Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter characters.

Vengeance from the Grave

Chapter Eighteen: It's a wonderful life

Hermione was shuddering uncontrollably whilst Ron rubbed comforting circles on her back, himself not looking any less worse for wear. Susan Bones and her aunt Amelia mimicked their own state as each tried and failed to comfort and reassure the other.

"A-Are you sure it hasn't been eight years?" Susan asked out loud to no one in particular as she kept casting nervous glances at the calendar displayed on Hermione's fridgerator.

Ron nodded his head despondently offering vaguely that: "He must have done something to us; legillemancy or a broad spectrum illusion maybe…?"

"No really, ya think?" Hermione snapped out irritably to which Ron just shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry." Hermione apologized, casting her eyes downward.

"Such power…?" Madam Bones shook her head in awed wonder despite the circumstances. "Where in the world would he have learned such a thing, let alone have the power at his disposal to pull it off on such a large audience?" she mused out loud.

"From what I can tell, with talking to several others, he curtailed it so that we each benefited from discrete details that would make the entire illusion that much more poignant to each individual." The Dragon surmised, leaning wearily against the kitchen's doorframe.

"Huh?" Stalker asked from his spot leaning against the counter.

"He individualized certain details to make it seem authentic to each affected party." Hermione clarified.

"Again..huh?" he reiterated still puzzled by the point they were trying to make.

"He made the details more personal so that each of us would view it as an accurate account,.. you know like birthday gifts and lifestyle details… it made it seem like we were really living and experiencing things for supposedly eight years only it was really just eight hours, if that calendar can be believed?" Susan vented, still dubiously eyeing the nearby calendar.

"Why though?" Stalker asked incredulously from next to Raven.

"I think it blatantly obvious." Cam entered the conversation in a clearly indignant tone that screamed 'I told you so'.

"It's a warning." Hermione agreed with Cam's point. She didn't offer any apology as such as she'd already subjugated herself to the man's ire many times since waking this Christmas morning.

Horror had turned to abject relief when the surprise party had awakened to find that only eight hours had passed, not eight years as they had been coerced to believe; complete with all the bells and whistles in that Harry had individualized details that made the whole seem convincingly real.

Harry had implanted either memories or false visions giving them a taste of what life could or would be like without him in it.

He'd done it, (as Cam had assumed and with regret the rest were beginning to believe), as a warning!

He was informing them, rather pointedly, as to what would happen if any of them tried to manipulate his life for even the most benign of intents.

He'd drawn a line in the sand as said flat out… cross and this is the future you will have earned.

He could have made the consequences uniquely dire, but instead he made it mundane in that he merely showed the everyday common events that he would not be personally involved with. Parties he would not attend; birthdays, holidays, wedding and the like.. all conspicuously absent with no more than a card or a generic gift to mark his acknowledgement of the occasion.

He would exist to them solely by proxy.

It was both a cruel prank and a unique warning given from the perspective of what their lives would be without him in it.

He'd given them a watered down version of the muggle Christmas classic: It's a wonderful life.

He'd shown them what their lives would be without him in it and each could feel the terrible hollow gnaw in the pit of their stomach from his own version of passive ignorance.

He would remain this Christmas and all the rest: on the outside looking in, only it would be of his own choosing and distinctly so if they chose to continue to try and manipulate his life in any possible fashion.

Susan was weeping quietly as her own version of a life without Harry in it had been a despondent one that she likened to slow starvation. She would do without to the point where she would never feel satisfied ever again. Already she feared the dull ache in her chest would never subside until she was locked firmly in his arms.

Hermione both goggled in appreciation over the cunning and immense magic behind her friend's prank; just as she marveled at how pointedly he'd driven the point home that he would remove himself from their lives for an extended period until they learned to treat him with the respect and consideration he thought that he deserved. The life he had shown her had been one filled with accomplishments: all of them hollow in view that he would not be with her to share in her good fortunes.

