Posted Sep 8, 2015
SUMMARY: Christmas is celebrated in the sanctuary, with Ryan receiving something that winds his mother up a bit; and Rasalas and his friends receive an invitation to attend a New Year's Ball at Hogwarts...
221. CHRISTMAS, 2006
December, 2006
"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."
― Andy Rooney
The afternoon was passed setting up an altar in the main room. Casey donated another large pillar candle, while Ryan and Aaron helped Rasalas to collect other things to surround it with. In the end, it turned out rather similar to the altar in Ryan's house, but that was perfectly okay for a first try. Kreacher had done fabulously, finding a table from storage in the Black vault, which was the ideal size and shape. Rasalas figured it came from the eighteenth century.
Some items required a trip to Simcoe Crossing, such as the acquisition of a cloth. Most other items, meanwhile, had been easy to obtain closer to home. After all, the idea was to decorate the altar with mostly natural items.
Finally, the large group once again gathered in the dining room for the Yule feast. The candle they had lit during the ritual at sunrise still burned brightly, and with the lights dimmed, it was joined by a throng of other candles. Phil had not joined them at breakfast, but was now present, as they gathered around the table.
"Join hands."
The gathering did as Casey asked.
"Great mother of the earth, blessed father of men. As the wheel once again turns, and the light returns to us, we thank you for the abundance of food that graces our table. We again thank you for the wonderful gifts you have given us over the past year, and look forward to your blessings in the new. Blessed be."
"Blessed be," said most.
"Amen," said Brady, Corey, and their mother.
Rasalas had not known how to respond, and so had been caught off guard, but smiled anyway, as they took their seats. Now, everyone fell silent as they enjoyed the wonderful meal. Both Dobby and Kreacher had been busy all day, with Casey pitching in periodically, in between helping Rasalas out with his altar. Mostly, however, it had been the elves, and as always, the meal turned out fantastic.
"Hmmm... y'know, Ryan, we could just cast an enlargement charm on your seat, since the pair of you seem to be sharing just about everything else," said Bill, smirking.
That drew a snort from Ryan, who almost choked on a piece of turkey, and Aaron nearly sprayed the table with a mouthful of beer.
"Well. If you're gonna bug us, then what about those two?"
Aaron jokingly pointed a finger at Rasalas and Arthur, sitting directly across.
"What do you mean?" asked Rasalas, looking confused.
Arthur too, appeared confused. It was then they looked at each other, and noticed they were in fact, almost as close together as Aaron and Ryan.
"Um, well…" Harry shifted his chair, suddenly feeling very warm about the ears and face.
"You're giving the tablecloth a run for its money, mate," Ron teased.
Rasalas only grinned madly, before seizing Arthur's face, and locking lips together.
Ryan, meanwhile, smirked, before seizing Aaron in a similar manner, and snogging him senseless.
"Good grief," Casey muttered, "Boys! Enough."
"Blame th-th-them, Ma," Ryan smirked, as they came up for air.
"Yes, you two as well."
Cai, Lancelot, and Accolon, meanwhile, shared grins of their own. Their king was happy again, and this was all that mattered.
Rasalas cleared his throat. "Well... let's finish up and retreat to the common area, so Dobby and Kreacher can clean up."
"I insist on—"
"Mrs. Sawyer, I insist you take a rest as well. The elves are more than capable."
"I just feel..."
"Ma, really."
"If you're sure."
The following afternoon, a tawny owl arrived, delivering a letter written with familiar emerald-coloured ink. Rasalas quickly read it, looking thoughtful. He set the letter aside, before going over to the fireplace, and tossing a pinch of floo powder into the grate. "Hogwarts, Deputy Head!" he called out, before sticking his head in the fire.
"What's going on?" Ron asked, from the dining room. Lunch had finished not long before, but Ron was only then finishing.
"No clue," said Ryan. He and Aaron were at one of the small tables, playing some sort of game on Aaron's laptop.
Both Brady and his brother occupied chairs in a corner, and though Brady did have his guitar out, they were speaking in low tones.
