Font:  VerdanaTimes New RomanCourier NewGeorgia10pt12pt14pt

Chapter Eleven – Christmas Part Two – A Surprise For Everyone

The snow was falling outside Ginny’s window. It was light and flawless as it sailed down from the clouds onto he ground. Ginny was lying on her bed admiring the snow from her window and Harry was lying on top of her chest fast asleep. He was so exhausted from talking. Ginny had told him everything that had happened in the past weeks that he’s been gone. They talked about the fight she had with Ron and both agreed that Ron wasn’t the sharpest needle in the sewing kit, then Ginny told him about how whipped he was and then about the dream she had. He was talked out.

Ginny looked down at him. He was so peaceful when he was sleeping, he looked like an angel. Ginny regretted waking him up but she had no choice. Her parents would soon be home and there was no way she was going to let them find Harry, especially like this. Her parents wouldn’t appreciate that Harry, who they hadn’t seen or heard from since summer, showed up at their house and was lying on top of their daughter. Can you say awkward?

Ginny slowly ran her hand through Harry’s brown, raven hair gently massaging the top of his head. Harry moaned as he slowly began to wake up.

“Five more minutes.” Harry mumbled.

“Come on Harry, you know you have to get up.”

“I don’t wanna. It’s warm right here.” Harry whined as he nestled farther down into Ginny’s shirt.

“Don’t whine. You know I can resist you when you whine.”

“That’s why I do it.” Harry said looking up and giving her a grin. Ginny smiled back then pulled him closer up to her face and laid her lips on his. Harry returned the kiss and took control of it wrapping his hand around the back of Ginny’s neck deepening the kiss. They held for a few moments then Ginny pulled away.

“I don’t want you to leave.” Ginny said looking up into his eyes then pulling him into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “I just want to hold you forever.”

“I know, but we’ll be together soon, I promise.”

Harry held her for a while then got up and started throwing on his jackets and wrapped his new scarf around his neck.

“It looks good on you. Makes you look sexy.” Ginny said on a seductive voice.

Harry smiled at her then finished putting on his jacket. He walked over to her fixing his collar and laid a kiss on her. He pulled away and took the charms off the door, with a wave of his hand.

“How did you do that?” Ginny asked awing at the fact that he didn’t use a wand.

“Oh, I have been training, well sort of. This power just sort of came to me and I decided that I better learn how to use it because, well just because I thought it would be useful and it is.”

Harry turned and walked out the door and walked down the stairs and to the back door. Ginny followed closely. Harry turned and found himself looking straight into Ginny’s glistening hazel eyes.

“I love you.” He whispered under his breath.

“I know, I love you too. Now, kiss me you fool.” Ginny said bringing a smile to his face.

He leaned in and gave her one last passionate kiss followed by a hug then walked out if the house. He walked half way across the yard then turned to find Ginny standing in the doorway watching him walk away. He waved goodbye and she blew him a kiss.

As Harry walked into the forest he dropped his hand into his pocket and felt something. He pulled out an unmarked envelope. It was the one that Ginny had given him along with his present. It smelled like vanilla and cinnamon sticks. It smelled like Ginny. Harry opened it to find a long letter so he found a tree and sat up next to it then started to read.

Harry my love,

There are no words to express how much I love you. I miss you so much. Being away from you takes so much out of my life. I think the only thing that gets me through my day is the thought that you will soon come back to me and everything will be as it should.

The days are long and the nights even longer. Who ever come up with the saying “Time makes the heart grow fonder” was right. This time we have spent apart has made me realize how much I truly love you and has assured me that you are the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you Harry and nothing will change that.

Everyone here is so worried about you, as am I. I assure them that you are fine and doing well when they ask, but for some reason, every time I say I tell someone, it makes me doubt myself more and more because I realized that I really have no idea if you are fine or not. I think the person who asks the most is Professor Lupin. He cares so much about you and I know he doesn’t want anything to happen to you.

Please be careful Harry. I know this letter sounds really sappy and you’re probably sitting there rolling your eyes right now but it’s true. I know you better than you think I do, so don’t try anything stupid. I love you so much Harry and I can’t wait until all of this is over and then we can finally be together again. Please write often and don’t keep me out of the loop, you know it bugs the hell out of me, and that’s probably why you do it.

We all send our love. Hope to see you soon.

Love,
Ginny

Harry finished the letter with a smile on his face and stuck it back into his pocket.

“She does know me so well.”

~*~

The rest of the Christmas holiday went by pretty peacefully. On Christmas day the whole Weasley family gathered at the Burrow for a quiet dinner along with some friends.

Fred, George, and Charlie, as well as the newlyweds Bill and Fleur showed up. Ron finally decided to grace them with his presence along with Remus, Mad-Eye, and Tonks. It was a nice site to see.

Everyone was gathered around to dining room table filling their plates and making small conversation as dinner began. Everything was going pretty smoothly until the long awaited subject that everyone knew was coming, came up.

“Oh it’s so nice of all of us to be here together.” Mrs. Weasley said, “Too bad Harry couldn’t be here with us. I hope he’s doing alright wherever he is.”

The table completely fell silent after that. Mrs. Weasley had just figured out what she had said. No one had the guts to talk, but they all did end up glancing over to Ginny. Eyes wandered everywhere. No one knew what to do. Harry was a sensitive subject to everyone, and the twins didn’t want to rat Harry out. After a few more moments of silence, Ginny finally thought that everyone was being silly about this whole thing and decided to break the icy layer that had taken over.

