Christmas of Surprises

Christmas of Surprises - chapter 4

December 27th

Yet again, Hermione awoke first. She suspected she probably always would. She rolled onto her side and watched Ron sleeping again, until she realised it was the day Harry was due back. She stroked his chest and he stroked her hand without waking up.

'Ron,' she whispered. Then she wondered why she was whispering. 'Ron,' she said again in her normal voice.

Ron stirred, and opened his eyes. He turned to look at her, and smiled again. Then he turned onto his side, pulled her towards him and kissed her.

'We've got to get up,' she said, pulling back. 'Harry's coming back today; or do we want to let him know by finding us in bed like this?'

Ron groaned. 'I don't want to get up. Can't we put a "Do not disturb" notice on the door to keep him out?'

'OK. Who gets out of bed to put it there?'

He groaned again. 'Fine, let's get up.'

They showered, then quickly sorted the heap of clothes they'd left the previous evening into two piles. Hermione quickly put on just a robe and took the rest of her clothes round to her dorm to get clean clothes, while Ron got dressed, as a look at their watches showed them it was later than they'd realised. Ron then looked round the dormitory to check that nothing of Hermione's had been left there, and went down to the common room. Hermione was already there.

'I wasn't sure how early Harry was getting back, that's why I put a robe on today instead of repeating yesterday.'

'Ah,' said Ron. 'If he'd been down here, and seen you dashing down the stairs barefoot in a robe, carrying your clothes, we wouldn't have had to think how to tell him!'

'Oh yes. It'd be subtler than him finding us together in bed, too. Well -- slightly subtler.'

The two of them went downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Snape was back at the breakfast table, looking no happier than he had before. Ron and Hermione ignored him, getting on with eating their porridge instead. When they'd nearly finished their breakfast, they noted Snape frowning even more. Hermione guessed why, and turned to look at the door, which Harry had just come through. 'Harry!' she exclaimed, although it was hardly a surprise.

Ron turned to look, and waved.

Dumbledore waved his wand, producing another chair. Ron and Hermione moved along to make room for it.

'I've already had breakfast, at Sirius' flat,' said Harry, sitting down anyway to be sociable. 'Did you have a good Christmas?'

Most of the students answered 'Yes' to this. Ron nodded, and Hermione said 'Oh, yes' which made Ron turn to her and smile. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick also nodded or said yes; Professor Sprout had a mouthful of porridge, and didn't speak. Harry wasn't surprised that Snape didn't answer him.

Harry looked around at the decorations in the Great Hall, grinned, and said, 'Well, it's good to be back here.'

Ron and Hermione finished their breakfast and they and Harry got up to leave. Harry had a bag containing the clothes and presents from his visit to Sirius, so the three of them went up to their common room.

Once there, Harry looked quickly around, 'One table with homework and a chess set on -- I wonder if I can guess where you were sitting?' He headed toward the table, dumped his bag next to the chair furthest from the fire, and sat down in it. Crookshanks put his front paws up on the chair, and Harry stroked him. 'So it's been wizard chess and homework this Christmas, has it? That's a new set, isn't it?'

The other two sat down in their usual chairs. 'Yes, I got it in a cracker,' explained Hermione. 'And we did other things too.'

'We had a snowball fight with the others,' added Ron.

'I see. Did that potion stain come from a cracker, too?' asked Harry.

Ron looked down at his robes, but couldn't see any potion stain. He looked at Harry, puzzled.

'You spilt that Plant Growth potion a couple of weeks ago, and never got the stain out of your robes.' explained Harry.

'It can't have been these robes,' said Ron. 'They've got no stain.'

'No,' agreed Harry. He turned to Hermione, who was biting her lip, having guessed what he was going to say. 'But you've got just the same stain on your robes.'

'The laundry elves must have got our robes switched!' said Ron.

'I'll ask Dobby to find out who it was, and tell them off,' said Harry.

'No! You can't do that!' said Hermione indignantly.

'Why not?' asked Harry, grinning. 'Is there a different explanation?'

Hermione blushed. 'I think you've guessed, haven't you? We got dressed in a hurry this morning.'

Ron added, 'We've, er ... got a closer friendship now.'