He would no longer be taken for granted- not even in the most remote sense. To say that the surprise party had been a bad idea was an understatement as clearly Harry had not felt the angst that they'd put him through was worth the potential rewards. He didn't want gifts or accolades; he wanted the sort of comfort one garnered in the company of friends and family-simple acceptance.

Judging by the pall over the room the message had been received loud and clear that he wasn't bluffing; he would leave; Christmas or no.

He would forsake love and friendship and start over anew somewhere else if people continued to play with his emotions.

"Urpppp… ya got any hangover remedy?" Dozer asked hopefully, holding his roiling stomach with one hand and his aching head with the other.

"You didn't have anything even remotely stronger than punch last night, same as the rest of us." The Dragon reminded him impatiently.

"C-Can't help it… whatever the kid did he did it, but good. I swear that we we're all out drinking and celebrating his return last night. I can still feel the morning's hangover."

"Same here" Raven grumbled wearily.

"Me too" Stalker threw in.

"I feel like I took a beating from the little bastard, but I don't have a bruise on me to sustain the evidence." Cam acknowledged as the Dragon had turned his surprised gaze toward his subordinate for verification of his team's distress.

When the Dragon cocked and eyebrow, Cam just shrugged and explained that… "The last thing I remember is challenging Potter to a go and getting the beating of my life for my trouble. I expected to find a broken nose and a verity of bruises and contusions when I woke up- but nothing. Odd though I can feel every ache and pain like it really happened." he finished rubbing the back of his head in frustration.

Several eyes turned expectantly toward Hermione seeking an explanation.

"Don't look at me?" She fanned her hands at them. "I haven't got a clue as to what he did or how. The sheer power of such a thing is staggering. Think of it? With that kind of power he could manipulate World War III tomorrow, for Merlin's sake."

Many nodded their heads worriedly in agreement with that whilst others appeared contemplative of just what Harry could and would do with such an ability.

All came to the same conclusion though.. the thought alone was staggering.

"And to think he only used it for a prank of sorts?" Ron shook his head in wonder of his once best friend's antics. "Is this a result of whatever changed him after he'd fought Voldemort, and if so, I wonder just what other tricks he's got up his sleeve?"

The Dragon shared a pointed look with Amelia at that, each all too aware of the potential applications of said power.

"No, don't even think it?" Susan warned them in alarm, catching the look they were sharing, each looked embarrassed by having been caught in near conspiring.

"If this is just a warning, than just think what he could and would do if we tried to misuse him in any fashion, especially a political one?"

"You'd have another Dark Lord on your hands." Hermione surmised; herself worrying over the prospect. "I've oft wondered if Voldemort was just born evil or if the magical community drove him to become what he was? How much hate and bitterness can one person stomach before it begins to wear on their senses and warp their ideals? Think about it… what happens when you persecute and degrade someone with a great deal of power at their disposal? How long before you create the monster from what was once the man?"

"Harry'd never go dark." Ron snorted in disbelief.

"He wouldn't, no" Susan agreed with him.

"But he's been abused and mistreated the majority of his life." Hermione reminded them. "That kind of pain takes a toll after a while. I don't believe he'd ever go evil either, but that isn't to say that Harry is going to roll over and take it anymore either. This was a warning and a uniquely intense one that I intend to take to heart and honor. I think it safe to say that we've all been deeply touched by the experience and that we can all readily agree that alienating him from our lives could be as bad or even much worse than the insight he's afforded us."

All heads around the room either nodded or mumbled their agreement with her.

"I had years of pain and longing when after I'd thought he'd died and that was a never ending ache in my heart that never went away. I can still feel it even now. But this,…"she threw up her hand in exasperation,.. "this is so much worse. Before he was out of our lives because he was believed to be, and for all intents and purposes, was dead. This was the final consequence of him having supposedly committed suicide. This however, this was so much worse because he chose or would choose to remove himself from our lives as a direct result of our own meddling."

Hermione shot an apologetic look toward Cam, finishing dolefully. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you Cam. Harry's lucky to have you in his corner if for no other reason than to save him and the rest of us from our own stupidity."

