A Very Harmony Christmas

The Promise

Prompt: December 24th. A Christmas Proposal.

~~~

The Promise

Presents at Grimmauld Place had been opened together under the tree instead of in bed which had been a novelty for Harry. He decided before they were even halfway through that he liked that way much better. Getting to sit with his arm around Hermione, with Sirius and Remus and the Weasleys in the room all laughing and enjoying being together was perfect. Watching everyone's reaction to opening their presents was infinitely better than simply giving a gift and waiting until you heard back from them.

But there was one person in the room who didn't join in, who was given no presents, who stood silent and simply observed it all: Kreacher. His stillness caught Harry's eye and he frowned. The house-elf was grouchy and ill-tempered at the best of times but of late, he'd been different, mellower. Kreacher had helped Harry and Hermione, even Sirius and yet, on this day that was supposed to be about family and giving to others, Kreacher seemed to be forgotten.

Harry knew what that felt like. He'd had ten long years of being forgotten, of being left out at the Dursleys and he was never going to allow that to happen to anyone else.

His mind then turned to what would be an appropriate Christmas gift to give Kreacher. Clothes were an obvious no – no house-elf should ever be given clothes, Dobby being the one exception, which was why Harry and Hermione had given Dobby a package of a dozen bright, multicolour socks, none of which matched.

But Kreacher?

Harry thought hard about all that he knew about Kreacher and all that he'd seen Kreacher do, trying to determine what it was that Kreacher most liked. The Black Family was the obvious answer. Kreacher doted on the portrait of Sirius' mother and Regulus' room, the room that Harry had been staying in, was kept spotless. Even the Christmas dinner that Kreacher had arranged for the Black family and the Grangers at Potter Manor had been about family. That thought led to the mistletoe debacle where Kreacher was trying to get Harry and Hermione to produce the next generation of Blacks way too early.

When he thought about it, there were quite a number of things that Kreacher had done recently that all screamed how much Kreacher wanted to know that the Black family – preferably through Harry and Hermione – would continue.

"Hermione?" Harry whispered, his mouth close to her ear so that he wouldn't be heard.

"Mmm?" she replied.

"I'd like to do something nice for Kreacher for Christmas," he said, keeping an eye on said house-elf who was busy cooking eggs. "But I'll need you to play along with me when it happens."

She shifted back slightly to look at him, one eyebrow raised.

"You're not thinking of pranking Kreacher, are you?" she asked.

Harry considered that. Would it be a prank? In a way, yes, he guessed it was. But if he worded it right, then maybe not. From what he could see, it came down to how Hermione responded.

"Not really but he might get the wrong idea about something and I'll need you to go with it," Harry replied. "It'll mean the world to him."

Again, she gave him a Look that told him to be careful about whatever it was that he was planning.

"I trust you, Harry," she finally replied.

~~~

A judicial use of his invisibility cloak and two short meetings with Dobby on the front step of Grimmauld Place gave Harry exactly what he needed to pull off Kreacher's gift.

Looking into the small box, Harry was blown away with what Dobby had achieved. Harry had given his small friend his Gringotts key and detailed instructions and Dobby had come through even better than Harry thought that he could have done on his own.

His next challenge was getting Hermione on her own with only Kreacher around to 'witness' the event. He was helped in that department when the Weasleys left to go visit Mr Weasley in Saint Mungo's. At first, Hermione wanted to accept their invitation to go but a pointed look in Kreacher's direction was enough for Harry to convince her otherwise. After that, it was simply a case of needing to keep out of Sirius and Remus' way.

The final piece of the puzzle was easy to achieve – all Harry had to do was to take a furtive look at the small box when no one was watching (even though he was very aware that Kreacher would see it) before slipping it back into his pocket and pointedly asking Hermione to come to the sitting room with him.

As Harry was closing the door behind them, he smiled inwardly as he saw Kreacher watching intently. There was no doubt in his mind that, within moments, Kreacher would be in the room with them, invisible, silent and watching.

"Harry?" Hermione asked as he joined her on the couch.

They were seated side by side but with their bodies twisted so that they were facing each other. Reaching out, he held both of her hands in his and connected his eyes with her chocolate brown eyes that he could easily lose himself in.

"This is the best Christmas that I've ever had," he told her. "And it's all because of you, that we're together and sharing it as a couple."

"I feel the same, Harry," she smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Hermione. Very, very much," he said.

He swallowed then, suddenly nervous.

"You, Hermione Granger are my best friend. You have been since that day a troll strolled into the dungeons and I jumped on its back for you. You've always been there for me, wanting the best for me and following me on one crazy adventure after another, even when you knew that I was wrong and being pigheaded and a dunderhead," he began.

"You're my best friend, too, Harry," she replied.

"I know that we've only been dating for a very short time," he continued, "but it feels as though we've been together for years. The romance, the kissing and cuddling has only enhanced what we've already had. I can't imagine ever not having you in my life."

A glistening appeared in her eyes and, somewhere along the way, Harry knew that what he'd originally planned as something for Kreacher was becoming something else entirely. Something that felt infinitely right.

He slipped off the couch and down to one knee on the floor. His hands left hers even as her eyes followed him. Quickly, he pulled out the box in his pocket.

"Hermione, would you – one day – marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?" he asked, opening the lid of the box.

She gasped, her eyes going big and round. His eyes never left hers as watched her gaze at the ring. It was gold with a diamond in the centre of it, an emerald and a brown gem the exact shade as her eyes set to either side of it – exactly the same as the gems on her book locket.

"Harry?" she asked, dragging her eyes from the ring to his.

She stared into his eyes, searching, questioning and he nodded.

"Yes! Yes, Harry, I will!" she exclaimed before sinking off of the couch to join him on the floor.

They hugged and kissed more passionately than they ever had before. Sometime later, they parted and, still breathless, Harry brought the ring box back around so that he could pluck the ring from it. Her hand appeared, fingers splayed ready for him.

"My promise to you," he said as he slipped the ring on her finger.

Once again, their lips crashed together, their arms wrapped tightly about each other.

"Yes!" Harry vaguely heard from somewhere in the far corner and he smiled into the kiss.

This may have started as a gift for Kreacher, one which he seemed to love, but it had quickly developed into something a whole lot more and Harry couldn't be happier.

With Hermione by his side and now with a family, the future looked brighter than ever. He couldn't wait to face it with the woman in his arms.