Title: A Very Sleepy Christmas

Warnings: Mild swearing
Fandom: Sleepy Hollow (TV), Harry Potter, Supernatural, Merlin, Dr. Who, and Sherlock
Additional Tags: Super Christmas Fluff, Alternate Cross-fandom Universe

Disclaimer: I own none of these fandoms. I have the utmost respect for the creators of all the fandoms I have borrowed shamelessly from, but hey, this is fanfiction and Christmas, and I believe in infinite parallel universes, so somewhere my version isn't even a revisionist one.

Summary: Abbie and Ichabod reflect on their first Christmas together when they were students at Hogwarts.

Characters I've brought back from the dead because this is an alternate universe and they don't die in this one:

Fred WeasleySirius BlackNymphadora TonksRemus LupinAlastor MoodyDobby the Free ElfSir LancelotSir LeonSir GwaineSir PercivalSir ElyanKing Arthur PendragonQueen GuinevereBobby SingerJo HarvelleEllen HarvelleKevin Tran

Professors when Abbie and Ichabod are 7th year students and Harry Potter is a 4th year student:

Headmaster: Albus DumbledoreTransfiguration: Minerva McGonagallPotions: Severus SnapeMuggle Studies: Charity BurbageArithmancy: Septima VectorDefense Against the Dark Arts: Alastor MoodyCare of Magical Creatures: Rubeus HagridDivination: Sybill TrelawneyAstrology: Aurora SinistraCharms: Filius FlitwickHerbology: Pomona SproutQuidditch Coach: Rolanda HoochHistory of Magic: Cuthbert BinnsAncient Runes: Bathsheda BabblingLibrarian: Irma PinceNurse: Poppy Pomfrey

Professors when Abbie and Ichabod are adults:

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagallTransfiguration: Sherlock HolmesPotions: Horace SlughornMuggle Studies: Colin CreeveyArithmancy: Cho ChangDefense Against the Dark Arts: Abbie MillsCare of Magical Creatures: Septima VectorCharms: Filius FlitwickDivination: FirenzeAstrology: Luna LovegoodHerbology: Neville LongbottomQuidditch Coach: Oliver WoodHistory of Magic: Cuthbert BinnsLibrarian: Ichabod CraneNurse: Dr. John Watson

A Very Sleepy Christmas at Hogwarts

[September, 1994]

Abbie was in her seventh and final year of magical education. She had completed her first six years at the Salem Witches' Institute in Massachusetts, but opted to finish her final year abroad at Hogwarts as part of an exchange program initiated by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore to improve cross-cultural wizard relations. Her first term at Hogwarts was already full of excitement.

Hogwarts was hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament for the first time in ages and Hogwarts had two champions to cheer on. Abbie had been sorted into Gryffindor house and was cheering for Harry Potter, naturally, though after watching the first task, she was also generally hoping all the champions made it out in one piece. Abbie was disappointed that the Quiddich teams were disbanded for the year though. She had hoped to try out for her House team. At the Salem Witches' Institute, she played as beater. It was a natural transition from her childhood years playing pickup baseball with the neighborhood kids. The other major adjustment she had to make was going to school in a castle with moving staircases and other oddities that made finding her classes a real challenge.

During her first week, Abbie had gotten hopelessly lost trying to find the Potions room. She was desperately trying to find someone to help point her in the right direction when she ran directly into a very tall, lean seventh year boy carrying a heavy stack of books. She'd seen him in the Gryffindor common room, but had never actually spoken to him.

Abbie pushed herself up, apologizing, putting things back into her bag and helping the boy pick up his books. "Sorry! I'm sorry. I'm really turned around, and I'm running late. I was so busy looking for someone to help give me directions that I didn't see you."

The boy had blue eyes that seemed almost unnaturally blue and long dark brown hair that he had partially pulled back into a ponytail. He'd been irritated at first, but once he saw who he'd run into, his entire expression shifted. "Ah, you're Abigail Mills, aren't you? The exchange student from America?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I know we have classes together, but I haven't had a chance to get everyone's name yet."

"I'm Ichabod, Ichabod Crane, and we will both be late to potions if we don't get going soon. Snape is not known for his tolerance."

"Yeah, I heard that about him. I'm just glad I ran into another 7th year Gryffindor. I was starting to consider trying to get directions from Peeves."

Ichabod chuckled. "I would strongly advise against that."

