Christmas was coming to Hogwarts now and everywhere you could see Christmas trees and carol singing ghosts walking around the corridor. Yet all Harry could think of was Ginny. She had saved his life at the last quidditch game there was no doubt about that. If she hadn't of been so quick after he had lunged for the snitch then he would be dead now. Harry, Ron Hermione and Ginny were all staying this holiday and they were the only Gryffindors to be doing so. One night about one week before Christmas, by the window pacing its length and keeping Ron awake, stands Harry.
"HARRY, will you please go to sleep"
"I can't sleep" Harry replies,
"Why what's wrong with you?" Ron asks looking concerned all of a sudden.
"Ron have you ever liked anyone, I mean like, like"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well I mean have you ever … you are gonna laugh at me … have you ever loved anyone"
"Well yeah I love my family"
"Not that kind of love Ron I mea…"
"I know what you mean"
"Well have you?" There is a moment's pause.
"Yes I love someone, I love them with all my heart"
"You do…who is it, do I know her?"
"Yes"
"Who is it?"
"Who is it that you love?"
"Good point why should you tell me when I haven't told you"
"Harry we're 17 years old why should we have to deal with this?"
"I don't know" Harry sighs and looks out of the window again, "I'm going down
stairs for a bit so you can try to get to sleep" Harry walks over to the door and walks down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room … and stops dead in his tracks, there, half asleep in the big armchair was Ginny. Her head had dropped onto her right shoulder and Harry decided she looked just like an angel. He walked over to her and knelt down in front of her and reached forward to push the hair away from her face. He had wanted to do that ever since he had first seen her. As he thought back over the years, about all that had happened and how himself, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had grown together as friends. He then realised just how much he loved this girl, this young woman.
"I love you" he whispered, Ginny stirred in her sleep and began to open her eyes,
"Harry…what's up?" she murmured still half asleep. He took her hand in his and said
"I need to tell you something"
"Tell me what?" she asked more awake now from the urgency in his voice. She sat
up and Harry sat beside her on the chair.
"Now I need you to let me finish before you say anything, ok?"
"OK"
"Remember when we first met? Well I didn't realise then but I was beginning to fall in love with you and I mean head over heals, heart tearing, gut clenching 100 in love with you, and when you saved me during that quidditch game … I don't know I guess it just brought all my feelings for you up to the surface…"
"Harry …"
"No please let me finish, when you saved me and you were asking me if I was alright, the reason I couldn't answer at first was because I didn't trust myself to speak I just…"
Ginny silenced him by putting one of her fingers onto his lips and smiling at him.
"Shh" she whispered, they started to lean closer together until theirs lips met. It was like an explosion in their minds, but it was so peaceful at the same time. When they finally pulled apart both felt dazed. Harry smiled at Ginny and she returned it.
"I just have one question…" she whispered to him,
"Go on"
"What made you fall in love with me on that first day?"
"Your eyes, they made me feeling like I was falling into you, how about you?"
She laughed for a second and said
"Your eyes I felt like they could see right into my soul, I felt like you knew everything about me" They both laughed and then Alyson continued to say,
He reached out and put his hand on the side of her face and stroked the top of her cheek, "I love the way that little bit of hair always falls into your eyes" They kiss again and then Ginny lets her head fall onto Harry's shoulder and they start to get comfortable in each others embraces. Meanwhile in the boy's dormitory, Ron is tossing and turning. He couldn't help it; Harry had re-stirred the old feelings that he had tried to squash. He had never really thought about her in that way until he saw her in that gown. She had looked absolutely amazing and he had been so jealous of Viktor Krum. Because all along, he knew now that he had been in love with Hermione Granger. As Ron tossed and turned and fell into a fitful sleep there was quiet in the Gryffindor tower only broken by the creak of Ron's bed as he moved.
The next morning as Ron woke after finally falling to sleep an hour before, he sat up and looked around the dorm. Harry wasn't there.
"Harry" he called, "Where are you?" there was no answer so he got up and went looking for him. When he got to the Gryffindor common room and saw Harry and Ginny curled up asleep on the big armchair he couldn't help but feel that Harry had something that he desperately wanted but couldn't have. Not Ginny (Eww) but love. He knew that the moment he woke them up that he disturb their peacefulness and they would have to deal with whatever they said to each other the night before. He stood looking at them for a few minutes until he heard a noise behind him and he turned around. There stood Hermione still looking sleepy like she had just woken up, her normally frizzy hair looking twice as bad due to the fact she hadn't brushed it yet.
"Hey Ron, what's up, why are you just stood here? … oh right" she looked past Ron and saw Harry and Ginny asleep together. "I must say though it's about time, she's been fretting over him for years…what" Ron was staring at Hermione with a look of wonder, although he had seen her when she had just woken up hundreds of times
before, he had never seen her look so beautiful.
"Nothing" he shakes his head, "Should we wake them up and go and get breakfast?"
"Yeah, let me though lets not go in wands blazing yeah, this requires some tact" she walks over to Harry and Ginny and gently shakes them, "Harry, Gin, come on it's time to wake up" as they stirred awake they looked up and saw Ron and Hermione and then they realised where they were, they looked at each other and in that moment they knew that what they had said the night before was real and they hadn't dreamt it.
