Ginny was laughing internally at Harry's attempts not to hurt her mother's feelings.
'No, this is great Mrs Weasley. Thank you,' he said, even though Ginny knew he didn't like lamb stew. He was putting on a brave show while eating it, and it just made her love him even more.
'Call me Molly, dear. You're practically family anyway.'
Harry finally did choke on his stew, as he stole a glance at Ginny out of the corner of his eye. Ginny could tell he was wondering if she'd spilled the beans early. She sniggered at his expression but carried on eating, careful to avoid catching his eye in case she dissolved in giggles.
Molly kept fussing around them.
'You two don't look after yourselves, that much is obvious! You need a few good solid meals in you.' She bustled back to the table with a loaf of fresh crusty bread and a pat of home made butter.
'Ginny, it's a good thing you're staying here for a few days so I can get some food into you.'
Ginny rolled her eyes, 'Honestly mum, I eat fine.'
Her mother ignored this, 'And Harry … you need to stay too. You need looking after, you're getting so thin …' she sighed as she looked at him.
'Oh … I, I couldn't … I mean … I …' he backed down under the twin glares from Molly and Ginny, 'OK, thanks,' he smiled at them before tackling his stew again, with the aspect of a long distance athlete settling for a long hard haul.
Molly added, 'After all it's just Ginny, Arthur and me for Christmas this year since Ron will be with Hermione and her parents and George is visiting Charlie in Romania. We need extra bodies to make it really seem like the holidays.' She patted Harry tenderly on the cheek as she passed. He smiled at her and chanced another sidelong glance at Ginny, who snaked a smile at him under cover of her spoon, her eyes twinkling merrily at his discomfort.
After dinner Harry offered to help wash up and Molly accepted gratefully. Ginny left to put her and Harry's bags in the rooms they would be staying in. Her parents were still very old fashioned and if they knew Ginny and Harry didn't need separate rooms they might … well, Ginny had decided that discretion was the better part of valour and had submitted to separate rooms without a murmur. Her parents knew they were dating of course; Ginny had told her mother back in 5th year when they had first got together, but since they'd broken up once, they had allowed the others to think they were just dating casually when they got back together after the horrors of the battle at Hogwarts. They hadn't been ready to intrude their personal happiness on the grief that the Weasleys were feeling in the wake of that fight. Ginny knew her parents would be happy for her, but it had never seemed the right time to tell them about Harry. First there was the dreadful time after Fred's death that had ripped the heart out of both George and Molly, then there had been Ron's announcement, along with Harry, that he wasn't going to finish school; instead the two of them were going to join the auror department. It was still one of the most dangerous jobs in the wizarding world and Molly had flown into a panic over them both. The most recent reason to put it off had been Ron and Hermione's announcement to a very happy family that they were getting married. Neither Harry nor Ginny had wanted to usurp the joyful attention they were getting and so they continued to play it cool around the family. Besides, Ginny smiled mischievously to herself, there was something so much more sexy and exciting about having to sneak around.
'Harry dear, how are things going at work?' Harry's heart still swelled with pride when he heard what he did called work; for too long it had been deadly serious play. He grinned cheerfully as he waved his wand at the wet dishes to dry them and send them heading for the cupboards.
'It's great, Mrs … Molly. It really feels like we're making headway; we catch more ex-Death Eaters now than we get wind of new ones.'
'That's wonderful.' She expertly wafted the last few plates onto the sideboard and let the water out of the sink before turning to Harry and asking, almost casually, 'So, what is going on with you and Ginny?'
'Oh … er … we …' Harry pushed his glasses up on his nose, blushing madly with a reluctant goofy grin beginning to spread over his face.
'I see,' Molly said, beaming. 'Like that is it? Oh Harry dear, that's wonderful.' She gave him a quick hug and bustled out of the room to find Ginny. He was left wondering what he'd said and how on earth he was going to explain to Ginny that their big surprise was, well, no surprise.
'Ginevra Weasley, where are you going with those bags?'
Ginny looked up in consternation. 'I'm putting them in our rooms, Mum.'
