(This story takes place the Christmas after Voldemort was defeated at the Battle of Hogwarts.)

Christmas Cookies

It was really cold outside and the snow was falling steadily but, for Harry Potter, the deep frost was inside this holiday.

Harry had decided to spend Christmas with his favorite family, the Weasley's family, at the Burrow this year. Repairs on Godric's Hallow were coming along slowly and while the house was, generally speaking, put back together, it still lacked the feeling of home for Harry. The Burrow had felt like home since his first visit during the summer before his second year at Hogwarts, and at Christmas time you should be where home is.

It just wasn't feeling like home right now.

He couldn't wait for Hermione to get here. She would know what he had done wrong and how he could fix it. Ron had no idea what he did and when he tried Ron's suggestions he ended up making everything even worse.

The stupid book Ron had bought him for his 17th birthday wasn't too helpful either. If Ginny saw him looking at it she had a tendency to get just a little bit upset.

Hermione should be here any minute, Harry thought to himself. Just then he heard a popping sound outside the gate and Hermione came up the walk. Ron got up to meet her at the door, she was covered in snow and looked very chilled but, her whole face lit up when she saw Ron. He gave her a quick kiss then Hermione said hello to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny who were in the kitchen cooking. She offered her help but, Mrs. Weasley told her to go and warm up as she pressed a warm glass of eggnog into her hands.

"Hi, Harry!" Hermione said as she sat down at the table.

She looked beautiful today, Harry noticed. She was glowing with a combination of joy at the holiday and being completely in love with Ron. It had taken his two best friends forever to figure out their feelings for each other but, when they finally did, it brought around the most wonderful changes in both of them. Ron had matured over-night and become more sensitive towards others and their feelings. Hermione had stopped being such a know-it-all and started having a little more fun in life. The relationship was perfect for both of them.

Harry wished that he could say the same for his relationship with Ginny.

Harry loved her. He really and truly loved Ginny. He just was always messing things up. It wasn't his fault he knew nothing about women. He hadn't had any experience and he didn't really have anyone to ask.

He never knew his father.

Sirius and Harry had never gotten around to talking about dating and women. At the time Harry had just been to glad to have a family.

Lupin was first a teacher and you don't talk to teachers about THAT. Then he wasn't around that often. He didn't think Lupin would have been the person to ask anyway, it had taken him an incredibly long time to fall in love with Tonks. Anyone could have seen that she was perfect for him. No, Lupin would not have been the best choice.

Mr. Weasley loved his wife and she loved him but Harry couldn't ask him for dating advice because, well, he was dating his daughter.

Bill, Charlie, and George were either too busy or too far away to talk too. Plus they were her brothers.

Nope, it would have to be Hermione.

Mr. Weasley was sleeping over the sofa and just then let out a soft snore.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you for a moment. Just you."

Hermione looked at him oddly and Ron muffled his disgust at that idea but Harry had grabbed Hermione by the sleeve and was now pulling her up the stairs towards the room he and Ron were sharing.

Downstairs, Mrs. Weasley called Harry's name.

"Hermione can you please go wait in Ron's room? I need to talk to you. It's really important." With that said, Harry ran back down the stairs to see what Mrs. Weasley needed.

When he came back upstairs Ron and Hermione were locked in a passionate embrace. Mrs. Weasley had asked him a couple of things about what little Teddy ate now because Teddy and Andromeda were coming to Christmas dinner. He really hadn't been gone that long, maybe a minute or two but really no more than that. Harry wondered if he should give them privacy but desperate times call for desperate measures.

He cleared his throat.

Nothing changed. They were both still kissing.

He cleared his throat again.

Nothing.

He decided to have a coughing fit.

Still nothing.

Now Harry was just a little annoyed. He actually grabbed Hermione and pulled her away from Ron, but she still had a dazed look about her.

"HERMIONE! You're not being kissed anymore!"

That seemed to grab both her and Ron's attention. They looked at him. Ron looked a bit angry at his best friend but, Harry decided, that would have to wait for later.

