Chapter 18: Christmas Again

December 26, 1998

On the afternoon of Boxing Day, Katie and Oliver walked into Oliver's parents' home. Oliver's nose was met with the delicious smells of Mum's traditional Christmas meal. He looked over at Katie and smiled.

"Can you believe it was only a year ago you were coming to meet my family for the first time?" He asked her.

Katie returned his smile as she rested her hand on her heavily pregnant belly.

"And now tomorrow, we're getting married," she replied.

Oliver continued to smile as he admired her. He knew that when she looked in the mirror she saw tired eyes, swollen ankles, and a big belly, but to him she had never been more beautiful.

xxxxxx

Oliver had felt like he'd been Stunned when Katie told him she was pregnant. She too had been rather taken aback by the news.

"The one time we forgot to use the charm," she had lamented with tears in her eyes.

Oliver had scarcely been able to form a coherent thought for a few moments. First, he was riding high on his news from the National team and then…Katie was pregnant. Katie was having a baby. His baby. He was going to be a father. A wide smile had spread across his face and he'd pulled Katie into a tight embrace.

"This is amazing, Katie," he'd told her. He felt his own eyes well with tears.

She had looked surprised at his reaction.

"You…you're ok with this?" she had asked with uncertainty. "Truly?"

"Truly," he told her eagerly. He kissed her lips, then pulled back to look at her. "How do you feel about it, love?" he asked her tenderly.

Katie let out an exhale and given him a hesitant look.

"I don't know," she'd told him honestly as she wiped her eyes. "I just found out yesterday. My head hasn't stopped spinning. We're so young. And we've only been together a short while. I really didn't think you'd be….happy about it."

"Why wouldn't I be, Katie?" Oliver had asked her. "I love you. I want to be with you. And a baby, that's just all the better."

Katie studied his expression with disbelief for a moment.

"Truly?" she'd repeated, a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

Oliver had pulled her in to another embrace, then kissed her again.

"Truly," he told her.

xxxxxx

The two walked into the kitchen, where Mrs. Wood and Claire were busy preparing food.

"Katie!" Claire exclaimed excitedly when she saw them walk in. She immediately put down her wand and rushed over to hug Katie. She caressed her belly with a wide smile. "How are you feeling, dear? You look wonderful."

Katie rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"I look like a hippogriff," she countered. "I can't believe I let you talk me into waiting to get married until I was a month away from the baby coming," she said, looking over at Oliver.

"Well, we had to wait for a break in the season," Oliver reminded her. "Besides, Kinna would have my bollocks if we had the wedding when she couldn't come, and you know it," he added with a laugh.

Just then, Kinna herself banged through the back door and into the kitchen.

"Quidditch!" she called out.

She spotted Katie and Oliver and came through the kitchen to greet them.

"Ollie!" she exclaimed as she gave him a tight embrace. She turned to Katie.

"Hello, Katie!" she said enthusiastically as she hugged her as well. She bent down to the level of Katie's belly. "Hello, wee bairn!"

Oliver laughed. It made him happy to see his family's excitement for the new baby. He had been quite nervous to tell them that Katie was pregnant, due to give birth a few weeks before she even turned twenty. He thought back to the visit he and Katie had made to his parents' home a few weeks after Katie had given him the news. She had wanted to wait longer to tell their families, but with Oliver starting qualifying matches with the Scottish National Team soon, he knew that it would be difficult to get time off to visit.

xxxxxx

As she did every summer, Kinna had come home to visit, and Oliver's mother had asked them to all come 'round for a Sunday dinner. Yindi had been selected for the Australian National Team, so she had stayed home in New South Wales for training. It was a beautiful summer day, so Mum had insisted on eating outside. Oliver and Sean levitated the table and chairs from the dining room out to the garden. The group seated themselves, and Mrs. Wood had brought out a platter of fresh salmon served with roasted summer vegetables. Oliver looked at Katie, who looked positively green at the sight of the fish. Katie excused herself a moment after sitting and quickly walked into the house.

"Is Katie alright?" Mum asked as she helped Annis scoop a helping of vegetables onto her plate.

"Er, she's fine," Oliver said nervously, taking a drink of his water. He really wasn't sure how he was going to deliver the news, but he figured he should probably wait for Katie to return.

Oliver glanced at Claire, who was eyeing him with a suspicious look. Shite, Oliver though. Claire had a knack for sniffing out people's secrets, and Oliver feared she had just figured out his.

"Is she-?" Claire mouthed silently to Oliver.

Oliver must have looked guilty, because Claire's face lit up and she let out a screech that made everyone else at the table jump.