Hermione laughed. 'Oh, just say it! We started sleeping together in Ron's bed on Christmas Eve, so we've had three nights together now.' She looked at Ron and grinned again. 'We do have a much closer friendship now.'

Harry smiled at them. 'I wouldn't have guessed except for the wrong robes.'

'We don't want everyone to know though,' added Ron.

'But we were going to tell you. We just hadn't worked out how,' said Hermione. 'We came up with two silly ways to tell you, but they weren't much good.'

'Now that I know, what were they?'

'One was just to not get up this morning; you'd come up here looking for us, and check Ron's bed, and find us both in it.'

Harry laughed. 'I think I'd have understood that one, but it's not very subtle.'

'It's subtler than the other version, where we invited you to join us,' she said, grinning.

'Which was a joke!' said Ron hastily.

'No problem -- I don't think I'd want to join in,' said Harry, grinning.

'Then I thought of a joke Chocolate Frog card,' said Ron.

'That'd be too difficult to make, though,' said Harry.

Hermione opened one of her books, and handed Harry the card she'd been using as a bookmark. Harry looked at it, blinked, and turned it over to read the back. His jaw dropped open.'How did you make this?'

'She says it's easy,' said Ron. 'For her, at least.'

'It looks perfect! It's funny, too; that would be a good way of telling me.'

Hermione blushed. 'It really isn't that difficult. I can show you how if you want.'

'Anyway, I'm happy for you both. You have been having a good Christmas then?'

The two of them looked at each other and grinned. 'Oh, yes,' they said together.

Harry looked around, and saw a large couch. 'I'll sleep down here on a couch until the rest of them come back. Then you won't have to stop yet.'

'Thanks Harry!' said Ron, amazed. 'That's a real friend!'

'You don't have to do that -- we can ...' started Hermione.

'I don't think he wants to be kept awake listening!' said Ron, interrupting her. He didn't want to consider the other possibility -- anyway Harry had already said he wouldn't want to.

'Definitely not,' said Harry. 'I don't mind. I'm just amazed that you finally got together, after the Yule Ball.'

'You really don't have to ...' Hermione began again.

'Why does everyone keep talking about the Yule Ball?' interrupted Ron. 'It was a year ago -- can't we forget about it?'

'Excuse me!' said Hermione loudly. The two boys looked at her. 'Can I point out that I do sleep in a bed, and there's nobody else in my dorm during the holiday? We can sleep together in my bed, and let Harry sleep in his own bed, instead of down here.'

'Oh. Right,' said Ron. 'I wasn't thinking.'

'OK, that sounds good to me,' said Harry. 'Ron, I didn't mean anything bad, I'm just amazed that you finally got as far as telling Hermione how you felt.'

Ron blushed. 'Actually, I didn't. She told me how she felt, and asked me about the Yule Ball. Three times!'

'I said sorry, too.'

'You seduced Ron? Wow. I remember you when you'd never even break a school rule.'

Hermione grinned. 'I don't think there's any rules against seducing Ron, just against girls being in the boys' dorms. I've broken that one twice before this Christmas, by going into your dormitory on Christmas Day. I know Ginny's broken it too.'

'What? Ginny did?' exclaimed Ron. 'When? Whose dorm?'

'Yours -- when she got Riddle's diary back.'

Ron sagged with relief. 'Oh, is that all? You really had me worried there.'

'I didn't mean that, anyway. I meant the whole sixteen, age of consent law,' said Harry.

'Harry, I'm sorry, but you are younger than us. I know you're still fifteen, but we're both sixteen,' said Hermione.

'You are. Ron isn't sixteen until March,' said Harry.

There was a quiet tapping sound, which they all ignored.

Hermione looked at Ron. 'Well, I wasn't going to object about that, was I?' he said defensively.

'I'm sorry! It's just that when this opportunity came up, just the two of us alone in Gryffindor Tower, I didn't think we'd ever have as good a chance again! I didn't want to let it just slip past -- I knew your birthday was in March, but I just remembered that you'd had one of those permission slips last summer, and I was thinking you were sixteen like me, and forgot that you were going to be sixteen, not seventeen, next birthday ...'

