Chapter Four: A Very Merry Christmas

Harry

Seeing the The Quartier Magique for the first time was almost as wonderful as it had been the first time he stepped into the Diagon Alley. He and Céline had taken the Floo Network for a spin, appearing at a wide section of Fireplaces at the end of a long, straight street. At the far end of the street stood a grand marble building with classical columns. The French branch of the Gringotts bank looked very similar to the one in London.

There were rows of shops, selling everything from robes and hats, to wands, cauldrons, potions and alchemical ingredients. He saw a few restaurants, bakeries and cafés, with customers sitting outside by rounded tables, enjoying the heating charms in the cold weather. He noted that the people were dressed slightly differently from the witches and wizards of Britain. Less Charles Dickens, more the roaring twenties in style.

"Wow." He said, his mind not able to grasp any firmer sentiments at the time.

"I know. It is quite lovely, non?" Céline smiled. "Now come. You wanted to do some shopping, yes?"

"Yeah. That be great."

They spent hours walking around, just looking at the shops and buying a few items. Harry spent over half an hour in a shop selling Quidditch Supplies, longing for the days he used to play. He had caught a few matches at Bauxbatons, but watching the sport couldn't hold a candle to playing it. A short, balding man had approached him to see if he needed any assistance, but when the man saw his scar, he dropped the French and started speaking in a broad Irish dialect. It turned out that Mr. Doyle had moved to France fifteen years ago to be with his wife, and had taken over her father's shop.

When Harry had expressed interest in a Firebolt, Mr. Doyle had practically forced it on him. Harry had to haggle the man up to a third of the price, and Mr. Doyle looked offended at the very suggestion that he would pay a knut more.

"I won't hear of tha' Mr. Potter. Me whole family suffered under you-know-who. Me mum an' da were killed by those bastards, and me sister was tortured. You're a god's damned hero in my book!" Mr Doyle said, close to tears as he shook Harry's hand.

In the end, he left the store with a brand new Firebolt, a maintenance kit, and a complete set of protective gear, in fine Italian leather, with delicate silk inlays. All for less money than the gear and the kit alone would have cost He said his goodbyes to Mr. Doyle, and shook his hand furiously. Harry had never been comfortable with the hero-worship that followed him, but he was too polite to say so to kind old Mr. Doyle. Céline had a strange smirk on her lips as she watched him when they excited.

"Does that happen to you a lot?" She asked as they headed down the street.

"More often than I'd like." Murmured Harry. Their next stop was a dress shop, where she helped him pick out a dress in the latest French Witch fashion for Ginny. He had promised her something posh after all, and what was more posh and French than a laced dress that would make her friends green with envy.

He picked out a toy broom, a toy wand and a selection of stuffed animals and building blocks for his godson. He got a few bottles of Cognac and wine, selected with Céline's help. Some he would keep, some he would send as gifts for Headmistresses McGonagall and Maxime, and a bottle the size of medium dog for Hagrid.

They sat down for dinner at a restaurant overlooking the busy street, with heating charms surrounding the outdoor seating area. As they waited for their food, they chatted and watched the crowd rushing past this way or that. Harry was once again impressed with Hermione's gift. The briefcase had no problem holding all his purchases, once again proving her innovative and brilliant mind. It truly ranked among his most beloved possessions, even after owning it for such a short time. After dinner, they continued their shopping, Céline picking up gifts for her family, and Harry finding a few more gifts. They parted ways in the evening, after Harry rented a room at an inn at the entry of the street. They exchanged a hug before Céline stepped into one of the fireplaces and vanished in a plume of green flames.

His trip back to Britain was thankfully uneventful. He rose at seven, took a shower, and had a pleasant breakfast at one of the bakeries. He sampled a few pastries that made his mouth water, and ended up buying an entire basket full of them for Ron. After one last look around the street, he headed to the fireplaces and floo powder powered his way to the French Ministry. A slightly haggard-looking Monsieur Delacour greeted him and walked him over to his portkey to London. The small man had always looked beyond pristine when Harry had seen him, but there were small bags under his eyes, and his suit looked rumpled. He was nonetheless pleasant and smiling, even if some of the smiles looked forced to Harry. He shook Harry's hand, wished him a happy Christmas, and went running off towards a staircase.

The portkey was an old tea kettle, and with the familiar pull behind his bellybutton, he was yanked to the British Ministry. He wobbled unsteadily for a bit, before regaining his breath and balance. When he was sure he stood firmly on his own two legs, he looked around at the Ministry lobby, now decked out in lavish Christmas decorations. He put down the kettle on a small pedestal next to him, and before he could turn around completely, there was a loud squeal, and he found himself nuzzled in a mane of curly brown hair.

