Harry Potter & the Dark Lord – Chapter 19
Disclaimer: Harry and company belongs to J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury and Scholastic and whichever other publisher has rights.
A/N: I'm sooooo sorry this is late. But it is technically before Christmas by a few hours (in NY anyway). I hope you'll forgive me. The next part WILL be out in 2000. Since it's been so long, here's a recap: Sirius wants to adopt Harry, although Harry still has to stay with the Dursleys for now. We learned a bit about Sirius and Arabella's past. Ginny has a plan to get Sirius and Arabella to make up (yes, Ginny mentioned the article to Sirius purposely – she wasn't being insensitive or clueless). And Harry finally gets to spend Christmas with Sirius.
Keith, I don't know why it came out all bold last time for you – it's not that way on my computer. Maybe your computer doesn't support the font I used. I'll stick to the same old font from now on J. (Oh, and your question from the previous chapter – yes, Ginny was 11, but Harry was just being kind). And Yael, Sirius and Arabella didn't take care of their issues earlier because they were only together for about a week and Sirius was unconscious for most of it. Anyway, here it is – our very special Christmas episode (a soft, nostalgic Christmas carol now starts playing in the background).
The Christmas holiday arrived surprisingly quickly considering how much everyone was looking forward to it. The professors piled on a ton of work right before the holidays, trying to ensure that the students wouldn't forget anything during their time away from Hogwarts. Voldemort seemed to have disappeared since Harry and Ginny had helped Mr. Weasley escape. The Daily Prophet, lacking interesting events to report on, had taken to printing regular articles about Minister Fudge's ineptness. Reporters had no trouble digging up numerous unnamed sources that were more than willing to badmouth Fudge and explain exactly how he had outright refused to believe Dumbledore. Dumbledore, on the other hand, was getting very favorable coverage, with repeated calls for him to replace Fudge as Minister.
Finally, it was the last day of term, and Harry was rather exhausted after he handed in his last essay (The emergence of Muggle reports of alien conspiracies coincided with the invention of turbocharged sub-orbital broom racing by the Roswell, NM chapter of the American Wizards Sporting Council. Discuss.) His scar had been hurting for the last two weeks – a constant dull throbbing. It wasn't strong enough to force him to react outwardly, and Harry chose to keep it to himself for the time being. He would tell Dumbledore if it got any worse, he rationalized. Telling now would just cause needless worry and more unwanted attention.
Harry and Ron crawled to the common room after the last class and collapsed into their favorite spot by the fire. They were still sitting in the same spot when Hermione and Ginny arrived from their Advanced Muggle Studies class.
"It's the holidays! Are you planning to waste all your time lounging by the fire?" Hermione asked.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Ron retorted. He stretched his long legs out in front of him, luxuriating in the warmth of the fireplace. A sudden burst of sparks from the fire broke him out of his sluggishness. The flames began to glow green and a face emerged from the inferno.
"Sirius!" Harry yelled. He jumped up from his seat and landed on the floor in front of the fireplace in one quick leap.
"Harry, I was hoping I'd find you there. I would've sent a message, but my owl hasn't returned yet."
"It's all right," Harry said to his godfather's head.
"I'll be coming in a little later than expected, probably not until Christmas morning. But don't worry – I have a gift that I think will make up for it. Think you're ready for it?" Sirius asked, a hint of a smile on his face.
"Definitely," Harry responded, unable to hide his smile. "The Weasleys will be here too. Dumbledore reckons it's safer for all of us to stay at Hogwarts, so Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are coming tomorrow evening."
'Yeah, I think Percy may come with them," Ron added, rolling his eyes.
"Great," Sirius said, ignoring Ron's sour face. "I'd love to thank your father in person. I'll see you soon, Harry. Don't get in trouble." With a wink, Sirius' smiling face disappeared into the flames.
The frigid winter air penetrated deep into his bones. The darkness held a hint of evil, as if the area had never seen light, the sun afraid to shine. Out of this blackness arose a tall figure, a slight greenish glow about him. A fire appeared, illuminating the man and revealing another figure standing before him.
