The snow beat down on the trees as the blizzard continued to blow. The darkness had fallen early, for the solstice had just passed. The street lamps glow was the only light, and they illuminated the couple.
The man was taller than most, and much taller than his partner, which had the effect of making him look even taller. A lot taller. The woman's hair was illuminated by the lamp, making it seem much brighter than it actually was. They were skipping through the snow, laughing and twirling and kissing. They had the signs of young love, which was most certainly true.
"This dinner better go well. One more break down and I'm going to murder someone." The woman said. They had only recently moved to Godric's Hollow and were still getting lost, especially now that the snow was interfering with their vision.
"It will Rose, I promise."
"You can't control my family, and everyone's going to be there."
"Of course they are Rose, it's Christmas Eve." He smiled at his new wife. She beamed back at him. She thought that they were too young, only 22 years old, but they had been out of school for nearly 5 years now. He had thought it was time. And there was no way she was going to say no to him.
"Victorie's new baby's going to be there."
Her cousin had had a baby three months before. Little Nymphandora Anastasia Lupin. Quite a name. Rose called her Nym. She was hoping that it was going to catch on, because no one wants to be called Nymphandora. But Meggie had been called Enna Maeghan for the first 3 years of her life. Not anymore. Only James could call her Enna now.
"I know. Hopefully that will cause less sex in closets."
Rose smiled smugly.
"I wouldn't count on it. You haven't seen my dress yet, have you?"
"No, but come on we're going to be late and you know how Ginny is. She'll make sure we get punished. That means not closet time. None."
They hurried into the distance laughing and calling to each other. Even though they never said it, they both knew that they meant the world to the other and the other could barley go on without them.
-LINEBREAKER-
The woman ran through London, shielding her face from the snow. She sprinted up the stairs to her flat, and burst through the door, only mildly scaring her fiancé. He was used to it by now. She dropped her leather satchel on a chair and sprinted into the bedroom.
"James, hurry up. We're going to be late."
"En, I was ready around the time we were supposed to go. What took you so long?"
"I forgot my bag. Again. I'm sorry, wait one sec…" She was in the closet, grabbing the red dress, black stockings, and black boots.
"My mum's going to yell at us En, you know how she is."
"You also know how preoccupied with Nymphandora Anastasia she is. Who the fuck names their kid that? I mean, really."
"Victorie does. I was thinking, Rose and Scorpius are married Meg, when's our turn? They're a good two years younger than us."
"You know the answer to that James, soon, May. I just didn't want a wedding in November. And Rose and Scorp are fucking 22. They are in love and I don't judge their decision, but I'm not Rose, and you're not Scorpius, and I can't just jump into a change like that. Oh! Look outside the window. It's a full on blizzard!"
James ran to the window, pressing his face to the glass like a little boy.
"Do you remember," He started, "Grace's face when they told us that they had eloped?"
"Of course. She looked like Nyx," The black dog looked up at her name, "Had peed all over her favorite rug."
"She does love that rug," James muttered.
Meg grabbed her leather satchel and looked at James.
"You look beautiful Enna." She shrugged. He knew she hated the name but he still called her that. He loved her name.
"Meggie, we really have to go. Apparate? Or floo?"
"Do you know how expensive this dress was?"
-LINEBREAKER-
There was a man running down the stairs and into the kitchen of the small house in the village. His girlfriend was sitting at the table drinking some tea.
"We have to go, I'm meeting your cousins today."
"It'll be okay Sebastian. Anyway, you already know the most important people. My brothers."
"They didn't like me. They called me a dick."
"They only didn't like you because you're my boyfriend. And Grace and Meggie loved you."
"Because I'm a hot, blond Bulgarian."
"Does it matter? I'm a hot, ginger, Brit."
He grinned slyly. She didn't lie.
"I mean, that it's not like I'm not attractive."
"You're gorgeous Lil. Stunningly beautiful."
"There's no reason to wake up early tomorrow, we can have a late night."
"That's good. Because there is no way that you're wearing that dress for that long."
Lily smiled.
"It's first Christmas with me. I hope you like it."
"Well, I love you, so that might make it easier."
"I love you too Sebastian."
He kissed her, smiling against her lips.
"Hey Lily,"
"Yeah?"
"I hope you know that you're crazy."
"Oh, I know."
-LINEBREAK-
The couple in this one actually didn't turn up late. Both of their jobs involved not working that day. She was a talented artist, drawing and painting the storm outside. He, was a quidditch player, and spent the day doing sit ups and watching movies.
She, an hour before they were supposed to be there flipped a piece of blond hair out of her eyes and stated that she was getting in the shower, and that he better too if he wanted to impress her parents. That was always a sure way of getting him moving.
"But Lucy, I don't want to go. I want to watch a movie with you."
