AN: Happy Christmas Eve Eve! I hope you're all having a lovely break. Work was dead today, so here's a crazy long chapter compared to my usual chapter length. It's heartbreaking and just what you need at Christmas! Enjoy!

Hermione and Ron go to the Christmas Eve Dinner and she gets to meet the rest of his family. Later, at the Burrow, she realises just who needed Christmas Cheer, though it comes with a high cost.

Hermione found herself awake quite early the next morning. Although that wasn't unusual in itself - she was an early to bed, early to rise type of person which fitted nicely into her routine at the school – but she had laid in bed for hours last night, contemplating her situation; frustrated that she hadn't made any progress in finding Christmas Cheer for someone and confused about her growing feelings for Ron. How could she let herself get into this situation? She barely knew him; she'd only been in this time for just a little over a day. Yet she'd spent every one of those hours in his presence, drinking in his electric personality and growing to really like him.

She tried to push the thoughts out of her head; it was Christmas Eve and the day of the big charity dinner. Normally she'd wake early, taking a post-breakfast walk in the brusque Scottish air. After lunch, she'd curl up in front of the fire in the staffroom and read a book or join her colleagues in a few Christmas games. The faculty would exchange gifts after the Christmas Eve feast and sometimes, she even allowed herself a glass or two of mulled mead – it was Christmas after all.

Despite how tired she felt, Hermione was still excited; mostly for the opportunity to meet the rest of Ron's family and friends. The small glimpses into this side of his life had intrigued her; he had already explained his family was large and growing by the day and she was keen to see just how big it really was.

She pushed herself out of bed, deciding to get in the shower first. As she washed, she marvelled at how easily she was adjusting to life in 2008; how nice it had felt last night sat on the sofa, eating convenience food, and watching TV. Even the shower itself was a luxury. In her time if she wanted to wash with hot water, she'd have to pump the water and boil it over a fire first. She usually just relied on a cleaning charm, but she never felt fully clean, like there was a layer of grime still stuck to her skin that would never be removed.

Once showered, she dressed in a pair of jeans and the Christmas jumper that Ginny had laid out for her yesterday. She let her curls dry naturally; refusing to use the hairdryer her new friend had shown her. It made an awful noise and left her head buzzing and unnaturally warm. Drying charms left her hair frizzy, so she usually just let nature do her thing.

Ron's bedroom door was still shut tightly as she passed it, so she decided to head downstairs and check on the puddings. By the time all five them had been wrapped nicely and stowed away in a small bag she'd found under the stairs, Ron had joined her; his sullen mood replaced with something a little more chipper.

"G'morning…" He'd appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, his hair still ruffled with sleep and a groggy look on his face. Disappointingly, or so for Hermione, he'd remembered to get dressed this morning.

"Good morning sunshine. I was about to start making breakfast, but…" She stared at the fridge, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I forgot how to use the stove. I wanted eggs…"

"Well, let me help…" Ron pushed her gently away from the fridge and scooped up the carton of eggs. "Go sit down, I'll talk you through it then tomorrow morning you can cook!"

Hermione perched on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island, resting her head in her hand as she watched him move around the kitchen. She was glad he was feeling happier, but she was still eager to work out what was going on with him. However, it wasn't the time or place to push it.

With breakfast eaten and tidied away, they were soon at the front door, wrapping themselves up against the elements. Ron finished knotting his red and gold scarf around his neck before turning to Hermione. "Are you ready to go?" He held out his hand to her.

Hermione double-checked she had all the desserts before nodding and taking his hand with a firm grip. She felt him squeeze her hand and her stomach leapt happily as he apparated them to a small barn on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole.

Ron was always in awe of his parents' skills of taking something run down and ugly looking and turning it into something beautiful. The barn had always existed, just on the outskirts of the small village, sitting below Stoat's Hill but had never belonged to anyone. So eventually his parents had adopted it and ever since the magical community had used it for parties and other occasions. Over the last few days, it had been transformed into a Christmas grotto and everyone had mucked in; helping to sweep the floor, to magically patch the holes in the ceiling, just in case it rained or snowed, and to decorate.

