Chapter 9 – Holidays

The following week Harry and Hermione ventured out more. With the holiday in evidence everywhere else, Harry decided it was time to decorate the house. He ended up buying an insane amount of decorations, but his joy and enthusiasm were infectious. They spent one whole day assembling, sticking and levitating all the decorations around the house, including a large tree near the fireplace. A couple of months prior, Hermione had thought about the holiday and had not been looking forward to it. Now she couldn't believe how happy she was.

After the frenzy of decorating, they started to plan the dinner with their friends. Harry could cook of course, but decided that he wanted to be able to focus on his guests and instead decided to have it catered. After confessing to all the Weasleys, Hermione didn't feel any apprehension about their friends.

On Tuesday afternoon, Hermione called her parents and talked at length with them. They were happy that everything had gone well and that George and his family were supportive. They had come to their own acceptance as well and thanked Hermione for the copy of the ultrasound picture that she had sent them. They had each found positions at a dental clinic in Brisbane, but were only working three days a week. They had also found a small house that was affordable enough that they were able to pay for it completely from the recent sale of their house in England. Not having a mortgage and having a comfortable savings meant that they were able to be partially retired and enjoy trips to the beach and nearby rainforest. When the discussion moved on to holiday plans, both Neil and Jean wanted to see Hermione, as well as Harry. She agreed to find some time after the holiday and around the new year to come visit them.

The rest of the week and the next was spent with quiet study time at home for Hermione or outings around London with Harry when he wasn't busy with his businesses. She also took some time out on her own to start her Christmas shopping. Life was settling into a routine at Grimmauld and they were both quite content.

The Saturday before Christmas arrived and they finished a bit of cleanup before the evening. The catering company arrived shortly before the guests started to show up at seven in the evening. A couple remembered Grimmauld from before and marveled at the changes Harry had made. Then Hermione greeted each person and their attention quickly focused on her. Questions were deferred as new arrivals flowed in. Everyone gathered in the living room where Harry was offering eggnog in both adult and nonalcoholic varieties, as well as elf wine and butterbeer. Before long the room was full when the Patil twins arrived as the last guests to show. Also in attendance were Ron, Luna, Neville, George, Angie, Alicia, Oliver, Seamus, Katie, Hannah, Susan, Blaise, Daphne and Dean. Looking around the room, some of the pairings were interesting. Neville and Hannah seemed glued together. Katie and Oliver were also quite close and the pairing of Susan and Blaise, as well as Daphne and Dean were unexpected. The two Slytherins hadn't been invited directly, but came with their partners.

Once everyone was settled with their drinks, Hermione once again found herself delivering her news. A few people were shocked, but not overly so. A few did make comments to George, glad that he was supportive. Then Parvati asked Hermione about the research project and that intrigued everyone and became the new focus of the conversation. After about forty minutes, the caterers announced dinner and everyone made their way to the dining room.

Dinner was a delicious spread of classic British holiday fare with an enormous prime rib as the centerpiece. The alcohol continued to flow and the group of friends bonded back together throughout the night. After the war, everyone had spread out as they tried to rebuild their lives and the group of friends all agreed to do a better job of staying in touch. After the lengthy meal, they retreated back to the living room and attempted to sing carols, which met with varying degrees of success depending on the number of drinks that each person had consumed. Shortly before midnight the party began to dissolve as most everyone opted to utilize the floo as a safer means of travel versus drunken apparition. Once the house cleared out, Hermione and Harry retreated to their room and curled up around each other, falling asleep almost instantly.

The following Monday, Hermione made her first trip to St. Mungo's to talk to a mid-witch. George left the shop in Ron's care for a couple of hours and he and Angie also came along. The mid-witch that they were assigned was a small woman in her mid-thirties with a mass of blond curls name Vera. She was efficient and detailed as she took all of Hermione's information, including the records from her muggle clinic visits. Being halfblood, she didn't blink at all. She also didn't make any fuss over her famous patient, although she knew who Hermione and Harry were obviously. When Hermione explained that George was the father and then introduced Angie and Harry as their partners, the woman further cemented herself in Hermione's good graces when all she did was nod. Hermione had been concerned about just being assigned someone, but Vera was an excellent choice. Once she finished the exam, she declared that all was going well and even performed a spell to listen to the baby's heartbeat. When the steady rhythm flooded the room, everyone was enraptured. The appointment ended shortly thereafter and the couples split up with parting hugs.

