Almost there. One chapter left. Now go read it. Right after you review this one! Thanks again for reading and sticking with me!- Ace
Chapter 13
Later, in the common room after the quartet had changed into warm dry clothes, they sat around the fire with cups of hot chocolate and fresh baked cookies that Dobby the house elf had brought up from the kitchen. As they drank the hot liquid, they played a couple rounds of exploding snaps, while Christmas music played in the background. Finally, about seven, they headed down to the great hall for the Christmas feast.
The hall was spectacularly decorated, more so then it had been earlier that day. Icicles hung from the trees and candelabras, twinkling lights sparkled from all corners, mistletoe and holly hung at ever arch and doorway, even the ceiling reflecting the sky outside was lightly "snowing" down on them. The grouping of small tables that had replaced the four long house tables were festively adorned and laden with mountains of various assortments of Christmas treats, from turkey and mashed potatoes to chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin pie.
"The hall looks wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed, looking around as the four of them walked toward the area where the Gryffindor table usually stood.
"Wow, it looks delicious," Ron said as the four of them walked up to the small table set especially for them.
"It sure does." Harry said with a smile as he pulled out a chair for Ginny. Ginny smiled at him then sat down. On the other side of the table, Ron did the same for Hermione before taking his seat.
Just as Harry was about to pile his plate high with food, Dumbledore came in and took a seat at a table with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Trelawney along with Hagrid, Lupin, and Tonks.
Once settled, Dumbledore looked up and smiled at the four tables of students. "Well Merry Christmas to you all. I know this year has been … long. We have seen good times and bad times, happy times and sad times, and celebrations as well as funerals. We have lost many who are dear to us but none of them are truly lost, especially on this Christmas Eve, so soon after all the tragedies. Tonight I hope you will remember those you have lost, and toast to their bravery, memory, and lives." He said, picking up his glass and toasting the air. The others in the hall raised their glasses and did the same.
After a solemn moment in remembrance for those who had been lost, Dumbledore smiled at the party. "Now Bon Appetit and enjoy this wonderful looking and smelling meal." And with that, Dumbledore commenced to fill his plate.
The hall then erupted with the sounds of plates being filled. As Ron, Hermione, and Harry begin to fill their plates, Ginny began to feel homesick. Ron was the first to notice.
"Ginny, are you okay?"
She looked over at him and gave a small forced smile. "Just missing home," she replied. "And Dad."
Ron nodded. "We'll call home when we get back up to the common room." He reached across the table and placing a hand on his sisters. "I think mum would like to hear from us."
Ginny looked up at him and nodded. "I'd like that," she replied. "Harry can you past the roast turkey, please?"
Harry picked up the plate and passed the plate to Ginny, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. "I'm here for you Ginny. Always and forever." He whispered.
Ginny smiled slightly. "I know."
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After a delicious two hour meal of wonderful food, friendly conversation, and cheerful Christmas carols, the quartet headed back up to their common room. Once back among the maroon colored chairs and sofas, Hermione walked over to the bookshelf and pulled down the jar of Floo Powder for students use. She walked over and handed it to Ginny.
"Tell your mum Merry Christmas for me." She said turning to head for the dormitories. She felt that if she stayed, she would be invading on their family and privacy.
Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and stopped her. "You don't have to go Hermione. You're family in spirit if not by law or blood. I think she'd like to talk to you. She's always thought of you as her second daughter and Harry as her seventh son." She said with a tender smile.
"Well someday I might be." Harry said coming up and taking the jar from Ginny. He headed over to the fire and threw a handful of the powder into the flames. He stuck his head in and yelled "The Burrow".
"Yoo hoo anyone home?" Harry yelled as his head appeared in the kitchen of the Weasley's house.
"Well if it isn't our little buddy Harry." George said appearing in front of the fireplace with a glass of eggnog. "How ya been?"
Harry smiled. "I'm doing well George. Though I am running low on your Whiz- Bang Fireworks," he replied.
"Stop by the shop next time your in Hogsmeade and we'll hook you up with some." George replied.
"Or keep an eye out tomorrow at the foot of your bed, there might just be one hell of a show." Fred said walking into Harry's field of vision.
Harry chuckled. "Thanks Fred. How are things with you and Angelina?" he inquired.
"Smashing as always. She's in the living room with mum, Bill and Fleur. In fact I better get back in there with this eggnog. I'll tell her you say hi." He said, grabbing two glasses from the counter.
