Ginny Apparated into the points at the Burrow. The December air whipped into her face immediately. She winced and pulled her jumper up over her nose. She hated it when her nose was cold.

When she got closer to the house, she could make out the form of her mother kneading bread in front of the window. Ginny smiled, and waved when her mother looked up.

She walked more quickly towards the door, more eager to get into the house than before. "Happy Christmas!" she called out when she opened the door.

"Ginny dear, you know better than to wear just your jumper," her mother chastised. Her eyes softened, and she said "Happy Christmas, dear."

Ginny pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, Mum. I thought that I would be late. So I didn't bother to grab my coat."

"I see you managed to grab the gifts though," Molly said.

"Well, it is Christmas. All of my nieces and nephews would be sorely disappointed if I'd not brought them anything."

"Too true. You can put them under the tree," Molly instructed.

Ginny did as told and entered the living room. "Hey Dad. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Ginny," Arthur stood up and gave her a hug. "Did you get me one of those muggle campooters?"

"Computers, Dad. And we'll have to see, won't we?" Ginny had, in fact, purchased him a laptop that he could use in the shed. She worried about it just a bit. There was no electricity in the Burrow, and there was a possibility that her father would somehow electrocute himself taking it apart.

He smiled at her. He grabbed a plate from the table. "Fancy a biscuit?"

"I don't mind if I do," she said. "Mmm, gingerbread."

The front door opened and Ginny heard the bickering voices of Ron and Hermione. She rolled her eyes. Even on Christmas, they were arguing.

She took a biscuit from the plate and offered it to little Arthur. "What are they fighting about this time, buddy?"

He just shrugged, as if to say "Why should I know?"

"You're right," she told him. She watched him crunch the biscuit in his mouth. "It doesn't matter, as they always fight anyways."

"Ginny!" Ginny's head snapped towards the reprimanding voice of Arthur's mother.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"You gave him a biscuit?" Hermione asked.

"It is Christmas. Biscuits are allowed to be eaten."

"You could have asked me first," Hermione said. "We're trying to keep his diet balanced."

Ginny rolled her eyes once again.

Ron began to speak. "Or you could have offered me one, first."

She opened her mouth to retort, but instead settled on smiling and saying, "Happy Christmas, guys."

They both smiled a little bit more. "Happy Christmas," Hermione said. She made her way to hug her.

Ginny put her hand on Hermione's belly. "Merry Christmas, kid," she told the baby.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ginny's name for her baby. "Have you picked out any names yet?"

Hermione walked towards the living room, waddling all the way to the couch. She sat down with a sigh. "I was thinking that for a girl, we'd name her Molly Jane, after both of our mums. Or for a boy, we were thinking Richard."

"Oh Hermione, you can't name your son Richard. Wait until he got to Hogwarts. People would try to call him Dick. And that is a terrible name for any kid to be saddled with."

"Oh yeah. What's your idea of a good name, then, Ginny?" Ron asked.

"Hmm. Let me think. I've got it!" Ginny exclaimed. "Luke."

"Why Luke?" Hermione asked interestedly.

"I don't know… just sounds like a good name," Ginny shrugged.

"I do really like that name," the wheels in Hermione's head were turning.

They heard the door open again, and they heard Fleur's throaty voice. "Oh, Victoire, Jason, and Benjamin are here," Ginny grinned. "Let me go greet them!"

Over the last few months, Bill and Fleur had had Ginny over for dinner many times. She had gotten to know her niece and nephew, and had even been one of the first to hold Benjamin after he was born. Bill had always been her favourite brother, and now that they lived in the same country (and the war was over) they were closer than ever. Ginny even put up with Fleur for him.

Ginny went to see her nephews and niece. "Happy Christmas!" she told them. She hugged both Jason and Victoire, and gave Benjamin a kiss on his chubby baby cheek.

"Happy Christmas, Aunt Ginny!" Victoire told her. "You scored so many goals yesterday!"

"Well, it is my job," Ginny grinned at her niece. "Have you had a good Christmas?"

"Yeah!" Jason intervened. "I got a toy broomstick!"

"How high does it fly?" she asked him excitedly.

"Not as high as yours," he said a bit disappointedly. "But still high! Mummy made me promise not to try a Wonky Faint."

Ginny chuckled. "Did you get anything good, Victoire?"

Victoire began to grin like mad. "I got a Metamorphmagus Maggie doll! When you brush her hair, it changed to a different colour! And when you touch the mole on her neck, her face changes!"

"That sounds awesome!" Ginny smiled, thinking of Nymphadora Tonks.

"It is, Aunt Ginny!" Victoire said. "But I wanted a broomstick, too!"

"Well, Munchkin, there is always next Christmas!" she told her.

Victoire nodded. "Do you want a ginger biscuit?"

She grabbed the plate and offered one to both of them.

They each took one and ran off.

"Hello Bill, Fleur," she said to them each in turn. "Merry Christmas!"

"Back at ya, Gin," Bill said leaning in to hug her.

Ginny returned his hug and turned to hug Fleur as well.

The door did not stop ringing for what seemed like most of the day, Weasleys pouring in left and right.

One last visitor arrived, and Ginny, as she had all day, got up to greet whoever it was. She thought that maybe Percy had finally arrived. She opened the door and nearly had a heart attack when she saw who it was.

She pulled herself together and managed to say, "Happy Christmas, Harry!"

Harry grinned down at her, and she tried not to stare at him. She had missed him so. "Merry Christmas, Ginny," he said.

