Hermione liked to think of herself as a good friend to Ronald Weasley. She helped him out in his classes to such a degree that it would give some teachers cause to call it cheating. She verbally dueled with him, their little games of give and take, bickering and heckling each other like siblings. She'd tear the arm off of anyone who would think to hurt him, and with the power of a lioness at her disposal now that could be a literal threat.

And because she tried to be a fast and true friend, she did her best to commiserate with Ron when he laid into the varied shortcomings of one Seamus Finnegan from the moment they boarded the Hogwarts Express to return home for Christmas holiday. She could certainly understand why Ron would take exception to their classmate dating his little sister. He was a good big brother, or at least he tried to be. No matter that Ginny had a surplus of big brothers to watch over her and resented Ron's meddling with a fiery passion. At least it made sense, and Hermione approached Ron's displeasure with that angle in mind. She did the bit of a supportive friend and listened to Ron slander poor Seamus seven ways from Sunday.

But Hermione was starting to reach her limit of just how long she could listen to Ron prattle on about the vile and wicked Seamus. To hear Ron talk, one would think Seamus was the foremost of Voldemort's henchmen.

They'd been on the train for hours and Ron's indignation and anger about his little sister's choice in dating partners was wearing Hermione's compassion thin. Seamus wasn't really that bad, and Hermione thought in some ways Ginny and Seamus were a good match. They had a similar spunk to them, a bit of wildfire in their personalities. If nothing else they probably had a good time together, be it snogging or just taking the mickey out of each other in ways that would make Molly Weasley blush.

And Ron was starting to repeat himself. He was running out of new insults to fling Seamus's absentee way and rehashed old indecencies. Hermione stole a glance at Harry sitting next to the window on the same bench as she. She absolutely gave up when she saw that Harry, Ron's mate, someone to take the guy's stance on this as almost an honorary brother to Ginny, was not paying attention at all. He was watching the snowy landscape race by as the train sped down the track.

He must have felt her eyes on him, because just then Harry glanced over at her… and he offered a very apologetic smile for being unable to hang in there with Ron's crisis any longer. He'd bailed on Hermione, and she wondered just how long she'd been suffering Ron's tirade alone.

Suddenly a fiendish smile flickered over Harry's mouth, a glint came to his eyes, and he turned to Ron. "It really is wretched of Seamus. Can't figure what Ginny must be thinking."

"I know!" Ron yelped.

"So Ginny's riding with her friends, then, I expect?"

Ron's face hardened when the implication sank in and his color darkened to a worrisome scarlet. "She'd better be!" Ron stood at once. "If she's in the same compartment as Seamus I'll… I'll…"

They never heard what he would do, because he vanished into the corridor of the rocking train, off to track down his little sister and ensure she wasn't holed up with Dark Lord Apprentice Seamus.

When they were alone in the train compartment (save for the stowed familiars over their heads), Harry looked at Hermione and smiled.

"Oh, you're terrible," she said, but her relief to have Ron out of their car was palpable. The resulting silence was a godsend.

With a chuckle, Hermione slid across the sparse bench space between them. Harry held out his arm, Hermione tucked up against his side, and he dropped his arm down around her and held her close. She snuggled contently against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You know," Hermione said teasingly, "if Ginny and Seamus are off somewhere snogging Ginny's liable to give you a black eye for setting Ron on them."

"I'd take the black eye right now, thanks," Harry returned in a likewise playful tone of voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes, poked him in the side, and Harry gave a strange chirrup and flinched away. Hermione brought up her head at once, a smile blooming on her face. "Why, Harry Potter, are you ticklish?"

"I don't think so," Harry answered plainly, "but then, no one's ever bothered to try tickling me before. I don't think Dudley's little love taps with the boxing gloves count. In any case, I never laughed about it."

Hermione smirked and like any good, methodical academician she poked him in the ribs again to see what happened. Harry jerked, made a strangled noise… and a quick smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. Hermione grinned and poked him again, really starting to enjoy this new game. "Hey," Harry said, breaking into a full smile even as he tried to sidle away, "cut that out."

Hermione giggled. "Oh, not a chance." She poked him again. Harry wriggled but he was already backed into the corner, no way to escape. He laughed, and he sounded surprised that being poked in the ribs could make him laugh. "Hermione, really, stop. That…"

"Tickles? That's the point, Harry." She used both hands this time, a flurry of fingers digging at his side. If Harry had never been tickled before, she meant to do a bang on job.

Harry chuckled, then he laughed, then he was howling with laughter as he feebly tried to fend off her attack. Hermione's breath caught at the sound. She'd never heard Harry laugh like that. Never. It was like music. Deeper than his 'that's amusing' laugh, throaty and rich, both older and younger at the same time. It almost hurt to think this might be the first time Harry had ever laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. The first time he'd ever belly-laughed to the point where he couldn't breathe. From the first time anyone had ever cared enough to tickle him.