'I don't think anyone's going to tell anyone about it, anyway,' said Harry, interrupting her tirade of guilt. 'I won't, and I'm sure Ron isn't going to! You aren't either, are you?'

Ron grinned. 'No chance of me telling anyone. You can relax.'

'I just feel so silly. I should have remembered.'

'I'm glad you didn't. When else would we have been able to do this?'

The tapping sound came again. Harry looked at the window and saw an owl, which he let in. It dropped a letter in Hermione's lap, and flew off again.

'It's from my parents,' she said happily, opening it and starting to read.

Harry told Ron about Sirius' flat, leaving Hermione alone with her letter. Suddenly, she laughed. 'Oh, Mum!'

The boys turned to her. 'Is everything OK?' asked Ron. She was blushing again.

'Mum put a PS on this letter,' she told them. She reached for her bookbag and pulled out a paperback to show Harry. It was her Christmas present, the book of advice on love-making.

'When did you buy that?' asked Harry, a little embarrassed. He felt he was learning too much about his friends, too fast.

'I didn't -- Mum sent it to me as a Christmas present.'

'You. Are. Kidding.'

She laughed. 'Well, she knew from the permission slip which she signed that I wanted to sleep with Ron this year.'

'You told her it was with me?' asked Ron. 'Before you even told me?' he added, suddenly realising.

'Um, yes. Do you mind? I didn't think you would.'

'I couldn't even get up the courage to mention the potion to my father, and he was a pupil here himself once! You're not only talking to both parents, you're giving them names and addresses!'

'I didn't give them your address!' she said indignantly. 'Besides, they already know it from dropping me off at your house before the World Cup,' she added with a grin.

Harry laughed.

'Oh great,' grumbled Ron. 'Next they'll be sending a letter to my parents, thinking that they already know, too!'

'I can't imagine my aunt and uncle ever wanting to talk to me about sex,' said Harry, trying to console Ron. 'I can't even imagine them wanting to talk to Dudley. In fact, I don't believe they'd even be able to talk to each other about it!'

Ron grinned. 'Now I feel better.'

'Look, it's just that Mum says she never had any sort of talk about sex with her parents, and she's glad I can talk to her about it. Do you want to hear the PS?'

Both boys nodded.

'Right. "Good luck with your new subject. I sent you a textbook about it, as they're always useful for hints and techniques when you're just starting out. Do write and tell us how you and Ron are doing at the subject." That's all.'

'It's enough,' groaned Ron.

'Hermione, you haven't signed up for yet another class, have you? Oh -- that book is the textbook she means?'

Ron put his head in his hands. 'Poor innocent boy, but the Knut eventually dropped,' he muttered.

Hermione laughed. 'Yes; Mum's just phrasing it so if anyone else sees the letter, they won't know what it's really about.'

'Almost worked on Harry, and he'd already seen the book and been told what we've been doing,' came a mumbled voice from behind Ron's hands.

'So when she says to tell her how you two are doing ...'

Hermione nodded, blushing again. 'I don't know if I can do that though. It's just too personal.'

'Hooray for small mercies,' said the mumbled voice.

'Your family's incredible,' said Harry.

Ron then changed the subject back to Sirius, and they talked about him for a while, until it was time for lunch.

Snape was eating in his office again, probably to avoid seeing Harry, so there were fourteen places at the table once more.

'I think he's making chutney in the Potions classroom, and doesn't want to share it with us,' said Ron.

Hermione told Harry about Ron's Professor Trelawney impression the previous day, making him laugh. McGonagall bent over her plate, either checking some detail of the food on it, or hiding her expression from them.

'Oh, turkey paté,' said Ron, putting some on his plate. 'How many ways can they keep using the turkey leftovers?'

'They've been quite ingenious in the past,' said Professor Flitwick cheerily, 'and it does make a change from the rest of the year's food.'

'I like the food here,' said Harry, putting three turkey sausages on his plate.

'I'm not surprised,' said Ron. 'Those Muggles you lived with almost starved you, didn't they?'

