I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER AND IM NOT SAYING IT MORE THAN ONCE SO DON'T YOU EVEN DARE SUE ME OR SOME SUCH NONESENSE!!!!!! I OWN THE PLOT ONLY!!!!!

Hi everybody I know the paragraphs seem huge plz don't stop reading it because of that!!!!

I hope I get reviews and on the next chapter ill make the paragraphs smaller..... this is my first fic so I know it kinda sux but be patient with me.

If anyone reviews ill thank you each individually cauz that always makes me feel special when the writers do that so.... yes

Chapter 2

Ginny's P.O.V.

I was going to hyperventilate. What was I going to get Harry for Christmas?

"Hermione? What am I going to get Harry? I can't think of ANYTHING!" She looked up and smiled at the distressed look on my face.

"I don't know. And I don't know what to get Ron. I think I'm going to stress out." By now we were entering Hogsmead and I saw Harry and Ron entering the Three Broomsticks.

"Me too. What are you supposed to get a guy for Christmas?"

"Well, for Harry he might like something to do with Sirius or his family. And Lupin. You know, photos and such. I say we just don't meet them there and go and look for things. They'll realize what were doing and leave too." We quickly changed our direction to a small gift shop and opened the door.

The door was lined with dozens of small bells and there was a cheerful tinkling when we walked in.

"Hello. How may I help you? Are you looking for anything in particular?" A small, thin man walked out of a door they hadn't noticed. He was wearing black robes that seemed almost as old as him. He couldn't have been more than five foot tall and his beard was almost to his waist. As the friendly old man walked toward us, I noticed he limped on one side.

"Er... no. Well, were looking for gifts for some friends. Some guy friends. And we don't know what to get them."

Normally it would have been weird to just tell some stranger that but the old man just smiled and led them to yet another door that they hadn't noticed.

The room behind the door was much different then I had expected and I couldn't believe I hadn't been in this store before. It was made of white marble, and there were shelves of a dark, beautiful wood covered with knick- knacks.

"Well, do you have any idea what they like? Hobbies, hopes, things that they don't have?" We thought for a second and I replied first with Hermione short after me.

"Yeah. He doesn't really have a family. And he likes Quidditch."

"Well, Ron likes the Chudley Cannons. And a hobby of both of ours seems to be fighting with each other..." she was kidding but they did fight all the time. Then of course, they'd kiss and make up.

But for some reason, the old man just looked at me. He looked shocked but excited and just stared. After a moment, the realized he was staring and shook himself.

"Yes yes... what did you say your boy liked?"

Hermione blushed at him calling Ron 'her boy' and she answered, "Um... the Chudley Cannons."

"Right. Follow me. We'll attend to your gift first." He smiled at me again, and for a guy that looked older than the hills, he practically ran to the back of the room and through another door.

"Okay, you said he didn't have blood family?" I didn't recall saying that he didn't have blood family but that seemed to fit because he was practically family to us Weasleys.

"Yeah. I was thinking pic-"he cut me off.

"Well, how about this?" he held up a silver chain with small links and hanging off of it was a tiny oval locket. I took it gently out of the old man's hands and looked at closely. It had ivy and flowers carved into it, and although it was very clean and well taken care of, it looked older even, than the man that ran the store.

"It's perfect!" How do you open it?" I was struggling to unclasp it but it held firm.

"You have to find the picture you want to put in it and... this sounds silly but it's true... and then put the locket, along with the pictures, into a box and wait. If you do it before you go to sleep one night, and open it in the morning, that will be enough time." Hermione was staring at the old man like she thought he was absolutely insane but for some reason, I trusted him.

"Okay. I'll buy it." The old man smiled.

"Okay. But it's been sitting in here for decades and no one has bought it so you can have it for free. And now we can find something to this young lady's taste." He turned his attention back to Hermione and led us back to the main room then through another door into a new room. I looked out the window and saw` Harry and Ron walking toward the store we were in and I freaked out.