"Yeah, well like I said, I was desperate. Shadow Brook Castle is a lot easier to navigate."

"We'll have to continue this conversation over lunch. We're nearly at the potions classroom."

Abbie looked around at their surroundings. "Hogwarts has potions in a dark, dank, dungeon? Geez. Over dramatic much?"

Ichabod chuckled and they hurried to the doorway. The class bell rang as they reached the threshold. After a few scolding words, Snape allowed them to take their seats. Ichabod led Abbie to a table near the middle of their side of the classroom. The Ravenclaws were on the other side of the room.

During the potions lesson, Ichabod and Abbie worked together, making a Potion of True Direction.

"I could have used this potion about an hour ago." Abbie joked, adjusting her cauldron fire.

Ichabod smiled sideways at her. "Actually this potion is more to help you find a sense of direction in terms of your heart's desire, than actual cardinal directions."

"I see. Well then it's good I ran into someone who has an excellent sense of cardinal direction."

"My mother always did say I was part thestral."

"Fortunately, I don't need to have seen death to see you."

"Fortunate indeed for both of us. What did you mean about Shadow Brook Castle being easier to navigate? Is that where the Salem Witches Institute is located?"

"Yeah, it used to be this old mansion. It changed hands a fair amount through history. The Salem Witches' Institute bought it from Andrew Carnegie's widow under the guise of being Jesuits and then made the outside world think it had been mostly destroyed in a fire to hide it from the world. It's sort of like the Xavier School for Mutants in that way."

"The what?"

"It's a comic book reference. This secret school for mutants that looks like a rundown mansion to non-mutants because of a psychic projection . . ." Ichabod still looked puzzled. "Don't worry about it. So have you always gone to school here?"

"Since I was eleven. The Sorting Hat had a terrible time deciding whether to put me in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor."

"Well I'm glad the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor. So far, it seems like a great fit."

"Yes, I'm glad it did too." Ichabod blushed, realizing the deeper implication of what he'd said and tried to move the subject along. "Do they have houses at the Salem Witches' Institute?"

"Not really. It's a much smaller school, and we aren't that far from several others. There are bigger schools in Maine where there's so much unpopulated land and in the Adirondacks of New York State where there are all those old camps that the ultra wealthy had back in the early 20th century."

"Fascinating. Someone really needs to come out with a guide to all the magical schools of the world, even if they have to be vague about the locations for security purposes."

Abbie noticed that his stack of books seemed to have a great deal of titles dedicated to the subject of Magical Education throughout the world. "Looks like you're trying to write it."

"Maybe someday. Your arrival and the other schools coming for the Tri Wizard Tournament got me thinking about the other schools so I was trying to educate myself about them. I confess have a passion for history. It's rather dull to most people, but I can't seem to help myself. I like to know how things started out, it helps me to understand where they are now better and speculate on where they might end up."

"That doesn't sound dull at all. You make history sound interesting. You should teach it here some day. Professor Bins is so tedious."

Ichabod blushed again. "I don't suspect he is likely to retire, though."

"Maybe a librarian then. You'd be far more helpful than Madame Pince."

"You flatter me. I confess talking with you is far better than reading about your school and not just because of the limited resources on the subject."

Now it was Abbie's turn to blush. "Thank you."

They continued chatting in between Snape's sharp glances and then in earnest on their way to lunch. They continued talking in between most classes for the rest of the day whenever their schedules intersected. They had all the same core classes together of course: Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and History of Magic, but where Ichabod had Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, Abbie had Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Abbie looked into transferring to Ancient Runes after seeing the blast-ended skrewts, but unfortunately, she did not have the prerequisites. When she told Ichabod about her disappointment, he smiled and said, "Well, absence makes the heart grow fonder. We have to have some classes where we're not struggling to keep our conversation from the halls on pause while we focus on the lesson at hand."

Abbie wasn't entirely sure if he was just being silly, or he really meant it, but she liked the idea of Ichabod's heart growing fond of her.

The months passed and they continued to study together, having long conversations. During a discussion of Quiddich, Ichabod revealed that in his younger days, he had played as Chaser on the House team.

"No way! I was a beater back in Salem. If we had Quiddich teams this year, I could be protecting you while you score." They both laughed at how awkward that sounded. "So why did you stop playing?"

"Well I found my studies were taking up more and more of my time, and there were some truly excellent players that came into their second and third years."