"It is time," the first man hissed; it was the familiar cold voice of the Dark Lord. He raised his wand toward the second man, who stood unflinching, his head raised.
"Severus, you will return to Dumbledore and serve me from there," Voldemort continued. "I trust you know what will await you if you betray me once again?"
"Yes my Lord," said Snape, bowing slightly in deference to his master.
"Tell me again – what is your mission?" Voldemort asked, a hint of amusement in his tone. His snakelike eyes held Snape in their unwavering gaze, seeing into his soul.
"I will pretend to protect the boy, to regain Dumbledore's trust, as he believes me returned to my master. I will draw the boy away from the school, so you will be able to fulfill your destiny."
"Excellent." Voldemort's face twisted into a caricature of a smile. "The boy must die. I have let him live far too long. He will learn that Darkness will always prevail." Voldemort again caught Snape's eyes. "How do you feel about Harry Potter?"
"I hate him," Snape declared, and he felt it so deeply that this time no potion was needed to hide his true thoughts from Voldemort. Voldemort laughed – a high, chilling rattle.
"Yes, I can clearly see that. You will do well. You are lucky, you know, Severus," Voldemort said, eyeing Snape with a detached air. "You still haven't repaid your betrayal properly, but I am in a generous mood tonight. Dumbledore will not believe you have returned of your own free will if there is no evidence of my punishment. I will allow that punishment to serve as your repayment. Am I not showing great kindness by not reprimanding you twice?"
"Yes my Lord. You are too kind," Snape said. A moment later, his anguished cries filled the night sky, as the earth itself seemed to shake in distress.
Harry woke up in a cold sweat. The ache in his scar was sharper than it had been in weeks, and he clutched it with one hand, biting his other hand to keep from shouting out in pain. He sat in his bed, his eyes shut tight as tears squeezed out. After what seemed like an eternity, the pain subsided enough to allow Harry to finally open his eyes. It was Christmas morning he realized, as he saw the pile of presents at the foot of his bed. It was just past dawn, judging by the early morning sunlight just beginning to stream in past the gap in Harry's curtains.
"Ron?" he tried cautiously, unsure if he should wake his friend. He heard Ron muttering slightly before returning to sleep. Harry wrapped his arms around himself, trying to ward off the chill. He noticed the fire had gone out – the house elves hadn't been in yet that morning. His mind kept on returning to his dream, only he knew very well that it wasn't a dream. It was real, very real, and he probably should tell Dumbledore about it. He hesitated though, not wanting to disturb him so early in the morning.
Harry found himself down in the common room, wearing his new green Weasley sweater that matched his eyes quite nicely. He had decided to wait for the others to wake up by the roaring common room fire, mindlessly munching on the box of chocolate frogs he had received from Hagrid. The warmth nearly lulled him back to sleep, but he was startled by a sharp poke in his side, causing his heavy eyelids to immediately snap open.
"Happy Christmas, Harry Potter!" It was Dobby the house elf. His large tennis ball eyes were shining merrily as he stood between Harry and the fire, carrying a rather poorly wrapped small lumpy package in his arms. "I have brought a present for Harry Potter!"
"Er, thanks Dobby. I've got something for you too," Harry said, relieved he had bought something for Dobby at the start of term, before he was restricted from Hogsmeade. He had seen it during the first trip, after he had left Cho and strolled through the village with his friends – the item screamed out Dobby and Harry had immediately purchased it. Harry pulled the gift from the pile that he had brought down and handed it to Dobby.
"Oh, Harry Potter, you need not buy Dobby anything," insisted the elf, even as his enormous eyes filled with tears of happiness at the thought. He unwrapped a little suit – the jacket was bright orange with green and purple polka dots of varying sizes, and the slacks were a putrid yellow and brown plaid, in a hairy material very similar to Hagrid's suit. Harry had looked up a spell to shrink the suit to just the right size. Dobby looked at the clashing eyesore in disbelief, speechless.