"This is the one event that my family cares about all year. You're coming and you better about it. Plus we finally get to meet this amazing boyfriend of Lily's. Aren't you excited? You know how much James and Al love him."
She was already in the bathroom, stripping.
"Wait, Luce, I'm getting in the shower with you."
She flashed him a smile.
They got out of the shower with plenty of time left, and got dressed. Blue was Lucy's favorite color, in fact her hair had been that color for a while. Now it was back to normal. Oddly enough, that was the first time it had been natural in a number of years.
He got dressed in his outfit, black pants and a dress shirt and was about ready to apparate.
"Lucy, you know that being on time is actually being half an hour early right?"
"Yes. That's why I want to be early. Good impression on my parents."
"Fine. But only because I love you." He smiled and kissed her as he walked past her and into the fireplace.
LINEBREAK
The angry man was very angry.
"What do you mean we have to go? I thought you canceled! That's so not fair Rox."
"Liam, you can get off your ass and go. Plus Nymphandora is going to be there and I know how much you love babies."
He did love them. He was a child healer.
"And look at me. You go to this tonight, when we get back home, you can have this."
She gestured to her figure. She was wearing a very sexy purple dress, and she knew that it was calling to him. She wasn't afraid to use her body to get him to do things. She never loved him, but his father had been wealthy and now he was wealthy. He was a field pediatrician, helping sickly kids in impoverished countries and he was often away, for months at a time. She had many affairs that he didn't know about in those times. She wasn't exactly happy that it had come to this that she was playing so dirty, but it wasn't like she was going to have a family with him or anything.
"Okay, I guess I'll get ready. Its just Christmas you know Roxy. It's not a big deal."
"It is for my family. Get ready we're going."
Oh, for her family it was the biggest of big deals. Now that they were all older and scattered all over the place and doing crazy things, it was one of the only times of the years that they all got together. She really missed her insane cousins these days. She was in London modeling and even though they lived in the same city, she missed Meggie, James, and Fred so much.
"We need to go." He stood up and apparated.
"Oh, Merry Christmas Roxy," She whispered to herself.
LINE BREAK
"Teddy, help please?" The woman said, pushing her long white blond hair outside of her stunning face. She was in a tight black dress, fussing over a baby carriage.
"Victorie, you look amazing, seeing that you had a baby 3 months ago." When his wife glared at him he added, "I shouldn't have said that. Hello Nym!" Teddy said turned his hair red and green, and his daughter copied him. She giggled and grinned.
"Teddy, can you believe that she's here? Last year we had just conceived her, and now she's here."
Teddy furrowed his brows. "Are you on your period?"
"Jesus Teddy, stop being so stereotypical."
"You're not?"
"No."
"I love you Victorie, and you look absolutely stunning tonight. No man could be luckier than me, with my two beautiful girls by my side."
"Teddy, I love you too."
"We have to leave soon. I want to be on time. Plus you know how much Auntie Ginny and Maman love Nymphandora Anastasia."
"There is no way we're calling her that."
"Nymphandora is her name, we're going to call her Nymphandora."
"At least Anastasia. I think that's better. I know it's my mother's name and I loved her, but she's going to hate that name. I feel like we're disrespecting my mum by calling her that. You know how much she hated that name."
"We need to go. Now Teddy."
He leaned down and kissed her. Victorie twirled her hands in his hair, and it turned back to the normal turquoise.
"Vicie it's been so long."
"Don't worry Teddy, my Maman and Dad are watching her next weekend."
They grabbed their baby and slammed the door.
LINEBREAK
"Ughhhhhh." The woman turned over and groaned. He was looking right at her.
"Holy shit! Connor! You can't scare me like that!"
"I didn't mean to scare you. I just can't get enough of you, you're so beautiful."
"Ew, Connor stop being so gross!"
"What do you mean gross? I think I'm being romantic."
"Connor, we were supposed to be there 5 minutes ago!"
Dom sprinted out of bed and got dressed. Connor was dressed too. He reached out and grabbed his girlfriend by the waist. She giggled as he kissed her cheek.
"Dom, I know you want to be on time, but your dress is on backwards."
She gave her boyfriend an obscene gesture.
"I'm feeling the love Dom. You know that that baby is going to be there."
"That baby? Really? That baby?"
"I'm sorry, I can't pronounce her name. Your sister is going to have quiet a child on her hands with that name. You know no one likes it, even Teddy. He thinks that calling an infant Nymphandora is insane."
"Yeah, well that's Vicie for you."
She frantically grabbed her hair and but it up into a bun. Her hair was glimmering and shining in the light of the lamp. She was the only one of her siblings with the classic red hair.
Connor snuck up behind her, and grabbed her waist.
