A/N: Again, orry it took me so long. But I think I can finally get on the internet regularly, so I can post more often. Sorry for the delay.
Chapter Nine
Magic Mistletoe
The crowd was on their feet, cheering like mad. He couldn't dwell on that for too long, however, because the air was soon knocked out of him as the other six members of his team ambushed him in a group hug. He figured they were appreciative of ending a long match in the rain. They marched back into the changing rooms to get rid of their soaking Quidditch robes and talk about the great game.
"Come on," said Ritchie Coote rowdily. "Party up in the Gryffindor common room!"
The Gryffindor Quidditch team made their way up the hill to the castle, the weather seeming much brighter than it had a half hour before. They trudged out of the mud and into the entrance hall, Harry holding Ginny's hand as everyone laughed and exchanged play-by-plays of exactly what everyone did during the game.
"...So then I swerved out of the way of the speeding bludger and dove for the Quaffle, arms outstretched," said Ron excitedly, demonstrating by throwing his hands out as they all walked up the marble staircase. "I quite easily caught it; it was a rather weak throw on Smith's part..."
"Come on," Ginny whispered in Harry's ear, tugging on his arm. "I have an idea."
"Ginny, what-" Harry started, but the excited look on Ginny's face made Harry shut up. This was going to be interesting...
They easily lost their teammates as they slipped through a secret passage and ended up on the fourth floor. Ginny ushered Harry along the corridor and then reached for a door toward the end, pushing it open.
"Ginny, what about the party-"
He stopped and blinked in the darkness. "Where are we?"
Ginny flicked her wand and a few of the floating candles in the cozy room lit up instantly. Harry was impressed with her use of the non-verbal spell, but said nothing when he looked around and realized he had been in this room several times before.
The room was fairly small and empty, but comfortable. There was a large desk on the north wall and an oak cabinet opposite. There were several windows which were darkened by the heavy storm outside. The walls seemed fairly bare, but Harry could remember clearly when they were littered with portraits of wavy blond-haired men with sparkly teeth, or an occasion when they were covered in revolting doilies and plates with pouncing kittens. There, in the far corner, Harry could remember a large chest with seven locks. And on top of the cabinet, he could easily envision strange specimens in jars and cages. He could almost see hideous posters of strange magical injuries hanging on the door. Shaking his head from all of the bittersweet memories, Harry turned to Ginny.
"My office?" Harry asked as he turned to Ginny, realizing how odd those two words sounded coming from him. He hadn't been here since the end of last year, but this was supposed to be his office now. "You brought me to my office?"
Ginny smiled mischievously, pulling Harry close and kissing him gently on the lips.
"I brought you to your private office, Professor Potter."
Harry stared at her for a moment while she smiled up at him. Then realization donned on him and he couldn't help but grin.
"Ah," he said playfully, putting his arms around her waist. "I like the way you think, Miss Weasley." He kissed her back, but this time it lasted a lot longer and became more passionate. Harry found himself pushing Ginny up against the wall and holding her tight as she ran her fingers through his already messy hair, sending chills down his spine...
Needless to say, Harry didn't think he would be missing much at the party upstairs.
The next few weeks crept by for the Hogwarts students. There was a huge workload for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the seventh years as they were preparing for their N.E.W.T.S., even though they weren't to come until late spring. The homework was tortuous and tedious, making most people stay up into the early hours of the morning in order to finish it. It was not as bad for the sixth years, but they still found themselves swimming in countless essays and charts, using up all of their free periods. To find a way to bare the situation, Harry's office had become a favorite spot for him and Ginny, and although they spent a great deal of time snogging, they spent loads of time talking about various things and laughing so hard their stomachs were sore days after.
Ron started to wonder and question about where Harry and Ginny would go all the time, but Hermione would always smile knowingly and change the subject. At first on these occasions Harry would give Ginny a curious look, wondering how much Hermione knew and feeling slightly uncomfortable, but Ginny would always smile and squeeze his hand before returning to whatever she was doing. Pretty soon Harry found he didn't really care anymore and simply wished longingly for the relaxing break of the holidays.
Finally the last week of term arrived, to everyone's relief. Professor McGonagall continued to push them in Transfiguration, making them turn themselves into Christmas trees in order to make things a bit more festive. In Charms Professor Flitwick yet again gave up on bothering to teach them anything new, seeing that all of the seventh years were very worn out, and decided to allow them to charm objects to sing Christmas carols so the students could talk and relax. Professor Slughorn was in a very jolly mood and decided to have them brew a little concoction that made perfect eggnog, which they got to drink at the end of their lesson. In Herbology they groomed giant poinsettias that would be placed in the Great Hall for the Christmas dinner. Harry didn't really know what to teach everybody with all of the festive activities, and so he decided to just turn everyone loose to play games and socialize, hoping that Professor McGonagall wouldn't walk in and see that he was not doing his job. To his dismay, however, she did just that on Thursday afternoon when he had his second year class.
The noise in the room was pretty loud, so Harry didn't hear the knock on the door. He was laughing as one of the students, KP Lang, tried to show her friends how to make her quill do back flips and it accidentally hit her in the eye. She didn't think it was very funny and was rather red with embarrassment. Harry was about to apologize for being so rude when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw McGonagall standing there with a straight face, giving Harry a cold stare.
