A/N: *Sigh* This is precisely what I was afraid of! *Groan* Writing fanfics
is sooo much more fun than studying, but I'm fairly convinced I will now
fail both my exams and have to repeat these papers (which were bad enough
first time around, I have no desire to do them a second!) Anyways, hope you
liked this ending better (of course, anythings better than what I had before.)
Enjoy and please review!!!
Just as a point of reference, Bayard was a sixteenth-century French knight and national hero renowned for valor and purity of heart and Gabriel is a biblical archangel "Gods able-bodied one".
CHRISTMAS WITH THE WEASLEY'S
-------------------------------------------
Later that night Harry gratefully resigned to the spare bedroom, exhausted from his evening with Hermione's relatives. He yawned and sunk into the cushy mattress. In the bed next to him Ron was snoring slightly. Harry's eyelids flickered shut and almost immediately he was shaken awake.
"Harry?" Harry opened his eyes and looked up blurily at Hermione. He rubbed his eyes trying to see her better. Hermione looked taller and her hair fell over her shoulders in defined curls as opposed to her usual bushy mess. "Harry," She said again, "I'm sorry to wake you, but it's Ron, he hasn't come home yet and I'm worried."
Harry felt wierd, like he didn't have control over his own body. He threw his blankets off and leapt out of bed. "When was the last time you heard from him?"
"This morning when he left." Hermione replied following Harry into the hallway. The first thing Harry noticed was that this wasn't the Granger's house. His body seemed to know the way though and strode quickly towards one of the doors.
"Did he say when he was going to be home?" He heard himself ask.
"He promised he'd be back in time to decorate the tree." Hermione dropped her voice to a whisper and pushed open the door Harry stood in front of. "They're both asleep, I already checked." Harry could see two heads of fluffy brown hair sticking out from under the blankets in the bunkbeds on the otherside of the room.
"And Lily?" Harry asked, closing the door.
"Downstairs, she's fine she just couldn't sleep." Hermione headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. A small girl with shoulder length red hair sat at the kitchen table with a book open in front of her. Hermione paused behind her and kissed the top of her head. The girl looked up and smiled briefly then returned to her book. Harry looked over at the clock on the wall. Two of the hands labelled 'Bayard' and 'Gabriel' pointed to 'BED', 'Lily', 'Hermione' and 'Ron' all pointed to 'HOME'.
"He must be in the house somewhere." Harry said.
"That stupid clock is broken!" Hermione protested, "I've checked everywhere, he's not in the house." Harry glanced over at Lily. The 9 year old was trying to concelle a tiny smile that kept creeping onto her face.
"Lily," Harry began, taking the book from her hands, "do you know where your father is?" Lily looked shocked starring up at Harry.
"Uncle Harry, you know I'd tell you if I thought he was in danger, but he's not and I promised I wouldn't say anything." She replied.
"I warned you about letting Fred and George babysit her!" Harry informed Hermione. Hermione ignored him and addressed her daughter.
"Lily, darling, light of my life, sweet and wonderful," Hermione's tone changed suddenly, "if you don't tell me where your father is this instant I swear I'll send you to stay with your Uncle Percy."
"He's up the chimney." Lily replied without missing a beat. Hermione immediately strode into the living room, Harry and Lily both following. Hermione leaned over and stuck her head up the chimney flu.
"Ronald Weasley, are you up there?" She bellowed.
"Umm - no." Ron replied, unconvincingly.
"What, on earth, are you doing up the chimney?" Hermione yelled. Harry glanced at Lily who was grinning broadly.
She leaned over and whispered, "You won't believe what he's wearing."
"What's he wearing?" Harry whispered back.
"Wait and see." Lily replied.
"Would you two shoosh please, I can't hear what he's saying." Hermione hushed them, then leaned back into the fireplace. "What did you say?"
"I said, when I get out of here Lily is going to Percy's." Ron bellowed.
"I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't." Lily sighed irratibly.
"Don't say 'damned'!" Ron and Hermione both scolded at the same time. Harry leaned into the fireplace.
"Ron? It's Harry. How are you stuck?" He bellowed into the darkness.
"I'm not sure, I think I've put on weight!" Ron replied.
"Don't be ridiculous." Hermione protested. "You have not put on weight!"
"You're right, how could I with your cooking!"
"One more insult, Ron, and I'll leave you up there." Hermione bellowed angrily.
"Guys, come on, you'll wake the boys." Harry warned.
"Too late." Lily replied. Two tousle haired boys had just walked into the room.
"What's going on?" The oldest asked.
"Nothing." Hermione insisted pushing them towards the door. "Come on back upstairs. Lily, take them back to bed please."