"Gottcha. Well maybe some weekend, we can play a pickup game or something. We can't be the only ones that miss playing."

Abby introduced Ichabod to some of her favorite graphic novels while Ichabod showed her some of his favorite biographies and both found they had a liking for each other's preferred genres of storycraft. They both shared a passion for mysteries and classic adventure stories like Moby Dick, Swiss Family Robinson, and Treasure Island. Abbie privately thought Ichabod would make a fine looking British Office on board the Hispaniola and would have put up a good fight against the pirates.

[December, 1994]

Now, it was another Christmas at Hogwarts and holiday cheer was running high. Snow had frosted the grounds thickly since early November and the sky was dusting the ground lightly on a daily basis with occasional swirling puffs of winds so the view out the castle windows made Abbie feel like she was in a snow globe. Abbie and Ichabod had both signed up to stay along with most of their classmates to attend the Yule Ball.

As the Yule Ball approached, Ichabod knew he wanted to ask Abbie before someone else did, but he wasn't sure if she felt the same way about him that he did about her. They spoke daily, spent most of their waking hours together, and their conversations covered every subject. They bantered, they flirted, they shared secrets and their private passions. However, as Ichabod was painfully aware, being best friends who flirted was not the same thing as actually having romantic inclinations toward each other. Therefore, Ichabod wanted to be sure to phrase his invitation in a way that could be interpreted as either platonic or romantic escort and let things develop naturally at the ball. His parents shipped his dress robes. They were a bit old fashioned, making him look more like a wizard from the 1700s than a more modern dress robes, but the robes were in excellent condition and there was no lace or unfortunate color, unlike poor Ronald Weasley, so he counted himself rather lucky. He thought he just looked like he was in costume rather than dress robes, but he still cut a rather dashing figure if he did say so himself. He hoped Abbie wouldn't mind the less modern cut.

Ichabod had nearly found the right words when he sat down to breakfast two weeks before the ball. Another 7th year, William, sat down across from him looking dejectedly at his best friend, John.

John pushed a plate of sausages at him. "Well, what did she say?"

"She said no. She said she was already planning on going with someone else. She was really nice about it, which almost makes it worse, but at least it wasn't as awkward as it could have been."

Ichabod looked at William sympathetically. "Who did you ask?"

William exchanged a look with John. "I hope you don't mind, but I asked your friend, Abbie. It was stupid of me though. She's probably already going with you."

Ichabod shook his head trying to clear it. "You said you asked Abbie Mills to attend the ball with you, and she claimed she was attending with me?"

"Not specifically. She just said she was already going with someone else. I just assumed it would be you. You two are always together."

Ichabod, sipped his tea, not tasting it. "No. No I haven't approached her about the ball." Yet. It hung there like an icy chunk in his ribs. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichabod saw Abbie coming over to sit with them.

Abbie smiled warmly at Will and John before coming over. Today was the day. She'd waited long enough and turned down three other guys. She had to just do it and make the first move before that Ravenclaw girl she'd overheard in her Care of Magical Creatures Class beat her to it. Abbie sat down and started talking with John and Will while smiling at Crane and helping herself to breakfast when Ichabod suddenly stood up, abandoning his food.

"Would you excuse me? I don't think I have much appetite. I'm going to get an early start on my paper for Arithmancy."

Abbie looked at him strangely, but nodded and continued getting her breakfast. Later that day, she finally managed to find Ichabod in the Astronomy tower, reading. "What the hell was that this morning? You've been avoiding me all day."

Ichabod barely looked up from his book. "I haven't been avoiding you. I've been busy."

"Bullshit. This is the least I've seen you in a day since we met."

Ichabod, pursed his lips, staring at the printed text without seeing it. How to tell her the truth in a way that would preserve their friendship? "Very well, if you must know I was planning to ask you to attend the Yule Ball with me, but apparently you are planning to attend with someone else, and I was feeling a little hurt that you hadn't mentioned who invited you to me as we seem to tell each other most everything else."

Abbie looked at him with that strange expression again. "What are you talking about?"

Irritated, Ichabod, closed his book and turned to look at her at last, his eyes flashing. "William told John and I at breakfast that you turned him down for the dance because you are planning to attend with someone else. I want to know why I don't know who it is that you're going with if we're such close friends?"

Abbie grinned.

Ichabod huffed out a breath. "I fail to see what is funny about this."

