Christmas at the Weasleys'

Christmas at the Weasleys'

It was cold outside and the sky was the colour of one of those water colour paintings of winter skies. Or so Ron said.

Harry thought that this was obvious and said so, but privately he agreed.

Hermione's only contribution was that it was unfortunate that the sky wasn't the gloomy grey that heralded snow, and that as it wasn't she couldn't care less what it looked like.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Ron rolled his eyes. Luckily Hermione didn't see because she was in a hurry to rescue the gingerbread from the incompetent hands of the twins.

"That is far too thin - you will never get them off the board and they will burn. No, no, roll it out again... oh Mrs Weasley, please help."

Molly bustled over from where she had been stirring a pan over the stove. She sent her shamefaced, flour-covered sons upstairs to wash and turned the biscuit making over to Hermione and Charlie.

Harry and Ron were handed a large, brass key and told to go fetch the Christmas tree decorations from the attic. Ten minutes and several flights of stairs later they returned with piles of boxes in their arms and several bags slung around their bodies. Harry had known that the Burrow was a warren of bedrooms and corridors but he had never seen anything like the attics. He was convinced that they would never find what they were looking for, but Ron knew just where the boxes were, because, true to form, Mrs Weasley had labelled everything. Still Harry was amazed by the speed in which the two of them found their way back to the kitchen laden down with boxes and dust.

"Watch where you are going!" came a muffled shout from behind one of the stacks, as Ron lost his footing and careened into Bill who was coming the back door with armloads of greenery from the garden.

Boxes, leaves and Weasleys ended up in a pile on the kitchen floor and Mrs Weasley threw her hands up in good-natured despair.

As they untangled themselves the humour of their situation began to get the best of the brothers and laughter began spilling over. "You look like a walking tree," Ron spluttered.

"Yeah, some weird mix of fir and holly," Harry chuckled in agreement.

Bill peered out from behind the branches, struggling to separate man from plant. "Of course I'm a tree, brother dearest." Ron stuck his tongue out at him. "Had you never noticed before? Back when I was in school, I was best friends with the Whomping Willow."

Fred and George reappeared in an slightly damper and marginally cleaner state. "Oh what did we miss?" Fred asked, looking miffed at the hilarity taking over the kitchen.

"Oh Bill, did you eat one of our Foliage Fudges? Those were meant to be a surprise!"

Mrs Weasley raised her eyebrows. "I thought I told you that those 'products' were to be confined solely to the shop? Wasn't there some forfeit imposed should some accidentally find their way home with you?"

"Mum," Bill stepped in to his brothers' defence. "It's only the greenery for the living room. I didn't eat anything. I'm sure that the twins have done exactly as you asked..."

The twins jumped in to assure their mother that Bill was right just a moment too quickly for innocence, but luckily for them, the appearance of their tearful sister prevented the subject from being taken any further. The sharp look that Molly gave them over Ginny's head spoke volumes though: she would not forget.

Charlie rose to Ginny's side as their mother asked concernedly, "What's happened dear?"

Ginny was wrapped in her dressing gown, Harry's common visits to the Burrow over the previous six years having divested her of most of her embarrassment at appearing in front of him in this outfit. Her hair was shrouded in a turban of yellow towel. Her eyes were brimming full of tears and streaks down her cheeks showed that they were not the first to fall.

Without a care for the others in the room Ginny flew into her mother's arms and buried her face in Molly's shoulder. "I cant believe it! I thought..." she was genuinely sobbing by this point and her brothers and their friends were standing helplessly around, unsure how to deal with a crying sixteen-year-old. "I thought it would work. I wanted to look different. I... oh... I am so stupid!"

Molly eased her daughter away from her far enough to hold out the towel that Charlie supplied. "Here. What did you do?"

Ginny wiped her face, and then with a sob, dramatically pulled the towel off her hair. Her hair was green. There was silence in the kitchen. Ron stifled a laugh. Bill and Charlie exchanged glances over their sister's head. Harry bit his lip. Hermione's hand was clapped to her mouth in horror.

"What charm did you use?" Mrs Weasley pulled her wand out of the pocket of her apron. "I'm sure I can fix it, dear."

"But that's the point! I didn't use a spell. I used some muggle stuff that I asked Hermione to bring! I tried to change it back with a spell. And then I tried to turn it black which was the original intent. But it won't change. I'm stuck with green hair!"

Another silence while everyone in the kitchen searched for something to say.

"Well..." began Fred. "At least it's festive. Goes well with all the red hair in the house."

Ginny silenced him with a look. Then her glance fell on Harry and her face crumpled again.