"But I - "
"Now!" Hermione's eyes sparked dangerously. Lily grumbled a bit and led the boys away.
"Ron, it's Harry again - "
"Gee really, I couldn't tell."
"You know I think we should leave him up there." Harry told Hermione. "At least till tomorrow morning."
"No! Get me out of here! I'll stop I swear." Ron sounded anxious.
"Alright." Harry replied. "Have you tried apparating out?" Ron didn't say anything and Harry glanced over to Hermione, who was standing with her hands on her hips tapping her foot her lips pursed..
"You can't - "
"Apparate or disapparate in this house, right, I forgot." Harry sighed and a small 'teehee' came from inside the fireplace. "Do you want to get out of there or not?"
"Sorry."
"Right, well, I don't know any spells that won't blow up the whole chimney or irreversibly shrink you to the size of a pea, so I think we'll try floo powder."
"Over there on the mantle, Harry." Hermione said pointing to a small container of fine grey powder. She pulled out her wand and muttered a simple incantation. The fireplace burst into life with fierce orange flames.
"Whoa!" Ron bellowed. Harry threw some of the powder into the flames, which immediately turned green. "Weasley cottage!" Ron ordered. At first nothing happened, but then with a pop and a thud Ron fell into the fireplace, sending a wave ash and soot through the living room. He scrambled to his feet and began brushing himself off. He was almost a head taller than Hermione and was no longer a lanky 16 year old. He dusted the soot off his outfit, revealing a large, fluffy red and white suit.
"What are you supposed to be?" Harry asked with a laugh.
"I'm Santa Claus, you dolt!" Ron replied angrily. "I thought the kids might like a visit from old St Nick so I rented a costume and came down the chimney."
"Hmm, I don't think you'll get your deposit back." Hermione murmed, fussing with the suit.
"SANTA!" A small voice bellowed from the door as a tiny figure streaked past them and leapt at Ron. Ron caught his youngest son one handed and pulled him into a hug.
"Wow! It really is Santa Claus." The second boy said, standing in front of Lily in the doorway. "But what happened to him?"
"It's all those chimney's," Harry explained, "people forget to have them cleaned and poor old Santa gets covered in soot."
"Sorry Santa," the oldest boy replied, "that's my Dad's fault. He's always too busy to do stuff like that. He was even too busy to help us decorate the Christmas tree tonight." Harry could tell that under the soot Ron hadn't taken this very well.
"I'm sure your Dad would have been here if he could." Ron said sounding hurt and slightly guilty. "He'd do anything for you and your brother and sister. He loves you." The boy shrugged.
"Santa's right, Bay." Lily spoke up. "Dad does love us, more than we realise sometimes, but Santa, Bay's right too. Dad is sometimes too busy to spend time with us. In fact, my Christmas wish is that my Dad was here, in this room, right now." Ron smiled and handed his son to Hermione, then he shook the soot out of his hair and pulled his Santa suit off. Both boys jaws dropped as Santa Claus turned into their father, standing in a t-shirt and boxer shorts.
"Dad? You're Santa Claus?" Bayard asked.
"No." Ron replied honestly. "I was just dressed up like him to give you guys a treat." Bayard stood flabbergasted for a moment then sprinted at Ron and threw his arms around him. "Merry Christmas to you to." Ron laughed, hugging his son.
"Ho ho ho." Lily said with a laugh, hugging Ron as well.
"Ho ho ho!" Ron boomed hugging back.
"Ho ho ho!" Hermione chorused joining in the group hug, with Gabriel still in her arms. She, would of course, beat Ron to a bloody pulp for scaring her, but that could wait till after Christmas.
"Now, if we want to be awake for Christmas day, we should all get back up to bed." Harry suggested.
"Good idea, Harry," Ron agreed, "I'm exhausted." They all made their way upstairs, laughing and talking and Harry helped Ron and Hermione put the kids to bed before resigning to the spare room where he slept when visiting his best friends, which was so often he even had a toothbrush in the bathroom. He sunk back down into the bed, eyes closed, and rolled over.
"Did you get Ron out of the chimney?" Ginny asked sleepily.
"You knew?" Harry yawned, placing an arm over her shoulder.
"Of course I knew." Ginny replied. "He's been up there for hours." She stifled a yawn.
"Go back to sleep." Harry soothed. Ginny closed her eyes. Harry reached over and brushed a strand of hair off her face, then kissed her forehead before drifting off to sleep.
The sun burst through the window of the spare room. Harry sighed and screwed his eyes shut tighter, burying his head into his pillow. That was possibly the strangest dream he'd had his entire life, but it had felt so real. Almost like the time he dreamt about a giant and a flying motorcycle. Ron burst through the bedroom door.
