Chapter 16:
~ Christmas ~
Harry and Ginny made as little noise as possible as they tiptoed back to their rooms early Christmas morning. Wishing each other goodbye at the top of the stairs, they both snuck off into each respective dorm. Harry changed into his pajamas quietly, shifting gently under the covers. Just as he started to drift off, he heard:
"Harry! Wake up! It's Christmas!" Ron's overly excited voice yelped in Harry's uncovered left ear.
Burrowing deeper within his covers, Harry mumbled a reply that sounded remarkably like; "Wow… how observant."
It seemed that Ron wouldn't take no for an answer. He jumped on Harry's bed, ripping off the covers, held them above his head and ran to the door. "Come on Harry," He complained. "Get up! I always have to wait for you…" He rambled on and Harry paid no attention whatsoever. Casting a basic heating spell around him, he got comfortable and began to drift off once again. Ron continued to ramble.
"-and whenever you want to wake me up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, I still get up. Besides, you've had tons of sleep. Like six hours… at least." Ron began to walk to the other beds in the room, collecting the covers from all the other happily sleeping boys. Once he had them in a big pile he muttered a charm that he had learned back in his first year, and the big piles of comforters and pillows rose to the ceiling. As the other boys in the dorm reluctantly started to get up, shivering, and running for warm robes. Harry continued to lie on his bed in a half sleep. He'd been up all night with Ginny, he argued with himself, he was allowed to sleep.
"Ron," he heard Dean mumble. "It's only five in the morning."
"Yes, think of all the time we've wasted sleeping when we could be opening presents." He argued.
Dean paused for a moment. "You just want to see Hermione."
Harry, wanting to see Ron's reaction to this argument turned, and watched Ron's face through the slits in his eyes. Ron's hair, which was unusually red, was having a competition with his face.
"Maybe." He said simply.
"What if Hermione still wants to sleep?" Dean continued to argue, determined to get his blanket back. He seemed as if he was going to win the battle of the blankets, when their dormitory door burst open. There stood Hermione, and behind her, a bleary eyed Ginny.
"What are you all doing in bed?" Hermione asked, clearly misunderstanding the importance of sleep. Ginny grumbled, and headed over to Harry's bed, curling up beside him. Reaching over and grabbing a cloak hanging from his bedpost, she covered them with it and closed her eyes.
Ron looked at Hermione. Hermione looked at Ron. Then they both looked at the couple trying to sleep. Walking over to them simultaneously, they reached for the cloak and pulled them out of bed. "Wake up!" They both said, Ron to Harry and Hermione to Ginny.
Harry and Ginny nodded, knowing that they couldn't win against both Ron and Hermione. Both were stubborn enough for six people, and more then proud enough for each other. The stood up reluctantly, Harry grabbing two robes, one for him, and one for the shivering Ginny on the opposite side of the bed. She nodded her thanks, her lips trembling. Then, as everyone was settled, they headed down to the common room, to open their presents together.
Inhabiting the closest couch, the quartet sat together, bringing the presents that they were giving away with them. Due to Ron's overwhelming eagerness, he got to open the first present, which was from Harry. Revealing the latest Quidditch Strategy book by the Chudley Cannons, by let out an excited "Thanks, mate!" and began looking through the book. Hermione and Ginny both began to pass out their presents to the respective receivers, and the air was filled with sayings off thanks, and in Ron and Hermione's case, kissing noises by Fred and George in the background.
Harry received a sequel to the book of curses and strategy that Hermione gave him for his birthday from the said giver, a large box of chocolate frogs from Ron. Multiple pranks and how to use them from both Fred and George, a jumper and a box of freshly baked goods from Mrs. Weasley, a weird looking key from Hagrid, and the one down point of his gifts, a crisps wrapper from the Dursleys. Laughing, when he received that, he chucked it with relish into the nearby fireplace.
The only gift he didn't get was one from Ginny. He had given her a ring with a stone that matched the one in the necklace he had given her at the beginning of the year. Seeing it turn a pleasant pink when he placed it on her finger, he was relieved. She was more then pleased with the gift. The kiss that he received after he had given the gift, told him that much as well, he didn't even need to see the light pink shade on her finger. She smiled at him, knowing his questioning look that he shot her way. She mouthed one word: 'later'. His eyebrows quickly shot up in surprise and suspicion. She smirked jokingly at him, rolling her eyes.
"No," She said, trying not to laugh. "Not that." He could be hearing things, but he could have sworn he heard her say 'yet'.
After the presents had been handed out and hugs exchanged, it was nearly time for breakfast. Both couples unwillingly split to change into actual clothes, deciding to meet down in the common room in twenty minutes. As Ron and Harry changed into their clothes, Ron was humming. More strangely, he was even in key. Harry smirked as he looked at his best friend.
"Happy?"
Ron stopped humming for a moment, looked at Harry and grinned. "More than."
~*~
As they made their way down into the Great Hall, and began eating breakfast, excitement was everywhere. Nobody was in a discouraging mood. Harry grinned, glancing down the table, Fred was telling a story to Angelina and she was laughing, as he waved a fork around to prove his point.
Then disturbingly, the atmosphere changed. A whimper came from the Ravenclaw table. Looking over, he saw Cho Chang sitting on her feet, staring at the ground beneath her, and then a scream came from the Slytherin table Blaise Zabini stood on her chair, enthralled with the floor beneath her. A whisper came to his ears. Just scare… no biting.
Harry looked around searching for the voice, knowing instantly that it was Parseltongue. Finding nobody, he turned back to the hysterical girls. In Parseltongue he whispered; Leave them be… leave them!
The creatures on the floor slithered over to him, he was now standing protectively in front of Ginny. We don't care for your wordsss, we lisssten to our massster.
Harry's answered was quite controlled. And who is that? Voldemort?
The snake sounded almost impish. That fool? Nay… our massster isss far greater then him…
Hearing a strangled laugh behind him, he saw Ciaran grinning mockingly at him. "Snake got your tongue Potter?"
Ignoring him, Harry turned back to the snakes. They were gone.
To Be Continued…Fluffymufin: No need to figure it out… here it is.
Scubatrex: You're welcome. Thanks for reading it.
Melzie Potter: Thank you, I hope you keep reading.
Lilia: He's a somewhat evil foreign exchange student… Thank you for the constructive criticism, sometimes that's more helpful then "It's a great story." You know what I mean…
Takari4ever7: Yes, romantic. But as romance has a tendency to do… it gets cut short (not for them as a couple, just their evening).
Morgan: Thank-you. It means a lot.
Carolyn: I find that when people have to learn about things, they appreciate it more then if it was given to them right away. Then they just take it for granted. Thanks for reviewing.
Author's Note: As the actual fifth Harry Potter book is coming out in two months (thank god), I have to update quickly to finish my story before the actual book comes out. Expect quick updates. And please, review, that's all I ask.