'No. I'll do that dear. I think you might need to go down to the kitchen; I've left a very flustered young man down there. And, Ginny, I think we can dispense with this pretence of two rooms, don't you? You'll both be more comfortable in your room.'
Ginny stared at her. 'What did he say?' she demanded.
'Oh. Not much, dear. It was more what he didn't say. Now don't look like that … didn't I tell you that your father and I, well we used to go out late at Hogwarts. What did you think we did? Knit sweaters all night?'
Put off-centre by this revelation from her mother, Ginny hurried downstairs to find Harry pacing in the kitchen looking worried.
'Ginny … I think I've ruined it all.'
'Never mind that now, Harry. She's just told me to put you in my room. She didn't seem to mind either. I feel like the world's gone topsy-turvy on me today. Aren't mums and dads meant to be all protective of their kids' virtues?'
A broad grin crept over Harry's face as she talked. 'She said that?'
'Yes,' an answering grin spread over Ginny's face.
'So we can sleep together then?'
Ginny laughed aloud, and gave him a poke in the ribs. 'Is that all you think about Potter?'
'When I'm around you, yes pretty much.'
She poked him again, harder this time and his breath let out with an 'oomph.'
'I'm serious, Harry. Are we still going to wait to tell them properly?'
He smiled at her, while massaging his ribs. 'Yes, I think so. This doesn't change anything except the creeping around.'
He was leaning against the table, and reached out to take her hands, drawing her in to him. As always when she was near him she felt herself heating up. Their thighs pressed together were alight with molten desire and his hands, which had slipped round to her back, sent trickles of fire in their wake as they moved.
'This won't change what we say; it'll just be less of a surprise that's all.' He bent slightly to kiss her, one of his hands sliding into her hair. 'I love you, Ginny,' he smiled as they parted.
'I love you too' she murmured back as she dreamily moved back for another kiss. A slight cough from the door dragged them apart, cheeks red. Molly was looking at them approvingly; but still mildly embarrassed at being caught snogging by her mother, Ginny moved slightly away from him and turned to look at Molly.
'Your father will be home soon, Ginny. Could you warm up his dinner for him?'
Grateful for the normal chore to distract them from the awkward situation, Ginny moved with alacrity to help her mother.
So many hours later they lay cuddled together in Ginny's bed. One of the best things about being a witch, she reflected, is being able to expand things if you need to. Her bed would usually be far too small, but a quick bit of wand work and they were quite comfortable together.
'This is weird,' Harry whispered, his breath warm on her ear.
'I know,' she snuggled back further into him.
'Your dad!' Harry sounded like he was trying not to snigger.
'I know!' Ginny grinned reminiscently.
Arthur had behaved as if all his Christmases had come at once when Molly pulled him over to the kitchen sink for a hasty whispered conversation. If he hadn't been so embarrassed, Harry would have found Arthur's enthusiastic hand shake and obvious beaming joy hilarious and touching. As it was, Ginny was the one who fizzed with suppressed giggles (her one overt sign of embarrassment) as Harry was dragged over to the table and had his back patted and they were given several comments along the lines of 'about time, too.' During the whole thing, Harry's embarrassment was rampant; he had spent much of Arthur's welcome with his hand firmly on the back of his neck looking down at the floor and flushed a bright scarlet.
Alone together in Ginny's room they were both stunned and bewildered at the way things had turned out. But still, it was too new and strange to have parental approval to share a bed for them to be comfortable doing anything about it. There was something ridiculously inhibiting in the knowledge that her parents were in the same house fully expecting them to be making love. After expecting a talk about waiting til marriage they had not yet really accepted the about-turn. Harry was even a little tense, waiting for one of Ginny's parents to rush into the room and demand what his intentions were towards their precious baby girl. So, they snuggled together and giggled at the shared memory of the weirdness of the day. Harry brushed the hair off Ginny's face and dropped a kiss on her ear.
'Goodnight sweetheart,' he whispered and she smiled and drifted into a contented sleep.
He awoke some time later with his heart thumping and covered in a cold sweat. The dreams didn't come as often these days, but in times of stress they still haunted him: Voldemort in the forest, head cocked and mouthing the words of the unforgivable curse that would send Harry to his death. Well used to this by now, Ginny smoothed back his hair and whispered soft reassurances in his ear until he stopped shaking and was able to look at her finally.
