Merry Christmas!
(by the way, I don't own Harry Potter, in case you were wondering...)
Ginny listened to the sounds that were heard throughout the house. Every so often she heard one of her children upstairs yell out something. The most recent was "Aw, James," said by Lily. She heard some Christmas carols play through the radio, and other than that, the house was silent. She frowned slightly. There was one sound she missed on this Christmas Eve: the sound of her husband's voice humming softly along with the radio, or chuckling softly at Lily's outbursts. She picked up another Christmas cookie and took a bite.
The sound of three teens running down the stairs shortly followed. Lily and James, who were leading the way, came to an abrupt halt, causing Al to run into them. The large grin on James' face fell as he glanced around the room. Lily's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at the clock on the wall, just as Al looked at the contraption that told where everyone was. Lily sighed loudly and went to sit on the armchair next to her mother.
"Daddy still isn't home yet," She said. Ginny shook her head. James and Al took seats on the couch.
"If Dad isn't home by tomorrow, I say we postpone Christmas," James stated, firmly. Al nodded. Ginny sighed.
"You know your father wouldn't want you to postpone Christmas because of him." She said.
"Well that's because Daddy is too bloody noble!" Lily exclaimed.
"Lily Luna Potter!" Ginny reprimanded.
"You know it's true." Lily muttered. Ginny sighed again and nodded.
"Listen," Al said. "It's settled. If Dad isn't back tomorrow, we are postponing Christmas until he is back. It's just not Christmas without him." Ginny smiled at her children. Their father was off on an Auror mission. He wasn't allowed to tell any of them what he was doing or where he was. His hand on the family location clock was constantly changing between Mortal Peril and Travelling, and Ginny was worried sick. She took another bite of the cookie, silently listening as her children reminisced about Christmases past.
"Remember how Dad would always hide our gifts from view and then magically make them appear?" James asked. Lily rolled her eyes.
"James," Al stated. "First of all, Dad is a wizard. I think if they appeared in anyway, it would be by magic." Ginny let out a soft laugh. "Second, I don't think you realize this, but back then he hid it under his invisibility cloak and made us close our eyes when he took it off. Not that magical if you think about it." James glared at his brother and stuck his tongue out.
Ginny listened to her kids talk to each other well into the night, without once telling them it was getting late. One by one, they fell asleep where they were sitting, each of them with a half eaten Christmas cookie in their hand.
Ginny was the first to wake up the next morning. She glanced around the room at her three sleeping children. Al's head was resting on James' soldier, causing her to let out a slight laugh. Lily's hair was a mess all over her face, and Ginny thought about what James and Al would say when they saw their sister's hair in such a wreck. She frowned slightly. Something was different from the night before.
Ginny Potter left her slumbering children and entered the hall where their Christmas tree sat with several presents underneath. She hadn't gotten the chance to cover them with the invisibility cloak because of Harry being gone, and the cloak was probably buried someplace deep in James' school trunk.
She glanced up at the angel that sat at the top of the tree. Her eyes were torn away from the Christmas tree when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Albus Potter had woken up.
"He still isn't back?" He asked with a yawn. Ginny shook her head again. Al shuffled his feet on the ground. "It's not just because Christmas wouldn't be the same without him that I want him back here, you know," Al began. Ginny shot him a curious look. "I wish he would be home because of everything he went through as a kid. I want every Christmas to be better than the last for him to make up for his childhood." Ginny rubbed her son's back.
"I know what you mean," she said.
"I just don't want him to miss out, and neither do James and Lily, I can tell." Ginny smiled at her son. They stood in silence for a while, and neither of them noticed when a short red headed girl appeared beside them.
"I always used to make wishes on the Christmas tree," Lily Potter said.
"So did I," Ginny muttered softly. Her voice rose to a volume her children could hear. "Why don't we all make a wish now?" She didn't need a reply from her children to know the two youngest had their eyes closed and were wishing for their father to return home.
"Please keep Harry safe," Ginny murmured without closing her eyes, keeping a constant gaze on the angel. "Please bring him home soon," She continued.
"Mum!" James voice broke the silence in the house. "Al! Lily!" Al and Lily had left the room quickly to see what their brother was yelling about and Ginny sent one last glance at the Christmas tree before hurrying out of the room.
"James, what are you yelling about," She asked as she came into the room. James, Al, and Lily all had their eyes transfixed on the contraption on the wall.
"Look, Mum!" James pointed at the contraption. Ginny didn't have to ask what was so amazing about the contraption. Her eyes grew wide, a broad smile stretching across her face.
The hand that had Harry's face on it had moved. It was no longer on Mortal Peril or on Traveling. Instead, it was on Home.
"Don't I get to see my family on Christmas?" Harry's voice resounded through the house.
"Daddy," Lily squealed as she ran from the room, closely followed by her brothers. Ginny followed quickly behind. She reached the doorway and watched as Harry embraced all three of his kids. He looked at her and smiled.
"Come on, Ginny," He beckoned her over to join the group. The large smile on her face broadened as she ran into her husband's arms. She stared up at the tree as she listened to the family conversation.
"Welcome back, Dad!" She heard James say.
"I knew you'd make it back in time," Al stated.
"Sure you did, Al," James teased. "I never doubted for a second, though, Dad," James told his father.
"And who was it who suggested postponing Christmas?" Lily teased James.
"Postpone Christmas?" Harry asked, shocked. "Now why on earth would you ever think of doing that?"
"It's not Christmas without you, Daddy," Lily stated.
"It really isn't," Both Al and James conceded.
"But I'm back now," Harry stated. Ginny looked back at her husband.
"Yes you are," Ginny smiled.
Harry began singing Christmas carols, quite off key. His kids quickly joined in as they all walked back and forth from boxes filled with ornaments to the tree to finish decorating it. Ginny glanced up at the tree.
"Thank you," she murmured, before joining in the caroling. Nothing could have made this Christmas any better, or ruin it in any way, except…
A loud crash was heard, followed by a groan from Harry as he ran a hand through his hair, inspecting the damage.
"James Sirius Potter," Ginny yelled the second she saw the tree lying on the ground in a heap. James looked around innocently.
"I didn't do anything, Mum," James defended himself.
"Sorry, Ginny," Harry spoke up. "That was actually me," He admitted. He flicked his wand, repairing the tree quickly. Ginny took a deep breath.
"Welcome home, Harry," She said. Harry leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before grinning broadly at her. She just rolled her eyes, and then returned the kiss.