"Harry, good you're awake. You have to come down here, Hermione's cooking!" The skinny 16 year old announced. All Harry could do was laugh as he pushed himself out of bed and followed his best friend downstairs.
THE END
Just as a point of reference, Bayard was a sixteenth-century French knight and national hero renowned for valor and purity of heart and Gabriel is a biblical archangel "Gods able-bodied one".
CHRISTMAS WITH THE WEASLEY'S
-------------------------------------------
Later that night Harry gratefully resigned to the spare bedroom, exhausted from his evening with Hermione's relatives. He yawned and sunk into the cushy mattress. In the bed next to him Ron was snoring slightly. Harry's eyelids flickered shut and almost immediately he was shaken awake.
"Harry?" Harry opened his eyes and looked up blurily at Hermione. He rubbed his eyes trying to see her better. Hermione looked taller and her hair fell over her shoulders in defined curls as opposed to her usual bushy mess. "Harry," She said again, "I'm sorry to wake you, but it's Ron, he hasn't come home yet and I'm worried."
Harry felt wierd, like he didn't have control over his own body. He threw his blankets off and leapt out of bed. "When was the last time you heard from him?"
"This morning when he left." Hermione replied following Harry into the hallway. The first thing Harry noticed was that this wasn't the Granger's house. His body seemed to know the way though and strode quickly towards one of the doors.
"Did he say when he was going to be home?" He heard himself ask.
"He promised he'd be back in time to decorate the tree." Hermione dropped her voice to a whisper and pushed open the door Harry stood in front of. "They're both asleep, I already checked." Harry could see two heads of fluffy brown hair sticking out from under the blankets in the bunkbeds on the otherside of the room.
"And Lily?" Harry asked, closing the door.
"Downstairs, she's fine she just couldn't sleep." Hermione headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. A small girl with shoulder length red hair sat at the kitchen table with a book open in front of her. Hermione paused behind her and kissed the top of her head. The girl looked up and smiled briefly then returned to her book. Harry looked over at the clock on the wall. Two of the hands labelled 'Bayard' and 'Gabriel' pointed to 'BED', 'Lily', 'Hermione' and 'Ron' all pointed to 'HOME'.
"He must be in the house somewhere." Harry said.
"That stupid clock is broken!" Hermione protested, "I've checked everywhere, he's not in the house." Harry glanced over at Lily. The 9 year old was trying to concelle a tiny smile that kept creeping onto her face.
"Lily," Harry began, taking the book from her hands, "do you know where your father is?" Lily looked shocked starring up at Harry.
"Uncle Harry, you know I'd tell you if I thought he was in danger, but he's not and I promised I wouldn't say anything." She replied.
"I warned you about letting Fred and George babysit her!" Harry informed Hermione. Hermione ignored him and addressed her daughter.
"Lily, darling, light of my life, sweet and wonderful," Hermione's tone changed suddenly, "if you don't tell me where your father is this instant I swear I'll send you to stay with your Uncle Percy."
"He's up the chimney." Lily replied without missing a beat. Hermione immediately strode into the living room, Harry and Lily both following. Hermione leaned over and stuck her head up the chimney flu.
"Ronald Weasley, are you up there?" She bellowed.
"Umm - no." Ron replied, unconvincingly.
"What, on earth, are you doing up the chimney?" Hermione yelled. Harry glanced at Lily who was grinning broadly.
She leaned over and whispered, "You won't believe what he's wearing."
"What's he wearing?" Harry whispered back.
"Wait and see." Lily replied.
"Would you two shoosh please, I can't hear what he's saying." Hermione hushed them, then leaned back into the fireplace. "What did you say?"
"I said, when I get out of here Lily is going to Percy's." Ron bellowed.
"I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't." Lily sighed irratibly.
"Don't say 'damned'!" Ron and Hermione both scolded at the same time. Harry leaned into the fireplace.
"Ron? It's Harry. How are you stuck?" He bellowed into the darkness.
"I'm not sure, I think I've put on weight!" Ron replied.
"Don't be ridiculous." Hermione protested. "You have not put on weight!"
"You're right, how could I with your cooking!"
"One more insult, Ron, and I'll leave you up there." Hermione bellowed angrily.
"Guys, come on, you'll wake the boys." Harry warned.
"Too late." Lily replied. Two tousle haired boys had just walked into the room.
"What's going on?" The oldest asked.
"Nothing." Hermione insisted pushing them towards the door. "Come on back upstairs. Lily, take them back to bed please."
"But I - "
"Now!" Hermione's eyes sparked dangerously. Lily grumbled a bit and led the boys away.
"Ron, it's Harry again - "
"Gee really, I couldn't tell."
