Chapter Forty Two: Christmas at The Burrow
There was a Hogsmeade trip the very last week of term, much to everyone's delight. It allowed everyone to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. Emalia had put off buying presents for Mr and Mrs Weasley for the last while. The anxiety of it was getting to her, and Fred was not exactly helpful, except for: 'Mum likes some singer and Dad well, Dad likes Muggle stuff.'
Snow had started to fall outside the night before the Hogsmeade trip; the next morning the grounds were covered with fresh white powder, with the air nipping at their skin due to the cold. As the students made their way towards the Entrance Hall, everyone was wrapped up with woolly scarves, hats and gloves, thick winter coats and boots, to protect them from the cold.
Fred and George had disappeared amongst the crowd of students, leaving Emalia and Alicia waiting for them. Angelina and Lee had wound up in detention with Snape, after a mishap in Potions class the day before. So, Emalia and Alicia stood waiting for the two boys as the students began to make their way towards Hogsmeade. A few moments later they appeared, exchanging smug grins as they walked up.
'What did you do?' asked Emalia curiously, her eyebrow cocked. Fred and George just grinned at her, 'We gave to the needy, Em' they chimed in unison.
Emalia was suspicious of what exactly that meant, and was going to ask, until Filch came hobbling up to them, telling them to get out of his sight.
When they arrived in Hogsmeade the town was alive with students, patrons and vendors. Garlands and various other decorations hung from the streetlamps, with a giant Christmas tree, with enchanted candle lights sitting in the middle of the square. There were carollers singing in the square, the music echoing through the streets, bringing a joyful festive feeling through the town.
Emalia forcefully pulled Fred by the hand, away from the temptation that Zonko's held, and into the record store. She was adamant that she would get him to remember what singer his mother loved.
They spent the better part of an hour combing through the various records, when Fred suddenly froze. He spun round to face Emalia, who was arm deep into a container of records by The Hobgoblins.
'That's her!' he exclaimed, pointing up in the air. Emalia looked up at the ceiling, puzzled.
'The music!' he continued 'That's her voice. Oh god I forgot how much I hate hearing that warbling sound.' Emalia snorted as she walked up to the cashier.
'Excuse me. Who is that singing?' she asked politely.
The cashier looked back at her aghast. 'Are you telling me that you do not recognise the dulcet tones of Celestina Warbeck.'
Emalia shrugged, 'I mean, I recognise the voice…. But I never knew her name.'
The cashier scoffed, 'Another youth in love with The Weird Sisters I bet. You youngsters these days have no appreciation for fine talent.'
Emalia gritted her teeth and turned on her heel, she made her way to the records filed under the letter C, stumbling onto a rather ornate looking one by Celestina Warbeck.
She held it up in the air, shouting at Fred, who was the other side of the shop, 'Does your mum have this?' Fred spun around, a record in his hands. 'No clue' he responded shrugging his shoulders.
Emalia sighed, 'It's better than nothing,' and made her way back up to the snooty cashier to purchase the record.
The two of them walked out the door, Fred cast his eyes longingly towards Zonko's. Emalia, noticing this sighed and said to him, 'If you want to go to Zonko's, I'll meet you in The Three Broomsticks when I have finished.' She smiled at him, she knew how much he wanted to get to Zonko's to stock up before leaving for the holidays; and she was not going to force him to stay Christmas shopping with her.
Fred took her hand firmly and gave it a gentle squeeze, smiling down at her. 'Where to next?' he asked. He knew how important this was to his girlfriend, and how she was stressing herself out over finding presents for his parents.
Emalia beamed up at him. 'Caudwell's Muggle Menagerie. I figured we could find something for your dad there. Then I just need to visit two more places. After that we can head to Zonko's.'
'Sounds like a plan.' Nodded Fred, he loved seeing Emalia's face break out into a smile. Her smile lit up whatever room she walked into, her laugh always brought a smile to the face of everyone who heard it. It was infectious and made him want to try and be the reason she smiled for the rest of his life; he was madly in love with her.
When they walked into Caudwell's Muggle Menagerie, they were taken aback by the chaos of it all. It was brightly lit and had piles of Muggle objects that stretched from the floor up to the lofty ceiling, towering over both of them. They looked like they would topple over at any second, so much so, that both Emalia and Fred were amazed that they managed to stay standing.
They were both startled by a loud booming voice greeting them, 'Welcome! Welcome! I am Yuri, how may I help you?' A few second later an older man, with a very elaborate grey moustache appeared. He was quite small in stature, with a kind and welcoming face.
'Well, I am hoping to get a Christmas present for someone who loves Muggle objects' said Emalia.
'Loves?' muttered Fred grinning, 'he's bloody obsessed.' Emalia grinned back.
'Well, you have come to the correct place! I have everything a Muggle enthusiast would ever need!' squeaked Yuri.
He proceeded to lead them through the shop, which was bigger on the inside, weaving through the piles of items, pointing out irons, hoovers, and novelty license plates as they passed. Yuri spent the next ten minutes bringing forward a number of objects, but none of them seemed to be the right fit.
When he brought up his collection of novelty lighters, Fred's eyes lit up. 'This' he said excitedly as he pointed to the one shaped like a banana. 'He would love this one, trust me.'
