Work Text:
The Floo to Hermione and Ron's cottage roared to life, sending the flames of the fire shooting up the flue.
"Hermione?" The voice called out. "Ron?"
The caller glanced over to the sofa, finding both occupants passed out in each other's arms. Chuckling, they pulled back plunging the living room of the couple's cottage into its previous level of semi-darkness as the fire settled again.
"They're out cold and won't be joining us tonight," they said to the others gathered in the parlour of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
"The poor dears are probably tired from everything they've done over the last few weeks," Molly replied, deciding to send them a care package. She turned, making her way towards the dining room now that she knew everyone that was coming had arrived. She called back over her shoulder, "The food is ready, everyone. Let's eat!"
Back at Hermione and Ron's cottage, the couple continued to sleep peacefully.
"Remind me again why we're decorating our home before we leave for our holiday?" Ron asked. He was hanging lights along the roofline while Hermione directed different lighted lawn decorations to their places in their yard.
Hermione glanced over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Do you really want to return home only days before we have your whole family over for Christmas Eve and still have to decorate?"
"But we're using magic; it's not like we're doing it the Muggle way," Ron countered.
"Yes, but it's so much more fun to take our time and enjoy ourselves, plus," she grinned at him innocently, "I know the best way to say thank you."
Laughing, Ron leaned over and kissed her cheek. "That you do, my love."
"When we're done out here, then we'll work on the inside, " Hermione returned his kiss, "but I think that can wait until tomorrow."
Ron smiled in his sleep, shifting as the dream-memory faded. He tugged Hermione closer to him, disturbing her slumber, but she quickly settled down and found herself in another recent memory.
Looking out their room's window, Hermione took in the view up the slopes to the top of Killington Peak. Today was their last full day in Vermont before continuing their holiday in New York City, and Hermione was looking forward to spending as much time with Ron out among the white fluff.
"Are you ready to go, love?" Ron asked, coming to stand next to her.
"Yes!" Hermione replied.
Soon the couple found themselves out on the slopes among the others enjoying the unusually nice weather. Ron was still a bit unsteady on his skis, but Hermione was proud of the progress he'd made over the last few days. She was hoping they could turn this into an annual holiday for the two of them and go to a different place each year.
They spent hours out on the slopes, getting as many runs in as possible with a short stop for lunch before Hermione reminded Ron that they needed to return to their room so they could change for the evening.
Ron surprised Hermione with an evening filled with a sleigh ride and a candlelit dinner for two. What neither of them knew was that their sleigh ride wouldn't be horse-drawn, but rather a machine that the locals called a snowcat. It had been a little noisier than they expected, but the views provided were nothing short of spectacular.
"Thank you so much for this, Ron," Hermione said as they slowly made their way back to their room.
"Anything for you, love," Ron replied. He wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders, pulling her close. "Are you ready to go to New York City tomorrow?"
Hermione nodded. "Very much so! There's so much to do and see," she glanced at him, "Are you ready for your first experience with ballet?"
"Depending on how it goes, it might be my last," Ron joked.
Hermione chuckled in her sleep. She stretched before moving closer to Ron's warmth and burrowing her nose in his neck. The spicy scent of his cologne drawing her in.
Ron mumbled in his sleep about dancing sugar plum fairies and nutcrackers.
Looking around in awe at the cement and glass building they were about to enter, Ron leaned down and whispered to Hermione, "It's amazing to see what Muggles can do."
Hermione grinned. "It is! Just wait until you see the show. I've heard the New York City Ballet's version of The Nutcracker is one of the best. Thank you for going with me."
He returned her grin. "As I said during our last night in Killington, anything for you, love."
"So, what did you think?" Hermione asked a couple of hours later as they stopped in the lobby to slip on their coats and gloves.
"I preferred the second half to the first, and while it's not something I would have gone to if it wasn't for you, I did enjoy it."
"I'm glad to hear that," Hermione replied. "And don't worry, I also prefer the second half to the first half, although I do enjoy the music from the first half too."
"It's barely half nine, what would you like to do?" Ron asked as they made their way outside into the chilly New York City night air.
"We're not that far from Rockefeller Center, and the rink is going to be open for a while, do you want to go staking?"
"I thought you wanted to get up early tomorrow?"
Hermione shrugged. "I do, but I have a feeling we'll be too tired tomorrow night after shopping all day, and we're heading home the morning after."
"You have a point," Ron agreed. Gesturing in front of them, he added, "Lead the way as you know I'll get us both lost."
"So much packing," Ron mumbled, "even with magic."
"Huh?" Hermione questioned as his voice pulled her out of her deep sleep. When she didn't hear anything more, Hermione shifted onto her side.