"Hey Gin." He began, feeling awful: knowing his presence was half the embarrassment. "Maybe it will just wash out, some muggle stuff does."

Hermione shook her head slowly. "It's permanent. I got permanent because that's what you asked for. I have no idea why it went green. It said black on the packet."

The back door opened again and Mr Weasley backed in, hauling behind him something large wrapped in a black plastic bin liner.

"What's going on in here? Oh heavens Virginia, what have you done to your hair?"

* * *

After a lunch in several locations due to lack of space around the dining table (which led to panic for Mrs Weasley about Christmas dinner the next day) Mr Weasley triumphantly unveiled the discovery he had brought home. It was a five-foot, silver, artificial Christmas tree decorated with white and red bows and baubles and flashing lights. On top sat a scantily-clad angel who would have looked more at home on the front page of a men's magazine.

"What. Is. That?" his wife asked.

"It's a muggle tree. Lots of muggles don't use real trees because they drop their needles."

Hermione and Harry exchanged glances.

"But we have a real tree enchanted to retain its needles. We don't need that plastic monstrosity. Get it out of my house!"

Mr Weasley looked taken aback. "But Molly, dear. I thought... I mean... I chose...I didn't think..."

"No you obviously didn't. I have never seen anything more tacky." She sighed with resignation. "It can go in the back bathroom."

Fred sniggered. George laughed outright. Charlie offered to help his dad remove the offending item from the kitchen.

Molly sent the rest of the family out into the living room to finish putting up the decorations while she iced the Christmas cake. Four large Weasley sons plus Harry struggled to get the real tree vertical. Even though, or perhaps because, there were five of them the eight foot tree was wavering precariously around the room. Ginny and Hermione stayed well out of the way, allowing them this one chance to prove that they were men and muttering to each other about too many cooks, in particular when Mr Weasley and Charlie returned to help. "Now all we need it Percy and we have the full set," Ginny was heard to comment.

"Oh, that's a point," Bill said, trying unsuccessfully to keep the crown of the tree steady while his father attacked it's base with a hatchet. "What time is Percy coming? And is he bringing that girl with him?"

Mr Weasley gave an exasperated sigh and banged the tree into its stand. He backed out from under the lower branches, face flushed and scarlet, "Percy will be here sometime this afternoon. And yes Portia is coming too." He glared around the room at his sons. "And you will all be nice to her. Percy is very fond of Portia and I could do with a quarrel-free Christmas this year."

"Not that that's likely to happen," Ginny whispered to Hermione. "Particularly when Bill's fiancée arrives as well. She's a muggle and Fred and George can't resist playing tricks on her - it drives Bill mad, even though Sophie herself doesn't mind."

Ron, Harry and Charlie reappeared from the kitchen where they had gone to recover the boxes of tree ornaments. Soon tissue paper was everywhere making the room look as if someone had cast a snow-charm inside. The Weasleys' must have had hundreds of decorations, ranging from expensive gifts from wealthy friends in other countries down to the paper shapes with changing colour glitter that the children had made in primary school. Each decoration had a story behind it: where it was bought, who had given it to them or who had made it. Why it had been bought or what occasion it had been celebrating. Harry felt that it would have been wonderful to have had a childhood like that of his friends. Embarrassed though the Weasleys were to have their past creative efforts paraded in front of family and friends, there was a certain pride too, a certain reverence with which the items were hung from the giant spruce.

Ginny watched Harry as they decorated the tree, and her heart bled for him. It was unfair. He was happy here, but she could see the wistful expression with which he regarded the room full of Weasleys. As the boxes began to empty Hermione had volunteered to aid Mrs Weasley with the cooking, and the two had vanshed like co-conspirators into the kitchen. This left Harry alone with her vibrant, happy yet overwhelming brothers. She watched his face, his emotions written clearly across his features. Eventually his unconscious envy became unbearable.

"Harry? Can you help me here?"

At once the boy was at her side, aiding with the arrangement of the foliage over the mantelpiece. It wasn't much of an improvement but it contained fewer obvious memories. He seemed grateful for the change as well and gave her a heart-melting smile.

She hoped she wasn't flushed because of his proximity, but she could feel the heat from her face as their hands accidentally brushed when he handed her a candle.

As they finished he smiled at her again. "It's hot in here, isn't it? Shall we go outside a minute to get some air? It's cold, but I guess that will be refreshing."

She grinned gratefully and nodded, but noticed Ron's scowl as the two left the room together.

Harry was right. The air outside was cold. Very cold. But Ginny hardly noticed, the bare skin of her hands could feel warmth from Harry. She was amazed that he couldn't feel the flames that to her appeared to be licking at his skin, connecting them, dancing back and forth between their bodies.

