16 December 2004

Louis lay serenely in his grandmother's lap, blinking slowly up at Apolline. The fire was dying in the parlor, just barely twinkling off of the enormous, beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Fleur smiled in amusement.

"What's that look, Mother?" she asked in French.

Apolline sighed. "Five months, and I still can't believe him."

Fleur laughed, folding her arms. "I think the only person who was more surprised than you that I had a boy is me. Or Bill."

"It was just a few Christmases ago you were in this room with me, crying, because you thought that you would never have a child," Apolline told her. "And now here you are, with three, and one of them a son." She took Fleur's hand across the couch. "My mother would never have believed this, waiting twenty-odd years to have me."

Fleur swallowed. "Sometimes I don't believe it, myself."

"He is sleepy," Apolline said, taking Louis's hand and shaking it gently. He gave an amused, but tired giggle. "Is it time for bed, my little one? Is it? Yes, I think so…"

Fleur stretched and got up to take Louis. "We have had a long day," she sighed, as Apolline handed her the baby. "I'm so glad to be home, though."

"We are thrilled that you're here," Apolline assured her, rising and kissing her cheek. They walked together to the door of the parlor, heading for the large staircase. "I won't lie, going to England for your cold winters was not the highlight of my last few years."

Fleur laughed. "So temperamental, Mother," she teased, "We English love the cold!"

"We?" Apolline asked sardonically as they climbed the stairs. "Do I remember a girl who sent me a frantic letter in her first English winter, begging for all of her capes and cloaks to be sent at once?"

Fleur smirked, hugging Louis, who gave another sleepy sigh and tangled his little fingers in her hair. "Well, now I have these ones to keep me warm," she said, and Apolline smiled.

"Mumma?"

Fleur and Apolline looked up the staircase; Victoire and Dominique stood at the top hand in hand, their hair like haystacks and their little blue nightgowns rumpled. Apolline smiled.

"What are you doing awake?" she asked. "Eet is so late."

"We heard you," Dominique said, rubbing her eye sleepily. Apolline bent and picked her up.

"You weel catch cold," Fleur admonished, as Victoire took her hand. "Come on, back to bed…"

"You're all louder than the girls in the dormitory," groaned Gabrielle in French, appearing in her doorway. "I'm starting to miss Beauxbatons, after all."

Apolline smiled at her, then looked around at Dominique, Fleur, Victoire, and the baby. "All right—a cup of cocoa for everyone, and zen back to bed. Fleur?"

She looked down at Louis, who had already drifted off contentedly in her arms and was snoring with his little mouth wide open. "'E sleeps like your daddy," she told Victoire, who giggled. "Okay, one cocoa. Viens, viens," she said, and Victoire hopped eagerly down the stairs after Apolline and Dominique.

"I like zis one," Gabrielle said, pointing at Louis as she passed. "Zey are so much more quiet before zey can talk."