This is my first attempt at a(n) H/G fic. I've read literally thousands (and I am not joking when I say that I have read somewhere near the thousands in H/G stories, one-shots, songfics, etc.) of H/G fanfic stories, reviewed them many times over, and participated in discussions about why they are a major possibility in canon. Yet, I've never written anything H/G. So, this is truly my first attempt! Please let me know what you think. Honestly, if you tell me it's bad, I will probably agree; and if you tell me it's good, I will not let it go to my head. I just got a random inspiration and decided to go out on a whim and let my fingers do the "talking". So, without further ado...
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Occasionally, I might make references to quotes, song lyrics, poems, works of literature, and other various tidbits. Citations will be made where necessary at the end of a chapter. I might make source errors in good faith, or leave things off by accident. Sometimes I don't know where something comes from, in which case I note it anyway. If you ever discover that I have neglected to cite a source and you are able to provide adequate information for me to do so, contact me and I will add the citation.
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It was cold and the world was a mix of white and grey. The snow was powdery and plentiful; it remained untouched excepting two trails of heavy footprints through the snow. A log cabin was settled seemingly in the middle of a white, fluffy cake, surrounded by snow-covered trees. A steady flow of smoke rose from the chimney, swirling with the air around it before slowly dissipating.
15-year-old Ginny Weasley sighed as she looked out onto the smooth, glassy surface of the lake, wondering idly if the giant squid that resided within was faring well in all of this cold weather. She sighed in a content sort of way, enjoying the steam her breath was making. Ginny had always loved winter - while the pale hues of a wintry day might have depressed others, they made Ginny unequivocally happy. Nothing was more beautiful than the miniscule fragments of frozen water falling down gracefully and settling on the already snow-covered grounds. The pale grey sky held a hint of blue in cloud-filled horizon; the sun had just begun to rise but it was obscured by the pallid clouds.
She heard crunching snow coming steadily towards her and soon a puffy and slightly taller figure had covered her eyes with mitten-covered hands. She smiled to herself, not needing to turn around to know who it was yet doing so anyway as to drown herself in the sparkling emerald eyes she was sure to find. Sure enough, she opened her eyes after the figure's hands dropped to find herself staring into the stunningly green eyes of Harry Potter. His arms settled around her and rested in the small of her back, pulling her towards him. She could tell he was quite prepared for the cold weather - "ihe must have been wearing over 2 inches of clothing!/i" she thought as she rested her head on his chest.
"Mmm... I thought I'd find you out here," he murmured to the top of her head.
"You thought you would?" she teased.
"Okay, so I knew I would, " he said, laughingly. His face sparkled merrily and his eyes danced with happiness as he moved slightly so that she would look up at him.
"Happy Christmas, Ginny," he whispered, planting a gentle kiss upon her lips.
"iOh, what I did to deserve him!/i" she thought. However, they soon broke apart and Ginny's thoughts were brought back to the reason he had trudged out to the lake. She smiled wryly to herself.
"Ron sent you out here to come get me so he could open presents, didn't he?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
Harry smiled thoughtfully. "Now why would you say that?" he asked sarcastically.
"Because I've known Ron forever and old habits die hard!" she giggled.
"You're just lucky that Hermione's whipping him into shape now," he said, bringing up the fact that the relationship between his two best friends was still something new and unfamiliar. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have waited for you!"
"Ahh, don't you just love family?" she sighed, still in a teasing sort of mood. Though she loved winter, it really was sort of melancholy, and having Harry to talk and tease and laugh with just made things... right.
"Come on, love," he said, removing one of his arms from around her back and leaving the other arm securely around her waste. She started trudging slowly back towards the castle with him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Upon entering the castle, they removed their mittens and scarves and shook the snow off their boots. Harry performed two drying and warming charms with a wave of his hand before grabbing their winter gear with one hand and Ginny's hand with the other. They were soon at the ever-familiar portrait hole, where Harry told the Fat Lady the password - "iAmicalement/i" (Hermione was in charge of the passwords this year, and nearly all of them had been of French derivative) - and helped Ginny through the gap.
Upon seeing them enter, Ron jumped up excitedly, the glee dancing on his face. Hermione subtly rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, blushing ever so slightly as she considered how good it felt to think of him as her boyfriend.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're here! Come on, Gin, I've already got the presents separated into piles!" Ron was practically hopping up and down he was moving so fast.
Harry and Ginny smiled, catching each other's eyes as the walked over to sit with Ron and Hermione by the fireplace. A fire was crackling merrily in the hearth and someone (obviously Hermione) had conjured four large, fluffy pillows on the carpeted floor; a colourfully wrapped pile of presents sat in front of each one. Harry walked over to his pile of presents and sat down, closely followed by Ginny; who, despite all her grumbling over Ron being childish about presents, couldn't hide the grin that had spread across her face.
They were the only Gryffindors still at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. Because Voldemort had gone into temporary hiding in the Americas (his power greatly dwindled after his duel with Dumbledore), families were able to be together for Christmas once again without the fear of death and destruction. More Hogwarts students than ever before rushed home, leaving the four Gryffindors alone in Gryffindor tower. Aside from the Gryffindors, only two Ravenclaw fourth-years and a small group of Hufflepuff third-years remained at Hogwarts.
