Chapter 14: Christmas
A/N: Hi! Thanks to everybody who reviewed the last chapter, especially rhmac12! I was watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics last night - it was incredible! I especially liked J.K Rowling's part with the giant Lord Voldemort and the James part with the Queen was great too. Anyway, this chapter is about the greatest day of the year – Christmas! I don't know how long this will be so I apologise if it is too long or short. Here is chapter 14!
"Hermione." Ron whispered to a sleeping Hermione. He could have shouted it due to the amount of excitement circulating his body right now, probably the Christmas spirit.
"Hmmm." Hermione replied sleepily, her eyes still shut.
"Hermione, wake up it is Christmas!" Ron said kissing her cheek.
Hermione opened her eyes and turned over onto her side to find Ron lying there smiling at her merrily. He looked as if he had just won a million pounds with the enormous smile that was etched on his happy face.
"Merry Christmas." Hermione smiled leaning over and kissing Ron gently on the lips.
"Merry Christmas, Hermione." Ron replied giving her a hug.
They lay there for a minute or two. Just wrapped in each other's arms, and to both of them, it felt perfectly right. This was their first Christmas together where they were actually admitting that they loved each other. They could have said this to each other long ago on a Christmas day, but it would mean what was happening right now, might not be the same.
"What do you want to do first on this fine Christmas day?" Ron asked
"Mmm, you choose, I can't decide." Hermione answered
"Well, it just so happens that I haven't only woken up just now. I woke up about half an hour ago and I made breakfast for both of us." Ron smiled
"Ron, you didn't have to do that." Hermione sighed gratefully
"I wanted to; it is our first Christmas living together and I want it to be a Christmas that neither of us will ever forget." Ron said and kissed Hermione again.
"Thank you." Hermione smiled as she kissed Ron. Then she suddenly broke away from him and laughed hard.
"What's so funny?" Ron questioned
"Ron, if we keep kissing like this we won't make it downstairs and the beautiful breakfast that you have made will have gone cold." Hermione giggled
"I was right; you do have a good sense of humour." Ron laughed.
"Why thank you." Hermione beamed and got out of bed
Once they had both got dressed both of them went downstairs into the kitchen.
"Ron I already know what is in here, you don't have to cover my eyes." Hermione said
"I want to, besides you haven't seen it yet, which adds to the excitement despite already knowing what you are going to see." Ron chuckled
"Ok you can open your eyes." Ron smiled as Hermione opened her eyes and smiled
"Wow, Ron this looks incredible." Hermione said hugging him
"Thanks my Mum showed me a couple of years ago how to make breakfast so I thought I may as well give it a go since most of the time while we were on the run you made the food. It is the only thing I can actually cook so I thought it was worth a try." Ron said happily
After both of them had eaten breakfast they both sat on the sofa watching the Christmas programmes on television. The fire was roaring and warming up the room quietly. The baubles on the Christmas tree glistened in the light from the ceilings.
"Who is that?" Ron asked
"It is the Queen." Hermione answered
"The who?" Ron quizzed still incredibly puzzled
"Queen Elizabeth the 2nd, she rules the country. Each year she makes a speech on Christmas Day about the events of the past year." Hermione said
"Oh right." Ron sighed
"Seriously, you have never heard of the Queen. I thought since your Dad is obsessed with muggles that he would know about the royal family." Hermione giggled
"No, I have never heard of them. I don't think many people who are wizards have heard of them. Unless they are like Dad." Ron shook his head
"Can I give you your present now instead of at the Burrow?" Hermione asked
"If you want to. But only if I can give you yours as well." Ron replied
Hermione carefully handed Ron the parcel that was carefully wrapped in a paper decorated in Christmas trees. He slowly opened it and smiled and laughed happily as he saw what she had bought.
"Hermione this is brilliant, thank you!" Ron said kissing her on the cheek and wrapping the chudley cannons scarf around his neck.
"You are welcome." Hermione smiled
"And thank you so much for the cook book! Maybe this time next year I will be the one making Christmas dinner for everyone."Ron laughed
"Well just to give you an immediate boost of motivation the breakfast was incredible and one of the best I have ever tasted." Hermione replied
Ron handed two packages then to Hermione that were wrapped in a wrapping paper decorated in Holly.
