A/N- My hand was out of whack for a while, but now it's back to normal. This chapter is more of a transition chapter than anything else, but I think you'll like it. Also I've been reading a lot of the Shoebox Project over on Ten points to anyone who can find the reference to it in this chapter!

Lucidity- Thank you for being so patient with my slow style of bringing everything around. However, there are major answers about the lucidare crystal in this chapter! Hope you like it!

Tanya J Potter- I think they don't want to know the gender of the baby for that very reason. I wouldn't want to know if my child was going to be cursed. Plus, such knowledge could make them change their mind about having the baby, and we can't have that, can we?

Sunnyflower2005- I think there's a lot of foreshadowing. Your guesses are probably correct to some degree. I'm really glad you were able to read the story straight through and enjoy it!

BuckNC- Actually, yes. I did know about the exhibit. That was the whole basis of them not finding Lucidare in Egypt. Oh well, you just figured out this chapter before everyone else! Congrats!

Ingenious- More mood swings, you say? Ask and it shallll be provided! Haha!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.

Chapter 9: Yuletide Epiphanies

Snow fluttered quietly outside the Burrow, but the inside was filled with chaos.

The scent of a large ham being roasted in the kitchen calmed the senses of the Weasley family as they gathered in the parlor.

There was only one day a year where everyone waited anxiously in his or her pajamas to exchange presents, and that day was today. It was finally Christmas!

"Who are we still waiting for?" Fred said sleepily, rubbing one of his eyes as he spoke.

"Ron."

"That little bugger?" George hoisted himself up out of the chair on which he was sitting. "That's no problem! It's just time for a little trouncing!"

Mrs. Weasley's face looked absolutely horrified as she turned around to face George. "You will NOT trounce your brother on Christmas!"

She lightly pushed George back into the seat where he started to whimper "Well, somebody should go wake him up!"

"And you know there's nothing better to wake up to then a good trouncing!" Fred added.

Mrs. Weasley only shook her head and sighed. She tried to find a sensible way to go about this so that her youngest son would get himself up but wouldn't get the stuffing beat out of him on that Christmas morning.

"I'll wake him up, if you'd like." Said a strong voice beside her. Mrs. Weasley looked over and smiled at Hermione. It was only natural that she's want to be there when he woke up that Christmas day.

However, everyone in the room was shocked, even Hermione, when Ginny stood up suddenly.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to wake him up. It's kind of important." She received a gentle look of understand from Hermione, who relaxed back into her seat again.

Ginny tiptoed up the stairs, hearing her twin brothers' callings of "Nobody's ever fought about whose got to wake us up before!" This only caused the pregnant woman to chuckle as she entered Ron's violently orange room.

She found her brother buried under a mountain of orange sheets with his head stuck under the pillow. The steady rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was fast asleep.

Lifting the pillow slowly, Ginny sat herself on the edge of the bed. "Happy Christmas Ron."

Ron, who was clearly still a bit foggy in the head, groaned "Watsamatter?"

"It's Christmas, Ron." Ginny replied slowly. "Everyone else is awake and we're waiting for you downstairs to open presents."

Ron curled up in a ball, obviously too tired to care. "They can wait a little longer then."

"I know one person who can't wait any longer."

"Who would that be? You?"

"No, this person." Ginny took Ron's hand off the bed and placed it on her stomach. Ron could feel the little flutter of baby's feet.

He jumped up in the bed, suddenly very awake. Once he got over the initial shock, a warm smile covered his face. This was the first true sign he had of his niece or nephew's liveliness. Sure, he'd seen the ultrasound, but nothing compared to actually feeling it move.

Ginny giggled like she did when they were quite young, playing in the backyard of the Burrow.

"It's amazing, huh?" she said to him.

Ron could only nod. After a few moments, he added, "I can't wait to have children someday. If I ever do."

"You will." Ginny gave him a reassuring smile. "Now let's get downstairs and open our presents."

There were cheers all around the room when the two youngest Weasleys entered. One present was tossed to each person and then they opened the presents simultaneously.

There were the usual Christmas gifts. Weasley sweaters, sweets, and small trinkets made their appearance in everyone's gift pile. However, there were some gifts that were truly shocking.

Hermione had come up with a very thoughtful gift for Harry that kept everyone amazed for hours.

When Harry first unwrapped the package, the sight of a misty gray ring baffled him. "What's this?" he asked Hermione, turning the box toward her and the Weasley family.

"Bloody hell! Hermione's proposing to Harry even though he's already engaged to our sister!" Fred yelled out, earning a firm punch from Ron.

"Oh, it's old Egyptian magic!" Hermione said, ignoring Fred's comment. "You see, it indicates danger. So, if Ginny is in danger, the ring will turn red. If the baby is in danger, the ring will turn blue. That way you'll always know that they're safe."

Harry took these words into account for a moment, smiling gratefully. He looked as though he'd get emotional for a moment, but his attention was then driven elsewhere.

"Harry! What is this?" Ginny gasped. She reached into a shallow box and pulled out a long silver chain with a key on the end.

Harry scratched his head and gave her a shy smile. "Well, I sort of.. bought us a house. More like a cottage, really. But it's in Ottery St. Catchpole and it's quite nice."

Everyone else was watching silently by now. Ginny's eyes began to water up with tears of love and joy as Harry continued to speak.

"It's not that I haven't being thankful for your family's generosity. I just figure that if we're going to do this, we should do it properly, right?"

Flinging herself at Harry, Ginny burst into tears.

Harry wasn't exactly sure if they happy or sad tears until Ginny finally seemed to regain the ability of speech again.

