Fast-forward to Christmas Eve.
After Halloween Dumbledore's mistletoe had vanished, much to the satisfaction of all of the students within Hogwarts.
Harry and Hermione were now miraculously an item. Ginny was somehow going out with Draco Malfoy, to Ron's disgust and horror. Ron couldn't talk though, Hermione, having persuaded him that Pansy Parkinson was a lovely girl, had set them up on a date and they were now also an item.
They all convened in the Head Boy and Girl's common room in the evenings. It seemed as though the Great Hogwarts Rift between Slytherin and Gryffindor was finally at an end. They were all really good friends. Even Harry and Draco had set their differences aside.
Dumbledore had been so surprised that first time he came into the Head's common room and saw them all there together. He had almost passed out in shock, but as it happened he started to laugh and left the room laughing in such a strange manner that all those left behind looked at each other in amazement.
Harry had petitioned to Dumbledore to let the whole gang sleep in the Head's common room on Christmas Eve and to have all their presents arrive there instead of the dorms. Dumbledore had agreed and Harry had noticed he had that roguish twinkle in his eyes again. He was up to something and Harry wanted to know what it was.
"What are you planning, sir? You've got that look again, like you did when you played the mistletoe trick on Halloween." He asked delicately.
"Nothing Harry, I'm planning nothing."
"You're not the only one who can do occlumency in this office. You're lying to me."
"Fawkes can do occlumency? No one sent me the memo about it."
"Why must you be so infuriating? I know you're up to something and if any of the students get hurt because of whatever it is you're planning you will have me to deal with."
"That sounds like a threat, Harry. A rather good one."
"Oh it is. Of that I can assure you."
"You needn't worry, Harry, I wouldn't dare to hurt the students. You had better go, or you will miss supper. Oh, and Harry? Give your friends a kiss from me."
Harry related what Dumbledore had said to his friends and they were all as baffled as he had been.
They had conjured sleeping bags for themselves and were toasting marshmallows over the fireplace after supper on Christmas Eve.
"This is just like camping out, isn't it?" Hermione said looking around at her friends.
They looked at each other before Draco said:
"Wouldn't know. Never been camping."
Everyone laughed and Hermione caught the marshmallow he had thrown at her, slightly harder than he had thought.
Harry suddenly got up from his seat in front of the fire and wandered over to what he called 'his armchair'. Hermione noticed and followed. She settled herself on his lap and they snuggled there watching Ron and Ginny squabbling while Pansy and Draco laughed at them.
Suddenly Hermione sat bolt upright gasping loudly.
"Harry, stop tickling her!" Ginny admonished.
"I'm not!"
"What's up Mione?" Pansy asked turning on the ground and hugging her knees.
"There's a Yule ball tomorrow night!"
"Yes Hermione, we have all grasped that fact." Draco said, not a little sarcastically.
"Back down Malfoy!" Harry snapped. "Go on Mione. What's so bad about the ball?"
"1) we don't have dresses. 2) none of us know how to dance!" she practically wailed.
"No problem. I have a lot of dresses we can use. Tomorrow I'll take you both to my dorm and we can choose the right ones." Pansy said consolingly.
"Well, I know how to dance and so does Pansy. We can teach you." Draco said.
"Ron does too. McGonnagal taught him personally." Harry said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Nose down Harry. I seem to recall that we both can dance since you had to teach me in fourth year." Ron fired back.
"Touché. I might need reminding though."
Draco summoned a gramophone and the room was filled with some dance movement. He then held out a hand to Hermione and led her round the steps of the dance, encouraging her and bucking her up when she felt that she wasn't getting it.
Pansy took Harry and, after a roll of the eyes each Ron took his sister's hand.
It should have been a beautiful moment…had it not been for the fact that they kept bumping into each other and the furniture.
Once Hermione had fallen backwards over the sofa arm and pulled Draco down on top of her they agreed to stop until they had moved the furniture out of the way.
Later.
"That takes care of the dancing. Guys can I see you in my dorm, I want a word?" Harry said leading them out.
The girls looked at each other perplexedly.
Then they burst out laughing.
They moved the furniture back by magic and settled contentedly on the sofa to gossip.
They were just speculating on the real relationship between McGonnagal and Snape when the boys came back in time to see the tangle of limbs on the sofa. Somehow they had managed to get themselves into what looked like a very comfortable tangle.
The boys looked at each other before splitting into identical grins and sitting on the girls.
The girls somehow managed to exchange glances and then they tipped the boys off their laps and dumped them heavily on the crimson carpet with a loud "oomph!"
"Hey!" the boys said together in the same tone of voice.
"Not nice!" Ron.
"Why do it?" Harry.
"That's something I would do!" Draco.