“He’s fine you know.” Ginny said in calm voice.

Everyone suddenly turned their heads and stared at her, all in shock. “What?”

“I said that he’s fine. I just talked with him. Well I didn’t really talk to him, but I just got a letter from him.” She said trying not to give away the fact that she had spent most of the day before making out with him on her bed.

“What? When? What did he say?” Remus asked.

“He said he was fine and that he’s sorry he can’t be with all of us on Christmas. He says that he misses everyone and that he would write soon.” There was a brief moment of silence before she spoke again. “You know you guys don’t have to be afraid of talking about him in front of me.”

Everyone just kind of looked at each other.

“It’s not that big of a deal. I’m not as young as you all make me out to be. I can handle you all talking about him in front of me. I’m not two you know.”

Ginny didn’t really intend to be mean. It’s just the way her feelings came out. But still, no one said anything. She rolled her eyes then excused herself and got up from her seat.

“Wait, Ginny,” She stopped in the doorway and turned to face all of them. “It’s not that we don’t think you can handle it. It’s just that…we know the subject is a sensitive one and we don’t want you to think that we don’t care about you.” Mr. Weasley said to his now mildly irate daughter.

“Yeah Ginny, we just don’t want anything we say effect you in the wrong way.” Charlie spoke up.

Ginny didn’t say anything. She wasn’t mad, she was just annoyed at the fact that everyone thought of her as a child and not a young adult, but before she could say anything something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. A snowy white owl had landed outside the kitchen window. She went past everyone and walked over and opened the window. She let Hedwig in then saw that there was a package tied to the leg of the bird. She untied and opened it as she gave Hedwig a slice of ham and walked back into the dining room.

Everyone was talking among themselves wondering what had come over her. They all looked up when she entered the room staring into the small brown box. Inside there where small little wrapped boxes, that looked like presents. There was also a letter. She took it out and opened it.

Hello Everyone,

I’m sorry I can’t be there to celebrate the holidays with you. It’s too risky to come. I hope you understand and are having a good time without me. With everything going on I still didn’t forget you all. So here are your Christmas gifts. I hope you like them. I know I have gone all this time without writing and I am very sorry for that.

I send all of my love with Hedwig. Happy Christmas!

Harry

This brought a smile to Ginny face.

“What is it Ginny?” Mrs. Weasley asked wondering what sort of thing could possibly bring a smile to her daughter’s face.

Ginny read the letter to them and gave out the small tagged boxes to everyone. They all looked at them curiously wondering what small thing could Harry of possibly sent to all of them. Then out of the blue the gifts started to grow into the shape or form of what Harry had intended to give them. Then they all opened their presents.

Bill and Fleur got a late newlywed gift. Mad-Eye got a new flask and Ron was given some supplies for quiddich. They all opened their presents with awe and seemed to enjoy them, all except for one. Remus was still sitting with the neatly wrapped gift in front of him. There was a letter on top of it that was open and he was slowly reading it.

Ginny walked over to him and sat in the empty chair next to him.

“What’s wrong Professor?”

Remus looked up at her with tears in his eyes and handed her the piece of parchment that seemed to cause this emotional outburst.

Dear Remus,

Ginny has told me that you seemed to be the person who cares the most about me and also worries the most. I am writing to tell you that I truly and deeply appreciate it. Ever since Sirius has died I have always looked up to you as a father figure.

Please understand that I do have my reasons for leaving and that I never meant to hurt any of you. I miss you so dearly and I hope that this will soon be over and I can come back to a family. I hope this letter calms your nerves a bit and I really hope that you feel the same way when I say that I love you like a father. I never got the chance t say it to Sirius so I don’t want to screw up and miss that chance with you.

I found this while I was going through some old things and I thought that you would like to have it. I promise to write more often I hope that you are doing well.

Happy Christmas!

Love,
Harry

Ginny looked up at the crying werewolf and wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. She thought it was the least she could do. He then turned back to the gift and unwrapped it. It was a picture that was framed. The picture was of himself along with Sirius, Peter Pettigrew, Harry’s parents, and Harry as a baby and Remus was holding him. It was when Harry was just born. The werewolf seemed to remember that day so vividly. This again caused him to burst out in tears.

“He will always and forever be my son.”

~*~

Later that night after everyone left Ginny went to throw away the box that held the gifts from Harry. She picked it up to find that there was still something in it. There was still a small gift that she must have not noticed at first. She took it out and held it in her hand. The gift grew into a small flat box that read on the tag To Ginny, with all of my love!

Ginny tore off the wrapping wondering what else he sent her. She didn’t expect to get anything else after what she had gotten the day before. She popped open the box to find a picture of the two of them. They where sitting together in the garden at the Burrow and they where laughing. The picture continued to move as Harry leaned over and kissed her.

Under the picture there was a note.

Something to add to the album.

The picture brought a smile to her face as she remembered the good times they spent together.

***************************************************************************

A/N: Again I say that I am super sorry that this took so long to get up. I've had most of it written for a whle I just had a hard time finishing up. Thanks for sticking with me. The next chapter is only in the works so unless I get a burst of inspiration during this winter break please don't expect it to be up too quick. Thanks for writting, please review. I want to know how all of you liked it. I stuck a little more sarcasim and and then that part with Remus crying, i thought it was time for a sappy moment. PLease let me know what you think because I really lean on you guys for inspiration. Thanks again, and have a Merry/Happy Christmas! ~ Kat