Bless you Bianca, for the wonderful gift you have shared with us, and the many stories you have inspired with your art. This one is for you, based on art, 'Cozy December'.

Christmas Eve 1999

Harry Potter stepped out of the Floo, into his lounge at Grimmauld Place. His girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, looked up from the sofa she was laying on, right where he had left her to take his godson, Teddy Lupin, home.

"Well?" she asked.

Harry grimaced. "Andi gave me one of her famous disapproving looks. You know the one, like she gave me when I gave Teddy a broomstick for his birthday."

Ginny snickered but sympathised. "Oh, that's harsh. Her Black heritage really comes out when she gives you that regal stare."

"I think you mean glare, not stare," replied Harry, dryly. He moved towards her, flopping onto the sofa next to her.

"Was Teddy still on his sugar high?" she asked.

"Ran up and down her stairs four times without stopping," nodded Harry. "I really didn't think he had that much while he was here."

"Andi was probably hoping to get him to bed early tonight too," said Ginny, " being Christmas Eve and all." She ran her hands through his hair; he leaned in to her touch.

Harry and Ginny had watched Teddy all afternoon while Andromeda finished her Christmas preparations. Teddy was nearly two years old and very excited for Santa to come and bring him presents.

Ginny continued. "I still think George or Ron slipped him something while we were at the shop, probably those Muggle lollies they had at the counter," she suggested, wriggling out from under him and crawling on hands and knees to the base of their Christmas tree. She wanted to place all their Christmas presents for her family in the Santa sacks to save time in the morning.

When Teddy had arrived, they had taken him to Diagon Alley. The little boy had been delighted to see the alley all decorated for the holidays. They'd taken him to see the animals in the Magical Menagerie and then stopped in at the Weasley brother's shop. It was a very quick visit as the store had been busy, but both Ron and George had taken time to say hello.

"Or it could have been Hannah at the Leaky Cauldron when we stopped there for a hot chocolate," suggested Harry, wriggling off the sofa and made his way next to her, his hand finding its way under her jumper.

"And then we came home and made Christmas biscuits and you know how much Teddy loves biscuits. I caught him with a handful," confided Ginny, kissing his forehead and trying not to giggle as his fingers tickled her bare skin.

" Perhaps take-away for dinner was the final straw," shrugged Harry distractedly, as his fingers began to wander south. His plans to cook for her had gone awry when they'd realised they'd both been too busy to do a decent grocery shop.

"But then he got sleepy while we were watching the Christmas movie on television," protested Ginny, remembering the three of them snuggled together under one of her mother's home-made blankets.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe that gave the sugar time to hit his blood stream. Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," he reasoned, his fingers playing with the lace at the top of her knickers.

"True. So, Teddy's home with Andi, Ron and Hermione are at the Burrow and it's just you and me," noted Ginny in a breathless tone, as his fingers slipped under the lace, " which means..."

"Hmmm?" Harry turned to press his lips to her bare abdomen, then protested as he felt her bunch his hair in her fist. "Hey!"

"Sorry," She did look somewhat repentant, "We will come back to that, believe me, we definitely will, but now – oh," she gasped, as his lips got busy again.

"You were saying?" murmured Harry, his tongue teasing her belly button as his fingers teased her inner thighs.

"That movie Hermione told me I should watch is about to start," she said breathlessly. She clenched her thighs together teasingly and beckoned him to sit up. Her attention was definitely not on the telelvision.

"Meh, it will be on next year," shrugged Harry, letting her help him off with his shirt, and then allowing him to help her off with hers.

"Presents!" she gasped, as his lips pressed against her shoulder, his beard rasping against her skin in the most delicious way. "We haven't bagged up the presents for early in the morning."

"It'll be fine," he assured her softly.

She smirked at him. "I think you're just trying to have your wicked way with me, Harry."

"Is it working?" he asked, hopefully.

She laughed, rolling him onto his back as she hovered over him. She leaned down to steal a kiss, or two or three.

"Are you sure you don't mind missing Christmas Eve at the Burrow?" he asked her, watching the Christmas lights flicker as they lay close by.

No," she said adamantly, then – "no," in a softer tone. "There's no where else I'd rather be than here with you, making wonderful Christmas memories."

His heart swelled, for he really didn't have many good Christmas memories at all. He had a feeling this was going to change this year.

He reached out to run his fingers through her hair. "Have I told you how happy you make me?" he asked meaningfully.

She smiled beatifically, removing his glasses and, after laying them on the floor, leaning even closer. "I'm glad," she practically whispered, "because I plan to do that for the rest of our lives."

They'd never talked about that far into their future, about marriage and babies, but her words filled his heart and he knew she knew he understood her meaning.

"And I plan to let you," he teased, equally softly, bringing her head down so he could claim her lips again.

If there was anything he remembered, many years later, about that Christmas Eve, it wasn't the telling off they received from Molly the next day for being so late, nor the taunting from her brothers as to the many reasons why – excluding the obvious, of course (they would forever live in denial, even after three kids), no, the one thing he'd remember was unwrapping her under the Christmas tree and the way the colourful tree lights danced over her bare skin as he worshipped every inch of it.

And those precious whispered words that promised a wonderful future he'd only dared dream about...till now.

Till Ginny.

(definitely, the )

~end~

Merry Christmas, wherever you are in the world, hope your day is filled with love and laughter as you celebrate with your nearest and dearest xx