"P-Professor McGonagall!" Harry said loudly, causing the class to immediately quiet. A stray paper airplane flew across the classroom and landed on McGonagall's shoulder. She picked it up and unfolded it, reading the note it contained aloud.
"'Chadwick,'" she intoned. "'I don't feel like going up to the next class. Why don't we ditch History of Magic and go to the kitchens? I've been having too much fun in here to focus now. Signed, Timmy'"
Harry bit his lip, waiting for the explosion. He was surely going to pay for shirking his responsibilities as a professor. There wasn't much she could do to him in this position, but since he was also a student, she could easily give him detention for the next three months. Although Harry could easily threaten to simply leave school as he had originally planned, he didn't know if he could follow through with it. He hadn't been this content in a long time.
"Well," said Professor McGonagall tightly, crumpling up the paper and making it disappear with a flick of her wand. "I think you have all had enough excitement for one day. Perhaps you should leave a few minutes early. The bell will ring soon."
Harry's class wasted no time gathering their book bags and shuffling out the door. A few kids whispered "Good luck!" to Harry with very worried looks on their faces. Soon the classroom was devoid of all students, leaving a very stern McGonagall and a very nervous Harry standing alone.
"Professor, let me explain. I-"
He stopped as she raised her hand, motioning for silence. He started to feel very uneasy, wondering what was in store for him now. He looked at her face, waiting for her to start scolding. But Harry did a double-take at her facial expression. Was that... a smile?
"Potter, you have no need to worry. I understand that it is difficulty to control a class around the holidays. It is perfectly understandable. However, I hope you are not encouraging your students to ignore their other classes."
"No, Professor! Of course not!" Harry said hurriedly, assuring her that he would never do such a thing.
McGonagall's smile broadened, surprising Harry even more. The holidays must have her in a good mood, he thought. And thank goodness for that.
"Good. Now then, Potter, I have something to give you." She reached into her robes pocket and produced a crisp white envelope. "This is for you."
Harry took the letter and opened it. Inside, it read:
Dear Colleagues,
This year we are pleased to award all of our staff with a proper Christmas bonus of one hundred and fifty galleons. We shall forward the money to your Gringotts account unless otherwise specified. Thank you for all of your hard work. Happy Holidays!
-Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry looked up at Professor McGonagall, thoroughly confused.
"A Christmas bonus? But Professor, I'm still a student, and I don't need any more-"
"It's quite all right, Mr. Potter. You've been working hard. ...For the most part."
Harry blushed as she gestured to the room, speaking of the incident of a moment before.
"You deserve the money. And though you are a student, you are a teacher as well. And you are perhaps teaching the most important subject at this time."
Harry didn't respond immediately, currently at a loss for words. He didn't want the money, but then again, he couldn't just reject it.
"I... er... thank you, Professor," Harry mumbled, looking back down at the letter.
"My pleasure, Mr. Potter. "
She shook his hand and left the classroom just as the bell rang.
When the Christmas holidays finally arrived, Harry couldn't be more relieved. He got onto the train with Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, and they whiled the ride away playing intense games of wizard chess and swapping wizard cards. Harry desperately wanted to grab Ginny and start snogging her, but he knew it made Ron uncomfortable. So whenever he would look away, Harry would steal a kiss from her and then quickly look back at the game. He earned himself a couple of dirty looks from his best mate, but Ron never said anything.
They said goodbye to Hermione at the platform. She was going to stay with her parents for a few days, but she was to meet them at the Burrow Christmas night. She soon disapparated and Harry and the two youngest Weasleys were left to do the same. They grabbed their things and Ginny grabbed Harry's arm. With a CRACK! they appeared at the Burrow and were greeted enthusiastically by Mrs. Weasley.
The days went by slowly and there was a very relaxed mood about them. Harry still had many worries on his mind, but he chose to push them aside and simply enjoy the holidays. He got to spend a lot of time with Ginny, going on long walks and talking about odd and random things through fits of laughter. He and Ron also played an awful lot of Quidditch. Ginny played too at first, but unlike the boys, she found it tiresome after a few hours and would decide to go inside for some hot cocoa. Harry and Ron wouldn't turn in until almost dark, insisting on getting as much practice as possible.
Soon Christmas was upon them. The air was filled with the aromas of Mrs. Weasley's baked goods, including homemade mince pies, gingerbread, and treacle tart. She had to magically lock the kitchen door so that the members of the household wouldn't snack on the treats and spoil their dinner, which was a special Christmas feast. The Twins, Charlie, Bill and Fleur, and even Tonks and Lupin, all showed up, carrying gifts for everyone and calling out cheery "Happy Christmas!" wishes to everyone.
Just before dinner, Hermione arrived (much to Ron's pleasure) and they all sat around the crowded table and served themselves to a delightful meal. Everyone showered Mrs. Weasley with compliments through stuffed cheeks, savoring the wonderful flavor of the rib roast and boiled potatoes. She even made a delicious pear salad, which consisted of pear halves topped cream cheese and delicious cherries. Everyone talked and laughed about old memories and by the time the meal was through and everyone was fed, Harry felt sure he would explode. Mr. Weasley suggested they all go outside to relax on the fresh air, and everyone obliged.