"You know I love you right Dom?"
LINEBREAK
The man was sitting on the bed in a fairly large flat. He was smiling at the kitten playing with his freezing toes. His girlfriend was doing something girly in the bathroom, and wouldn't let him in. The cat was a nice substitute. It had been her birthday present, but he was doing all of the caring for her.
"Hugo, I need you to grab the sapphire earrings I left out on the dresser, and then come in here and let me tie your tie."
"Yes mam'," Hugo responded, grabbing the expensive earrings that seemed to be a metaphor for his relationship.
"You look beautiful Lila," He told his girlfriend. She was wearing a long, flowing blue dress with a tight bodice. He wasn't unhappy with her. He wasn't exactly happy though.
"Thanks you, now, I know Rose doesn't like me, but will she verbally attack me again tonight? Her opinion doesn't influence your opinion on me does it?"
It did, because Rose had amazing taste in her friends and family. She hated Lila. She said that Lila was a manipulative bitch that wanted him for the fame and money of being on the Hugo Weasley, not only the Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, but a rock star too.
He thought it was okay though, because he was just using her and her "commitment" to show the press that he was over the phase of his life where she slept with any girl that knew his name and had big boobs.
Lila had both.
"Of course not honey, I love you no matter what Rose thinks."
He had gotten good at lying through his teeth. It was basically his profession now a days.
"Then why do we have to go?"
"Because I love my family even though you hate them and they hate you, and I am not missing my Christmas Eve just because you don't want to have to go. If it was for Gloria Blake you'd be all over it. So we're going."
She glared at him and stomped over to the window.
"It's snowing too. Oh joy. I hate Christmas."
She apparated on the spot.
Was this what his life had become?
LINE BREAK
He was just looking at her. He did this quite often, because when you were lucky enough to have a model as a girlfriend, you never took your eyes off her. She was gorgeous too, with thick brown hair and green eyes.
She was looking at him too, because when you were lucky enough to model for a boyfriend, you never took your eyes off of him.
"Louis, we have to go," She turned her back to him, and started searching through her closet full of designer clothes. She pulled out a tight red one. She raised an eyebrow.
"Any color but red. Red's Meggie's color, and no one can wear it like her."
She groaned as she went into the closet to get another dress. She came out and turned around. A tight green one. He nodded to this one.
"Much better."
She stripped right there. Neither of them were shy about their bodies. Louis had had enough "friends" that he knew he looked amazing. And she was stunning and she knew it.
"Olivia, we need to leave pretty soon."
She was poking her hair with her wand. Olivia Hope Jones was known for her curls and high ponytails. Little did most people know that her hair was naturally straight. She made sure to curl it before going anywhere. She poked her hair again, which caused it to go into the signature half up half down look. She was a stunning witch.
"Louis, Vicie's going to murder me."
"Why?"
"Because I have her little brother right around my finger."
She turned towards Louis, and slammed her lips on his. He responded, and then, slowly pulled away.
"You don't want it?" Olivia asked.
"I do… but I'd rather not right now. Liv, we need to be serious."
She burst out laughing.
"Louis Weasley… serious… you're joking right?"
"I love you Olivia Hope."
"I love you too, Lou."
They kissed a little more before they left.
LINE BREAK
They lived in a small house, the front covered with ivy and flowers, even in the cold. The town was full of wizards and witches and it was magical. Every one on their street had children, and all the parents gossiped about them. The young couple, all of 21 years old, was living with them. What they didn't know though was that these particular 21 year olds were more mature then they were.
She was pretty, they supposed. He knew it though. They had spent the day reading and not talking, but it was perfect anyway, because they didn't need to talk, they just had to be together.
He loved her short auburn hair, the way it waved at the bottom. Her glasses and the way she bit them when she read. He was in love and he knew it.
And she loved him.
She loved him enough to bring him into her insane family. She loved her family, she really did. She just didn't introduce just anyone to them though, because they were legitimately crazy.
"Molly, we have to go soon."
She was sitting on the bed smoothing the flowered dress down, trying to seem a little less like a good girl, and trying to look sexy. Flowers had always been her thing and even though she was trying to dress older, she couldn't not wear flowers. Molly had always been the purest.
"Do I look sexy Lorcan?"
"You always look sexy to me Molly."
"Do I look less like the old Molly? The one who was over weight? Do I look like a new person?"
"Yes, you do. You look amazing, and you look like you're who you really are, like you're comfortable with yourself."
"I can't believe I got you. You could have anyone, why me?"
"Because I've loved you since I was 11 and I really met you. You were always the only one, and you will be the only one forever." He didn't say this everyday, but she loved it when he did. His opinion was the only one that mattered to her.
He buttoned the last button on his shirt. He leaned over his girlfriend and kissed her slowly and sweetly. She smiled under his lips.