With the end of her pregnancy closing in, Hermione settled back and happily enjoyed the comforts of a warm house, lots of reading material, and a doting boyfriend. They saw various Weasleys at different times as well and the entire family was thoroughly excited for the baby.

Christmas Eve was spent at Longbottom Manor with Neville, Hannah, and a few other friends. Neville's gran presided over the festivities and seemed thrilled to have all the 'young people' in the house. At the end of the evening, all the friends traded small packages of different traditional Christmas candies before saying good night to their hosts. The night was still early though at half past eight and Hermione agreed with Harry that she was still keyed up from the festivities. London had received a steady, gentle snowfall throughout the previous couple of days and looked like a wonderland. Once they apparated back to Grimmauld, they stepped out onto the street with their arms entwined as they walked through the streets made quiet by the blanket of white. A number of the townhouses around Grimmauld had strung up lights and it added to the festive scene. Hermione sighed as she leaned into Harry. She may have thought she was doing well in Arizona, but she really hadn't been. Now she was where she belonged.

After wandering past the townhomes, they reached a park not far from Grimmauld and decided to loop around it before returning. All the trees were draped in sparkling snow illuminated by street lamps and they were the only ones in the neighborhood who had decided to take a late walk. As they reached the halfway point of their loop around, Harry stopped next to a cluster of holly bushes that were loaded with berries. Hermione looked a bit puzzled at the pause as he pulled away from her, but then he dropped to one knee and held a ring up in the air, causing her to gasp.

"Hermione, you've been my best friend for eight years. You've stood beside me when no one else would. I've loved you for years, even if I wouldn't admit it. When you left, my life lost its color. I don't ever want to be without you again. Will you marry me?"

She stood for a moment, shocked and crying, but then she nodded and gave a quick, affirmative squeak. Harry carefully removed her glove and slid the beautiful sapphire and diamond ring on her finger before looking into her eyes and kissing her deeply. They stayed there, standing in the winter wonderland, kissing for long minutes with no interruption. Then the chill began to set in and they wrapped their arms around each other and made their way back to the house. Both were giddy and excited as they talked and laughed. They may only have been dating a couple of months, but no one knew the two of them better than they knew each other.

When they got back to the house, Harry fixed steaming mugs of hot chocolate with piles of whipped cream and they retreated to a sofa in front of the fireplace. Hermione repeatedly kept looking at her ring. It was different, unique, gorgeous, and perfect for her. They cuddled and sipped their chocolate as they warmed themselves. As their mugs emptied, they turned to each other and Hermione began to snog her fiancé fervently. Harry was more than ready to respond as each began to toss clothing aside. Once they were down to just underthings, Harry climbed off the couch and then lowered Hermione to the floor. Soon her knickers were gone and he smiled down on her beauty. She was very pregnant, but he found it even more arousing as she glowed in the light of the fire. Then he leaned over to kiss her neck before adjusting their position to accommodate her belly and slowly slipping into her with a groan. They spent a couple of hours pleasuring each other on the rug in front of the fire until both were exhausted. By the time they stumbled upstairs, neither realized that Christmas had arrived a half hour prior.

Harry and Hermione slept until almost nine and then giddily rushed downstairs in their house robes. After fixing a quick pot of tea, they gathered at the tree to exchange their gifts.

Hermione's gift to Harry was a silver engraved fountain pen with a detail of the Potter crest, as well as his initials. A half twist of the top in a clockwise direction changed the pen into a small knife, suitable for opening letters or even making the small cuts that were occasionally needed when magical contracts required a bit of blood. A half twist back saw the pen reappear and a half twist anti-clockwise produced a small, secondary wand. It wasn't something that would be used regularly, but it was a hidden tool that might come in handy if no one knew it was available. Most of the time though it would remain as a very impressive pen for Harry to use during his business dealings. He knew it was made custom and let Hermione know how much he loved it.