The fact that Hermione Granger, genius and prodigy, had painted herself in so foolish a light was very telling to the rest of them.

They'd screwed up big time and had reaped their just rewards, or would if they ever so unthinkingly attempted to take advantage of Harry in future.

"He's had enough angst and drama." Susan decided. "I, for one, intend to see if I can't change that and bring some happiness back into his life. I don't know that I'll ever be able to chase away all the hurt he's known, but I intend to spend a life time trying." That said she rose and left the room without a backward glance as she went to see if she could find the object of their interest to try and make amends for her foolishness.

"Good for you, Susan. Good for you." Amelia whispered at her niece's departure, her hand reaching out and grasping Lewis's in both affection and support. No one bothered to call after here and offer a suggestion on where to look, most instinctively knew.

He would be where it all began.

There wasn't a shred of trepidation as Susan walked across the snow swept path from the Hogsmeade gate towards the waiting Hogwart's castle. There was only a steel resolve directed toward the distant anticipation of better things to come if she was committed to her course and she was.

As she came near the castle and its many turrets came into detailed view, she could spy a lone figure atop the Astronomy tower watching her come nearer.

Minutes later and out of breath from her long trek, Susan stepped up alongside the only man she could and would ever love, having finally come to the conclusion that it was time to grow up and grab onto what and who she wanted in life.

"Merry Christmas" Harry said bluntly as she sidled up next to him, but carefully not too close to not give away any presumption on her part that he might find unappealing in the present clime.

"Yes, thank you, and the same to you." she said with a hint of sarcasm bleeding into her voice despite her best efforts.

Harry snorted a half laugh catching on. "I take it by your tone you don't appreciate the thought behind my gift?"

"On the contrary.." Susan quipped right back. "It was not only thoughtful, but thought provoking."

"How so?" Harry asked curiously, eager to see if the message sunk in.

"We've been fools all of us and I know it's so easy to say and quite another thing to mean, but we are truly sorry. I, am truly sorry for taking you for granted and trying to manipulate you. I keep thinking that I want to do all the right things by you, but seem to inevitably keep doing all the wrong things. It might be with the best of intentions but it's still wrong if we don't consider your feelings first."

Harry cast a sideways glance her way grumbling that… "Maybe I went more than a bit over the top and took things a bit too fa..mummph.." Susan's palm clamping over his mouth smothered the apology he had been about to make.

"Don't you dare apologize, we're the ones that screwed up and have been screwing up right along since the day you came back into our lives. We didn't mean to, but we did just the same. You could have left us and deservedly so, but you were at least that kind in that you didn't. What you did was eye opening on a whole new level. You showed us what it would be like, or at least could be like without you in our lives. I think it safe to say that it was a shattering experience for everyone affected."

Harry stared at her for the longest time after she'd made her thoughts plain on the subject at hand. There were so many emotions ghosting across his face from appreciation to regret to profound love and longing. On and on it went, so much so that Susan found herself completely enthralled. She couldn't help but thinking that: Hermione was so right in that his eyes are the windows to his soul.

Finally, his eyes regained their focus and a calm resolve settled over his features as he detailed to her what his life was and what he intended it to be.

"You , more than anyone else need to understand that I'm not gonna change for anyone or anything. I'm gonna do what I want to do and when I want to do it; whether that's taking a swim in the artic or building a shite hut in the Serengeti."

Susan snorted a laugh at that despite his seriousness.

"I'm gonna prank whether it's in retaliation, or if I'm the one who's the instigator and if so I fully expect to get my comeuppance in return. I'm gonna run around catching dark lords and kicking ass."

Susan snorted incredulously at that, thinking the latter was the understatement of the century.

Harry smirked at her reaction, but still explained further. "I'm not the boy I once was. I never used to go looking for trouble, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I like the action now. I'm good at what I do and I'm gonna keep on doing it with my friends and yes, one day I might not come home."

Susan goggled slightly at that, reminded of something she'd already considered as Harry pressed the point home.

