Chapter 45 - Christmas at Grimmauld
(A/N - Fair warning - this chapter will end up as a fluff and sweetness chapter…calm before the storm and all that.)
After all that had happened during that first week, Harry could easily understand the old saying about being on top of the world as they settled in to the routine of the new term. Compared to his memories of his original experiences during fifth year, he much preferred this version of events. First, of course, he no longer had to deal with a certain hag. Word had gotten out that she was still recovering in a private room on the fourth floor of St. Mungo's. Apparently, as rumor had it, the healers were unable to reverse the effects of whatever jinx, hex or curse that they assumed had been performed on her. Every time they would successfully reverse one of her many "conditions", it would be replaced by another one in a specific sequence - as if the magical cure itself was the trigger for the next attack.
<Maybe one of these days I'll send an anonymous tip in telling them that she needed to be treated on the next floor down.> Harry mused one night as he tried unsuccessfully to fall asleep. <On second thought, I'm not all that fussed about her problem. Besides, if she had stayed much longer this time, I'm sure things would have been worse for her…and for me, if I had had to put up with her for the whole year! Besides…this way, I have Sirius here!>
If asked whose company he preferred between Sirius, Hermione, and Harmony, Harry would have found it very difficult to choose. He found that he enjoyed his time with each of them for very different reasons. Hermione, of course, was never far away from his thoughts... or him, for that matter. He came to rely on her presence - either physically, in the form of a soft hand touching his arm…a quick kiss on the stairs as she left the common room to retire to her dormitory room - or as a familiar, welcome voice in his mind. Harmony, at least in public, was the model of equanimity with respect to Harry. Whenever she was near him, in class, during DA practices, or in the Great Hall she was quite aloof, in an obvious attempt to keep other students from being aware of their newly rediscovered relationship. This attempt extended to their mutual decision to not spend time with each other, because the potential risk of being caught together would be too great. However, in his private mental exchanges with her, he came to see another side to his Charms professor that was quite wonderful to experience and made him wish once again for the resolution of the quandary they were in.
However, even as much as he loved his association with the "two" women in his life, the sheer joy he felt at being reunited with his godfather was hard to top. It almost compensated for the twinge of guilt he felt every time he looked at him. He had mentally discussed this with Harmony on many occasions during the term, and they were both unsure if they should let Sirius know what had happened to him. Finally, they agreed to keep him in the dark at least until they could consult with Albus about the proper course.
There was one change in the timeline; however, that Harry was less happy about - his relationship (or lack of same) with Ron. Sure, Ron attended all the DA meetings faithfully, and was becoming quite adept at his spell work (aided, Harry had no doubt, by some private tutoring from a dirty-blonde haired Ravenclaw) and was improving greatly at Quidditch during their practices…but now that he remembered that he and Ron had once been inseparable, he felt a sense of loss. <Sometimes, it would be nice to have…well, a mate my own age to talk about "guy things" with...I mean, Sirius is a great friend and all, but it's just not the same.> He sighed quietly. <Well, it proves once again that there are changes in the timeline - I hope this means that we can successfully make some other changes, too. I WILL NOT see Hermione hurt or Sirius killed again…not if I can help it. Tom's already cost me my dad and my mum…>. As he thought about Lily, once again he remembered the flashback he experienced when Sirius had inadvertently called Hermione by Lily's name. In the flashback that day, he was there when Lily was struck by a green bolt of light and fell to the ground, dead. But, when he ran to her side in the dream and looked at her face, he realized that it wasn't his mum after all.
It was Harmony.
That was why he didn't want to tell Hermione about what he had seen at the time, or even afterwards as they were together in the Room of Requirement. Harry had been relieved that Hermione hadn't pressed him on the subject, even though he had vaguely mentioned that he would tell her about it the next time they were alone. But most of all, he was also quite pleased that his mind shields had held when Hermione entered his mind to bring him back from the fugue he found himself in after hearing Bella's name. He really wasn't prepared to explain himself to her then, and still wasn't, honestly. <And, I can't very well tell Harmony, can I? That would be something - "I had a funny dream, Harmony. It looks like I've got you confused with my mum…and I think Tom Riddle is going to kill you." I mean, I haven't even told Sirius anything, and I KNOW what happened to him last time around.>
Harry had discussed what to do about Sirius thoroughly with Harmony. She, along with Albus and Minerva, had convinced him to keep quiet about what he knew for now. They were all hoping that they could avoid a repetition of the events that led to Sirius's death originally, and in that case, their concerns about his safety would be moot. Harry, however, was not completely convinced. He felt that he, personally, would want to know, for he remembered how much pain and suffering his not knowing certain facts had caused his friends previously.
