Chapter 16- Deck the Halls, Or the Brother.
"We're being stared at again," Ginny said spooning up a bit more ice cream. She and Harry had decided to have dessert in a small, warm café. They got seats by the window so they could watch the passersby on the street.
"Well," Harry rested his elbows on the table and smiled fondly at her. "I wonder how many of these Muggles have seen robes. We're also decidedly not French."
"But this is Paris," Ginny pointed out. "Aren't they used to foreigners?"
"Not really stunning ones." Harry plucked his cherry off the top of his ice cream and deposited it in Ginny's bowl.
"You're barely touching your ice cream, Harry."
"Guilt. Florean would be mad at us for getting ice cream anywhere but his shop."
"Can we ask them if they have Owl Pellet Crunch?" Ginny asked innocently. "Or maybe some Leapfrog Lime for Chloe?"
"And here you were just commenting on how people were staring at us," Harry said reaching across the table and taking her hand. "You're just a troublemaker at heart. Typical Weasley."
"Speaking of Weasleys, I hear you're going to have a whole lot of them at your house, oh, I'd say around December 25th."
"Yes, Christmas is at Havenwood," Harry confirmed. "I can finally have you all at my house for a change."
"Chloe is going to have a ball. Her very first Christmas with the new family. I'm sure you're just as excited."
Harry fished through his robes, Sickles and Knuts falling out before pulling out a few Muggle notes. The waiter came over and investigated the notes with a frown.
"No," he said shaking his head.
Ginny was puzzled. "Isn't that Muggle money?" she whispered.
Harry seemed to remember what the problem was and whispered back. "Muggles insist on having different types of money for their countries."
The waiter watched this conversation with the utmost suspicion and glared at Harry.
"Watch," Harry said holding up a twenty-pound note. He folded it twice and then opened his fist to reveal the money in the correct currency. "Tada," Harry said playfully.
The waiter applauded. "Un magicien!" he exclaimed, quite delighted.
Ginny was biting her lower lip to hold in the laughter. Harry nodded at the waiter indulgently. "Yes, a magician. You just don't know how correct you are. Are you ready, Gin?"
She nodded and waited until the waiter was out of earshot. "And here you were commenting how I was the troublemaker. I'm sure your little magic trick isn't exactly legal. Transfiguration right in front of a Muggle."
"I only break the law to entertain," Harry said, defending himself with a smile. He draped her cloak over her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "You're lucky he didn't want me to saw you in half. "
"Saw me in half!" Ginny was horrified. "What are you talking about?"
"It's a Muggle thing," Harry said drawing her into an embrace when they were outside. "I don't think I could do it anyway."
"Why?" asked Ginny as she lavished his lips with small light kisses.
"Because I love you, of course," Harry said simply. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Yes," Ginny said hugging him tightly. "It is obvious. And I love you too, Harry."
~*~
Harry upset his coffee cup and it quickly flooded the table.
Ron leapt from his seat before the coffee could spill over on him,
"Clumsy git," Ron laughed.
Harry, who was really hoping to avoid coffee-scented robes for the rest
of the day, had scrambled up also. He furtively tried to clean up the
mess by waving a quick hand over it.
A waitress bustled over and smiled brightly at him, "Don't worry about
it, Mr. Potter," she said cheerfully pulling out her wand.
"I'm sorry," said Harry still trying to help her.
"No problem, Mr. Potter," she said finishing up and indicating them to
sit down again, "I'll be right back with a new cup of coffee."
"So, how come I have to help you Christmas shop?" asked Ron.
"Because you don't like to shop, and I don't like to shop, therefore
we'll get done twice as fast."
"You never did well in mathematics, did you?" sighed Ron.
"I was too busy saving the world," replied Harry sardonically. "Very time- consuming."
"Smart aleck."
"I want to get Ginny something really special," Harry said thoughtfully. "Any ideas? I just can't think of anything."
"Well, you spend enough time with her, you should know. She's always at Havenwood," Ron said shrugging.
Harry noticed Ron's tone sounded a bit tetchy. "What's wrong with her spending time at my house? Weren't you worried about her just a few weeks ago?"
"I don't think she's in any condition for a fling," Ron said crossly. "I don't know if you noticed, but the latest woman to throw herself at your feet actually car-"
Taken aback, Harry wasn't quite sure what to say. "What?"