"Harry! It's so good to see you! I have missed you so much!" Hermione said, giving him a hug that almost knocked the breath from him.

"Hermione! It's good to see you too! I didn't think you'd come to welcome me." Harry said grinning, hugging his friend in return.

"Aye mate. Couldn't let the big hero return without a proper welcome now, could we?" Ron said as he strode over with a huge grin on his face. He slapped Harry on the back as he gave him a quick hug of his own.

They had caused a little scene, and people started pointing as they saw Harry Potter in the flesh, after the man being missing from public life for months. As a small crowd started to form, Ron deftly plowed a path through it, towing Harry and Hermione in his wake.

"Where to, Harry?" Ron asked.

"My place for a spot of tea, then lunch?" Harry replied with a grin. "I'll see you there." With no further words, he twisted in place and disapparated.

Grimmauld Place Twelve was much as he had left it when heading to France. He had done a bit of redecorating, and the house seemed a bit lighter now than it had been when he first saw it. He had instructed Kreacher to keep the house in order, and to his surprise, the place was spotless. With a loud Crack! The wizened old House Elf appeared.

"Welcome back, young master Potter. Kreacher has kept on cleaning as commanded. Is there anything Kreacher can do for Master?" He asked in his cracking voice, sketching a short bow.

"Thank you, Kreacher. Some tea would be nice, actually. Could you bring it to my study, please? I expect company soon." Harry said, hanging his travel cloak on a peg at the door.

"Of course, Master. Kreacher will be glad to serve young master and his visitors." With a small bow and a crack, the house elf was gone.

Harry hadn't even closed the door before his two friends appeared with two small pops. They followed him up to his study, where they took their usual seats. Before Harry's butt even touched his chair, Kreacher arrived with the tea, placing it on the table before bowing and leaving, muttering to himself about mudbloods and blood traitors. Ron got a bit stiff at the comments, but Hermione placed a loving hand on his thigh, calming him.

"So. How was France?" Hermione smiled as she poured herself some tea.

"Good. It is much warmer at Bauxbatons than Hogwarts. And the school looks like a palace fit for a king. It doesn't have the good old charm of Hogwarts thou. But by Merlin, the school and the grounds are beautiful." Answered Harry.

"And how does the teaching go?" Ron asked, gulping down his first cup in two great swallows.

"Better than I feared it would. My students seem to grasp the basics very easily. They have an outstanding grounding in the theories and academia of magic, but lack the focus on practice and practicality we were taught. I think you'd love the place, Hermione."

They stayed at his study for hours, catching up on the day to day of their lives. Harry produced the basket of pastries from his briefcase, to Ron's enthusiastic approval. He tore into it with abandon, and quickly found his favorites. Kreacher appeared with a new kettle after a while, and Harry noted that it had become dark outside the window. He glanced at his watch, noting they had sat there for almost five hours. As soon as he realized the time, he felt a pang of hunger. They decided to head out for dinner, and Hermione chose a cozy muggle restaurant not far from the Ministry that she frequented for lunch.

The dinner was a pleasant affair. As they chatted, Harry realized just how much he had missed his two best friends. They both looked a bit harassed at the seams, but they were more of their old selves than they had been when he left. Hermione had been busy at work at the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, helping with the rebuilding effort and already pushing for reform relating to House Elfs, Centaurs and Goblins. She was glowing with pride and enthusiasm as she talked about her work, and Harry could only smile. She had several laws written up, waiting for processing, banning abuse and mistreatment. She reminded him so much of her fervor during her S.P.E.W days.

Ron related that things were still hectic at the Auror's Office. There were very few Death Eaters still remaining at large, and most of them had gone into hiding. Most Snatchers had been caught and put on trial, and there were no more attacks. On the other hand, Pure Dawn had established themselves in Britain, but they remained mostly silent in the political sphere. They pushed for restriction of magic for muggleborn wizard and witches, but they had gotten very little traction thus far, due to the tyranny of Voldemort and his cronies fresh in everyone's mind. Harry felt disgusted that another Pure Blood First group had gained any support at all, but Ron assured him that they were keeping a very watchful eye on the situation.

They stayed at the restaurant until almost midnight, enjoying the food, the drink and the company. When they finally parted ways, it was with light minds and hearts. As Harry laid down in his bed that night, he fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the long day. When he woke up the following morning, his latest nightmares fresh in mind, he nonetheless felt a slight peace. It was good to be back in Britain.