Harry's gift to Hermione was a necklace of platinum with a teardrop pendant made from a single sapphire surrounded by diamonds. It was a perfect match to her ring and she boggled at the beauty of it.

"Harry…it's…you spoil me."

"And you deserve it. By the way, I need to tell you something about the ring, but we got a bit distracted last night."

Hermione smirked at him and Harry chuckled.

"The sapphire in the ring is a unique stone from a special mine in Burma. I don't understand it completely, but the corundum of these sapphires is special due to the unique blue-violet color and unusual chemistry of the stones that allows them to be very good conduits for magic. They have been mined in the Myohuang region for almost four hundred years. Only a hundred or so stones are found a year and most are small. The sapphire in your ring was something I found in the Potter vault when I visited it this last summer. There was a note with it written by my ancestor Ralston Potter explaining why it was special. Apparently he took it as payment on an outstanding debt, but never decided what to do with it. I commissioned the ring with the goblins and also brought in a rune expert. The underside of the ring is carved with a triumvirate rune including mind, safety and truth runes. While you wear the ring, you will be immune to all mind attacks. The ring also will alert to any harmful substances. For example, if you question a drink, just touch a bit of the liquid to the stone and it will heat up if there is poison or a potion in the drink. Finally, if anyone near you utters an untruth, the ring will also heat up. It won't force them to tell the truth, but it will provide a warning."

Hermione's mouth hung open for a minute. Just the idea of that level of rune carving was unbelievable.

"Harry...I...I'm speechless. That level of rune carving. There are maybe a half dozen people in the world who could manage that."

"The goblins told me of four. I decided on Petra Horvath. I didn't actually have business in Hungary when I made that trip two weeks ago. My name moved me to the top of her waiting list. I have to say, she is obviously brilliant, but she is more than a tad odd. Anyway, I need to tell you about the necklace as well. I wanted a matching stone and the goblins have contacts at the Burma mines. They selected several stones and then I picked the one that matched the closest. The back of that stone has a dual carving of shield and reflection runes. It won't stop the strongest of spells, but it will stop minor attacks and at least diminish major attacks. I know you're not the type to wear a lot of jewelry, but I thought it might be handy for some of the events we're going to be asked to attend."

Hermione just shook her head. The two pieces of jewelry had to be worth at least 100,000 galleons. The rare stones, then the goblin workmanship and the rune carving all combined. It was all a bit much and Harry could see she was overwhelmed.

"Hermione, I know you probably think this is too much, but I have more money than I know what to do with. I can think of no better way to spend it. These are pieces that will be passed on as heirlooms to future generations. My vault has a lot of heirlooms, but I wanted to create something new just for you to add to that legacy. Now, do you want to try the necklace on?"

Hermione just nodded and Harry stepped behind her and fastened it. Hermione stepped over to a nearby mirror and marveled at the gorgeous jewelry. It looked a bit odd hanging above her house robe, but still. The idea that she was the recipient of a new Potter heirloom was truly special. Harry was standing behind her and she turned to kiss him. They embraced and whispered to each other for a few minutes before heading back upstairs to get dressed.

They decided to dress a bit nice for the holiday and Harry wore black trousers with a custom made green silk shirt that accented his eyes. Hermione opted for her blue stretch dress, which offered a perfect backdrop for her necklace. She was even curvier in it now and it still had the same effect on Harry. She playfully swatted him away as they made their way to the Burrow via floo, since a week earlier had been Hermione's cut-off for safe apparition.

As soon as they arrived, the usual noise and chaos of a Weasley Christmas enveloped them and then both their names were shouted through the din. It was Charlie whose comment broke through the noise.

"Wow Hermione. That dress…wow."

Hermione looked around the room and all the guys were staring, as was Ginny.

"Really everyone? I'm huge and this dress is something I've had for a while. I was just glad to have something that still fit."

Ginny shook her head.

"You may be very pregnant Hermione, but Harry better get you a goblin guard if you plan on going out in public in that. And the necklace is amazing. Wait…what is on your hand?"

Ginny rushed over and grabbed Hermione's hand to look at the ring.

"Ah well, we were going to wait a few minutes to deliver the news, but I guess now is good. I proposed last night. Obviously she said yes."

