Snow was softly falling blanketing the neighborhood in a fresh coat of snow as a short bespectacled dark haired male materialized into a side alley. As the sun started to rise in the sky the figure walked toward a two story house. Even though the day was still young the an knew that the person would be up and indubitable having as much trouble sleeping as he himself was having.
The young man blew on his hands trying to warm them as he waited for the door to be answered by the dark haired witch that lived in it. As the women opened the door a blast of hot air greeted the young man beaconing him to step through the door. "Happy Christmas," the male exclaimed to the older witch stepping into the foyer as his glasses began to fog because of the difference in temperature.
"Happy Christmas, Harry," the witch answered with a small smile. "Shall we have a cup of tea while we wait for Teddy to wake?"
Harry followed the witch into the kitchen as he wiped his glasses on the corner of his cloak. Sitting at a small table Harry shed his outer cloak and grabbed a cup with steam pouring from it. "How have you been, Andromeda?"
"Alright," the witch answered with unshed tears in her eyes. "I am so glad you could come today... it will mean a lot to Teddy to have you here."
"I visited them before I came here," Harry muttered. It was not necessary for Harry to mention who it was that he had visited as they both knew who it was.
"There are times I wish I was able to do the same," Andromeda admitted shakily. "I just can not bring myself to do it. It hurts too much to know that I will never be able to hold them in my arms again." Harry nodded his head in understanding. There were things that did not need to be visited even now – more so now then before.
The two adults silently sipped at heir tea waiting for the other member of the house to wake up. At seven months old Teddy was saved from the memories that haunted the adults. For that both hos godfather and grandmother were thankful for. "Maybe..." the older of the two started only to be cut off by the soft whimper a baby.
"I'll get him," Harry muttered as he laid a hand on Andromeda's arm. "We will meet you in the living room."
Harry rose from the table and climbed the stairs to the infants room noticing that Andromeda had started to replace the portraits a long the stairs. Even though it was painful to look at Harry knew that this must be part of the recovery process. Entering the room that his godson called his own Harry walked over to the cot and picked up the infant. "Morning, Teddy," Harry muttered as he carried the little boy over to the changing table. "You ready for presents?"
"Dada," the infant muttered as Harry placed him onto the changing table.
"Oh, Teddy," Harry murmured as he began changing the babies nappy. "Your daddy is not here. He was a very brave man... one that you will never meet. When you get older I promise to take you to see the graves of both your mother and father."
"Now I think we should join your grandma in the living room for presents," Harry stated as he pulled a light blue jumper over Teddy's head and picked him up. "From the looks of it when I came in you have a lot of them to open. When you are done here we will go to visit the Weasleys as they have been bugging me to bring you and your grandma for dinner. Would you like that?" Teddy gave Harry a toothless grin as they walked down the stairs before putting his head back on a broad shoulder.
Walking into the living room Harry noticed Andromeda holding a picture frame over by the hearth with her back to the entrance. Placing Teddy down on the floor Harry walked over to the older women and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I noticed you started putting them back up. I would have helped if you wanted me to."
"I know," Andromeda answered. "It was time to start living again... even if it is hard to do. I just wish they could be here with us today."
"As do I," Harry replied as he turned to see Teddy crawling over to the tree and reaching for the gifts that spilled from under it. "I think someone is a little excited for the presents."
"His mum was the same way," Andromeda commented as she turned wiping a tear from her eyes. "I remember a Christmas - Nymph must have been eight – she got up before Ted and I did. We found her in the living room surrounded by opened presents."
Harry nodded as he picked up the crawling Teddy and sat down on the sofa. "Now young man," Harry scolded in a soft voice. "Where are your manors? We have to wait until grandma sits down." With a wave of Harry's wand the presents started flying to their recipients.
An hour later found the trio surrounded by a lot of wrapping paper and empty boxes. Teddy displaying the innocence of the child he was was presently crawling into an empty box ignoring the gift that had been inside. "You should have gotten him an empty box instead of the blocks," Andromeda exclaimed as she picked the child up. "I will go get him ready to go if you can put some order to this room."
"Sounds good," Harry replied as he got up from the couch. "Come with us. Molly keeps asking about you... she would love to have you. It is Christmas after all and no one should be a lone at this time of the year."
"I really do not want to impose on them," Andromeda exclaimed as she wrapped a struggling Teddy into his winter cloak.
"You wouldn't be," Harry muttered as he picked up the last of the wrapping paper and threw it into the fire in the hearth. "Molly would love to have you... plus you would be saving me from a lecture I just do not want to get."
Alright, since you put it that way I will accompany you," Andromeda muttered handing over the now pouting infant and pulling on her own cloak.
Molly Weasley looked up from where she was supervising the dishes that were washing themselves in the sink as her fireplace burst into green flame. "Happy Christmas, Harry," Molly exclaimed wiping her hands on her apron. "So glad you could make it. Everyone else is in the living room."
"Happy Christmas, Molly," Harry muttered as he brushed the soot off of Teddy. "Andromeda is right behind us." With that Harry left with Teddy in his arms.
"Happy Christmas," Molly exclaimed as her fire once more announced the arrival of a guest. "So glad you decided to join us. Shall we have a cup of tea well the others visit in the living room."
"Happy Christmas," Andromeda replied as she sat at the table. "Tea would be lovely. How have you been?"
"As well as can be expected," Molly replied pouring tea for herself and Andromeda. "It is hard to believe that it has been six months now."
"I know the feeling," Andromeda replied sipping her tea. "There are times I wished it was different though. When I wish that it was all a dream."
The two witches continued drinking their tea as a comfortable silence descended upon them. Both of them reflected on everything they had lost; on the tie that bound them together... And on the things that they had gained. The war had cost them both and it had returned someone to both of them.
A scream from the other room interrupted their reflections. Springing to their feet they both ran into the other room with wands drawn – a parents work was never done. Neither noticed the laughing until they entered the room to find a disgruntled Ron under a pile of pillows and a happy Teddy building a tower of blocks.
"Someone decided that they wanted to have some fun," Harry murmured with a smile. "I warned you that he would get you one of these days, Ron."
"He did not have to use the pillows though," Ron mumbled.
"True, he does take after his parents though," Harry replied defending his godson. "Uncoordinated and prankster.. We are going to have her hands full Andromeda - more then we do now anyway."
Andromeda and Molly smiled putting their wands back into the liners of their cloaks. Yes things would get better. They would get through this day and all the others to come together and a part. And they would have Teddy and hopefully many other children to help them. Though the grandchildren would never replace the children they had lost - the empty spot would still remain never to be filled – that did not mean that they had to stop living. It would never get better it would just get hard less often.
Lat3er that night Andromeda laid in bed reflecting on the day... as hard as it was to keep going on she would continue to. "Happy Christmas, Ted, Nymph and Remus. He will know you and all you did for us of that I promise. For now though he has to be a child. Harry has resolved to help and will take him to visit all of you on New Years eve before he honors you in the age old way."