Disclaimer: I don't own anything of JKR's. If I did, I wouldn't have just been counting the pennies that I save in a cup on my dresser. There, that's good proof.

Note: I started writing this chapter and couldn't stop. Eventually I had to break it in half, so you'll probably be getting an update either tonight or tomorrow. Aren't you a lucky lot! So says the one that's begging for reviews, anyway….speaking of which, keep up the good work, all of you wonderful people…

The conversation between Wren and her father at the beginning is similar to ones I've had with other people, who seem to think that reading Harry Potter isn't Christian or something. If it bothers you, just skip it, but I tried not to force too many of my personal beliefs into it. Let me know what you think! By which I mean, review…

Happy reading!

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Christmas at Gull Cottage had always been a special affair. The Gallaghers were a deeply religious family, and they always attended the Christmas services at their local church with punctuality and enjoyment. That Christmas Eve, Wren came upon her father as he was smoking his pipe at the kitchen table. Her brow furrowed in thought, she asked hesitantly, "Da? We been readin' in History of Magic classes…well, abou' how the church don' be likin' us magic folk. I love the church, ye know that. But how can we go when the leaders would despise us if they knew that you and I, we were a witch and a wizard?"

Eamon looked at his daughter's troubled green eyes, and gestured for her to come over to him. Obeying her father's command, Wren came and stood before his chair. Her father leaned forward, picked Wren off of her feet and settled her comfortably in his lap, as he hadn't done since she was a little girl. It was comforting, and Wren felt safe despite her inner confusions. "Wrenny, me lass," Eamon said cautiously, his voice slightly muffled as he gripped his pipe between his teeth, "it's glad I am that you asked that. The way I see it is fair simple, and your mam and others agree with me. Magic be just like any other power in the world-folks can use it for good or for bad. We all have to take responsibility for our actions. Rich businessmen have power in their money-we have power in our magic. What matters is how you use it. As long as you use your power for justice and mercy, then, why, I don' see the conflict. You bear the weight of sins done with magic, just as much you would bear the weight of sins against the morals that we've been given to follow. Don't worry, little bird. The two don' have to be separated."

That was enough for Wren, and so the holiday continued with all of its usual joviality and cheer. The Christmas Eve Mass at the island's small, pretty church was cold, but soon Wren felt warmed inside by the attendees' fervor and their obvious love of the holiday and the season. She sang all of the traditional Christmas song heartily, and entered into the church's responses with enthusiasm. As she and Devlin hurried behind their parents on their homeward journey that evening, Wren's eyes still sparkled with the new memories that she had made. The Christmas Eve candlelight service had always seemed liked the holiest part of the year for her, and remembering all of the candles twinkling like bright stars in the dimness of the church never ceased to remind her of the great light that had been brought to shine in a darkened world.

That night, Devlin sneaked into Wren's room after they finally heard their parents stop rummaging around in the living room, where they had been surely arranging their Christmas stockings. "Oi, Wren! Wan' check out our presents? Mam and Da would never know. Come on, now, Father Christmas won' care!"

Chuckling, Wren shook her head. "No thanks, Devlin me lad. I've no desire to ruin me own Christmas mornin' surprise. You're welcome to be ruinin' your own, though, if that's how ye been wantin' to do it."

"Nah," Devlin replied, not at all surprised by Wren's response. He asked the same question every year. When Wren had been six, she had eagerly agreed and had opened her presents with Devlin with great delight. She had found, though, that Christmas morning lacked some of its appeal without the suspense hanging over her head. Ever since then, she had staunchly refused to yield to temptation. "I dinna think you would. Dinna wan' you to be feelin' left out and all, though, if I dinna ask ye." Devlin came and sat down on Wren's bed, the mattress groaning a little under his weight.

"Careful!" giggled Wren. "I'd be hatin' for my bed to give out under ye!"

"Oh, go along with you," scoffed Devlin. "I aine that big."

"Saints preserve us! Lyin' on Christ's birthday!" exclaimed his little sister with mock surprise. "Wha' with all of that football, you be as big as a house! At least it's muscle, and not pudge."

Ignoring his sister, Devlin's face sobered as he looked around the room. "Wrenny," he finally said solemnly, "have you learned in that wizardin' school how to be keepin' a secret and all?"

"Sure, and I'm as good at keepin' secrets as I ever was. Nah, strike that. Keepin' secrets from Leah and Karrie has been a blamed sight harder than it were with you or Mam. So yeah, I think I'm some better than I was. Why? Wha' you be holdin' so close to that chest of your'n?"

Devlin leaned close, his eyes suddenly looking as blue as Dumbledore's in the dim light. "Wren, ye canna be tellin' Mam and Da. I'm not sure how'd they'd be takin' it and all. Anyway…."

"Yes…..?" prodded Wren, wondering what was causing her normally steady brother to develop such timidity.

