A/N: No. Ginny was not sad that she wasn't pregnant. She was so relieved she cried. Here's chapter eleven.
Chapter 11
Christmas Promise
"Harry? Are you all right?" Ginny asked him worriedly. They were sitting in the common room. Ginny had just gotten out of the hospital wing that day.
"I'm still just a little freaked out is all." Harry said, popping his knuckles.
"By the whole pregnancy scare?" She asked in a barely audible whisper.
"Yeah." He said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
"Hey, love, it's okay. I'm not." She said, laying a hand on his arm.
"Then why did you miss your comma?"
"Period?"
"Yeah that."
"How do you get comma and period confused?" Ginny asked incredulously.
"Well, I knew it was some kind of punctuation." Harry said, shrugging. Ginny giggled and pecked him on the cheek.
"Sometimes, especially when we're on birth control, girls skip their periods. Doesn't happen often, but it can. So it's not completely unnatural." Ginny said. Harry nodded.
"Good. I'm not that worried then." He said, heaving a great sigh. Ginny shoved him playfully just as Hermione and Ron walked in.
"Ginny!" Hermione cried, running forward. She enveloped Ginny in a huge hug and stepped back so Ron could hug her.
"You're already out?" Ron asked his little sister.
"Already? It's been three weeks." Ginny said, giggling.
"Ah, well, still." Ron said, sinking down in a chair.
"Ginny, did you see? Hogsmeade weekend this weekend! You up for it? I could really use your advice on the bridesmaids dresses." Hermione begged.
"Oh, absolutely! I saw some the other day you'd die for!" Ginny said. Harry and Ron looked at each other. Ron acted like he was tying a noose around his neck and hanging himself, while Harry put his finger to his head and acted like he was shooting himself. Hermione and Ginny both swatted their men.
"Really!" Hermione snapped.
"You guys are so childish!" Ginny huffed. She and Hermione hurried off to a different table and Hermione spread papers out over it. Harry caught Ginny's eye. He could tell she was trying not to smile. He just laughed and shook his head.
"So, d'you want to stay here this weekend, then?" Ron asked Harry.
"Ron, you know as well as I do Hermione will kill you if you don't come, and I don't particularly want to sit in the common room by myself, so yes, we have to go and no, we can't stay here this weekend." Harry said off the top of his head. Ron sighed.
"You're right. Damn. As long as I don't try on shoes again, I'm good."
"I can't believe I'm trying on shoes again." Ron said to Harry as Hermione went to find another pair since the ones he had on didn't fit right. It was the weekend and they were in Hogsmeade for the day. Hermione, as Harry had predicted, insisted that they come along and Ron had been forced to try on shoes after all.
"Oh, come on Ron, isn't this fun?" Harry said sarcastically. Ron grimaced at him. Just then Ginny popped up at Harry's side.
"Your turn." She said cheerfully, holding up a pair of shiny black shoes. Ron went into a howling fit of laughter at the look on Harry's face.
"Why me?" Harry demanded. Ginny frowned.
"You're the best man. You have to have new shoes and black dress robes. Hermione's decided the wedding will be totally black and white and that includes what the people in it wear." Ginny said, shoving Harry in a chair.
Ron was hanging onto the wall, trying to stay on his feet he was laughing so hard. Harry threw him a dirty look, and then began to try on the shoes. Neither Ginny nor Hermione were satisfied with Harry's shoes until he'd tried on the fifth pair.
"Now! I like these and they're comfortable, but they look nice. I'm buying them." Harry declared before they could utter a sound. Hermione looked at the box, then hurried off to get the same shoe in Ron's size.
"Good choice, love." Ginny said, beaming at him. He smiled back and slid the shoes back in the box.
"Good, let's go!" Ron said when he caught sight of Hermione hurrying towards them with a box of the same shoes.
"No, Ron! You have to try them on!" Hermione cried. Ron pointed at the shoes, then his feet. They zoomed forward and put themselves perfectly into place. Ron pointed at the shoebox again and they untied and zoomed back into the box.
"Oh that was so lazy!" Hermione scolded, hurling the box of shoes at her husband. He caught them, laughing. Ron and Harry paid for their shoes and the girls pulled them away to get their dress robes.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Harry said, stopping. Ginny fell behind since she was arm in arm with Harry and called to Hermione. She looked around, rolled her eyes and hurried back to them, Ron following her. "Is it just me, or is it silly to be getting our robes before Christmas for a wedding that's next summer?"
"I second that!" Ron shouted.
