XXXXXX

"Believe in what your heart is saying,
hear the melody that's playing.
There's no time to waste,
there's so much to celebrate."

-Josh Groban "Believe"

XXXXXX

The dining room table had been immaculately set. Due to the combined efforts of Hermione, Ginny, Fleur and Mrs. Weasely it glittered from the soft candlelight refracting off the pure silver cutlery and the crystal goblets that had been handed down to Mr. Weasely from his grandmother. The food- once it all had been placed atop the cream-white linen table cloth—had the effect of vibrant colorful paint added to a once white canvas. However, this pristine vision had been an hour ago; an hour that had changed the atmosphere from awe inspiring immaculacy to anything but.

Food had been descended upon by ravenous wolves, otherwise known as Fred and George. They had almost eaten half the ham themselves and their place settings were covered in bits of snow peas they catapulted at each other with their spoons. Beside Fred sat Angelina, who kept adapting a guilty look at her future mother-in-law each time a pea whizzed by Mrs. Weasely. Next to Angelina were Fleur and Bill with Elise and Jeanette in high chairs. Taking cues from their uncles the girls were throwing their peas across the table as well winging them off the wineglasses and serving bowls. A small dark haired child, 18 months old was scurrying around under the table, grabbing at peas that missed their intended targets and had fallen to the floor. His pudgy little grasp found its way to Hermione's leg.

"Teddy-" Hermione managed to pry the boy out from under the table, taking a dust stained pea from his hand before he could eat it. "You have plenty to eat without looking on the floor." She stood up from her chair and passed Teddy Lupin – the son of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks – to his mother.

Her actions were done right over the head of Seamus who was trying to catch Ginny's eye who was seated across from him. But every time he got Ginny to smile at him Mrs. Weasely would parade by, despite a lack of reason to do so, making him turn his attention to the bread pudding on his plate.

"Sorry Seamus," Hermione apologized for hanging over him before reclaiming her seat.

"No harm done," Seamus said offering her a smile but it was lost as he ducked away from Mrs. Weasely's eyes and became fascinated by the act of spearing a piece of ham with his fork.

Tonks settled her son in her lap, changing her hair from the dark brown waves she had to a short spiky bright fuchsia cut, much to Teddy's amusement, and when his mouth was opened wide enough from laughing Tonks shoved some bread pudding inside. But Teddy was laughing really hard now, so much so that the pudding shot out of his mouth and hit Harry right on the side of his face.

"Teddy!" Tonks tried to sound like a disciplining mother, but at the same time she was trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry Harry."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said reaching for his napkin.

"Nice shot mate," Fred congratulated Teddy, who clapped his little hands and at the compliment.

"He might be ready for the Qudditch team after that," Angelina said, amusement coating her words.

Harry tried to wipe the goo off, but he really couldn't see anything, and his attention was distracted when he caught sight of Hermione staring at him. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Hermione said. "I just feel that Angelina's onto something. You may have to lend Teddy your Firebolt." She ducked in laughter when he pitched the napkin at her. "Here," she picked up the damask cloth he had just thrown at her and wiped off the rest of the sticky mess from his hairline. She kissed the side of his head a second later. "And a kiss to make it better," "Mmm, you taste as good as the pudding." The last words were said low enough so that only Harry could hear, Harry and Ron who was sitting on Harry's right and who coughed in amusement.

"How lovely," Mrs. Weasely had caught the kiss and was thoroughly convinced she had just witnessed a moment of pure marital happiness. "Ronald are you ever going to find yourself a girl?"

Ron coughed again, this time because he was choking on a piece of ham. Harry whacked him on the back. "Mum do we have to discuss this now?"

"You're not getting any younger Ron," Mrs. Weasely insisted.

"Mum I'm nineteen," Ron responded. "Bill didn't marry Fleur until he was 25 and Charlie wasn't with Cassandra until last year." His last remark was referring to his second oldest brother Charlie and his wife Cassandra. Both were currently on the outskirts of Romania because their jobs as dragon wranglers had sent them there to catch a heard of Romanian Razor Tailed Greenbacks.

