And here it finally is! The long awaited next chapter. I'm sorry for my absence from this fic and I'm sorry that this isn't one of my best chapters. I had a day off and nothing to do, so this happened. Please do R&R!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless and I wish you all the happiest of holidays!
~Bethany

It was approximately six am on Christmas morning when Harry, Ron and Hermione had made their way back to The Burrow. Ron snuck quietly into the house first, it was a mess, but at least it smelled warm and comforting from the baking that his mother had done the night before. Harry and Hermione followed in after him, they walked as quietly as they could up the stairs to Ron's bedroom, but the stairs were old and creaked quite loudly as they walked. Every now and then they would stop and make sure they couldn't hear anyone walking about. Once they had safely made their way to Ron's bedroom they set down their things and sat together on the floor. All of them were exhausted but they knew that if they fell asleep now, they would not wake in time to start the Christmas celebrations with everyone else. Harry and Ron had mildly patched things up now, much to Hermione's delight. She didn't think she could handle the two of them arguing at Christmas.

'I almost forgot to say,' Hermione said quietly after a few minutes of huddled silence. Harry and Ron looked at her expectantly. 'Merry Christmas!'

Harry and Ron smiled at her and wished her a Happy Christmas too, they hugged one another and sat back down, and keeping close so they might be warm since The Burrow could get quite cold during the winter.
They stayed up for a little while talking together silently until about eight o'clock in the morning when they could smell Mrs Weasley's cooking wafting up the stairs. The trio crept back down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Molly was chopping some carrots. When she turned to grab a saucepan and saw them, she almost screamed and sent the pan crashing to the floor. The four of them started to laugh and Molly went over and hugged Ron, then Hermione and finally Harry. She hugged Harry for the longest. Molly kissed them all on the cheek and then went back to her cooking to make sure it wasn't burning.
'What was all that racket?' Ginny asked from the top of the stairs.

'Nothing, dear. I just had a little fright, that's all.' Molly responded cheerily.

The next thing they could hear was the sound of Ginny rushing down the stairs. She flew past in a flash of ginger and pink, from her dressing gown, and fell straight in to Harry's arms. Harry went to hug her too but she pulled away from him faster than she had come.
'Merry Christmas, Harry.' She said awkwardly to him.
Harry smiled, not realising how much he had actually missed Ginny whilst he had been away. At least he was there with her now.

'Yes, Happy Christmas.' He responded with a crooked smile. Ron coughed uncomfortably and then hugged Ginny, Harry assumed it was just because he didn't like the way that Ginny was greeted Harry in the way that she did, even though it could have been a lot worse. Ginny hugged her brother and smiled at Hermione before letting go and kissing her mother on the cheek. 'Did you all have a good trip?' Ginny asked.

Hermione looked between the boys and licked her bottom lip.
'It wasn't bad, yeah.' She answered. 'It was nice to just go for a walk. Mini adventures can be quite fun.' Hermione grinned and the two boys agreed.

'Go and get all of your dirty clothes and I'll have them cleaned, washed and dried for you.' Molly said as she wiped her hands on a towel that was hanging from the strings of her apron that she had around her waist.

Harry, Ron and Hermione went noisily back upstairs to collect their clothes, forgetting that other members of the Weasley household would be fast asleep. As Ron opened his bedroom door, the twins opened theirs.

'Well, well, well. What do we have here?' George asked with a cheeky grin as he leaned against the door frame. Fred's voice could be heard just behind him.
'It looks like a trio of trouble makers to me.' Fred laughed, leaning against the other side of the door frame.

Ron scoffed and rolled his eyes.
'Yes, because we'rethe trouble makers.' He said walking into his bedroom and starting to pick up his clothes.

'We're so glad that you can admit to it.' George said with a chuckle. Harry went in after Ron smiling at Fred and George's comments. He knew that they irritated Ron but he did find it extremely amusing.
Fred pushed passed George and hugged Hermione tightly.
'Merry Christmas, sweetheart.' He said just before he kissed her on the cheek.