"How did you know that Holly is my favourite plant?" Hermione questioned curiously
"You have always loved Christmas, Holly is symbolic for Christmas and also you told me last year." Ron beamed
Hermione opened the first package and smiled.
"Ron this is great! It will be perfect for my new job." Hermione said looking at the blurb of the book on Elf welfare and laws. He felt his heart warm at the thought that she loved the book that he had bought and also at the fact that she didn't already own it.
Then she moved onto the second package and started to unwrap the paper very carefully. Ron crossed his fingers in the hope that she would like it since he hadn't had Ginny's opinion on this gift – Ginny didn't even notice that he had left flourish and Blotts to go and buy this present. But there was a feeling and a thought in his head that was telling him that she would definitely like what she was about to open.
Once the Holly decorated wrapping paper had disappeared there was a small silver gift box that glistening and shimmered due to its holographic papery cardboard.
She lifted of the lid of the box and gasped in surprise, her hand were shaking as she carefully lifted the gift out of the package and her smile stretched for a mile.
"Ron, this is beautiful, thank you." Hermione smiled, her voice was shaking slightly and a tear fell down her cheek as she looked up at Ron happily.
It was a bracelet. A pure silver bracelet beautifully decorated with midnight blue sapphires. The sapphires were in the shapes of flowers and butterflies and the sapphires shone and glistened in the light. Ron looked into Hermione's eyes. She was crying slightly and a few tears rolled down her face. She also wore a smile that couldn't be any bigger with happiness if she tried. Ron knew that this present was definitely a winner and she loved it already.
"What do you think?" Ron asked nervously, he already knew her answer, but just wanted to hear it and allow it to be permanently stored in his memory so that every time he looked at her wearing the bracelet, his heart would glow happily at the thought that she truly liked it.
"Ron, I love it, this is one of the most beautiful gifts I have ever been given by anyone." She said
"Why did you choose sapphires?" Hermione questioned
"Your birthstone. You were born on the 19th of September and so therefore, your birthstone is a sapphire." Ron smiled
Hermione kissed Ron passionately on the lips. "I love you Ron."
"I love you too Hermione." Ron replied.
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Ron and Hermione arrived at the Burrow after having seen Hermione's parents earlier on in the day. It was 3 o'clock and due to it being the middle of winter, the sun was already starting to set and it was snowing peacefully outside. Ron and Hermione walked in the front door to be engulfed in hugs by both Harry and Ginny.
"Merry Christmas." Harry said, hugging Hermione.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Harry." Hermione replied into his shoulder.
Harry and Hermione went and sat down on the sofa whilst Ron was talking with both Ginny and George. It had been quite a while since they had properly spoken to each other given that Hermione had been at Hogwarts and Harry had also fully qualified as an Auror. Also another reason was because they both lived with other people away from each other. It was strange since Harry thought of Hermione as a sister and Hermione thought of Harry as like a brother so their sibling like relationship had been broken and vanished slightly.
"How are you?" Harry asked
"I am great. Thanks for asking. I got back my NEWTs results the other day and I have got my dream job – working with house elves and so yes life is great." Hermione said cheerfully
"How are you?" Hermione questioned Harry.
"Good, I got the job as an auror, I am living with the person that I love most in the world and you know who is gone so yes, I am fine." Harry smiled
"Nice bracelet by the way." Harry said to Hermione, breaking the silence that had been simmering in the air for the past few minutes.
"Thank you. Ron got it for me for Christmas along with a book on House elf laws." Hermione said proudly as she gazed down at the bracelet Ron had given to her a couple of hours previously.
"What did you get for him?" Harry asked
"A chudley cannons scarf and a cook book." Hermione laughed and Harry joined in with the laughter.
"Ginny got me a quidditch t-shirt that had golden snitches on it along with a book on quidditch world cups. I got her a pair of earrings." Harry replied
"I have missed conversations like this together. You are like a brother to me Harry and we have hardly seen each other in months." Hermione sighed
"We really need to see each other more often, or if we get the opportunity just owl each other every so often." Harry said
"As much as I like the idea of working. I don't want it to get in the way of my friendship with you and Ginny or my relationship with Ron." Hermione sighed again.
