Hermione sat down on the couch next to her husband, smiling as her children ran towards the Christmas tree. They may be at Hogwarts, but they still were little kids. She noticed Rose pick up a small present she didn’t recognise, and she frowned slightly.
“Who’s that from?” she asked curiously. Rose blushed, and Hermione knew instantly who it was from.
“Scorpius,” she muttered. Hermione smiled as Hugo started shaking some of his presents. Hermione noticed which one it was, and was about to do something when Ron snatched it out of his hand.
“Hugo! Don’t shake it! Who knows what’s in it?” he exclaimed. Hugo laughed.
“You obviously do, and it’s obviously valuable,” he said. Hermione grinned. Hugo wasn’t stupid.
“Rose, put that down, we’ll open family presents first,” Hermione said, and went towards the tree to pull out the presents for her children, and then got the present she had given Ron, and handed it to him. He smiled at her, and he handed her a small gift. Hermione kissed his cheek, and slowly opened the present. It was a small velvet box. What a surprise. 23 years, and Ron couldn’t think of anything different. She opened the box, and saw a silver chain with a silver rose, a silver heart, and a silver Christmas tree. A charm bracelet. Hermione smiled at her husband. She wondered briefly what Harry had gotten Ginny, and instantly regretted it. She had promised herself not to compare Harry and Ron.
“Wow, Mum, Dad! Thanks!” Hugo exclaimed as he opened his present. It was one of those electronic game contraptions that Hermione despised. Hermione smiled at her son, and kissed his forehead, turning to her daughter.
“What do you think?” Hermione asked. Rose just stared at her mother incredulously. Hermione smiled widely, and Rose threw her arms around her mother.
“Thank you so much!” she exclaimed, picking up the pile of books and placing them on the table before looking under the tree again. Hermione grinned, and turned to her husband. Ron nodded.
“They like their presents,” he said.
“They do. I liked yours, thank you very much, Ron,” Hermione replied, and kissed him quickly on the mouth.
*~*
Harry watched his children and wife Floo to the Burrow, and then followed after them. He hated Flooing, but he didn’t want James or Albus to try to Disapparate underage. Molly bustled over to them, and gave each of them a big hug, and Harry saw, out of the corner of his eye, Hermione telling Hugo off. He slipped over to her.
“What’s he done now?” he asked loudly. Hermione sighed.
“He enchanted some mistletoe just as Angelina and Bill were going through the door together. They couldn’t move, and they had to, as Hugo put it, have a ‘proper’ kiss. George knew the counter curse, luckily,” Hermione replied, smiling brightly as she turned to look at Harry.
“Hermione!” Ginny exclaimed, running over and hugging Hermione tightly. Hermione smiled, and hugged her back, and then rolled her eyes at Harry over Ginny’s shoulder. Harry tried not to laugh. Ginny let Hermione go, and then hugged Ron, who was on the other side of the room.
“I have a present for you. I’ll give it to you in a couple of days, at work,” Harry muttered. Hermione’s eyes snapped up to Harry’s, and then she quickly looked down, not wanting anyone to see the intensity in her eyes.
“Harry, I didn’t get you anything special for a very good reason,” Hermione snapped quietly. He shrugged. ‘
“Harry, we need to treat each like normal, okay?” she whispered, before moving off to greet Lily. Harry gave a small nod, but she couldn’t see. He understood why they had to, they couldn’t hurt anyone, they couldn’t risk anyone finding out. But he just wanted her, here and now, no matter what anyone else thought or felt.
He spent awhile greeting the family and talking to different people before Molly called them all to Christmas dinner. They all made their way into the huge, enchanted dining room, and sat down. Harry ended up sitting next to Hermione and Albus. On Hermione’s other side was Ron, and across form Harry was Ginny, who was trying to avoid looking at Harry, which Harry did not understand.
The dinner went along well, until afterwards, when George stood up to make a speech. Harry noticed Teddy, next to Victoire, shift in his seat, and look down, and knew it was that time again.
“I know we go through this every Christmas, and I’m sorry to the people who weren’t around 23 years ago. But this will just be quick, a moment to think about everyone we lost, everyone who should be here with us. Fred, Remus, Tonks, Moody, and many others,” he said, and then he sat down sadly. There was silence for a long moment, until George nodded.
“Thank you,” he said. Harry sighed. He wanted to forget about the war, not have it brought up every Christmas. But he supposed it couldn’t be avoided. Hermione gave him a small smile, knowing how he felt about it, even though he was the one who started it, that first Christmas. Harry had just wanted it to be that Christmas.
He looked across from him, and even Ginny had a sympathetic smile for him. Molly then brought dessert out to them, and the table was merry again. He nudged Albus, who was looking very bored. Albus gave Harry a cheeky grin, and Harry sighed, waiting to see what Albus and James had planned for them, and probably not liking it.
They dug into their dessert, when Harry noticed a spoonful of trifle fly past him and into Hermione’s hair. Harry put his head in his hand as James stood up.
“FOOD FIGHT!” he yelled. James then sent a scoop of ice cream towards his mother, right in her face. Ginny’s eyes flashed with anger, and she pointed her wand at James, and then Albus, and their plates disappeared.
“James, Albus, leave the table,” Harry said calmly. Albus, who saw the look on his father’s face, left the table and tripped while running form the room, but James stayed where he was. Ginny stormed over to her son, and Harry walked over as well.
“James Sirius Potter, leave the table, or you will be grounded for the rest of these holidays, all the summer holidays, and all of the next Christmas holidays,” Harry said through clenched teeth, taking Ginny’s wand off her, and holding her back. James nodded, and gloomily left the table. Ginny and Harry returned to their seats.
“Hey, it’s not Christmas without Albus and James trying to make things exciting,” George said happily, helping himself to more tart. Everyone started laughing, even Harry, Ginny and Hermione joined in.
*~*
Once they had gotten home, and their three children were in bed, Ginny turned to Harry.
“You didn’t do that because it hit me, you did that because it hit both me and Hermione,” Ginny accused. Harry shook his head, denying the very truth. Ginny could never find out.
“Ginny, that’s ridiculous!” Harry exclaimed. Ginny scowled at him.
“I’ve seen the way you look at her Harry. I don’t blame her, she can’t help it if you like her at the moment. I blame you, though, Harry. You could at least hide it, even if it’s still disgusting for you to want her!” Ginny yelled. Harry turned away form her, so she wouldn’t see his guilty look. Hopefully she would never find out how much more there was.
AN~ Okay, this chapter is a little wierd. I originally wanted Hermione to bethinking about Harry a lot during the first part, and I had no idea abou the rest of it. I had the Al and James food fight for the exact reason that the last part actualy happened.
So, Ginny knows somethings up...but she doesn't see Hermione's in it too. So, I wonder what will happen (in truth, I really do, because I know how it will turn out in the end, just not in between). Anyway, thanks for reading, pelase review!
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