A Puddleduck Christmas.
By: Lady Catriona-Arre
A/N: another side story to puddleducks!
this is for Giddyupgal, whom i adore. She is a wonderful person and a fantastic writer and i simply love her. so in your review if you want to say thanks to giddyupgal i will be more than grateful, because the acknowledgement this girl deserves i couldn't hope to give her in a million years.
Annabelle Wood looked fondly across the room at Oliver and Katie lying next to the christmas tree, on the quest to find the very best smell of christmas. spirited five year old Katie was convinced it was the woody smell of the pine tree. oliver half had his head buried under the presents to find out if the younger girl was right.
"its good" Annabelle heard her son say, his thick scottish brogue only one of the ways in which he was like his father. his devotion to katie was another, mirroring hamish woods concern for his tiny wife. Trystan and Marie were laughing jovially in the Kitchen with annabelle husband. Where thomas was was no mystery he was perfecting his letter to Father Christmas, trying to convince the jolly old man that it was absolutely essential he receive the fastest broom on the market. Annabelle thought back to her own childhood, before her letter to hogwarts had come. when such things as quidditch were entirely unknown to her. the very notion that Father christmas would have brought someone a brrom for christmas would have been appalling.
Regardless of this the greater population of the house had asked for saescon's for christmas in the latter the had tossed int he fireplace last night. Annabeel wanted another baby, despite knowing it was as close to impossible as anything could get. An Marie wanted her kids to get whatever they wanted. Perfect cottage mum's the pair were and in that perfect companions for the rough, crazy, burly and Traditionally masculine husbands they had married.
It was funny how one generation had replicated the other. Katie was her mother, to a tee. She had enough of her fathers spirit to be sure but the role she took with her brother and oliver, it was marie all over. oliver and Thomas... welll like father like son, the saying went. insanely obsessed with quidditch, all for of them. But loyal and ferocious and playful as well.
Katie jumped up first dragging Oliverr after her by the hand despite the difference in their size. for an eight year old, oliver was massive, as he always had been. Annabelle struggled with the idea that she gave birth to the bundle of energy oliver was, before curiousity overtook her and she quietly followed the rambunctuous pair out into the snowy backyard. Katie was tying a sacrf around his neck, something that was bothering Oliver, convinced as most children were that he was perfectly able to dress himself. Katie pointed out that he had forgotten it as he had run to beat her outside anyway.
Annabelle watched on as oliver accepted katie's opinion, albeit a little reluctantly and grabbed her hand again as they ran towards the snowdrift on the back fence.
"bet you i can make a better snowman than you" Oliver said, his mile wide competitive streak flaring.
Katie sniffed, "You can't even tie your shoelaces oliba"
Oliba, annabelle smirked, watching avidly as her son blushed and tried to deny it. The name was rather adorable, especially as oliver would hit anyone else for giving him a nickname. the snowmen cmae about quickly, olivers rising higher than katie could reach before the afternoon had progressed more than two hours. Katies however despite the lack of height was perfectly shapped and designed. Tubby, was a word that came to mind, the snowman reminded Annabelle of a fat rabbit, Perhaps the one from the ALice in wonderland storybook. it was exactly the sort of thing katies imaginative mind loved.
Annabelle had guessed right, but whether it was because she knew Katie and Oliver far too well or because she actually had seer abilities like the pprofessor had suspected nobody ever decerned. Katie had won their competition andoliver was a tad tetchy about it. "come on Obila Puddleduck, it was just a snowman. yours was bigger anyway" she heard katie whining later that evening complaining at the mood oliver was in. Oliver grimaced.
"you cheated anyway, it was snowmen, not bunnies"
"did not"
"so"
"not"
Marie entered the room, and kissed her daughter and oliver on the cheek, "either way, theres hot chocolate in the kitchen, so you had better stop arguing." her irish lilt was faded alot from living in northunmberland as long as they had, but it occaisionally broke through, giving katies Mum a strange nad mysterious hybrid, that screamed magic.
The kids grinned and raced into the next room, oliver winning by a hair breadth. Thomas was already sitting at the bench sipping his drink and dipping a gingerbread man in it. Gleefully, Oliver puuled a mug closer to him and reached for the biscuit tin. Annabelle frowned as suddenly his expression turned serious.
"have you ever seen Father Christmas Thomas?" he asked in all seriousness.
Thomas snorted, "i tried to cacth him once, but i fell asleep"
"bet i could catch him, i wouldn't fall asleep" Oliver announced, goading the older boy a little.
"ofcourse you would" Thomas retorted, "your only a sooky baby"
Katie giggled, " you're silly thomas, olivers older than anyone"
annabelle smiled. As thomas scowled, "you're stupid, i'm three years older than oliver"
"well you're silly" katie argued. the two Bell children continued squabbling. KAtie stoutly defending olivers honour.
Oliver didn't appear to even see them. Annabelle could see his mind ticking. al of a sudden he silenced the other two by announcing: "i'm going to stay up and meet Father Christmas."
Katie stared at him wide-eyed, "but oliver! thats impossible!"
Oliver frowned, "do you think i can do it but, Puddleduck?"
"course you can you can do anything" Katie squealed.
Katie snuck out of bed early christmas morning, excited to see what Father christmas had brought for her. She found oliver curled into a ball under the tree with the tag of one of her presents tangled around his wrist.
For Katie
Love from Father Christmas.
She read, sounding out the sounds after she had seen her name written on it. Giggling madly she jumped on Oliver, to wake him. Oliver snorted and wriggled. before sitting up and pushing her aside.
"Hey Obila!" katie squealed waking up the rest of the house. "father christmas gave you to me for christmas!"
Annabelle realised suddenly thast she wasn't going to be around to see their relationship evolve entirely, and so with a yawn, pulled a quill and roll of parchment out from the bedside drawer. Flicking her wand, and whicpering "lumos" she beagan to write,
"Dear Katie and Oliver,
If you're reading this it means that I have passed away,
and that you, Katie have finally married my baby boy...
A/N: as you probably realised this is what happened the day that Olivers Mum Wrote the letter in chapter ten of Puddleducks.
Giddy- Youre amazing darl, i don't know what i'd do without you to listen to me rant, and help me with my creative writing assignments. and to tell me funny stories to cheer me up.Its funny how you can find a sister soul on the other side of the world. thanyou for a great year, heres to many many more!
have a great christmas babes, i hope you get everything you ever wanted. Cheers
Your aussie mate,
Arre