"Don't worry, we will still be friends, I promise. We just need to see each other more often. That is all." Harry said giving her a hug.
"How come you are always right Harry?" Hermione said - her voice was muffled as she hugged him tightly.
"Honestly Hermione, you are the one that is always right. I may be the boy who lived, but you are the brightest witch of our age." Harry chuckled
The evening was a happy affair. Hermione couldn't remember a Christmas that she had ever shared with these people that was so happy. The meal was amazing and Hermione now realised where Ron had inherited the cooking skills that he had demonstrated at breakfast earlier that day. George had even introduced his new girlfriend – Angelina Johnson.
"So how did you two get into a relationship?" Hermione asked after dinner once everyone had sat down in the Living room of the Burrow.
"I got offered a Quidditch job but it doesn't start for a couple more months, I went into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes one day and we got talking." Angelina smiled
"Angelina told me about how she didn't have a job and so I offered her one at the shop." George continued
"How long have you both been boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ron questioned
"About 2 months, maybe closer to three." Angelina told Ron and Hermione.
A while later they found themselves talking to Harry and Ginny again. Harry noticed how Ron kept looking at Hermione in a dazed way and then looking at the mistletoe not very far away from them.
"Ron if you want an excuse to kiss Hermione then just kiss her!" Harry laughed
"Alright then." Ron smiled and kissed Hermione passionately. They somehow seemed to forget that Harry and Ginny were sat in front of them – staring at the pair of them as Ron and Hermione continued to kiss.
Harry cleared his throat in the hope that they would split apart.
"When you two actually come up for air, you could have just used the mistletoe." Ginny said and laughed.
Ron and Hermione broke apart and both blushed a deep, dark shade of red.
"Sorry." They both apologised, looking towards their feet.
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Ron opened the door and walked in with Hermione. They were both giggling hysterically – especially Hermione who Ron felt had had slightly too much butter beer to drink. It was late at night and was almost eleven pm when they had arrived and so as soon as they got in both of them went straight up to bed.
Hermione glanced down at the bracelet Ron had given to her earlier on in the day. He was right when he said this would be a Christmas that they would never forget. No matter what happened between them, she would always treasure this bracelet. Even though she had only just been given the present every time she looked at the gorgeous glistening gift it made her think of Ron and she felt that this bracelet would always hold happy memories from this day. They had also experienced their first time at almost being drunk. Hermione had always said that she wouldn't allow it to happen but maybe the Christmas spirit had gotten the better of her.
Hermione climbed into bed and turned over to face Ron as he climbed in as well. As much as she didn't want to ruin this moment she felt like she needed to ask this question.
"Ron, can you remember where we were this time last year?" Hermione questioned curiously.
Ron took a deep breath and sighed shakily. "I know where I was, I don't know about you and Harry. I was in a pub on Christmas day last year, looking around at everybody who was with their family, their boyfriends and girlfriends, their husbands and wives. And I was there on my own. I didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't know where to find you or if I would see you two again. That was the night that I heard your voice coming out of the deluminator. That was all I needed to hear, your voice Hermione, which made me more desperate to return to you and Harry than I had been in weeks. I will always remember that day Hermione, for a good reason. Because I realised how much I loved you." He smiled
Hermione smiled back – she didn't really know how to reply to that, nor had she ever heard him say something so heartfelt.
"This time last year, we had been to Harry's parents' graves and had been bitten numerous times by a giant snake. We had got to a safe place and I told Harry that we should just give up and stay there in that forest and grow old. I said that to him because I love you, and I wanted to wait for you and hope you would find us there. And you did. I never gave up on you Ron. Not really." Hermione beamed at him.
Ron wrapped an arm around Hermione and sighed. "I will never forget this Christmas Hermione, not because it is Christmas. But because I got to spend this day with you."
"I love you Ron." Hermione said leaning over and kissing him.
"I love you too." Ron replied and returned the kiss passionately.
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Hermione."
As the snow fell outside, Hermione realised that that would be a Christmas that they would never forget.
A/N: Hi again! So, what did you think? I loved writing this chapter and hope this would be what a first Christmas together would be like for Ron and Hermione. There was something that I wasn't sure whether to put in this chapter. It would have been quite a step forward in their relationship if you know what I mean. Anyway I hope you liked this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!