Harry sighed again and flopped restlessly back on his bed in his darkened dormitory room. He glanced at the new magical watch Hermione had insisted on buying for him at Hogsmeade their first visit of the year. He remembered her excitement quite well as she dragged him into a small shop he had never noticed before. <Look, Harry…it never needs winding or batteries, it is completely waterproof, it glows in the dark, and if you tap it with your wand like so, it changes so it works like that clock at the Burrow - allows you to keep track of the whereabouts of anyone you want. Might come in handy, you never know.>
Of course, he had set the watch to keep track of Hermione, Sirius, and Harmony at first. Convincing the watch to accept Miss Puckle as a separate person required a long series of spells performed by the headmaster himself, but he repeated the complex sequence very quickly as if he were quite familiar with the necessary charms. Right now, Sirius's hand was pointing to "Office", Hermione's to "Dormitory", and Harmony's to "Staff Quarters", which meant that everyone was where they should be. <So, why can't I get to sleep? There's nothing to worry about...well, except for my first and last Quidditch match of the year…against Slytherin… tomorrow.>
Harry had gladly kept the promise he made earlier to Hermione, even though Ron and Angelina were especially upset with him when he made the announcement one day after practice. Neither one would speak civilly to him for a week, but he was convinced that his time this year would be better spent in learning new ways to protect Hermione and Sirius than in riding his broom around. Besides, he realized, he had survived this year in the original timeline while only participating in one match, so he figured he could do it again, especially when it was a voluntary decision on his part. Of course, the fact that his final match would be against his former house was somehow apropos.
<That is, if I can get to sleep long enough so I won't fall off my broom tomorrow out of sheer fatigue!> he thought with exasperation. <Now, what was that sleeping charm Miss Puckle showed me?>
Harmony's quiet voice, (which sounded more and more like Hermione's, Harry thought) entered his head. <Trouble sleeping, my love? Don't you have some kind of game to play tomorrow morning?> He could almost see the smirk on her face. <Well, we can't have you tired out on your big day, can we? Remember the incantation I told you last time… Good… now the wand movements…Good night, Harry!> she said as she felt him relax into a deep slumber immediately.
*****
<Don't let Ron see what's on those Slytherins' badges,> Hermione thought urgently.
Harry nodded. <Yes, 'Mione…I remember all about that. Oh, by the way, Harmony, I've been meaning to ask you - could you explain something to me? Just why DID you give Ron a kiss before this match last time? Surely you didn't fancy him then, did you?>
<YOU…I mean I … did WHAT to Ron?> Hermione chimed in to the conversation with obvious disbelief.
To both Hermione and Harry, Harmony's answer from the staff table where she was eating her breakfast seemed rather exasperated. <HONESTLY, you two! Could you just grow up a bit? Just because a girl gives a friend a kiss on the cheek it doesn't always mean she's in love with him. I just remember him standing there so forlorn, and I wanted to show that I was still his friend. Don't worry, Hermione - it looks like someone else has taken on that responsibility this time around.> she said as Luna, wearing her lion-head shaped hat, walked up to Ron, put her arms around him and kissed him firmly on the mouth. This caused quite the uproar from the rest of the student body as she wished him good luck. <However, > Harmony continued, chortling in the mind link, <I'd definitely consider THAT particular kiss as meaning something more than just friendship!>
****
"Captains, shake hands," ordered the umpire, Madam Hooch, as Angelina and Montague reached each other. Harry could tell that Montague was trying to crush Angelina's fingers, though she did not wince. "Mount your brooms…"
Madam Hooch placed her whistle in her mouth and blew.
The balls were released and the fourteen players shot upward; out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Ron streak off toward the goal hoops. He zoomed higher, dodging a Bludger, and set off on a wide lap of the pitch, gazing around for a glint of gold; on the other side of the stadium, Draco Malfoy was doing exactly the same.
****
"…we won, Harry, we won!" Angelina said, still glaring at Crabbe.
Harry heard a snort from behind him and turned around, still holding the snitch tightly in his hand: Draco Malfoy had landed close by; white-faced with fury, he was still managing to sneer even as Fred Weasley accidentally bumped into him.
"Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you?" he said to Harry. "I've never seen a worse Keeper…but then he was born in a bin…Did you like my lyrics, Potter?"
Harry did not answer. Instead, he watched in amazement while Draco's ears started to lengthen while his nose and mouth elongated into a snout…as grey fur sprouted on his face and his voice picked up a definite braying quality. Then, Harry could see the tip of a tail showing from under Draco's Quidditch robes.
The students around began to notice something was amiss as Draco fell onto all fours and started to kick. As they realized what was happening, they all started laughing hysterically at Malfoy, who by now had turned into what, Harry realized, was an appropriate form - that of a complete jackass. <Hmmm…looks like someone's familiar with the Muggle story about Pinocchio! Wonder who it could be?>
As he looked around, he noticed a sly grin on the faces of two red-headed twins…and Hermione. <Ah…that explains it! She would be familiar with that fairy tale, wouldn't she? Looks like the partnership is still working quite well. Zonkos had better watch out!>
******
The victory celebration in the Gryffindor common room that evening was louder and happier than normal as the snow swirled outside the windows. Next to the large banners recognizing Harry's retirement from the house Quidditch team and welcoming him as the new team assistant manager in charge of training, there was an even larger poster that was attracting most of the attention. Colin Creevy had been present earlier, and as a result there was an enlarged magical photograph repeatedly showing Malfoy's transformation from blonde haired Slytherin to donkey and back again.
After a round of butterbeers, Seamus Finnegan loudly proposed a toast to the Weasley twins and Hermione for their contribution to the day's entertainment. Fred, of course, took the opportunity to solicit orders for their latest product, Donkey Drops, which could be administered to anyone just by applying the potion to their skin - as long as the pranker was wearing Weasley's All-Purpose Invisible Gloves.
"As you can see from the advertisement behind us, the potion is quite effective and completely reversible…not that we've let Malfoy or Pomfrey know that yet. By the way, Colin, you have a job as our chief photographer whenever you want! Couldn't have come up with a better campaign if we had paid someone for it!"
As the merriment continued through the night, Harry thought contentedly, <Thank you, 'Mione, for what you did to keep me from getting in a fight with Draco this evening.>
She walked towards the window and looked out on the snow-covered grounds as she responded. <You're welcome, Harry…after Harmony warned me about what happened last time, I knew I had to do something to intervene. Even though that hag isn't around to ban you this time, I didn't want anyone to remember your last match at Hogwarts as ending up in a brawl.>
Harry smiled at her. <Well, with you and Harmony always looking out for me, I'm pretty well set. In fact, I don't know if there's anything that would make me any happier right now.>
As she spotted something moving in the distance, she smiled broadly. <Oh, I can think of one thing…Hagrid's back.>
When they sat down at Hagrid's table shortly thereafter, Harry was pleased to learn that Hagrid's trip to visit the giants was much more successful. "Blimey, 'arry, Olympe and I sure do thank ye for that little tip you gave Dumbledore about where t' fin' them Death Eaters…don' know how you knew wha' we was up to, a'course, but never min' tha'…" he smiled as he patted Harry on the back as gently as possible, which knocked him right into his tea mug. "Sorry abou' tha', Harry…anyway, 'twent real good with the Gurg…Karkus was his name…after we handed over our 'prisoners' to him, tha' is…Told him we'd caugh' some intruders in his territory. Right pleased, he was…said his tribe had been pretty hungry lately…between that and the magic gifts Dumbledore gave us, we think it did the trick."
"So, the giants are on our side, then?" Harry asked with growing anticipation, trying not to think too much about the fate of Macnair and his group of Death Eaters.
Hagrid scratched his beard and pondered his answer for a moment. "Well, tha's hard t' say, really, seein's how they aren't really all that keen on makin' frien's…but Karkus did agree to not interfere in what was comin'…for either side. He also said to thank you, 'arry…for that other warnin' about Golgomath. As we were leavin' their valley, I saw Karkus pers'nally tossin' his rival's head into the lake. Still can' figure out how you knew his name and everythin'…you been doin' some extra studyin' in Trelawney's class?"
Harry shrugged and quickly changed the subject. "Oh, yeah…must be something like that. So, how's Madame Maxime?"
