I dont own HP, sadly

Chaper nine Christmas with the Dumbledores

She had gotten two week detention for it. They would be right after Christmas Break. Malfoy hadn't told Professor McGonnagle about the weird outburst though. So there were two weeks of writhing lines waiting for her when she would be back at Hogwarts.

Luckily she had two weeks of Christmas break to distract her from it. Neville and Rose shared a compartment on the way back to Kings Cross. They used the time to get some start on the homework they had gotten. Soon they seized their attempts as Justin and Ernie joined them in the compartment. It was great to talk about the gossips that were going around in both their houses. Justin had sat down next to Rose and after a few minutes he got the courage to take her hand and Rose blushed while she was stumbling over her words.

She didn't let go as they were walking through the barrier into the Muggle world. She saw her mother, uncle Aeron and grandpa Aberforth waving at her. She quickly turned to Justin and they both smiled shyly at each other. "Well," Justin said scratching the back of his head. "Have a nice Christmas." Then he leaned over and kissed her softly. It was short and gentle, but it still made them both blush.

"Thanks," she said. "You two Justin."

He then walked over to his own parents who were looking curiously at him. Rose just looked up and smiled in the most girly way she had ever had. Then she walked over quickly to her family.

Her mother smiled at her with a amused frown, uncle Aeron gazed over at Justin with an angry look and grandpa Aberforth just frowned.

"That must have been Justin!" her mother said and she gave her a hug.

Rose giggled and nodded. Uncle Aeron and grandpa Aberforth were looking at her in confusion. "You knew about this!?" uncle Aeron exclaimed, raising his hands up in the air.

Her mother rolled her eyes. "Oh come now Aeron,"

Fabian walked over to and embraced the family while her mother and uncle Aeron remained arguing about Rose and Justin. Rose just let them, she was almost not able to hear them. She touched her lips from time to time in a dreamy haze. It was after all her first kiss!

"Dad, drop it!" Fabian sighed in amusement. "It's a good boy, and it's not like they are really going to do anything. Their thirteen for Merlin's sake!"

"You.. you knew about this!" uncle Aeron asked in disbelief.

"As I said, if there was really something to stop. I would have already stopped it dad!"

"She is to young for a bloody boyfriend," grandpa Aberforth supported Aeron.

"Thank you dad!" uncle Aeron exclaimed, happy that somebody still had some sense in them.

"If you are going to talk about this the whole vacation I am taking the Express, straight back to Hogwarts!" Rose muttered and her mother laughed. It was going to be their first time celebrating Christmas somewhere else. Rose just hoped her uncle Albus wouldn't be sad about it.

They were going to spend the holiday's at uncle Aeron's house. She was ready to see it. She had been looking forward to it actually. Uncle Aeron lead them to a dark and abandoned ally.

"Alright, quiet now, dad? You take Rosella?" uncle Aeron asked.

Grandpa growled something and the rest apparated, Fabian winked at her as he held his fathers arm. She grinned. "Ready to apparate?" Her grandpa asked while he offered her, his arm. Rose nodded and within seconds she was in a place surrounded by trees. A light forest, the sunlight came through the leaves as she smelled the air that was so light. It felt much better here, if you would set one foot in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts you would immediately feel afraid and alert. Here it was great and save.

"You like it?" Fabian asked.

"Do you live in the forest?" she asked curiously.

"No," Uncle Aeron laughed. "We live just on the edge. C'mon."

They walked up to the end of the forest and Rose saw a rather large stone cottage. It had two stories and out of a stone chimney already came smoke.

"It's rather a romantic sight Aeron," her mother chuckled.

"A well," uncle Aeron said modestly. "It's actually to big for just me and Fabian. But we can put some use to those spare rooms."

When they went inside, Rose was amazed at how neat and cozy it was. The living room was mostly colored brown and grey. With comfortable looking couches and a big fireplace. The Fireplace and the wall's were covered with photo's of Uncle Aeron, Fabian, grandpa and also a couple of grandfather Albus and Fabian with the Weasley twins and Lee. Then their were a couple of photos with uncle Aeron and her mother from when they were younger. They looked like they were just put back up, Rose noticed.

"You guys have even more photo's hanging then us!" her mother noted.

"And I thought we were nuts," Rose chuckled.

"Well," her uncle said rubbing the back of his head. "I am a bit sentimental."

Her grandpa scoffed but uncle Aeron showed them the rooms they would be staying. Rose's room was a little smaller than the one she had at home, painted in the same colors. Sweet thought, Rose grinned. A small wardrobe was on the other side of her bed and a little desk.

When Rose finished unpacking she went downstairs were dinner was already done and the table was set.

"Sit down everyone!" uncle Aeron exclaimed and they all sat down.

"Uncle did you hear anymore about Sirius Black?" Rose asked.

Uncle Aeron looked a bit darkly. "Since he had broken in Hogwarts I haven't."

"But that place is supposed to be a fortress, Albus is always saying that it's the safest place next to Gringotts," grandpa Aberforth growled. "So much for that."

"Don't forget dad," uncle Aeron gave him a warning look. "Black was in the inner circle of Voldemort. He has his ways no doubt."

"I still have trouble believing it," her mother sighed as she drank some wine. "He was so against Dark Arts. He hated his family for it."

"Alliana," grandpa put his cup down quit forcibly. "I do not want to hear it! There was enough evidence that spoke against him. All those muggles dead. He was always a impulsive boy!"

"Did you know him then?" Rose asked curiously.