'And a very merry Christmas to you too.' Hermione sighed happily as she felt the comfort of Fred's arms around her, and the feel of his breath on her neck. It was a very calming moment. They eventually let go of each other and they just stared into one another's eyes for a few moments and grinning broadly as Harry and Ron went downstairs with their clothes.

'Did you have a nice time?' Fred asked. George was making gagging noises in the background as he so often did but Hermione and Fred had both managed to learn to block out the sounds he made.

'I did actually. Harry and Ron had a small dispute but apart from that, it was nice.' Hermione told him. 'How were you?' she asked as she grabbed a hold of Fred's hand and giving it a squeeze.
It took Fred a while to answer Hermione, as he was too busy thinking about how much he just wanted to go back to bed but this time he wanted to take Hermione with him. Not to have sex, he wouldn't want to force anything like that on Hermione unless she was totally sure she wanted to. He just wanted to lie with her and hold her and enjoy each other's company. He couldn't help but think how cosy it would be just to lie in bed with her on a cold Christmas morning, maybe drinking a hot chocolate and watching the snow fall through the window.

'I missed you.' He answered her eventually. Hermione kissed him gently and her cheeks started to go a little bit red.

'Well, I'm back now.' Hermione told him with a grin.

'I can see that.' Fred lifted the hand that wasn't being held by his girlfriend and pushed her hair behind her ear.

'Hermione! I need your clothes!' Molly shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Hermione let go of Fred and smiled apologetically as she walked in to Ron's bedroom to gather her clothes. She brought them downstairs and was met by the knowing grin of Ginny.

'I take it that you said hello to Fred then?' She asked leaning against the wall. Hermione gave Molly her clothes and Molly put them away to wash later with the boy's clothes.

'I did, yes.' Hermione said calmly as she crossed her arms over her chest. Molly quickly put an end to their conversation before it even began by asking Ginny to go and tell everyone to get up and get dressed so they could have breakfast. Ginny trooped up the stairs and knocked on everyone's bedroom door and yelled at the inhabitants to get dressed. Ginny was dressed and downstairs first, followed by Arthur Weasley and the twins. They sat at the dinner table as Molly served them a full English fry up breakfast. The Weasley Christmas tree was set up just by the table; it was huge and covered in tinsel and baubles. There was even a light coating of fake snow on the branches. They ate until their plates were clean before sitting together in the living room.

'Harry?' Ginny said meekly, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. Harry turned around. 'Shoelaces.' She said to him. Harry looked at her slightly confused.

'I'm sorry?' he said. Ginny knelt down and started to tie up Harry's shoelaces which had become undone at some point during the course of the morning.

'Thank you.' Harry said as Ginny returned to her feet. They were stood so close together that they didn't even notice when their lips touched. Ginny heard the footsteps of her mother and stood backwards.

'You're welcome.' She smiled gently.

xx

At two o'clock they all gathered back around the dinner table for Christmas dinner. Molly had cooked them all a meal of turkey and vegetables. Molly sat at the head of the table so it was easy for her to move around to serve up more food when needs be, Arthur sat to her right, the twins sat next their father, Hermione sat opposite Fred, Ron was next to Hermione, Harry next to Ron, and Ginny next to Harry.
It took forty five minutes for everyone to eat and finish their dinner. Molly and Arthur cleared the plates from the table as everyone else sat and chatted between themselves. When Mr and Mrs Weasley returned, they did so with a handful of Christmas crackers. They gave one to everyone sat around the table; they crossed their arms over and pulled. There was a chorus of little bangs as the crackers were pulled apart and their contents spilled across the table. Everyone put on a little coloured paper crown, read their jokes and played with the small toys that were there too. Afterwards, Molly got back up to collect the presents that lay under the tree. Of course, everyone got a brand new knitted garment from Molly. Hermione and Harry put on their new scarves, the twins put on the jumpers they had received since they had destroyed their last ones, whilst Ron and Ginny got some knitted hats with little fuzzy balls on top.
'Thanks, Mum.' Ginny said with a smile.
'Yes, thank you, Mrs Weasley.' Hermione said after Ginny. Molly smiled contently.
'You're very welcome, Hermione, dear.' Molly left again to get dessert which was a slice of homemade Christmas cake which came with optional custard or cream.
Each of them ate and then went off to the living room once more, but this time they were going to play some board games as afternoon entertainment. Everyone managed to win one round at least, but there were a few arguments over who won, or should have won, each game. Then again, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without at least one argument?