Arthur and a cluster of his knights, meanwhile, had gathered in the dining room now that lunch had finished. Arthur, however, looked up, hearing Rasalas activate the fire.
Rasalas at last pulled his head out of the fire, and stepped back. Moments later, the flames roared green, and a tall, stern-looking witch stepped out of them. She was dressed in a dark robe, wore square glasses, and her hair, which was mostly dark with a few specs of grey, was tied up in a tight bun.
"Professor McGonagall," Rasalas greeted.
"Mr. Black. A happy Yule to you."
"Likewise. Come have a seat and I'll make proper introductions."
The deputy headmistress chose one of the comfortable chairs and took a seat, and that was the cue for Ryan and Aaron to put an end to their game and join them. Arthur, too, separated from his group, though he pulled Accolon and Lancelot along.
"Professor. First, my new Canadian friends, Ryan and Aaron. They're neighbours. You've already met Brady here, but this is his brother, Corey. Secondly, I introduce Arthur, Lancelot, and Accolon. I'm sure you can figure out who they really are."
"My word..."
"Friends. Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. She also teaches Transfiguration, one of the core magical subjects, as you already all know."
"It is a privilege, madam," said Arthur, with an incline of the head.
"Likewise. I can only imagine the tale behind your meeting. It can only happen to you, Mr. Black," said McGonagall.
"I promise, it is indeed quite a tale," Rasalas answered, as she continued to shake hands with the others present.
That finished, she said, "Mr. Black, you do remember the Yule ball of two years ago?"
"Uh... somewhat. Ron has shared a few pensieve memories," Rasalas answered.
"Professor Dumbledore has decided to host a New Year's Ball, and I have been asked to extend an invitation to you and your group. As was the rule previously, anyone in fourth year and above is able to attend. Additionally, the invitation has been extended to a number of Hogwarts alumni, that being the secondary reason for the invitation."
"The one thing that discourages me from agreeing, is Dumbledore. To me, this smells like another attempt to get me back in his clutches. That's not ever going to happen.
"So. The only way we'll be attending, is if we have an iron-clad promise from him, in writing, that he will not interfere with us in any way, shape or form. That, of course, will extend to anyone who is working on his behalf."
"I'll have you know, Mr. Black, I was most certainly opposed to a number of things Albus has done with regard to your care and treatment, both long past and more recent. If you require a magical contract from the headmaster, I'll see about obtaining it."
"Great. So guys, what do you think?"
"Long as Dumbledore stays away from us? Count me in," said Aaron "It would be pretty cool to meet a few more of your classmates, right?"
"Though it might not be a good idea for Arthur to attend," said Hermione, "If it gets out who he really is..."
"I think we're pretty good at disguises and misdirection charms, Hermione," said Rasalas. He glanced at Arthur. "Care to join me and perhaps stir the pot a little?"
"You have me lost, Ras."
"Oh. Break a lot of hearts," Rasalas clarified, smirking.
"Break the hearts of potential suitors, you mean."
"Exactly."
Now, McGonagall knew what Rasalas was talking about. The interaction between the pair was certainly not lost on her.
"Good grief, Mr. Black."
Rasalas could only smirk again. Oh, this would be some truly amazing entertainment. Poor Rita, she would likely have a stroke by the end of the night—if she attends, that is! The boy-who-lived is a pouf...and taken! The world's coming to an end! And Rasalas collapsed in a fit of laughter that had everyone confused.
December 25, 2006
Though the Sawyers didn't outright celebrate Christmas, they did exchange gifts, and since there were others in the sanctuary that most certainly did celebrate the Christian holiday, this would be done in the main room. Rasalas had asked the sanctuary to provide an appropriate Christmas tree the day before, and was more than pleased with the result. For the first time, he would celebrate the holiday in his own home.
So it was, early that morning, the sun having not yet breached the horizon, that Ron barged into Rasalas' room.
"Wake up, it's—"
He stopped dead, as not one, but two heads popped up from under the covers. He then had to duck as a bolt of magic shot from the opposite side of the room to impact with the door frame.
"Get... out..." came Brady's sleepy voice.
