Disclaimer- Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers not
me! Isenguard belongs to Tolkien and I don't know how many other people!
*
Chapter 12: The Last Christmas Present!
*
Hermione felt strange standing on the doorway of the Weasley's house. The Burrow was so familiar and yet so strange. The building itself was the same but the people inside were bound to be different.
Ron put his arm around her and she smiled up to him gratefully. It was Christmas morning and Ron, Eilonwy and Hermione had spent Christmas Eve at Godric's Hollow, arriving together at the burrow.
Eilonwy seemed almost as nervous as Hermione. 'After all,' Hermione thought 'she's meeting her boyfriend's family.' For the Weasleys were Harry's family.
An excited Mrs Weasley opened the door to them. She hadn't changed, except for the face that her brilliant red hair was streaked with grey and white. She immediately enveloped Hermione in a hug.
"Oh my dear! How good it is to see you! I've missed you so! Oh it's all so wonderful!" Mrs Weasley squealed.
"Mum! Let the girl breath!" Ron protested, but when Hermione was released, she could see tears of happiness in his eyes.
Mr Weasley had followed his wife, and hugged Hermione in a fatherly way, "Glad to have you back." He said.
When the fuss over Hermione was done with, they turned on Eilonwy. "Well so your Harry's new girlfriend. He's like a second son to me you know, well seventh actually." Mrs Weasley said as they were led into the living room.
Here more introductions and reunions. Apparently people had forgotten to tell Fred and George about Hermione and after asking "Who on Earth the blue haired girl is?" set twin eyes upon Hermione, they broke down in surprise. When she looked back on that in years to come, Hermione would remember it as the only time Fred and George didn't have something witty to say to her on meeting.
"We thought we'd never see you again," Fred said.
"Yeah, but here you are- and looking good!" George teased, regaining control. This remark earned him a sharp look from Ron and a playful slap from his wife Katie.
"And you said that there wasn't any chance of any romantic feelings between you and Ron?" Ginny said after the presents had been opened. The young Weasleys, all of whom were a little nervous about Hermione and Eilonwy had retreated to play with their new toys. Everyone had received presents, even Eilonwy.
"I know. Oh it seems such a long time ago since we met in that café! So much has happened." Hermione sighed.
"I'm so pleased for you! It's like Mum always dreamed!" Ginny said.
"It is?" Hermione asked surprised.
"Yes! Didn't you know?" Ginny said, as if it were something obvious.
"No, I didn't."
* From where he was helping little Mark Weasley (second child of Percy and Penelope) set up his new train set, Ron watched his sister and Hermione talking and when Hermione turned red he knew they were talking of him.
He couldn't believe that Hermione was actually there, less than half a year ago they were completely estranged. And now- well he would make sure that that never happened again. He was determined.
*
Eilonwy felt a little overcome by all the red heads, but soon slipped into the easy, friendly atmosphere of the burrow. It was wonderful! A proper family: unlike her own.
Her brother and sister were kind enough and she loved them but they were often too court up in kingdom affairs to bother with her. Her mother died not long after Eilonwy's birth and her father although loving was rarely there for her.
Harry smiled at her, "So what do you think?"
"Of what?" She asked.
"The Weasleys?"
"They are the best family in the world!"
"You know that's what I thought when I first met them!"
* Molly Weasley watched her youngest son and the curly haired witch laughing and smiled happily. A friend of hers from school had told her when Ron was born, that he would be happiest with a clever girl. Felicia Parry had been into Divination and was rarely wrong.
For six years, Molly had been afraid that Ron would never be happy. But Hermione was very much back in his life and they had a bright future ahead of them.
*
That evening, when his siblings with children (Bill, Charlie and Percy) had gone home and the reaming adults lounged in the living room singing muggle carols and drinking butter beer, Ron dragged Hermione out into the cold December air.
To everyone's great disappointment it hadn't snowed that Christmas but the Weather was freezing and they both wrapped up warm. It was time for the last Christmas present.
"Ron? Why are we out here?" Hermione asked, "Its freezing!"
He didn't answer but drew her into his embrace; he leant down to kiss her. The kiss was sweet but passionate, giving but also demanding.
"Oh." She muttered when they broke apart, "That's why."
"Yes and no really. I still have a Christmas present for you!" Ron said.
"But you gave me." She began signalling to the luxurious purple cloak she was wearing.
"No that's not your main present."
A carol was struck up in the living room. * Silent Night, Holy Night.
* Hermione felt her heart beating faster, she wasn't stupid, and she knew what he was most possibly talking about.
"I." She started but Ron had got down onto one knee and was drawing out a black box. * All is calm, All is bright.
*
Ron had practised this so many times, over the past few months. He wasn't going to loose her again.
"Hermione will you marry me?" He asked her showing her the contents of the box.
Hermione gasped, as she stared at the perfect ring. Harry and Eilonwy had helped him select that small band of silver with the star piece in the middle. The 'star piece' was a number of small sparkling sapphires, Hermione's birthstone, in the shape of a star with a bigger beautiful diamond in the middle. It was very dainty and elegant.
"Oh Ron! Yes!" She said, crying with happiness as she flung her arms around him.
They kissed, both taken up with each other and the happiness they shared and would continue to share and as the last notes of Silent Night were sung:
It started to snow.
AN- I know slightly out of season but I didn't think that I'd get to this point so soon, and I was aiming to be writing this around Christmas but you know!