The others kind of winced. "Just for a short period, until he betrayed not only the Potters but us too. You not need to know Rosellla. Your to young." Her grandpa took a long sip of his wine and started to talk about Justin. "Another thing, your way to young to have a boyfriend!"

"Are we on about Justin again!" Rosella moaned.

"I already told you," Fabian said calmly. "It's nothing serious. Nothing to worry about."

Rosella shot a fury look at him. "Why don't we talk about Katie then?"

Fabian spilled his drink and got a red face. "Who is Katie?" uncle Aeron asked curiously.

"His girlfriend," Rose said simply. "But don't worry I keep a close eye on them, see if Fabian likes that!"

"Well," her grandpa scoffed. "He is a boy, Rosella, and he is old enough."

"He's only two years older than me!"

"Leave it, dad!" her mother said firmly. "She is still my daughter."

Grandpa growled again and her uncle quickly asked about Katie, which Fabian telling about with a flushed face.

OoOOOOOOooooOOoOoOOOooOoOOoO oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOoooOOOOOO OoOOo

Christmas arrived and Rose send out letters to, Neville, Justin, Harry, Ron and Hermoine and of course uncle Albus.

Today Fabian would show her the forest. Although it was freezing cold she put on her winterclothes and quickly followed her cousin outside.

He lead her down into the forest and showed her all it had to offer. Cold and wet from the snow that was scattered throughout the landscape the came in back to the house in the afternoon.

"What about the trail Rose?" her mother asked when they sat down in front of the fire that night.

"Well," she said. "Hermoine is looking up information we can use. And you know Hermoine."

"Yeah," Fabian grinned. "Hermoine Granger is like the smartest witch of our age!" He told the others.

" The bushy haired girl wasn't it?" uncle Aeron wondered out loud.

"That's the one!" Fabian grinned.

"Hermoine won't give up until she finds enough information that could help Buckbeak and Hagrid. I will do my part telling the judges what exactly happened and that will be that. Simple!"

Her mother flashed a little and shook her head. "Lucius Malfoy is smarter than that Rose. He will have his piece ready, you can be sure of that. He's no less a snake that Voldemort was. Be careful there. Do not underestimate him."

Rose shivered and looked at the fire in thought. Lucius Malfoy may be aristocratic and seem like a true lord and gentleman. But the man seriously crept her out. She knew her mother was right. It might take more than her testimony to win this trail.

OooOOOOOOOOOooOoOOooooOOoOOo oooooOOooooOOOOoooOoOOOOooOO oOoOOOOooo

Next morning, breakfast was interrupted by the salvo of owls coming in. Fabian got a, apperentely hilarious letter from the Weasley twins which he read out loud for the whole family to enjoy and then he resided back to his room with a letter from Katie.

"Mom can I be excused? I want to read my letters too. I'll be on the front porch."

"Sure Rose," her mother said while she cleaned up the table. "Don't go off the porch though honey!" she shouted after her when Rose put her jacket on and resided to the front porch.

Rose just rolled her eyes. Her mother was annoyingly overprotective, has been all her life, always will be, Rose feared.

She started on the letter Neville wrote first. He was after all her best friend.

Dear Rosie,

Christmas has been rather eventful. My uncle came by on Christmas day, to my grandmother's annoyance, and brought some pretty expensive Christmas presents. I got a dark detector and a strange parchment that would make your eyes tear up when you wanted to read it.

My grandmother started screaming at my uncle for being so irresponsible and were he had purchased the dark objects. I swear! If the situation hadn't been so serious I would have dared to laugh at my uncle's guilty expression, but you know my grandmother.

He started to mumble about someone called Finnagus. I don't know who that is but my grandmother had send me to my room because she didn't want me to hear everything she was going to say. I don't know what happened but my uncle couldn't walk properly for three days. He did get to stay luckily! So it was fun with him around.

How is your uncle's house? Did you get in trouble for the kiss at Kings Cross? Yes I saw it!

See you in a few days!

Yours Sincerely

Neville

Rose laughed at the letter. Yes she knew how his grandmother was. Rose wouldn't want to get on her bad side. She felt a bit sorry for his uncle. She opened the next one from Justin.

Dear Rose,

I hope your Christmas is good? Mine was in one word, busy. My grandparents from both sides came to visit as my cousins and aunts and uncles. As in tradition my mother, grandmother and aunts immediately went to the kitchen, and spend to whole day fighting among themselves about the cooking.

My cousins and I went outside for a snowfight and my uncles were just sitting in the livingroom complaining about their jobs. So same old, same old.

How is your uncles residence? I hope your enjoying yourself.

I also hope you didn't mind me kissing you. I don't regret it! Unless you did. I thought it was great though! I hope you do too!?

I'm looking forward to seeing you again at Hogwarts Rose.

Sincerely, Justin.

Rose grinned and blushed a little. No she had not mind him kissing her. She was kind of waiting for it. It was nice.

When she opened Hermoine's and Ron and Harry's letter she was a bit startled about what she read. Hermoine's letter was obviously written while she was crying and Ron and Harry's was just informing her how their Christmas had been and that Harry got a Firebolt. But Hermoine had told Professor McGonnagle about it and now it was being tested.

Hermoine wrote that the boys had stopped talking to her immediately. Rose felt a bad for her. She hoped by the time she got to Hogwarts again the drama would be over. But when she arrived in the Gryffindor tower again, she saw them sitting apart from each other. Ron and Harry talking by the fire and Hermoine hidden away behind two piles of books.

"Are they still fighting?" Neville wondered out loud when he caught up with her.

"Apparently…," Rose said a bit sad.