The First Christmas
It was the first Christmas in the Weasley family without one member. Fred. Fredrick Gideon Weasley. Augustus Rookwood is now the most hated person by all of the Weasley family after killing Fred on the seventh floor of Hogwarts.
Right now it was Christmas Eve and everyone including Hermione and Harry – as usual – were there for a nice big Christmas Eve Weasley Tradition Dinner. They were all laughing and happy, just how the Weasley meals always were even when Fred was there. But there was something hanging in the air that Hermione had noticed that didn't used to be there before the Battle. It was a sense of cover up. All the Weasley's seemed to be covering up the fact that they were sad about having their first Christmas without Fred so they were acting so happy that it was infuriatingly annoying the way they couldn't admit that they were sad.
Dinner finished and they all sat and talked about the next morning and what there was to do. Mrs Weasley and Fleur were cooking and Arthur and Bill were setting the table. George, Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione get to play with their presents and sit and relax.
One by one the Weasley's disappeared upstairs and soon the only ones left were Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny. The four sat talking and laughing for a while over their adventures at Hogwarts when they were younger. Harry and Ginny were curled up on one end of the sofa and Hermione was sitting on Ron's lap in the oversized armchair.
"Come on, Gin, let's go to bed." Harry said with a sigh.
Harry held out his hand for her and she took it. They started to walk upstairs to Ginny's bedroom where they bid each other goodnight.
Harry skipped back up the stairs again. As soon as he was gone the smile that had lightened up Ron's face all night disappeared and he sat in silence.
"What's wrong, babe?"
"Huh, oh, nothing, He said almost a little too fast.
"Are you sure? You look a little down."
"No, I'm fine."
"Alright then, I'll take your word for it."
Ron glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece.
"Bloody Hell, Hermione, look at the time!"
"Shhh, Ronald, keep your voice down!"
"Sorry, but look, it's already 10!"
Ron and Hermione detangled themselves from each other and got up from their comfy position in front of the fire. Hermione took Ron's hand in her's and they wandered up the stairs. When they got to the third landing they wandered down to Ginny's room where Hermione had her things and slept. Ron kissed Hermione gently outside the door.
"Night, love,"
"Goodnight. See you in the morning."
Hermione stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ron on the cheek then she silently turned around and walked into Ginny's room without a noise. Ron sighed and walked back down the hall to the stair and went up again to his room. He slipped inside and quietly undressed and put on his crimson pyjamas. Ron got into bed and closed his eyes.
2 hours later – midnight.
Hermione quietly wandered downstairs and went into the kitchen she touched the kettle. She pulled her hand back quickly.
"Ouch!" She whispered
She got out a mug and poured a bit of chocolate powder into it. She added a spoon of sugar and the poured some water in. She stirred it. Then she made another one.
Hermione took both of the hot chocolates into the lounge. She saw a head full of red hair and two feet with crimson pyjama bottoms half way up the shin.
"I thought I'd find you down here." Hermione whispered quietly
Ron turned around and saw her. Hermione looked deep into his face and tears in his eyes. She quickly put down the cups of chocolate and ran over to Ron who was sitting on the rug by the fire. Hermione gathered him up in her arms and held him while he cried.
"I miss him so much Hermione, he and George always used to give me, for my breakfast on Christmas Day , pancakes with Canary Creams in, he didn't deserve to be killed in that battle! No one that died did. Well except for all the Death Eaters…"
Ron just sat there and whimpered with his head on Hermione's shoulder. Hermione just sat there rubbing slow circles in a rhythm on his back while she let her tears fall silently down her face.
"It's alright. He doesn't want to see us crying."
Ron sat up and wiped her tears from her eyes and face, then did the same to his own.
"I know it's just hard."
"Here," Hermione got up and picked up the hot chocolate, "I made you this," She handed it to him.
"Thanks,"
They sat in silence and drank their chocolate. When they finished Ron got up, went through to the kitchen and set the mugs in the sink. Hermione crawled over and snuggled up in Ron's lap. Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione and softly kissed her on her head.
The next morning
Molly Weasley got up, pulled a dressing gown on and went downstairs. She wandered into the kitchen and saw two mugs in the sink. Confused, she walked into the lounge and saw her child sat curled up and asleep with his girlfriend. She smiled to herself and went back into the kitchen to make breakfast.