'Are you going back to them next summer, Harry?' asked Hermione, taking some roast chestnuts. 'I mean, now that Sirius has a flat of his own, and isn't a wanted criminal, you won't have to go back, will you?'

'We talked about it -- he's got enough space, but Professor Dumbledore wants to consider whether I can be as well-protected there as at the Dursleys'.' He smiled for most of the rest of lunch, though.

After the meal, the three of them went for a short walk outside, but it grew dark soon, and they returned to the warmth of the fire in the common room. Crookshanks miaowed at them when they came in, but was obviously too comfortable in front of the fire to want to move.

Hermione did some of her Arithmancy homework, while Harry and Ron played wizard chess. Ron assured Harry that he was improving, although Ron won all three of their games as usual.

Hermione looked up as the third game ended. 'We never did get round to playing strip chess, you know.'

Harry blinked. 'Strip chess? Rather than poker?'

'We don't have any cards that don't explode. Well, I expect there's some Tarot cards somewhere.'

'I am not playing strip poker with a deck of cards that's got a Death card in it, thank you!' said Ron.

Harry looked from one to the other. He was blushing slightly. 'Look, I really am happy for you two, that you've finally got together on this, and slept together. But couldn't you be a little more guilty and secretive?'

'Sorry,' said Hermione. 'Are we being too blatant and embarrassing?'

'Yes, a bit. I'm glad you told me, and that we're going to stay friends, but that book, and the idea of strip chess ... it's just more than I want to think about.'

'OK, I'll try to be more restrained then.'

'It'll be good practice for when everyone else is back,' said Harry. 'If you carry on like this, they'll all know in the first hour they're back.'

Hermione stood up and went round to stand next to Ron's chair. 'So I suppose we shouldn't do things like ... this?' She knelt, pulled Ron towards her and gave him a long kiss.

Harry sighed. 'Well, it'd let people know that you're boyfriend and girlfriend, wouldn't it? That's a good idea.'

When the two lovers stopped kissing, Ron got his breath back and said, 'We haven't even been kissing like that -- not here in the common room!'

'But that's as far as we'll be able to go when they're all back,' said Hermione, sounding disappointed.

'Oh. That's right. Even in the holidays ... even if you come and stay at the Burrow, I don't think you could sleep in my room. For one thing, there wouldn't be anywhere for Harry to sleep.'

'Are you sure? I bet Ginny wouldn't object if Harry and I swapped round,' she said with a wide grin.

'No chance!' said Ron, just as Harry said, 'No!'

Hermione sighed. 'And it was such a simple plan.'

'Even after my birthday in the summer, when I'll be sixteen, Ginny will still only be fifteen,' said Harry. 'It may not be fair, but I don't think it's the same thing as a fifteen-year-old boy and a sixteen-year-old girl.'

'I suppose it isn't. Ron, a sixteen-year-old made love to you when you were only fifteen, and you don't have a problem with that,' she said, teasing him.

'Harry's right -- it's not the same thing,' said Ron, frowning at her.

'I wonder if Ginny would agree though,' she said.

'Don't even ask her!' said Harry. 'I like Ginny as Ron's sister, but I'm not about to think of her as a potential girlfriend. In fact, I'm not thinking of anyone like that.'

'Sorry. Maybe it's just that it's so new to me -- I've only slept with Ron for three nights so far -- I just think you should be enjoying love too. Or have you?'

Harry blushed. 'No. I don't think I should, either.'

'Oh,' she said in surprise. 'Can I ask you why not?'

'How much have you thought about when you were Petrified?' said Harry, who'd been considering how to bring up the subject with them ever since he found out about the permission slips at the start of the year.

'Don't change the subject!'

Ron just sat watching the two of them, glad they were no longer talking about Ginny, relieved that Harry wasn't interested in her that way, but bemused by the change of subject.

'I'm not. It's a long explanation, and it starts in our second year.'

Hermione blinked. 'I don't really think about it much. It wasn't fun, though I don't remember any of the time I spent in the hospital wing. Why does it start then?'

'Riddle told me that he knew I'd go to any lengths to solve the mystery of the Chamber, especially if my best friend was attacked. Unlike the other victims, as far as I know, you were deliberately targeted.'

