I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 15 – Planning to Give

Oliver put down the magazine and looked at Harry. "Say that again Harry?"

The boy looked embarrassed yet he still spoke. One of the things he was thankful for was how accepting the team was of his…ignorance. They never made a big deal of his questions or things he did not understand. They might tease him a bit over them but never to the degree that he felt bad. They always answered him honestly, as far as he knew anyways.

That did not stop him from feeling embarrassed or silly, but they also never stopped him from asking and learning.

"How do I give a gift?"

Oliver had to remind himself that Harry did not have a childhood he would remotely consider normal. However, moments like this always made him painfully aware how different Harry was and how he really should not have been.

"Simple really. You figure out what a person likes. You either make it or buy it. Wrap it up if you're feeling fancy. Then give it to them." He took Harry's quill and wrapped it in a spare bit of parchment, tying it with a piece of cord. He handed it to the boy with an overly formal flourish.

Harry made a show of accepting it and opening it. "Do I just ask them what they want or what they like?"

"You can do that. Some people like others to try and figure it out, see if they know them. But you should only give something to someone if you want to. I mean, I guess there are rule about propriety and giving things because you should." He coughed when Harry looked confused. "I mean, basically give a gift because you want to give it. It's more heartfelt that way."

Oliver tried to keep his face neutral. "You're…uh, aunt and uncle, never helped you with gift giving?"

Harry shook his head. "They never gave me any kind of allowance to get them or Dudley anything. I tried to make things for them once but they didn't want to waste the materials on me. Uncle Vernon said once that he didn't want to pretend to like anything I touch. Except for when I cooked for them."

Oliver almost tore the magazine in two. The more he learned of Harry's past the more he had the urge to break things. "That's rather…unfortunate," Oliver said diplomatically. He watched Harry work on his Transfiguration essay, offering little corrections. "Do you have some people you'd like to give a gift to?" he asked the boy.

Harry nodded. "It's Christmas time. I'd really like to give people something. I just didn't know the best way to do it, like, you know while here at Hogwarts and in the wizarding world."

"Well once you're a third year you can go to Hogsmede, it's the little village down the way from the castle. They have lots of stores for shopping but first and second years can't go. Too shrimpy." He ruffled Harry's hair and grinned at the boy's sour look. "But if you knew any nice upper years, they might get some stuff for you."

"Oh that does sound nice. Do you know any nice upper years?" Harry asked with faux sincerity.

Oliver laughed. "You're getting lessons from the twins, being this cheeky. I don't know, maybe there is one that'd be willing to help you. You have to butter him up though. Say nice things about him, support his team drills without complaining, that sort of thing."

Harry caught on. "Captain Wood, you're the best Quidditch Captain anyone could hope for. You barely blame the team for anything, your tactics are top notch. Your practices are mostly reasonable."

Oliver grinned, gesturing for Harry to keep speaking.

"You…have a nice jaw line?"

Oliver snorted. "I have a nice jaw line? Where'd that come from?"

Harry shrugged. "I heard Alicia say it once."

Oliver's cheeks reddened. "She did?"

The boy nodded. "She said you were nice to look at and you weren't annoying about it." He looked concerned. "Should I have told you that?"

Oliver grinned. "Feel free to tell me whatever you like. And hey look at that, it worked."

"What did?"

"I'm inclined to help you now."

"Thanks Wood!"

"You're welcome Harry. You can tell me what you're thinking of getting for people and I'll see if I can get it in Hogsmede. The nice thing about the wizarding world though is you can get lots of things by Owl Post too. I'll see if I can pick you up a catalogue or two."

"That'd be great! Thanks!"

Oliver liked how happy Harry looked. He looked like a normal eleven-year-old.

Harry turned serious. "How do I pay you back though? I don't have a lot of money on me." Before Oliver could say anything, Harry brightened. "I'll go to Hagrid. He has my Gringotts key. He took me over the summer. I have money in my vault."

"That'll be fine, lots of places can withdraw from your vault directly or through Gringotts." Oliver also resolved to try and keep Harry from spending too much. "You know what helps me? I like to write people names out and gift ideas for them besides them, keeps things orderly."

Harry did as suggested. He eagerly wrote out names on the parchment and listed what he thought they liked beside them. As he wrote his smile grew. He bounced in his chair a little, growing more eager.

The older boy could not help but to smile with Harry. "You look really excited about this!" It was true. The only other time Oliver had seen Harry this happy and excited was during their first game, more so after it admittedly.