"Well, you'll have them this way." Hermione reasoned.
"Yes, but we do a thing that's called growing, while robes stay the same length." Harry pointed out.
"You don't have to be a smart-aleck." Ginny said, pinching Harry's arm.
"Ow…" Harry mumbled, rubbing his arm.
"Mione, they do have a point. Perhaps we should get the dress robes sometime in April or May." Ginny suggested. Hermione sighed.
"Oh all right, but I still want to look." She said. She seized Ron's arm and hurried through the crowd.
"MAKE WAY FOR BRIDEZILLA! BRIDEZILLA COMING THROUGH!" They heard two identical voices yell. The crowd laughed at Fred and George Weasley, who were walking in front of Hermione and Ron, pushing people playfully out of the way. Ginny started giggling uncontrollably and Harry was pretty amused himself.
Hermione slapped both the boys in the back of the head. They pretended to be shocked and upset, and then ran stupidly off to their shop. Hermione giggled despite herself. Ron looked like he would love nothing better than to sink into the ground right where he stood. Harry and Ginny made their way over to their friends and they all ducked inside a robes shop, much like Madame Malkin's.
"Well, that was a very good day! We accomplished a lot!" Hermione said proudly as they staggered through the portrait hole. Hermione had insisted on getting wedding invitations, a guest book for people to sign, not to mention brand new quills for each and every guest to sign the guest book with, about three pairs of shoes for her and Ginny each. ("I just couldn't decide which pair to get so I got them all!")
Oh, and the numerous tapes that had different songs on them because Hermione wanted to decide what to play at the wedding. She and Ginny ran up to Ginny's room to unload everything. Ron and Harry looked at each other, sighed, and took their shoes and ties up to their room. ("You can't grow out of a tie!" Hermione had insisted.)
"So what did you get Mione for Christmas?" Harry asked as he and Ron sat playing wizards chess. The common room was fairly empty because of the Christmas Holidays with the exception of about three first years, a couple fifth years and one third year. Ginny and Hermione were upstairs in Ginny's room, yet again looking at wedding stuff.
"Oh, you know, this and that." Ron said uncomfortably as Harry's bishop pummeled his knight.
"You haven't gotten anything." Harry said, watching his bishop approach the queen.
"Bloody hell. No I haven't. You happy? What'd you get Ginny?"
"I got her a ring that has an emerald stone in it with matching earrings and necklace. Along with some of that famous chocolate from that place near Honeydukes, a stuffed, floppy dog and a Quidditch book." Harry replied promptly. Ron sighed and tossed his broken pieces into the tray with his other broken pieces.
"I have no clue what to get Hermione." Ron said hopelessly.
"Ask Ginny." Harry suggested.
"What did you get her?"
"Who?"
"Mione!"
"Oh! A homework planner. You tell it what to write, and the ink comes up on the page. Pretty cool actually." Harry said absentmindedly as he tried to save his queen. "What'd you get Ginny? Castle to E3!" Harry told his chess piece. It moved obediently.
"Poster of the Weird Sisters and stuff like that." Ron said offhandedly as he in turn tried to save his own queen. "But I just can't figure out what to give my own fiancée." He said angrily.
"Just ask Ginny." Harry said, poking his chessman to make sure it was still alive. It swiped at him with it's sword and Harry left it alone.
"I can't! She'll make fun of me so bad and she'll tell Mione I haven't gotten her anything yet." Ron said, whining.
"Ron, shut up. I'll ask Ginny and then tell you. How's that?" Harry suggested. Ron nodded.
"All right. Well, I'm off to bed." He stood up and his chess pieces froze. He went to the staircase and called Hermione.
"What is it?" She asked.
"I'm going to sleep." He yelled.
"Oh." Hermione came trotting down the stairs and gave Ron a big kiss goodnight, then she hurried back upstairs. Ron looked at Harry, dumbfounded, then went on up to the dormitory. Harry cleaned up the chessboard, restored the pieces and put them in little pouches, then carried it all upstairs.
"Love? What should Ron get Hermione for Christmas?" Harry asked Ginny the next day. They were walking out by the lake, hand in hand. Ginny thought a moment.
"You mean he hasn't gotten her anything?" She inquired.
"No. But don't tell him I told you that and don't tell her." Harry said, pulling her closer as they walked. She smiled and squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"Have you gotten me anything?" She asked, running her nails up his arm. He smiled.
"Mmm-hmm." He mumbled.
"What?" She asked, stopping and turning him towards her.