'You told me,' she said quietly. 'He picked me, not Ron, because Ron's a pure-blood.'

'Yes. Sorry. You were at risk just for being my friend.' Harry held up three fingers, and counted them as he explained, 'You were only Petrified, because you'd worked out it was a Basilisk, you met Penelope and warned her, and she had a mirror. If, one: it was a day earlier, or two: you hadn't met her, or three: she didn't have a mirror with her, then you would have been killed. Just for being my friend.'

'I know. I did think about that when I was cured -- I didn't realise that was what you were asking about,' she said, still in a quiet voice.

'Then, last year, the Daily Prophet said you were my girlfriend, and Witch Weekly said you weren't, and you got all that hate mail. At least Voldemort didn't do anything that time. But I don't like the idea of him thinking that anyone's my girlfriend. It wouldn't be safe for her. I hope you're going to let people know that much about you and Ron; it'll make it safer for you.'

Hermione nodded, and looked at Ron, who was also nodding. 'More kisses in the common room,' he said. 'I think I can tolerate that!'

'So now you know why I don't think I should make love to anyone. I'd have to really like her, but not care if she was attacked by Voldemort. That's not possible,' said Harry.

'No,' she agreed. 'Doesn't that mean, well, You-Know-Who has won?'

'Because I'm going to stay a virgin until he's dead or in Azkaban? I think he's got bigger plans than that.'

Hermione shook her head. 'You told us that your mother didn't have to die, he just wanted to kill your dad, and you -- even though you were only a baby. Suppose he wanted to wipe out the Potter bloodline? That would explain why he wanted to kill you but not your mother.'

'If that's true ... you're right, Harry's ending the bloodline for him,' said Ron.

'So who should I make pregnant to continue my bloodline? Ginny? Hermione? Who? And would she even live to give birth? Think about what you're suggesting. If you're right, and there were rumours that I'd got a girl pregnant ...'

'You're right. Someone you don't care about, but who you really like ...' she laughed. 'Sorry. It's not funny, but it just sounds so strange.'

'I don't mind if you laugh -- I didn't mean to depress you both.'

'I'm not laughing,' said Ron. 'I've already heard rumours that you've got a girl pregnant. Hermione.'

'But you know that's not true,' said Harry in alarm.

'Of course I do. Some people don't, though. If the Slytherins hear the rumour, Hermione could be in danger.'

'I think we should tell the teachers about this, and see if they can get the rumours stopped,' said Harry.

'Isn't that going too far, just for rumours?' asked Hermione. 'Shouldn't we just talk to the rumourmongers?'

'It's not going too far if it's your health, or your life,' said Harry grimly.

'Maybe you could kiss Pansy Parkinson, right there in the Great Hall, and start a new load of rumours. She's in Slytherin -- wouldn't she be safe from You-Know-Who?' she said.

'I don't think I'd enjoy that much -- Malfoy would get possessive and attack me -- and it might not be convincing enough to start rumours. I don't know if her family includes any Death Eaters, anyway.'

'Do you know if any of the Slytherins are definitely Death Eaters' kids?' asked Ron.

Harry thought for a moment. 'Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott were there when Voldemort got his body back.'

'Pick one of those to kiss instead,' said Hermione, giggling.

'I am not kissing Malfoy!' Harry paused for a moment. 'It would stop the rumours, wouldn't it?'

'I think so,' said Ron with a grin.

'You two would have to keep Crabbe and Goyle off me, though.'

'I was joking!' said Hermione, startled. 'You're not really thinking of doing that?'

'Maybe. I'd rather not, if there's a better way.'

She looked at him, and saw that he seemed to be entirely serious. She was shocked to realise just how scared he was for her life, and how far he was considering going to keep her alive. She couldn't bear it, and changed the subject.

'If Ginny asks, will you tell her why she can't be your girlfriend?'

'Hmm? I suppose so, yes,' said Harry, thrown by the new subject. 'It'd be only fair.'

'What if she confides in me about how she feels about you? Should I tell her?'

'Yes, if you want to -- or just tell her I don't mind if she asks me.'

'I hate to break up this bizarre conversation, but have you noticed how late it is?' asked Ron. 'We'd better go down to the Great Hall.'

