Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, with the exception of Tessa. I can take credit only for the plot.
Enjoy!
The sharp cries of a three-month-old baby cut through the still, icy air in the small bungalow. The break in the established quiet of the small residential neighborhood in southeast England cut quickly to Harry and Ginny Potter's ears.
"Ahh, Gin, what time is it?" Harry moaned.
"'Bout four." She said quickly, glancing at the clock across the room.
"In the morning?" he asked groggily. "Of course it is. I'll get her."
"Thanks, Harry."
Harry got up slowly, groping around in the dark for his glasses. He remembered the last Christmas that he had been up at four in the morning. He was seventeen then and in hiding. He had forgotten it was Christmas, and it had been Voldemort that reminded him why the church bells were ringing so much on that particular snowy Saturday. Then waking at four was just another day, but today it was a few hours of precious sleep lost.
"I'm coming Tessa, I'm coming," Harry whispered as he hopped across the cold floorboards to the bassinet, "Daddy's coming to get you, don't you worry." He yawned deeply.
Oh, god, she was beautiful. Chubby as anything with a shock of thick black hair and piercing baby blue eyes. At the baptism Hermione had said Tessa looked like Ginny, and Ron said Tessa looked like a snowball. Hermione had looked like she was going to have a fit.
Harry picked up the tiny, screaming, three-month-old bundle and began to creep down the creaky stairs.
"Shhh baby, calm down, Daddy's here, everything's alright," he whispered, settling himself onto the small couch in the tiny living room at the base of the stairs. Tessa cooed and wriggled into the space between his shoulder blade and collarbone, snuggling her toes into the base of his ribs. It sent a little shiver up his back, but the warm bundle against his chest made his heart feel like bursting. The huge tree Hagrid had brought for them was busting the gills of the room, and the whole house smelled of fresh pine. Tessa suddenly seemed to realize the room was pitch dark, lit only by the quiet glow of a street-lamp at the end of the street. She squealed a little and began to cry softly.
"Theresa Lily, we're gonna light up the Christmas tree!" Harry said, trying to reassure the little bundle. He whipped out his wand and said a few hurried charms. The conifer burst with gentle light from every bough, and the ornaments on the tree began to glisten.
"Look, Tessa, look! Your first Christmas tree ever, and isn't it a beauty," he whispered to the now drowsing baby. "Hagrid's done well!" Harry settled on the soft loveseat across from the tree with Tessa on his chest and nodded off to sleep.
The tree sparkled against the windows, throwing dancing white and gold light over the two raven-haired sleepers.
A few hours later, Ginny sneaked down the creaky stairs and saw Tessa and Harry dozing on the couch. She went over and settled down next to Harry, snuggling her head into the crook of his shoulder.
"Happy Christmas, Tess," she whispered. "Happy Christmas."