Title: Christmas Surprises

Chapter: Ten – The End?

Author: SnakeEyesHannah

Spoilers: OotP

Disclaimer: I do not own anything involving Harry Potter. This does all our favorite author, JK Rowling, bless her soul.

- - -

Harry heard urgent whispers all around him. He tried to ignore them and focus on the light conversation the other three were keeping. But then he picked up on a word. Malfoy… His head snapped around and spotted Malfoy striding inside, Pansy Parkinsson following close behind like a lapdog, the two gorillas, Crabbe and Goyle, looking like two big, ugly moving stones in gray robes.

Malfoy had his ice gaze on Harry and his company. With a completely neutral expression, Harry stood up. He was vaguely aware of that Ron did the same, the restrained anger making his face turn red.

"So you did find dates after all, Potter?" Malfoy sneered when he stopped in front of Harry. He looked disgusted at Hermione who had risen and put her hand soothingly at Ron's shoulder. She looked at Malfoy with a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

"So Pansy agreed to come with you this year too?" Ginny's sarcastic voice reached Malfoy. "How much did you pay her?" He snapped his head toward her, his eyes narrowed. But he looked startled when he saw her. It both pleased and made Harry extremely angry.

"So the Weaslette has grown up", Malfoy said, looking Ginny up and down with the usual smirk on his face. Harry forced himself to breathe properly. "Let me know when you're bored with scar-face over here", he told her with a sneer at Harry before turning around to leave them.

"Oh Malfoy?" Ginny said in a smooth voice. The pale Slytherin stopped and turned his head. Harry glanced down at the redhead beside him. She batted her eyelashes seductively at Malfoy, making Harry feel jealous. He thought he'd explode when Ginny took a step forward, showing off a slender leg. She leaned closer to Malfoy, the boy's eyes wide in surprise. In the corner of his eye, Harry saw Hermione struggle to keep Ron from lounging at Malfoy and beat him up. Harry knew exactly how the redhead felt.

"Don't make the mistake of believing you're better than Harry", Ginny said in a low, husky voice. She blew gently into his ear, causing him to shiver visibly. "When you've accepted that…" She stepped back, feeling Harry's arm sneak protectively around her waist. "… then I will think about it."

Harry couldn't help the smile forming on his face. Ginny was indeed full of surprises. He turned to the students that had formed a circle around them, ignoring the Weird Sisters up on the stage. He noticed professor Dumbledore smile, his eyes twinkling.

- - -

Harry laughed as he watched Neville, Luna and Ginny on the dance floor. They had already eaten a wonderful meal, challenging Molly Weasley's cooking, and they had all taken a few spins around the dance floor. Harry, however, only danced one song, a slow song. With Ginny. His face heated up as he remembered the wonderful feeling of her arms around his neck and her body so close to his. He made a mental note to himself to thank Ginny later for teaching him to waltz and the basic 'club' moves.

He watched, amused, as Neville tried to keep up with Ginny. She was so graceful and looked so carefree on the dance floor. Eventually Neville had to admit to himself he wasn't man enough to keep up with the redhead and resumed his somewhat odd dance with Luna.

"Having fun, Harry?" Hermione's voice reached his ears. He turned his head to find that Hermione had just seated herself at their table, helping herself to a glass of water.

"Very", Harry replied and returned his gaze to the dancing crowd. He spotted both their dates in the middle of it, dancing together. He chuckled; Ron was really good at dancing. Harry heard Hermione gasp in shock beside her.

"He's good, huh?" she breathed. Harry only laughed. The students on the dance floor had begun forming a circle around the siblings, watching with amusement and wonder.

Suddenly Harry was being jerked up from his seat by Hermione and led through the dancing crowd, closer to the circle.

"What are you doing?" Harry yelled over the music.

"Let's dance!"

"Hermione, I can't!" Harry tried to protest, but it was too late. She had already dragged him out on the dance floor, beside the dancing redheads. The students surrounding them cheered, hoping for a dance-off.

