Paul,

I worked my little tooshie off on this

and I don't even remember half of it.

I tried to bring humor back.

I really did.

ha

Happy Reading :D

December 27

"Okay!" Hermione screamed through the whole house since everyone was over, including Draco. "Everyone wake up! Today is a special day and I need all my lovelies to be fresh and awake!" Ginny stumbled into the kitchen, not looking happy, Harry looked ready to kill as he approached from the living room, Ron smiled gingerly at her before plopping down on a chair, and Draco all but fucking pranced into the room.

"Bitch, you woke me the fuck up!" Draco did the z formation snap, causing Ginny to roll her eyes.

"Really," Ginny groaned, "must you use such foul language this early in the morning, Draco?" Draco rolled his head until he got to her.

"Oh, girl, you haven't even heard my foul language, okay?" Hermione smiled and Ginny growled at Draco.

"Okay, well!" Hermione brought all eyes back to her. "Today is a super important day because it's Jacob's Christmas!" Harry eyed her.

"Why didn't he just come over Christmas Eve?" Hermione smiled widely at him.

"Because he was with Colbie's family. Anyway! We must all be prepared because tonight we dine in -,"

"Hell?" Ginny muttered and Hermione looked at her like she was crazy.

"No. Luxury, Ginny, we're dining in luxury." Ginny stifled a laugh but was hushed by Draco. "But we all have different things we should focus on before he gets here. Such as Harry and Ginny, since you guys are basically having sex now, you two are to go get presents for Jacob. Ron and I will hold down the fort and cook. And Draco can watch Jack…" Hermione smiled at her seemingly perfect plan except…

"John, do you realize you can't cook?" Hermione rolled her eyes at Ginny.

"Paul, Paul, Paul, oh, Paully, of course I can cook if I set my mind to it. Anyway, daylights burning. Everyone, go!" Everyone rolled their eyes and went to where they were supposed to go without question.

Later. (I imagine the Spongebob guy saying it.)

*Honestly, the stuff before all of this I wrote before falling asleep while on my laptop. Then I went all day without touching it until this very moment. And I feel like last night I had an honestly great idea (whether or not it actually was, I cannot say), but the problem is I can't remember it at all. So I would like to formally apologize for a crappy chapter halfway through because I don't even remember WRITING what I have. I even named is "Zeun." I could scrap it, but I won't because I'm listening to Michael Aranda and Charlie McDonnell and I really don't feel like rewriting a chapter. I'm going to shut up.*

The plan came together well, Ginny had to admit, but there was still the daunting dinner that wass ahead. She didn't want to crush Hermione's hopes that it would be fantastic, but she knew her best friend wasn't a 'cook from scratch' kind of girl, rather a 'pop it in the oven or microwave and set it on the table' type of girl. So the whole idea of her cooking all day from scratch, with Ron as well, was terrifying. Jacob *Molly is growling under my bed, holy hell I'm scared* was Ginny and Harry's final task, and he was fairly happy to hop in the car and go over to their house.

"Jacob!" Hermione screamed as everyone walked in the door. She ran up to him, wooden spoon in hand, and she jumped into his arms.

"Hey, ma." He laughed and released her, hugging Ron. "Hey, pop." Ginny and Harry smiled at each other before heading into Hermione's room to wrap the presents for Jacob.

"You would think that he was actually their kid," Ginny muttered to Harry as they wrapped quickly on the floor.

"Yes, all except their five year age difference, the fact that he towers over both of them, and his hair is a completely different shade than both of theirs. He could be more our child than theirs." Ginny tensed and completely butchered the piece of wrapping paper she was working on. She looked to Harry, wide-eyed and he laughed at her. "It's only a joke, Gin. I agree with you, they all love each other very much." She shakily laughed and nodded her head.

"Oh, yea, funny." She was nervous after that and she couldn't really pin point why. They weren't even going steady, and even if he was joking around about children it freaked her out. They finished in silence and set the wrapped presents beneath the tree.

"Well, that looks better." Draco muttered behind them, a hand firmly on Harry's butt. Harry wasn't sure if he was talking about his toned ass or the fact that presents now filled the once empty space below the tree.

