A loud pop woke her from her restless dreams of McGonagall looming over her, tapping a green and sliver badge on her chest and telling her to leave. She sat up with a start, fumbling for her wand, disorientated before she realized she was at home, at the Burrow.
"Audrina!" A familiar voice cried and she squinting, seeing two vaguely similar shapes with red hair.
"Blimey, what time is it?" She groaned, sinking back down into the pillows, shoving Ginny's hair aside.
"Six in the morning, but we thought we'd stop in and say hullo, tell you we've missed you." One shape, George, told her cheerfully.
"Compliment you on singlehandedly pulling two great pranks in one day." Fred continued and she smiled without opening her eyes.
"Liked that, did you?"
"Brilliant. Had a first year in the shop the other day, said he still hasn't gotten the slime out of his ears. You did great, Rin." They congratulated and she put her hand over her heart.
"Stop, or I'll think you're not being sincere." She said and two sets of hands patted her head then disappeared with another piercing pop. She settled back under the covers and smiled as she fell back asleep.
Once she woke up properly and went down to the kitchen for breakfast, she caught up with twins, hearing about all their adventures with customers. They eagerly showed her new products, scheming different ways that she could use them until Mrs. Weasley scolded all three of them.
Break went by faster than ever- the house was a whirling mess of ginger Weasley children, wedding plans, Harry and herself, and even Remus visiting. Ginny and Audrina busied themselves with making paper chains to avoid Fleur's insistences they help with the wedding. The result was that upon decorating the living room it looked rather like a small-scale explosion of paper chains.
She didn't tell Ginny or anyone else of her detention with Draco. She overheard Harry telling Ron "I told you" several times, though she justified her eavesdropping with the fact the Burrow was so crowded, anyone could hear their conversations.
She received a letter from Seamus apologizing for getting drunk at the party and promising to make it up to her. She noticed Ginny's smirk when she wrote him back a letter saying that she had had a perfectly lovely time and there was no need to say sorry to her.
On Christmas Eve they all crowded into the living room, playing Exploding Snap and listening to the radio. Fred had whispered to her that the angel on top of the tree was actually a garden gnome painted gold and perched grumpily to stare down at all of them with annoyance. She was rather glad Hermione wasn't around to give them a lecture in magical animal cruelty.
She looked over to see Harry talking with Mr. Weasley and sighed, knowing that it was more than likely dealing with Draco. It was hard for her to sort out her feelings. On one hand she knew she would never betray Ginny or the Weasley's, who had given her a family. But Draco was the first person that she had loved, perhaps even more than her own family. It was impossible to reconcile that love with the cold-blooded man Harry saw him to be.
Loud conversation broke out at the end of the broadcast and while Mr. Weasley went to get eggnog, she watched in amusement as Mrs. Weasley shot Fleur daggers. She leaned closer to Harry's leg from her position on the floor, hearing Remus discuss werewolves with Harry.
She felt no need to snoop here. She had managed to wrangle the full story out of Sirius in one letter. She had known about Remus being a werewolf after second year, after they had all found out. But she had been curious about the man that had been Sirius's best friend and between her letters to the two of them, had pieced the majority of the story together.
She felt odd, sitting between all the different families and personalities. She let her mind drift back to what traditions she had with her family before she had left for Hogwarts. Sitting perfectly still in the dining room as her mother directed the house elves to serve a traditional dinner. Being silent in the corner as her mother and father coldly exchanged one gift then watched her open her pile of clothes, dolls, and books.
She glanced around and realized she preferred the warmth of the Burrow to any memories she had from her childhood.
Christmas morning dawned bright and Ginny was already awake and tearing through presents enthusiastically when Audrina woke up. She squinted at her and then groaned when she beamed at her.
"You could have waited for me." Audrina grumbled, kicking a blanket towards Ginny. She grabbed it and wrapped it around herself, still plowing through gifts. Audrina sat up and pulled her own towards her.
Hermione had bought her a book about various potion-brewing techniques around the world and Ginny surprised her with a new set out Quidditch gloves designed to repel water and not stretch. She received her own Weasley sweater, with a large A in gold in the middle. The twins surprised her with more of their experimental products with a note to 'put these to good use.' She set her parents gift aside; she would open that one in private.
When they trooped down for food, they joined an already full table. Everybody was wearing new sweaters when they all sat down for Christmas lunch, everyone except Fleur (on whom, it appeared, Mrs. Weasley had not wanted to waste one) and Mrs. Weasley herself, who was sporting a brand-new midnight blue witch's hat glittering with what looked like tiny star like diamonds, and a spectacular golden necklace.
"Fred and George gave them to me! Aren't they beautiful?" She said, turning this way and that to show them off.
"Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now we're washing our own socks," said George, waving an airy hand. "Parsnips, Remus?"
"Harry, you've got a maggot in your hair," said Ginny cheerfully, leaning across the table to pick it out while Audrina made a disgusted face. Apparently they had been a gift from Kreacher.
"'Ow 'orrible," said Fleur, with an affected little shudder.
"Yes, isn't it?" said Ron. "Gravy, Fleur?" In his eagerness to help her, he knocked the gravy boat flying; Bill waved his wand and the gravy soared up in the air and returned meekly to the boat.
"You are as bad as zat Tonks," said Fleur to Ron, when she had finished kissing Bill in thanks. "She is always knocking —"
"I invited dear Tonks to come along today," said Mrs. Weasley, setting down the carrots with unnecessary force and glaring at Fleur. "But she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"
"No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much," said Lupin. "But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?"
