A/n: once again I want to say their are a lot of nicknames. The children give them to everyone and Minerva and ALbus all have petname for their kids. It may be hard to keep up.
Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable.
Chapter 10: Father Christmas? Or Mama Correna?
It was late Christmas eve of 1985. Minerva had put everyone but Correna to bed as Albus slipped into the sitting room and started setting up the Christmas surprises.
"Mummy do you think Father Christmas is going to give me a new broom like I asked for? I've been really exceptionally good all year," Correna stated as her mother slipped her pajama top over her head. "I know you have have Correna. You've been the best little girl mean old Professor McGonagall could ask for," Minerva laughed pulling back the covers of her daughter's bed.
During the school days the children stayed in the family's hidden quarters. The four boys shared a room and the three girls shared. "Mummy you're not mean or old. You're the nicest and prettiest mummy in the world!" the child exclaimed and to prove her point pulled all the pins out of Minerva's hair causing ebony curls to cascade over Minerva's shoulders and cover both mother and daughter in a curtain of black. "Correna," Minerva scolded, "you shouldna dun that lass." "But you look so pretty with it down," Corri said pulling her mother's face down to where their noses touched. "Well thank you my black cat," Minerva laughed rubbing their noses together.
"I don't care that no one else knows it. You are my mummy and I love you. I wouldn't want anyone else," Correna earnestly and truthfully replied. She looked deep into her mother emeralds eyes with such a fierceness that Minerva had to turn her head.
How she was blessed with a child such as the one staring at her she'd never know. Minerva knew she didn't deserve the child and yet she had popped right into Minerva and Albus' life. Correna was so much like Minerva that at sometimes it scared her, but then Corri would always pull off some crazy stunt that would let her know she had plenty of Albus in her as well.
It pained her to know they had to stay a secret but she knew it was safer. Which is why Correna's words had bothered her so much. The look in her daughter's eyes also bothered her greatly because not even in Albus' gazes upon her had she ever seen anything as what she saw in Correna and it disturbed her.
"Mummy?" Correna called bringing her mother out of her thoughts, "Did I say something wrong?" "No baby," Minerva sniffed trying to hold back her tears, "You've done nothing wrong. You've just made me very happy with your words and understanding." Correna smiled as Minerva kissed her head. "Good night mummy. I love you," Corri yawned and rolled over to sleep. "I love you to Ice Princess," Minerva whispered turning out the lights and shutting the door.
The children's rooms were just outside of the sitting room. Minerva walked over to the couch and sat down watching her husband tinkering with a screwdriver and over a million little metal parts. Some were blue pieces and some were green, and there were six different sized wheels on the floor as well. "Darling what is all of this stuff," Minerva asked? "These are Tabitha's and Samuel's tricycles my dear," he replied not looking up from his work. "Uh, Albus forgive me but why didn't you just by them already built like we did with our other five children?" she asked looking at the mess. "Because the store owner said this would be much more personable. We've already missed so much with the Ice Princess and Marauders, I just wanted to do something special for the Kitten and Cub," he said. "I understand that, but are you really going to be able to build the tricycles?" she asked skeptically.
"The man that sold them to me assured me it would be really simple. See look at the boxes," he said pointing to the side of the couch. "Easy assembly tricycles. Simple step instructions enclosed," Minerva read, "so you're using the instructions right?" "No, I don't need them. It's not going to be that hard to do," he said try to force two pieces together.
"Men," Minerva sighed rolling her eyes, "Well since you're doing that I'm gonna to put out everything else." "Yeah sure…hmmm," he mumbled not really listening. For the next three hours Minerva kept herself busy filling stockings and setting out the older children's presents from Santa Claus. By the time she had finished, Albus had cursed in every language he knew and was still no closer to finishing the bikes. "Hunny why don't you just magic it together and come to bed," she suggested. "No, I want our kids to appreciate muggles so I'm going to do it the muggle way," he stubbornly replied.
"Admirable darling, but I feel futile. I'm going to bed," she said kissing his head, "Good night and good luck." "Night dear," he said not looking up.
It was two o'clock in the morning and Correna was lying wide awake in bed. "This is utterly ridiculous," she said to herself, "Am I to spend the rest of my life waking at the slightest noise?" Resigning herself to the fact that this was true and that to get more hours sleep she would need to do something to tire herself out, Correna crawled out of bed and silently slipped out of the bedroom. She was going to go to the kitchen for her signature midnight snack, hot chocolate and ginger newts, but she was stopped by the sight of her father sleeping on the ground with hundreds of little pieces around him.
Seeing the boxes Correna deduced he had tried and fail to make a bike. She had to laugh at her parents sometimes; they tried so hard to be there when they could and it usually ending in something embarrassing. But she did love them for trying, it's not easy having to be headmaster and deputy and secret parents. Deciding it would be better for the other children to be older to learn the truth about Father Christmas, Correna pried the screwdriver from her father's hand.
She had to stifle a laugh as he mumbled about putting the tricycles together. She found his wand under the couch and flicked it as she had seen her parents do so many times saying, "Wiengarieum Leviosa!"
Albus' body floated off the grounded and followed Correna into her parents' room. She tucked her father in and smiled as Minerva instinctively rolled into his arms. She laid his wand on the night table and went back into the sitting room. Correna dug in the boxes and found the instructions and set down to work.
An hour later Correna crawled back into her bed happy with the help she did for her father.
It was six in the morning when Albus and Minerva were waked by six small figures jumping on top of them. "Happy Christmas mummy and daddy! Wake up!" Kenny, Andi, Johnny, Varick, Tabs, and Sam cried. "Happy Christmas to you too," Minerva laughed. "Come on mummy and daddy you'll never guess what Father Chismas brought us!" Samuel exclaimed tugging on his father's beard.
"All right you six, you've wakened them so get down," Correna replied rolling her eyes, "come on kids we'll wait in the sitting room." "Okay mama Cor. But you two need to hurry," Sam said hopping off his father and running past Correna. The others followed leaving Minerva and Albus alone.
"What time did you come to bed last night?" Minerva asked as she climbed out of bed and doned her dressing gown. "You know I don't remember going to bed last night," he said as they walked into the sitting room. They entered to see Correna sitting on the couch, Andi and the boys kicking around the football, and Tabitha and Samuel riding around on their tricycles!
"You really did get them together!?" Minerva whispered to her husband as they took their seats on either side of Correna. "NO I didn't I feel asleep," Albus said scratching his head. "Happy Christmas mummy and daddy," Correna grinned, "Sherbet Lemon or Ginger Newt?" "Thank you," they said taking their respected sweet. "Corri did you fix the bikes?" Albus asked quietly, so the other didn't hear.
"Aye. I did it after I put you to bed. You know you really should have read the directions daddy, you had it all wrong," she laughed. Albus looked up at Minerva who was ging him an 'I told you so look.' "Okay, so I'll read them next time," Albus shrugged as the family started opening their presents.
A/N: Memo to men: READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!
Oh and please review!!