He'd moved back to his own bed, seeing Rasalas and Arthur's relationship developing into something more intimate. He'd offered to move out of the room altogether, but Rasalas strongly protested against it, simply erecting a partition that would give them privacy when necessary.
"Perhaps, Mr. Weasley, you might want to knock, next time," said Arthur, sleepily, while Rasalas glared at his friend.
"No, we'll just put a locking charm on the door. I mean, we could have been doing something other than sleeping."
Ron felt his face get hot. Right. Too much information.
"Err... I'll just..." He backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Rasalas couldn't help but laugh.
"He should know by now I'm not sleeping alone," he finally managed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and sitting up. He grinned. "C'mon, guys, let's get up."
"Yeah, I'm up. Shit, slept in on Christmas," Brady muttered. He flicked a hand at himself, instantly changing into sweat pants and a tank top, along with a pair of sandals.
Rasalas did the same thing, also going for something comfortable. He did throw on the jumper Mrs. Weasley had knit him the previous Christmas, out of tribute to the woman.
Arthur, meanwhile, was forced to dress without magic. Rasalas could tell it frustrated him that he was unable to do so much of what Rasalas and Brady did so effortlessly. Perhaps he needed to have a word with Bill and see about possible curses or magical blocks. There was such a thing, right?
Now the pair faced each other.
"Happy Christmas, Arthur."
"And a happy Christmas to you, Rasalas."
Rasalas smiled, and their lips met. It had been a crime to deny such feelings for as long as he'd done. Now, he was wasting no time catching up. It seemed, everything felt... lighter.
They were momentarily startled, as Brady joined their hug.
"Merry Christmas," he said, simply.
"And to you, Mr. Gibson," said Arthur.
"Err... what he said," Rasalas grinned.
After a light breakfast, the sanctuary's occupants gathered in the common room for the gift exchange. With the number of people present, it amounted to a rather large pile of presents beneath the tree. Hermione had left a number of gifts before leaving by port key back to her parents' place the previous day. Though she would have liked spending Christmas with her friends, her family came first, and Rasalas most certainly understood that. Percy had likewise passed on his regrets, wishing to spend the holiday with Penelope Clearwater, his long-time girlfriend. Bill suspected there would be some sort of engagement in the near future.
Both Casey and Phil made themselves comfortable on one of the couches, still only dressed in their bedclothes and housecoats. Ryan and Aaron, meanwhile, took up another couch, and like the rest of the sanctuary's occupants, they had actually dressed. Christmas or not, the sanctuary did have a somewhat open-door policy with the two places it was connected to.
Brady had met up with his brother and mother, and with Christmas greetings out of the way, they took up a couch of their own. It seemed Betty was becoming more and more accepting of the magical environment. Good on her, Rasalas thought.
Since McGonagall now had Rasalas' floo address, she had sent through a stack of gifts and cards from his friends at the school. The cards all went up on the fireplace mantle, and some items he'd gotten, he shared with the others in the sanctuary.
Neville's gift had been brilliant: a potioneer's compendium, which provided lots of handy hints and instructions for brewing, and a cross-reference to many plants and herbs, with their suggested uses. 'Should have had something like that back in first year,' Rasalas muttered in his head.
Luna had sent him a carton of chocolate frogs. Arthur had been rather startled when he opened one, and the confectionery inside hopped away. Rasalas couldn't help but laugh, knowing of his first experience with them.
"The magic only gives them one good leap. Lucky for you. I mean, first time I opened one, it was on the train. Bloody thing escaped out the window."
"Really?"
"I was there," said Ron. "Oh. Bertie Botts. Arthur, Brady, you guys must try one of those!"
"What are they?" asked Arthur.
"Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans. Watch it, they do mean every flavour."
it was then Rasalas was treated to a flash-memory: recovering in the hospital wing after the rubbish surrounding the Philosopher's Stone in first year. He gave a wicked grin.
"Back in first year, when I was recovering in the hospital wing, Dumbledore got an earwax flavoured one. I think it would have been more amusing had it been dog poop though. Oh. And he did confirm there's a vomit-flavour."