"You're perfect Molly, just the way you are."
"We should get Hugo to sing that."
"Are we going now?"
"Yeah, let's go," Molly said, pressing her lips on his one last time. "My family. Fun."
LINE BREAK
He still wasn't home yet. She was starting to worry. It had always been their thing, being together on the holidays. Plus, he was supposed to have arrived hours ago. That didn't make her feel any better. She really just wanted him home.
It was her fifth Christmas with his family and she loved every minute. She was the daughter of two muggle actors. Their holidays were very orderly and systematic, full of TV appearances and fake interviews. That's why she was so grateful to escape from the hell of the muggle world and into the magical one. And when she spent the holidays with them they were never orderly and systematic. They were crazy, insane and very very magical, the exact opposite of her childhood memories.
She was staring outside the window, waiting, hoping, and the moment she turned away, of course his figured appeared in the snowy mess happening outside of their warm flat. In the blink of an eye she bolted towards the door. She pulled it open and threw herself into the man's arms.
He was tall and slim with messy black and piercing green eyes. He nestled his head into the crook of her neck. She broke their hug, but only to just close the door.
"Gracie," He began before getting cut off by her lips. She pulled back again, because even though she had really missed him, they had to be at his parent's house in an hour. She was ready, in a light pink dress, but he was still in his heavy coat that had probably been necessary in Siberia or any other equally obscure places that he had been.
"Al, you need to get ready. We have to leave soon and you smell pretty terrible."
She stood in the bathroom and put on her make up while he showered. He was telling her all about the prison construction he'd been supervising in the farthest outreaches of Siberia. She had been right. It was Siberia.
"I pity the poor souls sent out there. It was frigid everywhere, even a heating charm didn't work Grace. That's how cold it was. One of the men on my team only wore 2 pairs of socks instead of 3 and his toes began to turn blue. Larissa, you know her, she's the healer, had to save them."
He did eventually get dressed though, even if he had procrastinated a little while.
"Gracie you look amazing. How did you do that to your hair?"
"Al, you know how I did it, and it's really not that amazing at all. You are getting better at flattery though. You haven't made a big improvement, but enough that a compliment from you isn't cringe worthy."
He smiled at her, because even though she was snarky and sarcastic, that was really her way of saying thank you I'm so happy that you actually noticed something I did. He used to never notice anything.
"Rosie and Scorp are going to be there. Have we forgiven them?"
"I guess we have," She answered grudgingly. She had been so mad when her best friend had eloped. She hadn't really forgiven her since, but now it looked like the holidays were affecting her stubbornness.
He leaned his forehead against hers. "I've missed you Gracie."
"I missed you too Al."
"I love you Gracie."
"I love you too Al."
-Line Break-
She hated the cold. She hated the snow. But she loved him, and he had promised her that if she stayed for the holidays that he would take her to the Caribbean for a month on vacation. Business was booming he said. She loved the Caribbean too, because she had a grandmother and cousins there, and she loved seeing them. She always blamed them when she hated to cold.
"It's because I have warm blood," She would say. He would just roll his eyes and laugh at her, because she had been living in England her whole life. That's not why. She just hated the cold.
That's why, 5 minutes before she was supposed to leave, she was curled into a ball on the armchair covered in a blanket. He came out of their bedroom straightening his crooked tie, because no matter how much her tried, he would always be messy.
"Hey, we have to leave soon." He said. When she didn't respond he walked over and poked her shoulder. "Kayla. Kayla. Makayla. Wakey wakey!"
Kayla turned over and muttered her response. "Fuck off Fred."
He grinned. "I wish, now Kayla we have to leave. We're already an hour late." Aside from being a slob, he was also very late. She really didn't know how she put up with this.
"5 minutes?"
"No, sorry babe. We have to leave now. You know that you'll make the dramatic entrance but not in 10 minutes. They'll just hate you then.
Makayla wasn't self-centered or anything. She was just a strong believer in entrances. She stood up, letting her long curled hair and short black dress out of the blanket. Freddie wolf-whistled, and she glared at him.
"Do you know how insulting that is?"
"Okay, I'm sorry Kayla."
"You better be. I'm actually leaving the house for you. I just want to go to bed."
"Well, it makes me very happy that you're willing to go with me."
"That's all you have to say?"
"Uh… no?"
"Really? Think again."
"Uh, I love you? Merry Christmas?"
"Much, much better," She murmured in his ear. She said, grabbing his tie and pushing him out the door. "Come on, I want my special entrance."
-The End-
-Happy Holidays to everyone everywhere, even if you don't celebrate Christmas-
-Like me-
A/N Comment and tell me if you want more, because I had so much fun writing this. –The Haze of Nightmares