*****
December arrived, bringing with it more snow and a positive avalanche of homework for the fifth years. Harry and Hermione's prefect duties took a lot of their time, but with their enhanced communication skills they were soon known around the castle as the "perfect prefects". In fact, even Peeves seemed to have met his match after a few run-ins with a very determined Hermione. She never told Harry exactly what she did, but soon thereafter the poltergeist was seen helping decorate the castle for the upcoming Christmas season. Harry realized whatever she did got his attention, because whenever Peeves saw her from then on he always bowed politely. "Yes, Miss Granger…whatever you say, Miss Granger" he would say, and then he would turn happily to whatever task she had given him.
This month was much more pleasant for Harry this time for another reason. With his memory restored, Harry had earlier warned Albus against having Arthur serve as a guard in the DOM the week before Christmas, so he was quite relieved when Albus arranged for a late night meeting of the Wizengamot that night instead. "That should keep a certain slithery visitor from snooping around, eh, Harry?" Dumbledore said with a grin.
For the first time in his school career, Harry was quite looking forward to spending the holidays away from Hogwarts. During a DA meeting in early November, Sirius had suggested that Harry start up a contest for the club, with the top three pairs winning a stay over the break at an undisclosed location where they could receive advanced training from Sirius and Harmony. Harry thought this was a great idea and geared the club's training towards competitive DADA skills.
Tonks, Lupin, and Moody were invited to serve as the Auror judges for the competition, held the first week of December, with the whole school watching. At the end, the team of Ron and Luna took second by 10 points behind Hermione and Harry, with (surprisingly enough) Neville and Ginny not far behind them.
So, it was with great excitement that Dobby, the three couples, and Harmony and Professor Boardman serving as chaperones loaded onto the Knight Bus on the last day of term and headed for Grimmauld Place (or, at least, as close as the Bus could go to a place protected by Dumbledore's Fidelius charm).
The five days before Christmas were quite busy for them all. During one particularly grueling practice session on the first day of training, Ron was breathing hard after an attack from Neville. He started complaining that he had never worked so hard on a school holiday in his life. "When're we going to have some time to relax? All work and no play, you know…"
Luna, who had also taken a bit of a breather after being hit by one of Ginny's stunners, smiled at her red-headed boyfriend and said, "Oh, Ronald…you just let me take care of that. I'm sure that between the two of us, we can think of something that will serve as a pleasant break from training this evening."
Ron, his hands still on his knees, looked up at her and saw the look in her eyes, which caused his ears to redden quickly. A hooded Professor Boardman noticed the exchange, and quickly teased, "Well, you lot - are we going to have to establish some behavior ground rules as to the sleeping arrangements around here? I know the owner of this place, and I wouldn't want him to think you students were doing anything inappropriate, now would I? Harmony, maybe you should brush up on your "opposite sex" door wards - they're quite effective at keeping everyone in their proper rooms, you know." He motioned the three couples in closer and whispered "It's the same idea as the protections on the staircases to the girl's dormitories in each house…if you do your best over the break maybe I'll give you a few clues as to how to overcome that little obstacle…strictly for training purposes, mind you. These wards CAN be used to slow down mixed-gender Auror teams, you know - so there's a practical reason why you need to know about how to defeat them."
"Saiph, just what do you think you're telling the students?" Harmony sounded quite shocked as she held an Extendible Ear in one hand. "I'll have you know that I'm not going to allow ANY such activities while I'm here…so be warned. As of tonight, all the girl's bedrooms, including mine, will be protected by the strongest wards I can come up with…as will the boy's. I will also ask Dobby to patrol the halls at night just in case you get any ideas about getting together somewhere else in the house." Harmony was surprised to hear Hermione's voice in her mind. <Erm…Miss Puckle…you might want to reconsider what you just said. I can't tell you why, just yet…please trust me on this one, Harmony.>
"On second thought," Harmony said after a moment's pause, "how about a compromise…if you all promise to behave yourself and stay out of each other's bedrooms, I won't put up the wards each night and Dobby will stay in his room. But, the first time I catch any of you in the wrong place, they will go up. You'll have plenty of free time each night that you can spend together in the kitchen after dinner, besides. That way we can keep you out of trouble, right, Professor?"
*
Soon, it was Christmas Eve. The three couples' team defense skills were improving at a rapid pace, so much so that they had been given the entire afternoon off to rest and work on whatever Christmas presents they were giving each other. Harry noticed that Hermione was very secretive whenever he fished for hints on what she was going to give him. He, of course, had already purchased a copy of New Theory of Numerology, (<That seemed to go over well last time, anyway...and besides, Hermione doesn't have one - only Harmony does.> he thought to himself. < I just hope that Hermione comes up with a better idea than that homework diary she gave me last time…even though I did end up using it some, come to think of it.)