"That doesn't sound appetizing," said Cai. He was seated in a single chair, content to make up to a mug of strongly flavoured coffee.
"Puke 'an dog shit? Pass," said Brady, looking disgusted, as he pulled his hand back out of the box.
"Well..." Ginny began.
"Honestly, we don't know(1)," said Ron, with a shrug.
"How about one of these?" said Fred, smirking.
"Oh. From Hagrid. His famous—or infamous rock cakes. Watch your teeth on those," said Ron, as Arthur took one from the tin.
He tried to take a bite from it, and only succeeded in nearly breaking his front teeth. He glared at everyone for the effort.
"Why on earth would someone bake something so awful?"
"It's Hagrid. He only means well," said Rasalas, "We don't have the heart to tell him his cooking is poor."
He grinned.
"Hagrid was my first friend ever in the Wizarding world; I'll have to introduce the lot of you."
"Though we'd have to be careful, Ras. Hagrid can't keep a secret to save his life."
Rasalas let out a chuckle. "Very true. Though honestly, without him letting a bunch of secrets out, we wouldn't have solved the big mystery during our first year—oh!"
Rasalas had opened another medium-sized package, to find a pair of boots. Dragon leather, he realized.
"If they don't fit, we can exchange them," said Bill, "The leather is rather resistant to magic."
"I know. Thank you."
He pulled them out of the box, and slipped them on.
"Well?"
"They're perfect," Rasalas answered. He looked rather comical, considering what he was already wearing.
"They do look smashing," Arthur agreed, as he (with a little difficulty) summoned a box from behind the tree, "They might go well with this."
Rasalas expertly caught the box, which was a little larger. He arched an eyebrow, but pulled off the wrapping and opened it.
"Oh my..."
He pulled out a set of armour that looked very much like Cai's.
"It was not difficult to note your envy of my armour, Rasalas," said Cai, giving a wry smile, "Our smithy obliged in making a duplicate. If it doesn't fit—"
"This, we can make it fit easy enough," answered Rasalas, as he pulled the cuirass on, "This is wicked, thank you very much!"
"We will have to get you a proper tunic so the outfit would be complete. Though I believe the pair of footwear Mr. Weasley has given you match it nicely," said Lancelot, appraising the new equipment. Rasalas still looked rather goofy, considering the rest of his outfit.
"Thank you. It's wicked," said Rasalas, sitting back down beside Arthur.
"Uh... my turn," said Brady, summoning a box from under the tree. He directed it toward Rasalas, who easily caught it.
Rasalas opened it, momentarily confused until...
"Oh. These are... chaps, right?"
"Yeah. Was debatin' gettin' 'ya full leathers, but..."
"No, these are awesome. Uh... you'll show me how they go on, right?"
"Yeah, sure."
Rasalas only grinned again, before summoning a smaller package, and sending it toward Ginny.
"You should find this rather helpful, rather than having to borrow from Luna."
Ginny opened the small package, to find a letter of credit.
"Harry—Rasalas, no, I can't—"
"Ginny. Get yourself a new wardrobe. It's the least I can do. You don't have to spend it all on clothes, so treat yourself. I insist."
"How... how much is it worth?"
"It should be listed at the top... a thousand galleons, if I remember."
Ginny put the package down, got up, and gave Rasalas a kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush.
"Careful, Gin-Gin," said Fred.
"You may make his majesty jealous," George finished. Both twins were grinning madly.
"Oh. Speak of the twin mischief-makers supreme," said Rasalas, summoning a pair of packages, "You both should get a laugh out of these."
Both twins opened the offered gifts, and immediately started whispering excitedly between themselves. Bill could only shake his head, having a good idea of what Rasalas had given them.
"Mum's likely cursing you a blue streak from the other side about now, Ras," said Bill, finally.
Rasalas could only grin again. "The world needs to laugh, with all the dark nonsense swirling around us."
He summoned a pair of packages, and sent them toward Ryan and Aaron. They were quickly opened, revealing identical dark hooded zip-up jumpers.
"Sweet!" said Ryan, as he slipped his on.