The four friends didn't mind at all. They were content with having all of Gryffindor Tower to themselves for the holidays. Realising that it was pointless for them to sleep in separate dormitories, Hermione decided to let loose and forget about her duties to maintain order as a Prefect (after a bit of convincing by Ron, of course). Figuring that if she was going to let loose she might as well go all out, Hermione conjured four puffy sleeping bags with Gryffindor colours and pillows adorned with the Gryffindor crest before conjuring four bowls with needles and string in them. Ginny, who had picked up several household charms from her mother, quickly filled the bowls with popcorn, and all four of the friends had stayed up late into the night on Christmas Eve, sprawled out in their sleeping bags in front of the fire, threading the popcorn onto the strings while talking and laughing - remembering and creating memories that they would never forget.
Ron was the first to tear into a present. He chose the one from Hermione first, which turned out to be... a book. Ron tried but failed to hide the wide grin on his face.
"What else would I expect from you, 'Mione?" he said, grinning sheepishly.
Hermione tried to look hurt, but both Harry and Ginny noticed that her eyes were twinkling. They soon found out why.
"'Ronald Weasley: The Biggest Prat Hogwarts Has Ever'- hey!" he yelled in protest as he read aloud the title on the book's cover. Hermione proceeded to burst into a fit of giggles along with Ginny, while Harry just chuckled.
"Oh, Ron, ihonestly/i," she said, doing quite a good impression of... well, herself. "Go ahead, open it up!"
Ron opened the book to find that it was actually a Muggle dictionary that had been hollowed out on the inside. Hermione had simply Transfigured the title of the book into her own personalised preference before hollowing out the centre. Ron pulled a small black book with the initials "HG" inscribed in fading gold in one corner.
"What is this?" he asked with genuine interest.
"It's my diary, from fourth year," she said softly. She was gazing at him and her tone was unwavering, but Ginny could tell that she was extremely nervous and feeling wide-open and vulnerable.
"... your... diary?" Ron asked with mild disbelief. The sheer volume and meaning of the gift were not lost on Ron. He was momentarily speechless which Hermione mistook as displeasure.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Ron! I just iknew/i you wouldn't like it! I'm so sorry, I'll get you something else, it's just that I wanted you to know what I was going through during that year and how long I've loved you, and I guess I just thought it would be sentimental and that you would like it-" she ended her diatribe abruptly as if realising suddenly that she had said too much. Her cheeks were flaming red and she couldn't seem to look him in the eyes.
However, Ron had other ideas. He quickly scooted over to her pillow and grabbed her in his arms, hugging her tightly. "This is the best gift anyone's ever given to me, 'Mione. It means the world to me. iYou/i mean the world to me."
Harry and Ginny both turned their heads so as not to ruin the moment, but caught each other's eyes and smiled in a knowing sort of way.
After Hermione had finished mumbling about how happy she was that he liked the gift, it was her turn to open her gift from Ron. Harry and Ginny exchange nervous glances at this. Ron had always been rather... well, thick was the word they most often chose. They were slightly worried that, while Hermione's gift was full of love and meaning, Ron's gift would be slightly disappointing. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Hermione picked up Ron's gift, which was a small box wrapped neatly in gold paper, with no bow or other decorations except the words "For my Hermione" which Ron had penned on the top with colour-shifting ink. Hermione was not one to tear into gifts, so she slowly slipped her finger through both edges and applied pressure to break the tape. Once she had the paper removed, she opened a plain white box to reveal a purple velvet jewellery box. At this point, Hermione was just as speechless as Harry and Ginny; though she would never admit it, she had prepared herself for a let down on Ron's half of the gift giving. She knew she was jumping to conclusions, but as far as she was concerned... anything involving jewellery on Ron's part was a miracle.
She realised she had been sitting there in her own little world until Harry coughed slightly, hiding a smirk with his fist. Jumping slightly, with a slight "oh!" she slowly opened the box.
Inside the box, lying on a bed of white cotton fabric was a gold pendant with a matching gold chain. The pendant was about the size of a Muggle quarter, with an intricate carving of a heart in the centre. Little hearts adorned the four corners of the pendant and upon further inspection, the initials "R.W." were inscribed inside the heart. Hermione looked up at Ron to find him grinning from ear to ear. Realising her mouth was probably dragging the floor, she promptly closed it and continued to stare at him in awe. His grin changed to one of happiness and content as he slowly reached up and pulled something up from inside his shirt. He pulled out a silver pendant that was the same size as Hermione's, only it was silver and instead of a heart in the centre, it appeared to have a book with the initials "H.G." inscribed inside it. Hermione felt her heart leap up inside her chest as she hugged him tightly. He had never moved from her side after thanking her for her gift.
"Thank you so much, Ron," she whispered though there was no need. "I love it." She kissed him gently and lovingly and the happiness in the air was almost tangible. Taking their queue, Harry handed Ginny her gift and she searched through his pile until she found hers.