The room erupted and soon they were buffeted with hugs, backslaps and congratulations. It was Arthur who decided to rein the crowd in.

"Alright everyone! I'm happy for them as well, but do be careful with the pregnant woman. She needs to breathe."

That brought a few laughs as Hermione was led over to find a seat. Harry sat nearby as the gift exchange began.

About an hour later, Molly and Fleur went to the kitchen to finish the last prep for the meal and then called everyone to the table shortly afterward. As usual, Molly had outdone herself and Fleur's contributions of French dishes were also amazing. Hermione was relaxed with her magical family and felt no guilt as she took second and third helpings. Once everyone was suitably stuffed, they all slowly moved back to the living room for games and conversation. Around four, Harry and Hermione were both yawning and said goodbye as they left to return to Grimmauld.

The following afternoon Hermione and Harry were at the Ministry to pick up their first portkey to begin their trip to Brisbane. They left at four in the afternoon and stopped off for three hours in Mumbai. The staff in the Indian Ministry office were as gracious as the last time Hermione had traveled through and fussed even more when they saw how pregnant she was. Hermione had intentionally planned for a longer layover and the long nap with Harry helped quite a bit when they took hold of their second portkey to Brisbane, arriving shortly after six in the morning.

Since apparition was no longer allowed, they left the Ministry office in Brisbane and caught a taxi to the Grangers' new house in the neighborhood of Ashgrove, not far from the city center. Neil and Jean had been warned of their early arrival and were waiting when the taxi dropped them off. As they approached the door, Jean stepped out and her eyes grew huge at the sight of her very pregnant daughter. The two women embraced and then Jean gave her belly a pat. Juliet seemed to realize something was going on and decided to do a bit of a flip. That was the final move that was too much for Jean as she started to cry, which then triggered Hermione. Neil was standing to his wife's side and Harry was standing with his hand on Hermione's back. The two men traded a look that said 'best to let them be and flush it out'. After a few minutes, the women collected themselves and everyone finally stepped into the house.

Neil was designated to give them a tour of the modest bungalow that was typical of the neighborhood. Built in the Ashgrovian style about sixty years previously, the house had a high gable roof and was notable for being one story. It featured a central living space with a large galley kitchen that opened onto a back veranda and nice sized gardens. It featured two bedrooms on opposite ends of the house, each with its own en-suite. While not large, it was cozy and the neighborhood was pleasant and green set among lightly rolling hills.

After the brief tour, Harry settled their bags in the guest room and then Jean served a simple breakfast as they sat down to talk. While Harry thought the Grangers were pleasant, Hermione could still feel a bit of tension and reserve with her parents that she regretted. Talk covered a wide range of topics, including Harry's businesses and Hermione's research. As they finished eating and everyone fixed a second cup of tea, Harry knew it was time to make their announcement.

"Neil, Jean, there is something that Hermione and I have been eager to share with you. Just a couple of days ago on Christmas Eve, I proposed to Hermione. Thankfully, she accepted. I know we haven't been dating long, but we've been friends for a long time. Truthfully, no one knows me better than Hermione. When she was gone for those months, I was lost. We decided since we were coming to visit anyway, that we would tell you in person. I want to assure you that I will do everything I can to make her happy. I hope we can have your blessing."

As Harry finished, Hermione dissolved the glamor charm on her ring. Both the Grangers looked mildly shocked, but surprisingly it was Neil who spoke first.

"Well, this does seem a bit sudden. But of course I know how close you two have been for years. You seem like a responsible young man and considering you've already saved our daughter's life multiple times, it's obvious that you will look out for her."

Neil paused for a moment and glanced at his wife, who gave him a brief nod. Neil then turned back to Harry.

"Alright, you have our blessing. Take care of each other."

Jean then reached for Hermione's hand to examine the ring as Neil leaned over as well and let out a low whistle of appreciation. Then Hermione began to explain about the stone and the workmanship that went into it. That also brought up the matching necklace and Harry went to the bedroom to fetch it so that the Grangers could see the matching piece, as Hermione explained it's runes. Both the Grangers were left a bit stunned. Neil himself was personally thinking that his daughter's ring could probably have paid for his house just by itself.

