---

Ginny sat in front of a brick fireplace that had a fire blazing within. A flurry of wind blew through a window that was left open a crack. She was awaiting a letter, and she wanted the owl to be able to come in quickly. But no owl came in. Only snowflakes were entering, landing gently upon their wedding photograph. Outside, the snow fell gently but steadily, blanketing the neighborhood. Church bells rang out in the distance, calling people to Christmas mass.



Ginny closed her eyes and let the bells chiming soothe her worried soul. Although he was on a perfectly safe trip, she wanted him home more than anything. This was to be their first Christmas together as a married couple, but it was impossible; they couldn't be together now. Ginny gazed at the stars through the open window, silently wishing that he would be home soon. He had promised in his last letter that tonight, Christmas Eve, he would send a special Christmas letter.



“'Silent night. Holy night. All is calm. All is bright…'” The carolers sang as their voices carried on the wind from down the street. Yes, it was calm as, outside, the blanket of white reflected the brilliance of the full moon.



All of a sudden, a gust of cold December wind entered the room, slamming the window wide open on the way, and then knocked over a bowl of roasted chestnuts that her mother had sent that morning. Moving from her pile of cushions set on the floor, she went over to collect the ones that had rolled under the brightly decorated Christmas tree. But something caught her eye. The fire had given a roar and turned a blazing green. Ginny’s brown eyes grew wide as Neville stepped out of the fireplace and dusted off his wizard robes. Slung over his shoulder was a brown duffel bag.



“You said you were going to send a letter,” Ginny said, still unable to believe he was back home after four months of travel.



Well, if all you want is a letter then I’ll just…” He turned around and faced the fire like he was about to Floo away, but Ginny stopped him by throwing her arms around his neck. He dropped his duffel bag and slowly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. Then stopping abruptly, he bent down and gave her their first Christmas kiss. The kiss was slow and made up for all the months he had been away.



“I thought you weren’t going to be home until around New Years Eve.”



“We decided to move the research back to Europe, and I was allowed to come home.”



“Good," Ginny said, snuggling close. I’m glad you’re home.”



Resting his chin atop her head, he noticed the open window. “Gin, why is the window open?” Neville asked as a spell of sparkling snowflakes settled on the Christmas tree.



“Remember,” she said as she breathed his essence in. “You said you were going to send me a Christmas letter.”



“I promise to send you a letter some other time. Besides you’ll catch cold.” Neville reached for his wand that was stored in his back pocket and flicked it in an attempt to close the open window. Neville's aim with the charm was poor so instead of the charm hitting the window, it hit a glass ornament sitting nearby, shattering it.“Oops,” he muttered.



“Please, keep it open. I want to be able to hear the church bells and the carolers,” Ginny requested as she looked up at Neville.



He pointed his wand at the window yet again, but smiling tenderly, Ginny placed her hand over his and pushed the wand down lightly. Then she pulled out her own wand from her back pocket and with a flick of her wrist, and a whisper of a incantation, she cast a charm that would create a shield to keep the cold at bay.



“Next year we’ll go caroling with your family...and ice skating. Okay?” Neville asked, sounding as though he was trying to make up for something.



“Neville, you don’t like ice skating,” she said.



“It doesn’t matter. We'll have a perfect time next year. I promise!”



Ginny just sighed and gave him a quick kiss upon the cheek.



Seeing the pile of cushions on the floor, he asked in a soft voice, “Did you plan on spending the night down here?”



They moved to sit down on the cushions. Once seated, Neville leaned against the couch, and resting against him, Ginny said, “I didn’t want to miss your letter.”



“I’m so sorry I was gone so long, Ginny. You deserve so much better.” Then putting his arms around her, he told her, his guilt showing in his voice, “I shouldn’t have gone.”



“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, Neville. Besides, it was also a dream of yours.”



The Ministry had written Neville three months after his marriage to Ginny. The letter asked Neville if he would join a group of explorers in the research of the Fire Lotus flower in the Amazon. Neville, of course, refused to go because he didn’t want to leave Ginny, but through much insisting, she convinced him that she wouldn’t be happy if he didn’t go on the trip.



“And I will never forget it. You've been so supportive of the trip and research…” His voice trailed off as he thought of all the months they had been separated and the loneliness he had felt .



“Do you remember asking me to the Yule Ball?” Ginny asked, wanting to change the subject. Besides, Christmas was for memories.



“Yeah, I do. I had just been rejected by Hermione and I was terrified that you would also say no, too.”



