Summer of Secrets

Chapter Twelve

"JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS. . . ."

Ginny groaned, rolling over in her bed and pulling the covers high over her head. It should be a crime to wake someone up Christmas morning by singing carols.

"JINGLE ALL THE WAY!"

All hopes of returning slumber left as the singing came closer to her room. Finally, Ginny heard the door open and the song continue.

"OH, WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE-"

"Will you please SHUT UP?!" Ginny's head emerged out from under the covers. She glared at her elder twin brothers, willing them to go away so she could get back to sleep.

"Wakey wakey, Gin-Gin!" Fred went to the windows and opened the blinds. Bright light streamed into the room. Ginny groaned.

"It's Christmas morning, Ginny! You know what that means?" George bounced on his knees on Ginny's bed.

"Time to sleep?" Ginny muttered.

"Nope," Fred continued. "It means . . ."

The twins joined together and yelled, "PRESENTS!!!"

Ginny groaned once more before ducking her head back under the covers. "If you leave now, I promise not to Bat-Bogey Hex you both."

George gulped, turned to look at his twin and stood up. "Sounds fair enough."

"Yes, but seriously, Gin, Mum wants everyone up for breakfast. You know we can't open presents before breakfast, so get a move on!" Fred and George hurried out of the room before Ginny could change her mind and hex each of them in turn.

She pulled the covers back and looked over at Hermione in the bed next to her. Hermione smiled weakly. "I guess they're still working on their subtlety."

~*~

After breakfast, the family, still clad in their pyjamas, ventured into the sitting room. Arthur sat in his comfortable arm chair, while Molly pulled a chair in from the kitchen to sit beside him. Bill conjured up a love seat for him and Fleur to sit on. Charlie and Anneliese sat on the floor by the fireplace. Harry followed Ginny to the sofa and wrapped his arm around her, smiling when she snuggled into his chest. Ron and Hermione sat on kitchen chairs beside the sofa. Once everyone was settled, Fred and George merrily bounced around, handing out gifts.

The twins were very adamant that everyone first open their Weasley sweaters, so they could put them on immediately. Each sweater was a different colour, and had a different letter in yellow emblazoned on the front. Molly and Arthur's sweaters were both red with a 'M' on Molly's (for Mum) and a 'D' on Arthur's (for Dad). Bill's sweater was black with a large 'B'. Fleur's was pink, Charlie's was orange, Anneliese's sweater matched Charlie's. Fred and George wore matching blue sweaters with a large 'F' on Fred's and a 'G' on George's. Ron's sweater, as always, was maroon. Hermione, who was very surprised to have received a sweater, unwrapped a scarlet sweater. Harry's sweater was, of course, green to match his eyes. Ginny's was purple with a cursive letter 'G' on the front. After all the sweaters were being worn by their respective owners, Fred and George passed out the remaining gifts.

Everyone received a book of some sort from Hermione. Ginny's was a new Muggle romance novel, while Harry received several Defence Against the Dark Arts books. Bill and Fleur gave Harry a fancy wrist watch, while Ginny received a beautiful gold locket from the couple. Charlie and Anneliese gave Harry and Ron each a pair of dragonhide boots, while Ginny received a pair of dragonhide Quidditch gloves, and Hermione a dragonhide rucksack to carry her books around in. Fred and George gave everyone a variety pack of their work (Harry receiving the biggest). Ron had bought Harry a book on different Quidditch plays, while he gave his little sister a Broom Service/Repair Kit. Ginny gave Harry an ivory-handled knife, similar to the one Sirius had given him. A tear fell down Harry's cheek as he kissed Ginny tenderly and thanked her.

Ron's gift to Hermione was the last one. He gave her a pair of beautiful sapphire earring. Hermione gasped when she unwrapped it and - to Ron's surprise - flung herself into his arms and kissed him in front of his entire family. Everyone, save Harry and Ginny, were shocked into silence. Harry and Ginny were laughing quietly to themselves.

Ginny noticed with disappointment that no gifts were left, and she had yet to receive one from Harry. She chanced a look at him, and saw he was carrying on a conversation with Charlie about being a Gryffindor Seeker. Ginny forced her tears away and sighed heavily. She would have to ask him about it later.

But all of her hopes returned when everyone began to gather wrapping paper and their gifts and clean up.

"Wait a minute! One gift's left!" Harry reached behind him on the sofa and gave Ginny a small box. He smiled and nodded for her to unwrap it.

Ginny tore the paper off of the box and smiled when she saw a jewellery box. She opened it slowly, expecting a pair of earrings like Ron had given Hermione. However, what she saw instead caused her tears to spill over, and a lump to form in her throat.

