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A Gift Ungave | ||||
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Category: Boxing Day Challenge (2004-6) Characters:None Genres: Fluff Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: G Reviews: 15 Summary: A Card, A Photo, A Doll, And somthing else. Ok, I just rushed to finish this tonight, so the ending's not as great as I hoped. I may add more later on but for now it's in in time for the Boxing Day Challange! I also can't think of a title! Hitcount: Story Total: 3720 |
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Harry’s fifth Christmas at Hogwarts had come and gone. The morning had been chock-full of laughter and cheers of Happy Christmas ringing through the dormitories. There had been Weasly sweaters for all and to share and even a couple of books thrown in the mix. Harry had gotten heartwarming presents from his friends and he had given some in return. But one present remained stashed away. This particular present had taken him a while to put together. Some elements had been easy to find, others had been seen and hit him like a rock and some had been so incredibly difficult to find. It had to be just perfect, and now it was, yet for some reason it was still sitting under his bed. He hadn’t given it to the person for whom it was intended, although he couldn’t place why. In his 5th year, Harry and Ginny had become good friends. Her mad crush on him had slowly dwindled away and they found themselves joking about the silly things Ginny did not so long ago. Such good friends as they were, Harry didn’t understand why, when everyone was exchanging presents this morning, he hastily gave her an extra package of Chocolate Frogs instead of the intended gift. She looked at him funny, probably remembering what he had said about having a great gift for her, but she made nothing out of it. Just thanked him and went about her morning. It wasn’t as though Harry had anything to be bashful about. The two were friends now, and the present reflected that. So why couldn’t he give it to her. The gift was wrapped simply in a brown box, so was everyone else’s as Harry had forgotten to buy gift wrap. His friends had been kind and simply grinned at him, wondering where his mind had been when they had been shopping in Hogsmede. After breakfast on Boxing Day, Harry had dashed up to his dormitory by himself, muttering something about getting his scarf to go outside, even though it was already downstairs. Alone in the dormitory, as Neville, Seamus and Dean had gone home for the holidays, Harry pulled out the box meant for Ginny and opened it. Right on the top was a familiar, beat up card, spellotaped closed to prevent it from singing. Ginny had made it for him in his third year when he was injured in the Hospital Wing. Needless to say it had drive Madame Pomfrey crazy. Harry liked to tease Ginny about it on occasion and found it in his trunk when digging for clean socks last week. He had decided that it would be a perfect joke-gift for Ginny. Laughing he pulled it out of the box, careful not to take off the tape, for fear that it would start singing. Underneath the card was a tattered photo. Picking it up Harry grinned at what it contained. It was a picture Charlie had snapped of himself and Ginny at the World Cup, trying not to giggle at Mr. Weasley attempts to start a fire the muggle way. He had then sent it to Ron who’d given it to Harry. Harry had tossed it in the box as an afterthought. The next three things the box contained things Harry had bought in Hogsmeade a couple of weekends ago. He thought back to that day and how fun it had been. They had taken the usual trek into the small town and immediately split up, Christmas Present’s in mind. Ginny had headed into Zonko’s, Hermione and Ron into Honeydukes. Harry had started to wander and eventually found his way into the small bookshop down the road from The Three Broomsticks. Entering, he saw a smiling old man who waved at him. “From Hogwarts? I can’t say I’ve seen you here before. But what can I help you with?” he asked. “Um I’m just Christmas shopping I guess. I don’t really know what to look for though.” ”Well just have your self a look around,” Harry wandered the tiny shop glancing at titles aimlessly. He came across a shelf that caught his eye. A brass sign above it read “Quidditch”. He read the titles until he came to one that seemed especially interesting. He pulled it off the shelf and opened it, glancing through the pages. Smiling, he walked up to the counter and handed it to the old man. “Found something then?” he asked. “Ahhh, the Chudley Cannons, A great team. I just got this in last week. It’s new actually.” “It’s perfect!” Harry exclaimed. “Glad we could help!” Harry paid for the book and happily walked out the door bag in hand. The next gift in Ginny’s box Harry had found in Cresanchio’s Toys. The rather small shop was filled to the brim with enchanted toys including the hovering brooms Harry had seen small wizarding children playing with at the Quidditch World Cup two years ago. There was even a section for muggle toys. There, Harry spotted a doll at a side glance that reminded him of a Doll Ginny had shown him in the summer. It was a beautiful brunette doll that she’d had her whole life. During the school year it sat on her bed at the Burrow & Harry had a feeling she missed it terribly. The Little Doll in the show was basically a miniature version of Ginny’s doll. Small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Without thinking Harry had picked it up and gone towards the front of the shop to pay. The man at the counter gave him a funny look and then asked if it was a gift for his sister. “Sort-of”, Harry replied off-handedly, but