Darcy, Alex and Mandy were looking incredulously at the crowd that was filling the tent.

"Bloody Hell! Izzy surely was not kidding when she said this was going to be big," Alex stated.

"More like a reunion of the Ministry, the Order and the DA," Mandy told him.

"Not to mention their kids," Darcy completed.

"Well, Finn, I think we can forget the idea of announcing everyone our dating status in a cozy family reunion," he said.

"You can always kiss and let them do the math," suggested Mandy.

Darcy smiled mischievously. "That is a good idea. It would spare us of a lot of frustrations. What do you think, Alex?"

"I agree. Too bad most of them don't know our unfriendly background. I wonder if they'd faint," he said.

--

In the other side of the room, Mia was talking to her old friend Elizabeth, with Roxy and little Lily Potter playing by their side.

"I think that the last time there was such a reunion was in the year Liv was born," Mia stated.

"A long time ago…" she said. "It was right before you found out that Lulu was your mother."

"Hi mom, hi Mia," Evie greeted them, arriving with her four-year-old son, Harper, and Jack.

"Hi, so, how was your day? Eventful?" Elizabeth asked them, leaning to kiss her grandson, who joined Lily and Roxy in the playing. The Brennans usually spent Christmas Eve with Jack's family, which meant Evie also had to face his sister and her eternal rival, Lisa.

"Not much, Lisa was distracted with her new boyfriend," Jack said.

"I wonder how long this one will last," Evie murmured. "What's her record? Two years?"

"Months," Jack corrected her.

"Anyway, she decided to be very bitchy this year," she stated. "A Christmas Miracle. Where's dad?"

"Probably in the same place where Sirius is," Mia said. "After all these years they, along with Arthur, don't give up on trying to fix that bloody motorcycle. I fear the day when they succeed."

"Even the minister has to have a hobby," Jack said.

"You only say that because you want to try the motorcycle as well," Evie told her husband.

"Blame me for liking classics."

"Is that an euphemism for "piece of trash"?" his mother-in-law asked.

He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know why I bother trying to understand women," he looked at his son, who was playing with the two girls. "Enjoy while you can, Harp, they get scary when they grow up!"

--

Darcy was sitting in a sofa with her head on Alex's shoulder when she saw a very familiar face in the room. She immediately jumped away from her boyfriend.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Seamus is here!" she shrieked. "He does not know about us, he'll kill you! He always said he'd kill any boy who dared to even look at me."

"He was kidding, love," Alex assured her.

"Oaky, maybe he won't kill you, but he will make sure he scares you enough to make you want to stay away from me the rest of your life!"

"You'll have to tell him about us eventually, Finn," Alex told her.

She gulped. Her brother was very protective and she knew it. If it was up to him, she'd always stay away from boys. But he surely would not slay the boy she loved, would he?

"Can't we just hint it in our wedding's invitation?" she asked.

He smiled. She was already thinking of marriage.

"That would give him a good reason to kill me," he told her. "Better end this now, don't you think?"

She sighed and nodded. Alex got up and gave her his hand. "Come on, Finn. I'll live."

They walked through the crowd until they reached Seamus, who did not notice them because he was talking to Dean Thomas. Darcy let go of her boyfriend's hair, tapped her brother's shoulder and he turned.

"Deedee!" he said, calling her by the name he always used with her.

"Weren't you supposed to be spending tonight with Lavender's family?" Darcy asked him.

"Change of plans. The torture was delayed for tomorrow. Mrs. Brown was invited to a party in Paris," said Seamus.

"I bet you are so disappointed," she joked.

"It really broke my heart" Seamus said, sarcastically.

"Listen, I need to talk to you."

"Okay," he agreed with a raised eyebrow. He noticed that his little sister looked somewhat different. Maybe that had something to do with what she wanted to tell him.

They walked to the sofa where Darcy was previously sat with Alex.

"You know it is Christmas Eve and everyone is happy. Peace reigns…" she started.

"Go to the point, Darcy."

"I have a boyfriend." She noticed his face shifting to a threatening expression. "Before you even try to talk me out of it, I want you to know that I love him. Don't you dare try to scare him off!"

"Who is the bloke?"

"I'm not saying until you promise me that you'll behave!" Darcy told him. Alex, who was watching them from a certain distance, noticed that his girlfriend looked as threatening as her brother.

"Well, I'm not promising until I check the bloke," Seamus replied.

"Do you think that I am asking you for permission?" Darcy asked him, outraged.

"I want to know if he is good enough for you!" he answered.

"That is my call, Seamus, not yours!" She got up and walked with her back tuned to him.

