All I want for Christmas
Ginny
Ginny sat on her bed, sobbing quietly. Okay, maybe not quietly, but she had the house to herself so it wasn't like anyone could hear. It was Christmastime and she wasn't jolly. She was spending the weeks in Sirius' house.
Dad was working, Mum was shopping, and Ron was out with Harry in Hogsmeade, helping George with the shop. She was all alone.
At least now they weren't constantly in mortal peril because of Voldemort. There, she'd said his name. Maybe Harry would notice her again because of it or maybe he'd just think she was a coward for saying it now but not saying his name during his 'life'. Ginny felt horrible.
Harry had been her dream come true, but alas- it was too good to be true. She supposed that somewhere in the back of her mind she had known it wouldn't have lasted but somehow, she had ignored her own 'good' but painfully true advice. As she thought her tears started slowing and drying up.
"Now Ginny, be reasonable!" She admonished herself, "He's just … busy! Now let's turn on some music." She pointed her wand at the stereo and Mariah Carey's voice started filling up the room and soon, Ginny's troubles slowly melted away with her tears as she was engulfed in the cheery, Christmassy atmosphere.
I just want you for my own,
More than you could know
Make my wish come truuuuue
Baby, All I want for Christmas is youuuu!
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Harry
I just want you for my own,
More than you could know
Make my wish come truuuuue
Baby, All I want for Christmas is youuuu!
How apt those words felt. It was Christmas Eve and Harry felt horrible. Ginny had been avoiding him. He had heard a rumor that she was dating Seamus Finnegan but he still wanted … well he didn't know what he wanted besides Ginny.
"Harry! What are you doing there? You've been standing like that near the witch love products so long that I just heard some girl tell her friend about how lifelike the Harry Potter carving was. She said she loved the attention to detail and how they had even made it look like you were breathing. What are you doing going around giving little girls heart attacks when they see your face?"
"Just… thinking." Harry replied as he turned to face George.
"Not about my sister, I hope. Last night I heard you call out her name in your sleep. Your not about to tell me why I suppose."
No he wasn't. Harry remembered his dream from the previous night. He had proposed to Ginny and she had responded with a resounding 'Yes!' and a kiss.
"Umm," Harry thought wildly.
"Never mind. We're about to close up. And FYI she's 'available' Harry. G'night. You're staying at our house aren't you?" Harry nodded " Then I'll try to set up a bit of alone time for you." He finished with a smirk and his eyebrows raised only slightly.
"Try not to set the house on fire." And with that George started out the door, chuckling to himself the whole way. Harry trailed after him, staring numbly in shock and embarrassment. As he walked down the street, he recovered his senses just as they were walking past 'For that Special Witch'. He walked in and proceeded to browse and brood over what he would do for a present for that special witch.
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Christmas Day
Ginny
Ginny woke up with a start. She'd been having another dream about Harry. They'd been swimming in the ocean at night off the coast of Bill and Fleur's house. He had kissed her and the shock it had sent through her had suddenly woken her up, much to her dismay. Even if they weren't going to become real she enjoyed her subconscious dreams much more then her real-life disappointments.
Then she remembered it was Christmas Morning! Maybe she'd get a good haul this time. Things were still on sale from the Great War, three years ago, since so many shops had been abandoned, or storekeepers disappeared - never to return. The Weasleys also had some money left from the gift they had gotten for fighting in and surviving the War. Yeah, Ginny was sure of good presents this year.
She got up once she smelled the bacon and eggs sizzling in the pan and debated on whether to get dressed or stay in her pajamas. She decided to stick with the pajamas. She had on a white spaghetti-strap tank top that was a slightly lower cut than she usually wore and some short shorts with warm red, orange, yellow, and pink stripes going up and down all along it. Ginny was sure her mother wouldn't make too much of a fuss over it, it being Christmas Morning and all that.
"Wake up! Wake up! It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" Ginny heard her niece's, Molly, voice ringing through the halls as she yelled the incredible news. Grumbles were starting to emerge from the doors down the corridor. Ginny decided now was a good time to go downstairs.
She passed the giant tree and noted the mountains of presents under it. She smiled to herself as she passed into the kitchen, before she saw who was in it. Harry was standing there in his pajama bottoms with no shirt on cooking breakfast. Before she could stop herself she started thinking about how the green and red plaid pattern brought out his eyes. She found herself elated that he was still wearing the pajamas she had gotten for him last year.
Then she remembered everything. Why would he, the famous Harry Potter, even look at her, the small and greatly insignificant ex-girlfriend Ginny Weasley? She was surprised he was still standing in the same room with her. Once she found her voice she worked on saying something witty and clever
"You're up early." Dang. That wasn't exactly what she was trying for.