"Hey Fred, tell your mum I'd like to talk to her."
"Can do," Fred replied as he headed back to the living room.
"So you takin' care of my little sister and brother there Harry?" George asked taking a seat at on one of the kitchen chairs.
"For the most part. Ron still manages to get himself into trouble here and there." Harry replied with a smiled.
"I do not." Ron yelled from the Gryffindor common room.
George chuckled. "Yeah we taught him well. Or at least we tried."
"How's business going?"
"It's picking up again. Our shop in Hogsmeade is bringing in the most business right now because all you hooligans are back in school. So Fred and I have been split between the shops. I've been spending much of my time up at the Hogsmeade location." George replied taking a drink from his glass. "Let me know when you have your next Hogsmeade weekend and we'll get a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks."
"That sounds good." Harry replied, just as Mrs. Weasley hurried into the kitchen.
"Harry dear!" she shrieked, moving in front of George. "How have you been? Are you keeping warm, getting enough to eat?"
George stood up behind his mother. "I'll be waiting for an owl Harry." George said with a nod, then headed for the living room. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas George," Harry said with a wave. Then he turned back to Mrs. Weasley. "I've been good Mrs. Weasley. And yes I have been getting enough to eat and am staying nice and warm." He motion to the Weasley sweater that he was wearing.
Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly. "I'm so glad. How was the feast?"
"It was delicious as always but the treacle tart was nothing like yours."
"Next time you visit dear, I'll make one especially for you."
Harry smiled at his adoptive mother. "Thanks Mrs. Weasley. I'll be looking forward to it." He replied. "All of us here wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas."
"Oh thank you dear." Mrs. Weasley said, tears coming to her eyes.
Ginny kneeled down next Harry and stuck her head into the flames.
"Merry Christmas mum." She said with a smile.
"Oh Ginny dear, merry Christmas." Mrs. Weasley said, her voice catching a little as she tried to hold back the tears.
While Ginny and Harry talked with Mrs. Weasley, Hermione sat on the couch with Ron waiting for there turn.
"Do you miss him?" Hermione asked gently, after a moment or two of debate. It was something neither one of the Weasley children wanted to talk about or did talk about.
Ron looked over at her. Her face was full of concern and sadness. "I do. It's hard without him. It's as if part of me is gone." Ron said his voice hushed.
"I miss him too. I know he wasn't my father but he took care of me when I stayed with you. He looked out for me like I was one of his own. He was a great man." Hermione said.
Ron nodded. "He was. He took care of all seven of us kids and mum on what lowly income he brought in. Sure I complained about being poor a lot of the time but I never went hungry and I always had clothes. He even spoiled us every once and awhile, giving us treats here and there even if we didn't really have the money." Ron said, reminiscing. "We may have been poor but I had a good childhood." A tear welled in Ron's eye. He hadn't thought of his father in a long time.
Hermione noticed the emotion in Ron's face and light reached over and touched his arm. "I'm sorry Ron. I didn't mean to big back bad memories."
Ron shook his head. "No 'Mione, they are not bad memories. They are good memories. It's just hard. This is why I couldn't go home. I was afraid of how hard it would be to be happy and celebrate the season without him. I didn't want to make mum cry. I thought if I was there, it would remind her of dad missing." Ron explained looking down.
Hermione gave his arm a squeeze. "You blame yourself for too many things that you had no control over Ron. It wasn't your fault that your father died. He was fighting because he wanted to protect the ones he loved from living a life under the rule of the Dark Lord. He fought for the same reason you did. To protect the ones he loved. He knew the consequences of fighting as did you and the rest of us who fought. I'm sure he's looking down on you, proud of all you've done, much like he looked at you when he was alive."
Ron gave a sigh. "I know your right. You're always right." Ron replied. "It's just hard. I wish he was here." The tears slipped from his eyes. He reached up and wiped them roughly away.
Hermione leaned over and hugged him. "I know Ron. I wish he was too. I wish a lot of people where here that aren't." She murmured as he slipped his arms around her.
"I think we all have someone we wish was here that isn't." Ron replied.
At that moment Ginny turned around and yelled for Ron. "Mum wants to talk to you." She said a smiled on her face. Talking with her mum had made her feel better.
Ron and Hermione broke apart and Ron got up from the couch, stepping toward the fire. "Aren't you coming? She'll want to talk to you too." Ron said looking back down at Hermione. He reached out his hand, offering to help her up. She took it and stood up. Then they both walked over to the fire and knelt down.