"Go ahead, you go first," Ginny prodded. Harry grinned and began to open his present. Though he didn't rip into the package, he wasn't as meticulous as Hermione.
He opened the box to find a long leather case, much like the case Harry received when he bought his new spectacles the previous year. He opened the case to find a silver wrist watch with a black leather strap. However, he was suddenly rendered speechless when he looked at the face of the watch. For, instead of the two hands one would expect to find on a Muggle timepiece, there were ten hands. Harry realised instantly that this was a miniature replica of the Weasley clock that told the status of every Weasley family member. However, there were two more hands than the real Weasley clock: one for himself and one for Hermione. Somehow, Harry was able to read the tiny writing on the face and hands (he suspecting a Magnifying Charm was put to use, for he was able to clearly read the words on the watch much like he could read the tags on the Marauder's Map) and he could see that the group's four hands were pointed at "School" while the rest of the Weasley's were pointed to the "Home" position. He noticed that Percy didn't have a hand on the watch, and it pained him somewhat, but he wasn't about to let that spoil the moment.
"Thank you so much, Gin. It's brilliant!" he gushed.
She looked apprehensive. "Are you sure? I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not... I thought it would be a great-" but Harry interrupted her.
"I love it, Gin. It means so much to me, I... I can't even ibegin/i to tell you..." he managed to get out. Tears were welling up in his eyes, but Ginny was oblivious to all but the fact that he had just said he loved her gift.
"Oh, I'm so glad you like it!" she said excitedly. "I picked out the Muggle timepiece and had Dad charm the rest... look if you tap on the centre once it changes to a regular clock, but if you tap on it twice it acts as a communicator for my watch." At this she pulled up her sleeve and held out her arm, where a similar timepiece with a gold rimmed face and brown leather strap was secured.
"All you have to do is say my first name and it will get warm on my wrist and I'll know you're calling!" she finished.
"That's brilliant, Gin!" He strapped the watch to his wrist. "I'll cherish it forever." He leaned in to kiss her and was met halfway. After breaking away he put his forehead to hers and looked directly into her eyes. "I love you" he said unwaveringly, sending shivers down her spine. "And I, you" she replied, still meeting his eyes. They were oblivious to all around them until Ron, with only the grace that someone like Ron possesses, coughed loudly and conspicuously, before breaking into a hacking coughing fit accidentally. Hermione calmly smacked his upper back, though she knew that doing so wouldn't actually help him any. It was the thought that counted, however.
"I suppose Ginny's the last one to go, then," Hermione said, once Ron had stopped coughing and resumed his regular breathing.
Ginny squealed happily and began to tear into her present. If they thought Ron was an animal when it came to tearing open paper, they obviously hadn't seen Ginny open her first present. She had the paper off in about two seconds flat, with little strips floating down to the ground from above her as if a wild animal had attacked it with sharp claws. Harry scooted away surreptitiously only to be swatted playfully by Ginny.
"Oh stop it, you! I'm excited!" she said all in one breath.
Once the dark green wrapping paper was out of the way, she opened the box to find it empty save for one piece of folded up parchment. She looked up quizzically at Harry to see his eyes twinkling with mirth. She reached in and grabbed the parchment, unfolding it with one hand. Written on the parchment was "iAccio Siobhan/i" in Harry's best penmanship. She looked at him, and he moved his head forward slightly, nodding towards the parchment. Still as confused as ever, she pulled out her wand and said, in a clear voice, "iAccio Siobhan!/i". Nothing happened for about twenty seconds, and then suddenly, a brilliantly-coloured snowy owl, looking much like Hedwig, swooped into the room from somewhere near the boys' dormitories. The owl flew straight to Ginny and landed on her shoulder, proceeding to nip at her ear playfully. Ginny gasped audibly as the owl flapped to her arm to settle down on the sleeve of her jumper. The owl looked a lot like Hedwig if it weren't for a few dark coloured feathers near her head and neck. Then Ginny noticed her eyes. They were a brilliant emerald green, that reminded her of eyes that she'd seen elsewhere... iHarry's/i.
"Harry, she has your eyes!" Ginny blurted, forgetting that she had no idea what the owl was for. Harry laughed lightly.
"I know. I figured you'd like her," he said matter-of-factly, though he was secretly hiding a large grin. "I found her at Diagon Alley when I went with your Dad last month for the special ministry meeting."
Harry had accompanied Mr. Weasley to an official Ministry meeting to discuss special permission for him to acquire an Apparition license. Mr. Weasley also convinced them to remove the restrictions for under-age magic should Harry need to defend himself. Harry thought it was rather pointless, as the summer was over and he was already back at Hogwarts, but the only time they could schedule a meeting was in November so Harry took what he got.
They all knew what the meeting was about, as Mr. Weasley had specifically requested that his children and Hermione also be allowed to learn Apparition. Hermione, of course, learned quicker than anyone else, and was soon Apparating all over the place in Hogsmeade, where they went to practise. However, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were beginning to pick it up as well and pretty soon they would be able to apply for their licenses.
