Part Seven
A Very Weasley Christmas
“Celebrate Christmas at the Weasley’s?” Draco looked over the letter at Harry with a raised eyebrow. “That should prove interesting.”
“What do you mean?” Harry asked, munching on his breakfast cereal.
“I mean,” Draco said, “that a year ago, Ron and I couldn’t stand each other – and now we are to spend Christmas together?”
Harry shrugged with a smile. “Time passes, things change.”
Draco looked at him, a contemplative look on his face. “I suppose they do.”
“So shall I tell Molly that we’re coming?” Harry asked. Pig hooted as he picked up the quill to write a response. The tiny owl looked excited about getting to carry another letter back to his family.
Draco smiled and nodded. “Do that. Though we’ll have to go out and do quite a bit of Christmas shopping, I suppose.”
“I don’t think that’ll be that much of a problem,” Harry said, grinning at Draco before proceeding to write the letter to the Weaselys.
Harry and Draco Apparated to just outside the Weasley’s home on
Christmas eve. They were clad warmly in thick cloaks and heavy boots,
with caps on their heads and gloves covering their gift-filled hands.
“Remember how you said shopping for everyone wouldn’t be a problem?” Draco grumbled.
“Yes? What about it?” Harry asked.
“I think you were right that it wasn’t a problem to buy the stuff – but carrying it all around…”
Harry grinned. “Oh, stop whining you big baby,” he said. He bent over and kissed Draco’s cheek, just as the door opened.
“Harry! Draco! There you are!” Molly Weasley stood in the doorway and she ushered them inside. Ron, Fred and George unloaded the gifts from their hands and Molly hugged both of them. “Welcome, welcome,” she said.
“Thank you,” Harry said. He hugged Fred, George and Ron as well. Draco only shook their hands, still not feeling quite at home with the Weasleys. Harry understood it, though he wished Draco could feel as good about being part of the Weasley family as he did.
The house was decorated with every Christmas gadget possible; Santas in every corner, singing Christmas carols, a mistletoe hung in the entrance to the living room, and a huge Christmas tree stood proudly – if a bit cramped – in said living room. There were twelve stockings hanging over the fireplace; all the Weasleys had theirs and then there was Harry’s, Hermione’s and Draco’s.
“Hermione is coming too?” Harry asked.
Ron nodded. “Isn’t it great? I haven’t seen her much since she took over McGonagall’s job as Transfigurations Professor.”
“But she’s not a Professor in it yet, is she?” Harry asked. “I thought she said that she was—”
“—working on it, yes,” Ron said. “Yeah, she has another two and a half years of studies before she can call herself Professor of Transfigurations, but all the students there apparently call her ‘Professor Granger’ anyway.”
“Yes, it’s quite embarrassing, really.”
Harry and Ron turned around to see a rose-cheeked Hermione standing in the doorway.
“Hermione!”
Both boys hugged her tightly and she giggled. “You seem to have missed me.”
“Well, except for the very occasional visit, we don’t see you very often these days,” Ron said. “I was thrilled when mum told me you’d come today.”
“I wouldn’t miss the Weasley Christmas for the world,” Hermione smiled. She turned to Harry. “Where’s your better half, Harry?”
“Trying to figure out what’s in his Christmas presents, probably,” Harry grinned. “He’s been trying to get me to tell him what I bought for him since I went shopping on my own in the beginning of the month.”
Hermione chuckled. “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.”
“Hermione!”
Hermione turned around with a great smile on her face. “Everyone seems to be shouting my name today.”
“If you want it that way,” Ginny said, beginning to walk away, though her eyes twinkled merrily.
Hermione shook her head with a grin. “Not likely.”
Ginny threw her arms around Hermione. A small frown appeared between Harry’s brows; was it just him or was the embrace a bit too long to be friendly. There was something in the way Hermione and, more especially, Ginny acted.
Like they weren’t just friends.
But that was ridiculous.
Harry felt a pair of arms snake their way around his waist, making him forget Hermione and Ginny.
“Hello gorgeous,” Draco whispered in his ear.
Harry smiled and turned around to face his boyfriend. “Have you figured out what’s in your gift yet?”
Draco pouted. “You know I haven’t.”
“Good,” Harry said. “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”
“I don’t like surprises,” Draco said, sounding like a grumpy child.
“You’ll like this one,” Harry promised. His heart leaped with nervousness at his own words; he hoped Draco would like what he’d bought. It wasn’t anything Harry had ever thought of giving anyone before. He pushed the nervousness away to joke with Draco. “Oh, look at that pouty lip – it looks edible.”
He dipped his head down and devoured Draco’s lips; they were just as wonderful as he knew they’d be. He felt Draco smile and press himself closer.
“If you keep this up, we won’t be get through the evening without an intervention in some bedroom,” Draco whispered in Harry’s ear. Harry felt himself grow hot at the mere suggestion.
“Ah, there you are,” Molly said. “Dinner is served.”
Harry was almost glad for the interruption. He followed Hermione, Ron and Ginny to the kitchen, though he blinked when he saw Ginny take Hermione’s hand briefly. He wondered if anyone else had noticed.