"You have given Dobby too much. Harry Potter proves once again what a kind and generous wizard he is." Tears of joy were now flowing freely down Dobby's face, and he bowed low to Harry, the tip of his long nose touching the ground.
Harry, uncomfortable at this display, tried to get Dobby back up. Once the house elf's tears had subsided, he pushed his gift towards Harry. Harry tore off the mounds of wrapping paper to finally find what appeared to be an oddly colored rock, small enough to fit in the palm of Harry's hand. He tried to conceal his confusion, stuttering his thanks to Dobby.
"That is Dobby's family heirloom," Dobby explained, his eyes shining. "Dobby's father just gave it to Dobby, and his father gave it to him, and his father before him. Dobby can recite all his ancestors for the last 1,267 years," he finished proudly.
"Er, thanks Dobby, but are you sure you want me to have this?" Harry asked, not sure what he was supposed to do with it.
"Dobby is very sure, Harry Potter. Each elf family has an heirloom. If Dobby is ever in trouble, he simply holds the heirloom in his hand and thinks of his family, and Dobby gets the power of all his family to help him. Dobby gives it to Harry Potter, and now Harry Potter has all the power of Dobby's family if needed."
Harry's eyes widened at this explanation. "Will it work for me even though I'm not, you know, a house elf?"
"The power is transferred to whomever the heirloom is freely granted. Dobby freely grants it to Harry Potter, so it will work for Harry Potter."
"But what about you? What if you need it?"
The house elf held his head low in deference. "Harry Potter has been so kind to Dobby, that Dobby will never be sad again. Hogwarts is the safest place for Dobby to be, and Dobby will never leave. Dobby's father now has a job at Hogwarts," he added, lifting his head excitedly. "A paying job!"
"Your father is at Hogwarts?" Harry asked incredulously, trying to imagine what Dobby's father might look like. All he could come up with is Dobby with Albus Dumbledore's long white beard.
"For six days now," Dobby replied, beaming. He looked up at Harry anxiously, asking "Can Dobby's father meet Harry Potter one day?"
"Of course, Dobby. I'd love to meet your father."
"Oh thank you, Harry Potter, thank you!" Dobby gushed. "Dobby will go and share the wonderful news now. Happy Christmas, Harry Potter!!!"
"Merry Christmas, Dobby," Harry shouted after the retreating back of the house elf.
The conversation between Harry and Dobby was apparently loud enough to wake the others, as sounds of life now floated down from the dormitories. The sounds were soon followed by loud footsteps on the stairs, and Ron nearly tumbled down the stairs in excitement, his maroon sweater draped over his shoulder and arms laden with his Christmas haul. His older brothers soon joined him, and Hermione and Ginny completed the group.
"Merry Christmas Harry! Did you open my gift yet?" Ron asked excitedly.
Harry shook his head, as he had waited for his best friend to wake before opening the gift. It was a ticket to see the Chudley Cannons play. He thanked Ron profusely – he had never seen a professional Quidditch match except for the World Cup, and he was rather looking forward to seeing another one. Ron was quite pleased at the response, and was turning slightly pink at Harry's continued thanks.
"Dad's taking all of us," Ron explained. "It's right at the end of holiday, and they'll be playing nearby. But open the other gift," Ron added, grinning mischievously.
Harry had noticed the book shaped package when he woke, but he had assumed it was from Hermione. (She gave him a wizard shaving kit – a training version in which the razor moved on its own with instructions from its owner, guaranteed not to knick or cut delicate young skin. "Well, he'll need it someday soon," Hermione sniffed, when Ron snorted and pointed out that Harry's face had about as much hair as hers did.) Unwrapping the package, a large old book came out, worn from years of use.
"A Wizard's Guide to Dating – How to Get the Witch the Gentlemanly Way, and Avoid Being Turned into a Worm by an Angry Wizard Father," Harry read, blushing as soon as he had reached the word "dating". Hermione and Ginny burst into laughter, but Fred and George turned to Harry seriously.
"Harry, this book's been in our family for generations," Fred said solemnly, "It's passed down to each of us when we reached 14."