"I can't tell you!" He said in mock outrage. She giggled and kissed him softly. "But what should Ron get Hermione?" Harry asked after their kiss.
"Hmm…ooh, she's been eyeing this planner. You tell it what to write and the ink shows up." Ginny suggested. Harry's face fell.
"I got her that." He said hollowly. She frowned.
"Hmm, okay. What does she want more than anything…?" Ginny thought.
"Her own library." Harry suggested playfully. Ginny giggled.
"That, but there was something else—"
"HARRY! HARRY, I'VE GOT IT!" Ron shouted, running towards them. He spotted Ginny behind Harry and tucked something into his robes.
"What've you got, Ron?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Nothing. Go away." He said.
"No, I'm talking to Harry." She said, linking her arm in Harry's.
"Just for a minute, please?" Ron said. He was practically hopping up and down. He actually looked like he really had to pee. Ginny sighed and marched off.
"What's up, mate?" Harry asked.
"Look at this!" He said, pulling out two pieces of paper from his robes. "Two coupons for Ginny and Hermione to go to the spa all day the day before the wedding. I decided to get Ginny one too so Hermione wouldn't be alone." Ron said, looking immensely proud of himself.
"And that's it. You got her a coupon." Harry said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, she'll love it!"
"Yeah, cause she loves you and doesn't want to hurt your feelings. You can't just give her a coupon! You have to get her something else too." Harry said.
"Yeah, like everyone knows that." Ron said, stuffing the coupons back in his robes angrily.
"Look, Ginny was about to tell me what you should get her. So go away and I'll get it out of Ginny." Harry said, turning Ron around and pushing him back towards the castle. Ron walked away and was in the castle by the time Ginny popped up beside Harry again.
"Hey love. I've been thinking about what Ron should get Hermione and I've decided something perfect! We have like, a million pictures of those two and us. We could just make an album or something and give it to Hermione. She'll be totally overwhelmed. That's the perfect gift for her." Ginny said, looking relieved she'd thought of something. Harry kissed her hard.
"You're brilliant!" He said. He seized her hand and pulled her all the way back to the common room where Ron was staring thoughtfully into the flames. Harry threw his coat and scarf on a chair with Ginny's coat and scarf.
"Well, you look like you've happened on a bright idea." Ron said, looking amused.
"Yeah! Look, Ginny had the idea we could make Hermione a picture album, you know, with pictures of you guys and us and everybody. She'd love it!" Harry said in a rush.
"Who'd love what?" Hermione asked, coming down the stairs. All three of them whipped around.
"Nothing!" They all said quickly. She raised an eyebrow and stared at them.
"I have to go find something in my room. Ron, help me." Harry said, rushing past Hermione. Ron kissed Hermione quickly on the cheek, then followed Harry. Hermione was left staring at Ginny, who smiled sheepishly and held up a bag of Gobstones.
"Fancy a game?"
Meanwhile…
"Okay, I know we have pictures of you guys. The question is, where are they." Harry said, standing at the foot of his bed while Ron did the same. "I have an idea!" Harry said, rushing over to his night table. He scribbled out a note.
Mrs. Weasley,
Could you send us lots of family pictures as fast as you can? And maybe a few with me and Hermione there as well? We're making up a photo album to give Hermione for Christmas from Ron. Thanks! You're the best.
Love from,
Harry
"Come to the Owlery with me." Harry said, running from the room and leaping down the staircase. Ron hurried after him and in no time they were bursting into the Owlery. "Hedwig!" Harry called. The snowy owl fluttered down onto his arm and stuck out a leg. He tied the parchment securely to it, stroked her affectionately, and then watched her soar out into the sky.
"What was that?" Ron demanded.
"I sent a letter to your mum asking for pictures." Harry explained.
"Are you mad! D'you have any idea what she may end up sending!" He cried.
"Well, we'll just sort through them really good." Harry said as they made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower. When they entered their dorm to find pictures, they found Ginny sitting proudly on Harry's bed.
"Look!" She said, holding out a stack of photos. "I got 'em from Mione." She said, giggling.
"How?"
"I just said I wanted copies. She didn't even think twice." Ginny said.
For the next week they worked on Hermione's photo album. They magically enlarged it so that over two hundred pictures fit easily in it. Mrs. Weasley had done marvelously and sent as many family photos as she could and also some with Harry and Hermione, just like he'd asked. The day before Christmas they'd completed it and it looked fantastic.