Ginny began to stroke Siobhan's back lightly as she mumbled nonsensical words to the owl.
"Harry, she's brilliant! Is she really mine?" she asked, suddenly realising that this was why Harry had given her a piece of parchment instead of the owl herself. She didn't think any owl would appreciate being stuffed into a box for any period of time.
"Yep, she's all yours! Her name's Siobhan. I thought it was nice and she seemed to think so too," he said.
Siobhan nipped at Ginny's jumper before giving a loud "hoot!" and taking off, disappearing up the boys' stairs once again.
"I love her, Harry," Ginny gushed. She gave him a big kiss and settled back down onto her pillow.
Ron rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Now we can open all of them!"
Suddenly the silence that had graced the room was gone, replaced with the sounds of ripping paper and joyful exclamations about what they had received.
As it turned out, Ginny had given both Ron and Hermione watches just like Harry's (though Hermione's had the same colours as Ginny's) that functioned the same way. They could all communicate with one another from any distance, which Ginny felt would be extremely helpful in an emergency situation (although privately she thought they would be extremely useful all the time). Harry, Ron, and Hermione all agreed.
Hermione gave Harry a book on becoming an Animagus, which is something he'd always dreamed of doing ever since he learned his father had been one. Harry also received another gift from Hermione, and upon question she explained that it was from both her and Ron, though Ginny had been the one to suggest it. It turned out to be a book on spells to help fix his myopia. Though they all said they would never want him to get rid of his glasses, they felt it might be useful should he want to become an Auror. They felt that broken glasses might hinder him and they wanted the book to be a backup of sorts for him, should he suddenly find himself without them. It was an incredibly thoughtful gift and Harry couldn't thank them enough. Ginny received a collection of Muggle stories that Hermione called "classics" as well as a book of poems by Edgar Allan Poe.
Ron gave Harry a refill for his broom cleaning kit, as well as the joint gift with Hermione. Ron gave Ginny an assortment of socks with various colours and icons ranging from the Chudley Cannons to a black pair with red hearts and the initials "H.P." embroidered sporadically on them. This earned him a smack from Ginny ("Ow!!") and a gushing apology from Hermione, who promised that he didn't tell her why he needed to learn the Inscribing Charm. Ginny didn't mind though and Harry was indifferent towards the whole thing, though he did laugh when Ron was smacked.
Harry gave Ron a Chudley Cannons jersey that he had coveted back in the summer while browsing through Quality Quidditch Supplies and a pair of customised Omnioculars with the Cannons' emblem imprinted on it and a personalised menu with all of the players' names. Ron was floored - now he could track each of the players' averages and data while watching and recording the game! Hermione and Ginny simultaneously rolled their eyes, stifling giggles but grinning widely.
After opening the rest of their gifts (everyone received the usual Weasley jumper and fudge, although Ron received a scarf in addition to the other items as his had been badly singed in a Potions accident a few days ago. Mrs. Weasley sure knew her way around knitting charms!
The group bundled up in their snow gear and headed out for a fun but small snow ball fight before heading back in for Christmas dinner. Though the boys would never admit it, Hermione and Ginny took a definite victory after they knocked Harry to the ground and had Ron hiding behind a tree to escape the wrath of Hermione's enchanted snow balls.
Christmas dinner was scrumptious and jolly, and the quartet chatted merrily with the professors (well, all except Ron - he was too busy eating with two hands for most of the dinner). The day slowly wound to an end, and after writing four letters of thanks to the Weasleys, Harry attached two to Hedwig and two to Siobhan (whom Ginny introduced in her letter to her Mum) and sent the two owls on their way. The settled down in their sleeping bags and bid each other goodnight before falling asleep before the dying fire.
However, Harry could not sleep. He stayed awake, flipping the light on his new timepiece on and off, still marvelling at how wonderful Ginny was. He didn't notice that while he was in his own world, Ginny had moved over and rolled into his sleeping bag. He jumped slightly and then blushed profusely.
"Gin! What are you doing?" he whispered, swallowing audibly.
She smiled saucily. "Just wanted to give you one last Christmas present," she whispered back, pulling him towards her and planting a searing kiss on his lips. He returned the kiss eagerly, but his love for her kept him from getting too carried away. Soon the kiss became gentle and tender; Ginny kissed him one last time before embracing him, revelling in all that was Harry. With a final sigh, she turned over so that her back was to his chest, and soon fell asleep with his arm wrapped firmly around her midsection pulling her firmly to him.
And in the silence of the night, Harry knew that his life was complete. He had friends - no, family - that loved him, and he had found the one person who he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. With a contented smile on his face, he settled his head right behind Ginny's and drifted to sleep.
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Author's Notes: Wow. Got carried away. I ranted a little and explained things to much, but it felt ireally/i good to actually write this. I think it took me 3 hours. I started this before Christmas, hence the whole "Christmas-y" thing, but never had the inspiration. Then, suddenly, I did. So I wrote.
So, please, let me know what you think!? Reviews would mean the world to me - I've written enough of them to know how much author's appreciate them, and I will appreciate them just as much, if not more.