'I'm sorry, Gin,' he said contritely. 'I just can't seem to stop it happening.' He curled into himself on the bed. 'I feel … I still feel dirty, like I can't get rid of that day.'
'You're just stressed Harry. It's natural to have bad dreams when you're worried about something.'
'I know. I do know, Ginny. But …'
'But nothing, Harry. It's over and you don't need to worry anymore. Everyone has dreams. Everyone. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you.'
She pulled his head down onto her chest and settled back in the bed stroking his hair. 'We're together now. No dream can hurt us any more.' Slowly Harry fell back to sleep, and the dreams didn't bother him again that night.
In the morning he woke with the strange recollection of where he was and why. Sleepily he reached out to Ginny only to discover that she had already got up.
'What the bloody hell are you doing in my sister's bed?' came a scandalised voice from outside the open door. 'Don't you know my parents are up and could see you?'
'Oh don't be such a prat, Ron,' Ginny protested as she pushed past him to come back into the room. 'Do you honestly think that we'd be in the same room like this if Mum and Dad didn't know? Just be thankful that you missed the family time where they told us all about what they got up to at our age.'
Ron looked revolted by this and shrugged his shoulders as if to wipe away the image that had just crossed his mind.
'What are you doing here anyway?' asked Harry, reaching for his glasses.
'Well that's a nice way to greet your best mate, isn't it.'
'You know what I mean, Ron. Your mum told me you were off with Hermione for Christmas.'
'Oh yeah. Well I am; we're leaving today, but we had to come here to wish everyone a Merry Christmas first.' He looked at Harry again 'And what do I find when I get here? My best friend mauling my sister.'
'Don't be such a tosser Ron!' said Ginny. 'We're not mauling each other, and besides, what do you call what you and Hermione get up to?'
'Well, that's different isn't it?'
Harry grinned as the two of them leapt into a familiar pattern of sibling banter. Just because she could, and to rile Ron up further, Ginny leant over the bed and kissed Harry enthusiastically and said, 'but you do need to get up now, Harry. Mum's got breakfast almost ready in the kitchen. She wants us all down there.'
Harry could see from the smug look on Hermione's face as they entered the kitchen that she had been filled in on the latest Weasley family gossip too. She gave him a quick hug and whispered in his ear, 'I told you there was no use and no point in keeping it from them.' Harry ginned at her but just wished her a happy holidays. She gave him a knowing look and sat back down at the table. Molly soon had the table filled with a huge cooked breakfast, and they were all pleasantly sated in no time. The atmosphere was contented and relaxed. Ginny thought wistfully that there were too few times like this in the Weasley family anymore. Before Fred had died this was the way life was all the time no matter how stretched finances may have been, but now they were lucky to feel like this twice a year. Perhaps she and Harry had been a little silly in keeping their relationship from the family. It couldn't be denied that part of the reason they were all so happy was because of the happy news, and Ginny felt a little guilty at having denied everyone else this happiness for so long. Especially given what she and Harry were going to say on Christmas Day. Looking at Ron and Hermione and the way they interacted around everyone made Ginny feel even worse. They were so free and easy and she and Harry were still stiff and uptight about it. Well, Harry was, she thought affectionately. He never had enjoyed making a spectacle of himself and doing so in front of parental figures still reminded him too much of the Dursleys, and he worried about how to act. Her lip curled as she thought about the way they had treated Harry. It was a wonder he had turned out as well as he had.
After they had waved Ron and Hermione off, he brought up the conversation she had been expecting since last night.
'I suppose we are doing the right thing, aren't we, Gin?'
'What do you mean?' she played dumb.
'I mean … I'm still not right in the head, not truly. Those dreams ...' he trailed off at the look on her face.
'Don't start with that again, Harry Potter. You don't go nobly off trying to protect me without my permission ever again!'
'I'm not, I wasn't …'
'You were trying to … and you don't need to, Harry. There's nothing wrong with you. I keep telling you, everyone has dreams.'
