Title: This Christmas

Category: Romance

Summary: Sequel to 'It's Christmas'. The Fates of our six couples are revealed on Christmas Days years after the ending of 'It's Christmas'.

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author notes: It is BEST if you read It's Christmas first but I don't think it will be mandatory. I'm actually planning to do a one-shot for every couple (even those who DID NOT get the girl) in It's Christmas during the Holiday season of 2006. It's going be like homage to the original story. The Theme of this Series of One-shots is my favorite Christmas music; every one-shot will be named for one of my favorite Christmas songs! Corny I know but I couldn't resist!



This Christmas:

Installment 1: "I'll Be Home For Christmas"



+December 25 +
Susan Bones sighed -- a sigh of contentment, a sigh of comfort, a sigh of simply being – as she stood in her red jumper, holding her mug tightly in her hands, as she gazed out into the haze of white snow that blanketed London. She swept a stray piece of hair behind her ear and smiled, it was her first Christmas home in five years since that fateful holiday season. Sweden had served its purpose in her life, it furthered her career, it allowed her a small fortune of her own, and it had kept her too busy to pay attention to the gaping hole that existed in her heart.

That night, five years before, had been a night that she had never forgotten. It was a night romances are made of, Adrian had taken her in his arms and she feared she may never forget the feeling. It was a moment she would forever quote as the very moment that she would feel truly alive for the first time in her life. It was night that kept her warm on those chilly Swedish nights when writing up lab reports refused to keep her warm. It was the man and not the act that she honestly could not forget, no matter the season Adrian Pucey was always on her mind.

They had written a few times after that Christmas and Adrian had even taken her to a quick lunch date that following Valentines Day but their lives had proven too much for the distance and it had been months since she had written to him. The distance had done nothing for the yearning in her heart, if anything it made it worse.

Susan brought the cup to her lips slowly as she went back to that night, half a decade before, when she surely lost a her heart to a man who would always be just a little bit too good for her, in her own opinion. She sat the cup on the windowsill as the years came floating back to her, she was officially an old-maid, she had reached thirty, and grown past thirty, and here she was leaning on the windowsill of her Aunt's house wishing that the noise in the family room would cease so she could enjoy the day in peace. Susan shook her brown locks, attempting to clear her head, her life was not that bad.

She was lost in her thoughts of the 'joys' in her life when she heard a soft, gentle, familiar voice fill the room, "Happy Christmas, Susan."

There was no hesitation nor was there a moment of contemplation, with the whisper of her name her heart broke all over again. She had failed to tell him that this Christmas would be the year that she would return home, for good. Her body was stiff as she squeezed her eyes shut to halt the impending onslaught of tears, she had not told him because she felt it was a waste of time, she felt they had gone too far from that night.

Adrian Pucey walked into the room, smoothing down his perfectly tailored Oxford as he slowly approached her, repeating, "Happy Christmas, Susan."

"Adrian," she mumbled, her hand reaching out to grab hold of the windowsill as her eyes flew open, "I didn't expect to see you today."

"Well," he drawled, a smirk playing upon his lips, "technically, you still haven't seen me."

Susan gave a nervous laugh as she fought the butterflies in her stomach and bid herself not to cry as she slowly turned to face the man she loved. The moment her eyes made contact with his countenance she forgot to breathe. It seemed to Susan that he had grown more handsome with time, his hair was longer, there were a few lines near the corners of his eyes and mouth but somehow she could envision the very smile that created such masterpieces. She stood there, silently, for many moments before willing her mouth to move.

"Adrian . . ." she said simply, the rest of greeting was lost in the space between them.

Adrian chuckled at her loss for words and pulled his arm from behind his back and held it toward her. "I brought you something."

Susan smiled, as she took the small, beautifully wrapped, box. She looked at it for a moment before looking back him, saying, "I can't take this."

"Why not?" he questioned slightly perplexed.

"I wasn't expecting you," she explained, still clinging to the little box, "so I don't have a gift to give to you."

"I think," Adrian paused, his green eyes washing over her, "that you being here, today, is present enough for me."

Susan blushed, feeling like a teenaged school girl all over again. "How did you know I was returning?"

"Your aunt," he admitted, as he took a few steps closer to her, clinching his fingers in a fist in order not to touch her prematurely, "the moment you Owled her with the news she came down to my office."

"But I . . ." she began pausing partially due to his proximity and partially because what she going to say did not sound too good to her own ears.

"I know, I know, now how about you opening your gift?" Adrian began as she trailed off, his index finger tapping the top of the box.

"Adrian, you didn't have too," Susan said, as she began to slow unwrap the package to find a sleek, velvet, box.

"I know," he smirked, his beautiful eyes meeting hers for only second time that afternoon, "but I wanted something to remind you of our first holiday season together."

Susan was silent, she began to slowly open the box and let out a gasp when her eyes settled upon the beauty with in. It was a necklace, diamonds set in white gold, the gleam was almost blinding. Yet, the moment she saw it she recognized it, his grandmother Caroline had worn it the night she attended his family's Christmas Ball. "Is this your grandmother's?"

"It is," Adrian answered simply, his eyes lingering on the box nestled in her small hands.

"I can't accept this, Adrian," she rambled, closing the box with a small pop, "this must be a family heirloom."

"Grandmother Caroline left it to me," he answered, pushing it back toward her gently, "with instructions to give it to the woman I loved the most."

"Adrian . . ." Susan whispered, not knowing whether to show her dismay at his grandmother's death or the excitement that his words caused.

He looked into her chocolate eyes, finally reaching up to touch her cheek, whispering, "And I thought that this would be the perfect day to deliver this to the woman I love most."

"Thank you," she mumbled her voice barely audible. Her thanks were not so much for the gift but more for the hope that his presence, and his present, brought into her life. She sighed, this Christmas was looking better by the minute.

"Would you mind terribly if I kissed you right now?" Adrian asked, smoothly, his thumb crossing the softness of her cheek.

Susan was struck speechless and slowly shook her head, her eyes trained on the green that seemed to be getting closer and closer to her. He kept his eyes on hers as he slowly lowered his head, he felt his heart race and he knew. Adrian knew for the first time that evening that he had not imagined this, she was real, she was home and she was his. She slid her arms up around his neck, her eyes moving down to his mouth; the mouth that had kept dreams occupied for five years was mere inches from hers. As his lips brushed softly against hers, his hands moved down over her curvy frame and lifted her up into his arms, it seemed that he could not bring her close enough him. After a few moments had passed, Susan sighed against his lips, as her body was still cradled lovingly to his, for the first time in several months she was more than content.

Adrian licked the bottom of her lip, seductively, before whispering, "Welcome home, darling."

Susan laid her head in the crook of his neck, nuzzling her nose over the soft skin of his neck, gently kissing the sensitive skin below his ear, before replying, "And a Happy Christmas to you, too."