He kept hold of Hermione's hand as they hurried towards the warm glow. The sky was grey and it was threatening to snow again. He pulled her into the barn and grinned at her reaction. For the first time this year, the explosion of decorations and the festive feel in the barn didn't even bother him. In fact, it made him feel even happier and he wondered if he was getting his love for Christmas back.

Luckily, everyone was too busy with their own tasks to notice the curly brown-haired witch attached to Ron's arm, staring around the barn in amazement. Of course, they had Christmas decorations in her time but parties like this were rare. Headmistress Mole preferred to keep things modest, focussing instead on ensuring the feasts were plentiful. The barn on the other hand was a fantastic mismatch of colours and glitter. It was clear the wizarding families had donated all their old decorations - nothing matched, yet everything looked exactly where it belonged.

Ron led Hermione through the maze of tables, cheerfully greeting everyone they passed.

"I'll introduce you to everyone properly later, but there's an important person you need to meet first." He stopped outside an annexe that had been attached in a disjointed way to one of the side doors and was currently acting as a kitchen. "But before you get attacked, there's a disclaimer. Mum is… well, she's just mum. She's enthusiastic, she loves it when I bring friends over and by the end of the day, I'm pretty sure she will have tried to adopt you. But she means well and she has a good heart!"

Hermione didn't even get a chance to register what Ron was telling her, let alone react. A short, slightly plump, and kindly-looking woman was barrelling towards them, her arms open wide. She had the same flaming fiery-red hair as Ron, so Hermione took an educated guess that this was the aforementioned 'Mum'.

"Oh, Hermione – it's so lovely to finally meet you!" Without even waiting for permission, the Weasley matriarch threw her arms around Hermione, holding her as if she was a long-lost friend. Hermione stood rigid in her arms for a second, she definitely wasn't used to being treated so familiarly by a stranger, but Molly's embrace was gentle and motherly and Hermione had no choice but to relax into it.

"Ginny's been talking to you then…" Ron rolled his eyes, though he watched his mum embrace Hermione with a warm smile.

His family were the worst at keeping secrets, not that she was a secret of course. He would have just preferred to have had a chance to introduce her properly, he was the one who knew her the best and he hated to think of the extra information his sister might have fed to their mother.

"Of course she has dear, she was excited!" Molly pulled away from the hug to regard Hermione closely. "I hear you've made us the puddings?"

"Yes, of course, they're in my bag…" Hermione smiled back warmly.

"Brilliant, come with me then my love…"

Ron watched as Hermione was steered away from him and into the kitchen. "Hi mum, I didn't want a hug or anything…"

He started to roll his eyes again, but he was stopped by the backwards glance Hermione threw him. It said everything to him; being accepted so readily into the Weasley fold had pleased her greatly and he couldn't help but give her a lopsided smile in return. He watched until she'd completely disappeared before turning back to the barn, casting his eye over the room for Harry. He might as well put himself to use while he was here.

The dinner seemed to be an absolute success. The hosts easily switched roles from chefs and decorators to waiters, serving course after course to the magical folk who needed it the most. The magic of partaking in something good warmed Hermione's body from tip to toe and she felt like she was walking on clouds. She'd never experienced anything like this before in her short life; although teaching made her happy, this was another level.

For most of the afternoon, she had been kept apart from Ron with different tasks, despite her best effort to work her way back to him. She had been kept placated however by the exchanged glances and shared smiles. Once dinner had been served, a disco started up in the corner of the room under the massive tree; the dancing led by an enthusiastic looking half-giant. The music, however, was strange to Hermione; she felt the thrumming beats deep within her, reverberating around her head. She stopped what she was doing, watching the enthusiastic dancing with keen interest. Most of the participants looked like they were having a fit.

She was so distracted that she didn't notice Ginny appear at her side.

"Hey! Can you help me clear these tables?" Hermione turned her head to see the petite ginger's friendly face.

"Oh yes sure. Sorry, I was just watching the disco. What a strange thing to do…"

Ginny laughed. "You'll get used to it…" She led Hermione over to the table she'd been tidying. They worked in silence for a while before Hermione spoke up again.

