Harry would have liked to say that Christmas Eve with the Weasleys was lovely, but, as every line of conversation inevitably lead back to ribbing at his and Ginny's expense, it became wearing rather quickly. As good-natured as the couple were being about the teasing, her brothers were not tiring of receiving little response, beyond the amused grins the couple kept exchanging.
During dinner, Harry had tried to concentrate on his meal, ignoring the teasing banter going on around the table. But, rather than helping to quell the jokes, it just opened a whole new avenue. "Harry," Charlie began, when he noticed Harry trying to focus on his food, "are you refueling from last night or fueling up for tonight?"
Without missing a beat, Ginny cut in and suggestively said, "Both." Under the table, she found his hand and squeezed as if to say, "Hang in there."
When Molly brought out the dessert, George helped her pass around the plates and purposely skipped over Harry and Ginny. When they inquired as to why, he said, "My mistake, I thought the two of you were content to have each other for dessert later."
Amid the snickers of her brothers, Ginny said, "While that might be true, I think we'd both like some pie first."
After dessert, they all retired to the sitting room to listen to a Christmas program on the wireless at Molly's insistence. Percy, trying to prove he was not as immature as his brothers, offered Harry and Ginny the loveseat. As they thanked him and settled into it together, Ron butted in saying, "Just because it's called a loveseat, doesn't mean you should take it as an invitation. Keep your hands to yourselves."
Harry smirked at Ron as he wrapped an arm around Ginny and pulled her closer against his side. Ginny complied, snuggling up to him and leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. The moment before she pulled away, he turned and caught her lips with his own. He felt her melt into the kiss a little, but didn't want to deepen it any further with their whole family watching. Clearly on the same page, Ginny pulled away and moved her mouth to his ear and whispered, "One more hour then we can go to bed and it'll all be over. Mum won't let them carry on being disgusting on Christmas."
"I'm going to start working on jokes now for when the rest of them get married," Harry whispered back.
"Very mature," Ginny replied with an eye roll.
"Don't even try to tell me that you weren't thinking the same thing," Harry said.
Ginny grinned at him as she settled back in her seat.
When the Christmas program was over, Arthur, Molly, Fleur, and Percy headed off to bed. Bill, Charlie, and George settled at the kitchen table for seconds on pie. Ron invited Harry to play a game of wizard's chess and Hermione asked Ginny if she could borrow some moisturizer. Harry and Ginny exchanged a quick glance. Each had been looking forward to retiring to her bedroom together alone, but they both understood that their friends were looking to spend some time with them. In their quick glance, they agreed that they could wait a bit longer.
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Harry and Ron settled on opposite sides of the chess board in the sitting room and set up their pieces.
"So…," Ron drawled awkwardly.
"So, what?" Harry replied. "You really wanted to hear all about last night? I mean, she is your sister…"
"No," Ron mumbled, clearly relieved, "I don't. But I'm your best mate; I thought I was supposed to ask or something."
Harry chuckled, and said, "If I really needed to talk about it, I would go find Bill."
"Why Bill?" Ron asked, sounding slightly put out.
"Bill offered advice about the wedding night on your father's request; he said I could talk to him anytime," Harry said. "Plus, it's less weird. He's not as close to Ginny as you are and he's not my best mate."
"Oh okay," Ron said pacified. "So, Ginny liked the house?"
"I think so," Harry said. "I mean, she seemed to, but we didn't spend a lot of time looking around, just a quick tour before…"
"Before you turned in for the night," Ron said with a smirk.
"Right," Harry said with a laugh, "I guess that's one way of putting it."
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Hermione followed Ginny into her bedroom and watched as she began picking up various bottles from the small vanity table and muttering, "Moisturizer….hmmmm."
"I don't really need moisturizer," Hermione said, "That was my subtle way of getting you alone so I could ask you about last night."
"Oh," Ginny said, as pink blush crept up her neck. "Okay."
"How was it?" Hermione asked delicately.
"Fine," Ginny said secretively.
"Fine?" Hermione asked. "Is that all you have to say?"
"You aren't going to repeat any of this back to Ron, are you?" Ginny asked.
"Of course not," Hermione said. "I don't tell him everything, you know."
"Okay," Ginny said. "Last night was perfect. The house is beautiful, thank you for helping Harry with it. I can't believe that, when school is over, we get to live there all the time."
"You're welcome," Hermione said. "I'm glad you liked it. Harry really wanted you to feel at home there."
"I did," Ginny said. "Really. When we got there, he gave me a little tour while I got over my nerves." Hermione raised an eyebrow questioningly at this and Ginny continued, explaining, "I think Harry would have carried me straight up to the bedroom but I needed a few minutes. Even though all along I've been the more aggressive one physically, last night, I just got nervous as soon as we got to the house. He was very sweet about it though."