"I take it that Ron hasn't told you what happened with Ginny and I. He wouldn't have had time since neither one of you seemed to come up for air."

Ron threw a pillow from his bed at Harry but, he looked a little embarrassed all the same.

"Something wrong Harry?" Hermione asked but something in his tone caught Harry's attention.

"Ginny told you something didn't she." Harry asked.

"Ginny sent me an owl the other day. Honestly Harry, you are hopeless." Hermione replied.

"I don't even understand what I did wrong so I guess you must be right. I thought everything was going really well but now…outside is warm and toasty compared to this." Harry knew he looked pathetic but he didn't care all the same.

"Oh Harry." Hermione started, "Can't you understand that Ginny has had to share you for the last eight years and she just wants a little time with you. Just you. Before you were "The Boy Who Lived" and you didn't notice her. Then you were "The Chosen One" and you noticed her but you only got to be together for a really short time. Then we went off last year and you didn't get to see her almost at all. This past summer you were helping the Ministry or, fixing the Hallow or, off doing one of a hundred other things. She just wants sometime alone with you."

"But I go see her every Hogsmead weekend!" Harry said, trying to defend himself.

"But Harry, it's never just you two. All of Hogwart's is there and then the entire village. Everyone wants to talk to you. Everyone wants to meet Harry Potter. It's never just the two of you." Hermione told Harry.

Harry knew she was right but what could he do about it.

"But I don't understand Hermione…why did she get mad at me the other day? Because I wouldn't snog her in a house full of people! Her parents were right upstairs." Harry asked.

"It's not that Harry. Ginny just doesn't see the end in sight. She doesn't see a point where you two will ever be able just to spend a few hours alone together."

"But Hermione we have the rest of our lives for that!" Harry yelled.

A crashed echoed threw Ron's room.

"WHAT?" Ron shouted as he tried to get up from the place on the floor where he had fallen off the bed.

"What are you talking about Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry felt a little awkward but he said, "We're going to spend the rest of our lives together so what is the rush?" Harry's voice trailed off a little at the end but it needed to be said.

"YOU'RE GOING TO MARRY MY SISTER!" Ron shouted.

"STOP SHOUTING RONALD!" Hermione yelled.

"YOU'RE SHOUTING HERMIONE!" Ron replied.

"SO YOU WILL HEAR ME!" Hermione said.

A clatter was heard on the stairs.

"What is going on in here? What was all that yelling for? You woke your father! Now he is out in the broom shed playing with that motor bike. On Christmas Eve!" Mrs. Weasley yelled.

"Sorry Mrs. Weasley."

"Sorry Mrs. Weasley."

"Sorry Mum."

"Good no more yelling!" With that she turned and walked back downstairs.

Ron and Hermione were staring at Harry.

Harry was staring at his shoes.

"Umm…Harry…does Ginny know you plan on spending the rest of your life with her? Have you, you know, mentioned anything to her about it?" Hermione asked.

"Well…umm…no," Harry stuttered, "You know she is still in school and everything and she isn't sure what she wants to study after school is over or anything so I thought I might just wait to say anything." He had really said anything an amazing amount of times.

"Well Harry, if you want to stop fighting with her, I think you might want to drop it into a casual conversation." Hermione told him.

"How do you tell a woman that casually?" Ron asked, voicing the question that Harry was thinking.

Hermione rolled her eyes at them. Honestly it was a wonder either boy had managed to date anyone, ever.

"Well you know how Bill and Fleur are always doing some kind of display of affection towards each other?" she asked, as both boys rolled their eyes, "When they do, casually ask Ginny if you think you will be like that when you have been married for almost a year."

Harry told Hermione she was a genius. He figured he could do something like that. He would be out of the dog house in no time.

Harry left the kissing couple upstairs and went downstairs to help in the kitchen.

Christmas Eve dinner was over and everyone was stuffed to the gills. Percy, Charlie, and George had all arrived earlier and were staying for the night.

Christmas dinner would push the Burrow to the limits as they were expecting Bill and Fleur, Andromeda and Teddy, and Minister Shacklebolt as well.