"Ron's already memorized it," George added. "So we figured we'd help you out."
Fred moved closer and whispered in Harry's ear, "Especially if you're planning on taking out our favorite little sister any time soon."
By this point Harry's face was the color of a tomato, and he glanced over at Ginny to make sure she hadn't heard, but she was too busy doubling over in laughter to pay any attention.
"Yeah, Harry, make sure you follow everything in that book. It's what our dad expects of us," Ron added with a straight face.
Harry stared at the book, fear welling up inside him. How was he going to memorize the whole book, so that he could act the way Mr. Weasley expected? He had better get started soon, since Mr. Weasley was already there and would be joining them shortly – he didn't want to ruin his chances before he even asked Ginny out. Harry surprised himself at the thought – he wasn't planning on asking her out, was he?
"Oh, Ron, let him off the hook – he looks terrified!" Hermione choked out between peals of laughter.
"Harry, you don't have to memorize the book," Ginny continued, gasping for air as she stifled her laugh. "Though it is a tradition in our family – my dad has played that trick on each of my brothers through the years – Bill was the only one who didn't fall for it. And our grandfather did it to dad."
Fred and George finally succumbed to laughter, losing their poker faces. "The book was written in 1223. Sure you can follow it – if you believe a girl would love a live chicken as a gift on her first date."
"And they explain very carefully how to administer the first kiss – on your wedding day!" George added.
"The best way to get a girl," Ron broke in, "is to kidnap her from a rival village – but you aren't allowed to use magic. You've got to kidnap her the Muggle way, or her father has the right to turn you into a worm."
Harry finally joined in the laughter, relieved that there was no chance that Mr. Weasley would be turning him into a worm anytime soon.
They had been lounging in the common room for a while when there was a welcome interruption – Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived from the teachers' quarters where they had spent the night. Percy had been called away on Ministry matters, but would try to make it later. Shortly after that, Sirius made his appearance. Harry and Hermione quickly thanked Mrs. Weasley for their gifts, as she looked around her old common room fondly. Soon, however, she was nagging her children about the used wrapping paper they had left all over the room.
"Harry, is this a batterer?" Mr. Weasley asked, picking up a small metal cylinder from the floor.
"It's a battery," Harry corrected. "I don't think it works though, it's used. My uncle sent it to me for Christmas."
Seeing Mr. Weasley staring at the useless piece of metal in awe, Harry quickly added, "You can have it if you like."
"You don't mind?" Mr. Weasley asked, the excitement rising in his voice. "I can add it to my collection of plugs! It's an alternate form of eckeltricity, isn't it? Just don't tell Molly, will you?"
Harry assured Mr. Weasley that he wouldn't say a word, and went back to join his friends. Ron, seeing Harry approaching, quickly came up to him and pulled him into a far corner where they could speak privately. Ron seemed nervous, wringing his hands and tapping his foot incessantly as he stood.
"Harry, I need your opinion," he said urgently, pulling a box from his pocket. "Do you think Hermione will like this?"
Harry opened the box to find a gleaming silver locket hanging from a fine chain. He popped open the clasp on the locket to see the smiling faces of Ron and Hermione stealing glances at each other. Harry saw a tuft of his own unruly black hair in the corner of the picture, struggling to fit his face in, but Ron had apparently cut him out.
"Er, sorry. I only had a picture with the three of us," Ron explained. "I, I think I'm going to ask Hermione out tonight. I mean like, you know, exclusive," he whispered the last word.
Harry looked at his friend in shock, marveling at the fact that Ron actually had the nerve to do this when Harry couldn't even speak to a girl without stuttering. He quickly recovered, unable to stop a smirk from forming.
"So, Hermione's gonna be your girlfriend? Does this mean you're going soft on me?" Harry teased.
"Shut up!" Ron answered, glancing around nervously to make sure no one was within earshot. "Look, I just want to know if this is a good gift or not."
Seeing his friend's anxious face, Harry turned serious for just a moment. "I'm sure she'll like it. Go for it." Harry abandoned the seriousness and pretended to swoon, imitating Hermione's high voice, "Oh, Ronniekins, that is the most romantic gift I've ever received. Come give your little snitch a kiss, sweetums!"