Emalia laughed as she looked at it, the bright yellow colour of it, and the stalk flipped open to a flame. It was quite a comical thing to look at, and Emalia agreed, it seemed like something Mr Weasley would like, so she decided to purchase it. On her way out, a cylinder-shaped wooden tube caught her eye. She picked it up to examine it, she peaked through the dark circular hole at one end of it. What she saw brought a bright smile to her face, that she immediately made her way back to Yuri to purchase it.
Once back on the street, they made their way around other shops picking up a few bits and pieces to finish off some presents. Emalia found a rather ornate set of purple stone cufflinks for dress robes that she thought Albus would appreciate.
When they finally reached Zonko's they discovered that most of the students had been and gone, leading Fred to assume that most of Zonko's stock had been bought up. But as luck would have it, Bilton Bilmes was in the process of restocking the shelves while the shop was relatively quiet.
Fifteen minutes later, Emalia and Fred left Zonko's laden with shopping. They stopped outside of Honeyduke's, and Emalia agreed that sending Fred by himself was the best course of action. They had been separated from their friends for so long that when the two of them wandered into The Three Broomsticks, they were accosted by Alicia straight away.
'Where have the two of you been?' she asked sternly, 'You said you wouldn't be gone for long, and it's been hours.'
'I had last minute shopping to do, and Fred kindly offered to help me' said Emalia as she sat down on a wooden stool, dropping her belongings under the table. Fred took the seat opposite her and grinned at Alicia, 'I know you can't stand to be away from me for so long Alicia, and I am flattered, but I have a girlfriend.'
Alicia slapped Fred's arm, 'Shut it Weasley' she huffed. Fred chuckled at his friend's reaction. Madame Rosmerta arrived down at their table, bringing down flagons of warm Butterbeer. Emalia took a sip, and the warm golden liquid engulfed her, warming her from the inside, ridding her of the cold that had been biting at her.
She settled in, talking to her friends about the upcoming holidays; each of them expressing their relief of having some down time from the stress of their O.W.L. year. Everyone was beginning to stress a little more as the workload became increasingly heavier. Most weekends were spent completing the mountain of work the Professors threw at them. Some students were becoming more and more anxious, that some had regular appointments with Madam Pomfrey.
The light of the day was beginning to dim, and around four o'clock, the group of friends made their way back to the castle, as snow began to fall, swirling into the darkness, the cold intensifying.
That evening, Emalia had an early Christmas celebration with Albus. As excited as she was to spend the Christmas with the Weasley's, a part of her would miss spending Christmas morning with him. It would be strange, and although she had spent a rather lonely Christmas in Beauxbatons; this was the first time she had actively chosen to spend Christmas away from Albus.
She decided not to dwell on it as she made her way up to his quarters for dinner. She had wrapped his presents and had them tucked under her arm as she climbed up the stone steps. She was excited to give Albus his present. She loved giving gifts, there was something about seeing the smile, joy and appreciation on their faces that gave Emalia that warm fuzzy feeling. She much preferred to give presents than to receive them.
She knocked on the large heavy wooden door, before pushing it open. Emalia always liked Albus's quarters, it was reminiscent of their home, with a similar purple couch with squashy multicoloured cushions; the fireplace brought warmth and a sense of homeliness to his quarters. There were many pictures in silver and gilded frames, some were of Albus's moments of achievements, others were more personal.
There were numerous pictures of Emalia at various ages, placed around the room. There was also a picture of Albus himself as a young boy. Emalia had seen this picture many times before. He was sitting on a blanket in a meadow, holding onto a small baby. Another young boy sat beside him, gazing at the child Albus was holding. Emalia eventually found out that the picture showed Albus and his siblings, Aberforth and Ariana, though she had met neither, and Albus seldom talked about them.
She was greeted immediately by Albus, who had decided to wear bright ruby red robes to celebrate with some festive cheer. 'Merry Christmas, my dear' he said as he swept her into a hug.
'Merry Christmas Albus!' she replied, his long wispy beard tickling her face. They talked for a few moments, catching up; with Albus asking her how she was fairing with the workload of her O.W.L. year, and how she was feeling about the exams at the end of the year.
Albus chuckled to himself as he listened to Emalia talk about the various potions and charms she had been learning, far beyond that of a fifth-year student. 'I do find Ancient Runes quite challenging, but I enjoy it. I guess we will see what the rest of the school year will bring' she said smiling.
'I for one, am not worried about your exams. I am sure you will achieve exceptional grades' hummed Albus merrily, causing Emalia to beam with joy.
'Now,' he continued, changing the subject from a serious matter to something more light-hearted, 'your present.' He pulled a wrapped present out from his pocket, inside was a beautiful book. Emalia opened the book; the inside was empty.
'It is a photo album, to put all your photos in. I figured it would be easier to keep them all together' he said smiling.
Underneath the photo album, were clothes, a leather-bound book on Mermish and a pair of amethyst drop earrings. Emalia put the present on the dark wood coffee table in front of her and hugged Albus. 'Thank you Albus, I love all of it.'
She then handed Albus her perfectly wrapped present. He opened it carefully, inside lay the purple stone cufflinks, a very fancy red velvet hat and a book of tongue twisters. Albus smiled, 'Thank you, for your wonderful gifts' he said as he perused through the book of tongue twisters. 'I may even get some inspiration from this for my end of term speech' He chuckled.
Moments later, Albus's personal quarters were filled with the wonderful aroma of roast chicken and a rich mouth-watering gravy. They tucked into a rather large serving of dinner, talking in between mouthfuls of food. Afterwards, when they had had their fill of their main course, their plates magically cleared, and were replaced with a decadent chocolate cake topped with fresh strawberries and cream.
