Кассандра Клэр - Draco Veritas

"Ginny…" said a voice in her ear. She turned and saw without surprise that it was Seamus. He had his hands in his pockets, and a black watch cap pulled down over his light hair. She realized she hadn't properly looked at him in days — he looked tired and downcast, but managed to smile at her. "I just wanted to say Merry Christmas."

"Oh, Merry Christmas," she replied awkwardly, but before she could say anything else they were engulfed in a sudden tide of Weasleys. Mrs.

Weasley descended on Ginny and hugged and kissed her; Mr. Weasley clapped Charlie on the back, Percy made officious welcoming noises, and Fred set off a miniature Filibuster Firework that played 'Jingle Bells' at obnoxiously high volume. Only George seemed to notice Seamus' presence amongst them.

"Hey, Finnigan," he said equably.

Seamus, looking shell-shocked, did not reply.

Mrs. Weasley released Charlie from her embrace and turned a friendly glance on Seamus. "Oh, hello," she said. "And you are…?"

"This is Seamus, Mum," said Ginny pitching her voice an octave higher so that her mother could hear her over the sound of Jingle Bells. "He's the same year as Ron and he's a Chaser on our team and," she added, without having the faintest idea why, "he's my BOYFRIEND."

There was a startled silence. Everyone looked shocked, no one more so than Seamus.

"Your…boyfriend?" echoed Mrs. Weasley faintly.

"Well, well," said Mr. Weasley, and held out a hand to Seamus. "Nice to meet you, son."

Some of the color had come back into Seamus' face. "Nice to meet you too, sir," he replied, and shook Mr. Weasley's hand firmly. "My parents have always spoken very highly of you, my mum especially. She says you're the best Minister of Magic Britain's had since Felonius Plum."

Mr. Weasley flushed with pleasure and pumped Seamus' hand with renewed vigor. "Well, well," he said again. "That's good to hear, very good to hear. Will we be seeing your family at the wedding?"

Seamus shook his head regretfully. "No, I'm afraid not. Renovations on the family home…"

"Family home?" echoed Mrs. Weasley.

Seamus smiled at her. "Yes, you know how these big old castles are, always a bit tumbling down here or there. "

"Castle?" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Mum," Ginny half-groaned through gritted teeth.

Seamus flashed a bright smile at Mrs. Weasley, who dimpled in a way usually reserved only for Gilderoy Lockhart. "It must be lovely in Ireland in the winter," she said kindly.

"Oh, it is, although it's very cold," Seamus said, somehow managing to sound as if he found the conversation fascinating. "I could certainly use one of those wonderful sweaters you're always knitting for Ron and Harry, Mrs. Weasley; I'd be the envy of my whole town."

Ginny thought her mother might be about to asphyxiate with joy. She knew Mrs. Weasley was excessively proud of the sweaters she knitted every Christmas. She also knew that Ron annually attempted to give his sweaters away to Seamus, Dean and Neville with no takers. "What use have I got for a sweater with a bloody great RW embroidered across the front?" Dean had demanded last Christmas with his usual diplomacy.

"You could pretend it stood for Royal Wanker," Harry had suggested amicably, and then he and Ron had fallen about laughing and making further suggestions, each ruder than the last.

Ginny snapped out of her reverie to find her mother gazing at Seamus as if he were a long-lost child. "Call me Molly," she was saying. "And Ireland sounds really lovely. I'm sure Ginny would enjoy a visit there."

"Muuuuuuuuuuuuum," Ginny wailed, scandalized, but her father had thankfully begun tugging her mother towards the far end of the platform, suggesting that they say a quick hello to Narcissa, Sirius and Lupin.

"You two say your goodbyes," Mrs. Weasley beamed at Seamus and Ginny as her husband drew her away. Charlie and Percy followed them, and George and Fred sloped off to greet a few of their friends who had not yet graduated.

Ginny turned slowly to Seamus, who was wearing a smirk that would have done a Malfoy proud. "WELL," she said, in an accusatory tone. "What was that all about?"

Seamus opened his dark blue eyes very wide. "What was what all about?"

"You, Transfiguring yourself into Super Boyfriend Guy."

"Hey, you started it. I didn't even know I was your boyfriend. Was there a memo I didn't get?"

Ginny was suddenly contrite. "Oh, I know, I'm so sorry. That was awful. I have no idea what came over me."

"Neither do I," Seamus said. "But I hope it happens again."

Ginny looked at him quickly. She could tell he was nervous, because when he was nervous his soft Irish accent reasserted itself more strongly.

"I'm just glad you're not angry at me," he said.

She shook her head. "Of course not. Why would you think I would be?"

"Well," he said, "you haven't spoken to me in three days. I haven't even had a chance to give you your Christmas present."

"My Christmas present?" she echoed. "You got me a Christmas present?"

"Of course I did."

"Oh, but — I haven't gotten you anything!"

"That's all right," he replied with a smile. "You can bring me something when your mother makes you come visit me in Ireland."

"But I feel so guilty…"

"Don't." His voice was firm. "I want to give you this. I've been thinking about it for yonks, and well..there isn't anyone else I'd rather give it to.

And it was kind of expensive, and it would look stupid on me."

"It better not be lacy underwear," she said.

"Hardly. Anyway, I look fabulous in lacy underwear." He reached into a pocket of his cloak and drew out a small box. It was not the sort of box you put books or clothing in. It was, most definitely, a jewelry box. She hesitated. "Take it," he said gently.

She took it, vaguely wondering if her family was watching all this and hoping desperately that it wasn't a ring. She herself was rather hoping it wasn't a ring, as she had no idea what she'd do if it was.

"Go on," he said, "open it," and something occurred to her. No boy who wasn't her brother had ever given her a present. Not once. Not ever.

She opened the box. Inside, on a bed of brightly colored tissue, lay a bracelet. And not just any kind of bracelet…the tag attached proclaimed it to be a Porte Bonheur Enchanted Charm Bracelet. Ginny almost dropped the box. Charm Bracelets were both very expensive and very famous, because each charm had to be handcrafted with intricate spells, then Transfigured into an object that could be activated later. In fact, she'd never met anyone who owned one.

"One of my uncles makes them," Seamus said a bit shyly as she took it out of the box and held it up to the light. The bracelet itself was a delicate but unremarkable band of silver links, but the Charms themselves were what was interesting — a tiny musical note, a small gold candelabra, a miniature arrow, a glass heart, a dish and spoon, a little quill, and a dozen more.

"Just throw the charm into a fire to activate it — here, let me help you put it on…" She held out her hand and with a deft motion he snapped it closed around her wrist. He glanced up at her through his eyelashes. "Do you like it?"

Ginny realized she had not said one word for the past five minutes. "I am such a git," she gasped, without thinking. "Oh, it's wonderful. - I love it, and I — "

But her family was back, surging around them in a wave of red hair and loud voices, and now they were tugging Ginny towards the car. She had time to grasp Seamus' hand briefly before they were pulled apart as Ginny's mother led her away, taking excitedly into her ear as they walked.

Ginny made out only some of the words, "Castle, so polite, such nice manners, and so handsome too!" She nodded without replying as she looked back towards the platform, watching Seamus recede into the distance until he was lost from view. I love it, she had told him. And she had nearly added that she loved him too. What, she wondered, had prompted her to nearly say that when she was almost positively sure that it wasn't true?