"I….well, I got a girlfriend, Wren. Her name be Maeve, and she's dead pretty. She be smart, too. Well, I just thought ye should know. Maybe help me talk her up to Mam and Da a bit. I'm not sure wha' they'll think abou' it all."

Laughing, Wren threw her arms around her brother's neck. "Devlin, you wee little fink! How could you be keepin' this from me? I'm so happy for you, dear brother!"

Suddenly looking much younger than his fifteen years, Devlin warmly returned his sister's embrace. "Little Sister, it's glad I be that you're happy abou' it all. Ye'll like Maeve, she be a lot like you. Got a tongue as sharp as a knife and a heart as kind as a saint's."

"Sounds to me like someone have got a right hearty case to be workin' with," Wren said softly, but with a wide grin. "I canna wait to meet her, and that's the pure truth of it. Oh, Devlin, I'm just sorry I've missed it, you gettin' a gal and all. I missed you so much while I was gone."

Devlin's arm tightened around Wren's waist. "And I missed ye, too. But…well, I guess I appreciate you more now, in any case. It gets horrid lonesome withou' ye. I appreciate your chatter a lot more and all. That's something to be thankful for, aine it?"

Wren smiled. "I think so, too."

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Christmas morning was everything and more that Wren had hoped it would be. She awoke that morning earlier than anyone else in the house, which was typical. Jumping onto the icy floor as she flung her bathrobe about herself, Wren went screaming into Devlin's room. "Get up, Devlin! Get up, it be Yuletide morn!" Groaning, Devlin sat up, his dirty blonde hair in a state of disarray that echoed his sister's curly mess that jutted out from her head. He attempted to get up, but then fell back against his pillow grumbling. "Oh, get along with ye, Wren! I'm too old to be gettin' up for Christmas at six in the morn!"

Wren grabbed a pillow and started whacking her brother with it. "If-only-I-had-my-wand!" she said with each hit. Devlin ignored the pillow swings as if they were no more than a pesky fly. Suddenly, one of the pillows that was still under him glowed cherry red for a quick moment. "Ye-ow! Wren Brigit Gallagher! What did ye do that for?" Devlin cried out as he started up and plunged his head into a nearby water pitcher.

Puzzled, Wren replied, "I dinna do it. At least, I dinna do it on purpose. I canna always help the magic, you know. I'm horrid sorry, it just comes out sometimes."

"That it does, Wren. Ye're not to blame, girlie." Turning at the sound of her father's voice, Wren saw him leaning against the doorframe, obviously enjoying the ruckus unfolding before him. "But it got ye up, dinna it, son?"

"Aye," groaned Devlin, rubbing his red cheek.

"It's sorry I am, Devlin," Wren said with concern. "Did I hurt ye?"

With a hangdog expression on his face, Devlin said, "That ye did, lass." While Wren was feeling appropriately ashamed, and thus not on her guard, Devlin suddenly darted forward and hoisted her up over his shoulder. "But not enough to stop me from doin' this!" Squealing and shrieking, Wren laughingly screeched out, "Devlin, ye little demon, put me down this moment!"

Having none of it, Devlin just continued to cart his sister down the hall and flung her onto the couch before her stocking. "Ye asked for it! Maybe next year ye won' try to be a leprechaun and wake me up so early. Now let's get down to business, and mind you don' open any of my parcels."

Wrapping paper and cries of delight rained down on the room for the next hour or so as the family opened their gifts. To Wren's very great surprise, she received but one large gift from her parents, instead of the usual many small ones. But what a gift it was! It was a marvelous broom, the latest Cleansweep to be released in the series. "Ye'll be able to fly regular next year, Wren, and your mam and I wanted you to be havin' the proper equipment, instead of those ratty ole things they give ye up at Hogwarts." Eamon's eyes sparkled as he observed his daughter's obvious joy.

Running forward, Wren gave each of her parents a grateful hug and kiss. "Thank ye, Mam and Da! This is wonderful! I canna wait to try it out!" Wren's eyes drifted lovingly over the graceful handle and the neat twigs of the broom's tail.

Devlin's gift to Wren was small but highly satisfactory. He gave his sister a water globe, which he had had his father bewitch to look like their own home, Gull Cottage. The water of the ocean close by the miniscule house really seemed to be rushing back and forth, and Wren knew that her brother's gift would be a great comfort when she returned to school.

Ignoring Wren's thanks, Devlin cried out as he opened a parcel marked as his, "Thanks, Wren! This be bloody brilliant!" as he held up his gift of a Gryffindor scarf and a top-of-the-line football from his sister. "It's bewitched to stay inflated and to return to you if it gets lost," Wren told her brother as she reached for her next present. He looked too excited to speak any further.