I suppose it is worth mentioning that the watch I had in mind when I envisioned this in my head was a Dolce & Gabanna watch - the Manhattan Chronograph, to be specific. If you've seen it you know how cool it looks, and I just see it as being perfect!
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Occasionally, I might make references to quotes, song lyrics, poems, works of literature, and other various tidbits. Citations will be made where necessary at the end of a chapter. I might make source errors in good faith, or leave things off by accident. Sometimes I don't know where something comes from, in which case I note it anyway. If you ever discover that I have neglected to cite a source and you are able to provide adequate information for me to do so, contact me and I will add the citation.
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It was cold and the world was a mix of white and grey. The snow was powdery and plentiful; it remained untouched excepting two trails of heavy footprints through the snow. A log cabin was settled seemingly in the middle of a white, fluffy cake, surrounded by snow-covered trees. A steady flow of smoke rose from the chimney, swirling with the air around it before slowly dissipating.
15-year-old Ginny Weasley sighed as she looked out onto the smooth, glassy surface of the lake, wondering idly if the giant squid that resided within was faring well in all of this cold weather. She sighed in a content sort of way, enjoying the steam her breath was making. Ginny had always loved winter - while the pale hues of a wintry day might have depressed others, they made Ginny unequivocally happy. Nothing was more beautiful than the miniscule fragments of frozen water falling down gracefully and settling on the already snow-covered grounds. The pale grey sky held a hint of blue in cloud-filled horizon; the sun had just begun to rise but it was obscured by the pallid clouds.
She heard crunching snow coming steadily towards her and soon a puffy and slightly taller figure had covered her eyes with mitten-covered hands. She smiled to herself, not needing to turn around to know who it was yet doing so anyway as to drown herself in the sparkling emerald eyes she was sure to find. Sure enough, she opened her eyes after the figure's hands dropped to find herself staring into the stunningly green eyes of Harry Potter. His arms settled around her and rested in the small of her back, pulling her towards him. She could tell he was quite prepared for the cold weather - "ihe must have been wearing over 2 inches of clothing!/i" she thought as she rested her head on his chest.
"Mmm... I thought I'd find you out here," he murmured to the top of her head.
"You thought you would?" she teased.
"Okay, so I knew I would, " he said, laughingly. His face sparkled merrily and his eyes danced with happiness as he moved slightly so that she would look up at him.
"Happy Christmas, Ginny," he whispered, planting a gentle kiss upon her lips.
"iOh, what I did to deserve him!/i" she thought. However, they soon broke apart and Ginny's thoughts were brought back to the reason he had trudged out to the lake. She smiled wryly to herself.
"Ron sent you out here to come get me so he could open presents, didn't he?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
Harry smiled thoughtfully. "Now why would you say that?" he asked sarcastically.
"Because I've known Ron forever and old habits die hard!" she giggled.
"You're just lucky that Hermione's whipping him into shape now," he said, bringing up the fact that the relationship between his two best friends was still something new and unfamiliar. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have waited for you!"
"Ahh, don't you just love family?" she sighed, still in a teasing sort of mood. Though she loved winter, it really was sort of melancholy, and having Harry to talk and tease and laugh with just made things... right.
"Come on, love," he said, removing one of his arms from around her back and leaving the other arm securely around her waste. She started trudging slowly back towards the castle with him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Upon entering the castle, they removed their mittens and scarves and shook the snow off their boots. Harry performed two drying and warming charms with a wave of his hand before grabbing their winter gear with one hand and Ginny's hand with the other. They were soon at the ever-familiar portrait hole, where Harry told the Fat Lady the password - "iAmicalement/i" (Hermione was in charge of the passwords this year, and nearly all of them had been of French derivative) - and helped Ginny through the gap.
Upon seeing them enter, Ron jumped up excitedly, the glee dancing on his face. Hermione subtly rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, blushing ever so slightly as she considered how good it felt to think of him as her boyfriend.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're here! Come on, Gin, I've already got the presents separated into piles!" Ron was practically hopping up and down he was moving so fast.
Harry and Ginny smiled, catching each other's eyes as the walked over to sit with Ron and Hermione by the fireplace. A fire was crackling merrily in the hearth and someone (obviously Hermione) had conjured four large, fluffy pillows on the carpeted floor; a colourfully wrapped pile of presents sat in front of each one. Harry walked over to his pile of presents and sat down, closely followed by Ginny; who, despite all her grumbling over Ron being childish about presents, couldn't hide the grin that had spread across her face.
They were the only Gryffindors still at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. Because Voldemort had gone into temporary hiding in the Americas (his power greatly dwindled after his duel with Dumbledore), families were able to be together for Christmas once again without the fear of death and destruction. More Hogwarts students than ever before rushed home, leaving the four Gryffindors alone in Gryffindor tower. Aside from the Gryffindors, only two Ravenclaw fourth-years and a small group of Hufflepuff third-years remained at Hogwarts.
