Chapter 11
"Muuuum." Lily rolled her eyes as Ginny squeezed her into a hug the minute she saw her, James and Albus had avoided this - they were saying their goodbyes to Mae and Scorpius.
"Owl me your floo address yeah? I refuse to get lost in the floo system." Mae sounded bossy but she was smiling, after their argument the night before the two of them ended up sleeping together in James' dorm room - much to the surprise of Spectre, Rufus and Louis.
"Are you sure you can't come back to mine for a few days before Christmas?" James whined, kissing her forehead gently, there was still a little scarring on her face from the accident and he couldn't help but treat her like a broken doll.
"You know the plan, spend some time with your family before I come and distract you." A smirk crept onto her face insinuating exactly what she meant by distracting James, suddenly all of his worry slipped away. As she hugged him goodbye she saw her Dad and Harry talking on the platform, so she whispered in James' ear. "Our dads are chatting. More importantly, my Dad looks like he's smiling."
"Shit ok, should we go over there?"
"Well it's a bit too late to return to Hogwarts now, isn't it?" Mae broke away from the hug and grabbed the handle of her trunk, walking through the crowds of eager parents to find her Dad and Harry chatting about the quidditch. England had just beaten Romania in the snowiest conditions they'd ever played in, and she could see that her Dad was sporting a scar down his cheek - there was no point in asking about it though, he'd just shrug it off and play it cool.
"Dad! Mr. Wood." James nodded towards him graciously and he nodded back in approval.
"Jamie, I'm so glad you're back." Harry hugged his son tight, then held him at arms length, checking him over. "Good to see you've not nearly killed yourself this term."
Mae took a quick intake of breath as Oliver smirked at her a little, "Oh I think my Harps as got that bit covered for this relationship. How are the injuries?"
"I'll be flying on Christmas Day, aye don't you worry." Mae had suddenly slipped into her Scottish accent, wherever it had been hiding James didn't know but it was definitely back now.
"That's ma girl." Mae grinned, letting her Dad take her trunk from her. "Come on then, we need to get to the Ministry to find Ben then we can floo home. Well go on then, say goodbye or whatever loved up thing it is that you two do." He joked, as James hugged Mae close and then she kissed his cheek.
"I'll see you in a few days, don't forget to owl the address." Mae smiled shyly, breaking away from the eldest Potter and walking away with her Dad. "Oh! And Jamie, Merry Christmas."
Christmas Eve had descended on the Potter household, which meant an intense morning of checking the decorations for the family dinner, cooking the food for the meal, setting the table for 27 guests.. Ginny had refused help from countless members of the Weasley family, as she was intent on her, Harry and the kids organising the Eve madness.
"HARRY! HARRY! KIDS, HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR DAD?" Ginny shouted, running up the stairs from the ground floor of the house to the floor that the kids lived on. The Potter house resembled Godric's Hollow on a larger scale, it had three floors with an old cottage exterior. Harry and Ginny had the large master bedroom on the third floor with an en suite, whilst the kids had their bedrooms on the second floor.
"Muuuuuuum, shush!" James groaned, flicking his door closed with a swish of his wand. He had been out to the pub with Fred II and Teddy Lupin last night, and was now nursing a hardcore hangover. Ginny paid him no sympathy; he had brought this upon himself in her opinion.
"Oh, Lily there you are." Ginny smiled as her daughter was intertwining colourful ribbons through the banister on the stairs, they switched between red gold and green, all shining brightly as if they were charmed. "Those aren't charmed, are they?"
"No Mum!" She rolled her eyes yet continued to carry on decorating the staircase. "I think Dad and Al are wrapping presents in the snug, the door is locked from the inside.."
"Ohhh of course, trust your Dad to save wrapping presents until two hours before the family are due."
"Can me or James help?"
"NO!" James called out from his bedroom, "I feel like death."
"Ask your Dad what death feels like James." Ginny replied, her serious humour sparking fear in her eldest child. Soon she was stood in front of his doorway with him in his pyjama bottoms and messy hair.
"What do you need help with Mum?"
"Getting the chairs from the basement and setting the table, the house is almost decorated thanks to your sister, but the table hasn't even been organised yet. I know your Dad wants to start cooking an hour before everyone arrives so really we need to get the table done."
"I'll accio the chairs, then set the table. You're not going to do place settings or anything like that right?"
Ginny laughed as she followed her son downstairs to where their open plan living room, dining room, kitchen etc housed a collection of tables all joined together to create a long twisty table throughout the ground floor of their house.
"Merlin Mum, this is worse than the Burrow!" James laughed, rubbing his hand against his knuckles, Ginny smiled at the gesture - Harry did exactly the same thing.
"Oh stop, it's not. This is what I like to call organised chaos." At that instant she heard someone else say organised chaos with her, Ginny turned around to see her husband leaning against the door frame of the snug. He was beaming.
"Ugh you two think the same now as well?" James rolled his eyes, grabbing his wand from his pocket.
"Oh you and Mae will be like this one day." Harry grinned, walking over to where his eldest son was stood. "Anyway, come and help me get those chairs for your Mum." Harry looked over to Albus, "Al, why don't you start setting the table?"
