Christmas ficlet #1
Like I said, fluffy romantic Christmas HP ficlet. This one deals with two familiar couples, Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione. Rated G 1018 words.
WORTH THE WAIT
Harry sensed the danger before he actually saw it coming. The sixth year student had been heading up one of the corridors leading back to Gryffindor Tower when he noticed an ominous floating object. Figures he couldn't enjoy a nice relaxing Christmas with his friends without something happening!
He ducked down a corridor. He turned around and saw a stone wall. Of all the times to find a dead end... he would have thought he'd know the tricks and turns of Hogwarts by now.
The floating object veered and changed course, following his path. The object came clearly into view in the entrance. Harry was startled to discover that it wasn't anything dangerous, just an innocent sprig with green leaves, red berries and a pretty red bow. He was starting to get paranoid, not surprising given the last five years.
Except that it was Christmas. Except that that innocent sprig meant only one thing.
"Hello, Harry." Ginny Weasley smiled mischievously from the entrance, her gleaming red hair unbound. Harry was still surprised by how much one year had changed "little Ginny". Half of the school was noticing too, much to Ron's dismay.
"Ginny, I'm glad to see you here," Harry said. Then he noticed that her wand was outstretched, pointing at the mistletoe. He gulped. "Were you... um... looking for someone?"
"Of course, silly," Ginny came forward, coaxing the mistletoe into place. "You." She smiled. "I've waited a long time to do this."
Harry took a step backwards and found himself against the stone wall. The mistletoe hovered in a very controlled state above them. Ginny now stood right in front of him, still almost a head shorter than he was. "Um... Ginny, really I don't..."
"Oh, quiet." Ginny finally silenced him with a kiss. A bit hesitant, but still quite pleasant all the same. Harry forgot why he was fighting this.
Before she could pull away, though, Harry found himself drawing his arms around her to extend the kiss further, his right fingers entangled in that mass of fiery red hair. The kiss blissfully seemed to go on for an eternity.
When they finally came apart, Harry stroked her cheek with his free hand. He whispered. "You don't need mistletoe to kiss me anymore."
Ginny said impishly. "I had to be sure." She added. "Ron will hit the roof."
"I'll deal with Ron," Harry said, bending down to kiss her again. Then his face fell, causing concern on Ginny's pretty features. "Uh-oh, I was supposed to meet with him earlier, but I spotted your Christmas surprise."
Ginny blushed, then slipped her own arms around him. "I'm sure he won't mind waiting... a little longer." Harry grinned.
Nearly an hour later, Harry gave the password to the Fat Lady and stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room. He could see Hermione still working overtime to decorate the room just right, fussing over tinsel and golden balls with Crookshanks at her side. Coming up the steps to his dormitory, he grinned sheepishly, trying to rearrange his hair, which was even messier than usual. He was still feeling the effects of kissing Ginny. She certainly did not do things by halves.
"What happened to you?" Ron asked, seated on his bed. "I thought we were going to play some chess, but you didn't show."
"Oh, I..." Harry hesitated, not sure how to admit this incident, other than to simply state the truth. "I got waylaid by a kissing bandit with red hair."
It didn't take Ron long to figure out the bandit's identity. He stood up from his bed. "You kissed my sister!" Ron said shocked.
"I'd just like to state for the record," Harry said, taking a couple steps back, knowing Ron's temper. "She kissed me first." He flushed. "She cornered me with a floating twig of mistletoe, if you must know, Ron. I think we can safely say she's mastered her levitation spells."
"And you just let her?" Ron asked.
Harry admitted somewhat reluctantly. "I didn't turn down the opportunity." Ron threw up his hands in exasperation. "What was I supposed to do, Ron? Ginny isn't a little girl anymore. She's grown up." He added. "And I wasn't... thinking too clearly."
"I should have known something was going to happen, the way you kept staring at her on the train," Ron said finally. He repeated aloud. "You kissed my sister."
Harry grinned. "Yep."
"Was she worth the wait?" Ron sighed.
Harry's grin grew wider. "Yep." Then his face fell, realizing he must look and sound like a triumphant Crookshanks.
"I don't believe this," Ron said, shaking his head. Then he seemed to make a decision. "I'm going to go find Hermione."
"To cast a hex on your best friend?" Harry asked, hoping he was wrong.
Ron turned towards him, still a little flabbergasted. "Don't tempt me." He finished. "No, I'm going to... see if Hermione needs help decorating the Common Room."
Harry pointed out. "But the tree is already finished."
"You're right," Ron said. "But the ceilings need something to liven them up, maybe some tinsel..."
"Or some mistletoe?" Harry asked.
Ron grinned. "Maybe." He disappeared downstairs whistling some Christmas song.
Curious, Harry wandered down to watch from the staircase. He wondered what exactly Ron had planned for Hermione.
Hermione was still working on the Common Room decorations. Crookshanks occasionally handed her an ornament, dangling it between his teeth, though Hermione didn't seem to want to trust him with the red ribbon.
"Crookshanks, get me that last ornament," Hermione called. The ginger cat disappeared towards the box of Christmas decorations, intercepted by Ron. Harry could see Ron putting something else in Crookshanks' mouth and sending him back to his owner.
The cat reappeared by her side. Hermione bent down to retrieve the last ornament, smiling. "Thank you..." Then her eyes widened when she accepted a nice garland of mistletoe. "Crookshanks, who gave you this?"
"Me." Ron leaned over her shoulder and kissed her tenderly, catching her completely off guard.