The four friends didn't mind at all. They were content with having all of Gryffindor Tower to themselves for the holidays. Realising that it was pointless for them to sleep in separate dormitories, Hermione decided to let loose and forget about her duties to maintain order as a Prefect (after a bit of convincing by Ron, of course). Figuring that if she was going to let loose she might as well go all out, Hermione conjured four puffy sleeping bags with Gryffindor colours and pillows adorned with the Gryffindor crest before conjuring four bowls with needles and string in them. Ginny, who had picked up several household charms from her mother, quickly filled the bowls with popcorn, and all four of the friends had stayed up late into the night on Christmas Eve, sprawled out in their sleeping bags in front of the fire, threading the popcorn onto the strings while talking and laughing - remembering and creating memories that they would never forget.
Ron was the first to tear into a present. He chose the one from Hermione first, which turned out to be... a book. Ron tried but failed to hide the wide grin on his face.
"What else would I expect from you, 'Mione?" he said, grinning sheepishly.
Hermione tried to look hurt, but both Harry and Ginny noticed that her eyes were twinkling. They soon found out why.
"'Ronald Weasley: The Biggest Prat Hogwarts Has Ever'- hey!" he yelled in protest as he read aloud the title on the book's cover. Hermione proceeded to burst into a fit of giggles along with Ginny, while Harry just chuckled.
"Oh, Ron, ihonestly/i," she said, doing quite a good impression of... well, herself. "Go ahead, open it up!"
Ron opened the book to find that it was actually a Muggle dictionary that had been hollowed out on the inside. Hermione had simply Transfigured the title of the book into her own personalised preference before hollowing out the centre. Ron pulled a small black book with the initials "HG" inscribed in fading gold in one corner.
"What is this?" he asked with genuine interest.
"It's my diary, from fourth year," she said softly. She was gazing at him and her tone was unwavering, but Ginny could tell that she was extremely nervous and feeling wide-open and vulnerable.
"... your... diary?" Ron asked with mild disbelief. The sheer volume and meaning of the gift were not lost on Ron. He was momentarily speechless which Hermione mistook as displeasure.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Ron! I just iknew/i you wouldn't like it! I'm so sorry, I'll get you something else, it's just that I wanted you to know what I was going through during that year and how long I've loved you, and I guess I just thought it would be sentimental and that you would like it-" she ended her diatribe abruptly as if realising suddenly that she had said too much. Her cheeks were flaming red and she couldn't seem to look him in the eyes.
However, Ron had other ideas. He quickly scooted over to her pillow and grabbed her in his arms, hugging her tightly. "This is the best gift anyone's ever given to me, 'Mione. It means the world to me. iYou/i mean the world to me."
Harry and Ginny both turned their heads so as not to ruin the moment, but caught each other's eyes and smiled in a knowing sort of way.
After Hermione had finished mumbling about how happy she was that he liked the gift, it was her turn to open her gift from Ron. Harry and Ginny exchange nervous glances at this. Ron had always been rather... well, thick was the word they most often chose. They were slightly worried that, while Hermione's gift was full of love and meaning, Ron's gift would be slightly disappointing. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Hermione picked up Ron's gift, which was a small box wrapped neatly in gold paper, with no bow or other decorations except the words "For my Hermione" which Ron had penned on the top with colour-shifting ink. Hermione was not one to tear into gifts, so she slowly slipped her finger through both edges and applied pressure to break the tape. Once she had the paper removed, she opened a plain white box to reveal a purple velvet jewellery box. At this point, Hermione was just as speechless as Harry and Ginny; though she would never admit it, she had prepared herself for a let down on Ron's half of the gift giving. She knew she was jumping to conclusions, but as far as she was concerned... anything involving jewellery on Ron's part was a miracle.
She realised she had been sitting there in her own little world until Harry coughed slightly, hiding a smirk with his fist. Jumping slightly, with a slight "oh!" she slowly opened the box.
Inside the box, lying on a bed of white cotton fabric was a gold pendant with a matching gold chain. The pendant was about the size of a Muggle quarter, with an intricate carving of a heart in the centre. Little hearts adorned the four corners of the pendant and upon further inspection, the initials "R.W." were inscribed inside the heart. Hermione looked up at Ron to find him grinning from ear to ear. Realising her mouth was probably dragging the floor, she promptly closed it and continued to stare at him in awe. His grin changed to one of happiness and content as he slowly reached up and pulled something up from inside his shirt. He pulled out a silver pendant that was the same size as Hermione's, only it was silver and instead of a heart in the centre, it appeared to have a book with the initials "H.G." inscribed inside it. Hermione felt her heart leap up inside her chest as she hugged him tightly. He had never moved from her side after thanking her for her gift.
"Thank you so much, Ron," she whispered though there was no need. "I love it." She kissed him gently and lovingly and the happiness in the air was almost tangible. Taking their queue, Harry handed Ginny her gift and she searched through his pile until she found hers.
"Go ahead, you go first," Ginny prodded. Harry grinned and began to open his present. Though he didn't rip into the package, he wasn't as meticulous as Hermione.