"Oliver Wood!" she declared, a look of disbelief on her face. "Katie's pregnant, isn't she?"

The murmur of conversation stopped and every eye at the table turned to Oliver. He could feel himself flush.

"Aye, she is," he said weakly.

A deafening silence followed. Mrs. Wood sat frozen, her eyes wide and a scoop of vegetables still sitting in the serving spoon she was holding. Mr. Wood's eyebrows shot up. Sean looked Stunned.

Just then, Katie returned to the table. She assessed the silence and looks around the table and turned to Oliver, her face turning red.

"I guess the kneazle's out of the bag?" she asked feebly.

After a long pause, Kinna was, as usual, the first to speak.

"So, will we be naming the wee bairn 'we-killed-off-You-Know-Who-and-my-dad-celebrated-by-shagging-my-mum-senseless,' or is that too long?"

Katie's face turned even redder.

"KINNA!" Mrs. Wood scolded, but Kinna's words had broken the silence at the table. Soon everyone was laughing. Kinna stood and strode over to Katie and gave her a hug.

"Congratulations, lass," she said sincerely.

A slew of hugs and congratulations followed. Mum still looked shocked, and Oliver was unsurprised to see that Sean wore an unimpressed, dubious look on his face. Some things will never change, Oliver thought to himself.

After dinner, Oliver found himself cornered near a rose bush by his mum.

"Oliver," she had started, her face still full of disbelief. "What were you thinking? A baby? Son, we love Katie, but you're both still so young. Is this really the time?"

"I know, Mum," he conceded. "But we can't exactly take it back now. Besides, Sean was only a year older than I am when Annis was born."

"Yes, and he'd been married for three years," Mrs. Wood countered. "You and Katie haven't even been together for one!"

"I know, Mum," Oliver said again. "But I love her dearly, and I want to do right by her."

He looked at his mum.

"I know Sean gave Granny Wood's ring to Claire when they were engaged," he began. "I wanted to ask you if I could have Nan MacLeod's for Katie."

Oliver's mother surveyed him for a moment. He saw her hesitant look fade into one of pride. She finally broke a smile.

"Aye, son, you can," she said warmly as she nodded. "I think my mum would have liked Katie's spirit. I'll see to it that you have it before you leave."

Mrs. Wood hugged Oliver.

"Congratulations, son," she told him.

xxxxxx

Katie smiled as Kinna spoke to her belly. Just then, Sean and Mack appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, brooms slung over their shoulders.

"Time for Quidditch?" Sean asked.

"Aye," Kinna replied. "Let's crack on!" She exited the kitchen through the back door.

Oliver rubbed Katie's back.

"Do you want to come watch, love?" he asked her.

"I think I'm actually going to lie down for a bit," she answered.

"Are you feeling ok?" Oliver asked with concern.

"Yea, I just fancy a kip," Katie said with a smile. "Didn't get much rest last night with this one playing Beater on my bladder."

Oliver kissed her sweetly and rubbed her belly.

"Rest up, love," he told her with a smile.

xxxxxx

Katie awoke to Oliver's gentle caress on her shoulder.

"Dinner's nearly ready, love," he said softly. "And Ryan's due to arrive soon."

Katie nodded as she rubbed her eyes and sat up, albeit with some difficulty. She wanted to be downstairs to greet Ryan when he came through the Floo, since he didn't know anyone else present besides Oliver. Ryan was to be a part of the wedding the following day, so Katie had asked him 'round for dinner so that he could meet everyone ahead of time. She had girlfriends she could have asked to be bridesmaids, but Katie had instead opted to have Ryan stand next to her during the ceremony.

"And don't worry," Oliver assured her. "I've threatened Mack within an inch of his life. He will be on his best behavior tonight."

Katie smiled at him and began to walk down the stairs, pausing to hitch up the fabric of her long floral dress so that she didn't tread on it. Katie felt like she was wearing a circus tent, but she had wanted to look nice for dinner and alas, not much else fit these days.

She had just reached the bottom of the stairs when she heard the roar of the Floo in the sitting room. She rounded the corner and saw Ryan standing there. He was dressed in dark jeans with a sport coat and he was holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a small bouquet of flowers in the other. Katie strode over to her brother and hugged him. Ryan returned her embrace then handed her the flowers.

"For you, Katie Cat," he said with a smile. "Happy last day as a Bell."

Katie took the flowers. Upon closer inspection, she saw that they were Blue Bells. Her eyes began to tear up at her brother's thoughtful gesture. Damn hormones, she thought to herself.

"Thank you, Ry," she said as she hugged him again.

"Oliver," Ryan said as he turned to greet his sister's fiancé.