Harry grinned, watching the two indulge in a long kiss. Some things were definitely worth the wait.
WORTH THE WAIT
Harry sensed the danger before he actually saw it coming. The sixth year student had been heading up one of the corridors leading back to Gryffindor Tower when he noticed an ominous floating object. Figures he couldn't enjoy a nice relaxing Christmas with his friends without something happening!
He ducked down a corridor. He turned around and saw a stone wall. Of all the times to find a dead end... he would have thought he'd know the tricks and turns of Hogwarts by now.
The floating object veered and changed course, following his path. The object came clearly into view in the entrance. Harry was startled to discover that it wasn't anything dangerous, just an innocent sprig with green leaves, red berries and a pretty red bow. He was starting to get paranoid, not surprising given the last five years.
Except that it was Christmas. Except that that innocent sprig meant only one thing.
"Hello, Harry." Ginny Weasley smiled mischievously from the entrance, her gleaming red hair unbound. Harry was still surprised by how much one year had changed "little Ginny". Half of the school was noticing too, much to Ron's dismay.
"Ginny, I'm glad to see you here," Harry said. Then he noticed that her wand was outstretched, pointing at the mistletoe. He gulped. "Were you... um... looking for someone?"
"Of course, silly," Ginny came forward, coaxing the mistletoe into place. "You." She smiled. "I've waited a long time to do this."
Harry took a step backwards and found himself against the stone wall. The mistletoe hovered in a very controlled state above them. Ginny now stood right in front of him, still almost a head shorter than he was. "Um... Ginny, really I don't..."
"Oh, quiet." Ginny finally silenced him with a kiss. A bit hesitant, but still quite pleasant all the same. Harry forgot why he was fighting this.
Before she could pull away, though, Harry found himself drawing his arms around her to extend the kiss further, his right fingers entangled in that mass of fiery red hair. The kiss blissfully seemed to go on for an eternity.
When they finally came apart, Harry stroked her cheek with his free hand. He whispered. "You don't need mistletoe to kiss me anymore."
Ginny said impishly. "I had to be sure." She added. "Ron will hit the roof."
"I'll deal with Ron," Harry said, bending down to kiss her again. Then his face fell, causing concern on Ginny's pretty features. "Uh-oh, I was supposed to meet with him earlier, but I spotted your Christmas surprise."
Ginny blushed, then slipped her own arms around him. "I'm sure he won't mind waiting... a little longer." Harry grinned.
Nearly an hour later, Harry gave the password to the Fat Lady and stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room. He could see Hermione still working overtime to decorate the room just right, fussing over tinsel and golden balls with Crookshanks at her side. Coming up the steps to his dormitory, he grinned sheepishly, trying to rearrange his hair, which was even messier than usual. He was still feeling the effects of kissing Ginny. She certainly did not do things by halves.
"What happened to you?" Ron asked, seated on his bed. "I thought we were going to play some chess, but you didn't show."
"Oh, I..." Harry hesitated, not sure how to admit this incident, other than to simply state the truth. "I got waylaid by a kissing bandit with red hair."
It didn't take Ron long to figure out the bandit's identity. He stood up from his bed. "You kissed my sister!" Ron said shocked.
"I'd just like to state for the record," Harry said, taking a couple steps back, knowing Ron's temper. "She kissed me first." He flushed. "She cornered me with a floating twig of mistletoe, if you must know, Ron. I think we can safely say she's mastered her levitation spells."
"And you just let her?" Ron asked.
Harry admitted somewhat reluctantly. "I didn't turn down the opportunity." Ron threw up his hands in exasperation. "What was I supposed to do, Ron? Ginny isn't a little girl anymore. She's grown up." He added. "And I wasn't... thinking too clearly."
"I should have known something was going to happen, the way you kept staring at her on the train," Ron said finally. He repeated aloud. "You kissed my sister."
Harry grinned. "Yep."
"Was she worth the wait?" Ron sighed.
Harry's grin grew wider. "Yep." Then his face fell, realizing he must look and sound like a triumphant Crookshanks.
"I don't believe this," Ron said, shaking his head. Then he seemed to make a decision. "I'm going to go find Hermione."
"To cast a hex on your best friend?" Harry asked, hoping he was wrong.
Ron turned towards him, still a little flabbergasted. "Don't tempt me." He finished. "No, I'm going to... see if Hermione needs help decorating the Common Room."
Harry pointed out. "But the tree is already finished."
"You're right," Ron said. "But the ceilings need something to liven them up, maybe some tinsel..."
"Or some mistletoe?" Harry asked.
Ron grinned. "Maybe." He disappeared downstairs whistling some Christmas song.
Curious, Harry wandered down to watch from the staircase. He wondered what exactly Ron had planned for Hermione.
Hermione was still working on the Common Room decorations. Crookshanks occasionally handed her an ornament, dangling it between his teeth, though Hermione didn't seem to want to trust him with the red ribbon.
"Crookshanks, get me that last ornament," Hermione called. The ginger cat disappeared towards the box of Christmas decorations, intercepted by Ron. Harry could see Ron putting something else in Crookshanks' mouth and sending him back to his owner.
The cat reappeared by her side. Hermione bent down to retrieve the last ornament, smiling. "Thank you..." Then her eyes widened when she accepted a nice garland of mistletoe. "Crookshanks, who gave you this?"
"Me." Ron leaned over her shoulder and kissed her tenderly, catching her completely off guard.
Harry grinned, watching the two indulge in a long kiss. Some things were definitely worth the wait.