He opened the box to find a long leather case, much like the case Harry received when he bought his new spectacles the previous year. He opened the case to find a silver wrist watch with a black leather strap. However, he was suddenly rendered speechless when he looked at the face of the watch. For, instead of the two hands one would expect to find on a Muggle timepiece, there were ten hands. Harry realised instantly that this was a miniature replica of the Weasley clock that told the status of every Weasley family member. However, there were two more hands than the real Weasley clock: one for himself and one for Hermione. Somehow, Harry was able to read the tiny writing on the face and hands (he suspecting a Magnifying Charm was put to use, for he was able to clearly read the words on the watch much like he could read the tags on the Marauder's Map) and he could see that the group's four hands were pointed at "School" while the rest of the Weasley's were pointed to the "Home" position. He noticed that Percy didn't have a hand on the watch, and it pained him somewhat, but he wasn't about to let that spoil the moment.
"Thank you so much, Gin. It's brilliant!" he gushed.
She looked apprehensive. "Are you sure? I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not... I thought it would be a great-" but Harry interrupted her.
"I love it, Gin. It means so much to me, I... I can't even ibegin/i to tell you..." he managed to get out. Tears were welling up in his eyes, but Ginny was oblivious to all but the fact that he had just said he loved her gift.
"Oh, I'm so glad you like it!" she said excitedly. "I picked out the Muggle timepiece and had Dad charm the rest... look if you tap on the centre once it changes to a regular clock, but if you tap on it twice it acts as a communicator for my watch." At this she pulled up her sleeve and held out her arm, where a similar timepiece with a gold rimmed face and brown leather strap was secured.
"All you have to do is say my first name and it will get warm on my wrist and I'll know you're calling!" she finished.
"That's brilliant, Gin!" He strapped the watch to his wrist. "I'll cherish it forever." He leaned in to kiss her and was met halfway. After breaking away he put his forehead to hers and looked directly into her eyes. "I love you" he said unwaveringly, sending shivers down her spine. "And I, you" she replied, still meeting his eyes. They were oblivious to all around them until Ron, with only the grace that someone like Ron possesses, coughed loudly and conspicuously, before breaking into a hacking coughing fit accidentally. Hermione calmly smacked his upper back, though she knew that doing so wouldn't actually help him any. It was the thought that counted, however.
"I suppose Ginny's the last one to go, then," Hermione said, once Ron had stopped coughing and resumed his regular breathing.
Ginny squealed happily and began to tear into her present. If they thought Ron was an animal when it came to tearing open paper, they obviously hadn't seen Ginny open her first present. She had the paper off in about two seconds flat, with little strips floating down to the ground from above her as if a wild animal had attacked it with sharp claws. Harry scooted away surreptitiously only to be swatted playfully by Ginny.
"Oh stop it, you! I'm excited!" she said all in one breath.
Once the dark green wrapping paper was out of the way, she opened the box to find it empty save for one piece of folded up parchment. She looked up quizzically at Harry to see his eyes twinkling with mirth. She reached in and grabbed the parchment, unfolding it with one hand. Written on the parchment was "iAccio Siobhan/i" in Harry's best penmanship. She looked at him, and he moved his head forward slightly, nodding towards the parchment. Still as confused as ever, she pulled out her wand and said, in a clear voice, "iAccio Siobhan!/i". Nothing happened for about twenty seconds, and then suddenly, a brilliantly-coloured snowy owl, looking much like Hedwig, swooped into the room from somewhere near the boys' dormitories. The owl flew straight to Ginny and landed on her shoulder, proceeding to nip at her ear playfully. Ginny gasped audibly as the owl flapped to her arm to settle down on the sleeve of her jumper. The owl looked a lot like Hedwig if it weren't for a few dark coloured feathers near her head and neck. Then Ginny noticed her eyes. They were a brilliant emerald green, that reminded her of eyes that she'd seen elsewhere... iHarry's/i.
"Harry, she has your eyes!" Ginny blurted, forgetting that she had no idea what the owl was for. Harry laughed lightly.
"I know. I figured you'd like her," he said matter-of-factly, though he was secretly hiding a large grin. "I found her at Diagon Alley when I went with your Dad last month for the special ministry meeting."
Harry had accompanied Mr. Weasley to an official Ministry meeting to discuss special permission for him to acquire an Apparition license. Mr. Weasley also convinced them to remove the restrictions for under-age magic should Harry need to defend himself. Harry thought it was rather pointless, as the summer was over and he was already back at Hogwarts, but the only time they could schedule a meeting was in November so Harry took what he got.
They all knew what the meeting was about, as Mr. Weasley had specifically requested that his children and Hermione also be allowed to learn Apparition. Hermione, of course, learned quicker than anyone else, and was soon Apparating all over the place in Hogsmeade, where they went to practise. However, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were beginning to pick it up as well and pretty soon they would be able to apply for their licenses.
Ginny began to stroke Siobhan's back lightly as she mumbled nonsensical words to the owl.
"Harry, she's brilliant! Is she really mine?" she asked, suddenly realising that this was why Harry had given her a piece of parchment instead of the owl herself. She didn't think any owl would appreciate being stuffed into a box for any period of time.
