The characters of the Harry Potter universe belong to Ms. Rowlings, and I'm borrowing them for my own imagination.
Chapter 54 - Christmas Morning at the Snape's
"Mummy! Daddy!" Lily yelled as she rushed down the stairs to the living room. Then she squealed when she saw the mince pies and brandy she had left for Father Christmas were gone. "He came! He came!" She yelled.
"What time is it?" Severus groaned as he made the way down the stairs following Remy and Brian. Anna, Hermione, Remus and Tonks walking down behind him.
"An' the carrot is gone too!!" Lily called out again.
Hermione saw that Severus was trying to look grumpy at being awoken at five in the morning, but he was just excited by his daughter's reaction as she was by the gifts left by Father Christmas. Anna had told Hermione that Severus had a lousy childhood, and Christmas was never a special occasion around his home. That Lily Evan was the first person to ever to give him a Christmas gift their first year at Hogwarts, so now he makes a big deal out of it for his children.
"Kids settle down." Anna ordered. They were all amazed to see the gifts in and around their stockings.
The kids settled down next to their stocking on the floor, leaving spaces on the couches for their parents, Remus and Tonks. Hermione opting to join the kids on the floor.
"Told you they get up at an ungodly hour." Remus said as he yawned and stretched before sitting next to Tonks on the couch. Tonks just laughed at him, for she was as excited as the kids were.
"Okay, since Tonks and Hermione are new to the family, who would like to explain our tradition for this morning?" Anna asked.
"I will." Remy volunteered, and Anna nodded for her to do so. "We take turns opening the gifts. We start with the youngest then we each open one then start over again. Mum likes to see everyone's reaction."
"Sounds like fun." Hermione said. She and Remy were sitting in front of Remus and Tonks, while Brian and Lily were at their parents' feet.
Lily was the first to open a present, followed my Brian then Remy. Hermione's first gift was a jumper from Molly and Arthur, that she immediately put on as she smiled happily. Hermione except for Ron and Harry, had given everyone scarves she had made, and was pleased to see they all liked them. She got Harry the newest book on Quiddith seekers. She hoped Ron would like his gift, it was a Chudley Cannons signed poster. She had ordered it last summer for him.
Hermione herself received books from kids, a new outfit from Tonks and Remus, clothing from Anna and Severus as well, gift certificate to the twin's store from Ginny, Fred and George, a collection of biographies about the founders for Hogwarts from Harry, and she was very delighted to receive a charm bracelet from Ron with a heart shaped charm with RW + HG etched on it. Then the Snapes presented her with one last gift, a locket with two picture in it. One of herself with Ron and another of her parents. Hermione hugged them both in thanks with tears in her eyes.
"Thank you so very much." Hermione said as Anna helped her to put it on. "How did you get these pictures?"
"Brian acquired the picture of you and Ron at Hogwarts. We actually had several to choose from." Anna said.
"Colin took them for me." Brian admitted.
"You and Ron can have them. And I had one of your parents photos copied and reduced." Anna told her.
"Thank you so much." Hermione said as she settled back down in front of Tonks.
After Hermione opened her last gift, Tonks had one last gift from Remus. Hermione saw Severus and Anna exchange a look as Tonks began to open her gift. Hermione turned her attention to Tonks and Remus, noticing that Remus seemed extremely fidgety as Tonks opened the small package.
"Oh my." Tonks said quietly in shock as she stared at the opened gift in her hand. "Remus?" She asked as she looked up at him a question in her eyes.
"It's not new. It was my mother's ring. Before she died, she told me that she had a hard life but a happy life with my father. She wanted that for me, and said when I found the person I wanted to share my future with, you see she always believed I would find someone crazy enough to love me, that I was to give her this ring when I asked her to marry me. So Dora, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"
Everyone had been quietly listening to Remus's proposal. Then looked at Tonks to see her response.
Tonks had tears flowing down her face, and Hermione thought it looked like she couldn't speak, so she just nodded her head. Then while the tears still flowed a beaming smile lit her face as she squealed and launched herself at Remus hugging and kissing him.
That is when the rest of the room erupted in squeals and applause.
"Congratulations." Hermione said hugging first Tonks then Remus as did everyone else.
"About time." Remy said.
"That means no more family project." Brian said.
"Family project?" Remus asked, "How come I didn't know about a family project."
"You were the family project." Hermione told him.
"Operations Knock Some Sense Into Uncle Remus." Severus informed him. "Kids told me about it last month."
"I was the family project?" Remus asked.
"Yeah, we wanted you to stop being stupid about love." Brian said.
"And marry Tonksie." Lily said.
"And you finally saw the light. We really didn't have to work too hard." Hermione said.
"I still say it would have happened sooner if we locked them into a supply closet without their wands." Brian said.
"Need a new family project now." Lily said having liked participating with her siblings in the project.
"What about Grandma and Grandpa? Maybe we could get then together." Brian suggested.
"No!" Anna said, "Grandpa's not interested in Grandma that way. Grandma wanted to be a mum, so Grandpa helped her out, but they will never be more then friends."
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Grandpa is just not into girls like that." Anna said.
"Course he's not into girls, he is an old man. He would be into old women." Brian said.