"Anyone who gets seriously involved with me is going to have to accept the fact that one day I might not come home. You, Sue.. could end up like Jenny when Chris died: a widow with two young children to raise on your own, grateful for them, but still heartbroken."

If he was expecting Susan to flee his company in terror or at the very least breakdown, he was sorely mistaken as she looked resolved, hopeful even.

"It's funny you should mention that." She replied, quirking a half knowing smile.

"What dying and leaving a family behind?" he reiterated in surprise at her reaction.

"Uh-huh" Susan acknowledged sheepishly, not trusting her voice just now as she giggled in spite of herself.

"I fail to see what has you so amused at the thought of my eventual demise?" he snarked back at her.

"I'm not amused by the dying thing, but by the other bit." She clarified slightly, smiling brightly at his confused expression.

Harry just glared at her with a puzzled expression as he couldn't fathom what she was implying.

"Just what are you getting at?"

"Susan took his arm and pulled him back from the parapet. "Maybe you'd better come away from there?" she suggested facetiously.

He batted her hands away slightly insulted and exasperated. "That's not funny. I'm…."

"Gonna do what you wanna do?" Susan reiterated his previous with a churlish grin, wheedling him good naturedly.

Harry grimaced slightly with a pained, impatient expression; trying to puzzle out why she had this odd, yet somewhat ecstatic look on her face and was acting so coquettish.

Susan let his off the hook. "Well, just so you know.. you've gone and done it."

"Huh" he asked still stymied.

"I'm late."

"Oh, er.. ah,.. family gathering, Christmas and all…yeah, sorry." He reluctantly agreed having forgotten the day.

"Not that kind of l-late." Susan giggled.

"Well than what..do…you…?" his eyes went out of focus and Susan almost bust out laughing as she could see the cogs finally clicking into place.

His eyes went wide in panic. "Wha.. but we cast charms and…"

"And we made love,.. a lot…more than a lot…I guess we must have missed one somewhere along the line. I'm guessing it was the morning you gave me that foot massage and…mummph"

Harry's hand cupped over her mouth as he hissed. "There are kids around." To which Susan giggled beneath his fingers.

"You think its twins then?" she chirruped, purposely misreading his meaning and enjoying the sudden panic filled expression that filled his eyes.

"Twins?! He gasped in terror.

"Or maybe even triplets, there was a set of triplets in our family a generation back." Susan conjectured.

Harry goggled at that, his eyes straying briefly toward the parapet thinking that maybe it was a good idea that she had maneuvered him away.

Susan slapped his arm. "I'm joking." she soothed.

"Whew…" Harry sighed in relief. "You mean you're not pregnant? Oh, man you had me going there. I.."

"Got a taste of your own medicine, albeit, a small one and hardly even a patch on the whopper of a mind scramble you treated the rest of us to." She didn't know what she was expecting but she hardly expected that he would start giggling until broke down into side splitting guffaws as he bent over double, clutching at his sides.

Finally, he was able to compose himself enough to giggle out an appreciative.. "Touché. Though at amateurish attempt at retaliation on my person it merits acknowledgement as there's very little that unsettles a man more than finding out he's inadvertently broached fatherhood. "

"You're not mad then?" Susan asked uncertainly, eyeing him askance.

Harry smirked and waved off her concern. "I'm a lot of things, but a hypocrite isn't one of them. I expect Hermione's planning some form of soul rending retribution to vent her moral displeasure at my solution, or warning as you will, to what I perceived a growing problem."

"Yes, I'm sure she is, or will once she'd gathered herself and is able to look at the issue more logically, critically even?" Susan surmised.

"Was she mad?" he asked, blanching slightly in concern.

"She was shattered; a total train wreck like the rest of us. I think you delivered a message that won't soon be forgotten, let alone taken to heart."

"I didn't want to hurt anyone, not really." He winced at the possibility of having done just that. "I only wanted to make everyone see that I've had enough of the whole "Harry Potter Circus''.

