Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Peace and Unity, Forever.
Chapter Eight: Candy Canes and Kisses.
Time at Hogwarts passed uneventfully for the group of friends. Harry and Astoria were happier than ever and had just celebrated their five month anniversary. No one knew how, but everyone could see that the two were besotted with each other.
Ginny and Neville had finally got together at the first Quidditch match after-party, in a similar fashion Ron and Lavender had got together, but in a much more sweet and romantic way. They were still in the honeymoon period, but it looked as though it would last, if not forever, then for a very, very long time.
Ron and Luna were still together miraculously, although no one knew how Luna could put up with him. What everyone did know however, was that Luna and Blaise had been spending a lot of time together. When Draco asked Blaise one evening what he thought of Luna Blaise replied, "She cute, quirky, smart, and a lot of fun to hang around with. You can't not smile when you're with her. Just a shame she's still with Weasley." Everyone secretly hoped that she would dump Ron and go out with Blaise. They made an odd but cute couple.
Draco and Hermione were still going strong. They had been together for a total of two months altogether now. They were even more inseparable than Harry and Astoria. They sat together in nearly every lesson they had together, had their meals together and lived together, and they didn't annoy each other with their constant presence. A couple of times a week however they retreated to their separate house common rooms, just to give each other a little space.
The only problem that any of them had was Ron Weasley. Whether it was being unable to break up with him (Luna), staring at them (Harry and Astoria) or following them around a couple of steps back (Hermione and Draco). They thought that he was harmless, looking but not taking action. That was until the confrontation in the library, between him and Hermione.
Hermione was in the library during her free period. She had to find a book to help her with her advanced Arithmancy homework. She was just reaching up to grab her book when she felt someone walk up behind her. She innitially smiled thinking it was Draco surprising her, but when she didn't feel his strong arms wrap around her waist, she whipped around, her smile dropping quickley when she saw it was Ron. Quickley moving away from him so they were no longer touching, she glared at him.
"What are you doing?" she asked him indignantly. She couldn't believe what he had just done.
"What are you on about?" Ron asked frowning in confussion. He looked around dasedly and realised he was in the library. He looked back up and found that Hermione had gone. He ran to the end of the aisle, just in time to see her exit the library and enter Draco's arms, kissing each other softly in welcome.
Suddenly he saw white.
Since then Ron hadn't talked to any of them. Not even Luna. Whenever they were together he would just sit there, staring at nothing, she didn't even know if he was even listening to her. She didn't wait around to find out if he talked at all anymore. Now she would go and meet Blaise in the courtyard after ten minutes of silence between herself and Ron.
It was now December and the final Hogsmeade visit of the year. The group decided that they would split up for an hour or so to buy each other their presents. After about half-an-hour Astoria met up with Hermione with a worried look on her face. Taking her to a quiet area of the town she asked the younger girl what was wrong.
"You know me and Daphne have to go home on Christmas Eve, day and Boxing Day?" when Hermione nodded in confirmation she continued. "Well, there's this dance that my family are holding. My cousin just got engaged and they want to celebrate. Anyway, I asked Harry if he's come with me, as my date, being my boyfriend it was obvious I was going to ask him. There's just one problem." She told the older girl, looking worried.
"What's the problem? I'm sure that the two of us can find a solution. Don't worry" Hermione told her encouragingly, smiling when the younger girl no longer looked so worried.
"I need to find a dress to wear. I know that doesn't seem like such a crisis, but for the first time I want to outshine Daphne. I also want to look perfect for Harry but I've got no idea what to choose. I want him to be proud to be seen with me. And I don't want to look fifteen either. I want to look like an adult, or at least like I'm in sixth year and not fifth. Please say you can help. You looked gorgeous at the Yule Ball. If anyone can help me it's you." She told Hermione with a pleading look. Hermione smiled at the girl before putting her arm around her shoulders and moving them in the direction of the clothes shops.
"Of course I'll help you. By the time we're done you'll look like a seventh year and no one will be able to keep their eyes off you, let alone Harry." She told her confidently.
Entering the dress shop, the two girls spent the next half hour looking at dresses in all shapes and sizes, in all different colours. They finally landed on the perfect dress, which was given to Hermione to hide in her dorm so that no one could find it and damage it.