"He's not into old women either." Anna said.
"You mean Professor Dumbledore is..." Hermione began eyes wide with understanding.
"Yes, he is." Severus confirmed.
"Well, why don't the rest of you start to get ready for the wedding, while I get breakfast on the table." Anna said and they all headed up the stairs to get ready.
RWHG-RLNT-SSAS-HPGW-ADMM-AWMW-BWFD-FWAJ-GWKB-PWPC-RLNT-RWHG
Ron was sitting on his bed opening his gifts when Bill and Charlie came busting through.
"What are you two doing up here?" Ron asked surprised.
"Word has it that due to our little sister's begging, your bunk mate is opening presents with his girlfriend." Charlie said as he plopped down on the camp bed presents levitating beside him.
"So we thought we would join you." Bill said taking a seat next to Ron with his own gifts.
"Aren't you two supposed to be getting ready for a wedding?" Ron asked amused.
"With looks like ours, not much preparation is needed." Charlie said grinning and Ron laughed.
So they sat there laughing and joking while they opened their presents. Both Bill and Charlie as awestruck as Ron by the signed poster he received from Hermione.
After opening his traditional jumper from his mum, Ron looked between Bill and Charlie asking, "Can I ask you something, and you promise not to get mad?"
"You can ask us anything." Bill said.
"I got to thinking after the stories that were told last night, why has nothing Percy has ever accomplished been good enough?" Ron asked.
"What?" Charlie asked puzzled.
"Well, Percy was a Prefect and Head Boy like Bill, no one in this family will get as many OWLs or Newts as Percy." Ron started.
"Unless you marry Hermione." Charlie kidded.
Ron's face tinted a little but he continued with his question, "But Bill is still considered outstanding, perfect child because he did it first. And Charlie, you were the star Quidditch player, and team captain, so that makes your accomplishments at school special as well. Do you think that he seemed a little to pompous, because no one else had seemed to be as proud of his accomplishments, because they were done before?"
"Mum and Dad were very proud of what Percy accomplished at school." Bill insisted.
"Did the twins treat you the same way they treated Percy when you were leader at school?" Ron asked.
"No, but there is a bigger difference in our ages." Charlie said.
"They didn't show you much respect for being a Prefect either?" Bill asked. "Neither does Ginny?"
"I don't think they think I deserve it. Don't know why it wasn't Harry." Ron said.
"You earned it." Charlie said.
"Percy is the one who followed Dad's footsteps and joined the Ministry. He is even interested in Muggles like Dad is." Ron continued.
"Yeah." Charlie said nodding.
"Do you really think the only reason he got the promotion is because of our relationship with Harry and Professor Dumbledore? You don't think the hardest working member of our family may have earned it? Why couldn't Dad have simply been proud that Percy had gotten something he worked so hard for?" Ron asked.
"We know that Percy worked for that promotion, but we also believe that Harry and Professor Dumbledore had a lot to do with it as well." Bill said. "And maybe things could have been handled a little better by both Dad and Percy. But Mum and Dad love us all equally and are proud of all of us, even when they don't show it that well."
"That's all he has ever wanted. All of our love and respect." Ron said.
"That's all you want as well." Bill added watching his baby brother closely as he mumbled a response and stared down at the floor.
"What did you say?" Charlie asked as he moved over sit on the other side or Ron, careful to move all his gifts out of the way.
"Well I'm just sort of ordinary compared to the rest of the family. I doubt I will be Head Boy like Bill or Percy, and face it, I'm an okay Quidditch player, but Charlie and Ginny will always be the stars. Just ask Ginny. I'm not as smart as Percy, or creative and fun loving like the twins. And Ginny's just a pit bull who digs in until she gets what she wants."
"Ron, who was it that helped Harry save Hermione from a troll at the age of eleven?" Bill asked.
"Me, but she wouldn't have been in danger if it wasn't for me." Ron commented.
"Who, the best player in our family, sacrificed himself to beat Professor McGonagall in a life sized wizard chess game?" Bill asked asked.
"I did, but I wouldn't have made it that far without Harry and Hermione." Ron replied.
"Was it Fred and George who went into the Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny from the basilisk?" Charlie asked catching on to Bill's line of thought.
"No, but I didn't do much." Ron said.
"Only because a wall collapsed between you and Harry." Charlie insisted.
"Who stood by Harry when mad man Sirius Black was on the loose? Who helped him prepare for the triwizard tournament? Who helped him form a secret defense club at Hogwarts right under Umbridge's nose? Who went with him to the Department of Minstries to rescue Sirius?" Bill asked.
"Hermione." Ron said starting to smile a little.
Charlie copped him on the back of the head then asked, "And who else?"
"Me." Ron said and blushed.
"You are the bravest and most loyal member of our family, and don't let anyone make you feel as your are not as special as any of the rest of us." Bill said as he brought an arm around his baby brother and pulled him to hug.
"Thanks." Ron mumbled embarrassed but grateful.
Just then they all jumped as they heard a door slamming down stairs. Then they heard yelling, "Fine! If 'ou don't want me as part of you're family, zen I won't be! Zee wedding is off!" Then a door slamming again.
TBC
