InsaneJournal

Fic: I’ll Be Home For Christmas (H/R)
Title: I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Author: rickey_a
Rating: PG
Pairing: Harry/Ron
Genre: feel good xmas drabble with overused title
Word count: ~1070
Story first posted: Nov 20, 2006
Summary: Harry & Ron surprise the Weasley’s by returning home after several months of travel.
Universe: Stands on its own, but it’s really a second epilogue to Turn the Page. If you haven't read the fic, you can also just skip to the epilogue that sets this story up.


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Harry waited nervously outside the Burrow front door. Ron held his hand tight. Their trunks sat on the lawn. It was just after noon on Christmas Day.

Their ship had arrived two days earlier. Hermione met them at the docks and helped them settle into a hotel. The three of them spent the first night in the bed drinking from the mini-bar, eating snacks and talking until the sun came up. They fell asleep in their clothes on top of the bed. It was as if they had never been apart.

Hermione sent Hedwig to the Burrow with a message that she would drop by with some gifts from the boys. They had to time it right so that the Weasley’s wouldn’t notice that Ron’s hand on the clock had moved from ‘traveling’ to ‘home’. Hermione apparated five minutes ahead of them. She gathered everyone in the front room saying that she had a surprise present from Harry and Ron and then opened the front door.

Mrs. Weasley shrieked and scrambled over to the doorway, “My Ronnie!” She pulled Ron inside and into a fierce bear hug. Harry let go of Ron’s hand. In an instant, the entire family mobbed Ron. There were greetings, tears and hugs.

Hermione and Harry stepped just inside the door and closed it behind them. They watched the family come together in a large red headed mass with the exception of Fleur and her blonde baby boy.

Fleur kissed Ron on the cheek. He couldn’t help but note that it didn’t have the same effect on him that it had in the past. “Is this my nephew?” Ron asked. Fleur smiled and handed him two-month-old Maurice. “Wow!” was all he could think of to say and quickly handed the baby over to Bill.

Every Weasley was accounted for including Percy, who ceremoniously shook Ron’s hand. Both Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had tears streaming down their cheeks.

“This will be the best Christmas ever!” declared Mrs. Weasley. “Oh my gosh, Harry! Harry get over here.” Mrs. Weasley reached out her hand and pulled Harry into the middle of her brood. She held him tight and then he was passed around from Weasley to Weasley for hugs and pats on the back.

Hermione said her goodbyes despite Mrs. Weasley trying to talk her into staying.

“I have to get home to my folks,” Hermione said as she opened the door.

“Our trunks!” Ron stated and headed for the door, “We’ve got presents for everyone.”

Harry and Ron brought their trunks up to Ron’s room and unpacked the Christmas gifts. They passed out the presents to everyone, and were happy to find that there were many gifts for both of them under the Weasley tree.

Mr. Weasley’s eyes sparkled warmly at them, “We figured you could open them when you got back, but this is better.”

Mrs. Weasley had prepared her usual sumptuous Christmas feast. As the clan took their seats, Harry sat across the table from Ron despite the fact that there was an empty seat next to him at that moment.

When they were all full to the point of bursting, they retired back to the living room. Mrs. Weasley brought her first grandson upstairs for a nap. The rest gathered round to hear Ron and Harry tell stories of their travels. Fleur curled up with Bill in an oversized chair. Harry sat across the room from Ron. Everyone laughed and bantered along with the tall tales of travel. Fred and George took a piss out of Ron every chance they could get. Charlie passed around a bottle of firewhisky.

Mrs. Weasley watched from the kitchen entryway. After Ron finished his Disneyland story, she called Harry to the kitchen.

“Come help me with the tea, dear,” she said pulling him deep into the room. She gave him a most serious look and he looked back wide eyed and confused.

“Stop it,” she said firmly.

“What?” Harry asked nervously.

“You didn’t sit next to Ron at dinner. You’ve been clear across the other side of the room from him all evening. I want to see my children love each other. I want warm embraces and cozying up by the fire.”

Harry was so choked up he could barely respond to her, “I didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”

“You’re uncomfortable, Harry. We’re all fine. Here look,” she turned him around to face the opposite wall. Her magic clock had two new hands on it: ‘Harry’ and ‘Fleur’ were pointing to ‘home’.

Tears welled in Harry’s eyes. Mrs. Weasley hugged him tight and told him, “Don’t ever doubt that we’re your family, Harry and all that goes with it, which includes me telling you what to do.”

“Thanks, ” Harry said as he slowly pulled away.

Mrs. Weasley grabbed for Harry’s left hand and pulled it up so she could look at the ring on Harry’s finger. It was a platinum braided band. “This is lovely,” she said admiring it. “I saw that Ron was wearing one too.”

Nervously Harry explained, “Yeah, we got them as Christmas gifts to each other.” Harry couldn’t help but remember how easy it was for two men to walk into a jewelry shop in San Francisco and buy wedding bands.

Mrs. Weasley gently tugged at the ring, “Is there an inscription?” Once she had it off, she looked on the inside. It read ‘HJP& RBW’. “I like that, simple, elegant.” She slid the ring back on Harry’s finger and smiled at him.

She led Harry to the kitchen doorway and called, “Ronnie come here for a moment dear.”

Ron did as his mother requested. She placed Harry’s hand in Ron’s and said looking upward, “How about that, mistletoe.” She let go of their hands and backed away a few steps.

Ron whispered, “I think she wants us to kiss.”

“I know she wants us to kiss,” Harry said with a gleam in his eyes.

They wrapped their arm around each other and kissed long and hard and deep to hollers and catcalls from the Weasley clan. They pulled away smiling wide, their cheeks red.

“Happy Christmas, Harry.”

“Happy Christmas, Ron.”

Mrs. Weasley called to the rest of her family, “Well now that’s taken care of dessert’s ready.”

Fred yelled out, “I think Ron’s already had his.”

Still holding Ron’s hand, Harry led him over to the dining table where they sat down together.

*******End*********


Author postscript: I am the biggest Scrooge on the planet. Ask anyone who knows me. I hate the way (in the States anyway) xmas is a giant commercial venture from Nov 1st – Jan 5th. I have no idea how I wrote this. This is what Harry and Ron do to me. I now need to go write something dark and angst filled to make myself feel better;-)