"It was only a surprise party to honor you Harry, just your friends and other i-interested parties." She defended meekly, though her voice caught at the inclusion of so many other interested parties.

He snorted at that, rolling his eyes. "That was a lot of "other interested parties" by my accounting." he drew quotation marks in the air for emphasis.

Susan sighed…"W-We went overboard, didn't we?".

"Ya think?" he shot back incredulously. "Hermione originally told me it was gonna just be a few friends and then I started getting wind of half the ministry and an awards ceremony yada- yada- yada… geez, I hate that stuff!" he ground out in disgust, curling his lip at her.

Susan winced uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "We only wanted to show our appreciation for everything that you've done." She reiterated, shrugging helplessly.

"If you lot knew half the things I've done you wouldn't be throwing me parties, but running me out of the country, not that you could if I didn't wanna go." He added pointedly."

Susan harrumphed at that. "You're a hero not a …"

"I'm an ass kicker and I like to bend the rules if not break them outright, let's be clear about that?" he clarified pointedly.

Seeing that the debate could and would go nowhere as all she was successfully doing was irritating him when she wanted to do quite the opposite; Susan decided to acquiesce to his view point as she fanned her hands in a calming fashion and placated…"Alright…Alright I get it. I think we all get it.. you like to fight Dark Lords and you bend the rules to do it. We get it and it may surprise you, but I think we can live with it."

"Even Princess Hermione?" he asked incredulously, though he was surprised that at least someone was starting to get where he was coming from, not that he was wholly sure where that was just now.

Susan grimaced slightly, though truthfully she almost laughed at the title. It did tend to fit at times.

"Let's not expect Rome to build itself in a day, 'k? Despite all that, I think Hermione learned more and evolved more from this than the rest of us. " she sidetracked pointedly.

He cocked his head to the side and pondered her words thoughtfully. For a time until Susan interrupted his musings.

"What now?" Susan asked, not sure she wanted to know ther answer, but needed to just the same.

"If I knew that I wouldn't be standing up here in the cold staring at the snow and wandering if I'd gone too far in the first place?" he complained.

Susan smiled in spite of herself as she pushed her arm through the crook of his and nudged him in the direction of the door. "Let's start out by seeing if we can sponge lunch off the Headmistress for starters?"

Harry smirked at that. "Do ya think they might still have some party crackers left, I love those things?" he asked hopefully in anticipation.

"Honey, if they don't I'll get you a whole bunch all your own for New Year's."

Harry pulled up short and at first she was worried that he had not only caught on to the endearment of calling him "honey", but that he didn't like it.

She was happily wrong on both counts.

"Promise?" he asked hopefully, his face uncertain and pulled at her heart strings as she realized that for all his power and courage he was still, in part, a wounded young man, sorely lacking in youthful memories of happier times.

"I p-promise." She said, her voice traitorously catching in emotion.

Those emotions turned far more happy and content when he grabbed her up in a soul searing kiss that curled the toes within her furry boots.

Happily curled up in front of a warm fire with a mug of cocoa and the wireless playing a nice medley of Christmas tunes. Susan had been watching in amusement earlier as Harry happily stashed his Christmas cracker gifts under the modest sized Christmas tree he'd put up in his cottage's family room. They'd yet to exchange any gifts of their own and neither minded as they were relishing the easy comfort of each other's presence.

Susan had taken a quick moment, when he was distracted at Hogwart's, to send a patronus to Hermione and her aunt letting them know that she had found him and that things were relatively well, but not to press the matter further just now.

If she were honest; she was being a little selfish as she wanted him wholly to herself without the distraction afforded by other concerned parties until things had a chance to cool down. That, and she was hoping he'd bring up the bulge in his pant's pocket.. not that one, but the ring box shaped one.

The cushion of the couch sinking down alerted her to his return, though she was disappointed he kept a modestly appropriate distance between them, being too much the gentleman and not presuming to snuggle up next to her as she prayed he would.

"I won't bite." She promised hopefully, adding a bit playfully as he face pinked up slightly. "That is, not unless you really want me to?"