When they had finished with their food, they spent an hour listening to chamber music playing wizards chess. It was well past curfew when Emalia left for the Common Room, she ran into Percy on her way, he nodded curtly at her, surprisingly he did not accost her about being out after hours. 'The perks of being a prefect,' Emalia grinned to herself as she made her way to bed.
The next morning, the ground had frozen hard and was blanketed with thick heavy snow. The Great Hall was alive with excitement as those who were returning home for the holidays were saying their goodbyes to their friends over breakfast. With the whole Sirius Black break in situation, many parents insisted that their children return home for the holidays, where they could keep a closer eye on them.
Emalia was convinced that this was part of the reason Albus allowed her to stay with the Weasley's at Christmas. There was something he was keeping from her, she could tell, there was always something hiding behind his eyes. Albus was a hard man to read, not many people could, and even Emalia struggled sometimes; but she could always tell when something was off.
Fred and George were excited for Emalia to spend the holidays with them in The Burrow. Charlie would be home, but Bill was unable to make it this year as work was hectic.
Fred had basically glued Emalia to him as soon as they met in the Common Room that morning. He either had his arm wrapped around her waist, or had clasped her hand tightly. Even while they were eating, he was always touching her.
A little after eleven in the morning, Emalia and the Weasley's made their way to Professor McGonagall's office, using her fireplace as a way of getting directly to The Burrow. Percy went first, followed by Ginny. Fred went next, he stepped into the fireplace, but did not use the Floo powder until he had professed how much he would miss Professor McGonagall over the Christmas break.
A small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, 'I am sure, Mr Weasley, that you will find a way to enjoy your Christmas regardless.'
Fred grinned as he threw the powder at his feet and clearly shouted 'The Burrow.' Emalia stepped into the fireplace next, making sure she did not trip over the grate. One moment she was standing facing George and Professor McGonagall, the next she was engulfed in flame and was greeted by the smiling faces of Mr and Mrs Weasley.
Fred held out his hand, which Emalia took gratefully, and helped her out of the fireplace into the kitchen of The Burrow.
'Welcome Emalia, it is so great to have you here for the holidays' said Mrs Weasley smiling warmly as she pulled Emalia into a hug. Emalia smiled back 'Thank you for inviting me, Mrs Weasley' she said politely.
At that moment, George arrived. 'Hello family, it is I, the most important Weasley' he announced grinning.
'Oh George,' said Mrs Weasley smiling as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
'Ok, go put your stuff away, lunch will be ready in an hour' said Mrs Weasley, as everyone turned to make their way up the stairs. 'Emalia, I have you set up with Ginny, dear.'
Emalia nodded and grinned at Ginny, the two of them linked arms and made their way up the stairs with their belongings.
Ginny's room was located on the first floor, it was small but bright, and overlooked the Weasley's orchard. Ginny had posters of the Weird Sisters and Holyhead Harpies on her walls, with Gwenog Jones taking centre stage.
Mrs Weasley had a fold up camp bed placed at the end of Ginny's bed, with pillows and a duvet placed on top of it. Ginny and Emalia put their belongings away before chatting as they both set up the camp bed.
They had just finished when Fred and George burst into the room, both of them trying to enter through the doorway at the same time. When they both walked into the doorframe, the two girls giggled.
'Anyways,' said Fred as he glanced at his brother a slight frown on his face, 'what do you want to do? We could see if we can teach the gnomes a few more swear words?'
George grinned, 'Yeah maybe, though I think Mum would murder us when she notices. And she would definitely notice.'
Ginny and Emalia giggled harder at the thought of swearing gnomes marching around the garden, with Mrs Weasley berating Fred and George for teaching the gnomes said swears.
The four of them ran down the stairs, the sound of four pairs of feet on the wooden stairs, echoing loudly around the house. They had grabbed their coats, hats and scarfs and went exploring the garden searching for gnomes. The weather was dry, but bitter cold, the frost in the wind biting at their faces, turning them a bright shade of pink as they scoured the garden for gnome holes.
They were completely unsuccessful in their search, and by the time Mrs Weasley called them back inside for lunch, their eyes were glistening bright with laughter and their faces pink from the cold.
As soon as they entered the kitchen, they could feel the heat fan over them, a stinging sensation as the warmth fanned over the cold parts of their bodies. They peeled off their outerwear and hung them up on the wooden coat pegs to the left of the door. Mrs Weasley had the fire lit in the fireplace, which was radiating warmth around the room.
'Come on, sit. Sit,' urged Mrs Weasley as she bustled around the kitchen table, setting down giant steaming bowls of soup. In the centre of the table was a large plate with fresh bread rolls and butter. Everyone tucked into the soup, which warmed them from the inside. Emalia was sure she had never eaten anything as delicious as this soup, she was pretty sure that if this was the last meal she would ever have in her life, she would be happy.
'This is delicious, Mrs Weasley' said Emalia sincerely between spoonfuls.
Mrs Weasley smiled down at her from her seat, 'You're more than welcome Emalia, dear. Now eat up, there is plenty more where that came from.'
They all helped themselves to second helpings, until they were full to the brim. Afterwards, Emalia insisted on helping clean up. Fred, who was trying to convince Emalia to sneak off and leave the dishes to his siblings, helped her dry the dishes when he realised that she was not going to change her mind.