When the group got back to Hogwarts Hermione and Draco quickly made there way up to their common room. Sitting on the couch together, leaning into one another, they enjoyed the peaceful silence and each other. After nearly and hour of just sitting next to each other, talking occasionally in whispers, Hermione rose from the couch and moved to the radio by the desks. Turning it on she tuned it to slow, soft music. Turning back to Draco she found him the middle of the large empty space in there common room, holding his hand out to her.
Smiling, Hermione moved towards him putting one hand in his and wrapping the other over his shoulder, while his other arm wrapped itself around her waist pulling her against him.
Slowly they began to sway side to side in a simple dance, but before to long they began spirally around the room laughing with each other slightly. Soon Draco was spinning Hermione in and out moving all around the room.
Eventually there movements slowed and the came to a complete stand still, a foot away from the sofa. Moving her head from Draco's shoulder and looking him in the eye, the two slowly began to close the gap between them and soon they were kissing. Moving them back slowly till the back to his legs hit the arm of the sofa, the two toppled back onto that cushions, there kiss breaking momentarily.
Looking in each others eyes, Draco raised his hand and brushed Hermione's hair behind her ear. Smiling sweetly at each other, they moved to kiss again, this time it getting deeper, causing both of them to moan slightly into each other's mouths. Before either of them knew it the clock in the room began to chime midnight, causing the two teens to pulls apart. Smiling shyly at each other they rose from the cushions and made there way up to there separate rooms, but not before a final goodnight kiss that revisited them both in there dreams.
It was Christmas Eve at Hogwarts and Harry and Astoria were preparing to leave for the Greengrass Christmas party. Both were slightly nervous but they hid it extremely well.
When their portkey landed the two found themselves in the entrance hall of the Greengrass manor. Astoria was just about to pull Harry up to the rooms when a door to the side opened and out stepped Mr Greengrass, smiling slightly at his youngest daughter on the arm of the most famous wizard in the world. "Welcome home Astoria, even if it is only for three days. Welcome to Greengrass Manor Mr Potter. I hope you enjoy your time here." He said walking towards them and kissing his daughter chastely on the forehead and shaking Harry's hand.
"Thank you for having me here Mr Greengrass" Harry said returning the strong handshake firmly, looking his girlfriends father in the eye, his occlumency shields up just in case. Mr Greengrass nodded at them before turning on his heel and going back into his office. Astoria sighed sadly before she grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him up to the rooms, smiling at her green-eyed wizard.
"This is you're room," she told him opening a door to a large bedroom in dark greens and blues. "There's an a-joining bathroom through that door," she said pointing to a door on the right, "And that door," she said pointing to another on the left of the room at one side of the bed, "Leads to my room, just in case you want to talk or something." She told him shyly looking down at the carpet, hoping that he wouldn't see her blush. When she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist she looked up to see him smiling gently before he leaned down and gave her a small kiss on the nose making her smile, just like he knew it would.
"I'll let you unpack and get used to this place a little. Come find me when you're done and I'll give you the grand tour, how does that sound?" she asked him, there arms still wrapped around each other in the doorway. Nodding they reluctantly released each other and Astoria made her way down the corridor to her room.
When Astoria finished showing Harry his home for the next three days they decided to spend sometime in the greenhouse at the bottom of the garden. Laying a blanket on the ground they lied down next to each other looking up at the sky and talking softly with each other about what the party was going to be like that night. Eventually a house-house invaded there privacy to inform them that lunch was ready, so sighing they made there way back up to the house, running half way when it started to snow.
Sitting in the dinning room, conversation was tense and stilted. Although the Greengrass family hadn't chosen sides during the war, the two elders were still slightly apprehensive about having 'the boy who defeated' in their house.
Clearing her throat slightly Mrs Greengrass looked over at Harry who was sitting next to her youngest daughter. "So Harry. What do plan on doing when you graduate in a couple of month's time? Not that you need to work I imagine." She asked, curious as to what the richest wizard in Britain wanted to do with his life no he was free to do as he wished.
