Hermione panted as she collapsed on the bench. “Oh, gosh. I haven’t had that much fun ice skating in years.”
Charlie dropped down next to her. “That was so much fun. And the free entertainment made it even better.” He winked at Hermione.
She tried to hide her giggles from her other husband.
Bill sat on Hermione’s free side and glared at his younger brother. “I’m so glad I could amuse you two so much.”
Hermione reached for his hand. “Bill, next time we go ice skating, you don’t haven’t to go with us. Not everyone enjoys it.”
“You mean, not everyone can stay upright,” he grumbled, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips.
She didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye. “You are trouble. But my suggestion still stands, you don’t have to go with us if you don’t want to. I don’t fly with the two of you.”
“And I find the books you two read bloody boring,” Charlie added.
“But you love your comics,” Hermione pointed out.
Charlie grinned. “True.”
“So, what’s next on the list?”
“We need to pick up presents to send back home to everyone. I want to pick up a few New York City trinkets, but I’d love to see what we can find at the Christkindlmarkt. I think we can find some really neat stuff,” Hermione suggested.
“Or something really kitsch,” Charlie teased.
“I’ll show you kitsch.” Hermione stood up and pulled Charlie up with her. “The market is right over there, so come on.”
Bill chuckled as he watched his wife drag his brother towards the market.
“You coming?” Hermione called.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Bill chuckled even though he knew neither of them heard. He stood up to follow.
While Bill couldn’t wait to see Charlie’s reaction to what the vendors had to sell, it seemed that other visitors to the market and ice rink had other ideas. Before he had made it a few steps, he was stopped when a large group of children made a beeline for the rink.
“I’m so sorry,” one of the chaperones said as they passed Bill.
Bill laughed. “It’s okay. They’re just excited.”
“They’ve talked of nothing but coming here all week.”
“I don’t blame them. I have to catch up with my wife and brother, but have fun.”
“You too,” the woman said before she disappeared with her charges.
Once the coast was clear of children, Bill made his way into the market in search of Charlie and Hermione. It didn’t take him long to find them, and when he did, he wasn’t surprised by what line they were in.
“I should have known I would find you two in this line,” he mused as he joined them.
Hermione shrugged. “You know I like my wine, and I am not passing on the chance to try their Gluhwein here.”
“I should hope not.”
“Bill?” Charlie asked as he stepped up to the front of the stall.
“Yes.”
“Three, please.”
“What held you?” Hermione asked as they waited for their drinks.
“A group of kids racing towards the rink,” he replied.
“That will do it every time.” She smiled up at him. “I love you, husband.”
“I love you too, wife,” Bill whispered in her ear.
“Hey, none of that in public, you two,” Charlie said as he joined them with three glasses of hot mulled wine in hand.
Hermione accepted the wine from Charlie. “I was telling Bill I love him. Thank you for the drink.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek before whispering, “I love you too.”
Charlie smiled. “I accept. Now, shall we see what we can find?”
“The crazier, the better for mum and dad.”
The trio slowly made their way from vendor to vendor, picking up presents along the way.
“Hey, guys. Look at this,” Charlie said as he gestured to a vendor selling holiday treats. “It’s called, “Reindeer and Snowmen Chocolate Bark?”
“It’s because the pieces are made to look like reindeer and snowmen,” Hermione told him.
“No, I get that. Why is it called bark?”
“Because it looks like the bark of a tree,” she explained.
Charlie picked up a package of the bark to look at it closer. “I see that now. This is cute. Almost too cute to eat, if I’m honest.”
“If you say so,” Bill said.
Hermione laughed, “I’m not sure that saying applies to chocolate.”
“Don’t tell me that this wouldn’t be perfect for our nieces and nephews,” Charlie countered.
“They would definitely love the chocolate,” Bill agreed.
“I think this would be something fun to make with our children in a few years,” Hermione commented. “We’ll take three, no, four bags of the bark, please.”
When Hermione finished paying and turned around with her three bags to add to the one Charlie had already picked up, she found the two men staring at her.
“What?”
“Love, are you trying to tell us something?”
Hermione looked at Charlie in confusion. “I don’t follow.”
“Are you sure you should be drinking that mulled wine?” Bill asked instead of clarifying.
She looked at her nearly empty drink for a few moments before her brain finally caught up with what the two men were asking. “No, not yet. We only just got married after all. I just think it would be fun when we have kids of our own. And they’re old enough to join us in the kitchen to bake.”
“Just getting married didn’t stop us from practising,” Bill murmured with a wink.
Hermione was tempted to call him on his cheek, but how could she when he wasn’t wrong. “True, but no, I’m not pregnant. Not yet, at least. Plus, you both know that if I were, I would have told you in a much less public way.” She held up her glass. “And I definitely wouldn’t be drinking this.”
“That’s good to know.”
“We still need to find something for your dad, but what do you think about heading back to our hotel room and getting some gift wrapping out of the way?” Hermione suggested.
“I have a better suggestion,” Charlie said.
“Oh?”
“We go back to our hotel room and get some more practice in.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Hm. I rather like my brother’s suggestion,” Bill agreed.
Hermione laughed, “I think I might need some convincing.”
“That sounds like a challenge.” Bill looked at his brother. “You up for it?”
“As if you have to ask,” Charlie replied. “Let’s find something for Dad and get out of here.”
Hermione snickered as her husbands dragged her from stall to stall, looking for the perfect kitschy present for Arthur Weasley. By the time they made it back to their hotel room at the Waldorf Astoria, Bill and Charlie had sufficiently convinced Hermione to put a hold on their gift wrapping for a while. Not that it had taken much to convince her. She enjoyed practising with her husbands. And, if they were lucky, maybe next Christmas, one of her gifts to them could be a cute little onesie.
Charlie was right. The festive chocolate bark he had found was perfect for their nieces and nephews.