George tried, and failed to soak Fred and Emalia with the water from the sink. Not only did he fail, but he also got caught by his mother, which resulted in him getting yelled at and given more work to do around the house, much to his chagrin.
With George stuck cleaning, Fred and Emalia were left to their own devices. Ginny had decided to wander off on her own. The two of them decided to wander around outside, with Mrs Weasley keeping a watchful eye over the pair, as parents often do around young lovers.
Fred pushed open the rickety wooden gate that led to the orchard to the rear of the house, and taking Emalia by the hand, guided her through the gateway.
'After you, kind lady' he said taking on a rather pompous accent and bowed slightly.
Emalia giggled, 'Why thank you kind sir', she responded, curtseying slightly.
Once they made their way into the centre of the orchard, they saw the largest and oldest tree. It was an apple tree, with large reaching branches, that towered over all of the younger trees. On the biggest and thickest branch was a rope string swing.
Emalia turned to face Fred, grinning at him she said, 'Race you,' but she had already let go of his hand and had taken off at a run before the words had even left her mouth.
Fred grinned after her and let her run for a second, before he too took off in a sprint after her. He was a lot taller than her, his legs covering more distance and he easily caught up to her. When he reached her, he wrapped his hands around her waist and swung her around in the air, eliciting a squeal of laughter from her mouth.
He put Emalia down, and she turned to face him, her eyes glistening with laughter. He leaned down and captured her lips, kissing her softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
He pulled away from her after a few minutes, her lips were as pink as her face was from the cold. 'I love you' he murmured before he pecked her on the lips once more.
She smiled, 'I love you too Freddie.'
Fred walked behind the seat of the swing, holding it steady for Emalia so she could easily sit on it without it flying out from underneath her. She smiled gratefully up at him. 'What a perfect gentleman' she teased gently.
She wrapped her hands around the rough ropes, either side of the wooden seat. Fred, grabbing either side of the seat, pulled her back until her seat was level with his hips.
He leaned forwards, his breath fanning the side of her neck, whispering in her ear, 'I'm not always a gentleman, love.' His voice was low and sultry, causing Emalia to visibly gulp. For a moment her imagination ran away with itself; images of Fred doing things to her, pleasing her, teasing her. A pink hue coloured her face, causing Fred to grin when he noticed, his words had had the desired effect.
'Shush, Fred' she mumbled. Fred chuckled lightly, letting go of the swing and watched as the momentum brought his girlfriend swinging forward. Emalia moved forwards through the cold air, her legs stretched out as she soared up through the air.
When the momentum brought her swinging back, she felt Fred's hands push firmly against her back, sending her flying higher than before. The breeze sending tendrils of her hair flying out behind her until she reached the top, the momentum breaking and swinging her back, making her hair cascade out in front of her.
The pure joy she felt from this moment was insurmountable, something so simple; these were the moments Emalia always craved. Fred pushed harder, sending her higher and higher. She felt as if she was soaring, about to take flight into the sky.
Her laughter echoed off the bare branches of the orchard. 'Higher Fred, higher!' she urged as he pushed harder, sending her flying up into the air. Her laughter was music to Fred's ears, he loved hearing it, the way it echoed in the orchard.
Fred puffed out a laugh, his eyes glistening with joy, his face pink from the cold and the exertion, as he watched the swing slow. Once it had slowed considerably, he grabbed the rope up above Emalia's hands.
She leaned her head back, looking up at him smiling. He dipped his head and captured her lips with his. He kissed her gently, lovingly but there was a sense of yearning, a want in his kiss that she returned with fervour.
When he pulled away, her eyelids fluttered open. Fred gazed deep into her eyes, they were mesmerising, cool pools of blue-grey that he could easily get lost in.
'What?' smiled Emalia softly, her head still cocked backwards.
'You're beautiful' said Fred. Emalia flushed, hopping out of her seat.
'But you are more than that, you are everything' he continued, his eyes never leaving her. 'You are my everything.'
Emalia turned to him; his words stirred her heart; she felt the same way about him. 'Fred Weasley' she said softly, gazing up at him with nothing but love in her eyes, 'You are my everything, nothing makes sense but you.'
He gently caressed her pink cheek, before lifting her chin up higher and kissed her. It was sweet and tender.
Emalia pulled away, 'Ok, it's your turn' she said with a giggle. She gently pushed him into the seat of the swing and made her way behind him.
She gave him a gentle shove, starting to build up the momentum. Emalia kept pushing harder and harder, Fred was chuckling at her, she was using all her strength get him moving. Once the swing started moving, it became easier for her to push.
'Hey Em, wanna see me swing over the branch?' he called as he came flying back towards her.
'You can't' she said laughing, 'It's not possible; at least not without magic, and you can't use magic outside of school.'
Fred twisted around, so that half of his body was facing her as he swung away from her, 'I don't need magic, I've done it before. Ask George,' he called back at her, grinning.
Emalia laughed, rolling her eyes as she gave him a push when he came towards her, sending him flying up towards the sky once more.
Fred started swinging his legs for more momentum; that combined with Emalia pushing him as hard as she could, sent him flying up in the air higher and higher, until she could barely touch the bottom of the swing with the tips of her fingers.
Fred was near the top, 'Just a little bit further' he muttered to himself, straining to push over; when he came tumbling off the seat into a heap on the ground.
'FRED!' cried out Emalia as she rushed towards him, dodging the swing as it swung around wildly as she ran towards Fred, who was lying in a heap on the hard ground.