Ron half-heartedly tried to hit Harry on the back of the head, but Harry ducked and both burst out laughing. Ron, though still nervous, was a little more confident as he put the locket back in his robes and rejoined the rest.
Harry didn't mention this to Ron, but he had also bought a gift for a girl, except his gift was for Ron's sister. He wasn't sure when he would give it to her, or even if he would be able to build up the nerve to give it to her at all. Luckily, after a while, Ginny gave him the perfect opportunity. She caught him when he was sitting by himself, flipping through the medieval dating guide.
"Harry," she asked cautiously, only continuing when he smiled at her and made room for her to sit beside him. "I know we've never exchanged gifts before, and I don't expect anything from you at all, but I wanted to give you something."
Ginny held out a small box to Harry, looking at him anxiously, as if she still weren't sure that she had done the right thing. Harry took the box and pulled out the gift he had bought for her.
"Er, actually, I got something for you too," Harry said sheepishly. Ginny smiled, looking very relieved that he had accepted her gift. "Let's open them together, OK?"
Ginny nodded and quickly unwrapped her present. Harry watched her expression as he tore the paper off his own gift, seeing her smile widen as she pulled out a bracelet depicting running unicorns. Harry finished unwrapping his gift, a pin of the Gryffindor lion.
"Oh, Harry, I love it!" Ginny exclaimed, as Harry helped her put the bracelet on. "I have to explain about your gift though. It's a protection charm – it'll help ward off Dark Arts for a true Gryffindor. I figured it might come in handy since Voldemort…well, I thought it might keep you safe."
"Well, actually, your bracelet has a protection charm on it too," Harry said, smiling at the coincidence. "It protects anyone that I, er, anyone I give it to when they're wearing it." Harry blushed, not wanting to reveal that the protection spell in fact was made to protect anyone that he cared about. "After what happened with your dad, I didn't want to take any chances."
Ginny looked at Harry with a strange expression on her face. She probably knew all about protection charms, Harry thought, getting slightly panicky. What if his gift scared her off? Oh, it was a stupid idea to begin with, he was thinking. Ginny, however, threw her arms around Harry. After a moment of stunned silence, Harry returned the hug, remembering the comforting smell of her hair as he held onto her.
"Thank you Harry," Ginny whispered, "I'll treasure it. It really means a lot to me."
"I, I really like your gift, too. Thank you," Harry spoke into her hair, not wanting to let go. He felt so peaceful and at home in her arms, as if nothing could ever harm him. It was a new feeling and he wanted it to last as long as possible. After what seemed to be too short a time to Harry, Ginny broke free from his embrace.
"I think everyone's heading down to the Great Hall," she said, standing. Harry stood next to her, and, emboldened by the hug and Ron's earlier bravery, he began to reach for Ginny's hand. However, he stopped halfway there when he saw Mrs. Weasley coming towards them, instead turning his back and heading to the portrait hole.
Sirius walked beside him as they headed downstairs. "Harry, I still have to give you my gift. I was going to give it to you upstairs, but you seemed a little, er, busy." Sirius grinned at Harry's reddening face. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," he added, patting his godson on the back.
The Great Hall was again decked out beautifully for Christmas dinner, with a dozen trees shining of fairy lights and wreaths and holly hanging from every corner. An angel choir was hovering near the enchanted ceiling, singing carols in voices that seemed too beautiful to be human. One very large table was groaning under the weight of a hundred turkeys and dozens of hams and puddings.
Sirius sat down and pulled a small package from his pocket, handing it to Harry. Harry opened it to find a picture of Sirius sitting on a bed in a large room, alternately waving at Harry and motioning to the rest of the room as if he were a game show host displaying the prizes. The bed was large, covered in a scarlet comforter with the Gryffindor lion embroidered onto it. There was a desk, well stocked with parchment and quills, a shelf holding potion ingredients, a large, roomy cage – presumably for an owl, although it was empty in the picture – and a huge closet with the door slightly ajar, revealing it was brimming with robes and Muggle clothes. Harry also recognized a case just like the one that held the team's Quidditch balls, and a stand for a broom. The curtains fluttered, so Harry could just make out a large field outside, perfect for Quidditch practice.
