Harry stood nervously outside Penny's room in her home. He wasn't sure whether to be surprised or not that the Wyrm residence was inside a massive tree that had been hollowed out and expanded while the tree still lived, but it was surprisingly comfortable. When the group had arrived, Penny had managed to get her senses back, and had promptly dashed right up the wall and dived into her room, slamming her door shut behind her. This had resulted in Hazel bursting into laughter before reassuring everyone that Penny would be just fine, and then introductions had been made.

Harry was a little unnerved by the attention he'd received from Penny's parents when introductions got to him. Henry had been a bit more intense, while Hazel's gaze was somewhat evaluating. None of the other adults seemed surprised, which just confused him more. He finally managed to get away by saying he wanted to give Penny his gift...and the sight of the gift had amused the adults just like Professor Flitwick had been.

...while dashing away might have been a little rude, both Henry and Hazel seemed impressed that he raced right up the wall just like Penny had if somewhat slower. Then again, there weren't any stairs, so he wasn't sure how anyone was expected to get around without climbing...

Shaking himself to regain his focus, he knocked on Penny's door.

"Nobody's home!" Penny squeaked out. "Come back later!"

"Penny, it's Harry," he responded gently. "I wanted to give you my gift, since I wasn't able to wrap it."

There was silence for a time in response before Penny softly responded, "...come in..."

With permission, he opened the door and stepped in. The room itself had the raw wood of the tree where it had been carved out, parts still growing from floor to ceiling as dividers within the room. The floor had a few levels smoothed flat, and the walls themselves were rough for easy climbing as the room - like most of the home - spread vertically rather than horizontally. In the center of the room was a pile of cushions and blankets set up like a nest...and one blanket was pulled tight to bundle up around a huddling figure, nothing visible under the blanket.

"Are you okay, Penny?" Harry asked worriedly, approaching the nest.

"...'m fine..." Penny mumbled quietly. "Just...so embarrassed! I can't believe I dove into your robes like that..."

"You weren't fully in control of yourself," Harry pointed out comfortingly. "I'm not going to hold it against you."

Penny just let out a distressed chitter in response.

Sitting down at the edge of the nest, Harry tried to think what to say to comfort her. "...I honestly didn't mind it all that much..." he offered uncertainly.

Penny pulled the covers back to stick her head out, blinking at him in surprise. "...you didn't?"

"Not really," Harry confirmed with a shrug. "It was just another hug, right? I-"

Before Harry could say more, Penny leapt from the blankets to glomp onto him, her body covered in fur as she was half shifted...and apparently hadn't bothered to grab clothes when she'd dashed away in embarrassment. "Thank you," she offered happily. "I was worried I'd freaked you out..."

Harry shrugged as he returned the embrace. "With everything I've gone through learning about magic, you acting like a cat on the nip wasn't that weird." Lifting one hand, he gently rubbed her head between her ears, unable to hold back a smile when she let out a chittering purr. "You even purr like one."

"Har~ry..." Penny whined playfully, her ears going flat. He couldn't help but laugh, and she joined in shortly after.

Once he got his laughter under control, Harry reached over to where he'd put down the bag with the Compass. Seeing what he was doing, Penny immediately leapt back, balanced on her toes and knees excitedly as she stared at the bag. Chuckling at her antics, Harry reached into the bag and pulled it out. "Happy Christmas, Penny," Harry offered warmly.

Penny let out a gasp as she seized it, looking it over excitedly. "A Couple's Compass! I've heard about these! I was actually thinking of getting one so I could always find you-" Her eyes widened in shock. "Is that why...?"

Harry nodded with a warm smile. "Didn't want you getting lost looking for me-" His words were cut off as Penny tackled him to the blankets and pillows, nuzzling him in joy.

Hazel smiled as she stared into her daughter's room before closing the door. Harry and Penny had fallen asleep together, clinging to each other like a pair of koalas. Stepping off the platform at Penny's door, she dropped back to the main room just as Henry brought beverages out of the kitchen for the other adults.

"How long did it take you to get used to that?" Hermione's father asked, having been startled at Hazel's casual disregard for gravity.

"I'll let you know when I do," Henry replied with a chuckle, startling some laughter from the others.

"Are you certain you're comfortable with them...sharing a bed?" Augusta asked, careful to keep her tone from being judgemental.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Hazel asked curiously. "Nest sleeping is a natural instinct from our squirrel heritage. It's part of scurry bonding. Honestly, I half expected Hermione, Ron, and Neville to end up in there with them. Penny's definitely 'adopted' them as her scurry."

"So...it's not anything more than that?" Minerva asked carefully. "I admit, Pomona was a bit concerned about that..."

"Well, for now anyway," Henry allowed with a smirk. "It's rather obvious that they'll eventually be more than just 'friends' or scurry-mates."

"Really?" Molly asked in surprise. "I mean, I know they're surprisingly close, but-"

"She doesn't realize she's scent-marked him," Hazel observed with a warm smirk. "It'll probably take several years for them to realize their feelings, but it's practically inevitable." She turned to Minerva. "Albus is his magical guardian, right? You'd best let him know to cancel any marriage contracts that might be on the books for Harry, if there are any."

"I'll be sure to let him know," Minerva agreed, not noticing the brief look of disappointment on Molly's face. "Honestly, had I thought of it, I would have suggested that in the first place regardless. Harry's had enough of his life dictated by others, what choices can be his own should be."

"And you...aren't worried about them sharing a bed if you're that certain they will be together?" Augusta asked in concern.

Hazel shrugged her shoulders. "As long as they're actually married and graduated before they give us grandchildren, whatever makes them happy." She glanced up at the door far above. "The poor boy needs all the happiness he can get..."