"When can we move in?" she inquired.

Harry let out a relieved chuckle. "Anytime after the first of January."

"Can we move in that day?"

"Now let's not rush into anything!" Mrs. Weasley squeaked. It would be harsh to lose her youngest child without any forewarning.

"Harry and Ginny? Not rush into anything?" Fred pulled a face.

George backed up his brother which an equally amused yet baffled expression. "Mum, perhaps you should have given them that advice before there was a baby or a large diamond ring involved."

"Never you mind, George Fabian!"

"Fabian?" Hermione snickered without thinking twice about what she said.

"Yes, Fred Gideon Weasley and George Fabian Weasley. The middle names are two of my dearest cousins. They were also twins-"

"-And troublemakers!"

Hermione blushed a little. She felt as if she'd inadvertently insulted a name that was part of Molly's legacy.

"Fabian is a lovely name." She lied to Molly through her teeth.

When she thought about it, the name really wasn't that bad. Still, if she and Ron ever had children, she wouldn't name one of them Fabian or Gideon.

She mentally slapped herself. Sweet Merlin! She was already naming their children!

The conversation was turned back to Harry and Ginny.

"We won't move in right away," Harry told Ginny, "but we'll move in soon, okay?"

With Ginny's nod, the unmasking of Christmas presents continued as usual.

Hermione received a lovely package of sweets from Fred and George. However, when she bit into them, she was rather disappointed to realize that there were canary creams in the assorted bunch.

When the spell wore off, the disgruntled witch reached for her last present and ripped it open with anger. It disappeared moments later when she saw what was inside.

"Ron, what's this?"

Hermione pulled out a long rope chain of a rustic necklace. For a charm, there was a small stone tablet with barely visible cryptic writing that Hermione almost immediately recognized as Egyptian.

"It's an ancient protection amulet." Ron told her. "I thought it was, you know, cool. I know it's not a diamond or anything."

"No! It's lovely!" Hermione told him, placing it right around her neck.

It was just what she needed. It wasn't some fancy, useless jewel. It was protection, love, and caring. Hermione moved over to Ron and gave him a warm Christmas embrace.

There was a loud bell in the other room that went rang through the house. Molly Weasley promptly flicked her wand and off it went.

"My potatoes are done! It's almost time for our little feast!" She giggled like a merry little child, rushing into the kitchen.

When all the food was cooked and prepared to perfection, Molly placed it on the table in front of her family members, almost family members, and guests. What a feast is was!

The boys always dug into meals fiercely, but nobody was sure if they'd ever been this fierce.

Stomachs were filled to the brink and pleasant conversation drizzled through the meal. For a while, at least.

"So, Harry, Ginny," Mr. Weasley said, wiping a bit of gravy from the corner of his mouth, "why don't you want to know the gender of my grandchild?"

Ginny's fork hit the table with a loud clatter. "I dunno, dad! If you were about to give birth, and you found out that if you're baby was a boy who ever had a sister somebody, or a girl who ever had a brother someday, IT WOULD BE BLOODY CURSED FOR LIFE, would YOU want to know?!"

She excused herself from the table quickly, stating that she felt quite ill. After she ran up the stairs, Harry got up as well.

"We also don't want to know because we believe the stress of knowing along with the curse would be stressful. Stress is bad for pregnancies."

He too ran up the stairs, and all else was silent for moments before Ron let out a grunt.

"I really wished I'd found that damn crystal." Ron growling, tossing his fork into his mashed potatoes like a javelin.

Hermione tried the best she should to comfort him. "It's alright. There's still plenty of places to look!"

The rest of the Weasleys agreed, though quietly.

"Oh really? Do you know of any small pieces of Egypt in any other part of the world? I sure as hell don't!"

Hermione felt terrible that Ron was so guilt, but he was being a right prat about it. She would have to put him in his place.

"Not pieces, Ron! Collections of artifacts! People have them!" Hermione shot back. "In fact, my dad absolutely loves one of the larger.."

Hermione's sentence faded off into nothing as an epiphany hit her.

"Merlin! I can't believe I didn't think of it before!"

Ron's hand on her shoulder brought her back down to Earth. "What are you talking about?"

"We've been in Egypt, and Lucidare has been here all along!"

"You've gone mad, Hermione!"

"No, Ron! It's in the British National Museum! It's got loads of Egyptian artifacts, but it's a muggle building, so nobody could've known the crystal was magical!"

Ron stared blankly for a moment, then began to look at his family in panic. After taking everything in, he jumped out of his chair, pulled Hermione out of hers, and directed her into the other room without a word.

He looked like he'd just won ten thousand galleons. He was no longer a guilt loser. There was still a chance to succeed after all.

"Why didn't you tell me about this muggle museum earlier?"

"I.. I honestly didn't think of it." Hermione shrugged her shoulders, her cheeks a faint pink.

Ron flashed a genuine, lopsided grin. "Hermione Granger? Not thinking? I'm shocked!"

Before she could give him a witty, or worse, annoying comeback, he kissed her hard on the mouth. The kiss only lasted a few moments, but it was pure joy.

Hermione sighed happily. "Let's go tell Harry and Ginny!"

"No!" Ron's eyes widened. "They're under enough stress already. You heard Harry; it's not good for Ginny. We have to go without them."

Hermione nodded in agreement. She had no idea how one would go about getting to every crystal in the museum, but it was probably their only option.

"We have to go soon." She said.

"No. We have to go tonight."

-

..What do you think? Was the location too obvious? Were the characters too emotional? Give me your point of view!