Percy was the only one who didn’t seem to be enjoying himself all
that much during dinner. According to Ron, the relationship between Percy
and the rest of the family was still strained. Mrs. Weasley seemed to
be walking on eggshells around him and Mr. Weasley’s conversation
around him was tense, at best.
Everyone sat down for the big Christmas dinner and Mrs. Weasley served dish upon dish of delicious foods.
Mrs. Weasley carried the big turkey to the table and set it down gently. Mr. Weasley was just about to start cutting it when it started singing a happy Christmas carol. It bobbed back and forth as it sang, as everyone around the table, save for Fred and George, stared wide-eyed at it.
When it stopped, the room became deadly quiet.
“Fred and George Weasley,” said Mrs. Weasley. “I do hope that didn’t ruin it.”
“That was brilliant,” Ron said. “What was it?”
“That,” Fred said, “was a show of our latest Animate the Inanimate candy: the Christmas version.”
George grinned. “Brilliant, hm? If you clap your hands, it’ll start again.”
Ron clapped his hands and the turkey started singing again. Laughter bubbled around the table until everyone was lying double over the table, giggling and laughing. Bill and Charlie clapped the twins’ backs and even Mrs. Weasley had to smile widely – after she’d made sure the turkey was still edible.
The next morning, Ron, Harry and Draco, who were sleeping on transfigured
beds in Ron’s room, were woken early by Mrs. Weasley. She gave them
each a present; new Weasley sweaters. Draco stared at his.
“Am I supposed to wear this?” he asked, sounding rather horrified at wearing something so unfashionable.
Harry giggled. “Just put it on, it’s time for presents.”
Walking into the dimly lit living room, Harry took a moment to just enjoy the atmosphere. Candles made the room glow warm and the Weasleys were scattered around the room. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny squeezed together on the couch. Draco leaned against Harry’s legs, sitting on the floor.
They took turns in giving each other presents and each person waited as the receiver opened his or her new gift. There were all sorts of things, from the Muggle devices that Fred and George gave their father to the very old tome on Transfigurations that Ron had bought for Hermione, to the subscription to Witch Weekly that Mrs. Weasley had ordered for Ginny.
The pile of gifts quickly became smaller. Harry opened his presents from the Weasleys to find a new sort of candy from Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes that he didn’t dare to eat just yet, a book on Quidditch from Ron and a silver chain from Ginny.
“I thought it’d look good on you,” she said with a smile.
Hermione’s gift for Harry was a book on old Manors and she told him that Malfoy Manor was described in it.
Draco seemed surprisingly happy with the gifts he received; the same sort of candy as Harry had received from the twins, a pair of dragon hide gloves and an rare book on Potions from Hermione.
In the end, only two gifts lay under the Christmas tree. Harry knew what one of them contained, but not the other and he was the first to be sent.
“Merry Christmas,” he said to Draco and kissed him lightly.
Draco took the small, wrapped gift and tore the paper quickly. Inside was a square box and he opened it. Harry smiled as he saw Draco’s eyes widen.
“Harry, it’s beautiful,” Draco breathed.
He picked the necklace up; it was a thin chain with a small silver dragon hanging off it. The dragon’s eyes were made of emeralds and they glittered in the soft candle light.
“It has several protection charms on it,” Harry said. “And if there ever comes a time when you really need me, just hold onto it really tightly and think of me and I’ll know.”
Ginny leaned over to look at the necklace. “That’s really a gorgeous piece of work.”
“And a dragon for Draco,” Hermione said with a smile, “who’d have thought?”
Harry chuckled. “I swear that’s a coincidence,” he said and everyone laughed.
Once Draco had fastened the chain around his neck, it was time for the last present. Hermione got up from her seat and picked up the gift. It was even smaller than Harry’s.
“Ginny,” she said, “if you don’t mind, I’m going to unwrap this for you.”
Harry raised an eyebrow at Hermione and wondered what on Earth she was doing. Ginny looked wide-eyed as Hermione pulled the red wrapping paper off the small box that lay inside – and then Ginny gasped when Hermione dropped down to one knee before her.
“I know this is not at all traditional,” she said to Ginny, “but will you be my wife?”
A collective gasp went around the room. Harry looked around and noticed that only one person seemed unsurprised: Mrs. Weasley.
“Yes, of course I will,” Ginny said with a wide smile and allowed Hermione to place the ring on her finger.
“You’re— together?” Ron asked, his chin on the floor.
Hermione and Ginny didn’t answer; they just gazed into each other’s eyes with wide smiles.
Half an hour later, Hermione and Ginny had finally answered everyone’s questions. They’d been together for nearly two years now, in secret as they weren’t sure what everyone would think. Now it was time for their families to know – and they were immensely happy to find that neither Hermione’s nor Ginny’s family had anything against their relationship.
“As long as my daughter is happy, I’m happy,” Mrs. Weasley said with a great smile. “When you told me you wanted to marry her – I did hope I’d get you for a daughter somehow.”
Harry and Draco sat back and watched the rest of the family congratulate Hermione and Ginny.
“Looks like we’re not the only gays in the family anymore,” Harry said with a chuckle.
“Aw, you don’t feel special enough?” Draco asked teasingly.
Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Merry Christmas, Draco.”
“Merry Christmas, Harry.”
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