Chapter 19 Happy Holidays Part II
**************************Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts**********************
December 25, 2005 Christmas
"Aw aren't they cute?" Ron whispered to his coconspirators; Luna, Ginny and the twins. He smiled evilly at the vision of Harry and Hermione asleep on the Head's common room couch, wrapped up together and seemingly oblivious to the world. After the two of them had left the rest of the erstwhile family gathering in the lower, main common room last night, they must have came up here and ended up snuggling on the couch and fell asleep. Harry's glasses have fallen off his face to the floor and Hermione's hair was covering her face, where it was snuggled into his shoulder.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? Do you really want to surprise them?" Ginny queried with a sense of foreboding. Then, with a quiet sigh, she relented, "oh what the hell." She was a Weasley after all.
Meanwhile on the couch, all was not as it seemed. Are you ready, Mione?
Of course, they should know better after all, With a projected image of a grin. Can you hit them without your glasses? I'm glad my hair is hiding my face or I'd be laughing.
I'm just the shield you have to aim here. You mean you're not already laughing?
Ron nodded to the others:
The ambushers: "Appero Snowball."
"FIRE!" Ron yelled, then almost at the same instant from Ginny, "AW SHIT"
For at that instant, the supposedly sleeping ambushees snapped up and...
At the same instant, Harry flicked his hand in a slashing movement, "PROTEGO", a glittering shield appeared
as Hermione snapped "Reverus Objectus," the five incoming snowballs stopped in flight and shot straight back
at the throwers. Nailing four of the five would-be pranksters, only Ginny with a half second's warning and seeker
reflexes almost as good as Harry's, managed to dodge that returned shot.
"Bloody hell" a perplexed Ron groaned, as he wiped snow from his face, and glared at the laughing pair.
"Come on mate, there's presents to open downstairs," Harry put his arm around the shoulder of his best friend and steered him to the steps. "Mione, can you get our presents for everyone?"
"Sure, Harry" Hermione turned from Ron "Locomotor presents" a pile of presents floated out the door of her room, through the Head's common room and down the stairs to the main Gryffindor common area.
After Harry managed to get Ron to descend the stairs, Ginny asked, "How"
"How what?" Hermione beamed at the tiny witch, and stretched a bit.
" I know how you deflected the snowballs, the whole greatest wizard and witch of your age thing gives that away, but how did you catch us?" Ginny stood, hands on hips as she waited for an answer.
"Oh I heard it when Ron stepped on Crookshanks' tail," Hermione replied with a shrug, her brown eyes twinkled just at bit as she responded.
"Foiled by a cat, Damn." Ginny rolled her eyes, but a grin lit her face as Hermione gave her a sisterly hug.
"Indeed, kind of funny that you are one, isn't it?" Hermione philosophized, as the pair followed the presents and their friends down the stairs to the main common room below, Ginny just gave a shrug in mute response, making a mental note to change and have a talk with Crookshanks later.
Down below, the presents were pilled high about a seven-foot spruce that had not been there the night before. Before he had come to Hogwarts, Harry had not experienced a Christmas were he was actually appreciated and actually received presents. The Dursleys had almost never even acknowledged his presence at Christmas, besides having him make the meals or carry Dudley's ever-increasing pile of presents up to his spare bedroom. Now that he stayed away for Christmas, they often made a point of giving him a present, however it was usually things like a broken toothpick, or a single sheet of toilet paper, or this year, a dirty sock, one so smelly that upon being given it to carry to Harry, Hedwig had immediately dumped it behind the telley at the Dursleys. They were still trying to find the smell, a week later.
Harry however, had never passed up the opportunity to give presents to his friends and this year was no different. This was the first year that he and Hermione had been a couple however, so for the most part, the pile of presents that Hermione had levitated down the stairs was from both of them.
The extended family was pilled around the main Gryffindor common room, munching on Christmas snacks that had appeared overnight, probably thanks once again to Dobby. With a small smile, Harry used his wand to send a box over to Ron. Ron was leaning back on the base of one of the couches next to Luna's legs, where she sat staring down at him. "Catch"
Ron glanced up and on noticing the package was from both Harry and Hermione, yelled over "Thanks" and tore open the package; "Cool" he muttered, on seeing that the package contained one of the new official Chudley Cannons away jerseys, his favorite Quiddich team.
"It has a perpetual sizing charm on it." Hermione explained over to him, "So you won't out grow the thing". Ron just smiled at the reminder of him perpetually outgrowing clothes; it was a reoccurring headache for Molly.
The rest of them tore into the presents, Ginny received a nice necklace from Neville who in turn got a Herbology field kit; it was his favorite hobby. And all of them including Neville, received the infamous Molly Weasley Christmas sweaters. Unwrapping hers, Hermione leaned over to Harry, "we have matching "H" sweaters," she said with a laugh.
"Yeah, but I prefer the way yours looks on you." He replied with a smirk.
"Harry", she punched his arm in feigned exasperation and then made up for it with a quick kiss.