To her surprise, Wren had also received gifts from some of her friends. Katherine had sent some candy from a shop called "Honeydukes" that the first years weren't allowed to visit yet. Mac Cuill had disappeared one day, and returned with a package from Leah in London. Inside were a dozen hand hemmed handkerchiefs and a knitted hat in the Gryffindor colors of gold and scarlet. Angelina and Alicia had both sent books; Angelina's being on Quidditch while Alicia's had been a wizarding novel. All of the gifts were marvelous, and Wren was relieved that she had thought to send all of her roommates gifts as well. She had slipped each of their presents into their trunks as they had been packing-each girl had received scarlet gloves that were bewitched to heat up to just the right temperature without the girl having to think about it consciously. Wren knew that they would be handy when she wanted her roommates to walk down to the lake with her on a wintry day! She hoped that they would make her friends happy.

After the presents were all unwrapped and put away, the time seemed to sit heavy on Wren. The Gallaghers ate their enormous dinner, and then Eamon and Taryn went to go take naps while Devlin snuck off to see his girlfriend. Wren was left practically alone in the house, feeling particularly twitchy and bored. More than anything else she wanted to try out her new broom, but she couldn't in Ainmire. The little town was just too small, and a Muggle was sure to see her flying around in the air. She was just thinking morosely about the Prewett family dinner that the Weasleys would be having at that very moment when suddenly the cheerful blaze in the fireplace turned green. Out popped first Karrie, and then Charlie Weasley!

"Karrie! Charlie!" Wren squealed while keeping her voice low enough to guard against waking her parents. "What are ye doin' here?"

Karrie bustled forward to give Wren a hug as Charlie explained heartily, "We're here to pick you up. Mum's throwing a fit to see you, and we didn't think you'd mind if we invited ourselves over to collect you. Can you run away for a few hours to come to the Burrow?"

Before Wren could answer, Karrie said approvingly, "Your home is everything you said it would be, Wren. It's lovely. I can see why you were so homesick this past term."

"Aye, it's wonderful," Wren replied glowingly. Then she looked furtively around her. "Me Mam and Da are havin' sleeps, and me brother's snuck off to see his gal. It's been horrid lonesome around here, and that's the pure truth of it."

"Well, there's no reason for you to be lonesome any longer! Gather up your cloak and scarf, little one, and we'll take you back with us." Charlie's kind eyes sparkled warmly at Wren's excitement.

Obeying Charlie's commands, Wren scurried back to her bedroom, followed closely by Karrie. The older girl admired Wren's blue and green bedroom while Wren slung herself into her warm black cloak, flung on her Gryffindor scarf and new hat, and a pair of the gloves that she had given her friends. Picking up her broomstick from the corner, she turned to Karrie. "Do ye think I could bring my new broom wit me? I'm wantin' to try it out, and I canna do it here."

Karrie admired the broom, and then shrugged. "I don't see why not. The Burrow is pretty secluded, so no one would be able to see you. I'm so glad you're coming, Wren. The Burrow is overrun with boys right now! I have a girl cousin, Ginny, but she's only eight. She hangs around with Ron mostly, he's nine."

"Well, then, let's go add some feminine charm to all of that boyish mess!" cried Wren with good cheer. She followed Karrie out of the room, where she saw Charlie examining the Muggle telephone with obvious interest. "Don't tell my dad about this, or he'll never let you leave. Ready to go?"

Wren nodded. "Yes, I just need to leave a note for my mam and da." Grabbing a quill and a piece of parchment, the note was soon written. "They're used to me and Devlin runnin' around by ourselves, so they won' mind. I'm ready now."

"Then let's away!" Reaching into his pocket, Charlie pulled out some sparkling powder. He tossed it into the fire, and the flames turned emerald again. "You first, Karrie. Then Wren, and I'll follow up the rear."

Obligingly, Karrie hopped into hearth and shouted "The Burrow!" She disappeared, and then Charlie helped Wren into the flames, one of her hands gripping her broomstick close to her body. "Just hold that broom close and you'll be all right, little one. Go on, now! I'll be right behind you."

Wren nodded and then cried out, "The Burrow!" Suddenly, she began to spin in the same sickening circles, but by now Wren was accomplished enough in Floo travel to know that she just had to close her eyes and soon it would be over. Soon enough, she felt her body slowing down, and Wren braced her muscles so that she wouldn't fall out of the fireplace as she had last time. A hand suddenly gripped Wren's elbow, and she realized that she had reached her destination. "Out of the way, Wren, Charlie's right behind you," she heard Fred say good-naturedly. "What took you so long?"

George grinned from his spot at an enormous kitchen table. "We thought you'd forgotten us, Miss Gallagher. Caused us no end of heartbreak, to be sure, as you would say."

"Oh, you two," Wren said, grinning at their cheerful tones. "The day your hearts break over a lass will be the day that Snape and McGonagall marry each other."

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A/N: Review! They make me unbelievably and incandescently happy.