Ginny stopped dead in the middle of a spin as she saw Hermione lead Harry out on the dance floor. She nudged Ron and pointed towards the other pair. Ron's jaw practically fell to the floor. He'd never dreamt to dance against someone else than his own brothers. His shocked expression turned into a full-blown smirk even Malfoy should be proud of. He glanced down on his baby sister and found she had on an identical grin. They could have some fun with this!

"What do you want to do with them?" Ron yelled over the music to his sister. Ginny looked up into her brother's eyes and laughed to herself. She had never seen him look at Hermione with such hunger. It half scared her, half nauseated her.

"I want to make him sweat", she replied evilly. Ron raised a quizzical eyebrow at her and she poked his nose childishly. "Yes, just as you want Hermione to sweat!" His eyes widened but then he couldn't help himself, he laughed along with Ginny, both glancing sideways at their respective dates.

- - -

Despite himself, Harry found that he actually could dance. As long as Hermione kept telling him what to do. As she spun around him, rolled her body like a wave against him or just did some steps in front of him, she said 'do this', 'do that' from the corner of her mouth. Harry found that he understood everything she wanted him to do, even when she only used the proper dance-term.

Once every ten seconds, approximately, he'd glance over at Ron and Ginny and see them do moves he knew he and Hermione were never going to do. The siblings were so comfortable in each others company, and the fact that they knew each other better than almost anyone else, made it possible for them to do certain moves that both shocked the students cheering, the professors and Harry. He even found himself wishing to be Ron at times.

- - -

Ten minutes and three songs later, the two pairs took their bows and made their way to the refreshment table. The students who had watched throughout the whole 'dance-off' patted their backs, congratulated them for a wonderful show as they passed. Harry and Hermione were blushing madly while Ron and Ginny only beamed and politely nodded their heads.

"That was brilliant!" Ginny exclaimed as they leaned against the back wall, punch in hand. The music wasn't as loud here and they could talk in a normal conversation tone, although breathing rather heavily, fanning themselves with their hands. Harry silently nodded, looking down at the floor, Hermione actually giggled and took a sip of punch while Ron smiled, patted his sister on the shoulder and replied a simple 'yeah'.

Harry took a deep breath. This is it. I got to do it now… In his head he had two images; one of 'innocent' Ginny at age eleven, the Ginny who blushed only by being watched, who put her elbow in the butterdish, and then 'the new' Ginny who danced together with her brother in a drop-dead-gorgeous outfit, making Harry sweat. He never really realized how much he'd loved her, even when he was twelve years old and didn't know what love was. Being in her company any longer without telling her how he felt, especially now when she proved what she could do on the dance floor, couldn't be healthy for him.

"I think I'm going for a walk", he said to his three best friends. He gulped down the rest of his punch and made sure the box was still in his inner pocket after all that dancing. "Care to join me, Gin?"

Ginny looked at Harry in surprise. She hadn't expected him to ask anyone to go with him, let alone her. She felt Ron tense up beside her for a short second before nudging her. "Sure, I'd love to", she replied with a smile and handed her brother the beverage. Once again proving he was a gentleman, Harry offered her his arm. In the corner of her eye she noticed Hermione trying to cover the smile.

Slowly they made their way outside, the fresh and cooling wind welcomed. Ginny gasped as she saw what the white thing outside the door was. A tunnel, completely made of ice, led the out from the castle to the grounds.

"Beautiful, huh?" Harry said softly, leading her towards a bench. He quickly muttered a warming charm over the bench before allowing Ginny to sit down on it. A heating spell on them wasn't necessary at the moment.

"It's very beautiful", he heard Ginny reply in a sort of awestruck voice. "Hey, isn't that Luna and Neville?" she suddenly asked. Harry looked at the direction of the lake and spotted two figures. A smile crept on his face as he nodded.

"Seems like it…"

"Wow", Ginny said, an amused tone in her voice. "I never really thought they would end up together."

"Me neither, to tell you the truth", Harry confessed. "I guess love works in mysterious ways…" He trailed off, hoping she wouldn't catch the sigh. He was not so lucky and felt Ginny's warm hand on his thigh.

