A/N: Next chapter goes up on March 21st but if I get a lot of writing done I could potentially be posting periodically throughout the next couple of weeks. I suddenly find myself with some downtime with my lovely children and wonderful husband. :)
"We should get back," Al slipped the ring on El's finger. "Your grandmother only bought us so much time."
"Nmi' was in on this?" Ellie smiled down at her hand as the setting sun's rays sparkled against it.
"As of four hours ago," Al kissed her again and Ellie chuckled.
"That sounds like Nmi'. She was acting strange today but I couldn't figure out why."
Al wrapped his arms around El and took one last look at the place that he was certain would be a landmark for the rest of his life.
"Let's go tell your parents. I'm sure they're just as confused about Naomi's behavior as you were."
Ellie laughed and kissed him again before Al turned and brought them back to El's childhood home.
John, Lisa, and Naomi were waiting on the porch, Christmas lights turned on even though the sun hadn't quite disappeared below the horizon.
"I didn't tell them," Naomi answered Al's silent question as Lisa ran forward with a happy cry and wrapped them in a hug. "Lisa figured it out after about thirty seconds in the car."
Al laughed, "Remind me never to try and surprise your family with anything."
"Come inside, come inside," Lisa pulled on their shoulders. "We have to celebrate!"
Al stopped on the porch to shake John's hand. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you. Naomi assured me you'd say yes, but I know that isn't the same."
"Welcome to the family, Al," John brushed off Al's apology and pulled him into a tight hug. "I couldn't have picked a better match for my baby girl."
"You're going to make me cry, Tata't," Ellie hugged John as he released Al and Al smiled at how Ellie's new ring sparkled in the Christmas lights.
"Good," John kissed her head, "because I'm going to cry like a baby when I give you away, Tu's."
"There will be time for tears," Naomi patted John on the shoulder, "but your Giju' is right, Ellie. Tonight, we celebrate!"
Al took Ellie's hand as they walked back inside, feeling like the richest man in the world.
The rest of their short pre-Christmas visit was punctuated with wedding ideas as they mused about dates and venues, colors and flowers, the guest list and ideas as to where they might honeymoon. Nothing was set, but Ellie seemed to enjoy simply dreaming it up with her mum and grandmother. Al promised to connect Lisa and John with his parents as soon as they told them so that real planning could start to take place once they'd settled on a hard date. Al was sure that his mum was going to schedule a Portkey just as soon as she confirmed a day with his future in-laws.
"Are you going to tell Susie when you get back?" Lisa asked as she helped them get her sugar cookies into their duffles.
Ellie looked at Al.
"It would explain why I asked you to be at mine so close to Christmas." Al shrugged. "But they're your family, love, so I'll follow your lead."
Ellie nodded, "I'm just worried they'll ask to meet your family for Christmas dinner. It's one thing for you to pretend to be a Muggle, but I feel awful asking your family to be in on the charade as well, especially on Christmas Day."
"Mum and Dad belong to the Muggle Porsche club and shop and dine in the Muggle world all the time." Al laughed.
"But James and Alice?" El raised her eyebrows at him.
"Jamie knows how, and Allie is pretty bright, she'd be alright," Al pursed his lips, "But Teddy and Vic talk about a lot of close calls when they take Johnny into the Muggle world. His hair changes color at random right now. They could keep a hat on him, but I'm sure that a hat on a baby indoors could cause suspicion as well."
"What do we do for the wedding then?" Naomi looked at Lisa. "Our family is so intermixed we don't even notice. But we will need to have some ideas for keeping Susan and Charles in their box of unbelief."
Then Al had an idea. "We'll get married here, in St. John's. The airline cost is high enough they might not manage it. My family can Portkey. Between Dad and Aunt Hermione's discounts, the cost won't hurt anyone."
Naomi smiled slyly at him. "And why, Al, would you get married here on the Rock?"
Al chuckled at her game, "Because we're going to be living here."
Lisa started crying, John beamed at Al, and Ellie looked at him like he'd hung the moon before kissing him.
Naomi certainly knew how to put him in the good graces of his future wife and in-laws.
Ultimately, they decided to wait to tell Susan and Charlie until Christmas dinner with them. Ellie's only frustration being that she couldn't wear her engagement ring around them till they knew.
Al laughed when they reached his flat and she handed her ring back to him.
"You need to keep this for me until Christmas or I'm going to ruin all our well-laid plans."
"Promise me to take it back as soon as I pick you up?" Al plucked the ring from her palm.
"You won't be able to keep it from me." Ellie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with the kind of enthusiasm that made Al's head spin.
"When is Susan expecting you?" Al started walking them back to his bedroom.
"Not for a couple of hours," Ellie grinned against him before nipping at his bottom lip.
Al pulled back to look down at her as he managed to navigate to his bedroom. Her hair fell in waves against her face and shoulders. Her gold specked eyes bore into his with that bear-like intensity making this heart beat faster in his chest. And Al thanked Merlin that Ellie would be his view for the rest of his life.
"This," he slipped her ring back on her finger, "is the only thing I don't want you to take off."