"Yea," Ginny muttered, looking in disgust at Draco's hand placement. She walked off and as Harry turned around Draco made a pass at his crotch. Yes, Harry was indeed next seen running full speed into the kitchen and slamming the door behind him.

"Who in Godric's name keeps inviting him?" He was panting and Ginny walked in behind him laughing and pinched his bum quickly.

"Hermione does." She laughed and Hermoanie glared.

"He," she whispered harshly, "has mental disabilities. Ron understands that he needs to be treated like a normal human being and you two best act as normal as possible around him." Harry looked at her like he was her child.

"Hermione, I do act normal, but when a man you have known almost your whole life has suddenly taken to fancying your wanker it's a bit hard to act normal." Ginny started laughing and Hermione, Ron, and Jacob rolled their eyes.

"No excuse, try because he needs it." Ginny and Harry nodded their heads.

"So," Jacob piped up and everyone looked at him. "When's din din, I'm starving." Hermione jumped and pulled food out of the oven quickly.

"Now!" She smiled and he excitedly jumped over to the food. Poor guy, Ginny thought, he has no idea.

They all their plates and made their way into the dining room before sitting down. They all talked while they took the first bites of the meal. Ginny wondered suddenly if she should have brought a camera because those who were expecting something good were very surprised. And the people who were even welcoming that it was going to be bad still got a surprise. This was awful for Salazar's sake. Ginny wanted to throw up and she could tell by everyone's expressions they were trying to get it together to not hurt Hermione's feelings. But when she looked at Hermione, she was eating the bites and… yes, she was savoring them. Ginny laughed, Hermione would do anything to pretend it was great.

That was her best friend. So she ate a few more bites. Then she dropped some for Jack. Who threw them up anyway.

But she tried.

And so did everyone else.

Even Harry, who was doing everything in his power to avoid Malfoy's… suggestive lip licks and winks.

While Hermione cleared her whole plate everyone suggested they simply had full stomachs and insisted that there was simply too much in the refrigerator to store the leftovers. But of course they all acted upset about it.

Ginny hated wasting food, but she was so glad to get rid of this abomination.

They walked to the presents and all sat down in the living room.

"You guys have to be kidding me," Jacob muttered.

"What do you mean?" Hermione wondered, looking nervous.

"I thought this was just dinner and a movie… I don't need presents. This is ridiculous." Ginny agreed with him, and not that he didn't need presents, but that she could understand where he was coming from. She was used to getting few presents every Christmas, and she figured he was in the same boat. Getting three or four presents this year was good with her because she had learned not to expect much. In hindsight, she knew she and Harry shouldn't have bought him so many presents.

"Jacob," Ginny squeaked and looked at her quickly. "We know, but this isn't all from Hermione and Ron. This is from all of us." She thought that would cushion it a bit. 10 presents from five different people didn't seem as… pathetic almost as opposed to getting two presents from one person. And she thought he felt pathetic and pitied, and she didn't want him to feel like that.

She wanted him to feel loved.

"Please," Hermione pleaded, "open them for us." He sighed and hugged her.

"Okay, ma."

He moved over to them and started taking the wrapping paper off delicately. The first was a football that was glow in the dark. He laughed and threw it to Harry who caught it easily. The next were new football shoes. They fit him perfectly and he smiled graciously. His other ones were falling apart and he never said anything. But they all knew. The next four were the same, football gear. Then he got a shirt with Edward Cullen's face on it. He laughed, put it on, and gave his best impression. Ginny was crying she was laughing so hard. Next was a guide on how to get the girl. He glared, but said it might come in handy one day. Everyone knew that day would be soon. Next was a new hair brush with a note telling him to 'calm those luscious locks.' He laughed and put it in his hair, methodically getting it stuck. The last one was a bit of a tosser. There was a box inside of a box. Then another inside of it. And it just kept going like that forever. And then he brought out a folded sheet of paper. As he unfolded it, Hermione looked at Ron nervously. Ginny didn't actually buy this one today, but it was handed to her after dinner.

It was a wonder to anyone but Ron and Hermione.

Finally he read it, and it took him an agonizingly long time for him to do it. Ginny just wanted to know what the damn thing said when he looked up watery-eyed to Hermione and Ron.