Mrs. Weasley magicked a few candles to give them light and Charlie conjured up several comfy couches so they could sit down. Soon everyone was seated, talking happily and allowing their eyelids to droop lazily as the long day began to take its toll. It was quite chilly out, so they clustered together. Harry was grateful for the excuse to be closer to Ginny. Even though everyone knew they were together, they still felt awkward in front of everyone. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley kept looking over at them and a huge grin would spread across their faces each time. Fred and George couldn't stop laughing at the thought ("They're so immature," Ginny would say with a grin). Harry expected to receive many glares from Ron throughout the evening, but he and Hermione seemed to have disappeared.
"Wonder where they got off to?" Harry asked Ginny after about an hour of their absence.
"I dunno, but I think we should take a leaf out of their book," said Ginny, glancing around. "Okay, they're not looking. Let's go!" She grabbed Harry's hand and they disappeared off into the wood just beyond the hedges lining the Weasley backyard.
They walked briskly into the trees, being sure not to go so far that they could not see the lights from the house, yet still far enough to have a bit of privacy. They stopped under a tree and Ginny leaned against him as they caught their breath. It was rather difficult to run through eight inches of snow. Soon they felt very chilled and Harry put his arms around her, rubbing her arms to keep her warm.
"Hmm…" Ginny murmured, letting her eyes drift shut.
Harry smiled. She was so beautiful when she was relaxed like this, her cheeks slightly reddened from the cold. Of course, Harry thought that she was beautiful no matter how she looked, but she looked particularly pretty tonight. He could just sit there and stare at her all night…
"Harry?" Ginny asked suddenly, opening her eyes. "I can't move."
"Oh, sorry."
He made to step away, thinking he was holding her too tightly, but his legs seemed frozen to the ground.
"Er… I can't move either," he said, a little confused.
"Right, you'll have to kiss me then," she said in a very business-like tone.
"Oh I have to, do I?" Harry asked, smiling a little.
"Yes, you have to if you want to move," she said in the same tone. "You see, we're standing under magical mistletoe." She finished as if that explained everything. Unfortunately, Harry had never heard of such a thing.
"Magical mistletoe?" he asked. He thought he had gotten past all of the new surprises of the wizarding world; he had been immersed in it for six and a half years already. But apparently he still didn't have the advantage that Ginny and Ron had, growing up in the atmosphere. "What is the difference?"
"Well, Mr. Potter," she said, now starting to mimic the type of tone Professor McGonagall might take. "Magical mistletoe has many different properties compared to that of Muggle mistletoe. For one, it has a slightly reddish tint, where as-"
"Just tell me why we can't move, please," said Harry, laughing a little.
Ginny smiled. "With magical mistletoe, you cannot move until you kiss the person that's under it with you."
"Hey, no complaints here," Harry said. He dipped his head down and kissed her gently. He pulled back and smiled. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
Ginny smiled. "Perhaps. That is only a matter of opinion. But one thing that is for sure is that I'm freezing. Let's go inside."
They headed back to the Burrow, slipping and falling into deep snowdrifts. They were soaked to the bone before they had gone ten yards. Just before they reached the hedge that marked the Weasley's official backyard, they ran into Ron and Hermione, snogging like their life depended on it.
"Hem hem," Ginny said, sounding exactly like one of their old nightmarish Defense teachers, Dolores Umbridge.
Instantly Harry's two best friends broke apart, looking wildly around and preparing to flee. Harry and Ginny burst with laughter at the looks on their faces. Ron and Hermione blushed deeply, Ron's face nearly rivaling his hair color.
"We were… er…" Ron began.
"I-It was the mistletoe!" said Hermione quickly. "We couldn't move, and-"
"Oh please," said Ginny, rolling her eyes as she and Harry smirked. "You only need one kiss to break that charm. You two looked like you were afraid you'd never kiss again."
Ron and Hermione stamped their feet on the ground to warm themselves, still blushing furiously.
"We're sorry."
"Sorry?" Harry asked through raised eyebrows. "Why on earth are you sorry?"
"Well…" said Hermione, looking at her feet. "We didn't want to make you feel awkward, Harry. We've been trying not to be too… well… open."
Harry couldn't hardly stifle a laugh. "You guys, I am seventeen. I think I can handle it."
"Yeah," said Ginny, "and if he does feel awkward, you shouldn't worry. I can distract him for you." She leaned up and kissed Harry, who smiled in return. He could see Ron scowl slightly through the corner of his eyes. Hermione, on the other hand, brightened considerably.
"You're… you're sure?" she asked hesitantly, trying hard and failing to mask her sheer joy.
Harry nodded, grinning in spite of himself. Hermione cried out "YES!" and flung herself on Ron. Though Harry said he didn't mind, he decided he'd rather not watch them snog, so he pulled Ginny close and they returned to the backyard to warm themselves up a bit.