"You heard me," said Ron crumbling his biscuit.
"Loud and clear," Harry said irritably. "Apparently you're just a little bothered by this."
"Just a teeny bit, Harry." Ron's voice was surprisingly controlled for the look he was giving Harry. "I'm drawing the line at my family."
"I haven't done anything to your sister to hurt her!" Harry exclaimed, not believing his own ears. Was Ron his best friend or not?!
"You mean anything besides getting her into bed," spat Ron.
"What?!" Harry fought to keep his voice down; this was definitely wavering on the verge of becoming an enormous scene. "You just crossed your own line there!"
"You think that the entire family doesn't see it?"
"See what? See that I care about her?"
"I thought someone like you would have consideration enough to realize
what he was getting into! You parade on back into Ginny's life...sweep
her off her feet...make her fall in love with you, and you think you'll
be able to make a clean break for it now? Planning to toss my sister
to the curb? I'm not going to sit around and watch this happen!".
"Make Ginny fall in love with me?" said Harry sarcastically, "Oh yes, I
had it all planned out! Why don't we just count all the people's hearts I've broken? Come on Ron, get real!"
"That's right. We all saw right through that, with the flowers...the
ball...using your fortune to win her over!" Ron slammed his hand on the table angrily.
People were beginning to look over at them, murmuring and pointing.
"That's not true!" shouted Harry.
Ron drew himself up from the table, "You know...I thought the family
meant more to you than this, Harry!"
He had done it. He had played his last card. The insult that he knew
would infuriate Harry. "You don't understand!"
"The hell if I don't!" Ron shouted back.
"If you would shut up for five bloody seconds I could explain!"
"There's nothing to explain!"
"I haven't slept with your sister! Not that it's any of your business! I was under the assumption I was dating Ginny, not Ginny and you."
"Haven't slept with her yet."
"Would you grow up?"
"Come on, Harry, this charade isn't fooling me!"
"Fine!" Harry shouted. "That's fine. But how's this little piece of information, you prat, I love her!"
Ron threw some money on the table and stalked out of the coffee shop.
~*~
(Coble's Cove-Sirius' House)
"I have a lunch meeting," Percy said impatiently glancing at his watch. "Can we kindly get on with whatever we came here to discuss?"
"We were about to discuss what to do about Harry and Ron, and you've got twenty minutes to spare," said Bill narrowing his eyes. "Sit down. Family first. Hermione is really upset about this."
"If they don't get this resolved by Christmas, Mum is going to be in fits," Charlie said shaking his head.
"Let's review, for my sake anyway," Sirius said taking a seat. "Harry is mad at Ron because Ron overreacted in-"
"And made a complete public spectacle of themselves," Percy interrupted.
"Ron's mad at Harry because, well, I guess he's not really used to the idea of Harry and Ginny," Sirius continued, not listening to Percy's comment.
"I don't think they're really all that angry with each other, just being stubborn gits," Charlie said, playing with the hole worn in the knee of his trousers.
"I agree with Charlie," Bill nodded, "and we aren't going to let them spoil Christmas. Especially for the kids."
"Well we'd better do something," George said huffily. "I'm sick of Ron moping around. It's like someone's died. He came in the joke shop for some Christmas gifts and he didn't even FLINCH when Fred and I dropped the new Acromantula model on him from the ceiling."
Fred looked very put out. "Talk about a disappointing reaction. We put it up especially for him."
"I don't think dropping a giant spider on your brother is going to help things," Sirius replied with a grin.
"They weren't trying to help, they were trying to knock some sense into that thick skull of his," Charlie said helpfully.
"We didn't even get a flinch, a twitch, or girlish scream." George did look quite dejected.
"I just don't see what the big deal is," said Bill. "I, for one, like
the idea that Harry and Ginny are a couple. It's about time, actually."
"Not to mention how happy Harry has been. He's finally able to have a
somewhat normal life."
"Besides, Harry is probably the best brother-in-law we could get...
Neville was a great bloke, don't get me wrong, he was very...ah... What's the word?" said Fred.
"Timid," laughed Charlie, "I'll never forget the time we talked him into playing the annual Weasley Quidditch match. Poor fellow."