"Bill was very busy after Hogwarts, so was Charlie." Mrs. Weasely was punching holes in Ron's argument left and right. "Whatever happened to that Lavender girl?"

"Viktor Krum happened Mum," George answered. "After Hermione broke it off with him for Harry he started in on Lavender-"

"Hang on, how'd you know that?" Ron cut in. "You weren't even in school anymore then."

"Word travels fast in our circle baby brother," George said. "Lavender was all wrong for you anyway, she had too much on the bottom, your children would've been horrendous."

"How about Luna?" Mrs. Weasely suggested. "She's a nice girl, been your friend ever since your Fifth Year."

"Mum please," Ron pleaded, wishing for nothing more at that moment then for a giant Hippogriff to come crashing through the ceiling to distract her from her questioning. "Luna and I are only friends."

"Harry and Hermione were friends all through school," Mrs. Weasely brought the pair into the argument. "Ever since they were children, now look at them."

Hermione felt her face go red. She placed a hand on her stomach, as if trying to press the baby back down to spare Ron some grief from his mother.

"You should write to Luna, let her hear how you've been," Mrs. Weasely suggested.

"Mum stave off Ron," Ginny said. "Finding a girl isn't a very easy thing." She enjoyed ribbing Ron, but –like Hermione – she was beginning to feel bad for her brother at being interrogated in front of everyone.

Mrs. Weasely whirred on her. "And you Ginerva, are you and Seamus ever going to stop just fooling around?"

Seamus sank lower in his chair; if his wand weren't in his back pocket he'd have cast an invisibility charm on himself then and there.

"Molly," Remus looked up to Mrs. Weasely from his chair. "The holidays weren't made for interrogations."

Mrs. Weasely glared at him, but she returned to her seat.

Seamus and Ron both sighed in relief and Ginny smirked at them. "Can't take the heat ladies?"

"You looked a little hot under the collar too Gin," Seamus whispered to her.

"I'm always hot with you Seamus." Ginny whispered back, seeing Fred, George and Ron affix Seamus with death glares because they had overheard her. She turned back up to them with a ten megawatt smile. "Happy Christmas boys."

XXXXXXX

9:30 PM

The clatter of empty plates sounded off like ringing bells as huge stacks of cleaned china made their way back to the cabinets. Hermione ducked as one of the stacks made their way dangerously close to the top of her head. A pang hit her abdomen and she remained in a hunched over position after the air above her head was clear.

Ginny set down the tray she was about to hand her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Hermione shook her head, standing back up, rubbing her stomach in circles. "The baby is just using my body as a football." When Ginny looked at her in puzzlement she added: "It's a game Muggles play, kicking around a white and black ball into nets. Dad's obsessed with it."

"Ouch," Ginny said, majicking the tray to its place so Hermione didn't have to take it.

"It must be all ze excitement," Fleur said from the sink where she was overseeing the washing of wine crystal with her wand. "When I was pregnant, ze girlz would dance inside me anytime there were a lot of people around."

"Bill and Charley moved like they were swimming," Mrs. Weasely said walking ahead of the broom that was sweeping itself across the floor. "All the time. But Fred and George, they kicked me so hard it felt like they were trying to escape; especially when it got noisy. They were always into dramatics." Molly shook her head, but still smiled at the memory. "Have you thought of a name yet?" she asked Hermione.

"Ava for a girl," Hermione said. "It was my grandmum's name, if it's a boy –" she paused. "I wanted James, after Harry's dad, but I don't think Harry does. He doesn't mention liking it every time I bring it up."

"Maybe it's too painful for him poor thing," Mrs. Weasely said, stopping the broom's movement because the sweeping was complete. "Orphaned at such a young age; he must still miss them terribly." She picked up the broom and set it back in the cupboard. She came over to Hermione, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Don't think I'm making him a story of sentimental piety, dear. Harry's a good man."

"Ze best," Fleur agreed, wiping her hands on her apron. "Except for my Bill of course; but Harry iz a close second."

"Believe me I know," Hermione told them.