Perhaps he could feel it, she later thought. She was shivering from a combination of the cold and the fact that she was alone with Harry. "Are you too cold?" he asked with concern when he noticed. She shook her head, afraid that if she spoke he might hear her teeth chattering. Why hadn't she grabbed a coat on her way out? Now he would suggest going back in because he knew she was cold. It was only to get a snatch of fresh air, she told herself. She couldn't expect to have Harry all to herself for more than a few minutes.

He moved closer, resting his chest against her back and wrapping his arms around her. "Warmer?" he asked against her hair. Ginny nodded. Now she really couldn't speak. She didn't think she could breathe either. The stood in silence for a few minutes, Ginny savouring his closeness, memorising the way his arms felt around her, the muscles of his chest against her back, his chin touching her moss-coloured hair.

At the sound of voices approaching Ginny jumped away and Harry reluctantly released her from his arms.

Seconds later Percy, Portia and Sophie came around the wall and through the gate. Ginny ran down to greet them, determined to put some space between herself and Harry before anyone else came outside.

"Hello Percy, Portia - I expected you to come by Floo. Sophie," she turned to give her brother's fiancée a hug. "It's lovely to see you again! The others are just finishing the decorations...have you met Harry Potter?" amid her cheerful chatter she steered the newcomers effortlessly into the house.

Harry pasted a smile on his face and followed them in, wishing that they might have come just a few minutes later.

* * *

Darkness fell quickly and early. Charlie lit a roaring fire in the huge fireplace in the living room. Everyone settled around with glasses of mead or eggnog, the lucky ones on the sofa and threadbare armchairs, the others sprawled on the floor.

"I hear Sophie drove you up in her car," Mr Weasley said conversationally to Percy.

"Yes, we were late leaving London, I had some last minute work to do for the minister and on out way out we happened to meet up. Sophie was kind enough to offer us a lift as we were all headed in the same direction."

"I would have loved that.." Mr Weasley hinted.

Sophie smiled. "I will have to take you out for a spin in the morning then."

Mr Weasley's eyes lit up.

"Percy dear," Mrs Weasley began. "I know you are very busy, but surely working overtime on Christmas Eve is unnecessary."

"The minister needs me," Percy explained with the air of one who has had a similar conversation many times before. "The country doesn't just grind to halt because it is Christmas."

"Actually that's exactly what it does," Ron murmured behind his hand to Harry who stifled a smile.

"Working on Christmas Eve. Honestly the man has no sense of fun," George whispered to Fred.

Percy heard though. "Well those of us who have important jobs," he sniffed. "Those of us with proper jobs feel that a sense of duty is more important than a sense of fun."

Fred and George bristled. "If you are insinuating anything, Percy, then you should just come out and say it."

Portia put a restraining hand on her boyfriend's arm. It did no good at all. "I was just pointing out the difference between those of us who have gainful employment and those of us who never succeeded in growing up. I mean running a joke shop..."

"Well, I think it's a perfectly respectable occupation!" retorted George. "We are happy and we make sufficient profit to live on. What more do we need?"

"Boys!" Mrs Weasley thundered. "I will not have this in my house at any time - and especially not over Christmas!"

The three fell silence, shamefaced.

"How about a game of Exploding Snap?" Mr Weasley proposed to clear the air.

Charlie, Bill, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny decided to take him up on his offer. After a moment the twins agreed as well, leaving Percy with his girlfriend and giving Mrs Weasley the chance to talk to Sophie, something which she had been dying to do ever since the younger woman walked through the door. The twins had their heads together in the corner, which worried Ginny somewhat, but not enough for her to mention it to her mother.

The abundance of mead and eggnog meant that the game was less accurate than usual. Bill was the first to burn his fingers, as he appeared to be rather preoccupied, watching his mother and his fiancée talk. Soon after Mr Weasley, Ginny and Charlie were also out. Ron slammed a card down in front of Hermione. It detonated, scorching her eyebrows. She let out a screech of shock. Charlie wet his handkerchief and held it to her face while Ron attempted to apologise.

"Herm. Slorry. I mean sorry." His eyes unfocussed. "I think I'm drunk." He started to slump forward.

Suddenly Molly Weasley was at his elbow. "Ronald! How much have you drunk? Oh you foolish boy! Help me get him to the bathroom." Harry slid his arm under his friend's shoulder, supporting his other side as Mrs Weasley guidedher son through to the other room.

The last thing Ginny heard from them was an exclamation of annoyance and Mrs Weasley's voice. "Arthur! Find somewhere else for this plastic tree of yours!"

