Christmas with his parents was always an adventure, as the family seemed to grow by new members on a yearly basis now that the war was long over. At every event it seemed like George was meeting a new girlfriend, friends of the family and new additions in the form of squishy, smelly babies.
He could never tell Bill and Fleur that Victoire had looked like a hairless puffskien the first week of her life. Though, as a single man he was clearly no judge of infant beauty and George was occasionally fond of living.
George took getting hugged and scolded by his mother about not eating enough before getting another hug and getting nudged into the living room fray with a degree of grace. There was Charlie talking with Fleur and Bill while bouncing Victoire on his knee while Harry was engaging Teddy in a child's card game.
He took it in for a moment before he made to step forward and felt two different sized hands on his shoulders pulling him back towards the laundry room.
"Merry Christmas, George," Percy pulled him into a hug complete with pats on the shoulder. George opened his arms to hug Audrey if she was in the mood for it. She gave him a weary smile and they tried to not crush the bludger in her belly.
Poor Audrey looked more tired then usual. Pregnancy did that to women in George's limited experience, though maybe it would slow her down a little. Audrey was quiet, contemplative and never all that hesitant about saying her peace. George could respect that; being on the receiving end of Audrey's rare displays of temper was a humbling experience if one could remember it.
George could not remember exactly what he said at the pub all those years ago, but he had a vague recollection of Audrey cracking him across the jaw with a slap so powerful he almost ended up on the floor. He didn't remember what he said to deserve that, but everyone went to the Sneezing Snitch looking for a bit of trouble. He remembered her rage and the fact she had called him 'pathetic' at one point. The barkeep was very trim on the details.
She didn't speak to him again until she started dating Percy several months later.
George looked around the small hallway that led back to the laundry room they were standing in. "This seems cozy, and covert." He gave Audrey a questioning look, knowing she was the most devious of the pair. "Something going on?"
"Well," Percy had been in an impressively good mood since he and Audrey announced they were having a baby. "We were wondering if you would be the baby's godfather?"
There was a moment of complete silence.
"What?"
He thought one of Audrey's friends was in the running for that. Not that he wanted it, but they seemed a bit more responsible and able to be trusted with children. George was not sure whose idea this was.
"It's a very important position," Percy continued, his chest puffing up in pride.
"You're giving me your child for Christmas? I don't think I'm ready for that kind of responsibility."
Audrey made some kind of choking noise from behind Percy who was rapidly turning an embarrassed scarlet color. Messing with Percy was always fun.
"We're not giving you the baby!"
"Not right now unless you want to give me your wife too."
Audrey rolled her eyes, "That ends in one of two ways and both of them are bloody."
George laughed.
"If you don't want to, we'll just ask Lucia," Audrey smiled. "I'm sure she would love to have an active influence over the baby's personality, habits, sense of humor-"
The image of Audrey's best friend in redheaded miniature made George's heart stop in terror. One Lucia was enough; two would destroy the world, because that woman was a terror.
"I would be honored! Do I get a badge?"
"I'll see what I can do about that," Percy smiled and George had an inkling he was quite serious.
Arthur Weasley's voice calling out from the dining room for Percy broke up the happy group. Percy swooped down to kiss Audrey on the cheek and took off to go talk to him about Ministry matters leaving Audrey and George alone in the short hallway.
George couldn't stop himself; "You didn't have an opinion on a godparent? That's surprising."
Audrey rested her hands on her belly and looked at him sternly. "I did, you were actually the first person I thought of and Percy thought it was a wonderful idea."
What?
"Really, I thought you didn't like me much?"
"I like you sober, not drinking away your problems in a dive bar."
"Oh," George paused, fuzzy events coming together in his brain. "Wait, why were you there?"
"Trying to drink away my problems in a dive bar before the man sitting next to me said something rude." Audrey put her hand on his shoulder with a smile. "Look, George, we trust you and we like you. Trust is really the greatest gift one can earn in life, don't you think?"
George smiled back, "I will do my best."
His quickly forming plans of letting the kid get first pick of new store products was something he could keep to himself for the time being.
Oo0Oo0
A/N: Still alive. Book 2 grammar clean up is continuing, Book 3 is being er… rewritten/edited while segments for future books are written.
I just wanted to write something kind of short, silly and Christmas based.
Happy Holidays everyone!