Disclaimer: I changed my mind on giving up on these – I've decided I'm just going to it in different languages from now on. So, yo no soy due–a de Harry Potter o lo que tiene relaci—n a Harry Potter – todos los derechos de Harry Potter son de J.K. Rowling y los Hermanos Warner, entonces ser'a imposible para decir que yo tengo derechos.
Author's Note: Okay, it's been AGES. I knowÉ ::hides from assortment of things being thrown:: This was an abnormally long pause, but I swear I'll try to update more frequently now. I'm busy with school and rehearsals and things, but from now on I'll make a general promise to have a new chapter up every other week until I'm done, k? Oh, additional author's note – if you find this chapter boring I'm sorry, because frankly I do too! It's just that I had to cover a lot of time so that the plot can actually progress.
Review Responses:
Hp-girl4eva – Oh, ok. So glad you like it! And you're very clever to pick up on the Ginny/Draco business, actuallyÉ let's just say it's not over till it's over. Thanks for the review!
Carmel March -Yay that you think it's awesome! Here's chapter 12!
bLuECoW219 – Woo, happy dancing is always fun! Thank you! Yeah, I've been noticing that about the dialogue – I haven't exactly been trying to make it distinctly British, but I've been working to make it sound not totally Americanized, which is hard since I'm American! But I'm glad you think it doesn't distract or anything, so I'm glad you like it!
The-insufferable-know-it-all – Yay, glad you think so!
MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus – Awesome, glad you loved it! Haha about the "every girls dream" part – now if only we could all get things like this to happen in the real world!
Shiseidox – Thanks!
Sugarhighloon – Here's chapter 12!
Raiining – Thanks! Haha, I wrote the line (of dialogue) and then I was likeÉ ok, how do I describe that and then the word came to me and I was like "ahh that's so not Harry but I love it, haha." So I'm glad you liked it!
Lizzie5555555 – Awesome, good that you thought it was cute!
Despite having gone to bed around, oh, two in the morning, by some miracle I still woke up at seven. By seven fifteen I'd finished a mug of highly caffeinated tea, but I was awake. And I'd woken up in a very nice way – there was something about knowing that not only was it Christmas but also that Harry was my boyfriend that put a smile on my face instantly when my eyes first opened in the morning.
By seven forty-five (which felt like an eternity after I'd woken up) the whole family was awake and we were ready to commence with the gift giving. Since giving Harry's gift was over and done, I wasn't really that concerned about how the rest of them would go over – it was my family and Hermione, and I was reasonably sure that they would like them all. Three hours later – this being a dual blessing and curse of having a gigantic family, everything takes twice as long – all was said and done, we were all happy, and I turned out to have been right about the gifts.
It wasn't until halfway through breakfast that people (other than Hermione, who is naturally perceptive and in any case facilitated half of our entire relationship's beginning) began to notice something between Harry and I. Shockingly, actually, it was Ron. Granted, Ron was the first person to begin the insinuations that we should be together, but as my brother is the king of being unperceptive, I assumed he would be the last to know anything if it wasn't directly told to him. He, however, was the only one to notice that Harry hadn't given me anything that morning and I hadn't given him anything either. I was rather impressed, actually.
The day went uneventfully, with a lot of lounging in the house and general enjoyment of the holiday. Harry and I did have a good moment (well, hour and a half) to ourselves in the living room when more or less everyone else was napping, however. Probably the most exciting part of the day was watching Fred and George attempt to eat their weight in Christmas dinner, a testament to a very relaxed, laidback day.
Entirely too soon, another week went by and Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had to head back to Hogwarts while the rest of the family slowly left the house to go back to their respective daily lives.
At school, things fell back into a regular pattern of class, homework, tests, stress, and wedging in life somewhere in the mix until mid January, when an upcoming Hogsmeade weekend provided a temporary distraction from the increasing amounts of work we fifth years were being given.
Very late (or very early, depending on how you want to see it), I was up in the common room struggling to finish off the last foot of a required potions essay when I heard footsteps behind me. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be unusual at all, but at around one thirty in the morning it was considerably stranger. Naturally, then, when I felt somebody's hands on my shoulders I jumped about a foot out of my chair. To my utmost relief, I turned to see Harry standing there, clearly very amused at my shock.
"What on earth are you doing up so late?" He asked, as I stifled a yawn.
"You see, Professor Snape decided to give us the brilliant opportunity to enrich our knowledge of four extremely rare and obscure potions through analytical essay writing, so I'm staying up to maximize the opportunity I've been given." The sarcasm in my voice would've made any Slytherin proud, and Harry laughed softly.
"Well take a break for a minute and come sit with me," he asked, taking me by the hands and leading me towards a sofa. This was a request with which I was more than happy to comply, and so I followed obligingly, settling myself comfortably next to Harry, his arms wrapped around me.
"So, you know that this weekend is the next Hogsmeade weekend," he began slowly, almost as if he were teasing me.
"Nope, wasn't aware," I replied dreamily.
"Oh. Well now that you are, I don't suppose you'd like to go with me?
"You mean like a first official date?
"We could call it that if you want." Once Harry'd said this my inner self was jumping up and down screaming in girlish glee, but I managed to contain myself and just smile widely.
"I think I might like that," I answered him with as much casual dignity as I could manage.
"Brilliant," he replied softly, turning my face toward his and kissing me. After only a tiny bit of snogging, Harry went back to bed and I applied myself to my essay, the thought of Harry and the coming weekend keeping me motivated for another half hour, before I promptly passed out asleep on the same couch.
