen him in the stands along with the rest of her family.

"I was, wasn't I?" she smirked. She felt his chest vibrate with his low chuckle.

She pulled on his robes and their lips met, hot and hungry, tongues fighting against the other's. It was always this way after Quidditch, so hot, so rushed, so passionate. She supposed it was all the endorphins flowing through her bloodstream. She couldn't help but remember that it was after a Quidditch match that their first kiss had happened. It seemed like such a lifetime away.

Harry surprised her, spinning her around and pushed her further against the doorframe as he pressed his body into hers, heedless of the fact that she was dripping with mud. His hands wandered down her body, squeezing her, pulling her slim, athletic body against his own. Her own hands fisted in his hair, pulling his mouth down harder against hers.

Much to her disappointment, he pulled back, his emerald eyes dark with passion and his face flushed as he caught his breath.

"Merlin, those robes look damn fine on you. That's the only reason you picked the Harpies for, wasn't it, just so that you could taunt me."

She laughed, kissing his nose. "Yes, Harry, because that's the only thing the Harpies are good for. Better than the Canons. Can you imagine the colour clashing that would go on then?"

"Gosh, yes." He chuckled again, remembering Ron's bright orange bedroom until he was distracted by her pulling him back down for another kiss. Their tongues tangled, battling against each other for domination and...

"Weasley?"

She sighed and pulled away. As much as she wanted to stay here, Jones was calling her for the post-match debriefing before they faced the press. She'd be eaten alive if she didn't attend that. And that was aside from the extra training she'd be assigned. Kilter had barely been able to sit down for a week after the last time she missed debriefing, and that was because of the press. She dreaded to think what punishment would be reaped if she missed it because of Harry...

"Sorry, have to go." She gave him another kiss. She felt him grumble, but he didn't let go of her.

"I wish they'd remember you're a Potter now," he mumbled against her lips.

Ginny grinned. "I'll always be a Weasley to them, feminist standing and all that, but inside you know I'm totally Potter."

Harry laughed. "Totally Potter. I like that."

He kissed her again and she started to think that perhaps that extra training would really be worth it. Besides, she was with Harry Potter, surely his name would-

"Weasley, if you're not in here in the next five seconds, I will separate Potter's-"

"Okay, okay! Don't get your bloomers in a twist!" Ginny shouted through the door. Turning back to Harry she gave him a quick kiss before whispering, "Later, love."

He pinched her arse as she bent over to pick up her broom and she blew him a kiss before entering the changing rooms to the sound of catcalls and loudly, overdone smootches.

"Good game, Weasley," Gwenog congratulated her as she walked over, slapping her on the back and slopping half her Butterbeer over the bar. "Good end to the year, that one. Means we had an excuse to go out and get rat-faced."

Ginny snorted. "Like you ever needed an excuse."

"True." Her captain shrugged, unabashedly taking another drink. As it was Christmas, they had a two-week break from training and every one of the Harpies was going to make use of that time. Looking around, most of them had already started. Even if they would regret what it would do to them the first day back training. The thought warmed Ginny as she jumped down from the bar stool, hefting her training bag on her shoulder.

"You leaving us already? It's only just gone seven."

"'fraid so; have to get home. Mum's been going off her nut at me all week because I haven't put up the Christmas decorations like she asked."

Jones cocked an eyebrow. "A likely story. Potter's already laid his claim on you tonight, hasn't he?"

"Well, that also." Ginny smirked, downed her one and only Firewhiskey for the night, and turned the glass upside down on the bar. "Thanks, Tom, have a good Christmas."

"Will do. You too. Tell the other 'alf he needs to come down here more often; I haven't seen him for yonks," replied the barman, clearing up her finished glass with a wave of his wand whilst cleaning up Gwenog's slopped drink.

"Yeah right. I'll tell him, but that won't mean he'll listen." She shook her head; as if Harry had anything to do but work nowadays. She clapped her Captain on the shoulder as she went past, causing yet another sloppage. "Have a good Christmas, Gwen, and try not to take it out on Andrews too much; we'll be under your command again in two weeks."

Jones saluted her with her with another slop of Butterbear. "'ave a good'un. And a couple more with Potter for me!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and exited the Leaky Cauldron, waving to Seamus and Dean on the way out. She loved the team camaraderie that came with playing on a team like the Harpies, even if it did embarrass Harry. Well, that was part of the fun of it.