"Oh bloody hell mate, did you need to grow taller than me?"
Was the first thing that Al's uncle Ron said to him as he opened the door on Christmas Eve. Hermione enveloped Albus into a hug, whispering in his ear, "Don't worry about him, his masculinity is threatened." She teased, giggling light heartedly.
Her office was now closed for the holidays and she obviously had already wrapped and prepared everything for Christmas Day so now all she had to do was deliver the Christmas pudding to Harry and relax with her family. Hugo and Rose had already gone to find their other cousins and the cats that inhabited the Potter house - Hermione wouldn't let them get a cat, and when they asked their Dad why he always said it was a story for when they were older.
Soon the house was filled with laughter and love from every branch of the Weasley family, Fleur and Bill were sat with George, Angelina and Charlie at the far end of the table heartily discussing how much snow it would take to ground their annual boxing day quidditch tournament. Next to Charlie sat Victoire with Teddy opposite her, then it went on and on until every member of the family were sat down enjoying dinner together and exchanging corny muggle jokes from a bizarre thing called a christmas cracker.
"Al, can you pass me the potatoes?" Charlie called out to his nephew, he was now the only one still eating but no one minded. Truly they were glad that Charlie could come home for Christmas this year, last year he'd still been out in Iraq protecting wizarding refugees from emergent dark magic.
Albus took hold of the dish and passed it to his uncle, who gratefully took the hot dish - Charlie had also wanted to start up a conversation with Al in the least awkward way. He'd been hearing rumours flying around and he wanted Al to know.
"Uh, Al could we have a quick word?"
"Sure, Teddy can I swap with you?" As soon as the two had switched places, Tori and Ted were getting closer and closer. "What do you need to talk about?"
"I've been hearing rumours, in the wizarding community, and I wanted to let you know what's been going around." Charlie spoke in hush tones, even though everyone else were merrily going about their own conversations.
"Rumours.. about me?" Albus raised an eyebrow questioning, he couldn't imagine there was anything that interesting going on with him. Nothing interesting enough to spread rumours about.
"Yeah, rumours that you're well, that you're gay." Charlie had never been so awkward with his family, especially not his nieces or nephews, they are the closest he'll ever get to having children.
Albus pulled an awkward face, taking a sip from his beer. "Well, those rumours aren't so much rumours as they are uh, the truth?" His pitch hitched up at the end, nervously awaiting his uncle's reaction.
"Oh! Shit mate, you should've said!" There was a brief pause in which Charlie carefully decided what to say next. "You happy?"
"Never better."
"He's treating you right?"
"Yeah." Albus smiled as if in a day dream, picking a piece of lint off his shirt. "Wait, I never said anything about anyone. How did you know?"
"Well I didn't, until just then." Charlie smirked as Albus punched his arm.
"Idiot."
"Uh, you two! Break it up or take it outside!" Ginny shouted from her seat besides Hermione and Harry. Everyone at the table went quiet at the sound of Ginny's projected voice. Albus quickly took this as his chance to stand up, grabbing a fork and Teddy's wine glass. He clinked three times.
"Sooo, I kinda have something I need to say to you lot. It's really important to me and I don't want to keep it from you any longer." Albus quickly glanced at his parents, his Dad giving him the ok sign with his fingers and his Mum smiling proudly at him. He could only be happier in this moment if Scorpius had been there with him. "There have been rumours for ages, and even bets within the family - you know who you are you trolls. But I thought I'd lay it all out there."
"Tell us!" George shouted out, impatient to win the bet between him and Angelina.
"I'm gay."
Christmas morning at the Potter household could only mean one thing, and that was presents. Percy and Audrey had taken the kids to Audrey's parents late last night, as had Fleur and Bill, but Victoire had decided to stay behind with Teddy. Harry and Ginny had let them share a room therefore Tori declared she would never be leaving. Charlie was also staying over in a tent in the garden - they'd offered him James' room or even the sofa but he wanted to sleep in a tent, so that's where Charlie was. The others had flooed home and were going to floo back before anyone had opened a single present. Molly Weasley struggled the most with her family being apart on Christmas Day, but it was still hard for some of them to spend the big holidays all together without Fred.
"Tori.." Teddy whispered, spooning himself close to her. She snuggled close to his bare chest, refusing to wake up. It was gone 7am on Christmas morning, if she didn't wake up soon all of her family would be walking in on her and Teddy cuddled up practically naked in bed. He slowly started to kiss her neck, running his fingers over her lacy bralette. Finally her eyes slowly started to open. "Merry Christmas babe." Teddy grinned, Victoire was the most important person in his life, and he couldn't wait for her to finish school so she could move in to his flat in Kensington.
She bit her lip slightly, whispering, "Merry Christmas Teddy."
"Did you sleep well?" Gently and slowly he found himself running his fingers through her strawberry blonde hair, smoothing out the kinks that had formed whilst she was asleep.
"Mhmm, I always sleep well with you."
"Well, as much as I'd enjoy lying in bed with you looking so ravishing.." Victoire switched places, lying between his legs and leaning against his chest she started to kiss his jawline and then his neck, letting her hands roam across his body. "Our family will find us, and if we're not careful, they'll find us in a compromising position."