"Hermione! They're coming in! I'll go keep them from seeing you in here-"I dashed into the main room and went out the entrance door. Ron and Harry were right in front of me.

"Hi! Have you guys seem Hermione? I'm looking for her!" I herded them away from the door to the store and Ron looked at me worriedly.

"I thought she was with you!"

"She was! Don't' worry, nothing happened or anything, but we just split up because we wanted to go to different stores. Let's go look in Honeydukes!" they were giving me weird looks but I ignored them.

"O... Okay..." Ron looked confused but he walked toward the sweet store anyway.

"Harry! Why don't you go and try and find Hermione while me and Ginny go get something to eat!" He was staring at Harry and trying to tell him something that I couldn't quite figure out.

Harry stared at him blankly for a second than was a look of understanding came into his eyes and he said, "Ooooh! Yeah. I think I will. Bye you guys!"

"Ron, I will kill you if you even start lecturing me about me and Harry! You seriously need to get over-"

"Ginny! Get a grip! I'm not going to! I just want to go and get something to eat with you! Is that a crime?" He looked wounded and I felt bad for telling him off so quickly.

"Oh. Sorry. Let's go."

Harry's P.O.V.

I was glad Ron had thought of a way to give me awhile to try and find Ginny something. My first choice in stores was the jewelry store. I pushed the door in, and I was momentarily blinded by all the precious stones in the display cases in front of me. I blinked a few times and noticed a younger witch walking toward me.

"Can I help you find anything?" She looked friendly enough.

"Um... no. I'm just looking." She smiled.

"Okay. Just ring the bell if you decide you need help." She turned and disappeared through a door behind the counter. He looked around. The immediate things he saw he would never get Ginny. They all had huge, gaudy stones or to many stones. A lot of them were pretty but just not something he could picture on her. He looked at display case after display case and as he got farther and farther back in the store, they all seemed more and more like what Professor Trelawny might wear. He was completely out of hope as he reached the last, sad looking display case and looked in.

There were a few last pieces of tacky or ugly necklaces and bracelets, but on a raised square, covered in satin, there was a thin, silver necklace made to look like a chain of leaves and flowers. The center of the flowers had tiny shimmering sapphires imbedded in them and he knew it was perfect. It wasn't, tacky, gaudy, ugly, huge or fake looking. It was perfect.

As if on cue, the young clerk appeared again from the door she had exited through and asked, "Are you ready?"

He was a little taken aback at her bluntness, but replied, "Yeah, I'd like this one."

He pointed at the silver bauble and she smiled.

"Yes, I rather like that one better than the rest myself. It's perfect." She opened the back of the display case and slid the necklace out. She opened her mouth, presumably to tell him how much it cost, but before she could another door burst open that he was positive hadn't been there before and a short, balding man came bustling in looking mortified.

"Almost missed it! Waiting for seventeen years and almost missed it! I can't believe myself!" He shooed the girl out of the way and started wrapping the necklace in white tissue paper and carefully placed it in a black box with the jeweler's name on it in gold lettering.

"Ah! Here you are! This is for a female friend of yours I presume?"

"I-uh... yeah. That's right." Harry was a bit surprised. Waited for seventeen years? For what?

"Good, good! And you're Harry Potter of course. This will look great with her red hair, I am sure." And with that, he swept back through the door which promptly disappeared.

Harry stared at the place where the door had been. That man knew his name, when he had come, and the color of Ginny's hair. And then had not made him pay for it. He was thoroughly confused.

"Um.... Do you want me to pay for this?" I said loudly. I waited a few moments, got no reply and then walked out of the door, leaving a few galleons on the counter.

Hermione's P.O.V.

I had Ron's gift safely wrapped up in my bag as I walked out of the door and went to find the others. I spotted Harry coming out of a little store that I didn't know what it sold and I ran toward him.

"Hey Hermione. Where are the others?" He said.