Anyway this isn't the last chapter. The next one will involve Ginny's wedding and finally (although I hate to say finally) an Epilogue which will set the scene for the sequel!
Hermione felt strange standing on the doorway of the Weasley's house. The Burrow was so familiar and yet so strange. The building itself was the same but the people inside were bound to be different.
Ron put his arm around her and she smiled up to him gratefully. It was Christmas morning and Ron, Eilonwy and Hermione had spent Christmas Eve at Godric's Hollow, arriving together at the burrow.
Eilonwy seemed almost as nervous as Hermione. 'After all,' Hermione thought 'she's meeting her boyfriend's family.' For the Weasleys were Harry's family.
An excited Mrs Weasley opened the door to them. She hadn't changed, except for the face that her brilliant red hair was streaked with grey and white. She immediately enveloped Hermione in a hug.
"Oh my dear! How good it is to see you! I've missed you so! Oh it's all so wonderful!" Mrs Weasley squealed.
"Mum! Let the girl breath!" Ron protested, but when Hermione was released, she could see tears of happiness in his eyes.
Mr Weasley had followed his wife, and hugged Hermione in a fatherly way, "Glad to have you back." He said.
When the fuss over Hermione was done with, they turned on Eilonwy. "Well so your Harry's new girlfriend. He's like a second son to me you know, well seventh actually." Mrs Weasley said as they were led into the living room.
Here more introductions and reunions. Apparently people had forgotten to tell Fred and George about Hermione and after asking "Who on Earth the blue haired girl is?" set twin eyes upon Hermione, they broke down in surprise. When she looked back on that in years to come, Hermione would remember it as the only time Fred and George didn't have something witty to say to her on meeting.
"We thought we'd never see you again," Fred said.
"Yeah, but here you are- and looking good!" George teased, regaining control. This remark earned him a sharp look from Ron and a playful slap from his wife Katie.
"And you said that there wasn't any chance of any romantic feelings between you and Ron?" Ginny said after the presents had been opened. The young Weasleys, all of whom were a little nervous about Hermione and Eilonwy had retreated to play with their new toys. Everyone had received presents, even Eilonwy.
"I know. Oh it seems such a long time ago since we met in that café! So much has happened." Hermione sighed.
"I'm so pleased for you! It's like Mum always dreamed!" Ginny said.
"It is?" Hermione asked surprised.
"Yes! Didn't you know?" Ginny said, as if it were something obvious.
"No, I didn't."
* From where he was helping little Mark Weasley (second child of Percy and Penelope) set up his new train set, Ron watched his sister and Hermione talking and when Hermione turned red he knew they were talking of him.
He couldn't believe that Hermione was actually there, less than half a year ago they were completely estranged. And now- well he would make sure that that never happened again. He was determined.
*
Eilonwy felt a little overcome by all the red heads, but soon slipped into the easy, friendly atmosphere of the burrow. It was wonderful! A proper family: unlike her own.
Her brother and sister were kind enough and she loved them but they were often too court up in kingdom affairs to bother with her. Her mother died not long after Eilonwy's birth and her father although loving was rarely there for her.
Harry smiled at her, "So what do you think?"
"Of what?" She asked.
"The Weasleys?"
"They are the best family in the world!"
"You know that's what I thought when I first met them!"
* Molly Weasley watched her youngest son and the curly haired witch laughing and smiled happily. A friend of hers from school had told her when Ron was born, that he would be happiest with a clever girl. Felicia Parry had been into Divination and was rarely wrong.
For six years, Molly had been afraid that Ron would never be happy. But Hermione was very much back in his life and they had a bright future ahead of them.
*
That evening, when his siblings with children (Bill, Charlie and Percy) had gone home and the reaming adults lounged in the living room singing muggle carols and drinking butter beer, Ron dragged Hermione out into the cold December air.
To everyone's great disappointment it hadn't snowed that Christmas but the Weather was freezing and they both wrapped up warm. It was time for the last Christmas present.
"Ron? Why are we out here?" Hermione asked, "Its freezing!"
He didn't answer but drew her into his embrace; he leant down to kiss her. The kiss was sweet but passionate, giving but also demanding.
"Oh." She muttered when they broke apart, "That's why."
"Yes and no really. I still have a Christmas present for you!" Ron said.
"But you gave me." She began signalling to the luxurious purple cloak she was wearing.
"No that's not your main present."
A carol was struck up in the living room. * Silent Night, Holy Night.
* Hermione felt her heart beating faster, she wasn't stupid, and she knew what he was most possibly talking about.
"I." She started but Ron had got down onto one knee and was drawing out a black box. * All is calm, All is bright.
*
Ron had practised this so many times, over the past few months. He wasn't going to loose her again.
"Hermione will you marry me?" He asked her showing her the contents of the box.
Hermione gasped, as she stared at the perfect ring. Harry and Eilonwy had helped him select that small band of silver with the star piece in the middle. The 'star piece' was a number of small sparkling sapphires, Hermione's birthstone, in the shape of a star with a bigger beautiful diamond in the middle. It was very dainty and elegant.
"Oh Ron! Yes!" She said, crying with happiness as she flung her arms around him.
They kissed, both taken up with each other and the happiness they shared and would continue to share and as the last notes of Silent Night were sung:
It started to snow.
AN- I know slightly out of season but I didn't think that I'd get to this point so soon, and I was aiming to be writing this around Christmas but you know!
Anyway this isn't the last chapter. The next one will involve Ginny's wedding and finally (although I hate to say finally) an Epilogue which will set the scene for the sequel!