"I can understand that. You two were waiting for your wedding night instead of letting it happen in the heat of the moment. It became an experience you both were looking forward to and had invested a lot of significance in," Hermione explained.
"But he wasn't nervous at all," Ginny pointed out.
"I bet he was a little nervous," Hermione said. "He's always been good about hiding that sort of thing. How'd you get over the nerves?"
"When we went up to the bedroom, I took a little time in the bathroom to change out of my dress, wash my face, and brush my teeth on my own. When I came out, I was ready," Ginny explained.
"And how was it?" Hermione asked curiously.
"You were right, the first time hurts," Ginny said. "But toward the end, it was better. And the second time was amazing."
"And every time since then?" Hermione asked with a smirk.
"Excellent," Ginny said with a happy smile.
"Do you mind all the teasing?" Hermione asked.
"Its getting old, but no, not so much," Ginny said. "Its kind of a wonderful thing to be teased about, something that makes us so happy, I mean."
"I know you've only been married for a day, but how is it?" Hermione asked.
"Why?" Ginny asked, "thinking you might not want to wait so long before marrying Ron?"
"Maybe, the two of you do look very happy," Hermione said.
"We are," Ginny said blissfully.
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After nearly another hour of discussing marriage, sex, and their respective relationships, the girls headed back down to the sitting room. Ginny settled herself on Harry's lap and made his next move for him. Harry, happy to have his wife back near him, wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. He kissed her neck and moved his mouth up to her ear and asked hopefully, "Bedtime?"
"Soon," Ginny whispered back. "Finish your game."
"I'm going to lose anyway," Harry said, adding suggestively, "I'd rather go play a game I know I'm going to win."
"Just finish your game or we'll never hear the end of it," Ginny said. "If you make poor moves, it can be over in a matter of minutes."
"Oy, Harry," Ron said loudly, "your turn." Ginny leaned back to whisper in Harry's ear and Ron said, "Hey, no helping him." Harry moved a piece and Ron's expression changed to annoyance and, shaking his head, he said, "I see how it is; throwing the game so you can head off to bed faster. You two disgust me. If that's how it's going to be, you can just go."
Harry and Ginny leapt up from the table and raced toward the stairs, "Thanks Ron, good-night everyone," Harry called behind them.
While slightly annoyed, Ron couldn't help but be happy for his best friend and his sister.
"They really are sweet, aren't they?" Hermione asked, as she wrapped her arms around Ron.
"They are," George said, as he flopped onto the loveseat, "So, when can we expect the two of you to be become disgustingly happy newlyweds as well?"
Hermione blushed furiously and Ron swatted George with a throw pillow. George watched as Hermione and Ron went into the kitchen and realized that neither of them offered any sort of response. Maybe they were starting to make plans as well. He'd have to ask some questions later when he and Ron were both in bed. Now that Harry was sleeping in Ginny's room with her, Hermione was sleeping in Ron's room in the attic and Ron was sleeping in George's room with him.
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Harry was lying in Ginny's bed, which Molly had magically expanded a bit, waiting for her to return from brushing her teeth. As he lay there, he studied the golden band on his left hand, something he hadn't taken the time to take much notice of yet. It was just a plain gold band but Harry loved the way it looked on his hand and what it stood for. At that moment, Ginny reentered the bedroom and, noticing his focus, said, "Look inside." Harry slid the ring off and peered at the inside. Engraved there was 'Amor Vincit Omnia, 12-23-98.' Harry racked his brain trying to figure out if he should know what the Latin phrase meant.
"It means, love conquers all," Ginny said softly. " I thought it was appropriate considering all we've gone though and we still ended up together." Ginny flicked off the lights and climbed into the bed with Harry.
"It's perfect," Harry whispered, as he pulled her close, settling the blankets around them. "I just wish that I'd thought to do that to yours."
"It's not too late," Ginny said, "what would you write?" Harry knew instantly what he would write but decided not to tell her, he would get it engraved for her someday. He was quiet long enough that Ginny launched into another topic of conversation, "Are you going to be able to forgive my brothers?"
Harry chuckled, and said, "Yes, of course. As much as it was embarrassing, it also made me feel like a true member of the family. I know they always considered me as such, but now that its official, it felt kind of good to know that they weren't holding back at all. But, you really think your Mum will put a stop to it tomorrow?"
"I think so, she turned a blind ear a bit today because, I think, she knew there was no getting around it, but tomorrow is Christmas, and she won't want to listen to such crudeness," Ginny said.
"Good," Harry said. He pulled her even closer against his chest and breathed in her scent. At that moment, her freezing cold feet connect with his bare legs and he gave a shout of surprise, "Why are your feet so cold?"