“Neville, you weren’t rejected.”



Neville looked down at her, giving a puppy-like expression, as if to say What else do you call being turned down?



Ginny laughed and replied, “Okay, maybe you were rejected, but that was because Hermione had already been asked by Victor. And you know if she hadn’t been asked by him then we would have never have gone together. As a matter of fact, I would have gone home and sulked about it for all of Christmas break.”



Ginny closed her eyes, drifting back to that long ago day.



****



Ginny sat behind a large pile of books in the library. The one book that held her interest at the moment was Quidditch Through The Ages. Neville watched her from a few tables down. She kept pushing her golden-red hair back, but it always fell stubbornly back into her face.



After a few moments of waiting, Neville finally grasped what courage he had and walked up to her, managing to knock over a pile of books. The books scattered across the marble floor with several loud clatters, and everyone looked up from what they had been doing.



Everyone went back to their work when they saw it was only Neville, except for Ginny, who looked up from her book and set her gaze on Neville. The bewitched books gathered themselves up quickly and began to put themselves away again. Now more nervous than ever, Neville continued his way over to the weathered table and stopped as Ginny said, “Hello, Neville.”



“Uh, I thinkthis is gonna be a bit…will you go with meto the ball? Umtheyuleball?” Neville said in a nearly inaudible voice.



Ginny raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, Neville, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”



Terrified, Neville quickly replied, “The ball...what I mean to say... wannago withme?”



“Huh?” This time Ginny was positive Neville was going to have a nervous break down, for he looked as white as a ghost.



“WILL YOU GO TO THE BALL WITH ME!?” he yelled, causing Madam Pince, the librarian, to hurry over and scold the two of them.



“Out! Out! I will have no yelling in my library!



Ginny grabbed her book bag. Then taking Neville's hand, she said, “Of course, I’ll go with you!” Then with a slight giggle, she dragged Neville out of the library, her brilliant brown eyes dancing.



Once safe from the mad librarian, Ginny turned to Neville and said, “I had better owl my mum and let her know I’m staying for Christmas.”



With that, Ginny dropped his hand and turned to walk down the hall. Neville, on the other hand, simply stood there and took a deep breath, because his oxygen had run out long before he had exited the library…alive and with a date to the Yule Ball.



****



“I’m glad she did get asked by Krum. Asking you to the ball was by far the best thing I did in all my school years.”



“Nev, you destroyed Voldemort's last Horcrux. That was another great thing you did.”



“I try to forget that.”



“I know, but I love bringing up the heroic things you’ve done.” Ginny knew Neville regarded Harry as heroic, but never saw himself as a hero. In Ginny’s eyes, however, he was a hero, her hero. Although she had dated Harry through her fifth year, she had always felt as though their relationship lacked something, and that something was peace. Neville brought peace to her life while Harry went off to find Voldemort's Horcruxes. He proved his friendship in countless ways, but didn’t treat her like she was made of glass. He brought peace to the hectic days at school when she wanted to curse Malfoy to bits. Although, even now, she still wanted to do that.



Neville blushed at this, his eyes scanning the room uneasily. It was brightly decorated. The Christmas tree had gold ornaments and red ribbons. A pile of brightly wrapped presents that he had sent Ginny had accumulated under the tree. He had wanted her to have gifts to open Christmas morning, even if he wasn't there. The mantle above the fireplace was decorated with charmed snow which never melted and pictures of him and Ginny stood in antique frames. He looked at the mantle a little while longer and then he realized what was missing. “Ginny?”



“Hmm,” she asked barely able to stay awake because of the warmth of the fire and the nearness of her husband.



“Where are the stockings?” he inquired, wondering if she had forgotten to put them out.



Slowly, she opened her eyes and tried to focus her vision, but was unable to. So she closed them again and said, “I couldn’t find them.”



Neville looked down at her. She was fast asleep. Her hair luxuriously swept across her shoulders and fell onto his chest.



Another flurry of snowflakes blew across the room. One landed on her nose, and in her sleep, she wrinkled it slightly as the wet droplet settled. Neville gently brushed it off with his finger. The church bells rang out again, this time, giving notice of the time…midnight.



Moving so as not to wake his precious wife, he carefully tugged the velvet comforter off the couch and spread it gently over the both of them. Then kissing her lightly on the forehead, he whispered, “Merry Christmas.”



A faint smile swept across Ginny’s face as she felt completely happy that her Christmas wish had been granted by the fireside.