"What's wrong?"

Harry turned his head from the moonlit lake and into Ginny's brown, concerned eyes. He shook his head. "Nothing's wrong", he told her in a soft voice, the courage in him starting to build up. He would need all the courage in him to tell Ginny what was on his mind. "Everything is just perfect." Ginny looked suspicious and Harry put his hand reassuringly on her arm. "Really."

He took in every detail of her appearance. He wanted this moment to last forever. The moonlight illuminated her skin and she looked so fragile Harry felt like he was breaking her by his touch. He reached inside his robes and pulled out the deep red box containing her gift. A small smile played at his lips as Harry realized the box matched Ginny's robe perfectly.

"Uh… Gin?"

"Yes?" Ginny looked at him with an encouraging smile and Harry felt a wave of relief go through him. A feeling told him that Ginny wasn't going to freak out on him. He smiled at her and handed her the box.

"Your Christmas present", he said.

"But you already gave me one", she protested but accepted the box, stroking the lid with her finger.

"Open it", Harry told her. She gave him a trying smile before lifting the lid. She gasped and raised her hand to her mouth as she saw the phoenix necklace. It was positively the most beautiful necklace she'd ever seen. "You like it?" Harry asked as she neither threw it in his face nor said she liked it. He saw her eyes water and with his last ounce of courage he lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong", Ginny smiled, repeating his words on purpose. "Everything is just perfect." She leaned closer and hugged him, a smile on her lips. Harry grinned too and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So you like it?" Harry whispered to her ear. She broke away from him and looked into his emerald eyes, not removing her arms.

"I absolutely love it!" she beamed and handed him the box back. He took it with a quizzical look on his face. "Put it on?" she said, half asking. He smiled relieved and took out he golden chain. It shimmered beautifully in the moonlight and the rubies sparkled. Ginny lifted her hair and turned her back on him so he would easier clasp it. Harry dared to run his fingers around the chain. He felt Ginny shiver under his touch and quickly removed his hands.

"Sorry", he apologized automatically. Ginny turned around to face him again. She smiled warmly at him.

"Don't be", she said softly.

Harry swallowed hard. This was it. This was the sign, if he'd been waiting for one. It was now or never. So tell her, you moron! Now! He cleared his throat and willed himself to look into her eyes. "Gin, there's something I got to say…" He stopped and she nodded to tell him go on. "Well, it's kind of hard… I've kind of just realized something…" Harry trailed off again, searching for the words to best describe it. Ginny look at him with a curious smile and he felt his courage build up again. He took another deep breath. "So I'm just going to be straight with you. I've been a prat not noticing you before. I think… I think I'm in love with you, Ginny Weasley."

Ginny gasped. The last thing she thought she'd ever hear, let alone from Mr. Harry James Potter, the man of her dreams, himself. He stared down on his hands and began apologizing for saying so, for ruining their friendship forever. She put her finger to his lips to silence him. He looked up at her with that adorable confusement she loved.

"You may have ruined our friendship", she began. He hung his head again, and again Ginny lifted his head to look into his eyes. "But you ruined it for the better. I love you, Harry Potter."

Harry could feel his heart pound madly in his chest. Ginny Weasley just said she loved him! He smiled, his eyes sparkled. He cupped her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. He saw her lean closer and he felt his heart race again. Her eyes fluttered close and his did too. She brushed her lips against his and he heard himself groan. He kissed her more firmly and he felt like he was flying. No, this is better than flying! his mind argued with him. When they broke apart they both smiled happily and they were breathing irregularly.

"Wow…" Harry breathed.

- - -

Author's note: Oh how I love myself. I'm so proud of me for writing this all in one sitting! So anyway, next chapter is an Epilogue which will cover the end of the Yule Ball and a couple of weeks after. We'll see how far after it goes… As always, reviews are most welcome!

So are you happy with the length of this, milky way bar? -giggles- So, as a last note I'd like to tell you guys that I will reply to every review personally in the next chapter…