It was Christmas morning, 2000, in the flat that Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry shared as a whole. Ginny rushed into Harry's room that morning, squealing like a young child.
"Wake up, Harry, dear, it's Christmas!"
"Mrrrph..." was Harry's response.
"Come on, Harry! Let's go wake Ron and Hermione! We'll cook breakfast, all as a family, and open gifts and stockings and everything, oh, come on, Harry, darling, wake up!" Ginny sat herself on the edge of Harry's bed and prodded him with her wand.
"Oh, come on, Ginny. Lay off. Christmas isn't going anywhwere."
"Do you want to have time to cook dinner or not? If we can't cook dinner, Ron's gonna-"
"Ok, Ginny, I'm up." Harry sat up and yawned, and Ginny stuck a present in his face. "Hmm?" Harry said. "Thanks, Gin." He tore it open. It was a small picture of Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys. Even Fred was in it. Harry set it on the dresser and enveloped Ginny in a warming hug.
"Happy Christmas, Ginny." Harry mumbled. He pulled away and said,
"Let's go get the others." They tiptoed down the hall and opened Ron and Hermione's door.
"I think getting a three bedroom flat was the best descision ever." Ginny whispered, looking at Ron and Hermione cuddled together in their bed, each smiling lightly in their sleep.
"I almost hate to do this." Harry whispered. "WAKE UP!" he shouted. Ron yelled and woke up, sitting far up in his bed. Hermione shrieked as Ron sat up, and was knocked to the floor. Harry and Ginny doubled over laughing. Ron let loose a string of very un-Christmasy words as Hermione picked herself up off the floor. Ginny fled downstairs, into the safety of the living room.
"Come downstairs, everyone!" she yelled. Footfalls on the stairs told Ginny they were on thier way and she began setting up the breakfast table.
"Ginny!" Hermione gasped. "This is wonderful!" The table was set in elegant red and gold decorations, with small silver trees and a reindeer as the centerpiece. The reindeer tossed up its head elegantly every once in a while. Best of all, eggs, bacon, sausage and toast were laid out on the table in for spots, with seating cards placing them in the following circle.
Ginny
Harry Ron
Hermione
Ron sat down in his place immediately and started eating.
"How did you do this?" Hermione asked.
"I woke up early," Ginny said, blushing.
"Well, I'm sure Ron appreciates it." Hermione laughed, watching Ron fill his face with more sausage than any normal man could hold. He smiled at her like a child, cheeks full of meat. They all laughed and sat down. After breakfast, Ginny seated them all on the couch.
"Who wants to open the first present?" she giggled. They all glanced at one another, and said together,
"You."
"What? Me?" Ginny asked, smiling.
"It's the least we could do, after you cooked for us all at obscure hours in the morning." Harry said. So Ginny sat down with the first present, a very small one from Hermione.
"It's not a homework planner, is it?" She joked. Hermione gave her a glare not unlike one of an unhappy tiger. So Ginny opened her gift instead. It was a beautiful gold flower, attatched to a band for her hair. She put it in immediatley.
"Thank you so much, Hermione! It's beautiful!"
"I thought of you as soon as I saw it." Hermione said. Harry picked up the next one. It was fron Ron and Hermione.
"A dual present?" Harry asked. "You two really are a couple now." They blushed and glanced at eachother.
"You two act like kids." Ginny said, watching the exchange. Harry tore a bit off his gift, calling everybody back to attention. He tore the rest off, revealing a cardboard box.
"Yay!" Harry mimicked a kid's voice. "A cardboard box!" He drove it across the table making train noises.
"Open it!" Ron said, clearly flustered at the fact that his friend did not know he was supposed to do this. Harry opened the box and pulled out a 1/50th scale of the Hogwarts Castle. Lights flicked on and off, and Harry saw, very closely, twelve christamas trees around four tables, where a few children sat.
"Guys, I love it." Harry said.
"You'd better." Ron said huffily. "It cost more than I make in a month. Harry suddenly felt gulity. Hermione slapped Ron in the arm. Harry felt a little better. Ron picked up a gift from Ginny. It was shaped a bit like a billboard. Ron opened it. His face flushed redder than his hair when he discovered it was a family tree. Starting from their grandparents, it lead all the way down to Ginny, who had a line connecting her to Harry, and Ron, who had a line connecting him to Hermione. Their other siblings and their families were printed above. A small line came down from where Ron and Hermione's joined, indicating a child should be put there. Hermione leaned on Ron's shoulder.
"I don't think we should leave that spot empty."
Harry leaned into Ginny's ear.