Abbie sat across from him on the ledge, smiling. "Ichabod, I turned down William and the two other guys who asked, because I was planning to go with you. I was waiting for you to ask me because you seem like the kind of guy that likes to make the first move, but I was trying to talk to you today to ask you myself because there's this girl in my class who's planning to ask you, and I didn't want you to say yes to her."

"Who are the other two boys who asked you? And why didn't you tell me about them before now?"

Abbie took one of his hands. "It doesn't matter who they are. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel pressured if you hadn't asked me because you didn't want to or you hadn't found the right moment or something."

"Oh." Ichabod replied lamely. "That was most considerate of you. Well, now I feel like an idiot."

Abbie shrugged. "It's fine. You didn't know."

Ichabod finally smiled back at her, running his thumb over her fingers entwined with his own. "I would like very much to attend the ball with you. I had been waiting for the right words and timing to ask you and now, up here, away from the press of our fellow classmates and surrounded by the grounds covered in snow it seems like the perfect time." Ichabod rose and took Abbie's hand, his manner suddenly formal and chivalrous. "Abbie, would you like to do me the great honor of allowing me to escort you to the Yule Ball?"

Abbie stood grinning and curtseyed. "I would be honored to accept good sir."

"Lovely." Ichabod replied, kissing her hand lightly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have waited so long."

Abbie shrugged looking around at the view. "No, you found the perfect moment."

The next couple weeks passed swiftly. On the night of the ball, Abbie wore an elegant, but simple dress robes of emerald green velvet with simple gold jewelry. When she saw Ichabod in his dress robes of navy blue with a butter cream waistcoat and gold buttons in the Entrance Hall, she grinned. He looked a bit like a British Officer from the revolutionary war, and it suited him. He looked just the way she pictured him when they read Treasure Island by the fire in the common room.

"Ichabod . . . you look very handsome."

"And you look enchanting." He held out his arm and escorted her into the ball. They spoke through dinner as they normally did. Things between them seeming strangely normal, neither willing to make a more conclusive move, yet. After watching the champions open the dance, Ichabod asked Abbie out onto the dance floor. They danced and laughed with their friends for hours, fast songs, slow songs, sometimes elegantly, and sometimes with utter abandon. Then when a song finally came on that wasn't particularly to their tastes, Ichabod suggested they get a breath of cool air in the gardens. They strolled past ice sculptures and topiaries decorated with fairies.

Ichabod led Abbie to a bench near a lovely fountain. There didn't seem to be anyone else around them. Ichabod turned to Abbie.

Abbie looked up at him, smiling, letting herself really look into his eyes for a change. She was usually careful not to look him in the eyes for too long. They were so blue. Abbie knew she'd lose track of their conversation if she looked too long, but out here in the semi-darkness, she felt she could risk it. "I've had such a wonderful time tonight. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, Abbie." Ichabod saw her eyes linger on his face longer than usual. He wondered if she would let him kiss her.

Abbie saw him thinking about it. There was a way a boy looked at you when he wanted to kiss you. The way his gaze would linger on the mouth and then the eyes and back again, asking without speaking. She could see Ichabod doing that now, asking without asking. Abbie thought about just making the move herself, but she'd already done that in a way when he was trying to ask her to the dance. So she'd try to make it clear that she knew what he was thinking and wanted him to kiss her. Abbie rubbed her arms and Ichabod offered her his coat, revealing a formal puffy sleeved shirt underneath, further making her think of an colonial officer. She leaned closer to him, trying to share the coat with him.

Ichabod noticed the way Abbie seemed to be making every reasonable excuse to increase their proximity and shifted himself until he was standing directly in front of her. She didn't move. She seemed to be waiting patiently for him. Well, was he a Gryffindor or not? Ichabod moved down and kissed her, slowly, gently, lightly, feeling her sigh against his mouth, and tangle her fingers in his hair before he tilted his head and deepened the kiss.

When they pulled back, they both felt like they were lit up like fairy lights. The sound of teachers patrolling and separating other more entangled couples, drew their attention. They smiled a secret smile and headed back into the dance before the teachers could swoop down on their moment alone. They continued to dance and enjoy each other's company for the rest of the evening, talking less and staring more. Their friendship was simultaneously strengthened, preserved, and irrevocably transformed by a little moonlit magic.