Taking out her wand, she Apparated back to the Burrow where oodles of Christmas cheer waited and, more importantly, so did Harry.

"Come on, Harry," Ron whined, peering over the divider like some pleading puppy. "Mum'll kill us if we're late tonight."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Mate, those eyes may work on Hermione, but they will definitely never work on me. Give me a few minutes and I'll be done. I don't want to stay here any longer than you do, but Robards wants this done before we go and there is no way I'm coming back here in the next two weeks to finish writing a stupid report."

They had worked three days straight trying to clear their desks; the one condition Robards had for allowing them both to take time off over Christmas. They were still on call, but, as neither one of them had taken any holiday this year so far, they were entitled to take their leave before they lost it. Harry was looking forward to the next two weeks. Since they had been married last summer, both Harry and Ginny had been so busy that they really hadn't spent any good quality time together that lasted longer than a weekend. Two whole weeks with just him and Ginny. Perfect.

His mind floated back to the kiss earlier on today. He liked to call that her 'promise kiss', the one where he knew they'd be continuing right where they left off later tonight. Quidditch always made her randy. And hungry. Hell, watching her play like that made him randy and hungry from all the randiness.

Signing and dating the report, Harry waved his wand and the parchment flew over to the 'Reports' intray on Robards' desk. Removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose between two fingers, Harry let out a sigh of relief. If he had to see another incident report this side of next month it would be too soon. He snorted: how glamorous the life of an Auror.

"Hawwy..."

"Shut it, you git. What are you so keen for anyway? And don't use the excuse of your Mum's temper; you've long since learned to play that one when you want."

"It's Chrrrrrrrrrrrristmas, Harry!" sang Ron, his Slade impression several keys out of tune and Harry instantly regretted buying him that 'Best of Christmas Hits' CD last year. The git was becoming more unbearable by the second the closer it came to the holidays; he'd already put tinsel up around his desk and tried to con Harry into wearing a Santa hat complete with flashing bobble. "Come on! Stockings, trees, eggnog, turkeys and Christmas puds! Get in the Christmas Spirit already."

Harry raised an eyebrow as he put his glasses back on. He didn't care much for Christmas. It was just another opportunity for people to invite him to expensive, over-rated parties filled with boring guests. He'd turned down fourteen different ones already this year. Seriously, did they think he had nothing better to do than to parade around these boring social gatherings? The only good thing about Christmas was the fact that most 'baddies' had to spend the time with their own families. It was the month following Christmas that was the one to watch out for. It was probably the withdrawal symptoms combined with enforced imprisonment with sisters and mother-in-laws that was to blame. He dreaded to think what Christmas with Dudley and his girlfriend was like at his aunt and uncles. Just the thought was enough to make him go out and want to hex people.

"Oooh, let me put my santa hat on," he said sarcastically, standing up and stretching out the kinks in his back before putting his outer robes on. Three days spent lent over a desk was enough to kill anyone. He'd have to ask Ginny for a massage when he got a chance.

"Scrooge," accused Ron, who was already out of the office door. "Harry, come on!"

Harry sighed and picked up his green scarf, a gift from Ginny, from the back of his chair. Just as he was looping it around his neck in preparation to ward of the cold night air, Ron popped his head back in the door.

"Oi, mate, don't forget your hat!"

Harry rolled his eyes as he finally succumbed to at least a little bit of the Christmas spirit and forced the oversized Santa that flew through the air at him on top of his head. With it dangling at a deceptively jaunty angle, he followed Ron out of the office, amid off-key caterwauling of 'Mistletoads and Wine'.

This Christmas had to be better than those that had come before, right?

"Ho ho, bloody ho."

Ginny bit her lip as she considered which costume to put the Stunned gnome into: fairy or Santa? She knew her father, Bill and George preferred the former whereas the rest of the clan fought for the latter. She didn't really care two hoots which one as she knew that within the hour it will be sporting whichever outfit she hadn't chosen. Well, the gnome did look a little more feminine. Fairy it would be.

"Are you nearly finished, Ginny?" she heard her mother calling from the kitchen. "Only I could do with a hand setting up the table."

"Give me a sec, Mum," she called back. Nothing had really changed, she reflected. Her brothers always buggered off whilst she was left to help her mother out. Not that she minded at all. In fact, even though she found the family routines intensely annoying at times, she was very glad to fall back on them. This was what the real meaning of Christmas to her: family.