"Really?" He whispered and that's when Ginny noticed Hermione was crying as well.

"Yes," Ron whispered since he seemed to be the only one who was able to speak. "But, only if you want to." Jacob ran forward and picked up Hermione who wrapped around him and looked like she was never going to let him go. They were all crying and Ginny looked to Harry who was staring Draco's hand that was squeezing his thigh. But then he looked to her and shrugged. They looked up to the three of them in a tight embrace until Jacob broke it and looked to Ginny and Harry.

He had them in a tight embrace and all Ginny could do was pat and rub his shoulder to calm him down. Then he leaned back and shook Ginny by the shoulders.

"You're going to be my aunt!" He screamed excitedly and Ginny looked questioningly to Hermione and Ron. Hermione wiped away her tears and smiled at Ron who told his sister the meaning behind all of this.

"We – we are adopting Jacob." Ginny looked confused.

"But – but how?" Hermione waved her off.

"Doesn't matter, just know it's happening and he's going to be in the family!" It took Ginny a minute for it to fully register and she was jumping for joy. She couldn't believe it. She was going to have a nephew. And she loved him so much.

The rest of the night was exhausting and filled with such elation that everyone nearly crashed on the couch. Draco went upstairs, Jacob stayed on the couch, and Ginny pretended to be almost okay with sharing a bed with Harry again.

But they ended up not going to bed. Ginny's stomach was growling when they got in the room so Harry suggested a Waffle House run. Ginny almost leaped into his arms at the prospect.

They got to the Waffle House around four, the latest they had ever graced the place, but they were starving. They sat down and ordered quickly, hoping it would make the food get to their stomachs faster.

"Thank you," Ginny was exhausted and Harry smiled at her lazily.

"Anytime," he mumbled back and she smiled more at her drink than him.

"So what do you think about their decision to adopt Jacob?" Ginny wondered. She hated talking about it behind Hermione's back, but she really wanted to hear his opinion.

"I think he needed it, I just wish they would have already been married and such. And that it would have happened early. He deserved to have a family for longer than seventeen years after he was born, if that makes sense." Ginny nodded and sipped her drink quickly.

"I just feel bad for him if Hermione and Ron decide they want to move in together and he ends up having to live with her cooking." Harry laughed and shook his head.

"He's too grateful for them to really care about cooking. He just wants to be wanted. I suppose he'll be living with you guys within the next month." Ginny nodded solemnly.

"I know this is off subject," then she stopped. Even though the question has been bothering her, she was too embarrassed to ask him. And she partly didn't want to know; she felt that if she asked him, she was asking for a rejection. Harry stared at her, but she didn't speak, just stared into her glass.

"Ginny, what?" She shook her head and he groaned. "Please just say it." She stared hard into his eyes then and she felt that she caught him off guard with the intense glare.

"What are we?" It seemed simple enough to ask but she was dreading his answer.

"What do you mean?" She prodded her eyes at him but he didn't say anything.

"Harry, we're-," their food was dropped in front of them and she looked at it for a minute before continuing, "we've been friends and now we're kissing and… stuff. I just…" She forked her waffle and he stared at her without touching his.

"What do you want to be?" He asked her and she shrugged. "Because I know I want to take my time with you, and stuff. I don't want to force you to call me your boyfriend or anything." She almost choked on her waffle. Boyfriend? She didn't know why that word did that to her, but she didn't feel like she was ready for that.

"Harry, I – I'm not ready for that kind of commitment. I've gotten in relationships with some shoddy guys and I just… I want to be sure." Harry nodded his head quickly.

"There you have it then. We're the taking their timers." He smiled at her and she got butterflies in her stomach.

She could try this with Harry. It wouldn't be hard, no. She trusted him somewhat. And that was something.

"Harry," he looked up at her, "just remember one thing." She waited until she had his full attention.

"Okay, what?" He stared at her and she told him to lean across the table to whisper in his ear.

"I wear the pants in this relationship." She whipered, he laughed and nodded.

Yeah, this wouldn't be hard.

How did you like it?

Please tell me because I have the worst A.D.D. ever and i've been working on this since you left!

eek!

Well not just this, but I have chapters 20 & 25 written

bahahaha

Feel better Paul!

Review?