"Sorry," Ginny said as she pulled her feet away.
Harry groped under the covers for her feet and pulled them back onto his legs and said, "I don't mind warming them up for you, the cold just shocked me." Ginny sighed happily as his warm hands began massaging her feet, adding to the warmth his bare legs were providing. When her feet were roughly the same temperature as his hands, he slid his hands up her legs, stopping to rest on her thighs and asked, "Is there anything else you'd like me to warm up?" Her eyes met with his and no words were necessary.
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The next morning arrived too early for the newly wedded couple. They were reluctant to be removed from their warm bed where they lay twined together. But, after no less than three family members had banged on the door urging them to come down, because they couldn't open presents until they did, they halfheartedly gathered bathroom necessities and clothing and hurried into the bathroom together. Bill, who noticed them thundering up the stairs together, called down to the family members waiting in the kitchen, "It could be a while yet, they just went into the bathroom together." He chuckled at the groans that he heard emanating from below, but smirked, remembering what it was like to be part of a newly married couple. It was just Harry and Ginny's bad luck that they had to spend time with the family so quickly after their wedding. As much as he was sure they wouldn't have wanted to miss Christmas, he understood and remembered the urge to just be together alone after the wedding.
Forty-five minutes later, the couple finally appeared in the kitchen and quickly ate their now cold breakfast under the agitated glares of Charlie, George, and Ron. The three were annoyed that they had been kept waiting all morning to open their gifts and, to top it all off, Molly had practically threatened death if the crude line of jokes about Harry and Ginny's bedroom activities continued today. They would be less annoyed about waiting to open gifts if, in the mean time, they could harass the couple with jokes about the shower they had just shared. When they'd finished, they were unceremoniously dragged into the sitting room for presents.
"Everyone has to open the gifts from me and Harry first," Ginny said excitedly as she got into the spirit of gift giving.
Harry helped Ginny pass out each of the packages they had carefully wrapped together several nights earlier. For each family member, Ginny had knit a pair of socks and Harry had bought something he knew they liked. When everyone had a package, Ginny handed Harry one too, before saying, "Ready, set, go!" Everyone tore into their packages and exclaimed over the beautiful socks that Ginny had knit, as well as the gifts Harry had added. Harry opened his package and pulled out handsome cable knit socks in the yarn they'd bought in the summer to match his eyes. He pulled off the worn socks he was wearing and pulled on the new ones saying, "Ginny, these are amazing. Thank you."
"That's only part of your gift," Ginny said with a smile. But, rather than exchange gifts with each other now, they sat back and watched their family opening gifts around them. Harry felt so lucky to be part of such an incredible family. He looked around the room and took them all in. Molly and Arthur had been like substitute parents for him since he was twelve. Bill and Fleur had been like older siblings to him for a long time, offering him advice and support. Charlie, George, and Ron were the brothers that he'd enjoyed joking and pranking with for years. Harry had never had a very close relationship with Percy, but since the war had ended, and Percy had come back home to his family, great strides had been made. Hermione, while not an official part of the Weasley family yet, had been like a sister to him since they were eleven. Then there was Ginny, his wife and official connection to this family. He always felt blessed to be in their presence, but it was feeling especially precious this year, a mere two days after their wedding and the first Christmas since the end of the war.
Eventually, Harry and Ginny joined back in the gift opening and unwrapped the gifts they had received from the rest of the family, still saving the gifts from each other until later. Finally, when everyone else had finished opening their gifts and were wandering off to find snacks or were busy tinkering with their new gifts, Ginny handed Harry a box and said, "Happy Christmas, Harry." He grinned and accepted the box from her. Unwrapping it, he first pulled out an ornate silver star-shaped Christmas ornament that had engraving on one side. It read, "Our First Christmas, 1998."
"I've never had any Christmas ornaments of my own," Harry said quietly, as he thought of how when he'd come home with Ron for the first time to spend Christmas, he'd been impressed that each member of the family had a box of ornaments to hang on their tree that were their very own.
"I didn't think you had," Ginny said. "This is the first of many then."
"Thank you," Harry said, as he leaned to kiss her.
"Open the rest," She said excitedly.
Charmed by her enthusiasm, Harry dug back into the box and pulled out a velvet bag. From the bag, he pulled a wristwatch and studied it, as Ginny spoke. "I thought you could use a new one. You cracked the face of the one my parents gave you for your 17th and, after you wore it into the lake training with Noah, it never worked quite right again."
"Aren't you afraid I will destroy this one as well?" Harry asked.
"No," Ginny said. "This one was made with stronger magic. Its impervious to damage and water. If you'll notice, it also had two sets of hands. The larger set of hands, with the ruby flecks, your birthstone, will automatically adjust to the current time wherever you go. The smaller set of hands, with the peridot flecks, my birthstone, will always tell you what time it is at home, where I'll be, waiting for you to return to me."