[December, 2013]

Nineteen years later, The Battle of Hogwarts was won, Hogwarts continued its proud teaching tradition under Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. Abbie Mills grew up and after several years as an auror and fighting side by side with Ichabod Crane in The Battle of Hogwarts, she took the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. With Voldemort dead, the position was no longer cursed, and she enjoyed her post for the last 15 years. Ichabod Crane took up the post of librarian following Madame Pince's retirement. Luna Lovegood took over Professor Sinestra's position as Professor of Astrology, Oliver Wood returned to become the Flying, and Neville Longbottom took over Professor Sprout's position in Herbology. Instructor Colin Creevey took over Muggle Studies five years ago, Sherlock Holmes took over Transfigurations from Professor McGonagall when she became headmistress, and Dr. John Watson took over care of the hospital wing not long after, which led to a chronic string of fainting spells among some of the students and a run on Fainting Fancies at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. They were all at the Christmas Feast along with Professor Slughorn, Professor Vector, Professor Hagrid, Professor Flitwick, Professor Firenze, and Professor Binns.

The Hall was lined with enormous Christmas trees decorated in all their usual splendor. Enchanted snow fell from the ceiling, vanishing six feet above the house tables. Ice sculptures glittered and the ghosts made their rounds singing Christmas carols. Abbie and Ichabod had been together for many years and tonight, they sat, watching the students at the feast remembering a similar feast so many years ago. They remembered one eight years ago when they both had started teaching at Hogwarts and Ichabod Crane took Abbie Mills for another walk outside to the fountain during the Christmas feast and asked her to be his wife with an emerald the reminded him of the dress she wore when they first kissed. Tonight, she had the present for him.

The feast was especially well-attended. In attendance were a number of notable heroes from the battle. Hermione Granger-Weasley, who worked for the rights and welfare of non-wizard magical creatures sat with her husband, Ronald Weasley. Beside Ron, sat Harry Potter himself and his wife, Ginny and the rest of the Weasley family wasn't far off: Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Fleur, Percy, Fred, his wife Katie Bell, George, and his wife, Angelina Johnson. Ron and Harry's coworkers in the aurors' office who also were veteran's of the Battle of Hogwarts came as well, some who were former Hogwarts professors: Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, and Sirius Black. Harry and Ron had also invited several of their non-wizard contacts who had been of particular help on their cases to the feast. Occasionally, their work gave them reason to coordinate their efforts with muggles in a similar line of work. This has led them to build working relationships with two American hunters of dark forces, Dean and Sam Winchester. Ron and Harry asked Hermione Granger to help the Winchesters find the final resting place of Fergus Rodric MacLeod during a case they were working together. The Winchesters arrived with their friend Bobby, and his wife, Ellen, and her daughter, Jo as well as their friends Castiel, Gabriel, Charlie, Dorothy, Kevin, and Chuck. The Hunter family sat at a table with a strange gentleman in a linen suit and bowtie who everyone addressed as the Dr. Apparently, he was not only a great friend of Dumbledore's from years ago, he also briefly traveled with Minerva McGonagall and brought several other special guests from the ancient throne of Camelot.

A pranking war broke out between the Winchester brothers and their friends Jo, Gabriel, and Kevin and the Weasley brothers. Fred had just given Sam moose antlers and George enchanted Dean's pie to move away from his fork every time he tried to take a bite. Castiel tried to help Dean and ended up putting the pie in his face while Jo and Kevin tried to help Sam hold up his antlers only to find that Sam could only vocalize as a moose as well. Gabriel sorted Sam out and then turned the Weasley brothers into giant penguins and then proceeded to pull random pranks throughout the room.

With difficulty, Abbie tore her eyes away from the antics as Dorothy and Charlie came to sit with them, trying to keep out of the line of fire, which they sensed could become literal at any moment. "Professor Crane, what is the story with the court of Camelot? How are they here?"

Ichabod, stroked his thumb tenderly over the back of Abbie's hand as he turned to answer Charlie's question. "Ah, it's most curious and rather complex. You see, King Arthur Pendragon was in Avalon, nearly dead. Merlin took him there following his battle with Mordred and Morgana. About a month ago, the Doctor brought Merlin here because Merlin had finally succeeded in creating a second sorcerer's stone and with it, the elixir of life. The doctor took Merlin to Arthur in Avalon where Merlin used the elixir to awaken Arthur. When Arthur awoke, Camelot along with Arthur's loyal knights, subjects, and queen, Avalon, and some of the great dragons of the age, Kilgharrah and Aithusa among others, were reborn. All this fulfills an ancient prophesy about the return of Albion."

