A/N: Written for the Houses Competition, Representing Slytherin House. HoH Entry. Category: Additional / Prompt: Christmas / Word Count: 1082

AU – Canon Divergence after Battle of Hogwarts. (I know, I know, it's my favourite divergence point, but such is life lol)

o.o.O.o.o

It had been a hellish week at the Auror's office, and Harry was giving serious thought to packing it in and just telling them where they could stuff their rules and regulations. He flooed home to Grimmauld Place and froze as he stepped out of the fireplace. For half a second he actually thought that he'd flooed into the wrong house by mistake. The dark dingy atmosphere of the old seat of the Black Family had been banished in a wave of Christmas cheer that he honestly hadn't seen since his days back at Hogwarts.

"What…"

"Happy Christmas, Harry."

A warm voice came from his right, and he turned to look at Hermione. Her skin was tanned from being away in the blistering sun of Australia. She usually spent every December down in Brisbane with them, visiting and making sure they had everything they needed. The two British dentists had elected to stay there after their memories were restored, having grown to love living down under. Harry had honestly not expected to see her until after the New Year.

"What are you doing here?" He gaped, at a loss for words.

"This is our first Christmas together, you didn't really think I'd miss it?" She gave him the look that meant she was seriously questioning his intelligence at the moment. It was one he knew well.

"But your parents…"

"Are thrilled we finally 'figured it out'." She laughed, making little quotation marks in the air with her fingers. She went over and unbuttoned his work robes, smiling up at him. "Why don't you go and get cleaned up, and dinner should be just about ready by the time you finish." She leaned up and stole a quick kiss.

Harry smiled and pulled her in close for a longer kiss. There was something so…easy about being with Hermione. It was this sense of rightness that had never been there with any other witch, and he'd tried more than his share looking for that elusive 'IT' that people always talked about. Hermione pushed him away with an admonishing look, and sent him off to get cleaned up.

After the war, they'd all had a lot of personal demons to exorcise. Ron and Hermione's relationship had been like a whiz-bang; loud, fast, and over quickly. He and Gin had held on a bit longer, before realizing they just wanted and needed different things. There had been a lot of tears between all of them in those first rough years. They'd all been through rebound after rebound, until the group all seemed to start settling down. Ron had actually been the first to make the leap, getting married to Pansy Parkinson of all witches. Ginny had married a Seeker from Spain, and they were currently living in Madrid.

It had taken Harry months to work up the nerve to ask Hermione out on a date, after he realized what had been staring him in the face all these years. That first date had been a disaster, awkward and full of them tripping over their words, well right up until they'd said goodnight. He'd decided that kissing her was worth getting hexed for. He stolen a kiss and rather than rearrange his innards, because he knew she could, she'd returned his bold kiss. After that, things just progressed naturally. They'd been dating for nearly eight months now, and he felt like the luckiest bloke alive.

He got cleaned up and detoured upstairs to his bedroom to get something first. The plan had been to give her this once she returned from Australia. Well, she was here now and it was almost Christmas. Just a few hours left actually. It was the perfect time, he just had to keep it together until the clock chimed midnight.

o.o.O.o.o

The old grandfather clock in the hallway announced the arrival of Christmas Day, and Harry tightened his arms around Hermione. She was curled against his chest, the two of them listening to Christmas Carols on the wireless, and nursing steaming mugs of hot cocoa. Dinner had been wonderful, and after dessert he'd convinced her to dance with him a little before they settled down to wait out the clock.

"Happy Christmas, love," Harry whispered into her ear.

"Happy Christmas, Harry." She turned her head and kissed him, just a delicate brush of lips.

"I have something for you." Harry held up a neatly wrapped little box. It had green paper, and a big red bow.

"Yours are all under the tree. You can pick one to open if you want." Hermione stroked her fingers over the perfect bow.

"I'll wait until you open yours," Harry said.

Hermione gave him a bit of a look and then untied the bow, opening the box. Her smile slipped off her face as she discovered another box inside. A velvet ring box. She opened it, to reveal a brilliant blue sapphire, ringed with diamonds.

"Hermione Jean Granger, will you do me the great honour of being my wife?" he asked her, hoping that she said yes. He wasn't sure that he'd ever seen Hermione struck so speechless before. Then he realized she was crying. "No, don't cry…I'm sorry, it's too soon isn't it…Merlin I'm such an idiot…"

"Harry, stop…no. You're not an idiot, well not all the time, and…I…" She sat up and turned so she could look at him. She looked deep into his eyes and took a steadying breath. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

Harry pulled her down and kissed her soundly. "This is the best Christmas I've ever had," he said as their lips parted.

"Are you going to put the ring on my finger?" She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Gladly." He took the ring, and slipped it onto her left hand. "I promise, I'll make you the happiest witch in the world."

"I already am." She stroked his cheek and reached for his hand, guiding it down to rest over her stomach. "We may need to bump up the wedding though."

Harry blinked at her stupidly for a moment and then it hit him like a bludger to the face. "You're pregnant?"

"Yes. I was going to tell you in the morning, but…now seems like the perfect time."

"We're going to have a baby…" he said in utter wonder. Hermione laid her hands over his and nodded.

"Our baby."

That Christmas, Harry got everything he'd ever wanted. Hermione had brought love, joy, and hope to his life. There was nothing more he could ever ask for.