A Very Harmony Christmas

A Little Blackmail Works Wonders

Prompt: December 2nd. Ice skating. Harry and Hermione go ice skating.

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A Little Blackmail Works Wonders

Harry and Hermione descended the stairs from Buckbeak's room into silence. At first, it wasn't noticeable, being as caught up with each other as they were; after all, they'd shared their first kiss together less than an hour ago. But by the time that they reached the kitchen, the eerie silence was not just noticeable but unsettling. A house that was full of Weasleys was never silent.

"Sirius?" Harry asked, seeing his godfather relaxing in the chair at the head of the table, a box of Christmas decorations in front of him.

Sirius looked up with a huge smile on his face, his hands pausing as he emptied a double handful of baubles onto the table to join the rest.

"Harry! I see that Hermione worked a Christmas miracle and got you out of your funk!" he exclaimed and then his eyes fell on their clasped hands and Harry knew that the teasing was about to start.

"Where are the Weasleys?" Hermione asked and Harry could have kissed her for cutting Sirius off at the pass. On second thought, he'd like to kiss his new girlfriend anyway.

"They headed off to Saint Mungo's to see Arthur about half an hour ago," Sirius replied. "They wanted to take you two as well but when no one could get into the room, it being locked and all, they decided to go without you. I see why now."

The Weasleys were gone and they were left behind?

Harry's mind raced. Surely, he reasoned, they could use that time to do boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. He was sure that once the Weasleys returned, alone time would be severely curtailed. Of course, that then begged the question: what were boyfriend-girlfriend things to do (apart from the obvious)? A date! A first date even.

What would make the best first date? he wondered. Not here in Grimmauld. He glanced at Hermione, the girl that had given up being with her parents to spend Christmas with him. She was supposed to have been skiing. Skiing. Snow. Except that there wasn't any snow in London, not then at least. Up north, yes. Up there, there was snow and ice and the complete winter package. Ice!

The memory of a news report that he'd overheard at the Dursleys back in summer sprang to mind. Hyde Park had been getting some work done, work that would include a space that, in winter, would transform it into a Winter Wonderland, complete with an ice-skating rink.

"Grab your coat, Hermione, we're going out!" Harry said excitedly, decision made.

"Harry?" she asked, obviously confused.

"Harry, you know that you can't leave this Grim Old Place, it's not safe," Sirius frowned.

"Don't worry, Sirius, we're staying in muggle London," Harry assured him. "Besides, I'll make you a deal: you let us go out on a date – a couple of hours at most, back before the Weasleys – and we won't tell the others that we can do magic here without the Ministry detecting it."

"How do you know about that?" Sirius blurted, his eyes wide.

"My wonderful, brilliant girlfriend found out," he smirked.

"Blackmail, Harry," Sirius said, shaking his head in disgust, disgust that morphed into the biggest grin that Harry had ever seen his godfather wear. "I'm so proud of you! We'll make a Marauder out of you yet!"

"So, you agree?" Harry asked quickly.

"As long as you're home before the Weasleys, you stay safe and in muggle London the whole time, no one ever finds out that you went out, and that you don't tell the other kids that they can do magic here, then yes," Sirius replied.