"Morning" Harry said with a yawn to Ginny,
"Morning yourself" they kiss and then realise that Ron and Hermione were still stood there.
"So I take it that you two have got it together at last" smiled Hermione, Ginny looks past towards Ron and then pointedly replies,
"Yeah now there's only two people who need to get together" while Harry and Ron both look like they have no idea what's going on, Ginny and Hermione exchange knowing looks.
"What's going on?" asks Ron.
"Nothing" Hermione replies quickly.
"We're gonna go and get dressed now, ok?" Ginny gets up and kisses Harry.
"See you in a minute you two" Hermione says, they run up the stairs and out of sight.
"What do you reckon that's all about?" Ron asks Harry. Harry shrugs.
Upstairs in the girl's dormitory, Ginny is by her bed and Hermione steps through the door and closes it behind her, she leans on it.
"So come on, what happened … why are you two suddenly together?" Hermione runs and sits on her bed which is next to Ginny's, "Tell me"
"Lets just put it this way, if Ron asks you out in a way even half as good, then you won't be able to say no ... not that you would say no" she smiles at Hermione who stares back.
"I don't know Gin, I don't think Ron and I will ever be together"
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't think we will I mean how long have I known him? And he has never made a move. I'm just a good mate"
"You're more than that to him, I can tell, I am his sister after all"
Ginny starts to pull the curtain around her bed,
"And you know it as well"
She pulls the curtain all the way leaving Hermione to her own very confused thoughts.
Later that night Ginny and Harry are talking in the big chair while Ron and Hermione are having a game of wizards chess.
"Knight to B6" Ron said, "Check"
"Urgh, you always do this"
"Yeah well it's the only time I get to beat you"
"Ok, I can do this, err queen to G6"
"Ha fell right into the trap, queen to G11 check mate"
"Right, I'm bed bound, you coming Gin"
"In a minute"
"I'm going to bed as well, night Harry, Ginny"
"Night"
Ron and Hermione walk up the stairs and out of sight. Ginny turns to Harry and says,
"I need to ask you a question"
"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"
"It's about Ron"
"Ok"
"Does he … I mean has … no … does he like anyone?"
"He says he does but he won't tell me who it is," Harry says frowning slightly, "But anyway, he's my best mate so I couldn't tell you or anyone anyway" he continues and smiles at Ginny. She smiles back and replies,
"I completely understand"
They kiss.
"You want to go to bed now?"
"Yeah"
"Come on, I'll walk you to your dorm"
They disappear up the stairs.
In the boys dorm.
"So Harry, come on, what's going on with you and Ginny?"
"It's going great, I just can't believe how great. For ages now I've … fanaticised about going out with Ginny. Do you remember when I had a crush on Cho? Well how I feel about Ginny … when I'm with her, I don't care about anyone else. I love her Ron."
"Yeah I kinda noticed that"
Harry looks up,
"What's wrong Ron?"
Ron sighs and walks over to Harry.
"God Harry, I'm in trouble"
"Why what have you done?"
Ron looks at Harry and says,
"I … I've fallen in love with my best friend, I didn't even realise that I did until I saw her on the evening if the Yule ball. Do you remember? That dress Harry. She's so smart and she treats me like I'm stupid but she treats me like a man …"
"Wait a minute are you talking about Hermione, our Hermione!"
"Yeah" Ron sighs and the punches his forehead, "I swear Harry, I've known her for what … 6 going on 7 years and … do you remember when Hermione was petrified, I was so scared that she would never wake up, she's always been there"
"Ron you need to tell her"
"Yeah I know but I don't know how"
"I know this sounds corny but you just have to tell her what's in your heart"
"You're right, that does sound corny" they both laugh, "But you're right, I do"
The next day when Harry and Ron wake up, they get dressed and go down to the common room where Ginny and Hermione are already awake, talking.
"Hey guys" Ginny calls as they walk down the stairs, "Happy Christmas Eve"
"Thanks, I'm starving, lets go and get some breakfast" Harry replied. As they walk into the great hall and they walk over to the Gryffindor table, Dumbledore walks towards Harry,
"Good morning" he says,
"Good morning professor" they all reply.
"What's good this morning sir?" Harry asks,
"The pancakes are to die for Harry, absolutely exquisite" Harry smiled at Dumbledore who smiled back at him. A lot had happened in the last six years. Last year was the hardest especially the end when Sirius had died. That summer Ginny, Ron and their parents and Hermione had come to stay at the orders headquarters which Sirius had left to Harry and they had all got really close. They all knew each others secrets. Harry had learnt occlumency off Dumbledore. It was hard having someone you trust break into your mind like that, but now they both knew everything about each other. They went and had breakfast, Harry and Ginny desperately trying to keep up conversation between the whole group as Ron and Hermione kept giving each other nervous glances and each was trying to decide when to tell the other. Later on, in the Gryffindor common room Harry whispers to Ginny,
"Does Hermione like anyone?"