Tori instantly blushed, remembering that she was only wearing pink lacy underwear, she quickly jumped out of bed and found a battered maroon tee that had probably belonged to Teddy at some point, and her pyjama leggings. Ted also conjured up some pyjamas and put them on, he didn't really fancy doing Christmas morning in his boxers. Soon the two of them had made it downstairs, where James, Albus and Harry were cooking breakfast.
"Merry Christmas you two. Sleep well?" Harry smiled, suspending serving dishes over the counter and moving different fried breakfast items into them.
"Very well, thank you Uncle Harry. Is there anything we can do?"
"Actually could you get everyone else down for brekkie? It's Christmas!" Harry shouted the last part, to which James' face went a sickly white colour.
"You're not still hungover from when we went out are you Jamie?" Teddy teased, slapping his friend on the back.
"Nope.. George and Charlie led me astray last night, think you and Tori had gone to bed already." James rolled his eyes.
"You can talk, you and Mae are inseparable." Albus joined in, he couldn't wait until he was old enough to go out with his brother and his cousins to the pub.
"So she's more of a permanent girlfriend, or are you just going to mess her around like the other girls?"
"Oh no Teddy, this one is definitely different." Harry said, letting out a low whistle, whilst he moved the dishes onto the table. He had replaced the chairs with benches early this morning and even he had to smile about how much it resembled Hogwarts.
"Daaaaad." James moaned, grabbing a sausage from one of the dishes.
"Oh really?" Teddy grinned, helping Harry wind James up. The Potter family had always felt like his own growing up, whilst his grandmother raised him, Harry was the closest he had to a father and it especially helped that Harry grew up without his parents too. Now that him and Tori were together he was finally a real part of the family.
It was close to 3 in the afternoon when Mr Weasley finally fell asleep by the fire, he'd eaten enough turkey to feed himself for a week as had Charlie and Ron. Ron was following in his fathers footsteps by settling himself on the sofa but Charlie had decided to find some people to go on a dog walk with him.
"Harry have you got any boots I can borrow?" Teddy called out down the staircase, Tori had gone for a lie down after a bout of sickness had hit her.
"Yeah, I've got a pair of 9's!" Harry called back, "Have you got thick socks? It's really cold out there!"
"I'll be down in a minute, 9's are great thanks!" Teddy walked back into the bedroom, crouching besides the bed. "You ok Tori baby?"
"Mhm, I'll be okay. I'm sure it'll pass with a bit of rest, don't tell Mum ok?"
"Of course, whatever you want." Teddy tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, feeling her forehead to see if she had a temperature. "Babe you're so cold, do you need another blanket?"
"I'm boiling, I don't need another blanket. Go on your walk, don't worry about me."
"I'm already worrying." Teddy winked, kissing her on the forehead before meeting up with Charlie, Harry and the dogs outside.
"Tori okay?" Charlie asked, pulling a bobble hat over his curls.
"I'm not sure, but she's tough. I think she'll probably end up sleeping it off."
"You two seem so happy, is it tough when she's at school?"
"Yeah.. I can't wait for her to move into Grimmauld Place with me, we want to get settled then plan where we're going to travel."
"I kinda wish James wanted to go out and see the world, he's so career orientated. I haven't told him yet but Hermione has a position for him if he wants it.. Kinda like how Kingsley did for you Charlie."
As they were walking through the snow and over the moors, Teddy realised where they were, Charlie and Harry continued their conversation but there was a heavy weight on the orphaned Lupin's chest. This was where his parents ashes had been scattered; they had graves in the village but Tonks had wanted to be free and Lupin was going wherever Tonks went. This was the first Christmas he'd had where he hadn't woken up thinking of them, and if he was being honest with himself it was only now that he'd properly thought about his parents all day. That's when he felt an arm being wrapped around his shoulder; it was Harry.
"They would have been so proud of you."
Teddy smiled sadly, leaning in to his godfathers safe and protective arm, even at twenty he relied on the reassurance of Harry.
"Your father, would be so astounded by your natural magical ability, but more importantly he would be so proud of how much you care and how much you love your family. Both Tonks and Lupin were fiercely loving people who I wouldn't be the same without, and you my dear Teddy carry that same fierce loving. I know that it's hard, believe me. But it gets easier. Once you and Tori have kids and a family of your own you'll feel a bit more complete."
"I never talk about this with Tori, she's a Weasley.. I feel like she'd never be able to understand having practically no one growing up."
"She's an incredibly compassionate woman though, you must know that."
"Oh I do, I do. It's just difficult. She hates seeing me upset, but sometimes it's hard not to be. I have no memory of them at all, nothing. And everyone tells me how hilarious my mother was and how brave and stubborn my Dad was, but I don't know them, I'll never know them."
"Albus Dumbledore once told me.. that the dead we loved never truly leave us. I think you know more about your parents than you see, because your parents live through you, Teddy."
"Thanks Harry. It means a lot." Teddy nodded, and that was it, he was done talking, done sharing, well at least for today.