"So last night, Ron made me watch A Muppets Christmas Carol…"

Ginny giggled. "Didn't take him long to whip that out. One year he made me watch it five times in a row!" She collected up the cutlery, looking thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "I didn't think he'd be able to watch it this year…"

"Well, that's the thing. He got a bit, well… upset… which was a bit odd considering the film. And when I tried to find out what was wrong, he mentioned someone called Lavender, but then clammed up…"

"Yeah well, that's not surprising!" Ginny stopped what she was doing to look at Hermione. "She dumped him. Actually, it would have been a year ago yesterday. They'd been together for nine years and although he never said anything, I'm pretty sure he was going to propose to her over Christmas. He woke up one morning and she was gone; all of her things were missing and she'd left a note apologising and explaining that she had met someone else."

Hermione gasped in surprise. "No wonder he's not keen on Christmas."

"The sad thing is he used to really enjoy it. We knew this year would be hard on him, but I didn't realise how much he'd almost shut himself off completely from it all until Harry told me. I was surprised to see him here today, but I think you had something to do with that…" Ginny gave Hermione a warm smile.

Hermione considered Ginny's words carefully before letting the smile erupt on her face. Maybe she was unintentionally helping someone get their Christmas Cheer. If that was true, she was glad it was Ron – he was the one who needed it the most.

She didn't manage to make it back to him until the end of the party when she spotted him leaning against one of the wooden walls near the entrance, wishing the partygoers a Merry Christmas as they left. She sidled up to him and was pleased when his attention turned straight towards her.

"Have you had a good day?"

"The best! Thank you for inviting me to come!" Hermione gave him a warm smile.

"Good! It's not over yet. Mum asked me to invite you to the Carol service and then back to the Burrow for the buffet. She also asked me to tell you that she would not accept no as an answer. That goes for both of us…" He checked the time on his watch. "Actually, we better make a move if we want to make the service…"

"That would be brilliant! Of course, I want to come. Are you going to apparate us?"

"Nah, it's only up the road. We can walk there easily if you're up for it?"

"That's fine. I usually go for a walk on Christmas Eve anyway, I was missing it…"

"Perfect! Come on then…"

The pair wrapped themselves back up before heading up the lane in comfortable silence. As they walked, Hermione considered broaching the subject of Lavender with Ron but he wasn't lying when he said the walk to the church was short. Soon the cutest looking village church came into view. Crowds of people gathered around the kissing gate at the front of the grounds, despite the thickly falling snow.

"This village is beautiful…" Hermione smiled as they joined the rest of the family.

"It is, isn't it? It's both magical and muggle. Did you ever come and visit Devon in your time?"

"No… travel wasn't really a thing unless you had a reason to go somewhere. We holidayed, but usually just at a local seaside…"

"Well if you end up staying around, I'll have to show you the sights. It's a beautiful part of the world…"

Although Ron was talking to Hermione, she noticed his attention was being pulled elsewhere. She followed his line of sight; he seemed to be watching a woman snake her way through the crowds towards them, pulling behind her a surly-looking man. By the expression on Ron's face, which had suddenly turned pale and frowny, she was about to meet Lavender. In a split decision, Hermione took hold of his hand tightly and shifted closer, leaning all of her weight against him in a look she hoped was romantic.

"Won-Won!" A high-pitched squeal pierced through the waiting crowd and Ron blushed bright red as the people around them stopped and stared. Now that she was closer, Hermione could see that Lavender was pale, with extremely long blond curls, although neither the colour nor form of her hair looked natural. Her slim frame was accentuated by a pink robe which had been lined with fur. She was wearing knee-high boots on, which had been pulled over an impossibly tight pair of jeans. Underneath the robe, Hermione was surprised to see that Lavender had quite a lot of her cleavage on show, which Hermione though was quite indecent, not only because they were about to head into a church, but also due to the extremely cold British weather.

"Lavender, hi…" Ron threw Hermione an appreciative glance as she tightened her grip on his hand. She noticed his jaw was clenched tightly and he was almost grimacing against the onslaught.