Harry looked up at Sirius, whose eyes were twinkling with excitement. "That's your room Harry. At least it will be as soon as Dumbledore says you can leave the Dursleys. Look behind the picture," Sirius ordered.
Harry lifted the picture out of the box, to find a folded bit of parchment hidden behind it. He opened it slowly, and inhaled sharply as he read. It was an adoption decree, signed on Christmas Eve.
"That's why I couldn't make it last night," Sirius explained, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm legally your father now."
Harry threw his arms around his new father, hugging him tightly. Applause broke out around them, and Harry looked up to see the Weasleys, Hermione, Dumbledore, and most of the Hogwarts staff cheering them. The sight of Dumbledore reminded Harry of his dream that morning, and he quickly relayed it to Sirius.
"You don't have to worry about that now, Harry. Snape returned a short while ago. He's in the hospital wing recovering," Sirius answered, frowning.
"But, I'm confused. Which side is he on? He wasn't lying when he said he hated me – I don't think it was just the Craniasheldus potion."
"Don't worry. Snape's loyalty is true, as much as I hate to admit it. It'll all be explained in due time Harry," Sirius said, changing the topic. "Let's just enjoy our meal and spend time with our family."
After the meal, Ginny rushed over to Harry and Sirius with a large book in her hands.
"I just escaped from Percy," she said. "He's going on about his meeting with the Chinese Head Wizard this morning. We're apparently trying to establish ties – he does lead the largest wizarding community in the world!"
"Good luck to him," Sirius responded. "They've been trying to establish ties since I was your age. There are quite a few differences in our cultures. Dragon breeding is still legal there – even some Muggles have seen them. They're very careless about that."
"Anyway," Ginny continued, glancing at Harry conspiratorially, "Percy gave me the most wonderful Christmas present! Look, it's a complete set of wizard newspapers from the year I was born. It was also the year Voldemort was defeated, so there are a lot of interesting stories."
Sirius blanched slightly, but continued chatting cheerfully. Ginny went on about all the things that she had gotten for Christmas, mindlessly flipping through the pages as she spoke. She finally dragged Harry off, insisting they must go speak to Ron, leaving the book open on the table.
"Do you think it'll work?" Harry asked Ginny once they reached Ron and Hermione.
"I don't know. I hope so." Ginny frowned, standing on her toes to watch Sirius. "Yes! He's reading it!"
"Did you open it to the right page?" Ron asked, watching Sirius become absorbed in whatever he was reading.
"Of course she did!" Hermione scolded. "Didn't you?" she asked a little uncertainly.
"Yes," Ginny said in an exasperated tone. "Honestly! It's on the article about Arabella a few months after Sirius was taken. I cried when I read it – she was so in love with him. There's even a picture where she's sobbing inconsolably. She was a recluse for years after he was taken. If that doesn't get to him, I don't know what will."
Sirius did look a bit emotional, Harry thought. His face was strained and he seemed to be holding back tears. Harry crossed his fingers, hoping their plan would work. He really wanted his new father to be happy.
"Is it time yet?" Ron asked, looking around the room.
"Dessert is just being served. She should be here any second," Hermione answered. Sure enough, someone arrived at that very moment. The younger Arabella Figg entered the Great Hall, looking around anxiously for her mother. Sirius also noticed her enter, and quickly shut the book, wiping his eyes.
"Merry Christmas, Arabella!" Harry called. She came over, grateful at the greeting, and exchanged greetings with them all. Sirius stood up, hanging back at the edge of the small crowd that had formed around the new visitor. He and Arabella kept on sneaking looks at each other, quickly shifting their eyes when they were caught. Arabella finally took a deep breath and walked over to Sirius.
"Merry Christmas, Sirius. I'm very glad to see you here," she said, avoiding his eyes. " I hope you don't mind that I came."