Harry cocked a skeptical eyebrow at that, but she was relieved to see that he moved a few inches closer toward her. It was better, but not the comfortable intimacy she was hoping for.

She started to inch over when he abruptly stiffened and moved away just enough to establish some boundaries and hurt her feelings in the process.

"I'm sorry." He murmured gently at seeing her crestfallen expression.

"Me to" she replied glumly, hiding her trembling lip behind the rim of her mug of cocoa.

The silence was becoming uncomfortable and Susan was just about to try and draw him out when he surprised her by addressing the very topic distressing the two of them.

"I…I er.. it's been brought to my attention that I, that is.. I haven't been treating you um.. properly." He stammered uncertainly.

She didn't know what she'd expected, but certainly not that. Was he referring to…?

At seeing her confusion he clarified somewhat …" You know… ah… taking liberties and not considering your ah.. n-needs or ah, lack thereof?"

Susan goggled at that and her face flamed as she realized he was talking about the week that they literally spent in bed exploring each other's needs to the fullest, and then some.

"I.. wasn't being a proper gentleman and I…"

"You weren't doing anything that I didn't want you to do." Susan cut him off, her face flaming as she grabbed up his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze to reassure him as she wasn't quite ready to elaborate further just now.

He stared in distracted surprise at their joined hands before he tried again to unnecessarily apologize.

"But I,.. I guess I took things a bit too far and should've been more in tune with what you wanted or maybe didn't want?" he offered hesitantly.

Susan pulled his hand to her lips to stress emphatically that she was both sincere and not the least offended by his previous action, quite the contrary.

"Did I ever, at any time, say no or stop?" she asked him, smiling warmly.

"Well, ah no,.. I don't think so." He returned trying to recall any occasion that she may have.

"That's because I didn't want you to, I just, um… I wasn't that is… I.. I ah,.. what we did was the most amazing week of my entire life, but I.. I don't have your stamina." She blushed prettily at that admonition.

Harry snickered slightly at that, his eyes showing relief, amusement even.

He out right laughed when Susan added conspiratorially… "Yet"

After that… things got infinitely more comfortable, intimate even, between the two of them, but at a more leisurely pace that both found they enjoyed-very much!

Boxing Day, er… late afternoon Boxing Day found the young couple making the rounds to clear the air amongst their friends.

Harry had assumed he would go alone, but Susan would have none of that, citing they were a couple and would face life together as a couple from here on out.

His gratitude was evident in the way he treated her so affectionately throughout the day, introducing her as his girlfriend, though Susan secretly hoped that distinction would alter sooner rather than later, but for now she was content with their relationship.

That is to say, she was ecstatic!

A glowing Susan and a proudly smiling Harry knocked on their friend's door without a hint of trepidation despite the fact that both knew this would be the most stressing of the Day's stops.

Ron Weasley opened the door, his eyes going wide when he saw who was there.

"Ron,.. I'd like to apologize for umphh!"

Harry's apology cut off as Ron grabbed him up in a smothering rib cracking hug.

"I'm the one that's sorry. R' you okay?" Ron asked worriedly, pulling back and holding Harry by the shoulders as he scrutinized his friend's appearance.

Susan was smiling and nodding behind Harry's shoulders as Harry shrugged helplessly, answering… "Yeah, er… everything's fine on my end, but … it's you guys that I'm worried…"

"Who is it, Ron?" Hermione's voice called out in concern from the other room.

"It's Harry, M'ione… Harry and Sue!" Ron called out, smiling in relief.

"Oh, thank God!" they could hear Hermione's footsteps hurrying there way.

Harry looked over Ron's shoulder as Hermione hastily trotted into view. He started the apology again, but got no further than he did with Ron.

"I'm sorry Hermioneee…..ugh!"

Hermione grabbed him up in a hug that put one of Mrs. Weasley's to shame. "Don't you dare apologize? I'm the one that's sorry. Please forgive me, honey,.. p-please…?" she begged. Her voice breaking as she snuffled softly into his shoulder.