"Great move, Ginny. Now there's gonna be kids wailing all night and we'll have to move out."
"And there'll be kids wailing there too!" Ginny whispered back, causing Harry to lean away.
"Okay!" he said, taking in Ron and Hermione's bewildered faces. "Who's next?" Hermione reached for a gift. From Harry. She opened it. It was a book titled 'How to take your husband by the ear.' She grinned slyly at Harry , who retuned it.
"Those won't work on me." Ron noted. "We're not married yet." Ginny was sure to take into account the fact he said 'yet'. Hermione grinned at him. And turned to pick up a present. For Ginny from Harry and Ron. She passed it to her. Ginny tore off the wrapping. It was a hand-painted picture of Ginny in the Weasley's backyard, spinning with her hair in her face, a laughing expression, and a handful of Autumn leaves. She put it down carefully and launched herself at Harry, capturing his lips in hers with tears of joy running down her face. Harry returned the kiss, glad to recieve another present. Then he sat her back on the couch.
"Thank you." she said, wiping away the tears.
"Oi! What about me?" Ron asked. Ginny's head snapped around to face him so fast she cricked her neck.
"If you think I'm gonna kiss you like that you're insane." she said with a look of mock disgust.
"I mean, where's my thank-you?" Ron asked. "It was my idea."
"Yes, but I painted it." Harry said.
"You painted this?" Ginny asked breathlessly. Harry nodded. Hermione dropped to the floor and started rooting for a gift for Ron. She grabbed one from his mum.
"MUM?" Ron asked. "Yeah. She sent us all one." Hermione said, passing them around. Harry was delighted to find his usual. Mince pies, toffees, and an emerald green sweater with a big yellow 'H' sewn on. He pulled it over his head and took a bite out of a pie. Ron just got the usual maroon sweater, with a Rat knitted on the front. Hermione and ginny got matching sweater-dresses,(Purple with yellow names inscripted.) and large toffees. Gifts were getting scarce now, and after a copy of Charm Your Own Cheeses, (Hermione,) a box of cookies, (Ron) a pair of diamond earrings (Ginny) and a figurine of a black dog, (Harry) the tree was left with nothing underneath.
"Should we go and get the extra gifts, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Yes, let's go!" Harry said, and they disappeared upstairs. Ginny and Hermione, however, walked into their yard and broght in (and dried off) Harry and Ron's final gifts and put them behind the chair. Harry and Ron came down a moment later, Ron holding a box with no lids. They sat down and Hermione said,
"Before we get ours, you should get yours." And from behind the couch she produced a brown and white rat and handed it to Ron.
"His name is Coronell." Hermione announced. The rat was lively, jumping around in Ron's hands.
"Thank you so much, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, clearly unable to contain his joy. He watched the rat scurry around his lap.
"And for Harry." Ginny announced, bringing a black puppy around the couch by a lead. The puppy leapt up onto Harry's lap and snuggled down into the warmth of his body.
"You name him." Ginny said. "He's your dog."
"Hesper." Harry announced. "It's a star, just like Sirius."
"Well, actually, Sirius is a constellation." Hermione corrected, earning a look from Ron that meant she should shut up. Ron handed her the box, and a kitten poked her ginger head out. Hermione squealed.
"Oh, thank you so much Ron! I love her!"
"Her name's Otter. After your Patronus. You were so sad when Crookshanks died."
"Oh, Ron. I think we can expand your emotional range. How about a Tablespoon?"
"I'll take what I can get." Ron laughed. "Look around her neck." Ron said. Hermione took off the ribbon that was tied around her neck. There was a small box attatched. She opened it and her eyes filled with tears. She got up and placed herself next to Ron.
She placed the small box on her lap. In it was a silver ring with the words, 'Swish and Flick' Engraved.
"I will." She whispered. "I love you." Ron wrapped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head.
"I love you too, Hermione, darling."
Harry glanced at Ginny and pulled a large, fluffy white dog that stood tall with her chest out.
"I saw her," Harry said. "And I just saw you. In her eyes, in her walk, in her personality. This dog is you. Her name is Rocky. That's just one of the differences between her and you, though. Another is, I can't buy a woman like you in the store. Another? I don't love her half as much as I love you." Harry bent down in front of her and took her hand. Her other hand flew up to her mouth in shock. "Ginny. I love you. Will you marry me?" Ginny didn't even let Harry put the ring on her finger. She shot at Harry like a bullet and kissed the Christmas right out of him.
As Harry and Ginny shared a passionate kiss, and Ron and Hermione enjoyed a soft one, neither couple could help thinking that this had been a perfect Christmas.