'Fred, are you ok?' she asked worriedly as she gently turned him to face her. He groaned as she moved him, nothing hurt, but at the same time everything hurt.
'I'm ok' he said quietly, with his eyes shut, 'the world is just spinning right now.'
'Ok, we should get you inside, and make sure you're not injured' she said as she tried to pull him to his feet.
He got there, rather unsteadily, and Emalia supported his weight as she hobbled towards the backdoor. She tried very hard not to laugh but failed. Fred scowled, 'It's not funny.'
'I'm not laughing at you, I'm just imagining what the two of us look like right now.'
Fred couldn't help but chuckle lowly. It was probably some sight to behold. He was nearly a foot taller than Emalia, and her small stature helping his lanky one probably looked very comical.
When they reached the backdoor, it opened. Mrs Weasley was standing there, looking both concerned and amused. 'Trying to fly over the top of the branch again?' she asked, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
Fred nodded mutely.
'I would have thought that at fifteen you would have more sense, Fred.'
Fred just grinned at his mother, which succeeded in getting a smile from her.
'Come in and let me take a look at you' she said ushering the two of them into the kitchen.
'I'm actually fine Mum, I just wanted Emalia to carry me into the house' he said grinning at his girlfriend.
Emalia smacked his arm, 'Hey, I was worried.'
Fred just shrugged still grinning.
'I shouldn't have been though, I don't think anything can dent that thick head of yours' she teased, laughing.
Mrs Weasley snorted but managed to turn it into a cough. The grin fell from Fred's face, but then he began to chortle.
'Takes one to know one, love' he whispered, as Mrs Weasley put on the kettle to make a fresh pot of tea.
Emalia stuck her tongue out at him, before kissing his forehead gently and taking a seat beside him. She watched him carefully, how his long eyelashes framed his deep brown eyes perfectly. She loved the way his freckles kissed the bridge of his nose; his eyebrows were knit together as he focused on cleaning the dirt off his face with a damp cloth.
'You missed a spot' she murmured gently, taking the cloth out of his hand and gently cleaned the smudge of earth off his left cheek. He gazed up into her eyes, watching her.
'Sorry to interrupt' said George as he bound into the room, 'But I would rather not vomit in the middle of the kitchen. You too are so lovey-dovey, it's sickening.' He grinned at the two of them, his teasing was all light hearted. He loved seeing his brother happy, and Emalia made him happy.
'Shoo, you're ruining the moment' laughed Emalia as she threw the damp cloth in George's direction, hitting him on the forearm.
'Oh, how you wound me, Em' teased George, as he put the damp cloth on the kitchen table.
'Here Mum, let me finish making that tea' he said, walking over and relieving her of the pot.
The next few days went by in relative peace, Mrs Weasley put them to work cleaning the house for Christmas, and Emalia was more than happy to help out. She loved being involved in these types of moments, moments that sometimes the Weasley children took for granted.
The moments of normalcy in family life, the moments that Emalia had never really experienced. Albus had always tried to ensure that Emalia experienced family, and she did, he had given her more than she could have ever imagined. But there was always something missing, the potential of what could have been, always hung around her like a shroud. But being here, in the Weasley household for Christmas, she finally felt like she was experiencing what she had been missing.
One evening, she was helping Mrs Weasley and Ginny fold and put away laundry, conversing about school, when a rush of emotion hit her. Something as simple as watching mother and daughter converse, the love between them, it hit her that she would never have this with her own mother.
A lump formed in her throat, she tried to swallow it, to fight back the tears.
'Excuse me, I will be back shortly' she said quickly as she made her way towards the bathroom. Mrs Weasley looked at her curiously, but nodded, watching the young girl retreat up the stairs rather hurriedly.
Emalia pushed her way past George, who was startled by her sudden appearance, and locked herself in the bathroom. She sat down on the side of the bathtub, her hands gripping the side of the tub as silent tears fell down her cheeks.
Her shoulders convulsing as the urge to cry out loud became overwhelming. There was a soft knock on the door, followed by silence. Emalia did not trust herself to speak, she couldn't, not without alerting the whole house to the fact that she was crying.
Emalia heard the bathroom door open; she turned her head to look out the window. She was sure she had locked the door, but maybe in her haste to be alone she had forgotten.
'Are you ok dear?' asked the soft voice of Molly Weasley. Emalia nodded her head, not looking at the older woman, wishing she would just leave her be.
Mrs Weasley sat beside Emalia, gently laying her hand over the younger girl's. A small sob escaped her lips.
Mrs Weasley instantly put her arm around Emalia's shoulder, pulling her towards her, and the levee broke. Emalia sobbed into Mrs Weasley's shoulder, her tears drenching Mrs Weasley's woollen cardigan.
Mrs Weasley said nothing, she just held Emalia tightly allowing her time to cry. When it subsided, there was a brief silence, but Mrs Weasley's grip did not lessen.
'I just miss my mum and dad. I love being here, seeing your family and being a part of it…' trailed off Emalia.
'But it reminds you of what you are missing' finished Mrs Weasley. Emalia nodded gently as she sniffled, wiping her face with her sleeve.
'I understand how you feel. I lost my brothers many years ago, but sometimes it feels as if it was just yesterday' she said sadly. Emalia raised her head up, looking at Mrs Weasley, recognising the same sadness and loss she felt in her heart on the older woman's face.