"Sure ah.. huh?" he asked in confusion at his reception.

"Oh, Harry…?" Hermione wiped at her eyes as she pulled him into their home, beckoning Susan as well. "We're the ones that are sorry, all of us. We,… we wanted to do something special for you, but we kind of got so caught up in what we were doing that we never even gave a moment's consideration to what you wanted. We never even realized until it was too late that what we were doing was more for our sakes than yours."

Ron added as she pulled him toward their sofa with Susan trailing behind his shoulder. "We'd forgotten how much you loathed attention, even with the most benevolent of intentions. You'd reminded us, of course, but we .. ah hell, we just lost our heads and wanted to do everything and anything to show our appreciation when what we really should have done was what was most important to you and us." Ron entreated.

"Er,.. what's that?" Harry asked sheepishly, feeling very uncertain as Hermione was crying, though not unhappily so as she clung at his side for dear life.

Ron kneeled down in front of Harry, grabbing his shoulders again as his warm eyes sparkled invitingly.

"To welcome our brother back home, which is exactly where he belongs."

Harry goggled hopefully, his uncertain eyes reassured by Susan nodding head and wiping at her own eyes from behind Ron.

"You,.. you really mean it?"

Hermione snuggled into his side as Ron nodded assuredly. "We loved you since the troll, you git." Hermione scolded gently, kissing his cheek as Ron cupped the other side of his head.

"We never in our most fervent prayers thought we'd ever see you again in this life. Christmas wasn't Christmas without you." Ron reassured him, wiping at his eyes.

"We forgot the season's most important message…Love. That's exactly what was given back to us. You're being back to spend Christmas with us is all that really matters." Hermione cooed gently.

"It's all that will ever matter." Ron added with dead certainty. The four friends spent the day doing what friends and family do for the holidays; they ate, laughed, relaxed in front of the fire sipping egg nog while watching old Christmas movies on the television; all the usual things that made holidays enjoyable.

It was something that Harry found he could readily get used to and it was obvious as his friends delighted in his evident appreciation of their efforts. Themselves enjoying the holiday far more than their guest, if that was even possible.

Hermione was glowing, consumed with love and cheer when she snuggled into Ron that night. She hadn't enjoyed a holiday like that, with her two boys, like she'd had a life time ago when they were school children. It seemed a lifetime ago now, but when Harry and Susan were with them earlier, it seemed as if nothing had changed. For one blessed day; time had stood still and allowed then to be who and what they once were and would be again-family.

"I could do that all over again tomorrow." She commented, brimming with satisfaction.

"No reason we can't, luv?" Ron offered.

"You mean it?" Hermione popped up, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight seeping in around the edge s of their blinds. She was nearly bouncing in excited anticipation.

"Snowball fights?" Ron suggested.

"..and sledding…?" Hermione added.

"Hot cocoa in front of the fire after?"

"It sounds like heaven." Hermione purred, snuggling into Ron's side, resting her head against the crook of his arm.

"I suppose we'll need to get up early so we can floo Harry and Sue to set it all up?" Ron suggested, eyeing the alarm clock on her bedside table. He hated the bloody thing with a vengeance as it kept him from one of his favorite pastimes-sleep.

"Yes, but….?"

"But?" Ron mimicked hopefully, liking the throaty way Hermione was addressing him.

"No reason we can't go right back to bed after for a bit of a lie in, if you're still tired that is?"

"Depends how much sleep I get between now and then…"

They ended up having a bit of a lie in as apparently they were up rather late after that.

"That was a nice day." Susan commented wistfully as she snuggled into Harry side of the bed, having forgotten to don her usual flannel pajamas. She had tapped the edge of the bed invitingly, arching an eyebrow in a challenging fashion.

"Looks like it's gonna be a nice night too." Harry grinned as he pulled off his shirt.

It ended up being a very nice night. Apparently Susan had gotten him something rather personal for Christmas, but she hadn't had the time to wrap it properly, not that he'd minded as it was just what he'd always wanted.