"It's the first time I'm excited for Christmas," Harry said happily. "I'll be spending it here at the castle with Ron and Fred and George and Percy. I won't have to cook everything. And I can give things to friends. I want to give gifts to friends." He put emphasis on the last word. He treated it preciously, covetously. A word he longed for and finally could say easily now. "I have friends this year." The more he said it, the more he liked it.

Oliver vented his feelings by kicking a chair as hard as he could. Since he was seated and he kicked it from beneath the table, it flew out as if by itself, crashing noisily against the wall.

He used his wand to bring it back via Summoning Charm. "That was strange," Oliver said to a wide-eyed Harry. "Must be some residual magic playing tricks on us."

"Oh maybe it's something new Fred and George made. Self-pulling chairs."

"That sounds like something the Twins would do," Oliver agreed. He looked over the list Harry was writing. "Ron, Hermione, the team, Percy, Hagrid, and Professor McGonagall. That's a good list, they must have done something to deserve being on it."

Harry's cheeks were pink. "Just people who call me friends and who've been nice to me, people I call friends."

The older student felt a little bad teasing Harry. "I think it's a grand list and looks like you've gotten a few ideas for people." He could not help but tease Harry about some things though. "What's with the big question mark by my name?"

"I don't want to ruin the surprise!" Harry giggled. "Besides, knowing you, you'd say something like I just have to catch the Snitch during a game."

Oliver roared with laughter. "You're not wrong. But I like other things besides Quidditch you know."

Harry muttered something and Oliver's heart stopped when he heard Harry say "Alicia."

"What was that?"

Harry looked at Oliver. "I said I'd ask Alicia then."

Oliver did not know if Harry's look of innocence was real or not and he could only shake his head. "Cheekier by the day you are."

-0-

Oliver looked at the list as he walked down the snowy path. Despite the falling snow, the path was in reasonably good shape since all the students have been compacting the snow by walking on it. He squinted a little, trying to decipher some of the writing. It looked much easier earlier in the week in the common room.

"I didn't know you were taking Ancient Runes," Alicia quipped as she peaked around him, looking at the piece of parchment.

"Seems a bit much to write a shopping list in it," Angelina said with a giggle.

"It does look rather awful doesn't it?" Wood said. "Maybe you girls can help Harry with his handwriting next term."

"Oh that's Harry's list then? I thought your handwriting was better than that."

Oliver frowned at a giggling Alicia. He bumped her with his hip and nearly sent her off the path and into a snowbank.

"Why do you have Harry's list?" Angelina asked, curious. "I saw him working on something earlier this week but he wouldn't let me see."

"It's a list of gifts he wants to get people for Christmas. I offered to get him what things we can here in Hogsmede." He smirked at the way Angelina and Alicia's eyes lit up. "Before you two try to ruin your surprise we already ordered yours via Owl Post so there."

"You're no fun," Angelina pouted. "Aren't you ruining your own gift then?

"He isn't," Alicia interjected. "I already helped Harry with his gift to Oliver." She smiled smugly. "I'll give you a hint if you give me a hint."

"Not a chance," Oliver said. "You can't drag it out of me."

"You're not this protective over your own plans!" Alicia crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I'm not ruining Harry's fun for his first Christmas." Oliver put particular emphasis on the word.

The girls blanched. "I hate that I keep getting surprised by stuff like that," Angelina said. "You'd think I'd get it by now but every now and again-"

"-it catches you off guard," Alicia finished. "And you feel even more like rubbish."

The trio nodded somberly.

Angelina clapped her gloved hands. "Right then. I was already planning on getting him something but now I'm going to make sure he has an excellent Christmas."

Alicia looped her arm through Angelina's. "That's a grand idea. Let's get him something really nice."

"I already ordered him some nice Seeker gloves," Oliver said happily. "Katcher's Brand. Durable and has an Enlarging Charm so they'll grow a bit. I figured out which school one's he liked to wear the best and used that size as the base."

"Oh he'll love those!" Angelina smiled wide.

The glee was infectious. Alicia sped up, dragging the taller girl with her. "Now I'm really excited to go shopping. Let's go!" The pair started to run, dodging past the other students.

Oliver followed at a more sedate pace but he was just as happy and excited to help Harry. The boy was more observant than some gave him credit for. The majority of gifts he picked out were ones he came up on his own and Oliver knew the recipients would love them.

He personally did not care what Harry got him. Helping Harry and seeing the boy excited for his first proper Christmas was gift enough.