"Ryan, welcome. Thank you for coming," Oliver said as the two men shook hands and then clapped one another on the back.

Oliver's parents had come into the room, and Oliver introduced them. Ryan presented Mrs. Wood with the bottle of wine and thanked them for their hospitality, which had made Oliver's mum smile. Katie took Ryan around and introduced him to the rest of the family, and by the time they were finished, dinner was announced.

Katie could tell Ryan was nervous as he sat down to eat at the table full of witches and wizards, but within no time he was laughing and conversing with them warmly. Katie smiled to see her brother integrating so well with her new soon-to-be family.

Katie had been so nervous for Ryan's reaction to her news. She had not been jumping at the chance to tell Mum and Dad she was pregnant at nineteen, but she was truly afraid that Ryan would be disappointed in her. Her mind flashed to that visit.

xxxxxx

It was an early July afternoon about a week after their visit to Oliver's family. Katie and Oliver had visited Ipswich to watch Ryan's match and had invited him out to lunch after. Katie had told Oliver that she wanted to tell Ryan separate from her parents. She and her brother had always had a strong bond outside of the relationship with their Mum and Dad, and Katie felt that she owed it to her brother to tell him man-to-man. Or man-to-woman, as it were.

Ryan's team had won their match, so he was in a good mood as they sat on the patio at the restaurant. Katie hoped that would work in her favor.

"Good match today, mate," Oliver complimented Ryan after they had placed their orders. He and Ryan each had a beer in front of them; Katie hoped her lemonade wouldn't be too conspicuous.

"Thanks for coming," Ryan answered. "So, Katie tells me you've been chosen for the Scottish National Team, yea? Cheers to that." He raised his beer bottle to Oliver, who raised his to meet Ryan's with a clink. Ryan looked to Katie.

"So when will your team's season begin?" he asked. "Will your league take time off since it's a World Cup year?"

Katie glanced nervously at Oliver, then looked at Ryan.

"Well, I'll not be returning to the Prides. Not this season, anyway," she replied, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Shit, she thought to herself. She wasn't expecting to get right to it so early in the meal.

Ryan gave her a confused look. "Were you traded?" he asked.

"Er, no," Katie said. She could feel her hands beginning to shake. She looked down at her lap. "Ry, I….I'm pregnant."

Katie looked up and braced herself for Ryan's reaction. She didn't know if he would yell or just give her a quiet look of disappointment.

Ryan sat back in his chair. He looked at Katie for a moment, and then at Oliver. He took a drink of his beer.

"Pregnant?" he finally asked, his voice heavy. "But Kates, you're nineteen. You've just started playing professionally. Are you sure this is what you want?" Katie noticed that he directed his question only at her.

Katie was honest in her reply. "It's…taken some getting used to the idea," she admitted. "It certainly isn't something we planned. But I love Oliver, and I want to have a future with him, even if it's starting sooner than we thought."

Katie felt Oliver squeeze her hand reassuringly under the table.

"We're getting married too, Ry," Katie said. She lifted her left hand from her lap and showed it to Ryan, a beautiful antique ring sparkling on her finger.

A night after the visit to see his family, Oliver had asked Katie to marry him. It had been a simple proposal in her flat. Oliver had offered her his grandmother's ring, his declaration of how much he loved her, and a promise of his commitment. While Katie hadn't been surprised that Oliver had wanted to get married after she fell pregnant, she was still awed by the sincerity his words, and she had gladly accepted.

Ryan was silent as he processed the news. The waiter arrived and set a plate of food in front of each of them.

Katie left her meal untouched as she looked at Ryan, willing him to say something. Anything. Finally, he spoke.

"Are you happy, Katie Cat?" he asked her with a look of tenderness.

Katie gave him a small smile.

"I am," she said with a nod.

He returned her smile. "You're my baby sister, Katie. That's all I've ever wanted for you." He stood and pulled Katie into a hug, and she cried into his shirt.

"Enough of that, now," he said good-naturedly. He looked over to Oliver with a wary look that turned into a genuine smile. He released Katie and embraced Oliver heartily.

"Congratulations, mate," he said.

Katie felt a wave of relief hit her as they sat back down and began to eat their meals. Oliver beamed at her as she wiped her tears.

"So will you go back to Quidditch after the baby's born?" Ryan asked her as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"I'm not sure," Katie admitted. "I love Quidditch, truly, but I think I would like to work in Muggle relations. The war has really showed me that there are so many things that could be improved for the Muggles who are a part of the wizarding community, like Mum and yourself, or parents of Muggle-born children. I think I'd like to do something that can really make a difference for those people."

