A/N: Next chapter goes up on March 28th. :)
Al slipped El's ring back on her finger as they stepped out of Susan and Charlie's home.
"I honestly felt undressed the last couple of days." Ellie kissed his cheek.
Al chuckled as they moved to the alleyway they used to Apparate. "Now you never have to take it off."
"That might just be my favorite Christmas gift."
Al wrapped her in his arms and kissed her before turning.
"Come on," El pulled on his hand as they landed, "I want to surprise your family!"
Al followed as Ellie nearly ran up the front walk.
"She's here! She's here! She's here!" Lily came sliding into the front entryway on stocking feet, her eyes focused on Ellie's hands.
"Yes!" Lily rushed forward and pulled them both into a hug.
"Lily, Al already brought over your gifts," Jamie called out from the living room.
"Not all of them!" Lily's voice was sing-song as she grinned.
"I'm a present?" Ellie laughed.
"Getting a sister is the best present!"
"Getting a sister?" Ginny stuck her head in the entry and Al shook his head as he laughed.
"Let's get everyone together and say this once. If we keep at this we'll never make it to breakfast, let alone the gifts."
"Say what once?" Harry stepped up behind Ginny.
"Hurry, Dad," Lily rushed past him, "I'm going to explode if I can't scream about this soon."
Everyone gathered around the Christmas tree and Al decided to make it easy by simply grabbing El's hand and holding it up for everyone to see.
"El has agreed to put up with me for the rest of our lives." He grinned at the smack he earned from Ellie.
And then they were attacked with hugs and congratulations and laughter that reminded Al so much of how wonderful his family really was.
"Do you have a date picked out yet?" Ginny summoned her phone to her.
"Not yet," Ellie shook her head. "But we want to get married in St. John's."
"Ooo, a destination wedding!" Lily grinned.
"Well, not really, since we'll be living in St. John's." Ellie smiled up at Al.
Al returned her smile before turning to gauge the reactions of his family.
"Maybe we'll look into a summer home in Canada," Harry grinned at them. "I'm always happy to have a place to escape from work."
"I could start covering some of the matches in North America," Ginny added.
"What they're saying," Vic laughed, "is that you won't escape from this family that easily."
"We aren't escaping," Al chuckled. "We're getting Ellie home."
But his smile faded as Jamie slipped quietly out of the room. He glanced at Alice who looked just as surprised.
"Have you told your family yet?" His mum asked.
"We're telling my aunt and uncle tonight at dinner and we've already told my parents and grandmother. I'm sure my parents have already called my extended family back home and told them." Ellie answered.
Al let Ellie continue answering as he excused himself and went after his brother.
"You sure left in a hurry." Al found Jamie stabbing next to the window in his old room.
"I learned from you," Jamie didn't turn toward him.
Al blinked.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Really?" Jamie shook his head. "You run away to Muggle university and you're never around. Now you're marrying Ellie and running away to Canada of all bloody places. I know I had some moments where I was a shite brother but you could at least stick around for mum's sake."
Al wasn't sure what to say. He had always had a hard time remembering other people had emotions, and he often struggled to fully comprehend them. It was easier with Ellie because she wore her heart on her sleeve, and because he practically lived with the woman.
"I'm not trying to get away from the family."
"Would've fooled me."
"I'll be traveling here a lot with this line I've got going with George and Ron. I'm not swearing off England, I'm just getting my fiance home. Ellie, she needs this Jamie. She needs to be home, she's connected to that island in a way I can't even begin to comprehend let alone explain."
Jamie shoved his hand in his hair. "Allie's expecting. We're announcing it as the last present for Mum and Dad today. And I just," he finally turned to Al. "Are you even going to be around for my kid to get to know you? Or are you going to be just someone they see once every other year for Christmas?"
Al sighed and sat down on Jamie's old bed. "Look, I talked to Aunt Fleur about this, and Vic and Dom and Louis are all close to Gabrielle and their grandparents in France. I mean the lot of them speak French they spend so much time there."
Al shook his head and tried to better state what he was trying to say. "I'm not going to let go of this family. I want you involved in my life, in the lives of the children Ellie and I may have. I'm not running away."
Jamie plopped down next to him on the bed. "I miss you. I miss getting into trouble with you. Remember, the co-presidents of Club Idiot is what you used to call us."
Al laughed, "Merlin, we almost burnt down Grandma and Grandpa Potter's home."
"And we got away with it," Jamie grinned at him.
"Remember when we decided to try and enchant all the tapestries to be gold and scarlet?"
"I still can hear the Fat Lady screaming at us."
Al laughed before placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry you felt like I was running away. That's not my goal in this at all."
Jamie ran a hand into his hair. "I'm sorry I freaked out. It's been a stressful few weeks and finding out you'd be off in Canada seemed to be the last straw, you know?"
Al nodded, "I'm sure I'll be a wreck when I'm in your shoes, don't feel too bad. Just be patient with me when I show up on your doorstep in a panic after finding out Ellie's pregnant."
Jamie's laughter brought a smile to Al's face. "So we're good?"
"Yeah," James stood and pulled Al into a hug. "Come on, I've got a bet going with Teddy that Mum screams loud enough the neighbors check in on us to make sure she's alright."
"What's the pot?" Al chuckled.
Jamie shrugged, "Bragging rights. Vic and Allie got upset a few months ago when they found out we were betting Galleons on stuff like this. Best marriage advice I can give you is to let the small stuff go as quickly as you can."
"Thanks, I'll remember that." Al followed his brother back downstairs.
He made a mental note to give Jamie every opportunity he could to cash in on those bragging rights when one of the neighbors came knocking shortly after his parents opened Jamie and Allie's announcement. They wanted to make sure Mrs. Potter wasn't hurt. His ears still felt the echoes of her voice.
Late that night, Ellie curled into him on his bed and smiled as she started to drift off. Her smile wasn't that different than the smile that graced Susan's lips when they announced their engagement. It was the first time he'd seen the woman smile and he thought it suited her. Especially when that smile also made it that much easier to have Ellie at his for the night.
It wouldn't be long before things changed. The end of Ellie's degree was just a short of five months away. But Al pushed away all the worry in exchange for holding her close now, loving her now, being with her now, and letting tomorrow look after itself.