"Screamed like a banshee when that Bludger hit him, and he fell off
his broom," said George. "Had to pull him out of the creeping tendril bush, didn't you, Bill?"
"Aaaaaaaayiiiieeeeeeeeeee," screamed Fred in imitation.
The boys roared with laughter.
"Righto," said George, "Harry's a great chap. Good at Quidditch too. I
think he and Ginny are great!"
They all grunted in agreement.
"So how are you going to convince his best friend of this?" asked Sirius.
"Beat it into him," said Charlie with a smile, looking up from under strands of hair that had flopped into his blue eyes.
"Please tell me you're joking." For a moment, Sirius had a very mischievous gleam to his eye, but then he remembered to chide Charlie.
"Now, now, Dad and Mum wouldn't approve of us ganging up on Ron," said
Percy, waving his hands like a referee.
"That's why we aren't going to tell them, Percy," said George with a snort, "And unlike you, we don't tell Mum every little thing we do."
"Enough," interrupted Bill with the usual authority of oldest brother,
"Percy's right. We just want him to see that it isn't so bad that Harry and Ginny are an item. So we'll chat with him for a bit."
"And when that doesn't work?" asked Fred crossing his arms.
Bill gave them a smooth look, "Then we'll smack him!"
~*~
The genuine 1871 sketch of an early Quaffle fell from the wall in Ron's office, and he heard the glass break in the frame with a loud crack.
Ginny seemed rather peeved about something, as she saw fit to slam his door in such a fashion.
"You!" she growled, pointing right at Ron. Her cheeks were so red, that Ron was suspicious that she might start breathing fire.
"Hi, Gin," Ron said testing the waters with a nice reply. "Got a little vigorous with the door, eh?"
"How dare you!"
Ron was thankful most of the office had gone out for lunch today. If she kept that volume, she'd cause a Banshee to go deaf.
"Gin?"
She strode across the room, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Don't you Gin me! You better start explaining right now, Ronald Weasley, or I'm going to curse you through the window!"
Oh, oh. He bet Harry had gone crying to her, and she was here to defend his honor. Probably best to play dumb. "What in the world are you going on about?!" he exclaimed.
Ginny slammed a Daily Prophet on his desk. "Don't you dare play dumb with me!"
Ron glanced down at the paper. "What?"
Ginny made a frightening lunge for the letter opener on his desk, and Ron slammed it in the drawer just in time. "Ginny! Simmer down! Have you lost it? You just can't come in here and destroy my office!"
"Oh, REALLY?!" Ginny screeched. "But you can just come on in and destroy my relationship with Harry?!"
Ron glanced over the article. "Fist fight? What fist fight?"
"I don't care what they exaggerated!" Ginny exclaimed. "You'd better apologize to Harry or I'll.."
"I have nothing to say to Harry," Ron crossed his arms.
"What is wrong with you?" Ginny shouted. "He's your best friend! It's none of your business to tell him who he can and cannot date. And you REALLY have no business telling me who I can see."
"I'm looking out for your best interests!"
"Your interests, definitely, not mine and Harry's!" Ginny shouted.
"Ginny, I just have a bad feeling about the whole thing.really.if you two would just slow down and look things ov-"
"Ron! Would you grow up! I can take care of myself!"
"I'm not apologizing to Harry, what I said needed to be said!"
Ginny turned bright red and clenched her fists. "Fine! I'll say what I need to say then!" she shouted. "Get your nose out of my business! It is none of your concern WHAT Harry Potter and I do!"
"You're my sister, I have plenty of say," Ron bellowed. "You're only doing this to get over Neville."
Oh. That had been the wrong thing to say because Ginny fell dangerously silent.
"Ron," she said in a very flat controlled voice, "if you ever say such a thing to me again, I will never speak to you as long as I live."
"You're getting too worked up over this, Ginny! Would you please get a clear head about things!"
"I NEED A CLEAR HEAD?!" Ginny shrieked, pointing at the article on the table. "I speak for Harry and myself when I say, SOD OFF!!"
She snatched his Chudley Cannons paperweight and launched it at the wall, shoved off all his papers and work and even managed to kick the desk, before storming out of the office and slamming the door yet again.
Ron grit his teeth as his paperweight shattered against the wall. One thing was for sure, Ginny hadn't been that explosive since before Neville died.