"Oh Ronald, Hermione! It's so wonderful to see you. You're both well, I hope." Mrs. Weasley gushed when Ron and Hermione's head appeared in her kitchen fire.
Ron smiled. "Yes mum. We're both fine. How's everything at the Burrow? Fred and George causing problems as always?" he asked.
Mrs. Weasley smiled in return. "No. They are being quite good. I think Angelina is a good influence on your brother Fred."
Ron chuckled. "Who knew? Maybe we should fix George up with someone." He suggested.
"But then who would provide the entertainment?" Hermione interjected. Ron glanced over at her and grinned.
"You're right Hermione. They do cause problems occasionally but they are very successful. While I may not have wanted them to start their business so early or at all, I am proud of them. They have done well for themselves." Mrs. Weasley said, sniffing a little. "Your father was proud of them too as he was of all his children."
"I know mum. We are proud of him too." Ron replied. Mrs. Weasley nodded, using a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes.
A moment of silence fell between them as they remembered the one who was missing.
"Mrs. Weasley, I wanted to wish you a merry Christmas." Hermione said breaking the silence, hoping to lighten the mood and bring back the Christmas spirit.
"Oh thank you dear. Merry Christmas to you too." Mrs. Weasley smiled.
"Yeah, merry Christmas mum. I'm sorry I'm not there." Ron replied.
"It's okay Ron," Mrs. Weasley said. "I understand. But you have a good Christmas alright. I better be getting back to the boys and let you two go. I love you both and merry Christmas."
Hermione smiled. "Thanks Mrs. Weasley. Have a good Christmas." She said.
"I love you too mum. Take care and I'll try and write soon." Ron replied, with a half smiled.
"I'll keep my eyes out for Pig." Mrs. Weasley said hopefully. "Merry Christmas dears."
"Merry Christmas." Ron and Hermione said together pulling their heads out of the flames. The fire sparked, then turned back to orange.
Hermione look over at Ron. She could sense that he was feeling sad again, his lips curving downwards. She reached over and touched his arm. "Merry Christmas Ron," she murmured.
"Merry Christmas Hermione," he replied with a small smile.
"What do you say to a game of chess and some Christmas music?" She suggested.
Ron nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He smiled at her, standing up. He helped her up, their hands lingering for a second. "You magic the music, I'll grab the board."
"Deal."
Hermione pulled out her wand, muttered the spell, and Christmas carols began to quietly fill the common room. Then she moved over to the couch and sat down.
"Nice call Hermione." Harry said with a smile, from the arm chair at the other end of the couch. He and Ginny we playing a game of Gobstones together.
"Brightens that room doesn't it? Make it more in the spirit."
"Sure does," Harry replied, taking his move.
Ron dragged a maroon arm chair to the coffee table across from where Hermione sat. He placed the chessboard in front of them, handed her the box of his extra set of pieces and sat down. She took the box and began to set up her side of the board.
After they finished their first game, Harry and Hermione switched places. Finally they grouped together for a game of exploding snaps.
The mulled away the hours, playing games, talking, and reliving past Christmases as well as imagining future ones. At some point during the evening Dobby the house elf brought up some spiced Christmas cider for them, and gave Harry his Christmas present, a pair of outlandish socks, where one was adorned with quidditch balls and brooms and the other with trunks, books, and wands. Harry had presented Dobby with his present as well (a bright orange and lime green stripped sweater), which he absolutely loved.
Around ten-thirty or so, the quartet decided to head for bed, knowing that their presents wouldn't come if they stayed up all night.
Before Ron headed for his dorm, he walked Hermione to her staircase.
"Merry Christmas Hermione." He leaned in and hugged her.
"Merry Christmas Ron," she smiled as she hugged him in return.
"Sweet Dreams," Ron wished when they parted. "And if you have a bad dream, you can always come to me."
Hermione smiled at him. "Thanks. Sweet dreams for you too." She wished back. And before she turned, she stood on her tip toes and kissed Ron on the cheek. He blushed a little pink as she headed up the stairs.
Ginny's right, he thought, telling her is the best thing to do. He headed for the boys staircase, taking the stairs two at a time, a smile on his lips and a happiness in his step, sure that if he had dreams, they were bound to be good ones.