Celestina Warbeck was playing on the radio and, as awful as Harry thought she was, he would be able to talk to Ginny without everyone overhearing what was said.

Ginny was rolling out Christmas cookies on the counter. She was using different cutters to make dozens of different shapes. Harry had watched her for a while. Ron had told him this was Ginny's own special recipe for Christmas cookies. She had been making them since she was about seven years old. She really was a wonder, his girlfriend.

"Can I help?" He asked feeling a little unsure.

"If you want." Ginny answered in a tone that did little to actually invite him to help.

Harry used the cutters and made shape after shape silently while Ginny would roll and rework the dough. They worked for what seemed like a long time. Several pans were full and waiting to go into the oven.

"Ginny you know I was thinking that maybe next Hogsmead weekend…" But that was as far as he got before Ginny interrupted.

"I don't think I will go next Hogsmead weekend. It's been a really cold winter. I have a lot of school work to do as well."

"Oh." Harry responded dumbly.

They worked on in silence for a while. When there was nothing left but little scraps of dough, Ginny took off her apron and went upstairs but not before Harry saw silent tears rolling off her cheeks.

Christmas Day was here and everyone was at the Burrow for Christmas dinner. Harry was on the floor with little Teddy entertaining him with the sturdy flying quidditch figures he had given him. Fleur and Bill were sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley admiring the gifts Mrs. Weasley had made for the expectant mother. Ron and Hermione were over in the corner looking at the book of muggle fairytales she had given Ron. Andromeda was talking with Kingsley about the new werewolf laws he was putting into effect. Ginny was over in the corner with George, Charlie, and Percy.

Everyone looked full of the Christmas spirit.

Everyone except Harry.

Harry had noticed that Ginny wasn't wearing the shooting star necklace he had given her and his spirits sank even lower.

Little Teddy was getting tired, so Harry picked him up and took him off to Ron's room to lay him down for a nap. There he would be able to feel miserable in peace.

As Teddy snoozed, Harry looked out across the snow cover fields. Today would be so perfect if only Ginny wasn't mad at him.

Andromeda came to check on Teddy and told Harry to go back downstairs and visit.

Instead Harry grabbed some thick jumpers and a scarf intending to go outside. No one noticed him come down stairs so he grabbed a handful of cookies and went outside.

He walked to the tree line and stopped. He sat down on the stoop of an old tree and munched some cookies. They really were wonderful cookies. They tasted really good and they melted on his tongue.

"Happy Christmas, Harry." Ginny's voice came from behind him.

"Happy Christmas" he replied.

She came and sat down next to him. Harry looked at her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her but he wasn't sure if he should. She answered that question for him by putting her arms around him. He held on to her, it was the first time all week things had felt right.

"It's nice out here," he said tentatively, "Quiet, peaceful…I mean it nice in there too… it's just nice out here as well." He finished lamely.

Ginny smiled. "It is really nice. Private." She appeared lost in thought for a moment. "It's the perfect day. With so much perfect white snow covering everything, it's like Mother Nature is reminding us all that we can finally start over with our lives."

"Well it's not completely perfect." Harry said pausing. He took the last Christmas cookie and drew his wand mutter something. He turned a little so Ginny couldn't see what he was doing.

"Harry…what are you doing to my cookies?" Ginny asked.

"There, now it perfect." He said as he took her had and showed her what he did. He had charmed the last Christmas cookie to look like a little cookie wedding band.

Ginny looked up at him. She was crying but she was smiling at the same time. She let Harry put the cookie on her finger. She leaned into Harry and took a sighed. Harry knew she was happy now.

"The Burrow is really crammed full of people." he said.

"I know, I almost wonder if the house isn't going to collapse from the strain of it all." Ginny said smiling.

"Maybe in a couple of years we can have everyone over to the Hallow for Christmas. It would make an interesting change. Plus I think the dining room is a little bit bigger." Harry told her.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Harry." Ginny said as she tilted her head up to look at him.

They sat kissing in the cold for a long time.