It started out with pictures of Hermione, Harry and Ron, then somehow Ginny got thrown in and it was the four of them (a lot) and then it showed pictures of Ron's family, Harry and Hermione, tons of just Ron and Hermione, a few of Harry and Ginny, some of Ginny and Hermione, quite a bit of Harry and Ron, and even one where Ron was holding Crookshanks.
That night the guys convinced the girls to sleep in their dormitory. "It's not like any teachers are going to bother coming in here on Christmas!" Ron had said. They finally agreed as long as Ginny got Harry's bed and Hermione got Ron's bed. They agreed. Harry turned down the covers in Colin's bed (which had used to be Seamus's) and Ron took some boy's bed that he didn't even know, but it had used to be Dean's.
They all four stayed up rather late, drinking butterbeer and egg nogg and only headed for bed when Hermione almost fell over and hit her head on the nightstand. They all settled down into the warm beds and Harry waited until he could hear Ron's snores before he crept out of bed and headed over to Ginny. She was waiting for him and had scooted over. Harry saw that Hermione was already with Ron.
He sunk down under the warm blankets and pulled Ginny closely to him, her back curled into his chest. He moved her hair from her face and kissed her cheek softly, then draped his arm over her waist and fell asleep.
The next morning Harry woke up to someone tickling him ferociously.
"Ah! Ow! Stop it!" He said. He put on his glasses to find the perpetrator and found her, huddled in the corner of the bed, trying to hide from him under a blanket. The hangings were shut. He didn't remember shutting them. He went forward and tacked Ginny. She shrieked and laughed as Harry straddled her and tickled her mercilessly. He pulled the blanket away and saw her face was flushed and her hair was a mess.
Harry still thought she was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen.
"Hey, let's open the presents." She said. He just noticed the pile that looked like it had been doubled at the foot of his bed. "Mine are in there too so we'll have to separate them." She said, kissing him on the tip of the nose. He chuckled and moved forward with her. She started going through the presents and tossing him his. Harry suddenly noticed how quiet it was, even though he and Ginny had been rather loud.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" He inquired.
"Oh, they took their presents to her room to have privacy." Ginny said, shaking a present cautiously.
"What about the spell? The one that turns the stairs into a ramp?" Harry asked.
"Oh, Hermione is so advanced she can disable that when she wants to, but she just chooses to levitate Ron up there. She says it's more fun." Ginny said, giggling slightly. They went through their pile of presents until there was none left.
"Okay, now I have to get yours." Harry said, moving the hangings and going to his bedside cabinet. He pulled them out (they were wrapped…badly) and tossed them on the bed, pulled the hangings shut, and faced Ginny.
"Which one first?" She asked, her face shining.
"Umm…this one." He said, holding out a large, rather soft and squishy present. She ripped off the paper and squeaked in delight. It was a stuffed black dog with green eyes. She hugged it to her chest.
"Thanks Harry!" She said happily.
"Hermione helped me pick that out. She said that one reminded her of me so I should get it for you." Harry said. "I didn't want you to think I'm being conceited or anything." Ginny laughed. She opened her chocolates and her book and Harry finally was ready to give her the present he'd been dying to give her since he got it.
"Close your eyes." He said. She grinned and shut them tightly. "No peeking." He said as he pulled out a large, flat, square box. He opened the lid. "Open." He said. She looked into the box and gasped.
"Oh, Harry!" She breathed, touching the glittering emerald circled with diamonds on a long white-gold chain. "That's unbelievable!" She said, still gazing at it.
"You like it?" He asked worriedly.
"Do I like it?" She repeated. "Harry, you can't give me this! I couldn't get you anything near as good." She said, looking down.
"Oh Ginny, hush. I wanted to get you this and I'm not done yet." He set the open necklace box in between them and took out another one. He opened it and she gasped again. Sitting neatly in this box were a pair of earrings exactly like the necklace. She touched them like they were made of glass. Harry put that box down next to the necklace box and took out the final one.
"Now, Ginny, come here." He said, walking to the middle of the room, holding her hand and clutching the box in his other hand.
"Harry?" She said slowly and uncertainly.
"Don't worry, this isn't a wedding ring." He said. She giggled. "This," He said, taking it out of the box, (Ginny gaped at the ring), "is a promise ring. I hope that you take it, as a promise that one day we will be engaged." Harry said, slipping it on her left hand ring finger. She gazed at it, then up at Harry, then back at the ring.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: What will Ginny say? O.o just press that review button and you may soon find out! YAY! Oh, and sorry if this chapter kind of seems to rush a lot. I didn't even realize that until I re-read it. So if it sux, sorry, I kind of had writer's block while I wrote it. LOL.