Harry Potter and The 7th Year Proposal

Chapter 13 - Christmas at the Burrow

Christmas at the Burrow

"Teddy!" Mrs. Weasley shouted as Mr. Weasley, George, Harry, and Ginny walking in through the kitchen door. Harry was practically plowed over by an eager Mrs. Weasley as she rushed to grab Teddy from Ginny's arms.

She kissed both his cheeks and hugged him tightly. He was tugging at her frizzing, orange hair, but she just laughed.

"Charlie came!" she told them suddenly, over Teddy's head. "Can you believe it? We've got the whole family now!" she said, happily.

They all rushed into the living room. Fleur was the first to stand up and waddle her way over to them. She had grown so big since the last time Harry saw her over summer. Ginny actually snorted when she got an eyeful of her sister-in-law's stomach, but she managed to inconspicuously turn her laugh into a cough.

"You should get some'zing for zat cough, Ginny," Fleur said lightly, kissing both of Ginny's cheeks.

When Fleur pulled away, Ginny had a look of revulsion on her face that Harry mimicked as soon as Fleur had moved onto George.

Harry and Ginny pushed their way through the crowd, into the living room to sit on the couch with Ron and Hermione.

"You got to take him home?" Hermione squealed, taking Teddy from Ginny. "My, he's grown!"

"Where's Charlie?" Ginny asked eagerly, searching the room.

"Upstairs, still. I think he's fallen asleep," Ron said before he started an intense game of peek-a-boo with Teddy.

Fleur and Bill came back in and sat down opposite the five on the couch.

"So," Fleur said haughtily. "Why eez eet that you three are not taking Muggle Stoodies like 'Ermione?"

"I was raised by Muggles," Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, and our dad's a raving Muggle-lover," Ron added for himself and Ginny.

Fleur gave a hmmph as Mrs. Weasley came flying down the stairs, muttering to herself. "Turkey, turkey–Percy doesn't like turkey–chicken! Yes, yes, chicken, too. Bill with Fleur–end of the table, no doubt–Hermione across from Ginny–cranberries! Oh no, no, no!" She hurried into the kitchen, her hands fluttering all over the place.

Ron shook his head slightly. "Good to see Mum's taking it easy this Christmas."

(-):(-):(-)

Harry hung back in the entryway of the dining room, watching with amusement as all the Weasleys tried to find their place around the long dining room table.

"Right, right," Mrs. Weasley said loudly. "Percy, you're next to Bill–yes, there. Fleur, dear, here you sit at the end–yes, that will work best." Here, Ginny snickered. "Yes, Charlie–there's good. Arthur, will you–George Weasley what did you just give Teddy?"

Ginny snatched the object from Teddy's hands before it could reach his mouth.

"It's only a lemon drop. Honestly, Mum!" George said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"You try it yourself, then," Ginny said fiercely.

"Give it here," George said confidently.

He popped it into his mouth and the whole table watch silently with anticipation. Nothing seemed to happen to George as he swallowed the candy with a smug look of satisfaction on his face. But later that evening, Harry was sure he had seen a green boil on George's arm as he passed him the potatoes. George was quick to pull his sleeve down and keep it in place for the rest of the night.