Finally, after his repeated cajoling got to be too much for her to take, Hermione said out loud so everyone could hear. "If certain people in this house don't stop asking me what I'm going to get them," she said, looking directly at Harry, "Father Christmas is going to deliver the proverbial lump of coal in their stocking…do I make myself clear?"
The room was silent for a good thirty seconds, and then Harry meekly answered "Yes, ma'am…"
"And, that reminds me. Don't call me ma'am, Harry! It makes me feel so…old!" she said, winking at him. <Don't worry, my love, I'm sure you won't mind when you find out what I have planned for you. I must admit…this is one of the more difficult presents I've ever had to come up with.>
*
Finally, it was Christmas morning, and the eight of them sat down next to the tree, which was surrounded by presents from all of their families. Mrs. Weasley had thoughtfully provided personalized sweaters for all of them, including one in the Ravenclaw colors for Luna.
Ron was quite pleased by the broom compass Harry had given him, but not so much by Hermione's homework planner. Harry's presents were all the same as he remembered from before…up to and including the homework planner from Hermione -this time with a Revealer attached. <So, is THIS what you were trying to keep from me, Hermione? Honestly, I was hoping for better this time, especially since you knew I already knew about this present.>
<Honestly, Harry - you're acting like a spoiled child…did you ever think that the present might be IN the planner, hmmm? No, don't look now. After you go to bed, open the diary to September 19th, and use the Revealer on the top of the page. Then you'll find out about the rest of your present.> Harry thought for a second he could almost sense sadness in her tone, but she cheered up quickly as she spoke out loud. "Thanks, Harry, for the Numerology book! I've wanted it for ages."
Luna, meanwhile, was admiring a bottle of perfume from Ron, while Ginny was gingerly holding a small mimbulus Mimbletonia plant from Neville. As Longbottom saw her expression, he looked quite upset. She smiled at him and said, "Don't worry, Neville - I'm just a bit nervous holding it now that you've told me what it can do. Wouldn't want stinksap all over the presents, now would we? Tell you what, why don't you show me later how to take care of it?" He nodded cheerfully, and Ginny giggled happily at his change in attitude.
At the same time, Harry heard a gasp coming from Miss Puckle as she opened her present from Hermione. It was a card of some sort, bewitched so that only the addressee could read the message. As she read, Harmony's eyes first grew wide, and then a tear formed on her cheek as she looked over at Hermione. "Oh, Miss Granger…thank you! You of all people know how much your present means to me!" she said, eyes glistening.
Sirius said, "What is it, Miss Puckle? What did Hermione give you?"
Harmony smiled slyly and said, "Never you mind about that, Saiph. It's something quite personal that Miss Granger has given me, and I prefer to keep it that way. Oh, by the way, Hermione…this does change what I was going to give you. Don't open your present yet…I've got something much better in mind for you now."
After they finished consuming Dobby's marvelous feast (Kreacher having already been dismissed by Sirius at Harry's insistence as soon as he arrived at Grimmauld Place back in August) and playing a few traditional party games, Harmony, who had been sneaking glances at her watch all evening, announced that it was getting quite late and they had a long day ahead of them.
Ron was shocked. "What? It's not even 9 o'clock yet! The evening's still young! Surely you're not going to make us work on Boxing Day, too? We're not house elves, you know! OW! OW! OW!" At his inadvertent slip of the tongue, Ron had been hit soundly, first by Luna on one arm, then by Hermione on the other, while Dobby Apparated directly onto his feet and fell over on top of him. "Oh, I am so <hic> sorry, Mr. Wheezy…<hic> I thought I heard you call for me...<hic> and I had just had my traditional drink of Christmas <hic> butterbeer...does master wish <hic> me to help him with <hic> something?"
"No, that's quite alright" he said, glaring at the witches on either side of him. "I didn't mean to disturb you. Have a good Christmas evening, Dobby."
"Oh <hic> Thank you, sir<hic> you are as kind <hic> as the rest of Mr. Potter's friends." Somewhat unsteadily, he untangled himself from Ron's feet, snapped his fingers, and Apparated back to his room.