Molly and Arthur carted them all to bed at nine o'clock since she was so tired from preparing the food all day, not to mention she was tired of the bickering.
Everyone retired to their bedrooms, or the bedrooms they were sharing, apart from Hermione who spent a little while in Fred and George's bedroom.

xx

'I've got a present for you.' Hermione smiled and bit her bottom lip as she looked up at Fred with bright shining eyes.

'You didn't have to get me anything.' Fred answered back to her with a hopeless grin.

'Yes I did.' Protested Hermione. 'You got me this beautiful necklace; I had to find something to give you.' She went away to Ron's bedroom quickly and came back with a shoddily wrapped gift. 'Here. I hope you like it.' Fred took it and turned it around in his hands, he ripped the paper away from present and he found himself holding a red football shirt with 'F. Weasley' on the back along with the number '9'. Fred broke out in to a huge grin and pulled off the jumper his mother made him and replaced it with his new shirt. 'I know it's not great, but it was all I could really think of to get you.' Hermione apologised.

Fred admired himself in his mirror and hugged Hermione close to him.
'I love it, Hermione. I love it almost as much as I love you. Thank you so much!'

Hermione pulled away from Fred and looked at him inquisitively. George sat upright on his bed with wide eyes, knowing that he was about to enjoy whatever it was that was going to happen next.
'I'm sorry, what did you say?' she asked in disbelief. Fred looked quite confused, Hermione wasn't entirely sure if he was even aware of what he had said to her.

'I said that I loved it…' Fred repeated.

'The bit after that.' Hermione said with a nod.

'Almost as much as I love you?' He said, not being completely sure if that was the right answer.

'You love me?' Hermione asked sternly and with slight hint of disbelief and confusion. Her pulse was raised and she thought she could feel some sweat dripping down her forehead; she had to wipe it with the back of her hand just to make sure that she wasn't. Fred looked like he was thinking for a moment and George sat on the edge of the bed so he could get closer to the situation.

'You know what?' Fred said eventually. 'I think I do.' He confidently admitted with a smile. Hermione still looked quite stern but she didn't say anything. 'I bloody love you, Hermione Jean Granger. You are brilliant, and beautiful, and you always smell nice,' Hermione laughed gently. 'You make me happy, and you make me want to run outside and shout from the top of the tallest mountains that I have the best girlfriend in the world.' Fred looked like he was about to burst with happiness. Hermione honestly had no idea what to say.

George got up and dangled some mistletoe in front of them. Fred and Hermione looked at it and laughed. Hermione's gaze moved over to Fred and she kissed him gently, she put her arms around his waist and Fred did the same to Hermione. George sat back down and grinned, feeling very pleased with his work.

'Tell him you love him!' George called out. 'Tell him! Tell him! Tell him!' he chanted as he pumped his fist in the air.
Hermione had to pull away from Fred's lips because she was laughing too hard at George. Once she had calmed down a little bit, she just smiled sweetly and put her forehead against Fred's.

'And I love you too.' She gave him a little peck on the nose and then let go of him. 'I should get off to bed. Goodnight, boys.' Hermione waved, hugged them both and left like the wind.

Fred let out a large breath and giggled happily as he closed the bedroom door behind her.
'Well done, Freddie!' George got up and patted Fred on the back. Fred hugged George and both of them were happy. Fred was happy because Hermione had told him that she loved him, and George was happy because Fred was happy.

'To be honest,' Fred began. 'For a moment I thought she wasn't going to say it back.'