"Yep, she's all yours! Her name's Siobhan. I thought it was nice and she seemed to think so too," he said.
Siobhan nipped at Ginny's jumper before giving a loud "hoot!" and taking off, disappearing up the boys' stairs once again.
"I love her, Harry," Ginny gushed. She gave him a big kiss and settled back down onto her pillow.
Ron rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Now we can open all of them!"
Suddenly the silence that had graced the room was gone, replaced with the sounds of ripping paper and joyful exclamations about what they had received.
As it turned out, Ginny had given both Ron and Hermione watches just like Harry's (though Hermione's had the same colours as Ginny's) that functioned the same way. They could all communicate with one another from any distance, which Ginny felt would be extremely helpful in an emergency situation (although privately she thought they would be extremely useful all the time). Harry, Ron, and Hermione all agreed.
Hermione gave Harry a book on becoming an Animagus, which is something he'd always dreamed of doing ever since he learned his father had been one. Harry also received another gift from Hermione, and upon question she explained that it was from both her and Ron, though Ginny had been the one to suggest it. It turned out to be a book on spells to help fix his myopia. Though they all said they would never want him to get rid of his glasses, they felt it might be useful should he want to become an Auror. They felt that broken glasses might hinder him and they wanted the book to be a backup of sorts for him, should he suddenly find himself without them. It was an incredibly thoughtful gift and Harry couldn't thank them enough. Ginny received a collection of Muggle stories that Hermione called "classics" as well as a book of poems by Edgar Allan Poe.
Ron gave Harry a refill for his broom cleaning kit, as well as the joint gift with Hermione. Ron gave Ginny an assortment of socks with various colours and icons ranging from the Chudley Cannons to a black pair with red hearts and the initials "H.P." embroidered sporadically on them. This earned him a smack from Ginny ("Ow!!") and a gushing apology from Hermione, who promised that he didn't tell her why he needed to learn the Inscribing Charm. Ginny didn't mind though and Harry was indifferent towards the whole thing, though he did laugh when Ron was smacked.
Harry gave Ron a Chudley Cannons jersey that he had coveted back in the summer while browsing through Quality Quidditch Supplies and a pair of customised Omnioculars with the Cannons' emblem imprinted on it and a personalised menu with all of the players' names. Ron was floored - now he could track each of the players' averages and data while watching and recording the game! Hermione and Ginny simultaneously rolled their eyes, stifling giggles but grinning widely.
After opening the rest of their gifts (everyone received the usual Weasley jumper and fudge, although Ron received a scarf in addition to the other items as his had been badly singed in a Potions accident a few days ago. Mrs. Weasley sure knew her way around knitting charms!
The group bundled up in their snow gear and headed out for a fun but small snow ball fight before heading back in for Christmas dinner. Though the boys would never admit it, Hermione and Ginny took a definite victory after they knocked Harry to the ground and had Ron hiding behind a tree to escape the wrath of Hermione's enchanted snow balls.
Christmas dinner was scrumptious and jolly, and the quartet chatted merrily with the professors (well, all except Ron - he was too busy eating with two hands for most of the dinner). The day slowly wound to an end, and after writing four letters of thanks to the Weasleys, Harry attached two to Hedwig and two to Siobhan (whom Ginny introduced in her letter to her Mum) and sent the two owls on their way. The settled down in their sleeping bags and bid each other goodnight before falling asleep before the dying fire.
However, Harry could not sleep. He stayed awake, flipping the light on his new timepiece on and off, still marvelling at how wonderful Ginny was. He didn't notice that while he was in his own world, Ginny had moved over and rolled into his sleeping bag. He jumped slightly and then blushed profusely.
"Gin! What are you doing?" he whispered, swallowing audibly.
She smiled saucily. "Just wanted to give you one last Christmas present," she whispered back, pulling him towards her and planting a searing kiss on his lips. He returned the kiss eagerly, but his love for her kept him from getting too carried away. Soon the kiss became gentle and tender; Ginny kissed him one last time before embracing him, revelling in all that was Harry. With a final sigh, she turned over so that her back was to his chest, and soon fell asleep with his arm wrapped firmly around her midsection pulling her firmly to him.
And in the silence of the night, Harry knew that his life was complete. He had friends - no, family - that loved him, and he had found the one person who he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. With a contented smile on his face, he settled his head right behind Ginny's and drifted to sleep.
hr
Author's Notes: Wow. Got carried away. I ranted a little and explained things to much, but it felt ireally/i good to actually write this. I think it took me 3 hours. I started this before Christmas, hence the whole "Christmas-y" thing, but never had the inspiration. Then, suddenly, I did. So I wrote.
So, please, let me know what you think!? Reviews would mean the world to me - I've written enough of them to know how much author's appreciate them, and I will appreciate them just as much, if not more.
I suppose it is worth mentioning that the watch I had in mind when I envisioned this in my head was a Dolce & Gabanna watch - the Manhattan Chronograph, to be specific. If you've seen it you know how cool it looks, and I just see it as being perfect!