A/N- I'm thinking about making a collection of holiday-inspired fanfics and this would be the first of them. R/R and enjoy!
Christmas at the Burrow: such a wonderful prospect was one that Harry had yet to have. Mrs. Weasley had invited Hermione and Harry over. Harry would return on the train with Ron, but Hermione would not be arriving until the 26th of December.
Christmas Eve and Morning passed in a whirlwind of happiness and delicious food. The cheery atmosphere seemed to cleanse him of the anxiety and tension that he had come to bear over recent Death Eater attacks on innocent wizards, witches and muggles alike.
Hermione arrived early in the morning of the 26th and Harry, expecting to spend time with his two best friends, was about to be terribly let down. Ron had approached him after breakfast while Hermione was taking her trunk up to Ginny's room.
"Erm, Harry… you know how Hermione and I never really get anytime on our own at school and well, I was hoping for just a few hours… you know." His ears were very red and he was shifting uneasily on either foot.
Harry forced a smile, though he was hurt and a bit dazed by the fact that he now a third wheel.
"Yeah, sure." Ron gave him an uncomfortable grin.
"Thanks, mate. Knew you'd understand. I'll see you in a few hours?"
Harry nodded, just as Hermione came down holding her cloak, scarf and gloves. She, too, looked very uncomfortable at the sight of Harry.
"He doesn't mind." Ron mumbled to Hermione.
"Have a good time." He said, but he didn't really mean it. He went upstairs, a deep feeling of loneliness welling up inside him. This was the first time that Ron and Hermione were ditching him and he had to admit that it hurt.
Harry found himself back in Ron's bedroom. Wondering how he was going to pass the time, he reluctantly resigned himself to reading his Transfiguration textbook. The minutes drifted by and Harry still hadn't got past the third sentence. He read the small passage over and over again, but he seemed unable to take in a word.
"Harry?"
He looked up to find Ginny standing in the doorway, dressed in her winter cloak with snow sprinkled in her long fiery red hair.
"I just saw Ron and Hermione head into the orchard," she began quietly. "And I thought you might like some company?"
"I'm all right," he lied.
She raised her eyebrows at him. "Harry, you're reading a schoolbook."
Why couldn't she just let him be? Let him wallow in his self-pity and miserable thoughts about how life was going to change now that Ron and Hermione were officially a couple and how they wanted to spend time without him.
"Come on, Harry. I was thinking about going skating on the pond. Come with me." It was not a question, but a determined statement that irritated him.
"No, it's fine."
She sighed and entered the room. "Stop being stupid. Do you plan to sit up here on your own all afternoon?"
He said nothing for a moment. "The Dursleys never took me skating, Ginny."
"All the more reason to come with me, Harry. It'll be fun, I'll teach you."
Harry hesitated but then shut his book and grabbed his outdoor things and pulled on his cloak. She smiled at him and Harry looked away. Since the beginning of his sixth year, he'd had a bit of a crush on Ginny, though he never dared to bring himself to imagine a relationship between them. It was too dangerous with Voldemort and besides, she had gotten over him ages ago.
"You can borrow a pair of Ron's skates," she told him as she opened the backdoor for him.
The sun was shining brightly and it really wasn't that cold out. Snow covered every inch of the ground and obscured the broom shed from sight as they walked towards it. Ginny unlocked it with a muttered password and dug around until she pulled out two pairs of skates.
Harry took them wearily. He didn't like the idea of gliding around frozen water on two slender sticks of metal.
"We'll put them on when we get to the pond."
Harry awkwardly walked beside her, unsure of what to say at first. And then, he thought it polite to say, "thanks, Ginny."
She looked up at him with her chocolate brown eyes, her cheeks tinged pink from light chilly breeze that swept around the Burrow.
"For what?"
"For making me come out."
She smiled at him but said nothing. They sat on a log as they laced up the skates. Ginny was done first and pushed off to the center of the ice, spinning in a circle before turning back. He was watching her nervously and suddenly became very aware that he was going to make a fool out of himself in front of the girl that he fancied.
"Come on, Harry!" She called, spinning around to skate backwards. "One foot than the other and don't walk… you'll catch the end of the skate on the ice and fall."
Trying to keep this in mind, he took a hesitant step forward and unsteadily wobbled on the ice, his skates drifting apart until-
THUD.
He groaned and she seemed to be stifling a laugh. "Here, take my hand."
His head jerked up to look at her, but she did appear to register his hesitance at the idea of actually holding her hand.
He did so and clutched it tightly as she pulled him up, still smiling cheerfully. "One foot than the other, Harry. Just like walking, but point your toes out a little and don't lift your skates."
Harry managed a few steps before falling down once more, his glasses sliding down his nose. She laughed at him. "You're so jerky and tense! You have to relax! I'm not going to let you hurt yourself."
"Uh huh and falling on my arse every time doesn't hurt," Harry replied, but he wasn't angry. He was actually enjoying himself with Ginny. How many other chances would he get to hold her hand and spend time alone with her?
After half an hour of falling to the ground, Harry was managing to skate a bit faster and with a little more confidence, though he still needed Ginny to hold his hand to keep his balance. The sun was shining brightly and shining golden rays of her hair, distracting him.
"What are you staring at?" Ginny asked amusedly. Harry coloured and dropped his gaze to the ice.
"Nothing."
They skated around the pond a few more times before Ginny spoke up. "You don't have to hold my hand, if you don't want to Harry." Her voice was soft and discomfort had become evident in her expression.
But Harry had every intention of holding her hand. "No, I want too." He was pleased to find that she was blushing at what he had just said. Could that possibly mean that she still felt something for him?
"You know, if you ever want someone to be there for you, Harry. When Ron and Hermione sneak off on their own, I mean. You can always spend time with me, don't shy away and hole yourself up in Ron's room."
"Ginny, I shouldn't need a reason to spend time with you. We're friends, aren't we?" Friends, yes, but I want it to be so much more.
"Of course we're friends." She replied firmly, still holding his hand as they made another loop around the rink.
Silence fell upon them for a moment and then Ginny let go of his hand, turning around to skate backwards and watch him once more.
"Try on your own," she instructed. "If you can do it, I'll teach you how to do a figure eight."
He laughed nervously as she sped up and did a fancy figure eight on the ice, her eyes alight with happiness. Harry swallowed and slowly moved his feet and he gained confidence and speed until Ginny's skate caught a dent in the ice and she tumbled backwards into a snow bank and Harry, startled by her fall, wobbled dangerously and toppled on top of her.
He could not imagine a more embarrassing scene. His green eyes met her brown ones and there was a moment where Harry had an idea. An idea that made so much sense that he did not need to think about it any longer.
He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. The moment his lips touched hers, an electric wave shot down his spine. He pulled back and came to realize that he was flattening her against the ground.
He sat on his knees, his cheeks red from both the cold and the kiss. She stared at him with an expression that he could not read. He finally found his voice moments later.
"I'm sorry, Ginny."
But fury flashed into her eyes. "If you ever apologize for that again, I'll hex you into next year." Her voice was low and dangerous, eyes flashing.
She sat on her knees and took his hands into hers. "I still really like you, Harry. And… if that kiss meant nothing, if it was just spur-of-the-moment, then that's fine, but-"
An odd smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Then may I do it again?"
His boldness silenced her but she nodded numbly, daring to believe this was real. He leaned in again and she met him halfway. It was gentle and chaste, like he was afraid to break her.
When it ended she stood up and took his hand. "Are you still having a miserable holiday?"
"No," he pecked her on the cheek and she smiled shyly.
"Happy Christmas, Harry Potter."
"It is… now."
Fin
Happy Holidays!