"It's so funny that you're here tonight. I was just saying to Simon that your family lived around here somewhere. We're looking to buy here, so that'll be nice to be close to people we know. Simon, this is Ronald. We know each other from school…"

"It's not funny that I'm here; you came here every year of the nine we dated but who's keeping track?" Ron took Simon's hand, shaking it once before quickly letting go of it as if the handshake burnt his skin. The sandy-haired man was handsome, but weary, and looked like he was thoroughly regretting his business suit as he glanced around at the Weasley's casual attire.

Lavender ignored Ron.

"And who's this?" She looked Hermione up and down, not looking impressed.

Before Ron could answer, Hermione stepped in front of him almost protectively. "I'm his girlfriend. Yeah, we've been together a while actually, haven't we Ron?" She turned quickly, pressing a firm kiss against his cheek. "Actually, I'm really glad you're here Lavender. I wanted to thank you. If you hadn't decided to abandon him last year, I wouldn't have been able to make my move. We've been together what, almost a year now?"

Thankfully, Ron was pretty bright and he picked up on Hermione's intentions pretty quickly. The scowl on his face quickly turned into a smile. "Yeah, that's about right sweetheart…" He let go of Hermione's hand and instead wrapped both arms around her, pulling her back into his body. "Ginny introduced us. Hermione works for the Harpies. We're always hanging out as a foursome, going on double dates…"

Lavender wrinkled her nose up, almost in disgust; looking unimpressed that the conversation seemed to be turning against her. She panicked, almost as if she were reaching for a retort that wouldn't come.

"Well, we better get in – we want to sit as close to the front as we can…." She turned quickly, pulling Simon with her without saying goodbye.

"Merry Christmas!" Ron waved cheerfully at their retreating backs. As soon as Lavender was out of earshot, he laughed and spun Hermione around before wrapping his arms back around her. "That was brilliant, thank you! The look on her face was absolutely priceless!"

"You're welcome!" Hermione pulled away from the hug just enough so she could look up at Ron. She suddenly realised how deep his blue eyes were; like she could fall into them easily and it took her breath away.

She was amazed to see them darken as he wet his lips before dropping his head towards hers. Her heartbeat sped up and she closed her eyes, preparing herself for the sensation. Ron was so close now; she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"Oy you two. The service is about to start…"

Hermione felt Ron spring away from her quickly as her cheeks heated up. She turned her head to the source of the disturbance to see Ginny waiting at the door of the church, a smug, knowing look on her face. She disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared and Hermione could have sworn she heard him curse under his breath.

"Come on, we better head in…" He laced his fingers with hers, anyway, keeping a tight grip on her as he pulled her towards the church. He easily located the rest of his family by the rows of ginger heads and sat down in the spare seats they'd saved for them; scowling at the amused looks his brothers were throwing their way and their whispered jokes.

Soon the service started, providing Hermione with the distraction she needed. Under his breath, Ron quickly explained to her that although her family weren't religious, his parents had started attending when they moved here after school just to become part of the community and it had quickly become a family tradition. Hermione's parents had been extremely religious, which had made their acceptance of her being magical quite difficult, so she basked in the familiarity of the readings and the psalms; some things never changed, even after over a hundred years.

Every time they stood to sing, which Hermione soon realised the family did with gusto, Lavender threw her and Ron filthy looks, giving them both a great sense of satisfaction; Lavender was obviously bothered that Ron had moved on so quickly.

The family's raucous spirit spilt over into the buffet back at Ron's childhood home. The Burrow was a peculiar but homely place; the five floors wobbled up towards the sky and was so obviously held upright by magic. Inside, it was cluttered but warm; a massive leap from the sterile feel Hermione's own family home had given.

The large family had piled inside, coats and boots abandoned all over the place as they made a beeline for the waiting buffet.

As an only child, Hermione was not used to the commotion. The children at school barely stepped a foot out of line and were drilled regularly in the importance of learning quietly, much to her chagrin. It was inevitable that eventually, she would need to take a break. Quietly, she unhooked her coat and hat from where she'd stowed it earlier and slipped outside, seemingly unseen.

Glancing around the dark garden, she spotted a small nook illuminated by a set of fairy lights. A lonely bench sat among the bushes and Hermione picked that location to gather her thoughts. The sky was clear out in the countryside and she could see all the stars; something she'd missed while they'd been in the city.