The next days he was busy visiting with his godson and friends. He even went for a little last minute shopping. The news from eastern and southern Europe was far from good. Even with Christmas approaching, there were reports of increased unrest, demonstrations and in some cases attacks across Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Poland and even the Baltic States. He had read through every publication he could find about Pure Dawn in Britain, but like Ron had said, they were very few in number, and didn't have much traction. He tried not to let him bother him, but he felt a smoldering fury that after all that had been sacrificed against Voldemort, after all the death and torment and destruction, that there were still people willing to follow down that very path.

Ginny

The Christmas holiday had not come soon enough for Ginny. Hogwarts had been a dreary shithole last year, and thou the Death Eaters had been sent packing, and their master killed on the school grounds, the castle still had a demure feeling to it. It was almost as if the shadow of the last year hung over the place, and, she had to admit, over her and several of the other students and teachers as well. Even her elevation to Team Captain on the Quidditch team did little to lighten her mood. Flying gave her comfort, but her faithful old broom had started failing, steering slightly to the left.

She had missed Harry so terribly. They had barely had a chance to talk with everything going on. After the Battle of Hogwarts, she had wanted to be near him so bad, but it seemed the entire universe was conspiring to keep them apart. Just let it bloody try she growled at the thought. She had set her mind on Harry, and she would be trice damned if she let anything come between them now. Just a few more months, and she would be out of school, free to do as she pleased.

But despite her feelings and longing to be with him, they hadn't seen each other for months. After the battle, her mom had refused to have any of her children out of her sight, and Harry had been caught up in a storm of people wanting a piece of him. He had joined the Aurors and spent the summer tracking down and catching Death Eaters and Snatchers. And she had been stuck at the Burrow, in a house laden with grief. She had cried for weeks over Fred, and her family seemed so much smaller for his loss.

And before she had had time to properly grieve, get her feelings sorted and had more than two minutes together with the love of her life, she found herself standing at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, saying goodbye to him and kissing him awkwardly on the cheek before being carried away to school aboard the Hogwarts Express. And of course, he had gone and left the whole bloody country. Not that it mattered much, with her still in school, but the thought that he was so far away was unsettling to her.

He had been a faithful pen-pal this year, luckily, but the letters were just not enough. She found herself needing him, needing to be near him, hold him, kiss him. When the Christmas break arrived, she was thrilled. She needed some time to herself, and with Harry. She had decided that they had spent far too much time apart, and leaving their relationship in a strange, undefined place. She wanted so bad to let him know how much she loved him, and she had a plan to let him know just how much over Christmas.

She had heard from Ron during breakfast that Harry had arrived back to England the day before, which explained why Ron had been home so late. Her heart had started racing when she heard he was back in the country, and she wanted to disapparate to see him so bad, but her Mom had an entire day of cleaning all planned out for her. Oh how much fun. But Harry was back in the country, she had over two more weeks off, and he was spending Christmas with them. She would get her chance, and she would take it.

She spent the next days helping her mother put everything in order for Christmas. There was a lot to do, for sure, but she had a sneaky suspicion that she was kept busy on purpose to keep her around the house, and not go gallivanting off somewhere. On Tuesday they went to Diagon Alley to do some shopping, with only two days left before Christmas Eve. She had saved up a little money, and looked forward to spend some of it. She had a few gifts to buy anyway, including one for Harry.

Diagon Alley had come a long way since the end of the war. Several shops had reopened, including Ollivander's, and a few new ones had sprouted. There were decorations everywhere, as if the entire Diagon Alley had agreed to wash away the stain of the last year by spreading cheer. He could appreciate the effort, if nothing more.

She had been pleased to see that Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes were thriving. She knew that George felt the loss of Fred like his own body and soul had been ripped apart, and was glad that he had the shop to keep himself busy. Lee Jordan had been a tremendous help to her brother, and had become George's partner, helping him run the shop. She stopped by to say hi, but could see they were too busy for idle chatting. She spent the day doing mostly window-shopping, eyeing a new broom but knowing in her heart she would never be able to afford it. She had finished shopping and were just enjoying being out and about, when her mother caught up to her, bristling with her filled bags, and eager to return home.

Before she even knew it, it was Christmas Eve, and The Burrow started slowly filling up. Percy, Bill and Fleur, Charlie and George were all coming. With the addition of Harry and Ron as well, the house would be full. Hermione was spending Christmas with her family, after finally being able to track them down in Australia and undo the memory altering charm she had put them under. This meant that Ginny would have her room to herself, luckily. She was prepping for the dessert when there was a knock on the kitchen door. She looked out the window, and saw a familiar tussled black hair, and her heart skipped a beat, before it started pounding in her chest with vengeance.