Ron pulled her into his chest, and they both drifted back to the world of dreams.
H"How is your house coming along?" Hermione asked as she was working on a few side dishes for Christmas Eve dinner. She and Ron were hosting this year, and Hermione knew how hectic the day of could be even with magic, so she was getting a head start on some side dishes to allow the two of them to spend more time with their family.
"Um," Ron replied, "it's getting there."
She peeked around his shoulder and smiled. While her Ron wasn't the most creative person in the world, he didn't back away from a challenge. And he always put his whole heart into what he was doing. While his gingerbread house was a little blob-y in some places, she could tell he was having fun. Then again, he was making the Burrow, so really he wasn't that far off from his childhood home.
"I think it will look wonderful when you're done," she said before turning back to the hob* and her pot of potatoes and saucepan full of nearly done cranberries.
"When I've finished with this, what can I help you with?" Ron offered.
"If you want to wash out this saucepan when I'm through with it, then you can use it to make the gravy," Hermione replied, "that way I can finish the potatoes and then get started on my grandmum's Butterscotch Christmas pudding."
"That I can do," Ron said with a laugh, "as long as the recipe is handy."
Shaking her head, Hermione gestured to the end of the counter. "It's in the book there. If you have any questions, let me know."
"When are you planning to decorate your house?" Ron asked as he put the finishing touches on his own gingerbread house.
"Hopefully while the pudding is steaming," Hermione answered. "We'll make the butterscotch sauce day of with everything else as it won't take long and you don't want to make it too far in advance."
Hermione licked her lips as the smell of the successful drifted across her dream-memory. Her mum's mum would be so proud of her for being able to make her pudding recipe as Hermione's mum was never able to.
Ron buried his nose in her wild curls as he fell further into sleep.
"Hey you," Ron whispered as he found himself with Hermione under a rogue piece of magical mistletoe George had brought with him.
"Hey," Hermione replied. Smiling up at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I've barely seen you all night, how are you doing, love?"
He slid his arms around her waist. "I now understand why my mum is always so tired after a big family meal," Ron replied with a chuckle.
She nodded in agreement. "Well, we're almost done," Hermione said, "we're just waiting for the last few people to leave, and then we can clean up before passing out."
"Sounds like a brilliant plan, love." He leaned down and murmured against Hermione's lips, "I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered in response before she kissed him.
Running his hand down Hermione's side, Ron told her he loved her.
Hermione clutched Ron's shirt in her fist. "You too."
"Wheeeeee!" Hermione screamed in joy as she and Ron barreled down the hill at the back of their yard.
During a discussion on Christmas Day when they were at the Burrow about what activities they did in the snow as children, Ginny made a comment that as wizarding children, they used charms cast by their parents to go sledging*. Molly had confirmed Ginny's comment before quickly showing both Harry and Hermione the charms they would need.
Hermione explained what Muggle children used to sledge*, and while Harry agreed, he added that he never had the chance to use a working one as he always got what Dudley broke and didn't want anymore.
Two days later found Hermione frantically searching for the type of sledge* she had used as a child. Since that conversation, she and Ron had both expressed the desire to try the other's way. And since they were expecting a snowstorm the next couple of days, it was a perfect time.
She had almost given up hope when she stumbled upon an old, beat-up sledge* in an antique shop.
With a bit of work on Harry, Ginny, and Ron's parts due to the maintenance of their brooms, and a simple Gemini spell, they had two working steel and wooden toboggans. The second quickly disappeared back to the Burrow, where with a bit more magic, they had their own snow.
"Merlin, that was so much fun!" Hermione gasped as she finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill.
Ron was already there and helped her to stand from the snow. "That thing is wild!" He laughed. "No wonder you enjoy it so much!"
"I can say the same for the charms," she replied. "We'll have to do some experimenting over the next few storms, but I don't see why we can't combine the two."
"That would be bloody brilliant!"
"But for now, how about we make a couple snowmen and angels before we get ready for the party?"
Ron's eyes lit up. "Which first?"
Ron yawned as he slowly came to. Looking around, he was disoriented to find the two of them lying on the sofa and the sun streaming through the windows.
He started to wake Hermione to tell her they missed the party but stopped at the expression on her face. She looked dead to the world and at the fading circles under her eyes, he made a decision. Sliding out from behind her, Ron picked up Hermione and made his way to their bedroom.
Today, they would relax, and Ron didn't plan to take no for an answer from his girlfriend. They both deserved the rest.
The care package from his mum sat on their kitchen counter, waiting under a stasis charm until they were ready.