A/N:

Written as an assignment and for the November Event (Male Appreciation) over on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Male Character: Medium – Percy Weasley

Task: Write about a celebration of some kind

Chocolate Frog: Bronze - Audrey Weasley – Challenge – Write a story developing the unknown character of Audrey Weasley.

Gringotts Prompt Bank: Christmas themed prompts - Candles, Christmas Cookies, December, Decorations/Decorating, Fruitcake, Gifts, Icicles, Lights, Merry Christmas, Mistletoe, Snowflakes, Tinsel, Toys, Turkey, Winter, Cold, Eggnog, Homemade..., Hot Chocolate, Mittens, Scarves, Red and Green, Silver and Gold; Colour Prompts – Silver, Gold, Red ; Harry Potter Prompts: Locations: Wizard Villages – Ottery St Catchpole; Object Prompts: Magical Objects –Exploding Snap Cards, Trick Wand, Wizard's Chess Set; Said Words – Panted, Divulged


Christmas

Audrey and Percy slowly ambled up the pathway towards The Burrow on the cold, December morning. They had wrapped themselves up warmly in their identical scarf and mittens set that they had bought each other for Christmas, to protect themselves from the harsh and bitter chill that came with the winter.

Today would be the first day that Audrey officially met his entire family, and he was a little nervous about how the initial introductions would go. So far she had only met his mother and father, who both absolutely adored her.

Percy rapped lightly on the door and his mother soon appeared at the door.

"Oh Audrey, your homemade fruitcake smells absolutely delicious," Molly said as she greeted her son and his new girlfriend at the door of the Weasley family home, on the outskirts of Ottery St Catchpole.

"It tastes as good as smells too mum," Percy divulged jovially shifting the two bags full of gifts for his family into one hand and dusted a few snowflakes out of her hair before placing an arm around Audrey.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as his mind flooded for the millionth time this week just how she would react to being at a magical Christmas again, for the first time in nearly twenty years.

Percy worried that she would be flooded with memories of her time in foster care, and the abuse that came with it. Her biological parents had been a well thought of pure-blood family, and when it became obvious to them that Audrey was a squib they had kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back. After weeks on the street, Audrey had been thrown into the system and had never stayed in one house for more than a few months, which meant that her education had been very disjointed. Audrey had once said to him that it was very fortunate that she had natural intelligence, otherwise she would have been in a position where she would have had to swallow her pride and live off benefits until she could have found a minimum wage, unskilled job.

Her story had been heart wrenching, and had touched Percy deeply; in that moment when she opened up to him completely, he had known that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Fortunately, Audrey seemed to be alright, and Percy gave her a reassuring smile before following his mother inside his childhood home, which was already a flurry with activity.

Molly picked up her wand off the side table, and flicked it to start boiling the potatoes. As soon as she flicked it, she was left holding a rubber chicken.

"Sorry about that Molly; this little tyke is proving to be more and more like his namesake with every day that passes," Angelina panted as she picked up her toddler. "Hey Audrey, hey Percy! Merry Christmas" she said greeting the two new arrivals before she whisked her wayward son away into the other room.

The trio joined the rest of the family in the cramped living room, and whilst Audrey and his mother caught up, Percy took in his surroundings. As always his mother had truly outdone herself when it came to the decorations.

There were several candles floating around the outskirts of the room, and his mother had placed mistletoe above each and every doorway that was within his sight.

His attention turned to the perfectly decorated Christmas tree. It had a couple of strings of Christmas lights, and red and green tinsel carefully wrapped around it, and small icicle decorations placed all around it at various intervals. Beneath the tree, he could see gifts of all shapes and sizes wrapped up in silver and gold paper, and Percy strolled over to add the presents from him and Audrey.

In the corner of the room he saw Ron making another attempt at teaching Hermione how to play Wizard's Chess on the old and battered Wizard's Chess set. In the middle of the room George had managed to capture his son's attention and currently had him fascinated with the Exploding Snap Cards. He noticed a few of his older nieces and nephews sneaking out of the living room with an armful of toys, and where ordinarily he would have been the first person to chastise them for disappearing without their parents knowledge, he figured that it was Christmas and they should be allowed to have their fun.

There was also the distinct scent of Christmas cookies drifting out of the kitchen, and Percy's mouth began to water at the thought of being able to have one later.

Hot chocolate and Eggnog was soon passed around, and the entire family drank and chatted away whilst Molly continued to cook up a storm in the kitchen with some assistance from Audrey. Percy had hoped to keep her by his side for the afternoon so that she could get to know his family better. However when he had broached the topic she had insisted on helping with the cooking as it would be rude to expect Molly to do all the hard work. That was just another reason why Percy was certain that he already in love with the woman.

In what felt like no time at all Molly called from the kitchen, "Turkey's ready."

The rest of the afternoon passed with laughter, and by the time it came for them to leave, Percy was certain that his family loved and adored Audrey as much as he did.

A/N:

Thoughts, feelings, opinions.

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