The rest of the room laughed as Mr Weasley hurried to do his wife's bidding.

Ginny sat back on her chair and happily surveyed the room in front of her. The twins were definitely up to something, but it was not enough of a problem to put a damper on her good spirits, Ginny decided she would just watch what she ate the following day. It occurred to her that it was possible that the twins had enhanced the eggnog to be slightly more potent that usual. This idea was encouraged by the glances that they kept sliding at the bathroom door. She looked over at Hermione to see if her friend had also noticed, but Hermione was caught up in a conversation with Charlie and didn't look over. Bill, however, had his eyes trained in the same direction as his sister's and his eyebrows lifted when she indicated the jug on the table. He nodded agreement, but appeared more amused than annoyed. Ginny wondered if her brothers would ever grow up. She hoped so, in particular this brother, if she was right about the reason that his hand was curled so possessively around Sophie's midriff.

Mrs Weasley re-emerged. She looked around the room at her family. Her eyes warmed as they moved over the couple on the sofa and Ginny knew she was right. "I think we should all go to bed soon. It is almost one in the morning. Bill, you and Sophie are in your old room, Portia and Hermione are in with Ginny. Everyone else as normal - oh Charlie dear: are you alright in the little back room?"

"Yeah fine." He smiled at his mother. "It's an improvement on the sofa, which is I recall where I slept last year."

"Oh I'm sorry, sweetie. I ..."

"Mum. Mum, it's ok," he shushed his mother. "I was joking. I camp in the wilderness for half the year out on the reserve. The back bedroom is a luxury - on the condition that the plastic tree isn't sharing it with me!"

* * *

Christmas morning Ginny woke very early as usual. She lay in bed listening to Portia's breathing across the room. She could feel the weight of her stocking on her feet, even if it wasn't light enough to see the bulging outline. She wondered what was in it. Percy always gave her school supplies, her mother made sweaters and her father had usually found some 'fascinating' muggle gadget. Ron was notorious for his bad presents. Ginny was used to opening his present and then finding somewhere to put it out of sight.

Ginny loved her family's tradition of having the majority of their presents in stockings. Only things that were too big or came from people outside the immediate family went underneath the tree. This year Mrs Weasley had been busy knitting stockings for Harry and Hermione and Portia to include them in this tradition ( Sophie had one from the year before).

Silently the bedroom door opened allowing in just enough light for Ginny to see Hermione slip back into her bed. Ginny glanced at the clock. 5am. It would be at least two hours before anyone else stirred. She wriggled her toes, revelling in the Christmas-morning feel of the presents at her feet and the knowledge that when she did get up into that cold air it would be to share her favourite day of the year with all the people who she cared about.

From this her thoughts lingered on Harry. Was it her imagination or was her more attentive to her this year than usual? Admittedly it was the first time he and Hermione had spent Christmas that the Burrow, perhaps it was just the pleasure of being with a family at Christmas. But then there was that hug the day before. Had that just been brotherly?

She sighed, turning over and pulling her blankets higher. She would sleep now and worry about that later.

* * *

Breakfast was always late on Christmas in the Weasley house. Nobody minded for two reasons: firstly because breakfast was late in order to allow for present opening beforehand, and secondly because everyone had eaten enough chocolate by breakfast time that the meal was mainly irrelevant.

This year was no different. One by one the family and guests descended to sit around the tree, stockings in their arms, colliding with the plastic tree as they passed Charlie's bedroom door. A thud and clatter heralded Ron's arrival as the tree went flying in one direction and the boy in the other. They heard a muffled shout of "Move that tree!", and then he arrived, slightly pink, to join everyone else in the living room.

Ginny opened her presents, thrilled at the book about dragons from Charlie and the necklace Sophie had bought her. Her favourite present, both because of what it was and because of who gave it to her, was a tiny model griffin just big enough to sit in her palm that had come from Harry.

He blushed with pleasure at the hug of thanks that she gave him. "I'm going to call him Godric." She announced. Fred commented on her lack of originality and she stuck her tongue out at him.

Then his attention was diverted by Portia pulling a colourfully wrapped gift from her stocking. Ginny thought that the girl took an inordinately long time opening the present, unpeeling the spellotape rather than ripping the paper. Finally the box was revealed.

"Oh," Portia said, blandly and through gritted teeth. "Just what I've always wanted. Crotchless... panties."

The twins exploded into laughter. Through his tears George explained, "We thought we'd make you sex life a bit more interesting, Perce!" His brother glared at him in mortification.

