Moon and Stars

fifty one

They took turns going around the room and explaining whatever bits and pieces of their dreams that they could remember, laughing at the absurd stories. As Ron explained his in depth dream about quite literally becoming a grain of sand and sinking to the bottom of the ocean, Hermione began to laugh so hard her face turned red.

Other than the choking hazard, breakfast went on smoothly, and what was left was an intimidating stack of dishes that needed to be done. If the Weasley family wasn't full of magic, it would have been a damper on the mood, but Molly happily enchanted the dishes to clean themselves.

Today, since the Christmas was just around the corner, was used as a shopping day, to buy presents for the people they loved. Molly's yearly gift was a hand-knit sweater for everyone, so she stayed home along with Arthur, Bill, Fleur, and Charlie, who have already gotten gifts for everyone.

Since there were too many people to all fit in one car, Fred and Aurora went on their own, and Ron drove his dad's car, with Hermione in the passenger seat, and Ginny and Harry in the back.

Shopping for gifts with the family proved to be a difficult task, since everyone was around. The secrecy element was hard to maintain, yet they found a way. The two cars went to different stores, and they all took turns running back to the car to place the gifts in the trunk, covering them with blankets so no one else would see.

The snow had continued to fall throughout the night, so there was a thick layer of white on the ground, making driving difficult. Even with the slippery conditions, Fred still kept a hand firmly on Aurora's knee, rubbing it with his thumb.

Fred always had a way with small acts of romance, and it never failed to erupt a cloud of butterflies in Aurora's stomach.

They spent the majority of their day not only shopping for gifts for each other, but also just enjoying the happy atmosphere that Christmas always brought. There were lights dangled in the outdoor trees, and the fresh snow draped everything in a blanket of white, making the world seem brighter. Though the sky was a dull grey, the various Christmas decorations on display around the shops brought a burst of color to life.

There was a group of people singing Christmas carols on a corner, and they stayed and listened for a bit, humming along. The frosty air chilled their noses, making their skin grow redder, but they didn't mind.

Fred's arm was wrapped around Aurora's waist, and she happily laid her head on his shoulder. Ron and Hermione had interlocked their gloved hands, and she wrapped her other hand around his arm to pull him closer, cherishing his natural body heat. Harry and Ginny, who would usually be kicking snow onto each other, had even stopped to appreciate the sweet singing, and she had pulled him into a long hug, singing along quietly.

As much as they enjoyed the singing of Christmas songs, the group eventually left a small tip for their nice voices, before heading back to their separate cars. Even though Ron and Ginny preferred cold air over hot air, the heat was immediately turned on in both cars once they entered, warming their chilled bones.

The rides back home were short but sweet, consisting of everyone trying to guess what the others bought them as a gift. Of course, no one would actually say what the gift was, but the guessing game was always good fun.

When everyone finally got back to the burrow, the smell of fresh gingerbread wafted through the house, and when they walked into the living room, they saw that Percy had finally gotten home, and he brought Audrey with him. He and Audrey had gotten together some time after him and Penelope split, and he had been happier than ever with her.

The Weasley family happily greeted the both of them, before going back out to the car to get the gifts they had bought during the day. The Christmas tree had now been full of gifts beneath it, and everyone was excited to finally get to open an early one now that Percy was home.