She was still no closer to working out how to get back to her own time. She let out a heavy sigh; she missed the castle and her students desperately, but she realised now that she would be sad to leave this world and its people behind. She reflected on how easily the Weasleys had made her feel part of the family. They were huge, but this meant nobody was sat on the outside and everyone was expected to get involved. Just before she left the house, half of the group had been embroiled in a passionate game of what they called Monopoly and the small children had been wrestling over a child's toy broom that barely hovered a foot off the ground.

And of course, there was Ron. Charming, complex, grumpy, handsome Ron. They had been so close to kissing earlier and Hermione's thoughts raced with how that had felt; how her heartbeat had sped up and her palms had turned clammy. Unsurprisingly, she had never kissed a man before, although she had been courting someone in her late teens. And she was about to kiss him in a churchyard no less. Usually, she was so prim and proper, especially around men but she found herself coming completely undone around him.

"Knut for your thoughts?"

Hermione jumped as she was pulled from her reflections by the very person she'd been absorbed in. She smiled and shifted over to make space for him on the bench.

"I've just been thinking about how I'm going to get home. I don't think I have a lot of time left…"

Ron sighed, his breath clouding in the winter air. He yearned to throw his arm over her shoulder, to pull her close and tell her that it would be okay; that they would sort this out but selfishly, he wasn't even sure he wanted to anymore. He kept his arms to himself for now. "It's hard, isn't it? How do you make someone have Christmas Cheer? How do you identify someone that needs it that bad?"

"I don't think Dumbledore could have been more cryptic if he'd tried…"

"That's Dumbledore all over…" Ron laughed. "So I wanted to thank you for earlier. Lavender's face was hilarious. I didn't realise it when I was with her, but she's such a cow…"

"Shame you didn't realise before; 9 years is a long time…"

"You know?" Ron frowned slightly and Hermione wondered if she said the wrong thing.

"I asked Ginny earlier…" She threw him a guilty look. "Sorry…"

"Nothing's a bloody secret in this family…" Ron rolled his eyes.

"So I know yours, let me tell you mine." Hermione summoned all her courage before starting to tell Ron something she had never told anyone else.

"When I came of age I was betrothed to one of the men in my schoolhouse. I'm muggle-born and the best way to get ahead in the magical community, during my time anyway, is to marry well. Cormac was from a highly influential wizarding family and was in the year above me. We got on well enough; we were both prefects so often found ourselves on rounds together and we courted during our visits to Hogsmeade.

"Our families agreed that our marriage would be beneficial for all of us. Despite my blood status, his parents were satisfied that he wouldn't be losing out as I was top of my class and was lined up to be Head Girl.

"Cormac was a keen Quidditch player and was lined up to play for the Chudley Cannons. During the last game of the year, he took a bludger to the head. He didn't stand a chance; all of the action was down the other side of the pitch so his fall wasn't cushioned or stopped. I didn't even see it happen; I detest the sport. He died on impact…"

Hermione focused on the garden as it faded down into the darkness beyond the Burrow boundaries.

"So that's why you decided to take a job at the castle straight out of school?"

"Without the offer of marriage, I didn't really stand a chance to make my own way for myself outside of the school. Getting a job would have been difficult, there's a limited amount of jobs witches can take on and with no income, I would have been forced to go back to my parent's house and hope I could marry a muggle man. Although I probably would have had to keep my magic quiet. I don't think I could have done that…"

"That sounds pretty awful. It's not like that here. You could stay single for the rest of your life and still be successful. Women can be what they want nowadays. Also, it would have been a loss to the world if you had to stop performing magic!"

She blushed and turned to look at Ron, smiling as they made eye contact. "I really wish you could have told me about Lavender yourself. I wouldn't have judged you…"

"It seems pretty ridiculous to get so upset about someone who treated me awfully, don't you think?"

"Not really. A broken heart is a broken heart, no matter how it was broken." Hermione shrugged. "I still think about Cormac, although it's mostly fond memories now. I'm not upset anymore…"

Ron watched his hand as he moved it in between their legs, picking up her hand from where it rested on the bench and interlocking their fingers. He smiled at the sensation of their palms pressed together. "That's good. Today, for the first time in a long while I think I genuinely felt happy." He gave her hand a tight squeeze.