"Dunno. I'm looking for them to. Did you find something for Ginny?" We walked into the Three Broomsticks and saw Ron and Ginny drinking Butterbeer and talking quietly.

"Yeah. Shhh." I sat down next to Ginny across from Ron and Harry sat down across from Ginny.

"So, what are you all getting me?" Ron grinned and I chucked a bottle cap at him.

"Nothing! Not if you're going to be like that!"

"Well fine! I won't give you your gift!" I smiled at him.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Ginny was being entertained by us arguing and Harry was staring at Ginny. He snapped out of it a second later and joined the conversation.

**********

I was wearing a purple dress with pink stripes on the bodice and I was waltzing with Harry. House elves were on the sidelines singing 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' and Ron was doing cartwheels around me and Harry.

"Hermione! Hermione!"

Harry was shaking me by my shoulders and screaming at me. Then I opened my eyes.

Lavender was shaking me to get up. "Hermione! It's eleven o'clock! Get up!"

"It's eleven?! Oh my goodness it's late!" I threw my covers of the bed and changed into my plain black robes.

I met Ginny in the hallway, both of us grinning.

"Good morning! I thought you'd never get up! I'm starving. Harry and Ron are already in the Great Hall."

"Okay. I had the weirdest dream. It was really freaky."

"Yeah, so did I actually. I was tangoing with Dumbledore and then the roof fell and we all died."

"That's kinda morbid..." The Great Hall was already full of people eating lunch and Ginny broke off to go sit with her fifth year friends.

I sat down across from Lavender and next to Ron. Harry was diagonal from me.

"Hey Hermione." Ron and Harry said at the same time.

"Hey. Do you know what the entertainment will be at the Christmas ball?" Today was finally Christmas and the dream had made me a little nervous.

"I personally won't need any." Ron grinned and Harry laughed.

"Neither will I." Harry and Ron were both eating like there was no tomorrow and spilling food all over the place.

"Where are you people going? You're making a mess..."

"Oh! Um... er... nowhere." Harry elbowed him. "Quidditch practice!" He looked down at his plate and his ears turned bright red.

"Reeeeaaly." I had no doubt they were lying but I didn't push it.

After lunch, I met up with Ginny again and we went outside. We were sitting by the lake and talking about the ball later today.

"It'll be fun. But I'm a little nervous. At least I don't have second hand robes this time."

"I love your robes! There brilliant! Mine are okay though too. I only started being nervous after the dream I had." I continued to tell her about the strange dream until it started to rain like mad so we covered our heads and ran for it.

Two hours later we were in Ginny's dormitory getting ready for the Christmas Ball. I slipped my dress robes over my head and turned around so Ginny could tie the back up.

"Hermione! I love these! They're so beautiful! Ron will have a heart attack!" She laughed at the thought and tied the final bow of the dress robes.

"Yours are much better, not that I'm complaining. I'm rather fond of these robes."

"I like mine too. But I really like yours."

My robes were more of a muggle dress because it was fitted at the waist and chest and went out from the hips. They were dark blue satin with thin gold and silver trimming around the edges and hems. The reverse side of the dress laced up with silver piping, leaving most of my back bare and the sleeves flared out, ending in the silver and gold ribbon. I did like the dress but it kinda made me look like some kind of comet or something...

I finished putting on the hair straightening gel and brushed it out. Id used practically the whole bottle and my hair was board straight and shiny.

"Ron will probably wear like, jeans or something. That'd crack me up!"

"I think you're required to wear dress robes but that would so funny! I think Harry would like to do that too... he hates being in anyplace where anyone might notice him more than anyone else."

"He should be used to that! He walks into a room and there's this big awed silence. Unless he knows everyone or Malfoy's in the room."

Ginny frowned. "Malfoy isn't near as bad as he used to be, you gotta admit. He's almost nice these days."

