Chapter 25: Christmas Announcements
December 25, 1917 Godric's Hollow…
"Why do we seem to do all the important things together?" Katherine asked as she and Kendra put the finishing touches on their Christmas Day Dinner.
"Hey I had this first," Kendra stated.
"Two months difference Kate! They'll go to school together and everything," Katherine sighed.
"You dread it now but soon you'll adore it. I know you Kate. You really do like little things. You like caring for them," Kendra stated.
"Don't make me laugh. I'm intrigued by how small things work. That is all," Katherine replied.
"Well now you get a first hand look," Kendra stated touching her friends stomach.
"Stop that," Katherine snapped.
The door bell rang affectively silencing the argument.
"Here we go," Kendra laughed taking her friend's hand as they exited Katherine's kitchen and headed down her main foyer to the front where Benjamin and Percival were already greeting all the parents.
"There's my little girl," Xavier laughed heartily as he caught his daughter in a bear hug and held her in the air.
"Harris put her down!" Anna gasped.
"What? Why?" Xavier frowned setting his daughter down gently.
"She's glowing you idiot that's why. Both girls are," Anna stated.
"Ugh mother the girls wanted it to be a surprise," Percival sighed in annoyance.
"Oh …oh I'm so sorry dears," Anna gasped.
"What? What's going on?" Derrick asked with his arm around his daughter.
"Daddy…I'm pregnant!" Kendra squealed.
"What?" Derrick blinked.
"How far?" Mary asked.
"About three months I wanted it two be a surprise," Kendra stated.
"Oh baby that's so wonderful," Mary smiled kissing her daughter and putting a hand to the girl's stomach laughing.
"And you?" Xavier asked turning to Katherine.
"Only about six weeks," Katherine stated.
"That's excellent news," Xavier smiled and kissed his daughter on each cheek.
"Good show son," Nathan laughed thrusting a cigar in Benjamin's hand and clapping his back hard. Ben pitched forward at the force and coughed lightly standing.
"Uh thanks dad," Benjamin nodded.
"You lot certainly never waste time I gather," Wulfiric laughed heartily sounding rather like Santa Claus.
"Wulfiric behave," Ana chastised kissing her husband's cheek.
"Yes well…so what is that I smell?" Xavier asked changing the subject as he could see Katherine looked a bit uncomfortable with the situation.
"Oh papa I made your favorite! A goose slowly turned over a fire in the hearth with creamy garlic potatoes," Katherine smiled.
"I do miss not having you at home," Xavier stated, "lead on Mrs. McGonagall."
Katherine laughed pulling her father down the hall into the dining room that she had decorated as grandly as the rest of the house.
"Katherine is a phenomenal cook and she only uses the elves we have for cleaning. She hates cleaning," Benjamin explained to his mother as he led her to the dining room. Everyone else was following them.
"I see," Natasha nodded.
"Oh Katherine this is gorgeous," Mary exclaimed seeing the room.
"Oh it's nothing," Katherine waved as she disappeared through the swinging door to the kitchen.
After the hearty meal that the young wives had made everyone retired to the front of the house to Benjamin and Katherine's sun room for after dinner drinks.
The sun room was painted a baby blue with white trim and had windows over two of the four walls. The back wall had a white brick fire place with a nice warm fire burning brightly and a large fir tree decorated with white lights and golden ornaments in front of the windows over looking the front porch.
The furniture was a burgundy leather and quite comfortable. The floor was a deep red wood with a large rectangular cream and burgundy rug under the couches and chairs that were set up in a rather circular pattern in the middle of the room. The home was still being added to but as I was it was elegant and warm.
"This is a marvelous house and if I know my baby with in five years it will be full of odd and old artifacts," Xavier stated.
"That wouldn't be proper for a baby," Mary stated.
"I'm cure Katherine will have her artifacts out of the baby's way," Anna stated.
"Speaking of…what did you mean they were glowing? They do look different but I don't see a glow," Derrick stated.
"It's subtle. Only trained witch midwives see it," Anna explained.
"Anna you will deliver it when it comes won't you?" Katherine asked. She was perched on the end of Benjamin's lap.
"I couldn't bare a hospital," Katherine shook her head.
"I'd be delighted dear one," Anna smiled lifting her wine in salute to the child.
"Oh but in this day and age a hospital is so much better," Mary replied.
"Katherine's had bad experiences with even our hospitals," Xavier stated.
"I won't go unless deadly necessary for myself. But if someone else needs it I won't hesiate to take them," Katherine replied.
"I won't make you love," Benjamin replied. She leaned into his arms a he kissed her temple.
"No offense Mother Dumbledore but I would prefer a hospital," Kendra stated.
"No offense taken as long as I do get to see the baby," Anna replied.
"So how is the Ministry working out for you girl?" Nathan asked.
"Katherine had an altercation with a young girl. I think her name was Umbridge," Kendra stated, "she told Katherine the way she was cataloging wasn't protocol and then our head told Katherine her way of doing it was very helpful so the girl was really annoyed."
"Kendra of course had a good laugh at watching me trying desperately not to hex the girl; especially considering she was just a simple visitor observing the department to see if she wanted to work there. She's not even a seventh year yet," Katherine snapped.
"You seem to have trouble with people telling you what to do," Natasha stated.
"Correction Natasha I have a problem with people telling me to do something I know is already right," Katherine stated.
"Either way here's two the kids and their new lives. May these two babies be great blessings to their mothers," Wulfiric stated holding up his glass.
"Blessed be," the other parents nodded raising their glasses.