'I know, I guess. I'm a bit scared. It's hard to admit that I really can just let go of it all.'
Ginny wrapped her arms around him. 'Well, you're lucky I don't take all the bollocks you try in the name of looking after me,' she smiled.
'What would I do without you?' he agreed.
'Get all angsty and go live in Mongolia probably,' she sniggered, making Harry laugh.
'You're probably right,' he smiled as he bent down to kiss her.
'Mmmmmm, it's a good thing I like slightly nerdy, angsty guys, isn't it?' she smiled against his mouth. His resultant laugh buzzed against her lips and she let out a whimper. They broke apart and she whispered to him, 'Mum and Dad are going out soon to get some stuff ready for Christmas.'
His hands slid up her back and he grinned. 'Is that right? I wonder what we can do to occupy ourselves while they're out?'
She sniggered again and with a look that promised so much she went to help her mother prepare for her outing.
The days passed swiftly, Harry and Ginny getting more and more comfortable sharing their love in front of Ginny's parents, who positively beamed as they watched the couple's sincere feelings overcome their hesitations about being in public. It soon became as nothing to Harry and Ginny to sit cuddled together on the couch to listen to Celestina Warbeck's Christmas Eve show on the radio or share a glance that heated the room even when others intercepted it. Molly, in particular, blossomed as she watched them together. There was no-one else she would prefer to see Ginny with; it had been a secret wish in her heart ever since Ginny had been rescued by Harry all those years ago that the two of them would one day become a couple. She had watched with despair as their relationship had seemed to remain casual, so now every little moment that showed her how much they cared for each other shot joy through her heart. Molly treasured those moments up: the way Harry tenderly brushed Ginny's hair behind her ears as they sat together, the way she smiled as she looked at him with her whole soul pouring into the look, the way he touched her every time they passed as if he couldn't help but reach out to her, the way someone with their back to the door could tell that he had entered the room because she glowed when she saw him, the way they both had eyes only for each other even when there were other people in the room.
And so it came to Christmas Day. Molly and Ginny had prepared a huge meal while Harry and Arthur had set the table and decorated the house up with holly they had gathered from around the garden and its environs. They were all happy, pleasantly full of food and the last of the crackers had been pulled.
'Ok, folks,' said Arthur, groaning slightly as he stood up and stretched, 'time for presents.'
They trooped through into the Living Room and nestled down by the tree. Harry's heart began to beat with an unpleasantly irregular pulse. It was almost time. Ginny sensed his discomfort and squeezed his hand, giving him reassurance.
'Right,' said Molly, rubbing her hands together, 'who wants to give out the presents?'
'Er … before we get to that …' said Harry
Molly and Arthur looked up in surprise.
'Well, this was meant to be a surprise,' added Harry, 'but …'
'But you kind of worked out part of it,' smiled Ginny, looking at Harry fondly.
Molly gave a little squeak, and her hands flew to her mouth as she took in what they were saying.
'You … you're ..?'
'Yes!' squealed Ginny, finally leaping up and hugging her mother. 'We're getting married.'
Harry looked up at Arthur with a little trepidation. After all they had only just been forced into the open with the fact that they were together at all. It suddenly seemed like much less of a good idea to have sprung it all on her family at once. To his relief Arthur, while looking a bit shocked, was beaming along with his wife who rushed over to pull Harry into a hug that knocked his glasses askew.
'Oh! Oh, that's wonderful!' she pulled out a hanky and dabbed at her eyes as she released him, and he was able to avoid looking anyone in the eye by rearranging his glasses properly.
'This is the best possible Christmas present we could have been given,' added Arthur. 'It was a great day for our family when Ron met you on the train, Harry.'
Harry blushed and demurred, but Molly chimed in 'Yes it was, dear, and I am so glad you really will be one of the family now!' She patted him tenderly again and smiled at Ginny before sitting down in an overstuffed armchair.
Harry reached out to Ginny and pulled her close. She grinned up at him and then said 'Enough of this mushiness! Let's open the presents!'
Everyone laughed and they all moved back towards the tree, happiness surrounding the family like a blanket keeping them safe.