he quickly grabbed the doll and hustled away. He had a feeling his ears were as red as Ron’s were on occasion. Outside the shop he spotted Ginny, Hermione and Ron coming down the street and quickly stuffed the doll out of site. “Did everyone find everything then?” asked Ron as he walked up. “Not quite” said Ginny as she glanced at Hermione. “Do you want to head into the Three Broomsticks for some lunch and then split up again?” Hermione suggested. “Good Plan!” piped Ron. “Yea, that’d be good, I’ve got to look at some other stores” said Harry. It astonished him how he’d looked for the entire morning and found nothing for Hermione. It almost seemed his mind had been on one track. The four of them headed into the busy pub. Madam Rosmerta smiling but looking rather rushed, told them to sit and she’d come by in a minute. They looked around and quickly spotted a table in the back corner and sat down. Within minutes, Madam Rosmerta came up smiling. “Butterbeer’s all around then?” she asked. “And some food! I’m starved!” said an exasperated Ron. “What sort of food?” asked the lovely lady chuckling. “Anything!” exclaimed Ron desperately. “All right, I’ll bring something,” and laughing she walked away. They had a happy lunch laughing and talking. Ron got his fare share of food. After a while Neville and Luna walked in holding hands and came to sit with them. Everyone warmed up a fair bit and the quartette heading out waving goodbye to Neville and Luna. Outside they decided to split up again and Ron and Hermione headed into two different shops while Harry and Ginny walked down towards the bookstore Harry had visited earlier. “Who’ve you left to buy for?” asked Ginny. “Hermione,” said Harry. “Same here,” replied Ginny. “Where shall we head?” “Bookstore” they both said at the same time. Laughing they turned into the small store. The bell on the door clanged as they opened it. The old man was reading at the counter and looked up when he heard them. “Ah back again?” said the man. “I’ve got one more friend to buy for,” replied Harry. “All right,” then looking at Ginny “You’re not a Chudley Cannons fan are you, young lady” “Um. Not really” replied a confused Ginny. Laughing, Harry pulled the book he’d bought out of the bag. Reading the title, Ginny grinned with understanding. “He’ll like that! So what shall we get for Hermione?” The Bookshop keeper’s ears perked up. “Did you say Hermione?” he asked. Seeing the pair nod he continued. “Why, the young lady is in my shop often! I think I know a few books she might be interested in.” He showed them a couple of books, and not really understanding any of the titles, Ginny and Harry took one each that the old man thought Hermione would like the best and went on their way. They strolled down the street until they came to a window of the new jewelry store in the little village. Lavender and Parvati were already gawking through the glass. Their faces were so close that the window was steaming up. Harry and Ginny’s eye’s met and they rolled them simultaneously. They decided to go in the store. The walls were covered in jewelry ranging from simple little earrings to bangles that would most definitely suit Professor Trelawney. Harry noticed Ginny eyeing up a small silver chain. On it hung a small clear ball and inside the ball was a miniscule snitch flying around as though trying to escape. Ginny watched that necklace for five minutes. Harry didn’t have the nerve to disturb her. Soon enough, she looked up, her cheeks turning a slight crimson. “Shall we go meet Ron and Hermione then?” she asked. “Yea, we better get going.” They walked down the street talking and met up with their friends before walking peacefully back to Hogwarts. Harry reminisced happily about the trip to Hogsmeade. He carefully pulled the doll he’d bought out of the box, smoothed down her hair and placed her on his bed with the other box items. There was one more little thing in the box and just as Harry was about to pull that out too, he heard someone coming up the dormitory stairs. Hastily, he placed the doll, photograph and card pack into the box, placed the lid on top and shoved it under his pillow. “Harry?” came a familiar voice up the stairs, “Taking long enough to get your scarf.” Ginny walked into the room holding up his scarf and giving him a suspicious, yet amused look. She glanced at Harry’s rosy cheeks but decided to ignore it. “Coming downstairs then?” she asked when he didn’t answer her. Harry just nodded and Ginny headed down the stairs, but before she could get out of sight she was stopped. “Ginny” Harry spoke. “Yea?” she replied questioningly. “I…uhh…have something for you” Harry stumbled before handing over the brown box. Without question she took the box. Sitting down on the four-poster, she placed the box down and removed the lid. She saw the card and laughed, saw the photo and smiled. Then she came to the doll. Seeing her expression, Harry spoke up but was interrupted. “I thought…” “It’s Mariella” she was breathless and Harry thought he saw tears in her eyes. Similar to Harry’s actions, she smoothed the dolls hair before setting it down. In the very bottom corner was a tiny chocolate brown box with a silver ribbon. Lifting it out Ginny said “It’s a box…” “Happy Boxing Day?” said Harry jokingly. Ginny lifted the lid and all at once a smile broke through on her face. Inside the little box was the necklace she had been admiring in Hogsmeade. Harry reached over a pulled the necklace from the box and draped it around Ginny’s neck before fastening the clasp. Standing up, Ginny looked into Harry’s eyes before kissing him quickly on the cheek. “Happy Boxing Day to you too Harry,” |
| Reviews 15 |
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