"Albion?"

"It's the ancient name for Britain when witches and wizards were prevalent and magic was practiced openly. When Arthur supposedly died, Avalon and Camelot and other parts of Great Britain vanished into the mists. Now, they are returning from the mists, but can only be reached from Hogwarts. Some sort of ancient warding magic. Arthur shall rule over that place as Albion and become part of the magical community."

Dorothy looked over at King Arthur, seated with Merlin, Queen Guinevere, Sir Gwaine, Sir Lancelot, Sir Elyan, Sir Leon, and Sir Percival. "Legends come to life. Just when I think this place can't get more magical..."

"Yeah, all we need now are for the kings and queens of Narnia to come out of a wardrobe from the Room of Requirement." Charlie quipped.

"If I may ask, how did you hear about the Room of Requirement?" Ichabod wondered.

Charlie blushed. "Oh, well Hermione was my point of contact. She and I worked together to find out the human identity of this demon so we could burn the bones of the demon we were dealing with. Anyway, I had a lot of questions about Hogwarts, so she bought me Hogwarts: A History, Updated Edition. She helped write it you know. And she also mentioned some of the things she left out of the book."

Dorothy arched an eyebrow. "Oh really? How exactly did you work together?"

Charlie laced her fingers in Dorothy's. "Not like that. Hermione's spoken for, and besides, I'm with you."

"Just making sure you remember that."

Charlie kissed her hand. "Always." Then she whispered something into Dorothy's ear, and they started giggling and whispering like a couple of school girls.

Tonks and Lupin started handing out wizard crackers around the tables. While Ellen and Bobby had a lengthy conversation about magic with Gaius and Merlin, Sir Leon, Sir Gwaine, and Sir Lancelot discussed the similarities and differences between dueling with a wand vs. a sword with Sirius, Bill, and Charlie. Rose Tyler and the Doctor pulled a wizard cracker that released sugar dolls, a nutcracker, white mice, and marzipan soldiers. Rose and the Doctor used the sugar dolls and marzipan soldiers to act out the Nutcracker story for some of the students. Kevin accidentally ate a canary cream from his wizard cracker and turned in to a fluffy yellow bird, much to Jo's delight. She and Kevin split the rest of the cracker's contents leaving her with a blue pygmy puff and Kevin with a set of wizard chess that they began to enjoy immediately.

Abbie pulled a wizard cracker with Ichabod that Tonks handed to her with a sly wink. It released a cloud of sparkling purple smoke, along with seven black-capped chickadees, a deck of self-shuffling cards that arranged itself into a complex castle of cards when tapped thrice against the table, and marzipan candies shaped like brightly painted flowers. A golden origami crane flew from out of the smoke and into Ichabod's hand. Ichabod unfolded the slip of golden parchment expecting to read off a series of clever jokes, insightful poetry, or intriguing trivia. As he started to read the gleaming silver script, he realized it was not filled with mirth or wisdom, or intriguing ephemera. It was written in his lovely wife's own hand.

Ichabod looked at her, his eyes wide as he finished reading. Abbie smiled at him, glowing at his reaction. Ichabod pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely, fingers lost in her hair until the Great Hall erupted with into whistles and silverware clinking merrily against glasses. Then Ichabod pulled back, eyes moist, his arm wrapped snuggly around his wife's shoulders, and she nodded for him to address their audience.

Ichabod's expression was warmer than all the fires roaring in the grate. "Eight years ago, this very night, I gave my lovely wife, Abbie, a gift of a ring to persuade her to marry me. Tonight, she has given me a far greater gift. She has just told me that we are expecting out first child!"

The room erupted with cheers and to everyone's delight, Fred and George set off a series of fantastic fireworks that put sparkling stars into the sky and made figures inspired by the constellations dance above them. Orion danced with Andromeda and the Great bear and the little bear played with the lion, and they were all made of starlight. Headmistress McGonagall enchanted the ice sculptures and suits of armor around the room to sing and people all around the hall began to dance to the melody.

Abbie and Ichabod held each other as they spun slowly while the room continued to erupt around them in cheers and multicolored sparks, dancing slowly surrounded by the people who loved them.

"Merry Christmas, Ichabod."

"Happy Christmas, Abbie."