I squirmed uncomfortably. I knew that Draco Malfoy had chosen the light side and was now a spy for Dumbledore into his fathers actions but I hadn't been able to tell anyone, not even Harry and Ron, about that because it was said that the less people that knew about it would mean the least danger of Lucius or another Death Eater using a truth serum and finding out that Draco was a spy. Plus I knew that Harry and Ron would refuse to believe that Draco was actually on our side and was actually a spy for Voldemort.

"Yeah. I know. It's weird." I hoped I sounded convincing.

Harry's P.O.V.

As was tradition, all of the Gryffindor guys were sitting in the common room, waiting for the girls to come down and accompany them to the Ball. I had been waiting for twenty minutes when a door opened for the hundredth time, and I hope it was Ginny this time.

I craned my neck around the try and see farther up the stairs. I saw Hermione and very shortly after, Ginny.

I noticed for a split second how pretty Hermione looked then all my attention was taken by Ginny. She was breathtaking. Literally. She was wearing a flowing white satin gown that shimmered slightly as she moved. The sleeves and the bottom flared out, ending in blue ribbon.

Her hair was halfway down her back and flowing with the tiniest of curls and wavys mixed in with the straightness.

All the rest of the guys that were left started cheering just as they had all the other guys as there date came down and I had thought it funny at the time but I sincerely wished they would stop.

"Hey Harry. Let's go." Ginny didn't look perturbed in the slightest by the cheering and Hermione was laughing.

I stopped staring and closed my mouth. "You look beautiful." That's the best I could say.

She smiled. "Thank you." She took my hand and all but led me out of the common room with Ron and Hermione close behind.

No one had been permitted to see the Great Hall before the time of the Ball and I was looking forward to seeing it even better than the regular Christmas decorations were amazing on there own.

We were at the entrance to the Great Hall and Ron and Hermione went in before us. Following them, we entered what was previously the Great Hall and now appeared to be nothing short of an ice palace.

The floor had been changed to oyster white marble that reflected the light of the hundreds of icicle candles and the colors of the different dress robes. Most of the space was devoted to dancing room but there were two long tables to either side of the room where the less exuberant couples were sitting. The ceiling was reflecting the millions of stars surrounding the crescent moon and it was a sharp contrast against the violent white of the floor.

Ginny looked as awed as I felt. "It's amazing. I've never seen anything like it before!"

"It's nothing to you. But yes, it's quite beautiful." She blushed and we started dancing. I wasn't the greatest dancer. I remembered some of the steps vaguely from fourth year but Ginny was mainly leading.

"The Great Harry Potter doesn't know how to dance?" She said in mock surprise.

"The Great? Where do you get The Great? Have you been talking to Colin again?"

"No. Colin is a bit weird ya know..."

I did know. Colin had become even more obsessed with me over the years and it was a little creepy, not that he wasn't a nice guy. Just a little insane.

"No kidding. Who's that with Malfoy? I don't recognize her."

"Neither do I. Maybe she's in Ravenclaw. Someone we never see."

"Oh yeah, Malfoy's really likely to go out with someone other than a Slytherin."

"Good point. But let's not talk about Malfoy."

"How about us?"

"huh?"

I paused and took a deep breath. This was something I had been meaning to ask about and it had been wearing on my mind more and more these days. "I know this is in a long time but what are we going to do when I leave school? If the war is still on I mean. If it wasn't it wouldn't be a problem."

She looked at me intensely for a few seconds as if carefully thinking about her reply. "Well, we'll have to write and see eachother when we can. There's nothing else we can do." She frowned. "You don't want to end it do you?"

"No! Of course not! It just seems like a problem."

"Well then, were not going to call it off. It will be sort of a problem but that's why were going to kick Voldemort's ass." She said it seriously but I knew it was joke. Although that was my hope as well.

"He's goin down!" we laughed and continued dancing to various songs before sitting down next to Ron and Hermione.

"Hey Hermione. Hey Ron."

"Hello." Both of them said.