"Why?" Ginny whispers back,
"I can't tell you, I'm sorry I want to but …"
"Is it Ron, is she who he likes?"
"Wait, did you just guess that or…"
"Don't worry I kinda had an inkling I mean come on, the way he acts around her, he's so jealous of Krum and remember the other night when she was showing us the picture of her in that gown when she went to that dentist convention with her parents, he was gob smacked"
"So does Hermione like him?"
"Well, that's an question that I probably shouldn't answer and under most circumstances I wouldn't but yes she does and I'm only telling you this because we need to get them together, they're doing each others heads in"
"Right, well how are we gonna do that?"
"Ok, how about you come into our dormitory tonight and I'll turn off the alarm to allow you through and you can tell Hermione that she can use one of the beds in your dormitory I mean they are all stripped of their bedding when they aren't here right so maybe they will start talking if we leave them alone for a bit…"
"Hey you guys what are you whispering about?" Ron calls from the other side of the room where Ron and Hermione were reading a few minutes ago.
"Nothing we're just talking about Christmas is all" Ginny responds quickly.
Later that night in the girl's dormitory. Hermione is pacing the room while Ginny is sat on her bed, inwardly laughing at Hermione's reaction to this news.
"Ok, so yeah I understand the you and Harry thing and I don't really care that you're breaking the rules by turning the alarm off but you're making me go into the boys dormitory and sleep in the same room as Ron when you know how I feel about him"
"I'm sorry about that Hermione but I really want some time alone with just Harry and besides, maybe this could be a good time to talk with Ron" she added on the end, Hermione looks up quickly,
"Wait, no never mind, if I didn't know you better I'd say that you planned this, ok I will go into the boys dormitory but if Ron doesn't start the conversation then I'm not going to"
"Fair enough as long as you give me and Harry space this evening I don't really mind just don't deny your feelings if he does say anything"
Meanwhile in the boy's dormitory, Ron is also pacing the room.
"Ok, so you're going to go and have your wicked way with Ginny, which I don't want to hear anything about, she is my little sister after all, while I have to try and sleep while Hermione is that close to me"
"Or you could tell her how you feel, it might be a start"
"Yeah I thought you might say that but what if it comes to the moment when I should tell her but I can't what if I just can't?"
"You will, I know you will, I know you'll be able to tell her and Ron please, please, please try and tell her tonight"
"I'll try, I really want to tell her"
"Ok, well I'm going now, so good night and … good luck"
With this Harry walks out of the dormitory and walks to the girls dormitory, he knocks on the door and hears Ginny shout out,
"Come in" he walks into the room and smiles at Ginny and then turns to Hermione,
"Hey, sorry about you know making you move out for the night"
"That's ok, just don't do it often" she grins widely at Harry and he grins back, Hermione walks over to Ginny and gives her a hug while whispering in her ear
"So no sex without safe sex"
"Thanks" Ginny says out loud. They grin at each other and Hermione grabs her blankets and walks out of the door.
"Ok, so now its up to them"
Hermione knocks on the door and hears Ron say come in. She takes a deep breath and enters the room.
"Hey Ron"
"Hey Hermione"
There is an awkward pause while Hermione looks around the room, she looks directly at Ron and he seems to be at a loss for words so she starts the conversation,
"Ok, so we need to talk"
"Yeah," his tongue was finally freed, "We do and Hermione I'm gonna talk first"
"Ok"
"Right, ok, so you remember that day when the Yule ball was over and we had that argument about people asking people to the Ball, well you were right, I did want to ask you only I didn't realise until I saw you with Krum and I got so jealous and I didn't realise that it was jealousy because I loved you or…"
"You love me?"
"Hermione, I always have only I only just realise what that actually means, and now I know exactly what I need to do"
With this he walks straight over to Hermione and puts his hand on her cheek, he looks straight in her eyes and looks for some kind of signal that she didn't feel the same way. All he saw was the same feelings he had mirrored in her eyes. He leaned towards Hermione and hesitated slightly before finally kissing the person he loved. When he eventually pulled away from her he felt like he had done what he had been waiting to do his whole life to do. Hermione opens her eyes and looks into Ron's eyes as he looks back. She lifts her hand and pushes the stray bit of hair back into place and although Ron can't see it he knows that she's smiling inside.
"I can't believe I waited so long to do that"
"Neither can I" Hermione responds, "It felt so right, didn't it?"
Ron simply smiles in response and leans forward and kisses her again. They spend the night talking about how and when they started having the feelings for each other and obviously making out … a lot.
The next morning Harry and Ginny cautiously step out of the girls dormitory after a fantastic night together and walk down to the common room.
"Well at least one of them didn't end up on the sofa" Harry whispers to Ginny,
"Maybe they worked it out?"
"Did you hear that Hermione? Maybe they worked it out, I wonder how they both knew we had something to work out?"
Ron and Hermione appear on the boys dormitory stairs holding hands walking into the common room.
"Err, hi guys, how are you, erm sleep well?" Ginny ventured,
"Probably better than you two did right Harry" Ron winked at Harry and they both earned an elbow in the ribs.
