The common room was completely empty; almost everyone had gone home for the Christmas holidays. Snow had settled on the on the out side of the window from the blizzard the night before. Garland was hung around the room, and a small tree was decorated in the corner. The fire the house elves had lit was still ablaze removing any winter nip that tried to slink into the room.
Fred and Gorge could be heard bounding down the stairs two at a time. They were both in matching striped pyjama bottoms, the only way to tell them apart was the large F and G on there new Christmas jumpers. The sun was already high in the sky lighting up the room. Fred and Gorge settled into comfy chairs and began a riveting game of wizard chess.
Harry began down the stairs only moments later followed by a groggy, grumpy Rom. Harry had woken Ron only moments ago by opening his gifts as loudly as physically possible. When Ron had complained Harry reminded him of there gift date with Hermione in a short half hour. Ron could feel his stomach clench at the words as butterflies swarmed in.
Harry and Ron sat on the couch, and handed one another there gifts they were exchanging. Hermione's gift felt hot in his picket. They longer they sat there the longer the small gold locket mocked him. What if she didn't like it? What if she laughed in his face? What if he ruined the logistics of there friendship? All these questions swirled in his mind as he prayed that Hermione had taken ill so he would have time to just buy her a simple book and save himself the humiliation.
Rom only had time to wish harm on Hermione for only a few minutes before she came down the stairs from the girls' dorms. Hermione was wearing only a pink tank top and black weight and pink plaid pyjama bottoms. Rom watched Hermione; under her school robes it was easy to forget how much more… grown up… she was now then when she was in her first year.
Hermione came over to then and sat on the couch and pulled her knees up to her chin sleepily, she gave a small yawn and she put her chin on her knees watching the boys unwrap there gifts. "Sweet" Ron exclaimed as he looked at an unhealthy amount of chocolate frogs. "Maybe now ill finely get that last card" he said looking at them all.
Harry was the next to open his gift. Wrapped in messy paper Rom had clearly wrapped himself was an assortment of candies. The candies he unwrapped were some he had never seen before, some popped in you bit them to fast, some changed flavour into what ever you were craving most at that moment and some would change all viable skin to the color of the candy for up to three hours. At closer inspection each wrapper was hand wrapped with a small F and G on the bottom, Ron had clearly gotten his brothers to make them.
Hermione waits patently for the boys to finish examining there gifts before facing them cross legged and handing them both gifts. Harry smiled and handed one to Hermione. Harry was getting more used to getting gifts on Christmas but it still always surprised him a little bit when people remembered him, or gave him more then an old pair of socks.
Harry opened his gift. His smiles would have grown if his mouth wasn't already at full smile capacity. Gently he pulls two books out of the wrapping and examined them. The first one was one of the few Quidditch books he didn't already own, and the other was 'Top Aurors of the Last 100 Years'. "Thanks so much" he says opening up the second of the two books looking for a name he recognized. Harry was not at all surprised when he saw Mad Eyes picture staring back at him, he also found Kingsley Shacklebolt picture not to long after.
Ron's' stomach knotted as he looked at his own gift. He couldn't give Hermione the gift now. He couldn't just tell her that he liked her; it would make him look like an idiot. He took a small breath and opened the gift slowly. After he pulled the bow off he worked on the paper then peeked inside 'please let it be pebbles' he thought. When he saw what was inside of the small rectangular box his heart soared. He looked at the box and back at Hermione "are there real?" he asks still in shock. Hermione just smiles and nodded. Ron pulled out the three Quidditch tickets and examined them.
"You can take whom ever you like" she said beaming at him proud of her gift. Rom sat there with his mouth slightly open.
"Of course I'm taking you two" he said in aw. Hermione smiled one last time before starting to open the gift harry had gotten her. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she sees a few books for things they didn't teach at Hogwarts, a set of her favourite quills and some new scrolls.
Hermione and Harry both looked at Ron. "Oh…. Ummm, I seem to have forgotten to get you something Hermione, sorry about that." He said. He coped out, he couldn't do it, and he couldn't tell her he liked her not now with his brothers in the room. He could tell right away that he made the wrong choice as he saw the hurt well up in her eyes. "Look I don't know why you care so much, ill buy you a book next time were in hogsmeed oaky?" Rom started feel guilty and immediately tried to hide it by acting angry. He didn't know what ells to do it was the most reasonable thing he could think to do.
"No its fine" she said standing up and smoothing her shirt. "Really I don't mind Christmas isn't about gifts anyways" she says trying to hide how hurt she was. She had saved so long to get him his gift and he forgot about her. Fred and Gorge stopped there game to see what was going on, they could spot a Ron cover up from a mile away.
Ron looked at Hermione the pain written on her face as plainly as the words were written on 'A History a Hogwarts". Ron ground lauder the he had meant to, today was supposed to be a great day but he ruined it, maybe it wasn't to late all he had to do was tell her. He didn't want to embarrass himself but he couldn't stand to hurt her.
"Just kidding" Ron said giving her a sheepish smile. Hermione looked slightly confused.
"What do you mean 'just kidding'?" she asked sitting back down looking at him trying to figure out what could possibly be going on in the simple mind of Ron Weasley.
"It was the first gift I got" he said pulling the small box out of his pocket. The smallness of the gift mocked him.
"Hermione took the gift and held the box in the palm of her hand looking at it. Ever gift giving holiday she could remember Ron had given her a book, in fact she had a bookshelf dedicated to books just from him. Every year she had wished that he would give her something real, some kind of sign that he liked her but he never had.
"Well are you going to open it or stare at it all day? Bloody hell" this time he was unable to hide her fear and worry. Hermione slowly began to open the gift, each small tare in the paper was agonising for Ron. Every moment that passed Ron though of another way she could react, every one was worst then the last. One even involved him being cursed.
When Hermione's eyes finely fell on the small gold heart locket her eyes began to fill up. This was the gift she had spent her nights dreaming about. She knew how little money the Weasley's had and knew how long Ron must have saved for that.
Hermione turned to Rom and grabbed his face kissing him. She could feel his lips soft against her; Ron didn't hesitate for a moment. Rom could taste everything that was Hermione the moment there lips became one. Ron breathed in deep taking in the smell of everything from her perfume to her shampoo.
Slowly the two pulled away from each other, right now they were all that were important the fact that they were here together. Slowly the sounds of the room came back to them. Rom could here his brothers awing and could see Harry watching them in shock. Ron and Hermione's fingers laced with ease without either of them even having to look, it's as if there hands were meant to be together.
"Well anyone ready for food?" Ron asked smiling. The people in the room just rolled there eyes and left for one of the happiest Christmas breakfasts anyone at Hogwarts had ever seen.