'And it is ok to miss them. You will carry their absence with you for the rest of your life, with some days being better than others. But their love lives on inside of you, and your parents would be so very proud of the young woman you are shaping up to be.'
Mrs Weasley smiled down gently at Emalia. She stood up and pulled Emalia into a hug.
'So, you can feel sad some days, that is only natural; and if the sadness ever gets too much, I promise you I will be here for you.'
'Thank you' whispered Emalia, hugging Mrs Weasley right back.
At the moment, Fred came barging in with George, both of them looked concerned. 'Mum? What's going on?' asked Fred, looking from his girlfriend's tear-stained face to his mother, 'Are you ok, Em?' Mrs Weasley let go of Emalia.
Emalia nodded with a small sniffle. Fred walked over and gathered her into a hug. ''M ok' she mumbled into his chest, as fresh tears stung at her eyes. Fred pulled away, putting his hands either side of her face and stared deep into her eyes, searching for something to make sure that she was ok.
Mrs Weasley smiled at the scene in front of her, she could see how deeply her son cared for Emalia, and how much she cared for Fred in turn; and it warmed her heart.
Emalia smiled gently up at Fred, it was a little wobbly at first, but it was a smile. Fred's thumb gently caressed her cheek, wiping away the remnants of her tears.
Mrs Weasley ushered George out of the now cramped bathroom, leaving Fred and Emalia alone. Emalia sighed, 'I am fine, I just.. Sometimes I miss my parents, and when I see how you all interact, I sometimes feel sad that I am missing out on that.'
Fred pulled her close, gently kissing the top of her head, unable to find the words to comfort her. She had gone through a loss that he hoped he never would experience, and he hated that he could not find the words to help.
'I will always be here for you, Em' he whispered, 'always.'
Christmas Eve was soon upon them, everyone spent that evening preparing for tomorrow. Ginny and Emalia were peeling potatoes and carrots, Fred and George were preparing the brussels sprouts; Charlie and Percy, who were of age and could therefore use magic, had their jobs already done.
Mr and Mrs Weasley were sitting down in front of the fireplace, keeping a quiet eye on the kitchen to ensure no madness erupted. That evening passed quickly, once they had finished preparing, they all jumped into a giant game of exploding snap.
It was just after midnight when Mr and Mrs Weasley sent them off to bed. Fred and George bid the two girls goodnight outside of Ginny's room. Fred lingered behind, and kissed Emalia goodnight outside of Ginny's door, before making his way up to his brother.
The next morning, everyone slept late. It was mid-morning when Ginny and Emalia opened their eyes; they lay in bed talking for a few moments, but when they heard movement downstairs, they decided to get up.
Pulling on their dressing gowns, Emalia made her way up to the twins' room, knocking gently and pausing before entering. The two of them were still fast asleep, Emalia grinned to herself, remembering the last time she had woken them up.
'Good morning!' she called cheerfully, as she opened the curtains letting the cold winter light billow into the room.
'Ugh' groaned George, 'It's the holidays, let me sleep,' as he turned over in his bed, pulling the covers over his head.
Fred's eyes fluttered open, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room. He rolled onto his back, an arm behind his head as he watched Emalia walk towards him.
'Merry Christmas' she said as she bent down to kiss him. He pulled her on top of him, causing her to giggle, and kissed her gently before whispering, 'Merry Christmas.'
'UGH,' groaned George as he sat up, 'Can't a man rest in peace, without having to listen to you two snog?'
Fred and Emalia laughed. 'Are you always this grumpy in the morning, George?' asked Emalia.
George scowled and lay back down in his bed, sulking.
'Yes, yes he is' laughed Fred, 'I've been dealing with it for years.'
George lobbed his pillow at his brother, before laughing, 'Ok, ok. I'm sorry. Merry Christmas.'
The three of them made their way down to the stairs to the living room, Ginny, Charlie, Mr and Mrs Weasley and Percy were already there, all of them sipping cups of tea.
'Merry Christmas!' exclaimed Mrs Weasley as the three of them sat on the couch.
'Merry Christmas' said Emalia beaming.
They spent the next few minutes giving gifts. Emalia was starting to get nervous; she was still worrying about whether she had chosen a good present for Fred's parents. She had gotten Gwenog Jones's autobiography for Ginny, a magical organiser for Percy, for Charlie she had gotten him a dragon figurine, everyone seemed to love those presents. George was easy to buy for, she bought him the surprise box from Zonko's, much to Mrs Weasley's chagrin.
Emalia swallowed as she handed Mr and Mrs Weasley their gifts. Mr Weasley was delighted with the novelty lighter, but it was the second present that really amazed him.
He opened the box, revealing a long wooden cylinder. He looked up at her confused, 'What is it?'
'It's called a kaleidoscope, you look in one end, and twist it and it shows you shapes and colours. It's hard to describe, it's easier just to try it' said Emalia as she pointed to the peephole at one end.
Mr Weasley put it to his eye, shutting the other he began to twist it around. 'Oho!' he exclaimed excitedly, 'How wonderful! Marvellous, a kaleidoscope you say? These Muggles really are ingenious! Thank you, Emalia, for such wonderful presents!'
Emalia turned red with embarrassment, but she was delighted that Mr Weasley liked his present. She turned to Fred, smiling. He too was beaming at her, he knew how nervous she was about this, and at least Mr Weasley was happy with his present.
Mrs Weasley began to open her present. She gasped as the box opened, revealing a deep emerald shawl and a Celestina Warbeck record.