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It was as if he was watching a movie of his life that keep skipping around. He himself standing next to Harry as his best man, then he was standing next to Hermione, the groom himself, their honeymoon on the coast. Then they were renting their first apartment, and buying their own house. Hermione was telling him they were having a baby, they were finding out that it was really twins. So many happy things were going on, until suddenly it stopped.
Hermione and Ron were sitting in there living room, Hermione knitting a pair of baby sweaters and Ron reading the Daily Prophet.
"Ron are you okay?" Hermione asked, "You've been acting a little weird lately."
"I told you I'm fine. Why do you keep asking me woman." Ron replied through gritted teeth, taking a drink from his special flask.
Hermione frowned but let it be. Suddenly, Ron began to cough and shake. Hermione turned to look at him and noticed that his eyes were turning colors and his hair was darkening. Hermione dropped her knitting and stood up. She let out a scream. Standing there in the living room where Ron used to be was Lord Voldemort dressed in Ron's clothes.
"Where is he? Where is Ron?" Hermione begged. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"
"Your Ron is dead. He has been for weeks." He said with an evil grin. "And you will be soon to join him." He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Hermione. He yelled a few words and Hermione disappeared from the living room and reappeared in a tomb, next to the dead body of her husband, Ron. She screamed when she saw his rotting body.
With that scream, Ron woke, sitting straight up in his bed. His breath was heavy. He felt clammy and sweaty. His heart was racing.
"Shit," he murmured. It has started out so great. They were together, married, expecting twins. It was all the things he wanted. But then it had turned dark. And he had turned into Voldemort. Then suddenly Hermione was next to his rotting body. That horrifying scream had been heart wrenching, scary.
As his breath slowly began to return to normal, he closed his eyes. "I don't want her to ever have to see me die." He thought to himself. "And I don't ever want to see her die." It was the same thought of seeing her killed that had haunted him during the endless battles of the war.
"But if you don't tell her, you'll never have the chance to spend every moment possible with her before you do die." Ginny's annoying voice replied in his head.
"Ms. Know-it-all," Ron grumbled, "Why she gotta know everything?"
Somewhat angry, he threw off his covers and got out of bed. After a nightmare like that, he knew he wasn't likely to be able to go back to sleep again. So he grabbed his towel and headed for the bathroom to take a nice warm shower, in hopes of relaxing his tense muscles.
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Hermione smiled as her dream played snippets of her hopeful future. Her and Ron were dancing at Harry and Ginny's wedding, shoving cake in each others face at their wedding, walking along a dirt path in Bath on their honeymoon, a romantic Sunday morning in their first apartment, her telling Ron she's pregnant, buying a house together with a big backyard, sharing the amazement of having child together. And that is where it slowed down.
Hermione was in labor and Ron rushed her to St. Mungo's. A medi-witch met them at the Floo gate and rushed them to the Delivery ward. There Ron helped her to get as comfortable as possible on one of the hospital beds.
Soon she began to scream in pain and a midwife witch began to urge her to push. Ron held her hand as she squeezed her pain into it. Finally when the baby's head was showing, Ron helped deliver the baby.
Just after Hermione gave her one last push, the midwife witch screamed and a flash of green light filled the room. There was thud and the midwife witch lay still on the floor.
She head Ron swear, and she moved her legs to see what seemed to be a baby grow in Ron's arms into a full grown body. But this wasn't just any old body; it was the body and spirit of Lord Voldemort. Hermione screamed and the Dark Lord cackled, raising a wand. He pointed it at Ron.
"No!" She screamed, reaching a hand out, in any attempt to stop him. Ron looked at her as Voldemort laughed again and shouted the killing curse. Ron's eyes went blank and his body crumpled to the floor.
Next Voldemort turned on her, and raised his wand. He gave an evil deep laugh and yelled the killing curse once more.
Hermione screamed and sat up in her bed. Her breath echoed in the dark empty room.
Her dream had been good to start with but then it had turned horrible. She shook her head, trying to get the images to go away. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them.
"I hate these nightmares!" She whispered, angrily. She just wanted them to stop.
Then suddenly she remembered Ron's offer to go to him when ever she needed him. "I could go to him but…" Something held her back.
After a moment of debate in her head, she threw off the blankets. "Screw it," she muttered and grabbed her bathrobe and headed determinedly to the door. She rushed down the girls staircase and over to the boys staircase. She stopped at the bottom of the boys' stairs, and wrung her hand for a minute. Quietly and slowly, she climbed the boys' stairs to the seventh year dorms floor.