"You know I think we should leave him up there." Harry told Hermione. "At least till tomorrow morning."
"No! Get me out of here! I'll stop I swear." Ron sounded anxious.
"Alright." Harry replied. "Have you tried apparating out?" Ron didn't say anything and Harry glanced over to Hermione, who was standing with her hands on her hips tapping her foot her lips pursed..
"You can't - "
"Apparate or disapparate in this house, right, I forgot." Harry sighed and a small 'teehee' came from inside the fireplace. "Do you want to get out of there or not?"
"Sorry."
"Right, well, I don't know any spells that won't blow up the whole chimney or irreversibly shrink you to the size of a pea, so I think we'll try floo powder."
"Over there on the mantle, Harry." Hermione said pointing to a small container of fine grey powder. She pulled out her wand and muttered a simple incantation. The fireplace burst into life with fierce orange flames.
"Whoa!" Ron bellowed. Harry threw some of the powder into the flames, which immediately turned green. "Weasley cottage!" Ron ordered. At first nothing happened, but then with a pop and a thud Ron fell into the fireplace, sending a wave ash and soot through the living room. He scrambled to his feet and began brushing himself off. He was almost a head taller than Hermione and was no longer a lanky 16 year old. He dusted the soot off his outfit, revealing a large, fluffy red and white suit.
"What are you supposed to be?" Harry asked with a laugh.
"I'm Santa Claus, you dolt!" Ron replied angrily. "I thought the kids might like a visit from old St Nick so I rented a costume and came down the chimney."
"Hmm, I don't think you'll get your deposit back." Hermione murmed, fussing with the suit.
"SANTA!" A small voice bellowed from the door as a tiny figure streaked past them and leapt at Ron. Ron caught his youngest son one handed and pulled him into a hug.
"Wow! It really is Santa Claus." The second boy said, standing in front of Lily in the doorway. "But what happened to him?"
"It's all those chimney's," Harry explained, "people forget to have them cleaned and poor old Santa gets covered in soot."
"Sorry Santa," the oldest boy replied, "that's my Dad's fault. He's always too busy to do stuff like that. He was even too busy to help us decorate the Christmas tree tonight." Harry could tell that under the soot Ron hadn't taken this very well.
"I'm sure your Dad would have been here if he could." Ron said sounding hurt and slightly guilty. "He'd do anything for you and your brother and sister. He loves you." The boy shrugged.
"Santa's right, Bay." Lily spoke up. "Dad does love us, more than we realise sometimes, but Santa, Bay's right too. Dad is sometimes too busy to spend time with us. In fact, my Christmas wish is that my Dad was here, in this room, right now." Ron smiled and handed his son to Hermione, then he shook the soot out of his hair and pulled his Santa suit off. Both boys jaws dropped as Santa Claus turned into their father, standing in a t-shirt and boxer shorts.
"Dad? You're Santa Claus?" Bayard asked.
"No." Ron replied honestly. "I was just dressed up like him to give you guys a treat." Bayard stood flabbergasted for a moment then sprinted at Ron and threw his arms around him. "Merry Christmas to you to." Ron laughed, hugging his son.
"Ho ho ho." Lily said with a laugh, hugging Ron as well.
"Ho ho ho!" Ron boomed hugging back.
"Ho ho ho!" Hermione chorused joining in the group hug, with Gabriel still in her arms. She, would of course, beat Ron to a bloody pulp for scaring her, but that could wait till after Christmas.
"Now, if we want to be awake for Christmas day, we should all get back up to bed." Harry suggested.
"Good idea, Harry," Ron agreed, "I'm exhausted." They all made their way upstairs, laughing and talking and Harry helped Ron and Hermione put the kids to bed before resigning to the spare room where he slept when visiting his best friends, which was so often he even had a toothbrush in the bathroom. He sunk back down into the bed, eyes closed, and rolled over.
"Did you get Ron out of the chimney?" Ginny asked sleepily.
"You knew?" Harry yawned, placing an arm over her shoulder.
"Of course I knew." Ginny replied. "He's been up there for hours." She stifled a yawn.
"Go back to sleep." Harry soothed. Ginny closed her eyes. Harry reached over and brushed a strand of hair off her face, then kissed her forehead before drifting off to sleep.
The sun burst through the window of the spare room. Harry sighed and screwed his eyes shut tighter, burying his head into his pillow. That was possibly the strangest dream he'd had his entire life, but it had felt so real. Almost like the time he dreamt about a giant and a flying motorcycle. Ron burst through the bedroom door.
"Harry, good you're awake. You have to come down here, Hermione's cooking!" The skinny 16 year old announced. All Harry could do was laugh as he pushed himself out of bed and followed his best friend downstairs.
THE END