"Hmmm," said Mrs. Weasley. "Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually." She gave Lupin an annoyed look; as though it was his entire fault she was getting Fleur for a daughter-in-law instead of Tonks. Audrina felt her pain- she would much rather see Tonks staying at the Burrow than Fleur any day.
"Tonks's Patronus has changed its form," Harry addressed Remus curiously. "Snape said so anyway. I didn't know that could happen. Why would your Patronus change?" Lupin took his time chewing his turkey and swallowing before saying slowly,
"Sometimes... A great shock... An emotional up heaval..."
"It looked big, and it had four legs," said Harry then lowered his voice. "Hey... it couldn't be-?"
"Arthur!" said Mrs. Weasley suddenly. She had risen from her chair; her hand was pressed over her heart and she was staring out of the kitchen window. "Arthur — it's Percy!"
"What?" Mr. Weasley looked around. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up on her teetering chair for a better look. There, sure enough, was Percy Weasley, striding across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight. He was not, however, alone.
"Arthur, he's — he's with the Minister!" Before any of them could do more than exchange stunned looks, the back door opened and there stood Percy. Audrina reached out and put one hand over Fred's chest and saw Bill do the same to George. No one restrained Ginny, which she felt was a mistake.
There was a moment's painful silence. Then Percy said rather stiffly, "Merry Christmas, Mother."
"Oh, Percy!" said Mrs. Weasley, and she threw herself into his arms. Rufus Scrimgeour paused in the doorway, leaning on his walking stick and smiling as he observed this affecting scene.
"You must forgive this intrusion," he said, when Mrs. Weasley looked around at him, beaming and wiping her eyes. "Percy and I were in the vicinity — working, you know — and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all."
But Percy showed no sign of wanting to greet any of the rest of the family. He stood, poker-straight and awkward-looking, and stared over everybody else's heads. Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George were all observing him, stony-faced. Ginny's ears were going red and the tension was palpable.
"Please, come in, sit down, Minister!" fluttered Mrs. Weasley, straightening her hat. "Have a little purkey, or some tooding... I mean —"
"No, no, my dear Molly," said Scrimgeour, as though he was doing all of them a big service. "I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly…"
"Oh, Perce!" said Mrs. Weasley tearfully, reaching up to kiss him. Bill, George, and Fred watched their mother with stony eyes.
"We've only looked in for five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden… Ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?"
The atmosphere around the table changed perceptibly. They all looked from Scrimgeour to Harry. THey didn't seemed to find Scrimgeour's pretense that he did not know Harry's name convincing, or find it natural that he should be chosen to accompany the Minister around the garden when Ginny, Fleur, and George also had clean plates.
"Yeah, all right," said Harry into the silence. "It's fine," he said quietly, as he passed Lupin, who had half-risen from his chair. "Fine," he added, as Mr. Weasley opened his mouth to speak.
"Wonderful!" said Scrimgeour, standing back to let Harry pass through the door ahead of him. "We'll just take a turn around the garden, and Percy and I'll be off. Carry on, everyone!" They left, silence swooping in to fill the sudden void. No one moved for a long moment. Then Mrs. Weasley began to cry, rather loudly, startling Ginny and Audrina.
"Percy… Home for Christmas… I was so worried… Everyone under the same roof!" She blubbered and Percy stared at her, making no move to comfort her in any way.
"Sit." Mr. Weasley said tightly, to his middle son, gesturing to a slight opening between Fred and Ron. Suddenly the space was marginally smaller, though Fred and Ron had calm expressions. It was as though the table, which had fit them comfortably when Harry was seated, was suddenly locked elbow to elbow, with no space left whatsoever.
As Mrs. Weasley fixed Percy a plate, Audrina saw George look to Fred, then Ginny, then finally her. The parsnips George had offered Remus suddenly disappeared beneath the table and were passed, unseen around, only to resurface at Mr. Weasley's left elbow.
"Percy, tell us all about the Ministry!" Mrs. Weasley encouraged, trying to get him to squeeze into the table.
"Yeah Perce, tell us how you're going to save us all with that great big head of yours." George mocked sarcastically and Mrs. Weasley smacked him firmly. Percy set his food aside, untouched.
"It's valuable work. More valuable than a joke shop." He sneered and Fred raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Uncomfortable silence fell once more, broken only by the clicking of forks as they finished off what had once been a lovely Christmas meal.
"So, Percy, tell me, are you going to take over the Ministry mantel?" Bill asked and though the tone was casual, Percy's back went stiff.
"I'm just hoping to make more of myself than anyone in this family did." He said and a hurt little gasp escaped from Mrs. Weasley, though it may have been a scream of pain from the reaction it received from them. Parsnip went flying, well aimed from all areas of the table.
The ensuring chaos was hard to follow but there was a rather large amount of screaming from Percy, raucous laughter from Bill, and more crying from Mrs. Weasley. Percy left in a huff and when everything calmed down once more, Mrs. Weasley turned her eyes on them.
"Which one of you lot did that?" She demanded, still intimidating even if she had tears streaming down her cheeks. Unapologetically, the twins, Ginny, and Audrina raised their hands. She looked at them for a long moment then nodded without saying a word.
Mrs. Weasley leveled no punishment as them. They all agreed it was bad enough watching her cry her eyes out all day long. The gift from Audrina's parents stayed where it was, in the corner. She saw Ginny take note of it but understood why she was hesitant to open it. When Fleur came into their room and made a comment, Ginny gave her such a cold look Fleur stopped midsentence.
AN: Ok, now that the holiday's are over, back to normal updates! I hope everyone had a merry whatever they celebrate. Please leave me reviews, thanks for reading!