'Oh Emalia! This is too much, you shouldn't have!' she said as she jumped to her feet and pulled the young girl into a hug.
Emalia's face was now beet red, 'It's only something small, Mrs Weasley.'
Mr and Mrs Weasley had given Emalia a knitted jumper, a scarf and a slate grey woolly hat as well as a large slab of homemade toffee. Emalia's mouth was watering as she looked at the glossy caramel colour of the toffee. She thanked them both profusely.
Once everyone had opened their presents, they made their way into the kitchen and had breakfast. The noise and chatter from them all brought a smile to Emalia's face, she was with family.
She quietly slipped away, making her way back up to Ginny's room to fetch her camera. She quietly slipped back into the kitchen and began to snap some pictures of the Weasley's without them noticing.
Eventually Ginny looked up and ran up to her, 'Give me that! I'll take pictures now.' Emalia laughed and handed her the camera, watching her as she snapped pictures of her brothers. She managed to get a rather incriminating picture of Fred and George putting salt into Percy and Charlie's tea.
After breakfast everyone made their way upstairs to get dressed. Fred pulled Emalia aside, they had yet to exchange gifts. Fred handed her a small box, she smiled as she opened it. Inside was a jar, but not just any jar, the inside of if had been enchanted to look like the nights sky. It looked exactly like the sky that night they were in the Room of Requirement.
'I know it's not much - ' he said sheepishly. Emalia broke him off by kissing him.
'It's perfect Fred' she said, gazing into his eyes, 'I love it.'
Fred grinned down at her, relieved.
She knocked on Ginny's door, making sure she was dressed before she entered. Emalia walked over to her camp bed and reached under it, pulling out a box. She handed it to Fred. She had gotten him a surprise box from Zonko's as well, but she also gave him a framed photo of the two of them.
Colin Creevey had approached her, he was taking pictures in the Common Room one evening and managed to get a picture of her and Fred. She had her head thrown back in laughter; her arms wrapped around his neck as he swung her around. Fred had a huge grin on his face. There was joy and love oozing from the photograph, as they swung around and around. She loved the photo of the two of them, and she hoped Fred would too.
Fred unwrapped the frame and stared at it in his hands, a large warm smile beginning to form on his face. 'Where did you get this?' he asked, not taking his eyes off the photo as he watched them embrace each other over and over.
'Colin snapped it one evening and he gave it to me' she said watching him. 'Do you like it?'
Fred looked up at her smiling, 'I love it' he said as he leaned in to kiss her.
'Go get dressed!' said George as he came into the room, 'Mum wants help getting the kitchen organised.'
Fred stood up and left the room, bringing his presents with him. Emalia quickly got changed, putting on the jumper she had been given by Mr and Mrs Weasley. It was a pale blue colour with a bright yellow E on the front of it.
Emalia loved it with all her heart, she knew that Mrs Weasley had knit it herself and that receiving a Weasley jumper meant that she was a part of the family; and the more time Emalia spent around the Weasley's, the more she felt like she was home.
That evening, Emalia and the seven Weasley's sat down to a delicious Christmas dinner. Mrs Weasley had gone all out, and the large wooden table in the kitchen was laden down with food. Each and every one of them ate until they were stuffed, and afterwards Mr Weasley and Charlie used magic to clean everything away in an instant.
After the dinner, Mrs Weasley played her new Celestina Warbeck record as the rest of them played exploding snap. Percy and Charlie were playing a rather entertaining game of gobstones in the corner, with Percy gaining the upper hand after Charlie finished off his fifth glass of firewhiskey.
Ginny was laughing watching the two of them, which eventually led to the others abandoning their game of exploding snap. Fred and Emalia sat curled up together on the couch, laughing at Charlie getting sprayed in the face repeatedly. Even Percy was more relaxed, laughing along with everyone else.
Ginny, who still had Emalia's camera, was busy snapping pictures of everyone.
It was well into the wee hours of the morning when Mrs Weasley finally sent them up to bed. Ginny had fallen asleep in the armchair, and Emalia had fallen asleep against Fred's chest.
Fred scowled quietly to himself when his mother woke Emalia, he quite enjoyed the feeling of her sleeping on his chest. Though it was probably for the best, as he too was fighting to stay awake.
Emalia walked up the stairs rather sleepily and clambered into bed with a huge smile on her face. It was possibly one of the best Christmases she had ever had.
The rest of the holidays flew by. Two days before they were due to return back to Hogwarts, Emalia forced Fred and George to sit down and finish their homework. She had tried numerous times to finish hers, but they always interrupted her or found a way to distract her.
They eventually agreed and the three of them sat at the kitchen table doing their homework. Emalia had just finished off her Potions essay when Percy walked into the kitchen.
'Ah, Emalia. Just the person I wanted to see' he said as he walked over to her with an air of importance. 'I have been communicating with Penelope, and I wanted to let you know that you will be on Prefect duty the night we get back.'
Emalia nodded in acknowledgement, but Percy had already turned and made his way back up the stairs. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her essay.
'Prefect patrol' snickered George out loud. Emalia gave him a swift kick to the shin from under the table.
'Ow!' he exclaimed, frowning.
'Don't make fun' she said frowning back at him.
George smirked and returned to his Transfiguration essay.
The day before they were due to return to school, they made the best of their remaining freedom. Fred, George and Emalia knew the next couple of months were about to be full of stress and pressure with their O.W.L.s coming after Easter.