Packing away the unused decorations back in the box they had come in, she looked around the room and admired her efforts. She had spent the last hour hanging up the decorations in the lounge and on the tree that stood in the corner. Hermione had brought along some Muggle fairy lights, which they had spent half an hour trying to charm so that they lit up without the use of electricity. Now flashing red, gold, green and blue, Ginny was fascinated with the fairy lights.

Her mind began racing, until the satisfied smirk on her face told the tell-tale signs of a plot. A plot that involved fairy lights, Harry and not much else...

"Gin?"

He'd been laying under the covers for about ten minutes now. Upon Apparating back to their flat, she had whispered something about something that wouldn't take long before shoving him toward the bedroom and walking off toward the direction of the study.

"In a minute, love. I'm just adding the finishing touches."

Finishing touches? What was she doing, making a potion? "Can't it wait? I'm cold and I need you to come and warm me up."

"Just a sec, Harry. It'll be worth waiting for, I promise."

Harry sighed. She had that 'I'm working on something important, don't disturb me' tone to her voice. When she got that tone, she was likely to be at whatever she was doing until she'd finished. She'd been winding him up all evening, flashing those smouldering glances from underneath her lashes when no one but him was looking. It didn't help that he knew she was on a high from winning her match and had so far, well at least to his knowledge, remained unsatisfied. Plus, he knew that smirk and when it was combined with the evil glint in her eye, he knew she was plotting something. He was relatively safe in regards to his personal health; being ninety-nine percent sure that she wouldn't do anything to stop her from harming him in a way that would mean she would stay unsatisfied. But still, she had too many of Fred and George's traits for his liking.

"Gin..." he whined five minutes later, echoing Ron's earlier tone. An image popped into his head of Ron with those puppy eyes asking Hermione for... "Urgghh! Ginny, please! If you value my mental health at all you will come here now."

"Just a little bit longer, I'm just..."

Losing his patience and muttering under his breath, Harry rolled out of bed and grabbed his wand, fully intending to drag his wife into their bed, when he heard her footsteps out in the hall.

"Harry, can you do me a favour and turn out the lights?"

He frowned but did it anyway. He could hear her come to a halt just outside their bedroom. "Okay, they're off. Are you going to tell me what you are up to now?"

The door slowly opened and he could hear her shuffling footsteps as she entered the room. His eyes were still adjusting to the dark so he couldn't make out what she was doing.

"Gin, what-"

His words caught in his throat as fifty bright lights, alternating red and gold, illuminated the room. Standing there, in nothing but those fairy lights was his wife.

"Merry Christmas, Harry!"

Ginny smirked as she rolled slowly out of bed, careful to avoid the delicate glass bulbs with her bare feet. Harry lay conked out, mouth open and breathing deeply. He'd stay that way for quite a while, if the past was anything to go by. Her smirk turned into a wide grin at the achievement of wearing him out to the point of exhaustion. Not often did that happen; he seemed to have a never ending supply of energy that even put her to shame. Slipping into the dress shirt Harry was wearing last night, she routed around for her wand. She paused and had to hold back giggles when she came across the santa hat her brother had forced upon Harry.

Suppressing her merriment, she slipped out of the bedroom and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. From the looks of it, it was sometime in the early morning. Although she wasn't much of a morning person, a year's worth of training at 6am every morning had pretty much destroyed any chance of a lie-in, even on the weekend, let alone holidays. She didn't know how Harry managed to sleep with his constantly changing shifts. She supposed that you learnt to grab sleep when you could in situations like that, even if you did lose track of whether it was day or night.

Waving her wand at the stove, the kettle filled itself with water and went to the boil. She made herself some tea before taking it into the lounge. She gave some thought into turning on the wireless, but decided that it just might break through Harry's 'Auror sense' and wake him up. Poor man, needed his sleep after his exertions. She grinned again.

Her mind wandered back to the fairy lights. It was an idea born of a genius if she did say so herself, to charm the lights the colours of Gryffindor. Harry had certainly been appreciative. At least he was right up until the point that they started to warm up. He didn't appreciate the fairy lights for much longer, although he did turn his attention somewhere else...

"Uh-hum."

She turned to the sound of Harry clearing his throat.

And then she felt her jaw drop.

Harry was completely starkers. Except for the Santa hat that was perched on his head at a jaunty angle.

He stood with his arms folded, leaning against the doorframe.

"Wha..."

Harry smirked at her speechlessness and held his arms out to her.

"Ho ho ho, Me-rry Christmas!"