Return To Hogwarts

Merry Christmas Eve Eve.

You were exhausted. It was December 23rd, and you had just finished a 12 hour shift at the hospital. The things you had seen during the 12 hours had been unlike anything you'd seen before. The worst being a poor house elf with no limbs. The children of his house had tried and failed to turn him into one of Santa's elves. The spell predictably going wrong, leaving him in excruciation pain as you tried to grow his limbs back. It had been successful, the elf now with the Ministry while they decided if he was to return to his owners or not. After the movements of the S.P.E.W organization, elves had become more respected in the wizarding world.

The journey home seemed longer than usual and you struggled to keep your eyes open. You stopped by the bakery and bought a large coffee for the rest of your walk home. Thoughts of Ron quickly entered your mind as you thought of the morning you had bought him breakfast. He had kept to his word, writing often. He could never tell you exactly where he was in the world, so any time you responded, you had to use his owl. This didnt please Evie. She missed him too.

His letters had stopped a few days earlier. You tried not to worry but you scanned the Daily Prophet every morning for his name, fearing the worst. Maybe he had changed his mind about you, or maybe he was just busy. You were trying to stay positive, you had no reason to believe that his feelings had changed. Everything was going to be ok.

You fumbled with the keys to your flat, before hearing Evie squawk excitedly from inside. This wasnt unusual for her, she could sense you had been preoccupied lately and had become extra affectionate as a way to comfort you.

Finally, you managed to unlock the door and push it open. Your eyes blinked in disbelief at the sight infront of you. There were fairy lights everywhere. They lit up the room, making it look prettier than it ever had before. In the corner of the room, a Christmas tree.

"What the..." you stepped towards it, noticing a note perched on one of the branches.

"Surprise."

Confusion washed over you, what was going on? Your parents werent coming home this Christmas. Who had done this?

"Merry Christmas, y/n" a voice from behind you whispered softly, making you jump.

You turned round and your heart stopped. Ron. He was wearing a Santa hat, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He looked down at you with the lopsided smile that made you feel like a giddy teenager.

"Ron? What are you....doing here?" you gasped before throwing your arms around him.

He hugged you back, pulling away only to kiss you softly.

"You didnt really think I'd let you spend Christmas alone, did you?" he laughed as your lips parted from each other.

"I...yes?" you laughed, embarrassed. "I thought you had work?"

"I did, but I got home this morning. Mum wasnt too happy when I told her I wasnt staying, but youre worth it" he shrugged, kissing you again.

"But, Ron, I have to work. You have to go home, your poor mum." breaking away from him you suddenly felt awful. Mrs. Wealsey must already hate you, and you havent even met her.

A sad look spread across his face, "I thought you would have wanted to see me..." his voice trailed off, as he looked round the room at all the effort he had made. Now you felt even worse.

"Of course I do!" you gasped, pulling him close again and kissing his cheek. "I just...I wont be here...you'd be here alone." Evie hooted angrily, "well, not quite alone. No, Ron you cant."

He pulled away from you and sat sadly on the couch, Evie immediately taking flight and landing on his shoulder, burrowing into his neck. That owl could sure pick sides.

"The place looks beautiful," you broke the silence "thank you." you sat softly beside him, Evie looking at you sharply then going back to nuzzle him.

"Well, I feel stupid now" he sighed, turning to face you. "especially since I already organized for you to have a few days off"

"You...what?" this boy just kept surprising you.

He nodded and laughed, "dont you think I thought of that? I was there earlier today, you almost ran into me" his laughter deepened. You were blown away, no one had ever made this much effort for you. And to think, just a few hours ago you had almost convinced yourself he didn't care about you.

"Which reminds me, I owe your boss an signed photo of Harry" he shook his head. You laughed, she had always had a weird obsession about The Chosen One, often questioning you on what he had been like at school.

"I can't believe this, Ron. Thank you...thank you so much" you smiled, moving closer to him. Evie took this has her cue to leave, returning to her cage and closing her eyes. You kissed him softly, has he reached his arm round you and pulled you into a tight embrace. A few moments of silence passed as you looked around the room, taking in everything that had just happened. You didn't believe in Christmas miracles before today, but maybe there was something more magical about this season.

Ron started telling you about the last few weeks, where he had travelled to and the dangers he had faced along the way.

"I just..." he blushed, stopping himself. You gave him a small nudge, so he continued. "I feel like I've been doing this shit since Year One at Hogwarts." he sighed. It was then you noticed how tired he seemed. His eyes were darker, his cheeks more sunken than they had been the last time you saw him. "Sometimes I just want to pack it in, find a normal job. Make a home." he looked down at you. Butterflies swarmed through your whole body. You loved the idea of seeing him more often, especially if it meant he was no longer putting himself in danger. But realistically, you barely knew him, it was his life, you had no right to tell him what he should and shouldnt do. "Its just been harder to leave lately" he looked away from you and blushed.

You pulled yourself closer his body, burying your head into his chest. Silence fell in the room again as you both thought about what he had just said.

"Do whatever makes you happy, Ron" you said softly. He looked at you, a mischievous smile spread across his face. The next thing you knew, his lips crashed against your, his tongue exploring your mouth, and his hands running down your back. He grabbed you tightly, pulling you ontop of him so you were straddling him.

"Well, this is a start." breathed into your ear as he kissed your neck, biting down softly, making you gasp.

I'm not sure about this part, tbh. I'm unsure if I should keep writing or wrap the story up soon....