Hermione found herself laughing along with him for the joy of his laugh.

When he could stand no more, Harry grabbed her wrists and tugged. Hermione was thrown off balance and fell into him. Harry met her with his mouth on hers. That worked, too. Hermione opened to his tongue when it teased her lips. They may have kissed for minutes on end, but they were still breathless from their tussle and Harry broke first to take a deep breath. Hermione, content as a cat in a sunny patch, purred, "Not fair."

"I was desperate."

"You're ticklish." Hermione pulled her hands free from his grip to wrap her arms around his neck. They were inches apart, their noses almost touching. Harry's eyes were bright with laughter, his cheeks pink, his mouth still upturned at the corners. "Guess I am," he said, and it seemed a wondrous new discovery to him, too.

Hermione leaned in and kissed him, languidly and deep. Harry tangled his fingers in her hair and drew her closer. He gave as good as he got. Hermione might not have any means for comparison, but she thought Harry a very good kisser. He rendered her nearly senseless every time, and she thought that should say something. But kissing was one of those gut-instincts things that always came naturally to Harry.

Harry's hand drifted to the side of her throat, which Hermione knew meant he was about to brush her hair aside so he could nibble on her neck, when they were rudely interrupted.

"Oh, for pity's sake!"

They broke apart to find Ron standing in the car doorway looking reproachfully at them.

Managing a contrite smile, Hermione backed away from Harry.

"Sorry, Ron," Harry said, even sounding a little abashed for having been caught in the middle of snogging their mutual friend.

Ron grunted and moved into the compartment. With a scowl he dropped down on to the bench across from them.

"So, um, did you find Ginny?" Hermione asked.

Ron's face twisted. "Well, the good news is I showed up before her and that wanker Seamus got as far as you and Harry."

That actually surprised Hermione… not that she'd say as much to Ron. Ginny might be a year younger than her, but she was generally three years braver when it came to boys.

"I thought it was gross watching you two go at it," Ron groused, "but watching Ginny snog someone is even worse."

"Umm… thanks?" Harry said uncertainly.

Ron's lips pursed as though he'd bitten into a sour grape.

"Oh, look," Hermione sat up straighter and leaned forward to peer out the window, "we're coming up on King's Cross." And she couldn't help but think it saved them a dreadfully awkward, ugly moment with a grumpy Ron. If they were lucky, they could shove off that initiated train of thought and part ways on a good note.

Ron let his next insult to Seamus's character, or maybe something a bit testy about Harry and Hermione acting their age for once, die unvoiced on his tongue.

It was a press of students, with their luggage in tow, pouring out of the train on to the platform. It was almost as noisy and boisterous as the beginning of term when classmates were seeing one another for the first time in months. Clusters of friends were bidding each other a happy Christmas then hurrying off to find their guardians. Families were reuniting left and right. Crookshanks and Hedwig were in their respective cages, but Kimmy was running circles around the trio in her Chihuahua disguise. She'd tied a bit of red and green ribbon around her neck in celebration of the season, but it might serve to pass for a collar if any stationmaster got finicky about an unsupervised animal.

Not that anyone was likely to even notice little Kimmy in the throng of people.

Ron was the first to spot his parents. Molly Weasley's trademark red hair and exuberant arm-waving were not easily missed. Ron sighed.

Harry nudged Ron in the arm. "Hey, look on the bright side, at least Seamus won't be at the Burrow."

"Maybe I'll be able to talk some bleeding sense into Ginny with him out of her sight."

Hermione just had to say something, Ginny was her friend, too, and she'd been wholly on Ron's side since this entire Ginny/Seamus situation blew up in Ron's face… quite literally. "Maybe this whole Ginny and Seamus thing isn't all as bad as you think it is, Ron."

Ron goggled at her. "What? How could it not be?"

"Well, it could have been worse."

"Yeah, how?"

Hermione smiled, rather devilishly, if she did say so herself. "It could have been Draco."

Ron shuddered and narrowed his eyes at Hermione as though he was having a go at wandless magic in the hopes of hexing her… but at the very last second he smirked. "You're a pistol, you know that?"

Hermione chuckled and pointed her thumb in Harry's direction, "Best ask if he knows that."

Ron snorted. "Harry? Please, he's fought dragons, should make for good practice for keeping up with you. Kind of think he must be barking if he thinks he can, though."

"You know, I'm standing right here," Harry protested, but his voice was not the slightest bit angry or indignant.

Hermione gave Ron a hug. "Try to have a good time this holiday, all right, Ron? Who knows, maybe by the time classes start up again Ginny will have forgotten all about Seamus."