Swallowing his food, Harry took a second to think about his answer. "I was going to go into law enforcement, but I recently discovered some old family businesses that have been looked after for my by several trustees. I hope that now I'm of age I'll be able to pick up the day to day running of them, learning my way around things, before I take complete control of them." He told his girlfriend and her family. He had only discovered this, a couple of weeks ago, but didn't want to say anything until everything was confirmed.
"Impressive Mr Potter. Very impressive." Mr Greengrass said from the head of the table. "Do you have any idea what your business deal in?" he asked, curious as to what the Potters associated themselves with in the past.
"It's mainly retail I believe, from what I've seen so far we supply the majority of the shops in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. There are also some research and potions lad that work for us as well." He told him, frowning slightly as he tried to remember if he'd forgotten anything.
"If they're linked to so many well known shops then why have we never heard of it? What's the name of you company anyway?" Mr Greengrass asked curiously.
"Figulus Elit. It's Latin for Potter Industries. They've been more a backseat company the last couple of decades or so, but I'm hoping to change that." He told them hoping that would be the end of the questions, he wasn't totally comfortable talking about his future plans with anyone, at least not until everything was finalised and in processing.
Luckily for Harry Mrs Greengrass interrupted and announced that it was about time that they all started to get ready for the party that night so with that the five of them made there way up to their own rooms to get ready.
Harry had just put on his trousers when he heard a knock from the door. "Come in Astoria" he said slightly louder than normal so she would hear him okay. Astoria walked in and immediately paused in the doorway at seeing Harry's toned and muscular chest bare. Chuckling softly when h realised she was staring at his chest; he grabbed his dress shirt and put it on. "What's wrong?" he asked her when her eyes moved from his chest and back up to his face.
"How come you didn't tell me about your family business? I was still under the presumption you were going into law enforcement" she asked, slightly put out that he hadn't trusted her enough to tell her his plans.
"It has nothing to do with trust Astoria so you can stop thinking I don't trust you, like I know your thinking right now," he told her walking over to her and pulling her into his arms. "I haven't told anyone about till today; because I wasn't 100% sure it was what I wanted to do. Now that I am sure, I wanted to wait till it was all final and being processed before telling anyone" he told her kissing her on the top of her head before rest his own against hers. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just wanted everything to be final before saying anything. Forgive me?" he asked leaning back so he could see her face.
Wrapping her arms around his back, under his shirt, Astoria lifted her head and kissed Harry on the lips softly. Pulling back she smiled, "Of course I forgive you, silly." She told him, before bringing him down for another, longer kiss. They eventually broke apart when the need for oxygen became apparent. Kissing her forehead quickly Harry moved over to the chest of drawers in his room. Pulling out a black box he walked back over to Astoria.
"Early Christmas present. Hope you like it." He said handing her the box, which obviously had jewellery inside.
Smiling, she slowly opened the box and gasped at what she found inside. Looking back up at Harry with wide eyes she looked back at her present, not believing what she was seeing. Inside was a silver chain with a butterfly attached, carved from a single sapphire. If she didn't think it was perfect already, on one of the wings of the butterfly, her name was engraved into it. She couldn't believe he had got her something so beautiful. Not to mention expensive. Shaking her head she looked back up to Harry. "Harry this must have cost you a fortune, I can't accept this" she told him trying to give him the necklace back, but he wouldn't have any of it and merely pushed it back towards her.
"Nonsense. It's yours Astoria and only yours. That's why I had your name engraved in it. That's why it's in your favourite stone." Harry told her smiling slightly, happy that she liked it. He expected her to give him a quick kiss as a thank you. What he wasn't expecting was her to throw her arms around his neck and crash her lips to his in a passionate kiss.
Breaking apart, but keeping her arms wrapped around his neck Astoria beamed at her incredibly thoughtful, amazing boyfriend. "Thank you so much Harry. I love it. And I'll never take it off." She told him with a beaming smile before kissing his again quickly and retreating back to her room to finish getting ready. Now she couldn't wait for Harry to see her in her dress, and most importantly, her new necklace.
Right, that was chapter 8! I hope you liked it :) the neck chapter will be the ball and some Hogwarts Christmas fluff.
Till then.