"Have you figured out who it is with Malfoy?" It figured that Ron would want to know what Malfoy was doing and then blame something on him.

"No. It's not a Slytherin though, I don't think. Which is really weird."

She was almost as tall as him, with black hair and wearing blood red robes that looked rather striking on her, I had to admit. Her hair was straight and was flowing halfway down her back loosely. " I bet he's up to something." It may have been my imagination, but Hermione looked rather uncomfortable for a moment before changing the subject.

"We should take a walk. Get some fresh air." She dragged Ron from the chair and we followed, hoping it wasn't to cold outside.

The front doors opened creakily and it was obvious that no one else was out on the grounds. The ground was covered lightly with a thin layer of glittering snow and more was falling from the sky, landing in Ginny's hair and making it shimmer even more than usual.

"This is pretty-"Ginny stated but the rest of her sentence was cut off by a violent whoosh of wind that carried her voice away from me.

"Ron! Hermione!" I couldn't see them anymore and I really wanted to get everyone back inside to the warmth of the Great Hall.

Ginny's hand slipped out of mine and I whirled around, hoping I could still see her. I couldn't. The sound of the snow and wind was deafening now, and seemed to be circling around and around me, trying to consume me.

Out of nowhere it stopped. The snow, the sound, the coldness. It all stopped. I looked wildly around and saw Ron and Hermione a hundred or feet from me, looking scared and bewildered. Ginny was to my left, on the ground and halfway covered in snow.

Before I had a chance to move and help Ginny, I heard a small and indistinct voice that could have been mistaken for my imagination if it had not been in Parsletongue. "Only a warning, only a warning. True danger shall come soon enough." It faded away and I was shaking as I helped Ginny up from the ground and ran to the doors with Ron and Hermione and Ginny.

We stood, panting in the great hall.

"What the hell was that all about? That could not have been natural." Ron was holding on to Hermione and looking at me questioningly.

"I have no idea. That scared the shit out of me though." I had instantly decided not to tell Ron about the voice that had promised 'true danger', knowing it could only cause more worry and concern.

Hermione was looking at me skeptically and I had the sneaking suspicion she didn't believe me entirely. Our robes were slightly wet but Ginny's were the worst.

"We should just go back to the dance." I dried myself off and everyone followed suit.

On reentering the Great Hall, few people noticed us come back in and we continued dancing as if nothing had happened. Malfoy was gone, along with the girl that had been his partner.

Ron P.O.V.

I was slightly shaken from the events outside and I was still a bit cold. And confused. It had seemed like Harry wasn't telling us everything and Hermione seemed reluctant to talk about Malfoy. What was going on? Malfoy hadn't said a sneering remark for along time now and I didn't understand that. Was it possible he had chosen our side? No, that was impossible. Malfoy was a Malfoy and nothing could change that. Plus I would know about it. Nothing fit together! Malfoy was far from rude these days, random, violent snowstorms that only happened in the area right around us and I just knew Harry was keeping something from me. I decided not to think about it. There was nothing I could do about it right now anyways. Malfoy was gone and we were all dancing normally, as if that had not happened. I was quite happy to go back to looking at Hermione and talking to her.

Some time later we were all sitting on the sidelines, watching some couples (and some people that had come without dates) dancing to the fifth fast song in a row we'd all had enough for the time being and were talking about the N.E.W.T.s.

"I'm going to start studying after Christmas break, you can never prepare too much. I'll get a head start and know my stuff better for next year so when I study next year it'll be simple review." Hermione was deadly serious about the N.E.W.T.s. I'd heard her talk about the importance of them more than all the teachers put together.

"You're crazy Hermione! You have over a year and you're like WOOO STUDY NOW! It makes no sense!" Ginny looked a mix of humored and disgusted.

"I've got to agree that's a little crazy. I'll study next year really hard and I will do good. I will be an Auror." Harry's desire to become and Auror had increased considerably since the war rose up and Voldemort got more powerful.