The silence that followed was broken by a gentle knock on the front door. Fred rose, brushing the wrapping paper that clung to him back down to the floor, and opened the door.

"Mum, It's a hobo looking for food!"

"What?" murmured Mrs Weasley.

Her son doubled up with laughter and came back into the room followed by a unkempt and scruffy man. The family sat in surprise for a split-second. The simultaneous shouts of delight came from Harry and Hermione as they identified the travelling worker.

"Sirius!!"

* * *

"I apologise for my attire," Sirius said to Mrs Weasley as everyone settled around the table. "It was the safest way for me to travel without being noticed. Nobody looks at hobos and beggars."

"Like Edgar in King Lear," commented Sophie.

"Exactly," smiled Sirius. Everyone except Hermione looked confused, so the girl began to explain Sophie's comment.

Under his breath Fred turned to Charlie while the others were talking. "Good night then?"

Charlie looked blankly at his brother. "Um...what?"

Fred's head nodded minutely in Hermione's direction. "Your room is next to ours. We heard."

Ginny, sitting on Charlie's other side, looked across at Hermione and then back to her brother. She remembered seeing Hermione come back into their room late the night before.

"We were moving that bloody plastic tree. That's all. Didn't anyone hear me say I didn't want it in my room last night?"

Fred raised his eyebrows. "Hmm."

"Don't 'hmm' at me," Charlie admonished.

Fred leaned closer, "Believe me, I know sex noises when I hear them."

Charlie raised his head in mock innocence, shrugging his shoulders and turning back to his food. Ginny noticed that his eyes sought Hermione's across the table, and there were tiny flushed spots on his cheeks.

Then Mrs Weasley brought out the Christmas cake, effectively silencing any further discussion. She had a frown on her face that could not quite mask her amusement.

When she put the cake down the others could see why. Sometime the night before George had snuck into the kitchen and enchanted the snowmen on the top of the cake. They were now engaged in a snowball fight. The Father Christmas figure was cowering behind the flashing 'Merry Christmas' in the centre, as tiny balls of icing came flying in his direction.

* * *

Some hours later everyone had returned to the living room. Mr Weasley and Bill had loosened their belts and were snoozing in front of the fire. Mrs Weasley and Sophie had their heads together again and the twins were examining their presents, probably searching for inspiration for their joke shop.

Charlie, Ron, Sirius and Hermione had convinced Portia to join them in a rowdy game of Serpents and Staircases. From where she was sitting with Harry, Ginny suspected that Charlie was losing spectacularly. But then her brother had never quite got the hang of judging when the staircases were going to move, and his pieces always ended up falling into the snake pit.

Percy stood behind Portia, empting to extricate Godric from her hair. The tiny griffin had decided that this was a good place to take a nap, and unsurprisingly, Portia had not agreed.

Ginny's attention was drawn back to Harry as the young man slid an arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him. She smiled and leant backwards, resting the back of her head on his shoulder.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered.

"Same to you," she replied. Smiling up at him and ignoring the fact that there was a cluster of mistletoe hanging right over their heads. Harry, however, was not about to ignore this fact. Slowly and gently he leant down and brushed his lips with hers. Ginny couldn't move. Not only had he kissed her but in front of her entire family - had any of them been looking in that direction.

Ron had. He looked scandalised to see his best friend kiss his sister. "Harry! Ginny! What the...?"

Hermione looked up and winked at Ginny. "Ron," she said. "Leave them alone."

Ron was turning pink. "Ginny. Get off Harry's lap!"

"I'm not - I'm sitting next to him!"

"My sister and my best friend!" Ron said aghast, "What next?"

Hermione flushed. "Um.. Ron... Since you mention it..." her voice drifted off. Ron's eyes turned suspiciously in her direction. Charlie leaned across the table and took Hermione's hand in his. "I... um..." the girl tried to continue, unnecessarily.

Instead of the outrage they expected, Ron began to laugh. He looked around the room at the people he loved. "You know, it's fine. I guess it will take a little getting used to." All four of the others smiled nervously. "But, I guess, it's you, I mean, I don't think..." he laughed shakily. "I mean I'm happy for you all." He flushed and looked down.

Charlie rested his other hand on his brother's shoulder. "Thanks Ron." Ginny beamed a smile across the room at him, and Ron knew that he had said the right thing. "But don't all get all lovey in my presence - I really couldn't handle that!"

Harry met his eyes and the two friends smiled, one with relief, the other with blessing.

"Merry Christmas," Ron said, a warm festive feeling kindled in his stomach. His eyes took in the golden, glowing faces of his family and friends. "Yeah, Merry Christmas everyone... but who brought that plastic tree in here!?"