After watching that scene, Alex realized that Seamus Finnigan would not be easy to please.

--

Darcy was with Mandy and Alex in the Burrow's sitting room.

"Can you believe this? How old does he think I am?" she was asking them.

"Darcy, he's probably just worried about you," Mandy told her.

"Why would he? I mean, does he think that my capacity of discernment is that bad?"

"No, Finn. It's just how big brothers work," Alex explained. "We protect our little siblings, even if it is not that noticeable. I do it myself with Liv and Evan."

"And me," Mandy completed.

"You're different, Mandy. I watch your back and you watch mine. Like a symbiotic thing."

"Still, you protect me," she said.

He grinned and looked back at his girlfriend. "He didn't even have the chance to meet me. He's probably picturing the worst case scenario."

"I know that he does that because he cares, but I can't have him interfering like this," Darcy told him. "Damn! Here I am in Christmas Eve angry with my brother."

"Look," Mandy said. "Why don't I work as an ambassador? I can talk to him and assure him that Alex is good and make him promise that he won't be an ass. Then, I'll bring him here."

Darcy sighed. Her friend's idea could work. "Okay."

"Wish me luck," Mandy said, before leaving.

Alex got up from his sit and occupied the one by his girlfriend's side.

"Put a smile in your face, Finn. It is Christmas Eve," he told her.

She smiled faintly. "Will you leave if he tries to scare you off?"

"Only if you go with me. Do you really think that I will give up after all this time trying to get you?"

She answered him with a kiss. "Just the answer I was hoping for."

"I hope that I am not interrupting anything," someone said in the fireplace. They got up and approached it.

"Grandma!" Darcy shouted. She notices another face. "Grandpa!"

"Hello, sweetheart," Adelle Kindheart greeted her granddaughter.

"How is my dear Darcy?" Thomas Kindheart asked. He turned to Alex. "I don't think we have met."

"Grandma, Grandpa, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Alex Black."

"Alex Black?" Thomas asked calmly. "Why am I not surprised?"

That statement surprised Darcy.

"Hate can't affect us that much, Darcy. You were always stating how unpleasant that young man was. We lived long enough to recognize that as love," Adelle stated. "I suppose the feeling is mutual."

"Yes, ma'am," Alex confirmed nervously.

"Good," she said. Returning her attention to Darcy. "We flooed to wish you a Happy Christmas, dear. I know that your brother is there with you. I heard the Weasleys were planning a big celebration for tonight."

"Yes, he's here," she confirmed, in an upset tone.

"What did he do this time?" Thomas asked.

"Nothing that I can't handle, Grandpa. Thank you for flooing me. I was expecting an owl or something," she said.

"Nonsense, of course we had to talk," he told her. "It is Christmas after all."

"How's the trip going?"

"Charming. We'll arrive to Athens tomorrow," Adelle declared. "We need to go sweetheart. Have a good Christmas. It was lovely to meet you, Alex. Maybe you can join us for dinner someday."

"It would be a pleasure," he told them.

"We'll floo you when we arrive," Thomas told his granddaughter.

After the two elders left the floo, Alex and Darcy sat back on the couch.

"They liked you," Darcy told him.

"I thought they would react like Seamus," said Alex.

"They are amazing. That is why I kept trying to make them proud of me."

"I think they would be proud of you even if you were not perfect," he assured her.

Seamus entered the room.

"Are your intentions with my sister honorable?" he asked right away.

"Absolutely," Alex answered sincerely.

Darcy was glaring at Seamus.

"I was just checking," he said defensively.

"Is he approved?" she asked, sarcastically.

"For now, he is," Seamus said. "But if he hurts you, I'll beat him to a bloody pulp."

Darcy was about to protest, but Alex interrupted her before she could start. "If I hurt her, I'll let you."

Seamus nodded and turned to his sister. "I promise that I'll try not to bother your love-life. It's just that I care too much about you to let you fly away to foreign territories."

Darcy walked to her brother and hugged him. "Alex is not foreign territory, don't worry."

He turned to the door and went back to the party.

"Looks like our relationship has everyone's blessing," Alex told her.

"I think you are forgetting the reaction of several girls in Hogwarts, who almost had a cardiac arrest," Darcy reminded him.

"Who cares?" he asked her, leaning to kiss her when the clock alerted that it was midnight.

"Love you," she murmured against his lips.

"Love you too."

A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay. Still, I promised an updatee this week and here it is. This week has been so chaotic, it reminded me of how much I hate group works. Anyway, review please. I only received three reviews last chapter and I was pterry disappointed.