Hermione had been at The Burrow for nearly two hours by the time Fred and George finally arrived, and the cosy home was bustling with activity. Victoire ran circles around the tree, asking anyone who would listen when it would be time to open presents. Ron kept disappearing into the kitchen, trying his best to get his hands on a bit of food before dinner. His attempts failed miserably each time when his mother, who was well aware of his motives, chased him out again and again.
Everyone else milled around, chatting and sipping mulled wine, cider, or butterbeer. Hermione found herself on the sofa having a lovely conversation with Amber, Charlie's girlfriend, an American mediwitch that worked with him at the reserve.
As they'd been waiting for Fred and George to arrive to begin dinner, Molly immediately called them all to the table upon the twins' arrival. Hermione was pleased when Fred hung back, clearly waiting for her. He hadn't had a chance to greet her before the masses made a mad dash for the table. When she made it to where he stood, he pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek. "Hi," he smiled, "sit by me, yeah?"
"Hi, yourself. Of course, I'll sit next to you." Giggling, she gestured to the only two seats left at the table, which happened to be next to each other. "Do we really have a choice?"
"I'm sure I could get someone to switch if you don't want to sit with me."
"As long as you promise I'm safe from any pranks, I'm happy to sit next to you."
Fred sighed, dramatically, "I suppose I can behave myself today. It is Christmas after all."
Hermione settled in to enjoy the delicious meal. It seemed better than usual with Fred next to her, pressing his leg against hers when they sat down and brushing the side of her hand as he passed the potatoes. He even reached down to briefly squeeze her knee while he chatted with Charlie across the table.
All of this, after the kisses the night before, seemed to be the only thing that Hermione could think about. She tried to carry on her own conversations, but she found herself thoroughly distracted by thoughts of Fred and curiosity over what would happen next.
Just as pudding was served, Ginny spoke up. "Harry and I have a gift for mum and dad that we want to give them now." Grinning, she looked at Harry who nodded and passed Molly a small box.
Molly unwrapped the gift and opened it, pulling out a small framed photograph. The older witch looked slightly confused as she held it aloft to show everyone. Hermione gasped aloud and clapped a hand over her mouth, immediately recognising what was in the photo frame.
Ginny grinned at everyone, clearly gauging reactions around the table before turning back to Molly. "Mum, do you know what that is?"
"I'm sorry, dear, but I don't. The frame is quite lovely, but I feel like I'm missing something important."
Taking Harry's hand, Ginny announced, "We're having a baby. That's a photograph of the baby inside my stomach. We went to see a muggle doctor to have it done."
There was a second or two of silence followed by a nearly deafening roar as everyone tried to shout their congratulations at once. Hermione was thrilled for her friends. She knew that Harry was going to be an amazing father.