The three of them went down to dinner. As soon as they entered the Great Hall, they saw that most of the others had already arrived, and that Snape was also there.

'He must've finished the chutney, and come back up here again,' muttered Ron in an attempt to cheer the others up. It seemed to work.

'Turkey sandwiches this time,' remarked Professor Flitwick when they reached the table.

'The theme continues and continues, then,' said Ron. Snape glared at him, but Ron would have been more surprised if he hadn't.

After the meal, Harry hung back, saying he wanted to talk to Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Ron and Hermione went back up to the common room, and played a quiet game of chess, neither of them feeling like talking much. Harry came back through the portrait hole just as Hermione took one of Ron's castles, much to his surprise. She looked up, grinning, at Harry, and saw that he looked happier.

'What did you want to talk to them about?' she asked him.

'I told them what I was worried about, and Dumbledore agreed that the rumours should be stopped somehow. So I feel a lot better at the moment.'

Hermione smiled. 'That does sound better.'

'What can the teachers really do to stop it, though?' said Ron.

'McGonagall suggested they could give detentions to people who wouldn't stop spreading rumours.'

'If they find out who they are.'

Harry smiled grimly. 'I offered to curse anyone they missed. McGonagall didn't like that idea, but Dumbledore didn't actually tell me not to.'

He sat down, ignoring the fact they were both just sitting and staring at him, and asked how the chess game was going, then watched them play the game out to the end. Ron won it again, but it was one of the longer games he and Hermione had ever played.

Not even Hermione felt like doing homework that evening. She and Harry played another game of chess, while Crookshanks prowled around looking for the cold sliced turkey he could smell. When he put his paws up on Hermione's robe pocket, she suddenly noticed him and put the meat slices on the floor in front of the fire, where he sat happily eating them. Ron half-watched them play, in between reading parts of the book Hermione's mother had sent her. Hermione watched him from the corner of her eye, and smiled inwardly at his many surprised reactions to what he was reading. The chess game eventually ended with a narrow victory by Hermione.

Harry looked at the time, told them he was too tired to stay up any longer, and went up to his dormitory to sleep alone.

Hermione looked at Ron, half-smiled, and beckoned him to follow her as she went up the stairs to her dormitory. Ron followed, and closed the door. Hermione was sitting on her bed. She hadn't started to undress, and was resting her head in her hands. Ron sat beside her, put his arm around her, and kissed her forehead, as her lips were hard to reach. Then he realised she was crying.

'Hermione? What's wrong? I've hardly touched you!'

She lifted her head, half-smiling at him. 'It's not you, it's Harry. '

'Harry? What did he do? Oh -- the rumours and You-Know-Who?'

'I didn't want to let Harry see he'd upset me -- he wasn't trying to, he's just worried for me.' She wiped her eyes. 'I decided ages ago it's pointless worrying about rumours -- nobody with any sense would believe them, so I just ignored them.'

'That sounds like a good idea.'

'But suppose that You-Know-Who is one of the idiots who believes gossip?' She sighed. 'Not that we're perfect either. I asked you about the rumours about you and Harry, and you asked me about being pregnant, even though you didn't think it could be Harry's.'

'Yeah, we did. We must be idiots too. We can see if the teachers manage to stop the rumours, anyway. That'd solve most of the problem.'

Hermione looked at the two empty beds. 'I think those two spread at least some of them. I wonder if they'd stop if we explained.'

'We can't find out until everyone gets back. Do you want to forget tonight, then? Or maybe I could just hug you until we fall asleep.'

'Thanks,' she said with a smile. 'But no ...' she turned and pushed him down onto the bed. 'Let's do the same again.'

They undressed, got into bed and hugged at first, then made love as if there were no tomorrow.

Ron awoke during the night, and lay there quietly, enjoying the feel of Hermione next to him. Then he turned to look at her, and touched her face. It was damp, and he realised she'd been crying in her sleep. At that point, he knew that she was more scared than she'd admit to, and really believed that soon, for her, there would be no tomorrow.

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Next chapter: Fears fade, more people read that book and reminiscing about the good old days when only trolls and Basilisks attacked.

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