"Uh, Yeah. Your Mum is always so nice to me. I thought I'd try and do something for her. I was going to make breakfast for her and everyone else as an early present so she could take a break. Want some?" Ooh, kind, thoughtful and a good cook. See what you were giving up Ginny? She was mad at herself now too. But she just didn't understand exactly how she had given him up. Where had the connection gone? Where had their relationship gone wrong? Aside from his yearlong absence of course.
"Yes, please." Way to be casual Ginny. He took a lovely china plate from the cabinet and artfully flipped the eggs into the air, from where they fell perfectly onto the plate, along with two strips of bacon and a piping hot English muffin with butter. It was amazing. She was just taking the first bite when there arose quite a clatter from the stairwell.
"Move it George!"
"Can't hear you brother dear. Maybe you should just stay out of the way before you're flattened by the elephant stampede behind us." It certainly sounded like one. Ron and George had made it out before the rush of the crowd. Bill and Charlie were racing down the steps with Percy and Hermione right behind them discussing the new N.E.W.T. test format. Surprisingly enough they weren't walking as slowly as usual. Maybe it was because they were trying to stay ahead of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Fleur. Mrs. Weasley was trying to get to the kitchen because she smelled something cooking and wanted to check that it wasn't something important burning. Mr. Weasley was trying to catch up to George who had refused to let his father check him for stolen goods or potentially dangerous experiments. Fleur was trying to get to her husband, all the while calling
"Bill! Bill! Vait!"
Ginny decided to take her breakfast into the living room and eat with the tree and fireplace. With a nod to Harry and a disbelieving shake of the head she left and went to eat in silence and solitude. Again.
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Present Time! [l] Christmas Day
"Present Time Now!" George yelled. "I've waited long enough, hearing about what a good cook Harry is. We know already. We just ate it. It was good okay. Now let's go!" And with that, George took Mrs. Weasley by the shoulders and marched her into the drawing room.
"Ah, good. Ginny you're already here. Excited huh? Well we were just about to start the presents."
Ginny hated it when he treated her like a child. She was nineteen and an adult but still the baby of the family.
"Alright everybody! Settle down now. Settle down. It is going to be a very interesting morning, I can tell. So to start off let's have Molly and Molly pick the first two presents to be opened." They did. Molly Senior picked up one for the little granddaughter of course, but the small girl picked the most brightly colored one. George held them up and read the labels.
"Here you go sweetie," he cooed as he handed her the present. Everyone turned into a ridiculous puddle of baby-loving idiocy whenever they saw the pretty little two year old. Then he read the label out loud on the bright yellow and pink swirled parcel.
"To: - what in the world? Who's convoluted handwriting is this?" Bill jumped up immediately and took the present from George.
" Actually, well, what it says is, well, let me just open the present." A very flustered Bill tore off the wrapping and held up the pieces of paper that were inside. No one knew what they were.
" Well it's a pregnancy test-" George cut him off,
" You mean you're pregnant Bill? Always knew you were strange."
"No," Fleur stood up " What my darling husband is trying to say is zat, I am pregnant!" She crowed with a dirty look to George, "My English is getting better, is zit not?" She added in an undertone to Bill as everyone erupted in cheering.
Ginny didn't know what to think. She was happy for her brother but was jealous of Fleur at the same time. She already had a loving husband who would always love her, her daughter Victoire and a new baby! Ginny wanted a family like that. The next presents went fast. Then Ron proposed to Hermione after she opened her present and found it was a ring. Hermione accepted of course. Then it was Ginny's turn. She got a small box. She opened them and they were the most beautiful earrings she had ever seen. They were small dragonflies made of diamonds and emeralds for the body and rubies for the eyes. She loved them. Granted, they were small gems, but still expensive. Only one person had this much money.
"Harry," she breathed, "They're beautiful!"
"I thought you'd like them. Want me to put them on you?" Ginny nodded and he did so with the lightest touch. She looked around and some how the room had emptied. When she looked back at Harry, their faces were almost touching.
"I wanted something special for you so you'd remember me."
"What do you mean remember? You aren't leaving are you?"
"No, I just want you to-, well, I love you! That's why. It's because I love you."
"Really?"
"Really." Ginny had been waiting for this day her whole life.
"I love you Harry."
"You d-?" His answer was a kiss.
"Merry Christmas Harry!"
"Merry Christmas to you too!" Harry managed to get out before his mouth was occupied again. It was even better than in his dream.