Hermione opened the presents from Harry, a set of diamond earrings and a signed first edition of Hogwarts a History that he had found last year in the back of the book shop in Hogsmeade. "Oh Harry...Thank You" and gave him a much longer kiss. Pulling a present from the pile, she gave it to Harry. "Here love"
Harry instantly opened the present and found a snitch. "Umm?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as he peered into the box then over at her. He already had a few of these.
"Look at it, Hun." Hermione instructed, biting her lower lip as if she was nervous that he might not like it. Obediently, Harry looked more closely at the golden winged ball. On the snitch was engraved in flowing letters: to Harry James Potter, the seeker of my heart, you have captured me forever. Love Hermione.
A lump suddenly formed in his throat, and Harry fell silent. After a moment, Harry regained his voice and whispered, "It's beautiful, come here"
After another minute or two, "Ah hem" Ron cleared his throat. "Will you two get a room?" Ron's eyes were twinkling as he glanced over to them, from his floor side perch.
With a hidden wink to Hermione, Harry replied, "We already have one" and jumped up and grabbed Hermione's hand. They managed to take a couple of steps before they broke out laughing at Ron's expression, he really thought they were going to go up to their rooms with the whole family in the common room. Molly and Arthur had seen Harry's wink and they laughed along with the others at their youngest son.
Soon everyone except Ron had handed out his or her presents, and suddenly he looked nervous. He glanced about everywhere, except up at Luna who was sitting right above him on the couch.
Harry nudged Hermione. She was half sitting on his lap looking at her new copy of Hogwarts a History. Look at Ron, Harry muttered with a thought. He tossed a new toy from the couch to Crookshanks, who picked it up and walked over to Spooky as if to show it off.
Hermione's eyes flicked up from her book, then back to it, she snuggled closer to Harry and replied silently, Weird, why won't he look at Luna? She asked as Harry absently kissed her cheek.
You don't think he forgot to get her a present do you? Harry returned along with the mental impression of a shrug, as his fingers idly played with her hair.
No, he's forgetful enough, but I don't think...Oh, shit is he going to? Hermione suddenly flashed to what must be the answer. She jerked upright, her head barely missing Harry's nose.
Going to what.... OH. Harry suddenly realized, with a shock like being hit with a bludger. A small grin graced his lips, which he quickly hid.
By now, the rest of the Weasleys had discerned that something was up. They all fell silent and waited for the shoe to drop. As one they turned to look at the youngest male Weasley.
Visibly taking a deep breath, Ron finally looked up at Luna, who looked back down at him her usual small smile. "Yes, honey? You shouldn't keep your mouth open, you know how kneazles are?" She asked, sensing a question.
Crookshanks and Spooky as the only kneazles present looked up quizzically from their new cat toys obviously wondering just how they were?
Meanwhile....
You actually have to ask her, mate, if you are doing what I think you are trying to do. Harry thought hard, though Hermione was probably the only one who heard the thought. She just squeezed his hand from her perch in his lap as she leaned forward intently.
But perhaps Ron did hear the thought, as he glanced over to Harry for a second and nodded fractionally. Taking another deep breath, he pulled a small box from the pocket of his jeans. "Luna Melanie Lovegood..." Her attention instantly sharpened, which was slightly disconcerting if you only knew her casually, as if you didn't know her well you didn't know that she could focus quite well, thank you, she just didn't always bother. Ron went on or at least tried to. "You a, a,.. Oh, hell I love you. Will you marry me?"
As Ron finally got that out Ginny squealed like a little girl, and the rest of the room with the exceptions of Harry and Hermione and of course Luna broke out in spontaneous applause. Applause so loud that no one except Harry and Hermione caught the whispered "Yes." In response from Luna, and they got it by reading lips. Everyone did catch the kiss however that put the Harry and Hermione's earlier snitch kiss to shame.
**********************The Ministry of Magic, London*********************
Hundreds of miles away however the happiness in Gryffindor Tower was reflected 180 degrees. Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and several other Death Eaters, were walking down a dark, dimly lit stone tunnel. As they walked they stepped over the bodies of two guards that had had the misfortune to draw the short straw and had to work on Christmas. They never would have to worry about that again. Arriving at a door marked "Magical Records, Division of Historical Landmarks." Malfoy casually pointed his wand at the door "REDUCTO." The blast knocked the heavy door off its hinges and it fell to the floor with an echoing BOOM.
The Death Eaters walked into the room and looked about, digging into cabinets and drawers. After a second, one on the far side of the room cried out, "Here Lucius." Malfoy walked over to the cabinet marked with an "H" and dug though it for a second, and then finding what he was looking for he pulled a thick file out with a flourish, "Lets GO!"
"Lucius, while we are here let's go find some other guards to play with. Those just weren't any fun." Lestrange pouted.
"No Bellatrix, we have what the Master wanted we now leave, you there drag those bodies into the room." After the two bodies were unceremoniously dumped in the center of the room, "INCENDIO," the entire room was engulfed in flames. "Let's go" in a swirl of capes they left.
A/N and I bet you thought it was going to be Harry and Hermione