Harry simply pulled her into his arms and hugged her. In a slightly choked voice, he whispered, "It's perfect, thank you." The gift felt like further blessing from her in regard to his job. In her own way, he felt that she was telling him that she knew that, while his job took him away sometimes, he would always return to her. His heart had swelled in the notion that, from now on, home for them would always be the same place. Before he clasped it around his wrist, he flipped it over and noticed the engraving on the back. It read, "Harry, Return to Me. I Love You, Ginny."
Harry thanked Ginny again, before handing her a tiny box and saying, "Happy Christmas, Ginny. This is only part of your gift." Ginny opened the box and pulled out a pendant on a thin gold chain. The pendant had both her and Harry's birthstones nestled in a swirling gold settling. As Ginny admired it, Harry said, "I know I have given you a lot of jewelry already, but when I saw our birthstones together, I knew I had to give you this. Obviously we thought along the same lines."
"I love it, Harry, thank you," Ginny said, as she turned around and let Harry carefully clasp it around her neck.
"I have to go get the other part," Harry said. "I'll be right back." When he returned, he was carrying a much larger box. Carefully, he set it on the floor in front of Ginny. She noticed instantly that it was not wrapped like the other gifts, but instead, had a large bow on the top that seemed to be hiding air holes. Ginny grinned hugely at Harry before she opened the box and reached in to scoop out a bright, orange striped kitten.
"Harry," Ginny said happily, "I've always wanted a pet of my own."
"Didn't you have a Pigmy Puff during your fifth year?" Ron asked, from across the room. "That didn't count as a pet?"
"Well, yes, but he disappeared almost as soon as we returned to school; I suspect that Crookshanks ate him for dinner," Ginny said.
Harry watched as Ginny happily stroked and cuddled the tiny kitten. In response, the kitten purred loudly. "How did you know?" Ginny asked.
"Remember that night in the summer that we went out on a muggle date and talked almost all night in the garden?" Harry asked. When Ginny nodded, he continued, "You talked about all the different animals that had been part of the family and whom they belonged to, but you never named any that had belonged to you. You love animals so much that I thought that maybe you should have one of your own. I picked this one because he reminded me of you, all orangy-golden."
"What are you going to name him?" Hermione asked, as she came closer to pet the kitten.
"I don't know yet," Ginny said. "I have to get to know him a bit first."
Even Crookshanks wanted to see the new addition. He jumped onto the love seat beside Ginny and settled himself so he was face to face with the kitten. Before long, each was purring in contentment. "Thank you," Ginny said to Harry. "He is perfect."
"You're welcome," Harry said, pleased that he'd done so well.
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Late that evening, Harry and Ginny sat curled on the loveseat in the sitting room before the glowing fire. The orange kitten, which was still unnamed, lay comfortably in Ginny's lap. They had been discussing whether they should head back to Grimmauld Place or just sleep here again tonight. Tomorrow, they would head off on their honeymoon. Harry had arranged a portkey to their destination. They needed to be ready to leave from Grimmauld Place by noon. More and more, they seemed to be leaning toward staying and heading back early in the morning to finish their packing. It had been a day full of fun and family. There had been wonderful meals, lots of games, a massive snowball fight in the yard, and an escape up to Ginny's bedroom for an afternoon nap, which fooled no one. He couldn't remember a Christmas that had been better in his whole life. As he admired Ginny beside him, he looked forward to a lifetime of Christmases that would be just as happy.
Author's Note: Hello All. Thank you for reading! I'm sorry for the delay…that last chapter kind of took it out of me and I focused on my other HP story for a bit. But this chapter was fun to write and I hope it was enjoyable to read as well. Send me a review and let me know how I did, if you are so inclined.
Lots of thanks to my awesome beta, Terra Ferme for editing this chapter and also for taking time to talk through the gift ideas with me for this chapter. This chapter is so much better for your ideas and support. You totally rock.
I am terrible at naming things…if you have a brilliant name idea for Ginny's new orange kitten let me know!!!
I will put a link on my profile to the necklace Harry gave to Ginny. It is on a website in which you can design your own birthstone jewelry…so the one it will bring you to is blank…just imagine it with a ruby and a peridot…or try designing it that way. I thought it was fun.
I do not have a link for Harry's watch since I made it up in my head.
I think several of you misunderstood the author's note at the end of the last chapter. This story is not done…I will definitely write this story until the end of their school year, possibly a bit further. I just wondered what point people wanted to see this story make it to. And keep in mind that a sequel is more than likely going to happen…so no worries.
Thanks again!!
Tinkerbell