I'll Be Home For Christmas

by Mrs Ronald Weasley

Ron is off fighting in the war. What happens when he has to write to Hermione to tell her that he won't be home for Christmas?

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Author: Mrs. Ronald Weasley

Rating: PG

Pairing/s: Ron/Hermione, slight Harry/Ginny

Category: Romance/Angst

Warnings: A little war violence.

Summary: Ron is off fighting in the war. What happens when he has to write to Hermione to tell her that he won't be home for Christmas?

A/N: A Christmas story! Happy Holidays everyone!

I'll be home for Christmas

The cold mid December air hung in the midst of the war camp; Ron Weasley was the only soldier that was still awake. He sat at the desk inside the tent; in his hands he held a letter that he had just written to his fiancée, Hermione Granger.

Dear Hermione, he read aloud.

I know it's been a while since I last wrote to you, but things here are starting to get better. Some of the other soldier's that I've been talking to, have said that this war is going to be over soon. I just wish it could before Christmas; I really want to spend this Christmas with you. After all it's been almost 6 years since I saw you, I miss you terribly, and I hope when I do get home that we can finally get married.

Please tell Harry and Ginny that I'm sorry about not being able to be Best Man at their wedding. I also hope Harry is recovering well after being sent home.

I must really be going now, as I'm on watch for most of the night.

With all my love,

Ron.

He sighed; the way things were going here, he'd be lucky to get home by next Christmas. Ron folded the letter, put it in the envelope and sealed it. He decided that tomorrow he would send it to her. Exiting the tent, he went to his watch station where he would stay at for the rest of the night.

Hermione Granger picked up the mail off of the kitchen table that Ginny had left there for her. Going through it she saw a military envelope addressed to her. With shaking hands, Hermione ripped it open. It was from Ron.

She sank into a chair and unfolded the letter, silently reading it to herself. Tears came to her eyes. "Oh Ron, I want you home for Christmas, but this is going to be like every year for the past six, you're not coming."

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow, and mistletoe
and presents, by the tree

Sighing deeply Hermione grabbed a piece of paper off the counter and a pen; she began to write:

Dear Ron,

Things here are fine, or as good as they can be without you. Harry and Ginny are well, they got over the fact that you couldn't be at the wedding; they actually wanted to hold it off until after you came home. But I told them that you wouldn't want them to wait just for you, so they got married in October.

Harry is almost completely recovered, he was disappointed that he had to come home without you, he said that was his duty to make sure you came home safe.

I am glad to hear that the war might be over soon. I pray every night for you to return to me, especially at Christmas. I do hope that you can come home this Christmas, there is still a few days left before Christmas Eve.

We actually got a real tree this year, we've never had one like this before, and it was so big that Harry had to cut almost four feet off the top of it! Getting it into the house wasn't easy, we had to turn it on its side and it dragged a whole bunch of snow in with it! It was such fun; I wish you could've seen it.

We decorated it last night; it looks so pretty, especially with all the presents under it. I hoped I could send you your present, but the army isn't allowing any packages to be sent to the soldiers overseas.

Ginny put mistletoe all over the house this morning; hoping to catch a kiss from Harry every few seconds, anyway, I must really be getting to bed. I love you with all my heart, Ron.

Love,

Hermione.

She folded the letter, put it into an envelope, and sealed it. She got up from the table, went over to the door; put on her coat and shoes and went outside.

The brilliant lights of New York City shone in the distance; she walked the short distance to the mailbox and slipped the letter inside. She hoped that the letter would make to him in time, Hermione wasn't exactly sure what country Ron was in, she thought it was France, but then again, she could be wrong. Sighing again, she turned around and headed back home.

Christmas Eve will find me
where the love light, gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
if only in my dreams

Ron dove behind a wall, as a bomb was dropped not hundred feet away from where he was. The wall shook and started to come down on top of him; he got up and ran in the direction of the American Army Camp that he was stationed at; he just made it, the wall that he had been hiding behind completely collapsed. "Weasley!" he heard his name being called. He turned around and saw the Captain standing there.

"Sir," Ron said, saluting and standing at attention.

"I have a letter for you," he said, softly and waved Ron into the tent. The Captain rummaged through the many papers littering his desk and pulled out an envelope, and handed it to Ron.

"Thank you, sir," he said, taking the letter and smiled when he saw Hermione's neat handwriting on it.

"Girlfriend?" the Captain asked, looking at the envelope.

"Fiancée, sir," Ron replied, the Captain nodded. Ron nodded back and stepped out of the tent.

Back in his own tent, he read the letter and wrote back:

Dearest Hermione,

I'm glad everyone is well. I, too, am well. It sounds like you're going to have a great Christmas; I only wish that I could spend it with you. But it is Christmas Eve and I can say that I won't be coming home. I'm so sorry. I will be dreaming of you tonight.

I will be sending this in a telegram, so you can get it right away. Again, I wish I could come home, I love you.

Ron.

The letter was short, but it was filled with everything he needed to tell her. He went to the head tent where he would send the telegram to her.

Christmas Eve will find me
where the love light, gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
if only in, if only in, if only in my, dreams

Hermione was at home, helping Ginny prepare the Christmas Day meal; when Harry walked in, he held a piece of paper in his hands. "Hermione, I received this telegram from Ron for you." He slowly limped over and handed to her.

Hermione sat down at the table to read it. She held her head in her hands, "he's not coming home for Christmas," she said through her hands.

"Well that was to be expected, wasn't it?" Ginny asked from the stove. Hermione got up.

"I need to be alone," she said, "Harry can you help Ginny with the cooking?" He nodded and Hermione left to go up to her room.

Later that night, around eleven-thirty, Hermione came downstairs. It was Christmas Eve and the fire in the fireplace was still burning. Grabbing a cup of hot tea, she sat on a chair in front of the fire.

A ring at the door startled her. It was late, who would be here at this time of night? She thought. She got up and opened the door.

There was tall man standing there in an Army uniform. She stood still; she knew that figure, although she hadn't seen him in almost six years.

"Hermione?" he asked. She looked at him and smiled. "Merry Christmas, love." He held his arms out to her. She screamed and jumped into them.

"I thought you said that there was no way you would get home in time?" she cried into his shoulder.

"It's all over; they ended the war this afternoon. I apparated home, I couldn't let you spend Christmas without me."

She pulled back, a smile on her face. A small snowflake fell between them. He smiled too, and they kissed.

A/N: Yes, I know that World War II didn't end in December. Anyway, please review!