"Harry?" she asked.

Harry took the box from her, pulled out a emerald emerald-cut ring, and slipped it onto Ginny's left ring finger.

"It's not an engagement, Ginny, but a promise. It's a promise for us to always be together, never apart. The short time we spent apart this year killed me, and I never want to be without you again. So this is a promise for each of us to stay with the other . . . forever. . . ."

When Harry was finished Molly, Fleur, Anneliese and Hermione were each in tears. But not one person was crying as hard as Ginny when she wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and pulled his lips down to hers in a passionate kiss. The twins cat-called while Ron, Bill, Arthur and Charlie each turned away. When Harry and Ginny finally pulled apart, everyone oohed and ahhed over Ginny's promise ring, and Harry's "speech" that went along with it.

The girls spent the rest of the day baking, while the men cleaned up the living room and put all of the presents away. After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms, each and every one of them filled with Christmas treats.

~*~

Ginny was admiring her ring in the moonlight when she heard her room door creak open. She rolled over and smiled when she saw Harry. Harry smiled back when he saw her awake, put a finger to his lips, and motioned for Ginny to follow him. She eagerly slipped out of bed, grabbed her dressing gown and followed Harry down the stairs and out of the house.

"Where are we going?" she asked, once they were in the garden.

"Shh," Harry whispered. "Just follow me."

Harry held his illuminated wand in front of them for light. It wasn't long before Ginny heard rushing water and realised they were going to "their spot" by the river.

Once they were there, Harry took off his cloak, transfigured it into a blanket and laid it down on the snow. He cast a warming charm on it before he sat down and pulled Ginny into his lap.

"What's all this about?" Ginny asked quietly.

"I missed you, and our time alone. I thought this might be a good time to get you on your own." Harry continued to whisper, even though they were a ways away from the house.

"You thought you'd come and get me out of bed in the middle of the night, drag me off into the cold winter night, just to be alone with me?" Ginny stifled a laugh.

Harry pushed Ginny off of his lap and began to stand up. "Well, if you want I'll take you back home."

"Oh no you don't!" Ginny pulled Harry back down, forcing him onto his back. Even with the blanket, his head was resting on the cold snow. Ginny straddled Harry and moved her mouth down to his. Her mouth moved sensuously over his, finally leaving his lips to trail across his jawline, his neck, and down his chest. Ginny's lips followed his happy trail, when she reached his pyjama bottoms, she licked across the edge of the pants.

Harry groaned when Ginny pulled his pyjamas off of him. She wrapped her hand around him through his boxers. Once she had rid him of his boxers, Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled it away from him.

"Ginny, you don't have to do this, y'know?" Each of Harry's gasping breaths came out in a puff because of the frigid night air.

"I know I don't have to . . . but I want to." And with that Ginny slipped her hand out of Harry's and continued down his body, until she began to make love to him with her mouth.

~*~

"You know, this ring has protective properties?" Harry spoke into Ginny's ear. He held her hand in his, gazing at the ring on her finger happily in the moonlight.

The couple lay on his transfigured cloak, on the ground, surrounded by snow, trees, and the sound of rushing water from the nearby river. Harry lay on his back, his mouth near Ginny's ear while her head rest on his chest. She was tracing little circles on his chest, snuggled up warm next to him, even though it was the beginning of winter in England.

"Really?" Ginny murmured sleepily against his chest.

"Yup." Harry nodded. "It protects against minor spells, curses and hexes. No one can cast any of those on you while you're wearing it. At least, if they do, it won't hurt you."

"You had that done specially for me, didn't you?" Ginny propped herself up on her elbow, looking into his eyes. Harry could tell she was tired, though she was fighting it off at the moment.

"Yes, I did. Bill told me that your necklace protects against poisons, not only the locket but the chain does as well. I got the idea from him. This way, I know you're protected, even when I'm not with you." Harry lowered their hands and kissed the top of Ginny's head. "As long as you never take either one off, you'll always be protected."

"I never will, Harry. Never. . . ." Ginny muttered sleepily. She had dropped her head back down to Harry's chest, not long after she had raised it. Harry smiled when he heard her snoring softly. To speak the truth, he found it kind of endearing.

Harry managed to dress Ginny, without waking her, before he pulled on his own clothes. He put an arm behind her back, raising her enough to pull the transfigured blanket out from under her. With a flick of his wand, the blanket was once again a cloak. Harry draped it over his shoulder before he put his other arm under Ginny's legs and carried her back to the Burrow.

Once she was safely tucked in bed, Harry kissed her lips softly before he left the room and returned to his own.

This Christmas had been a wonderful Christmas after all.