"Wouldn't that make my Christmas." Ron glanced over at his mother, who had already gathered the rest of her brood about her… all but Ron. "Well, should probably go before it becomes a shout out across the whole bloody train station. Happy Christmas, you two."

"Happy Christmas, Ron," Harry returned and waved as Ron left to join his family.

Hermione turned to Harry and stepped in close so she could lower her voice, even though with the multitude of voices filling the station and Ron already a fair distance away it was unlikely he would have overhead anyway. "I propose we don't even mention the name Seamus Finnegan the rest of this entire holiday."

Harry smiled. "Brilliant idea. I knew there was a reason I liked you."

Hermione quirked a look at him as she turned to her luggage trolley. "I should hope that's not the onlyreason or I might have to take offense."

"Best not let that happen, I might not be able to handle you," Harry quipped.

Kimmy jumped up on Harry's trunk, next to Hedwig's cage, and looked around from the new vantage point. Though she seemed to be having a very good time, peppy as a dog on a car ride (before realizing it was a trip to the vet's office), Hermione did not doubt for a second that the transfigured house elf was alert to every tiny hint of a threat.

Hermione stood on her tip-toes and craned to search for her parents in the crowd. She saw her father first, decked in the green jumper she'd gotten for him the Christmas before last. Unbidden, that made her grin. Miranda was at Jake's side, scanning the faces of the children disembarking from the train. Her mother spotted them it seemed at the same time Hermione caught sight of her parents, for just then Miranda perked up and waved at Hermione.

"I see Mum and Dad," Hermione said with a tug on Harry's sleeve. "Let's go."

Hermione started toward her parents, already grinning like mad, when Harry snagged her by the elbow. "Wait, Hermione…"

"What?" she turned to find Harry with a very uncertain look on his face. He looked toward Miranda and Jake apprehensively then asked, "Have you told them about… you know, us?"

"Not yet, but we will." She could see Harry was ill at ease with that idea. She had a fair guess why he'd balked and why he was stalling even now. Harry had a few recurring themes where it concerned her parents; it made deciphering the cause of his wary disposition rather simple. She did her best to assuage his concerns before they got the best of Harry's nerves. "Harry, it'll be fine. They're not going to stop liking you just because we're together now."

Harry looked dubious, even looked like he was about to say something, but instead in the end he took a steeling breath and nodded for her to carry on. Hermione pushed her trolley toward her smiling and waving parents. She was sure they wouldn't think any less of Harry now that he was her boyfriend. He was still Harry.

"Hermione!" Miranda said jovially when the two teens reached them, "happy Christmas, honey."

Hermione abandoned her trolley to launch herself into Miranda. Mother caught daughter in a tight embrace. "Happy Christmas, Mum!" She gave her mother one last squeeze for good measure and stepped back. Miranda cupped Hermione's face and looked down lovingly at her, then turned to look toward Harry. "Harry, it's wonderful to see you could make it," she beckoned Harry forward with a hand. When Harry complied and came closer, Miranda pulled him into a hug much as she had Hermione.

He looked startled for a moment, but only a moment, then he carefully brought up his arms to tentatively return the hug. "Umm… thank you for inviting me, Missus Granger."

Miranda chuckled, "Don't be silly, dear, we're happy to have you."

"And where's my hug?" Jake asked behind Hermione in a mock-petulant tone of voice. She spun around and wrapped him in a bear hug at once. Jake hugged back and chuckled, "Yeah, you'd forgotten about your old dad, hadn't you?"

Hermione giggled. "Really, Dad."

Miranda released Harry from her hold; he looked a little dazed and confused but in a good sense.

When Hermione and Jake broke apart, Jake offered his hand to Harry. "Harry. You look well. How's school been?"

Harry shook Jake's hand and very briefly glanced over at Hermione. He looked to be rather relieved at the reception he'd gotten so far. She beamed in encouragement, almost longing to say 'see, Harry?'

"Uh, yes, sir. I'm well, and school's… out for Christmas holiday."

Jake laughed and let go of Harry's hand. "Well, I can sooner understand that than our Hermione here who starts talking about going back just as soon as we're in the car leaving King's Cross."

Harry cracked a smile at that.

Miranda touched Harry's shoulder, cocked her head, and looked toward her husband. "Gracious, Jake, I think he's got another inch on him. How are your clothes fitting you, Harry?"

"Fine!" Harry answered swiftly.

Jake barked. "Ha! Come on, son, you and I will see to the baggage, leave the women to catch up a bit," he clapped Harry on the shoulder and steered him away from Miranda and her critical eye. Harry returned to his trolley, gripped the handlebar, but before he started to follow Jake as he pushed Hermione's trolley Harry tugged at the bottom of his pant legs with his trainers, standing on one foot then the other and raking the sole of his shoe down the bottom of his trouser legs, to ensure there was no peek of sock when he started walking.