A/N: This chapter has been beta read. Thank you, Super MKatR!

Chapter 14 – Christmas Morning

Christmas was Ginny's favourite holiday. Usually all the family would be together, or at least it was like that until Bill and Charlie left home to work abroad. Even though her brothers weren't there, the beauty if Christmas couldn't be ignored. On Christmas, the snow was always more beautiful, the food more delicious and the people more joyful. Ginny loved all those traditions, the tree, the gingerbread biscuits, the eggnog… Everything was so good.

When she woke up quite early in that Christmas morning, she wasn't doing anything different from the traditional. At the Burrow, she had always been the first to wake up. However, today she wasn't in the Burrow, she was in a small Romanian inn called The Toothless Dragon. Ginny was staying in her bedroom next to her parents' bedroom. Travelling with only one kid allowed the Weasleys to some extravagances, like separate bedrooms.

The girl smiled when she found a small pile of presents close to the bed.

Mum was here during the night for sure, she thought

The first present she opened was big and misshapen, which was from her parents. The jumper was pale pink with flowers in the wristbands and neckband. Ginny grimaced at the colour, but she quickly put on the jumper without complaining. She knew her mother did the best she could. Apart from the jumper, she got a bracelet with golden stars from Bill, from Charlie an animated replica of the dragon she most liked in the sanctuary, an Antipodean Opaleye from New Zealand. The twins sent her a trick wand, Ron-chocolate frogs and Percy-a book.

Her last gift spent the night at the bedside table, awaiting the moment to be opened. Ginny had been anxious to open that present since the day she received in the Burrow, but she respected the instructions to only open it on Christmas. She saved that one for last, because she knew it would be her favourite and she wanted to have time to enjoy Harry's present, even if it was a simple paperweight.

She opened the little box. Inside, there were a note and a mirror. She read the note first.

Dear Ginny,

This is your half of a pair of two way mirrors. Anytime you want to talk to me, you look in this mirror and say my name. I have the other. In this way, I can always see you and hear you and you can do the same. We can talk more often without tiring the poor Hedwig.

I hope you like my present.

Harry

Ginny carefully grabbed the mirror, which was small and had a coppery frame. She saw her own reflection on the mirror, brown eyes, lots of freckles and ginger hair. Damn, she needed to brush her hair before using that mirror. Some minutes later, Ginny returned to the mirror with combed hair and brushed teeth. She took a deep breath. It was exciting to be able to speak with Harry once more.

'Harry.' She called through the mirror. Nothing happened… No, wait. Yes, it happened. Ginny's reflection vanished and everything was dark. 'Harry!' She tried again. 'Damn, does this thing work?' She asked herself. 'Harry!'

Suddenly the image changed, she heard something moving and then Harry's face appeared. 'Hi!' He said, smiling.

Ginny stared at the mirror, amazed. That was cool! 'Hi!' She replied. 'This mirror is awesome.'

'It's very cool, I'm happy it works. McGonagall did it for me.'

Ginny noticed that Harry's hair was messier than usual and his glasses were askew on his face, which seemed to be redder in one side. Then, she realised. 'I woke you up! I'm sorry!'

Harry shook his head. 'It's ok. You're a gentle alarm clock. Anyway, I needed to know if you like the present.'

'Of course I love it! It's amazing! But now I feel a bit silly for the gift I made for you. It isn't as good as yours...'

Harry frowned. 'You didn't have to give me a gift. I gave you that, because I miss you, not because I want something in return.'

Ginny felt her cheeks getting hot when he stated that he missed her, but she couldn't stop smiling.

'I was giving you a present anyway… and… I miss you too.'

Harry smiled, seeming to be slightly ruddy too.

'So…' She said, trying to ward off the embarrassment. 'Are you enjoying the holidays?'

She remembered briefly the visit that Harry should have done to his parents' house, but she didn't force the topic.

'Yes, I am. The castle is practically ours now that everyone is out, so the twins invent many crazy things for us to do. We're having a lot of fun…'

Since the joy in Harry's voice seemed forced, Ginny understood that something was bothering her friend.

'What more?' She asked, with discernment.

'I visited my parents' home yesterday and…'

'Was it bad?'

'Kind of. I found a diary from my mum. She charmed it so that no one besides me can read it.'

'Whoa! She must have been a talented witch. Not just anyone can do that kind of spell.'

'No doubts about that. The diary is amazing. I spent the night reading it. I discovered some pages glowed sometimes to call my attention. That has happened twice when I had a question and was trying to find the answer in the diary.'

'Whoa!'

'I know.'

'But if not that, what is getting you upset?'

'How do you know I'm upset?'

Ginny rolled her eyes. Boys… 'I just know. You try to feign you're alright, but I can see you're sad for some reason. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…'

Harry sighed. 'I discovered why my parents are dead, because they were betrayed by someone who was their friend.'

He was so direct that Ginny was surprised. 'Wait, what!?'

'His name was Peter Pettigrew. He was the only one who could tell someone where my parents lived, because of a charm called Fidelius. He said he was my dad's friend since school, but when he should have protected our location, he went straight to Voldemort and told him about it.'

'That's horrible…' Ginny commented. She knew what the Fidelius Charm was, her father once said it was very commonly used when You-Know-Who was in power.

'Yes. When Sirius, my dad's best friend discovered the betrayal, he went after Peter and killed him. However, in doing so, he killed thirteen Muggles in an explosion and was sent to Azkaban. I don't know if Sirius killed the Muggles by accident or not, but he is my godfather.'

Ginny could feel Harry's anguish in his eyes. After she understood the story he told her, she wanted to cry.

'Did you discover that through the diary?'

'Only a part of it. McGonagall told me the rest of the story and I put the pieces together. She said back then everyone thought Sirius was the one who betrayed my parents and he killed Peter in pure malice.'

'Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry.'

'It's alright. Really, I prefer to know what happened… especially now that I discovered all the truth.'

'What truth?'

'It wasn't my parents that Voldemort wanted to kill in that night… He wanted to kill me.'

'Why? You were only a baby…'

'Some seer predicted that a baby born in the end of July was the one who could defeat him. He believed in that and decided to come after me. That's why my parents hid, it was to protect me.'

'Then, he didn't choose well, because he was defeated anyway.'

'Yes, but it claimed my parents' lives.'

A/N: Hello! I hope you're enjoying this fic. Please, don't forget to write a review.

The next chapter is called The Broom of the Century.

Inês

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