Harry

When Christmas Eve arrived, he visited Teddy and Andromeda, and stayed for lunch. He was happy to learn that Andromeda had gotten quite a lot of help and support from various friends of Tonks and Remus, who had sworn that their son would know how much their parents had loved him. Harry felt pride and joy swell in his chest as he saw the massive pile of presents under the Christmas tree, a testament to the legacy left to him. Harry had added his own gifts to the pile, and was chatting with her over a cup of tea, sweetened with honey after lunch. He said his goodbyes, promising to visit again in the next few days, and departed for The Burrow.

When he knocked on the kitchen door, it swung open and he was struck by a petite red haired lightning bolt as Ginny wrapped herself around him and planted a fierce kiss on his lips. He was too stunned at first to do anything but just stand there like a slightly retarded statue, before his limbs unfroze, and he wrapped his arms around her and returned her kiss. She felt so firm, soft and warm pressed to his body, and her soft lips on his was driving him mad. He had missed her so much over the months, and had missed kissing her for far longer. He felt a stirring hunger from deep within as he deepened the kiss, wanting ever more.

"Oy! That's still my sister you know!" Ron called from behind him, having apparated a little after Harry. "I'm ok with you two dating, if that's what you're doing, but try not to snog each other's brains out in front of me, yeah?"

They broke apart, Harry stepping back and feeling a blush creep up his face, and Ginny cursed silently.

"Bloody hell Ron! Weren't you supposed to visit Hermione?" Ginny said, turning her flustered smoldering annoyance at her brother. "And if I want to snog Harry, I will bloody well snog Harry, you got that?"

"Relax! Relax! Just teasing!" Said Ron, holding his hands up in surrender with a smirk on his face. "Bill here yet?" he asked as he lowered his hands and headed towards the door.

"Yeah. In the living room. Now, Sod off." Ginny hissed, and smacked Ron on the back of the head as he passed, making him laugh hard.

"So… I've missed you." Said Harry, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah. I missed you too." Ginny looked a bit redder than usual, but if it was embarrassment or annoyance he couldn't tell. He had no idea what to say, and kept opening his mouth and closing it, feeling like a fool as he struggled to find the words.

"So. We should maybe talk?" Ginny said, biting her lip nervously as she looked at him.

"Yeah." He swallowed for no reason, as his eyes fixated on her soft, plump lips. "Talk." He took a step forward, wanting to feel her in his arms again, when Mrs. Weasley appeared in the kitchen.

"Ah! Harry! So good to see you!" She said, rushing over to embrace him in a tight bear hug. She let go of the hug, but held him in a firm grip as she looked him over. "You look well, Dear. A bit thin still. Don't they feed you in France?" She fussed over him as she lead them into the house and into the living room. He exchanged hugs with George, Fleur and Bill, shook Mr. Weasley's hand and Percy's, before being ushered into a stuffed chair and had a cup of tea thrusted into his hand as they bombarded him with questions about France. Fleur was a bit miffed that her sister was struggling with his classes, and said she would have words with her when she and Bill went to visit in a few days.

Ginny had taken the seat closest to him, and kept stealing glances. After a while, Mrs. Weasley announced that dinner was ready, and they trooped into the kitchen. Christmas dinner at The Burrow had a tendency to end with Harry so full he was barely able to move, and it seemed this year would not be the year that tradition was broken. When every course had been consumed and cleaned away, and dessert had been partaken of with reckless abandon, They rolled their way into the living room once more, collapsing into their chosen seats like sacks of potatoes, and just drowsily conversing. At some point, biscuits and small cakes were placed on the table, along with a few bottles of wine and butterbeer.

Harry and Ginny had ended up on the couch together, and as people started drifting off to bed, she leaned over and whispered into his ear.

"I have something for you. Come to my room after everyone is asleep, please?"

He just looked at her shocked at the invitation, but nodded. She left for bed half an hour later, leaving Harry, Ron, Mr. Weasley and Charlie awake and chatting about the situation in Europe.

"Things are far worse than the papers tell in Romania," Charlie said, filling his cup with more wine while he talked. "People are disappearing. Just a few, but the pattern is too familiar to be coincidence. The network I recruited last year has reformed, preparing to resist. I'm telling you, Romania might fall if the ministry doesn't take action soon."

"I talked with Shacklebolt," Mr. Weasley said, leaning in. "He is aware, and has contacted the Romanian ministry several times, offering help. The Romanians, however, insists that there is no trouble, and that they are well prepared."