Harmony, who was holding her hand over her face to keep from laughing out loud, finally answered Ron's complaint. "Yes, Mr. Weasley - we are working on Boxing Day. However, if you promise not to disturb me tonight, and by that I mean NO one is out of bed after hours…and no one even comes NEAR my door, maybe we can wait until sometime tomorrow afternoon to resume our training. Do we have an agreement?" She looked quickly around the room and saw everyone's head nodding gratefully. She also saw a sly wink from Hermione, which she just as slyly returned. "Yes, tonight is one night I really want to pass with no untoward interruptions."
*
Soon thereafter, Harry sat quietly on his bed, his wand lit as he opened Hermione's homework diary. He turned it quickly to September 19th, which was already marked with Hermione's birthday in her handwriting. "But, I already knew about that!" Harry muttered under his breath. "What's she playing at? Oh, wait…she said to use this Revealer, didn't she?"
He took out the eraser-like object from his pocket and rubbed it over the page. Slowly, more of Hermione's distinctive handwriting appeared.
My dearest Harry, the note began. I know you were probably somewhat disappointed when you saw what you thought was my Christmas present for you. Harmony told me all about your experience with it last time. But, my love, there is more to it. The Revealer I gave you is also a portkey. Don't worry - the headmaster himself was the one who created it for me, so it will work just fine. When you are ready to get your gift, just hold on to the Revealer and say "I'm ready." When you get to where it takes you, you'll find out more about my gift. By the way…I hope you aren't in your pyjamas yet. It might be embarrassing.
With all my love,
Hermione
"Wha…what?" Harry said out loud in his empty room. "I'm supposed to take a portkey without knowing where I'm headed? One time I did that, I didn't like the results all that much!" he said, remembering the trophy at the end of the Third Task maze. "But, I'm sure Hermione has something better in mind! Good thing I hadn't gotten all the way ready for bed yet - I don't usually wear pyjamas." He grabbed the Revealer in one hand and his wand in the other, and said quietly, "I'm ready."
After a VERY short trip, Harry found himself in a darkened room, but for some reason his wand would not light. He heard a sharp intake of breath coming from the corner, and said quickly, "Who's there? Hermione, is that you? Come on, 'Mione - stop playing games."
As his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, he saw a familiar bushy-haired shadow in a chair by the corner. "Yes, Harry…it is me. Although, not necessarily the me you were expecting." The witch waved her wand, and the room was bathed in the romantic glow of candles and his wand. He looked more closely at her and said, "Harmony! What are you doing here? What are you doing? You're releasing your appearance charms…and it looks like you've gone off your age-changing potion for the evening, too! This…this was all Hermione's idea, wasn't it…this was her Christmas present to me?"
She sounded a bit upset as she answered, "Harry, it's not always just about you, you know. This is Hermione's present to me, too. I…I mean, she…sometimes surprises me with just how thoughtful she is," she smiled happily. "Yes, Harry, her gift to me is a night alone with you…as my true self. And, before you get any ideas, remember that I know all about the restrictions that Albus discussed with you, and I fully support them. However, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy each other's company - just like you and Hermione did in the Room of Requirement earlier this year after she rescued you from your own mind. She felt very guilty that she has had so many chances over the years to spend some personal time with you that she felt she had to make it up to me somehow…even though it is really HER she is making it up to, now isn't it?"
Harry smiled as he reviewed certain pleasant memories of his previous times with the younger Hermione. "So, Harmony, I assume that in exchange, you offered to make up some of that bond-numbing potion that Madam Pomfrey gave you that night?"
"Very good, Harry…you are getting to be pretty smart, you know. Must be the fact you are associating with TWO of the smartest witches to ever attend this school! There is one thing, though. Tonight, could you please call me Hermione…or even 'Mione, if you prefer. I've wanted to hear you call me by my real name for so long that I can hardly stand it. Now, what was it that my younger self has told you on a few occasions?"
"Hmmm…can't seem to recall anything like that, 'Mione!" he said with a broad smile. "You'll just have to figure it out for yourself if you're so smart."
As her brown eyes locked in on his shining green ones, she said with happy tears rolling down her face, "Oh, just shut up and kiss me, Harry!"
(A/N - So, there you have it…not a bad Christmas present for the two of them, eh? The rest of what happened that night I'll leave to your own PG-13 rated imagination. Of course, I have no real way of knowing if you keep your imagination within those bounds, now do I? All I ask is that you keep your thoughts about their evening to yourself! *blush*.)