Chapter 16: The Gifts
The holidays were decidedly unexciting at the Burrow. While Molly was still keeping a watchful eye on Bill and Hermione, she hadn't said anything out right to the couple but she saw in their eyes how smitten they were with each other.
"It's like she's prying into my soul to try and get answers, I can't even look her in the face anymore!" Hermione cried one day to Ginny after a particularly intense staring session from Molly.
"It's just mum trying to figure out if she should start planning a wedding or not." Hermione's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "It's not that she thinks you two are going to be getting married anytime soon, she thinks you're too young for that, but she's trying to figure out if it's a long term thing for the both of you."
"And how will she be able to tell that if even I don't know the answer yet?"
Shrugging as the girls stood for dinner, Ginny smiled. "It's mum, she knows everything."
The girls ran into Harry and Ron coming down the stairs as well as the four walked together, laughing into the kitchen.
Christmas morning was always a chaotic even at the Burrow, all the boredom and laziness that had taken over the house the days prior were gone with excitement and joy. No one was tired when they were awoken at the early hour but instead they raced downstairs to find Molly, Arthur, Bill, and Charlie all sitting in the kitchen drinking cups of tea.
Breakfast was already cooked and on the table, not needing any further instruction the Weasley's piled their plates high and started shoving food into their mouths. Hermione took a more dainty breakfast of eggs, toast, and oatmeal eating at a normal pace so as to not choke or get a stomach ache.
After everyone was finished their food Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and the dishes started cleaning themselves, everyone ran into the family room and sat around the tree waiting for their presents.
Hermione ended up sitting next to Bill, although by happenstance. He leaned over towards her and whispered so softly if she hadn't been paying attention she wouldn't have heard him.
"I have your real gift in my room, come by later and get it?" And with a slight nod from Hermione the pair went back to opening gifts and joking with each other.
Later that night, after everyone had stuffed themselves full of dinner and gone to bed Hermione crawled out from under the covers and tiptoed out of Ginny's room. Bill's room was one level down so she would have to jump the creaky stair, and of course if she got caught she could always say she had gotten out of bed for a glass of water.
Finally making it to one of the oldest looking doors in the house Hermione knocked quietly. Bill shuffled over to the door and opened it slowly revealing bright colored walls.
"I thought you were avoiding me." He joked closing the door and casting a silence charm.
"And why would I do that?"
Bill shrugged. "Because you don't want to get caught by my mother."
He had a point, Hermione was embarrassed enough by the woman staring at her for several hours of the day she didn't really need Molly Weasley walking in on the two of them having an intimate moment of their first Christmas together as….whatever it was they were.
"Here's your gift," Holding a small box out, Hermione smiled. It was wrapped in red paper with a silver bow. "It's not much but I saw it an instantly thought of you." Of course being thought of by the most handsome man in the Weasley family made Hermione smiled once again, it seemed infectious with Bill around.
The paper was torn off gently so as to not make Bill think that she was anxious to see what he got her, but the top of the box flew off like it had been hit by a bludger. Inside the box revealed a silver locket with a lion's head etched on the front.
"Oh Bill, it's beautiful!" Leaning in Hermione kissed him on the lips.
Bill laughed heartily. "You haven't even opened it yet." Taking the small object from her, Bill opened the locket and showed a picture of himself with a winning smile and waving to her. After closing the locket and clasping it around Hermione's neck, he wrapped his arms around her. "That way I can always be with you."
A few moments passed with the couple embracing each other in silence before Hermione shifted. "I forgot, here's your gift." She pulled a small box out of her pajamas and enlarged it with her wand. "I know you had said it was something that interested you,"
Bill was not as dainty at opening the gift as Hermione had been, he tore the paper off roughly and threw it on the floor. "Romeo and Juliet, this is the book you were talking about isn't it?" Hermione nodded. "Now I can start reading up on your muggle literature and keep up in conversation." He joked setting the book down on his bed side table and cupping the brunette's chin. "Thank you."
They kissed, heatedly, for the next hour only going so far as to take their shirts off for fear of Mrs. Weasley barging in but eventually Hermione had to leave.
Kissing each other good night, Hermione snaked her way back up to Ginny's room the locket still dangling from her neck.
"That's gorgeous Hermione, where did you get it?"
Lavander and Parvati had noticed the new jewelry right away and of course the questions started flooding in.
"It was a Christmas gift." She wasn't lying, but she wasn't going to tell them who gave it to her.
"Well who's picture is inside?" Of course these two wouldn't give up on some juicy gossip.
"Someone I care about, and that's all you're getting out of me." Smiling for the millionth time that week Hermione left the dormitory to find Ginny, Harry, and Ron.
Meanwhile, Bill was getting his lesson plans straightened out for the following week only to be disturbed by an owl tapping at his window. He knew it to be a Romanian owl and only assumed it was his brother Charlie.
Bill-
Mum's just written to me and mentioned something quite interesting. It seems she's under the impression that you're smitten with Ron's friend Hermione, and if this is true I want to know how and when it happened and while you're at it you can tell me why I wasn't informed of this by you!
Charlie
P.S. Happy Christmas.
Bill chuckled, leave it to Charlie to write something like this.
Charlie-
Well, it is true. And let me preface everything by saying: she's not the same Hermione we knew a few years back, she's changed. A lot. I'm not really sure how it happened, she owled me one day with a question and when I came to teach at Hogwarts she and I started talking a bit more. It hasn't gotten ultimately serious just yet, so don't go getting your wand in a knot.
What did mum tell you anyway, she never bluntly asked us anything while we were home?
Happy Christmas.
Folding the letter up and tucking it into the pouch of the owl's leg Bill went back to looking over lesson plans.
A/N: Yay Charlie! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I'm leaving for school two weeks early and had a short time to pack everything I own. Enjoy it though, and feel free to review!