Fourteen year old Fleamont Potter sneezed and sniffed as he solidered on, doing his Ancient Runes homework at nearly midnight on Christmas Eve.
Fleamont strengthed his Lumos charm and dipped his quill into the enormous ink pot, and continued to scribble down the answers.
Fleamont coughed and wiped his nose off the sleeve of his thick jumper. He felt a massive headache coming on, but he decided he'd finish Anicent Runes, tackle Transfiguration and finish Potions where he abandoned it a couple of days previously.
Fleamont took a large mug where it had been sitting on the desk for a few hours using a Warming Charm to keep it hot.
Fleamont took a large gulp of hot sugary, milky tea, glad for something to warm his shivering and sniffling body.
Then, the door creeked open.
"Who is it?" Fleamont asked groggily, placing the quill in the ink pot.
"What are you doing? It's fucking nearly midnight!" Henry Potter whispered. Fleamont turned around to see Henry leaning against the doorway.
"Homework." Fleamont said, covering his eyes and groaning as Henry switched on the light.
"At nearly midnight?"
"Well, it's important if I want to pass my exams." Fleamont said, yawning loudly. He could see the confused look in Henry's eyes.
"It's the holidays!"
"Dad, I bet you never studied during the holidays."
"Well... that's true."
"Hah!"
"But still." Henry said. "Monty, you're supposed to be asleep right now, come on! There's plenty of time for homework later!"
"What are you doing awake?" Fleamont asked, turning around in his chair.
"Umm..."
"I told you, why can't you tell me?" Fleamont said.
"Alright I will, but please don't tell anyone." Henry said, sitting on Fleamont's bed. Fleamont nodded. "I come into your room, the rest of your brothers and Minnie's rooms every night when you're home from Hogwarts. And before that."
Fleamont was smiling, but he had one question.
"Why do you do it?" He asked.
Henry thought for a moment.
"Take your time." Fleamont said.
"Come sit beside me, it'll be easier that way." Henry said after a few minutes.
Fleamont stood up, stretching, his limbs crammed from sitting at a desk for so many hours.
Fleamont sat beside Henry, Henry laying Fleamont's head on his shoulder. Honestly, Fleamont didn't mind this, because it made him feel closer to his father.
"When my mother, your grandmother Margaret, died when I was ten years old, I was shattered." Henry quietly explained. Fleamont nodded. Henry barely talked about his long lost mother. "Alexander, who you already know is your grandfather, married to another woman a couple of months later. Georgia." Henry went pale at the mention of the name. "She did some terrible things to your grandfather, so terrible that my wonderful, amazing, dear sweet father was a empty shell."
Henry had tears streaming down his face and he was holding onto Fleamont with a death grip.
"S-she abused.. me. Physically, mentally, emotionally. Crucitias Curse, anything really-" Henry broke off, in tears.
"You don't have to tell me." Fleamont said.
"I need to, I have to, I haven't even told your mum the whole story." Henry sobbed. "I can't take it anymore."
"Come here." Fleamont said, wrapping his arms around Henry, who was holding onto Fleamont with a death grip.
"A-and she never liked me, never hugged me." Henry said, breaking apart from the hug and wiping his eyes. "Never comforted me when I had nightmares or when I got hurt."
Fleamont reached out for Henry's hand and squeezed his hand tight. This gave Henry courage to go on.
"So I go into your rooms at night when I can't sleep, it comforts me seeing you guys all sleep and then I can sleep better." Henry smiled. "One night Charlus had kicked the blankets off himself and he was absolutely freezing. So I pulled the blankets over him."
"Does he know you did that?" Fleamont said.
"No, and I don't fancy telling him."
Fleamont yawned loudly.
"And it would be brilliant if you got some sleep." Henry said firmly.
"I'm not-" But Fleamont was cut off by himself sneezing loudly.
"And also taking a Pepper Up Potion." Henry added.
"Fine then."
Fleamont rubbed his forehead unconsciously, not realizing that Henry was still looking at him.
"Headache?"
"No..."
"Monty."
"Fine, I do, but shouldn't the Pepper Up sort that out?" Fleamont asked.
"Yeah, it should." Henry said. "I'll be back soon, and if I catch you doing that homework, I will burn the damn homework."
Monty lay down on his bed, feeling relief wash throughout his aching limbs.
He felt his eyelids flicker, and he forced himself to stay awake until his father came back.
He couldn't help but close his eyes for ten minutes.
"Monty!"
Monty woke up, looking at Henry with a bemused expression on his face, then he remembered everything.
"Yeah?" He mumbled sleepily.
"You can drink the Pepper Up, then go back to sleep." Henry whispered softly as Monty rubbed his eyes.
Monty took the small vial from his dad, and drank it back quickly. Steam flew out from his eyes and he rubbed the side of his head.
"It's alright." Henry whispered as Monty placed his head on Henry's shoulder. "You just fall asleep."
Monty's eyes fluttered and he let out a small noise, it sounded to Henry like a whimper.
"You're alright." Henry whispered as Monty fell asleep in his arms.
Henry stood up and pulled back the blankets, placing Monty on the freezing sheets.
Henry frowned. He felt a idea pop up in his head.
Five minutes later, he was back with a hot water bottle.
Henry gently placed the hot water bottle on Monty's sheets and watched Monty melt into the warmth.
Henry tucked the blankets around Monty and kissed him on his forehead.
"Merry Christmas." He whispered as the clock struck midnight. "I love you."