Suddenly a light, calming melody came on and Hermione almost had a heart attack. "I LOVE THIS SONG!!! It's from this muggle movie Anastasia it's so pretty! She dragged me out to the dance floor and we started dancing slowly again, the break obviously over. After the initial shock of being dragged ruthlessly from my seat, all the other people in the hall slowly dissolved away. The music echoed around us...

Dancing bears, painted wings

I'm surprised Hermione doesn't have wings.... She could be an angel...

Things I almost remember

There was no war in this world, there was no death or pain or loss or fear... I could almost remember the other world... it had a lot of problems... but a lot of beauty. It had nothing on this though.

And a song someone sang...

This would always be my day, no matter what happened, no matter who won or lost or what the world comes to, this would be my day, my day with Hermione.... My December, and my song.

Once upon a December

The music came to a stop and Hermione's smiling face was no longer alone in my field of vision. Other faces filtered in, other noises. It was a harsh reality.

"Did you like that song? I think it's the best."

"It is beautiful. I liked it a lot." I always have been good at understatements...

We sat very close together and watched all the people and couples walk by and watched as Harry and Ginny continued to dance to the slow songs that were playing. " This one's a Disney song to! From Beauty and the Beast!" She smiled reminiscently. "I used to watch this movie, then rewind it then watch it again. I would do that all day sometimes. I still know all the words to the songs." She laughed

"That's funny. This song seems cute to..." I fell silent and listened

There's something sweet

And almost kind

But he was mean and he was course and unrefined

But now he's dear

And so... special

I wonder why I didn't see it there before

"Those muggles are sure good at writing sweet love songs... what happens in the movie?" My dad had briefly explained how a TV and VCR worked over the last summer so I knew what I was talking about.

"Well this really selfish, really greedy prince had this huge castle with dozens of servants and slaves and nice clothes and a warm bed at night. One night there was a really bad rain storm and an ugly old lady came to his door and begged for shelter in exchange for a single red rose. He laughed at her and sent her away; she warned him but he sent her away again and right in front of his eyes she turned into a beautiful sorceress and she told him that he should never judge people by their looks alone and she cursed him so that he was transformed into a horrible beast unless he could find someone he truly loved and who loved him in return. The rose the old lady had offered him was an enchanted rose and the last petal would wilt and fall on his twenty first birthday and he had until that time to find love. Belle finds her way to the castle and they slowly fall in love, after a whole bunch of problems of course... you'll never find a plot like that in the wizarding world."

I was gawking at her... "Wow that is good, who are the actors or whatever there called in that movie?"

"It's animated." She noted his blank expression and elaborated. "It's drawn, frame by frame and flashed by you so it appears to be moving. To put it simply. They have way better ways now but when that movie was made, that's how they did it." She was still smiling faintly and I pulled her into a hug and leaned back against the wall.

It was fun to sit there and enjoy the music with Hermione. Harry and Ginny seemed to never stop dancing and every now and then I'd catch a wisp of music; they seemed to be having a muggle marathon or something.

You showed me the world

When I was all locked up inside

You gave me your hand

And took me on a magic carpet ride

Ginny's P.O.V.

A fast, muggle song was playing and no one was really dancing, just spinning around madly and laughing. I was more a mosh pit than anything.

"Have you ever heard this song before? It's from a Canadian band Simple Plan I stole this CD from a store once after Dudley gave me his old CD player."

"I like the words they're awesome." We linked hands and spun around really fast, knocking into other people doing the same.

I'D DO ANYTHING!

JUST TO HOLD YOU IN MY ARMS!

TRY TO MAKE YOU LAUGH

SOMEHOW I CAN'T PUT YOU IN THE PAST!

I'D DO ANYTHING

JUST TO FALL ASLEEP WITH YOU

WILL YOU REMEMBER ME

CAUZ I KNOW

I WON'T FORGET YOU.

Even though I could tell her was having fun, it was obvious Harry had something else on his mind