~*~
"We're being stared at again," Ginny said spooning up a bit more ice cream. She and Harry had decided to have dessert in a small, warm café. They got seats by the window so they could watch the passersby on the street.
"Well," Harry rested his elbows on the table and smiled fondly at her. "I wonder how many of these Muggles have seen robes. We're also decidedly not French."
"But this is Paris," Ginny pointed out. "Aren't they used to foreigners?"
"Not really stunning ones." Harry plucked his cherry off the top of his ice cream and deposited it in Ginny's bowl.
"You're barely touching your ice cream, Harry."
"Guilt. Florean would be mad at us for getting ice cream anywhere but his shop."
"Can we ask them if they have Owl Pellet Crunch?" Ginny asked innocently. "Or maybe some Leapfrog Lime for Chloe?"
"And here you were just commenting on how people were staring at us," Harry said reaching across the table and taking her hand. "You're just a troublemaker at heart. Typical Weasley."
"Speaking of Weasleys, I hear you're going to have a whole lot of them at your house, oh, I'd say around December 25th."
"Yes, Christmas is at Havenwood," Harry confirmed. "I can finally have you all at my house for a change."
"Chloe is going to have a ball. Her very first Christmas with the new family. I'm sure you're just as excited."
Harry fished through his robes, Sickles and Knuts falling out before pulling out a few Muggle notes. The waiter came over and investigated the notes with a frown.
"No," he said shaking his head.
Ginny was puzzled. "Isn't that Muggle money?" she whispered.
Harry seemed to remember what the problem was and whispered back. "Muggles insist on having different types of money for their countries."
The waiter watched this conversation with the utmost suspicion and glared at Harry.
"Watch," Harry said holding up a twenty-pound note. He folded it twice and then opened his fist to reveal the money in the correct currency. "Tada," Harry said playfully.
The waiter applauded. "Un magicien!" he exclaimed, quite delighted.
Ginny was biting her lower lip to hold in the laughter. Harry nodded at the waiter indulgently. "Yes, a magician. You just don't know how correct you are. Are you ready, Gin?"
She nodded and waited until the waiter was out of earshot. "And here you were commenting how I was the troublemaker. I'm sure your little magic trick isn't exactly legal. Transfiguration right in front of a Muggle."
"I only break the law to entertain," Harry said, defending himself with a smile. He draped her cloak over her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "You're lucky he didn't want me to saw you in half. "
"Saw me in half!" Ginny was horrified. "What are you talking about?"
"It's a Muggle thing," Harry said drawing her into an embrace when they were outside. "I don't think I could do it anyway."
"Why?" asked Ginny as she lavished his lips with small light kisses.
"Because I love you, of course," Harry said simply. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Yes," Ginny said hugging him tightly. "It is obvious. And I love you too, Harry."
~*~
Harry upset his coffee cup and it quickly flooded the table.
Ron leapt from his seat before the coffee could spill over on him,
"Clumsy git," Ron laughed.
Harry, who was really hoping to avoid coffee-scented robes for the rest
of the day, had scrambled up also. He furtively tried to clean up the
mess by waving a quick hand over it.
A waitress bustled over and smiled brightly at him, "Don't worry about
it, Mr. Potter," she said cheerfully pulling out her wand.
"I'm sorry," said Harry still trying to help her.
"No problem, Mr. Potter," she said finishing up and indicating them to
sit down again, "I'll be right back with a new cup of coffee."
"So, how come I have to help you Christmas shop?" asked Ron.
"Because you don't like to shop, and I don't like to shop, therefore
we'll get done twice as fast."
"You never did well in mathematics, did you?" sighed Ron.
"I was too busy saving the world," replied Harry sardonically. "Very time- consuming."
"Smart aleck."
"I want to get Ginny something really special," Harry said thoughtfully. "Any ideas? I just can't think of anything."
"Well, you spend enough time with her, you should know. She's always at Havenwood," Ron said shrugging.
Harry noticed Ron's tone sounded a bit tetchy. "What's wrong with her spending time at my house? Weren't you worried about her just a few weeks ago?"
"I don't think she's in any condition for a fling," Ron said crossly. "I don't know if you noticed, but the latest woman to throw herself at your feet actually car-"
Taken aback, Harry wasn't quite sure what to say. "What?"