"I spoke with Roger Pewtersmith in foreign affairs. He told me the Germans and French have been in contact. Apparently they want to cooperate in suppressing the violence if it spreads." Ron chimed in.

"That's good, but it might not be enough if this thing spreads to more countries. God forbid they actually gain real power." Charlie said, yawning. "At least Britain is in no danger this far. Pure Dawn worries me, and their rhetoric is dangerously close to Voldemort's, but they do seem to lack a strong figurehead so far. That may be their biggest weakness. They may even run out of steam before anything comes of them." Drained his cup, he said goodnight and headed to bed, leaving the others. They sat in silence for a few moments, finishing their drink. As Mr. Weasley and Ron got up to go to bed, Harry stayed behind, telling Ron he needed to finish a few letters. Ron just shrugged, yawned, and waved him goodnight as he trooped towards the stairs and disappeared.

Harry sat immobile on the couch for several long minutes, trying to work out how to counteract the spreading reach of Pure Dawn. He reminded himself that Ginny had wanted him to stop by her room on the way to bed. He felt curious as to what she had for him that was such a secret, but reasoned he would find out soon enough. He rose from his comfortable position, got his briefcase and deposited his presents by the tree. He then headed up the stairs, stopping at Ginny's room. He knocked lightly on the door, and was surprised when it swung open and she pulled him inside. She led him to her bed, and pushed him down on it.

As she strode over to her door and locked it, she cast a muffliato charm. Harry noted she was just dressed in a bath robe, and felt himself blush. She stood in front of him, looking at the floor for a long moment, before rising her eyes to meet his. He saw that she was nervous about something, and her cheeks had a delicious rose red tint to them.

"So. I know we haven't really figured out where we stand yet, with everything." She stuttered a bit, but her voice got steadier as she continued, a fierce determination and something he didn't recognize shining in her eyes. "But damn it! I love you Harry Potter. I love you, and I always have. And even with everything seeming to conspire against us, I say screw it! I want you, and I don't want to wait any longer."

With slow movements, she disrobed, revealing that she was completely nude. Harry stared in open wonder at her naked body, taking in her creamy freckled skin, her slender figure, her rounded, firm breasts and her shapely curves. He felt like he was burning up, and falling off a cliff, and drowning all at the same time. His mouth felt dry, he had trouble even forming a coherent thought, except that she was truly, stunningly beautiful.

"So… Do you want me, Harry?" She asked nervously, biting her lower lip as she stood naked before him. Somewhere, deep down in his being, a fiery passion was stoked to a fierce pitch. Without even thinking, he grabbed her, pulling her down on him, his hands exploring every inch of her body as his lips sought hers. Giving her a tiny respite from his administration, he broke the kiss, looked her dead in the eyes and whispered "Yes".

Christmas eve had turned from food and politics to hot fiery passion. He had disrobed quickly, joining her naked in bed, using his hands, mouth and tongue to explore her body, coaxing gasps and moans from her as he discovered in small doses what she liked and where she enjoyed being touched. He payed attention to her breasts, massaging them as they kissed, feeling how Ginny started breathing heavier and moaned into their kiss. She started bucking herself against him, feeling his arousal press against her. When his fingers finally found her mound, it was wet and slick with her juices. When she grabbed him and placed him at her entrance, begging him to be her first, he didn't need to be told twice.

As he moved in her, sharing kisses in their passion, she moaned beneath him. First in pain, then in pleasure. Harry had no idea how long they stayed like that, coupled together in Ginny's bed, their bodies intertwined as they sought each other's pleasure. When she climaxed around him, it was enough to push him over the limit. He felt himself erupting within her, his entire body going rigid as she rode his orgasm, rolling her hips into him to prolong it.

Afterwards, they lay in bed, her head resting on his chest as they enjoyed the sensations of just being close to each other. They basked in the bliss and glory of what they had shared, chatting idly until Ginny reluctantly kicked him out of bed. She watched him dress with hungry eyes, but limited herself to giving him a kiss before he left her room.

When he stood in the empty hallway, Harry had a hard time not believing it had all been a dream. He felt like he was walking on clouds as headed up the stairs to Ron's room, and slipped in. Ron was snoring soundly, not a care in the world, and Harry grinned. As he laid down to sleep, he felt like a giggling school girl, and had to struggle to not laugh out loud. If there had been any doubt as to their relationship before, Ginny had promptly removed any doubt in the most spectacular way possible. For the first time Harry could remember, he went to sleep with a mind completely at ease, and not even the usual nightmares could do anything to ruin the deep bliss he was feeling.