She ushered him inside, reprimanding him about only wearing his jumper. They arrived in the living room, and Hermione and Ron beckoned him to sit next to them.

Ginny tried not to stare at the three, but she was doing a terrible job of it. Harry looked as fetching as she remembered. He looked happy. And her favourite thing to see was the fact that he was Cho-less. But she reminded herself that she had not won. Harry's heart was not a prize (though she would be very happy to be given back his heart). And relationships could not be built on deceit.

She blushed thinking of what she had done six months ago. And immediately she knew that she had to apologize to Harry.

But maybe not today, she amended. Today is a family day.

Supper consisted of brussel sprouts (to which Ginny said "no thank you!"), goose, gravy, potatoes, and stuffing (to which, once again, Ginny said "no thank you!").

George snuck a Canary Crème into her treacle tart at some point, and Ginny promptly turned into a red Canary that began squawking angrily. She soon changed back and promised George that if it had not been Christmas, he would have been Bat-Bogeyed.

They opened their crackers when everyone was done, and her mum insisted that they all put on the paper crowns and gather for a photograph. They took turns going around the table and reciting the jokes that came along with them.

Ginny's turn soon came, and she nearly froze with Harry's attention on her. "Erm. Okay. Why don't toads sit on toadstools?"

"Because… they're toads!" Arthur junior said.

"Because they got turned into a canary!" Victoire guessed.

"Because there isn't mush room!" Ginny grinned at them. "Get it, mush room?"

"I don't get it, Aunt Ginny," Jason told her.

"That's alright, kiddo. It's not a good joke."

They continued to tell terrible jokes until they'd gotten through everyone.

After supper, they exchanged gifts. Ginny realized that she had not gotten Harry a gift. She felt bad about it, but knew that it wasn't really her fault. She hadn't known that Harry was coming today. Surely Harry would understand that, too.

From Bill, Fleur and their children she received a free Portkey back to America (you can go visit Las Vegas!). From Charlie she received new chaser gloves for the upcoming Quidditch season (you had better win with these!). Percy gave her a book on household charms (just in case you've forgotten what you learned during the holidays all those years ago!). Fred and George each gave her a coupon for the shop (now you'll have an excuse to visit us!). She received Quidditch Through the Ages from Ron and Hermione (I tried to tell her you already had it!). She received a tin of fudge and a new Weasley jumper that looked the same as the one she had received the previous year.

She made fun of Ron when he opened his jumper to reveal that it was once again maroon. Ron craftily replied "Well…. Your face is maroon!"

"Very clever comeback, Won-won!"

He grinned at her, and she grinned back. It had been a long time since they had joked with each other.

Ron pulled on his jumper and Ginny watched Harry open his jumper. It was green, as usual. Harry pulled it on and Ginny looked away once she saw that his head was out of the hole. It would not do to be caught.

The night wound down, and soon everyone was leaving. Ginny stayed until it was almost half eleven, and her mum was walking her to the Apparation point.

When Ginny was home, she cleared room for her gifts. Once she was done with that, she performed her nightly routine and went to bed.

That night, she dreamed of Harry.

Ginny looked up to see a frustrated looking Harry standing over her.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked him flirtatiously.

"I want my socks," he told her.

"Your… socks?" she asked.

"Yes. You know, the things I put on my feet before I put on my shoes," Harry explained exasperatedly.

"Why would I have your socks?" she asked.

"Because you've been stealing my socks since you were twelve," Harry told her.

Ginny's eyes narrowed. She had never stolen Harry's socks. Whoever had told him that was going to have bat-bogey's.

"I haven't, though," she told him.

"Then why can't I find any of my socks?" Harry yelled, throwing his arms in the air.

"Maybe Dobby has them," she told him. "Do you want to walk to the kitchens and ask him? I'll go with you."

Harry grinned at her, and she felt her heart flutter in her chest. Something in her wondered if tonight was the night that he would finally kiss her.

"Sure," he said. They left the common room and walked through the corridors of Hogwarts.

For once, fifteen year old Ginny felt on the cusp of being involved in Harry Potter's life.

Ginny woke up, gasping. She had forgotten that. Or so she had thought. Apparently her subconscious had not.

She glanced at her clock, noting that it was half three in the morning. She swung her legs out of the bed, her feet hitting the cool carpet. She padded out to the kitchen and put on a pot of tea.

While she had been in America, she had not drank tea as much as she had at home. Coffee was what Americans drank. Coffee and soda.

She sighed, and pulled the milk out of the refrigerator. She placed it on the counter, and began to contemplate the last few months of her life.

When she had moved back to England, she had not expected to have such a hard time of it. She had expected to reunite with her family, to play great Quidditch, maybe find a new boy that reminded her of Harry.

But in just one day, the world had crumbled.

It was all because of Harry Potter. It was all because of the grip he still had on her heart. It was all because she had never wanted to function without him. She hadn't functioned without him, come to think of it.

She sighed, covering her eyes with her hands.

The teapot began to whistle, and she pulled it off and poured her tea.

She took a sip too soon, burning her tongue.

While she was waiting for her tea to cool, she realized something.

She had never gotten over Harry, but she had given up on him that day. She had let the memory of him consume who she was, until she was the shy little girl she had been at eleven, requiring to be saved by the very boy who had caused her depression.

Except this time, the boy was a man. And the man was not waiting to save her. He had let go of his "saving people thing", and she needed to let go of her "Harry Potter thing".

It seemed like it would be impossible, but she needed to remember who she had once been.