"You heard me," said Ron crumbling his biscuit.
"Loud and clear," Harry said irritably. "Apparently you're just a little bothered by this."
"Just a teeny bit, Harry." Ron's voice was surprisingly controlled for the look he was giving Harry. "I'm drawing the line at my family."
"I haven't done anything to your sister to hurt her!" Harry exclaimed, not believing his own ears. Was Ron his best friend or not?!
"You mean anything besides getting her into bed," spat Ron.
"What?!" Harry fought to keep his voice down; this was definitely wavering on the verge of becoming an enormous scene. "You just crossed your own line there!"
"You think that the entire family doesn't see it?"
"See what? See that I care about her?"
"I thought someone like you would have consideration enough to realize
what he was getting into! You parade on back into Ginny's life...sweep
her off her feet...make her fall in love with you, and you think you'll
be able to make a clean break for it now? Planning to toss my sister
to the curb? I'm not going to sit around and watch this happen!".
"Make Ginny fall in love with me?" said Harry sarcastically, "Oh yes, I
had it all planned out! Why don't we just count all the people's hearts I've broken? Come on Ron, get real!"
"That's right. We all saw right through that, with the flowers...the
ball...using your fortune to win her over!" Ron slammed his hand on the table angrily.
People were beginning to look over at them, murmuring and pointing.
"That's not true!" shouted Harry.
Ron drew himself up from the table, "You know...I thought the family
meant more to you than this, Harry!"
He had done it. He had played his last card. The insult that he knew
would infuriate Harry. "You don't understand!"
"The hell if I don't!" Ron shouted back.
"If you would shut up for five bloody seconds I could explain!"
"There's nothing to explain!"
"I haven't slept with your sister! Not that it's any of your business! I was under the assumption I was dating Ginny, not Ginny and you."
"Haven't slept with her yet."
"Would you grow up?"
"Come on, Harry, this charade isn't fooling me!"
"Fine!" Harry shouted. "That's fine. But how's this little piece of information, you prat, I love her!"
Ron threw some money on the table and stalked out of the coffee shop.
~*~
(Coble's Cove-Sirius' House)
"I have a lunch meeting," Percy said impatiently glancing at his watch. "Can we kindly get on with whatever we came here to discuss?"
"We were about to discuss what to do about Harry and Ron, and you've got twenty minutes to spare," said Bill narrowing his eyes. "Sit down. Family first. Hermione is really upset about this."
"If they don't get this resolved by Christmas, Mum is going to be in fits," Charlie said shaking his head.
"Let's review, for my sake anyway," Sirius said taking a seat. "Harry is mad at Ron because Ron overreacted in-"
"And made a complete public spectacle of themselves," Percy interrupted.
"Ron's mad at Harry because, well, I guess he's not really used to the idea of Harry and Ginny," Sirius continued, not listening to Percy's comment.
"I don't think they're really all that angry with each other, just being stubborn gits," Charlie said, playing with the hole worn in the knee of his trousers.
"I agree with Charlie," Bill nodded, "and we aren't going to let them spoil Christmas. Especially for the kids."
"Well we'd better do something," George said huffily. "I'm sick of Ron moping around. It's like someone's died. He came in the joke shop for some Christmas gifts and he didn't even FLINCH when Fred and I dropped the new Acromantula model on him from the ceiling."
Fred looked very put out. "Talk about a disappointing reaction. We put it up especially for him."
"I don't think dropping a giant spider on your brother is going to help things," Sirius replied with a grin.
"They weren't trying to help, they were trying to knock some sense into that thick skull of his," Charlie said helpfully.
"We didn't even get a flinch, a twitch, or girlish scream." George did look quite dejected.
"I just don't see what the big deal is," said Bill. "I, for one, like
the idea that Harry and Ginny are a couple. It's about time, actually."
"Not to mention how happy Harry has been. He's finally able to have a
somewhat normal life."
"Besides, Harry is probably the best brother-in-law we could get...
Neville was a great bloke, don't get me wrong, he was very...ah... What's the word?" said Fred.
"Timid," laughed Charlie, "I'll never forget the time we talked him into playing the annual Weasley Quidditch match. Poor fellow."