"Er, no, not at all. I mean, you have every right to see your mother," he mumbled. Harry held his breath as he eavesdropped, praying Sirius would be civil. "Merry Christmas to you too," Sirius added.
Arabella looked up hopefully, "I, I heard about the adoption. Congratulations. Will you be returning to your old house?"
"No, I've got something new. Fit for a young boy," he said. He looked at her cautiously, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Maybe you can come see it sometime?"
Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione grabbed each other in hope, trying to keep their excitement from being too obvious. Arabella's face had broken into a beautiful smile. "Yes, I'd love that," she answered, her whole face alight with happiness. She and Sirius walked over to Professor Figg, continuing their conversation with her. Professor Figg looked over at Harry and gave him a quick wink, smiling.
Harry and his friends turned away from Sirius and Arabella, giving them privacy to reacquaint themselves, now that they appeared to be on speaking terms again. They discussed what they had gotten for Christmas, and starting looking through Ginny's book. It wasn't a gift from Percy at all – Ginny had asked Professor Figg if she had any articles from that time and found that she had nearly everything saved in her attic in Surrey.
"This has turned out to be the best Christmas ever!" Harry gushed. "Sirius is my dad, he and Arabella are speaking, and even Ron and Hermione are finally together."
"What do you mean, we're finally together?" Hermione asked, giving Ron a piercing stare.
"Er," Ron stammered, "I, I had something t-to ask you." He was turning beet red and shooting daggers at Harry with his eyes.
"I'll leave you two alone," Harry said, turning away – apparently he had spoken too soon.
Harry and Ginny walked a slight distance away, but not far enough so they couldn't watch what was transpiring.
"OK, Ron, spill it. What was Harry talking about?" Hermione demanded, her arms folded across her chest.
Ron struggled to pull his gift from his pocket, finally wrenching it free and dropping it on the floor. The box opened and the locket landed at Hermione's feet, opening to the picture of the two of them.
"What's this?" she asked, bending down to pick it up. As she saw the picture of Ron and herself smiling at each other, Hermione looked up at Ron, a questioning look in her eyes.
"That's your Christmas gift. I, I wanted to wait until the right moment to give it to you," Ron said, somewhat regaining his composure.
"It's beautiful Ron! Help me put it on," Hermione's face was glowing and she turned her back to Ron so he could fasten the locket around her neck.
As Ron moved her long hair aside, he took the opportunity to speak without having to face her – his face was still crimson.
"Er, Hermione," he said, struggling with the clasp. "If you haven't noticed, I, I really like being around you, and I don't want to see anyone else but you. You know, that way."
Hermione's own cheeks were growing pinker by the second and she turned around to face him. "Ronald Weasley, are you finally asking me out?"
Ron looked down at her, his brown eyes revealing his fear. "I guess so. I mean, yes. Hermione Granger, will you be my girlfriend?"
Ginny practically squealed in delight and Harry had to nudge her to make her keep quiet. Hermione was silent for a moment, before squeaking out "Yes!" and leaning up to hug Ron. Relief washed over Ron's face, and he bent over to give her a quick peck on the lips, before glancing around nervously to make sure his parents weren't watching.
He noticed Harry and Ginny watching and turned a bit redder, even as he took Hermione's hand. Harry gave him a thumbs up, and Ron smiled at him, turning back to his girlfriend.
"Now this is the greatest Christmas," Ginny said, looking up at Harry, a wide smile on her face.
"Yes," Harry responded, taking Ginny's hand. "Yes it is. Merry Christmas, Ginny."
A/N: OK, a strange, long chapter – sorry if you didn't like it, or if it was too boring, but I couldn't let anything really bad happen on Christmas. I have a question for my readers (particularly the British ones). Harry and his friends always find their Christmas presents on their beds when they wake up, rather than under a Christmas tree. Is this a British thing, or is it unique to JKR? Anyway, I hope you're all still enjoying this. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers! I love to hear from you, so please let me know what you think. Merry Christmas to all!