Ginny Weasley was alone in her London flat decorating her Christmas tree until it was time to go to the holiday party at her parents' house. While she was humming softly, she faintly heard some sort of noise coming from inside her house. She took in a gasp of breath before bolting to the kitchen to grab a weapon and then proceeding to follow the noise.
Suddenly, her boyfriend, Harry Potter, currently dressed in a huge red costume and black boots with a protruding belly came twisting and grunting down her fireplace before promptly landing on his face in front of his red-faced girlfriend of two and a half years. He smiled up at her shyly and she bent down and helped him up.
"Harry, I thought we were meeting at the party? Why are you here?" Ginny questioned, her shoulders shaking from her hidden attempts to chuckle.
"Well I decided to give you your Christmas present a little bit early and besides we were going to decorate the tree together, I thought," he replied, having trouble getting close enough to give her a hug because of his bulging belly between them.
"Yeah, but what is with the outfit? Honestly, Harry, I don't think that Santa Clause is quite the right look for you," she told him now outright laughing.
"I am glad you think it is so funny, Gin. I was trying to surprise you with your gift, remember? Well, Santa always brings gifts doesn't he? Get it?" he said, his face turning red with embarrassment.
"Aw, you're sweet" and she stood up on her tiptoes and pecked him on the lips, "so where's this present of mine, do I get to open it now?"
"No, I am afraid you have to wait until we get back since we don't have much time now, Gin, but I will hang it up on your mantle."
"Huh?" Ginny asked bewilderingly while looking into his greener-than-green eyes held with mirth.
"Your present is a Christmas stocking, see?" He held up his handmade stocking with crooked lines and smeared glitter. She could tell right away that he had made it himself, but she thought that it was cute all the same and appreciated the effort that he put into making it for her.
He posted the stocking above her fireplace and paused to see what she thought. She smiled at him and began digging in a huge box for more decorations. He bent down to help her and they each grabbed the same popcorn string and got wound up in it together. They laughed and kissed while struggling to get unwound.
"I don't know about these decorations, Gin, they seem a bit dangerous…" Harry informed her, his eyes smiling.
"Oh, you big baby, you'll be fine," she retorted.
Thirty minutes later they were all done and Harry changed into a sweater and jeans while Ginny was dressed in a khaki knee-length skirt with a cashmere sweater on. They were both trying to keep warm from the cold weather so they charmed their coats to propel instant heat on them. They held hands and apparated together to the Weasley house.
Harry and Ginny opened the door to a house full of chaos. They looked at each other and laughed, stepping inside the noisy, overcrowded house. They finally found Ron and Hermione, who had just gotten back from their honeymoon and instantly struck up conversation.
"So, Ron and Hermione, how was Paris?" Ginny wondered.
"Well, I don't really know; we didn't really get out of our hotel room…" Hermione answered, glancing at Ron, who was smiling to himself.
Ginny grimaced and Harry smirked. Ginny walked into the kitchen to see if there was anything she could do to help her mother and Harry stayed and conversed with Ron about his job in the Ministry, while Hermione went to talk to some other people.
"Hey mum," Ginny said while kissing Mrs. Weasley on the cheek.
"Oh, hello, dear" she replied, while taking a steaming pumpkin pie out of the oven.
"Anything I can do to help?" she asked her mother.
"No, Ginny, I am quite fine, here why don't you have some hot chocolate and go wait in the living room with the rest of the people, I am almost done" she said, handing Ginny a mug full of hot chocolate and marshmallows.
Ginny went and found Harry who stole some of her beverage when finally it was time to eat. Since there was so much food and so many people, the table had to be expanded to fit it all and the whole Weasley family, especially Ron, ogled the food before digging in.
After the meal and way too many desserts, Ginny and Harry thought it best if they went home. They walked into Ginny's door to a sea of Christmas lights radiating from the tree. Harry, remembering his gift, walked over and told her to reach inside her stocking.
She looked at him before reaching in to find not only a sea of candy and little things here and there, but also an interesting little velvety box. She looked at him and he symboled for her to continue with a nod of his head.
She opened it slowly with gentle hands and gaped in awe at the huge, but very beautiful diamond ring inside. The first thought to cross her mind was dang; this guy is even more loaded than I thought. She laughed silently at that thought before looking at him lovingly with her sparkling, tear-filled eyes.
He took the ring out of her hands and placed it on her ring finger before kneeling down and beginning his long-prepared speech.
"Ginny, the first time I saw you I felt as if I had been waiting for you my entire life, which in a way, I have. I couldn't wait to hold you in my arms and make you feel more happiness than any other. So, it is with a heart bursting with love, I come to you asking you one question: Ginny Weasley, will you do me the greatest honor ever and be my wife?" he asked nervously.
"Of course, Harry, I will!" she answered pulling him up and hugging him as hard as she could. She looked into his eyes and said, "Harry, I love you."
He gave her the biggest grin he could and replied back, "Ginny, I love you too," and they sat on the couch in each other's arms where they stayed for the rest of the night watching the fire die down, until a snowy and very white Christmas Day came in the morning.