They spent most of the day outside, the weather was still cold but had remained dry and cloudy, meaning that they were able to fly around on brooms as long as they didn't wander too high. Fred was sitting on his broom watching Emalia lazily do loop di loops just above him. She was a decent flier but throwing a ball in that mix caused her to flounder. Fred grinned to himself as he remembered her trying to play Quidditch, she spent most of the time actively flying away from the ball.
The day soon began to darken, with the daylight fading fast from the sky, it was just past four in the evening when they put their brooms back in the shed.
'Dinner won't be for another while yet' said Mrs Weasley as they all filed past her in the kitchen. Fred, George and Emalia made their way upstairs, Ginny had been called back by Mrs Weasley.
They all barged into the twins' room rather noisily, Emalia flopped down onto George's bed, it was closer to the doorway. Fred and George sat on the other bed. They sat there talking and chatting for a while, but eventually they started daring each other to do stupid things.
George had dared Emalia to push a dungbomb under Percy's door, which she did carefully, managing not to set it off. The dares kept getting more and more ridiculous.
Emalia was giggling, at this stage she could not remember who had dared Fred to do it, but it was extremely entertaining. George was laughing so hard that no sound was coming out of his mouth, he was rolling on the bed, clutching at his side with tears rolling down his face.
Mrs Weasley had just come up the landing to call everyone for dinner when she heard Emalia giggle, 'Stop it Fred!'
She pressed her ear up to the door, waiting to hear her son's response.
'Mmmhm, mhhhm' mumbled Fred, his voice sounding strained and muffled.
Mrs Weasley's ears turned red and she burst into the room, flinging the door open so hard it slammed against the wall. 'Not under my roof!' she bellowed.
The room fell completely silent, Emalia, George and Fred turned towards her, the former two staring at her completely taken aback. As she surveyed the scene in front of her, she realised that she had made a mistake.
Emalia was seated on George's bed, cross legged, her back was facing the door, but she had turned around, startled by Mrs Weasley's sudden entrance. George was lying back on his twin's bed, holding his sides; he too was staring at his mother with a surprised look on his face.
Fred on the other hand was in a heap on the floor, he had gotten his head stuck in one of his jumpers from when he was a child. His face was completely covered by the blue wool, but he was facing the general direction of where his mother was standing. Mrs Weasley's face drained of all colour.
'Mum?' asked George, his confusion evident.
'I- I- thought…' started Mrs Weasley, searching for a plausible reason for her sudden entrance. 'I thought you were going to blow up something… Dinner is ready.' Mrs Weasley turned on her heel and hurried out of the room.
George started howling with laughter when his mother basically fled from the room. Emalia's eyes widened with horror when the realisation hit her.
'You don't think she thought … that Fred … and I were …. ?' she whispered.
George started laughing harder, fresh tears rolling down his face as he gasped for air between laughs.
Fred, who had been pulling the jumper off himself, had finally freed his head. 'That's exactly what she thought Em' he said grinning up at his girlfriend from his seat on the ground. Emalia turned bright red, hiding her face in her hands with embarrassment.
'That's Mum,' chuckled Fred, 'Always months behind.'
'Shut it Fred!' exclaimed Emalia as she threw George's pillow at her laughing boyfriend.
When the three of them managed to compose themselves, they made their way down for dinner. Dinner that night was a much more subdued affair, with Mrs Weasley feeling beyond embarrassed at her actions. The food, however, was delicious as usual. Mrs Weasley had cooked a roast chicken with all the trimmings, golden roasted potatoes, carrots, peas and lashings of a deliciously mouth-watering gravy.
Afterwards, Emalia helped Ginny, Fred and George clean the dishes after dinner. Once the kitchen was clean, Ginny and Emalia made their way up to the room to finish packing. They spent the rest of the evening talking. They eventually fell asleep, shortly before midnight.
The next afternoon, they said their goodbyes to Mr and Mrs Weasley, and made their way back to the school using Floo Powder. The familiarity of the stone walls that greeted them as they stepped out of the fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office, let them know that they had arrived back to their home away from home.
Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk writing when Emalia came through the fireplace.
'Hello Professor, I hope you had a nice Christmas' she said smiling as she stepped over the grate.
Professor McGonagall looked up at the young girl and gave her a quick smile. A second after Emalia stepped out of the grate came one of the Weasley boys. Minerva was not entirely sure who it was until she noticed the way he looked at Emalia Potter.
It was no secret in the school that Fred Weasley and Emalia Potter were going out, this news had reached the teachers, but aside from that, she had noticed how they responded to each other, complimenting each other's nuances.
'Did you miss us Minnie?' asked Fred cheekily, wagging his eyebrows at McGonagall as his twin stepped out of the fireplace.
'Don't be silly Fred, of course she missed us!' said George, playfully shoving his brother's shoulder. Fred grinned back at him, even Professor McGonagall had the beginnings of a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
'I am sure you had a good Christmas break, and you have all come back well rested and ready for the next term?' she asked, gazing over her spectacles at the three fifth year students. The three of them nodded.
'Good. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some work to attend to,' gesturing for them to leave her office. They did so promptly, rushing up to the Common Room to see if any of their friends had returned, to share their stories from the Christmas holidays, but as it turned out they were among some of the first students back at school.
After stashing their belongings in their dorm, Fred, George and Emalia made their way back to the Common Room and started a rather boisterous game of exploding snap as they waited for their friends to return from home.