"Thanks, man," said Aaron, more than content to set it aside with the growing stack of presents.
"Right. How about these?" Rasalas summoned two more packages and sent them over to the pair. More clothes—a pair of dark work pants and a pair of long shorts for Ryan, and something similar for Aaron. In his case, they were camouflage—white, black, and grey pattern, both for pants and shorts.
"These won't stay clean very long though... but thanks."
"You'll learn the cleaning spell soon enough," Rasalas promised, "Besides, Ryan already knows it."
Rasalas grinned mischievously. "Right. I think I've got one more for Ryan... ah. Here it is."
He summoned another larger-sized gift, and sent it toward Ryan. Ryan opened it, and grinned madly, as he pulled out the item: a heavy snowsuit. It was a single piece, with a zipper that travelled up the left leg, then up the centre to the neck. It was black, save for the trim and the forearms, which were yellow.
"Aaron actually helped me with this one, since I'm still a bit new to eBay and all that rot. In the spring, when we re-open the pool, you can baptize it then," Rasalas promised. "Of course, it's also meant for the cold... I do know it gets pretty cold here during the winter—the weather so far being proof enough."
Ryan looked like he'd just gotten another present, while Casey gave a pained look at the idea.
Arthur reached over and felt the heavy fabric.
"Being able to swim in such a thing, there are advantages. Realize, what would happen, should we be in combat around the water. I would assume, you have been in the water wearing something like this."
"He has," said Casey, again pursing her lips.
"When we resume swordsmanship after your holiday, young wizard, you will be learning to fight in the water, wearing that." Arthur gestured to the heavy suit. "Your chamber here can produce a suitable lake or pond, can it not?"
"Likewise, Rasalas, you will learn wearing your new armour."
"Arthur does carry point, lady Sawyer," said Cai, "Being able to overcome the additional weight of wet equipment will mean the difference between surviving or not."
This had Ryan grinning madly. "And y-you thought my... habit was ridiculous, Ma."
The following day, as Rasalas already knew, was also a holiday in Canada: Boxing Day, such as it was in the U.K. The day was spent back at the Sawyers', as Ryan tried out his new suit—the weather most certainly called for it. The day's high temperature had reached a balmy minus twenty-one degrees Celsius (minus five degrees Fahrenheit, for those on the old scale), and the wind-chill values made it feel much, much, colder. So yes, the suit was more than useful, as they steamed the Y6B.
For Rasalas, it was yet another experience as far as driving the locomotive went. In such cold, the machine was a different beast, as was the track. The steam being blasted up the chimney came out in clouds, with the air being so cold. Phil had once again taken some amazing pictures that would be posted on the club's website.
That evening, there was more food, and more drink, as everyone warmed up from the afternoon's activity. Ryan cuddled up against Aaron in their usual spot, with Ryan still in his suit, though he'd pulled out of the upper part of it. Aaron, meanwhile, had removed his outer gear—a pair of Carhartt bibs and a heavy maroon army parka. Dobby had already taken the items and stowed them away.
Arthur and Rasalas, meanwhile, were cuddled on a couch across from them. Given Phil had been taking pictures, Rasalas had transfigured the knights' clothing into stuff that was more period-appropriate, and applied strong warming charms. He realized that perhaps he might have to consider getting them all warmer gear, if they were to spend more time outside the Sawyers'.
"You appear lost in thought," said Arthur.
"Somewhat. If you guys will be joining us outside at Ryan's, I'm going to have to get you warmer gear. Bloody hell, still can't believe how cold that was today."
"I was p-p-perfectly warm today," Ryan grinned, "Thanks again for this."
"Knew you'd like it."
"M-my old one would probably fit Arthur, b-b-but it's not as warm as this one."
"No, if I get these guys warmer gear, it'll be like the one you're wearing."
"Though might be a thought to keep that stuff here," said Aaron, "And tomorrow, I insist we spend it somewhere warm, maybe in Brady's preserve or whatever, rather than freezing our nut sack off."
Ginny looked scandalized, while Rasalas couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Aw come on, Gin, not like you've not heard bad language before," Fred teased.