"Screamed like a banshee when that Bludger hit him, and he fell off
his broom," said George. "Had to pull him out of the creeping tendril bush, didn't you, Bill?"
"Aaaaaaaayiiiieeeeeeeeeee," screamed Fred in imitation.
The boys roared with laughter.
"Righto," said George, "Harry's a great chap. Good at Quidditch too. I
think he and Ginny are great!"
They all grunted in agreement.
"So how are you going to convince his best friend of this?" asked Sirius.
"Beat it into him," said Charlie with a smile, looking up from under strands of hair that had flopped into his blue eyes.
"Please tell me you're joking." For a moment, Sirius had a very mischievous gleam to his eye, but then he remembered to chide Charlie.
"Now, now, Dad and Mum wouldn't approve of us ganging up on Ron," said
Percy, waving his hands like a referee.
"That's why we aren't going to tell them, Percy," said George with a snort, "And unlike you, we don't tell Mum every little thing we do."
"Enough," interrupted Bill with the usual authority of oldest brother,
"Percy's right. We just want him to see that it isn't so bad that Harry and Ginny are an item. So we'll chat with him for a bit."
"And when that doesn't work?" asked Fred crossing his arms.
Bill gave them a smooth look, "Then we'll smack him!"
~*~
The genuine 1871 sketch of an early Quaffle fell from the wall in Ron's office, and he heard the glass break in the frame with a loud crack.
Ginny seemed rather peeved about something, as she saw fit to slam his door in such a fashion.
"You!" she growled, pointing right at Ron. Her cheeks were so red, that Ron was suspicious that she might start breathing fire.
"Hi, Gin," Ron said testing the waters with a nice reply. "Got a little vigorous with the door, eh?"
"How dare you!"
Ron was thankful most of the office had gone out for lunch today. If she kept that volume, she'd cause a Banshee to go deaf.
"Gin?"
She strode across the room, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Don't you Gin me! You better start explaining right now, Ronald Weasley, or I'm going to curse you through the window!"
Oh, oh. He bet Harry had gone crying to her, and she was here to defend his honor. Probably best to play dumb. "What in the world are you going on about?!" he exclaimed.
Ginny slammed a Daily Prophet on his desk. "Don't you dare play dumb with me!"
Ron glanced down at the paper. "What?"
Ginny made a frightening lunge for the letter opener on his desk, and Ron slammed it in the drawer just in time. "Ginny! Simmer down! Have you lost it? You just can't come in here and destroy my office!"
"Oh, REALLY?!" Ginny screeched. "But you can just come on in and destroy my relationship with Harry?!"
Ron glanced over the article. "Fist fight? What fist fight?"
"I don't care what they exaggerated!" Ginny exclaimed. "You'd better apologize to Harry or I'll.."
"I have nothing to say to Harry," Ron crossed his arms.
"What is wrong with you?" Ginny shouted. "He's your best friend! It's none of your business to tell him who he can and cannot date. And you REALLY have no business telling me who I can see."
"I'm looking out for your best interests!"
"Your interests, definitely, not mine and Harry's!" Ginny shouted.
"Ginny, I just have a bad feeling about the whole thing.really.if you two would just slow down and look things ov-"
"Ron! Would you grow up! I can take care of myself!"
"I'm not apologizing to Harry, what I said needed to be said!"
Ginny turned bright red and clenched her fists. "Fine! I'll say what I need to say then!" she shouted. "Get your nose out of my business! It is none of your concern WHAT Harry Potter and I do!"
"You're my sister, I have plenty of say," Ron bellowed. "You're only doing this to get over Neville."
Oh. That had been the wrong thing to say because Ginny fell dangerously silent.
"Ron," she said in a very flat controlled voice, "if you ever say such a thing to me again, I will never speak to you as long as I live."
"You're getting too worked up over this, Ginny! Would you please get a clear head about things!"
"I NEED A CLEAR HEAD?!" Ginny shrieked, pointing at the article on the table. "I speak for Harry and myself when I say, SOD OFF!!"
She snatched his Chudley Cannons paperweight and launched it at the wall, shoved off all his papers and work and even managed to kick the desk, before storming out of the office and slamming the door yet again.
Ron grit his teeth as his paperweight shattered against the wall. One thing was for sure, Ginny hadn't been that explosive since before Neville died.
~*~