Ryan nodded. "That's great, Kates. You will be brilliant at that," he said. "But, if you need someone to get you back into fighting shape, you know who to call." He smiled.

Katie laughed. "I'll call you, Uncle Ry."

"Uncle Ry," he repeated with a wide grin. "Bloody hell, Katie, you're having a baby."

"I am," she replied. "And I'll thank you to not corrupt the poor child nearly as much as you did to me."

Ryan snorted. "No promises there."

He turned to Oliver.

"How are you feeling about all of this?" Ryan asked him.

"Scared shitless," Oliver admitted with a laugh. "But excited. Happy."

"Oh shit," Ryan said with a start. He looked at Katie with wide eyes. "Have you told Mum and Dad yet?"

Katie groaned.

"No," she sighed. "We're going 'round for dinner tonight. I was going to tell them then."

"I'll come 'round, too," Ryan told her supportively. "Surely Dad won't murder Oliver with so many witnesses." He laughed.

Katie hid her face in her hands and groaned again.

Her mum and dad had also been shocked at their news, but had offered their heartfelt congratulations. Katie suspected that after her stay in the hospital, the Battle, Dad being in Azkaban, and all of the other madness of the past year, they were just glad to see their daughter alive and well. Mrs. Bell had been excited to talk about wedding details, and Mr. Bell heartily welcomed Oliver to their family.

xxxxxx

After dinner, as was apparently the new tradition, Mack retrieved the bottles of Firewhisky he had brought and the younger adults retired to the back garden.

"We're glad you could join us, Ryan," said Kinna as she took a drink from her glass, "we have plenty of embarrassing stories about Ollie, but we need to hear more about Katie here."

"Oh, cheers, Kinna," Katie said with a sarcastic laugh as she raised her glass of pumpkin juice.

Kinna raised her glass to Katie cheerfully.

"I just want to see if he can top the time last Christmas I walked in to announce breakfast only to find Ollie's face between your knees, lass, that's all!"

The group roared with laughter and Katie felt her face turn red.

Ryan's shoulders shook with laughter as he gave Katie an amused look.

"What do you think, Kates?" he asked her playfully. "Should I tell them about the time I caught you doodling "Mrs. Oliver Wood" in your journal when you were thirteen, or the time you licked his neck up and down in the middle of a pub?"

Katie reached over and jokingly hit Ryan on the arm, her face red again.

"Why is it the night to take the piss out of me?" Katie demanded as she laughed.

"Consider it our wedding gift," Kinna replied. Her expression turned to one of mock seriousness as she addressed her brother. "Although Oliver, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but I don't think your bonny bride is a virgin."

Oliver laughed. "Well, at least she wasn't responsible for turning all the Hufflepuff witches in her year bi-curious, I suppose," he joked, pointing the harassment back at his sister.

Kinna chuckled. "What can I say, Ollie?" she shrugged. "I have talents that demand to be shared."

The group grew rowdy with laughter as they traded embarrassing stories about one another. Kinna laughed so hard she nearly couldn't finish her recollection of the time Mack got hammered during a party when they were at Hogwarts and fell down two flights of stairs trying to chase Mrs. Norris on his way back to the Common Room. Even Sean and Clarie were swapping stories – Sean telling everyone about the time Claire's grandfather had unknowingly recommended her latest romance novel to several other members of the Wizengamot, thinking it was a harmless historical fiction; and Claire recalling the time Sean accidentally set her robes on fire during a hurried visit to a broom closet to snog during their sixth year. Katie was happy to see Ryan laughing right along as he teased Oliver about knocking up his sister.

"I'm just glad you didn't kick his arse like you did that Snatcher," Katie laughed. Several surprised looks shot Ryan's direction.

"What's this?" Mack asked with peaked interest.

Katie nodded enthusiastically. "Yea, after Dad was discovered at the Ministry helping Muggle-borns escape using the Floo, he fled and they sent a Snatcher 'round to capture our Mum. Ryan was home and beat the shit out of him so he and Mum could escape," she said, giving her brother a proud look.

"Bloody hell!" Kinna exclaimed, as she gave Ryan an impressed look.

"I reckon he didn't expect someone without a wand to be able to fight back," Ryan said, amused.

Katie beamed at him. "Don't fuck with the Bells," she said, raising her glass to him.

Ryan gave her a wide smile. "Don't fuck with the Bells," he agreed.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter. The talk of Christmas has me wanting to put my trees up today! Next week I'll be posting for the very last time (I can't believe the end of the story is nearly here!). I'll be sharing Chapter 19: Vows as well as the epilogue (Memories). So come back to read the conclusion of the story. As always, leave me a review and let me know your thoughts, and have a great week! :)