Once the news was complete and accepted, the two couples decided to go for a brief walk around the neighborhood. Several streets over was a row of shops and amenities. As they walked, they were greeted with waves. In a couple of shops, the Grangers were known by name and everyone was thrilled to meet their daughter and her fiancé. Hermione could see why her parents had chosen the neighborhood, especially with its closeness to the central city about four kilometers away.

After their tour, Hermione was especially looking tired and even Harry was starting to look a bit fatigued. Back in England, it was now nighttime and the time change was taking its toll. They walked back to the bungalow and had a light lunch. After, Hermione excused herself for a nap and Harry conceded and joined her. He woke a bit over an hour later, feeling refreshed, but left Hermione to sleep.

When Harry woke, he wandered until he found the Grangers in the back garden. Jean was weeding the vegetable plots, while Neil repaired a section of fence. They were happy to know that Hermione was still sleeping and Neil happily accepted Harry's offer of assistance. Harry knew he could have fixed the fence in about a minute with magic, but he enjoyed the manual labor and a chance to talk more with Neil. An hour later, Hermione appeared and planted herself in a chair as demanded. She sat and talked with everyone for a bit over an hour until the tasks were complete. Everyone cleaned up and then they went to a local restaurant for dinner.

Over the next couple of days, the two couples took trips into central Brisbane as Jean played tour guide. She was a wealth of knowledge on the local history and it was obvious to Harry where Hermione got her love of books from. One afternoon the ladies went off on their own to do a bit of shopping and Harry was personally glad to see Hermione and her mum doing so well together. He knew how much her relationship with her parents had worried her and even he could feel a bit of a change in the couple of days they had been with them.

New Year's Eve arrived and the Grangers had been invited by the owner of their dental firm for a river cruise. He had rented out a boat for the evening just for his guests and graciously had extended Hermione and Harry an invitation when Neil had told him they were coming to visit. The evening was dress casual and Harry wore the outfit that Hermione had purchased for him a day earlier: a pair of bronze leather pants with a cream dress shirt with short sleeves, a Mandarin collar and a burnished embroidered detail around the neck. It was something he never would have selected for himself, but he had to admit he liked it. She had picked a size that fit him just tight enough to show a bit of his muscles. When she saw him it for the first time, the look she gave him was devouring. Harry though wasn't complaining at the sight of his fiancé. She had selected a ruby red dress that showed her bust off nicely before flaring out in an Empire style and ending mid-thigh. It was studded with small crystals and she sparkled as she moved. She accessorized with open toed crystal pumps and Harry literally found himself frozen when he first saw her.

When the two of them stepped out to the living room to join the Grangers, Neil's eyes were wide and he seemed equally stunned at his daughter. Jean looked at her husband and chuckled.

"Well, I definitely have to say the two of you are striking."

With that declaration, they all made their way to the car. The evening ended up being great fun as they sailed the Brisbane River, enjoying a lavish dinner while a jazz band played light music. Once everyone had eaten, the band picked up the pace as the dance floor opened. All the doors were open to let the warm summer breezes in and the city was gorgeous from the water. At a quarter until midnight, everyone made their way outside to arrange themselves around the railings as champagne flutes were handed around. The captain blew his horn when the new year rolled and kisses were exchanged before champagne was drunk and fireworks exploded overhead. As the last of the fireworks finished, Harry pulled Hermione tight to him and whispered in her ear.

"About a thousand degrees different from where we were last new year. This is going to be a good year my love."

Hermione turned to him with tears in her eyes as she remembered the year before, sitting huddled cold in a tent in the forest, on the run and having been abandoned by their friend. It had been a hard year, but they had finally found their happiness. She kissed Harry deeply and soon they were in full snog, only coming up for air when Neil cleared his throat and Jean chuckled.

Hermione and Harry spent another four days in Brisbane with the Grangers. Along with seeing the city, they drove down the famous Gold Coast to see some of the beaches and surfing spots, as well as going north to Brisbane Forest Park and Mount Glorious. When the Grangers dropped them off at the Ministry office at the end of the first week of January, everyone traded hugs and Hermione knew that her relationship with her parents would never be what it had been when she was young, but it was rebuilt in a different way that fit their two diverse worlds.