Rasalas could only grin further. There was no such thing as virgin ears present, no matter how much Mrs. Sawyer wished it so... speaking of whom...
"Ryan, where's your mum?"
Ryan took a drink of beer and answered, "With Da. They're watching the hockey game."
"Hockey... oh, right. Some tournament," Rasalas remembered. "Don't you watch it?"
"He gets too into it," Aaron answered before Ryan could, "He starts throwing things at the T.V. if they play like shit."
Rasalas let out a chuckle.
"A little out of character for the normally reserved ginger you are," he smirked, "I've got difficulty picturing that."
"Fuck off." Ryan smirked as he said it though.
"What kind of tournament?" asked Ron.
"Younger players, under twenty. It's like a Boxing Day tradition here in Canada," answered Aaron, "Ten teams compete for the title... finishes on January fifth. We've done pretty well in recent years."
Ryan simply held out a hand over his head. A few seconds later, a red-coloured shirt zoomed into it. It had a maple leaf on the front with a silhouette of a hockey player over it in white. The left side of the leaf was red, while the right side was black, and it was outlined with white. The word 'CANADA' was written below it. As far as he could tell, there was no name or number on it. He slipped the jersey on over his head and put his arms in the sleeves. It was ridiculously large on him.
"What?"
"It looks more like a tent than a shirt, mate," Ron answered, before Rasalas could.
"Well, I usually have a hoodie under it, so I got it double extra l-large."
"Oh. Makes sense then."
"Makes it easier to do this though," Aaron smirked, and Ryan yelped as Aaron did something the others couldn't see. That resulted in the pair closing the gap between them, and pressing their lips together.
"What goes for the goose..." And Rasalas did the same to Arthur.
The evening passed with plenty more food and drink... perhaps more drink than food, with Aaron's computer providing the music. Both he and Ryan were by this point dancing to the beat, with Ryan finally shedding his suit. If Rasalas had to admit, the music had a pretty good beat to it, but... it was still a little strange.
"C'mon you pair, c-come join us," Ryan coaxed them.
"I've got two left feet," Rasalas admitted.
"Just go with it! You'll do great!" Aaron answered.
So it was, that Rasalas and Arthur joined the pair, dancing to the crazy beat. That opened the door to the others joining in, and in the blink of an eye, the furniture was adjusted to accommodate, with everything being pushed off to the side.
Sometime later, Rasalas woke to find himself still in Arthur's arms, cuddled up on the couch in front of the fire. The music was still on, but turned down low, and the lights had been put out, so the room was barely lit with the light from the fire, and lights coming from the dining room and the corridor leading to the rooms.
Someone—either Dobby or Kreacher—had covered them with a heavy quilt. Strange... he was confused, finding that he now wore Ryan's jersey. How'd that happen? It was a nice shirt... maybe he might ask Ryan or Aaron to order one for him and he pay them back. The eBay thing was still... weird.
Speaking of the pair, they were snuggled up on their own couch, also sound asleep, and also covered by a heavy quilt. The pair just fit together, it was that simple. He would be attending their bonding ceremony, that much was for certain. First loves didn't usually work out, but these two were making an exception.
He blew out a breath, feeling Arthur shift and let out a snort. He didn't wake, so Rasalas again retreated to his thoughts. The next big issue, was New Year's, and the ball at Hogwarts. What was the dress code again? Bugger it, they would go as they wished, and if Dumbledore didn't like it, well... they could simply have their own party in the sanctuary. The dancing earlier... it had been nice, something he'd definitely do again. No matter what, it had been an excellent Christmas.
UP NEXT: Rasalas and his friends attend the New Year's Eve ball at Hogwarts; a former school enemy might become an important ally; and an event unfolding at the English ministry of magic has everyone scrambling...
CHAPTER NOTES: (1) Really. There's no actual listing of every flavour there is. And considering Dumbledore did get an earwax flavoured one, and confirms a vomit-flavoured one, who's to say there aren't flavours that are much worse? I think they're somewhat meant as a prank candy as much as anything.