She continued to watch him. "You're a good man, Ron Weasley. You deserve to be happy and to enjoy Christmas. Don't let her take that away from you…"

He couldn't respond to her, even if he wanted to. Once again he found himself being drawn to her and this time, he wasn't going to let anyone interrupt them. Before anything else could happen, he slid his spare hand to the back of her head, pushing her gently towards him before capturing her lips with his.

The kiss was soft and unassuming but it made his heart soar. For once, he wasn't thinking about why Lavender no longer wanted him or how awful he must have been to her to deserve to be treated like that. He was only focusing on how good Hermione's lips felt pressed against his.

Eventually, they had to pull away for breath. When Ron spoke, his voice was low with desire.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" He tried to look away and Hermione pushed his head back towards her, forcing him to maintain eye contact with her. His intense stare once again stole her breath away, the stunning ice blue piercing into her soul.

"No, I wanted to. When I'm with you; every sense of propriety goes straight out of the window. Although, if I were in my time, I would probably be branded a harlot for even thinking of kissing you…"

Ron burst out laughing and suddenly the magic was broken. He slid his spare hand from the back of her head and to her shoulder, drawing her closer to him. She was shivering, but he wasn't sure how much of that was because of the cold.

"Well, I am sorry for ruining your virtue at least…"

"If I get home, I'll have to hang my head in shame…" Hermione laughed too as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't want to think about that. Shall we just enjoy the time that we have?" He turned his head to look at her closely before kissing her temple. I'm going to head back inside before I turn into a snowman, are you going to join me?"

"Can I have a minute?"

She noticed Ron's concerned look and smiled. "I'm fine, I promise. I just need a moment, you left me a little breathless…"

"Okay…" Ron stole one last kiss from her before untangling his arms from around her and leaving her alone on the bench.

Hermione let out a shaky breath and wiped the tear from her cheek. The thought of being torn away from Ron now almost broke her heart. She'd only know him for a couple of days and yet she knew she was falling for him hard. She also knew that this was the first time she'd felt this way since Cormac and she needed to take things slow, especially considering the more modern rules around dating. But also she was painfully aware that time was not on her side, like an hourglass turned up the wrong way; it was slipping away from her.

Deciding on her next course of action, she slid off the picnic bench and made her way back to the house. She was going to ask Ron to take her back to Grimmauld Place so that they could talk more about what had happened and perhaps do a little more kissing too. She smile as she removed her hat, feeling relieved to be back in the warmth of the kitchen. Beyond the room, Ron wrestled with two of his eldest nephews; their fathers watching on with great delight. Somehow in the five minutes they'd been apart, a Santa hat had made its way onto his head and he seemingly wore it with pride.

She stepped through the kitchen, lingering in the doorway to catch her breath.

"Ron?" As soon as she said his name, the tingling sensation started again; this time radiating down from her head and working its way slowly down to her toes. She knew what was going to come next and desperate to fight against it, she took hold of the wooden doorframe; her knuckles turning white in her attempt to stay tethered to this era. As if knowing she didn't want to go, the pull at her stomach felt more brutal this time, mixing with the surge of conflicted feelings currently coursing through her body and forcing wave after wave of nausea to ride over her body. Ron had found his Christmas Cheer and was happy again but it had come at a high cost. She didn't want to go; she didn't want to leave all of this behind.

She tightened her grip on the battered wood, willing with all her energy for him to look up before she disappeared.

On hearing his name, he looked up from the dogpile; smiling as he saw Hermione, the light from the kitchen illuminating her. Instead of smiling back, the witch looked distressed and immediately, Ron knew something was wrong. It was almost as if she were fading away.

In one moment, every happy feeling that had been building from the moment he'd woken up yesterday and that had peaked when he kissed her earlier was disappearing right in front of him. No matter how hard he pushed his legs to move, he felt like he was treading in treacle and by the time he made it to the spot where she'd stood, she had already disappeared.

Desperate to stop her, he quickly straightened himself out from between the children, ignoring their protests as he hurried towards her. But by the time he got to her, she had disappeared completely and his heart broke all over again.