HLN 19 Christmas
Once again Ginny was thinking about the soon-to-arrive holidays. Her shopping list would be shorter this year, due to her foresight in signing all of the women and girls up for the Add-a-Pearl necklaces. She would keep her eye out for something with a Lily theme for Harry, So far she was 'stuck' about what to get the other men in her life. She wasn't going to the Pack Sings. She was much too busy with the Harpies, who were not only playing and practicing, but were making a great many charity appearances. They took them in turns, and it was a great way to get her picture in the papers! Ginny was already known as having an interest in the Orphanages, but she also found herself posing at the Zoo, eye-to-eye with a giraffe!
She decided to talk to her mother about the problems. She really had two, and the gifts were the smaller one.
Molly watched baby James on game days and when the team went out of town. He stayed with Harry on weekends. Harry was a picture of domesticity: reading stories, singing baby songs, and wearing James in a backpack as he worked in his greenhouses. He regularly took both Teddy and James to Hyde Park. It was too cold for the Splash Pad now, but the playground and dog park were still open. James loved being pushed in the baby swing while Teddy and Puff played.
Molly met Ginny at her favorite tea place one evening in mid-November. Both were tired, and the shop was restful and quiet. "Mum, I can't figure Harry out anymore. I'm not sure I ever could."
That interested Molly. "What do you mean? He seems quite polite and thoughtful."
"Well, let's start with my clothes. Harry never did seem to pay much attention to what I wore, but it turned out he kept an album of pictures. However, then and now, he never comments on anything I wear. I've been wearing some outrageous robes, and he never says anything. We're married, but he doesn't seem to look at me. I can't get his attention."
"Few men do care much about clothes, as long as we are appropriate. I went to a dinner once where they asked all of the wives to leave the room for a few minutes. While we were out, the men were asked to write down what their wife was wearing. Almost none of them got it right – not even the colors! Arthur thought my skirt was dark blue – it was cherry red with a lace apron! I think, if Harry isn't responding to the extreme robes, you might as well go for a classic or elegant look. Instead of trying to shock him, figure out what you both like. Look for common ground. How long since the two of you went flying together, just for fun?"
"It was probably last Summer, when I was so pregnant. I couldn't do any stunts or drills. The trainer insisted we could only fly gently. Harry took me to the beach house for the day, and we went flying down the beach, dipping our toes in the waves! Later, we soared high, popping in and out of tiny clouds. The elves brought us a picnic out on the rocky point, and we watched the sun go down."
"That sounds like exactly what I am thinking about. It's too cold for that now, but there are plenty of Winter activities. Soon there will be ice skating, and sledding parties. You might even try that mundane sport Hermione likes – skiing. She was talking to Ron and Charlie about it the last time she came to dinner."
Mentioning Hermione was the wrong thing to say, Molly realized quickly. Ginny's face turned red and was angry for a moment. Then she seemed to fight it down. "Skating sounds good. There are some really cute outfits for that! Let's plan Solstice to be a skating party! Where shall we have it?" The two women were soon deep in party planning!
Thus it happened that Harry found his dates with Ginny were now skating lessons and practice. There were plenty of public rinks in London, and many had teachers available. Ginny explained to the Harpies what she was planning, and many joined them. Ginny wore a different outfit each time, which Harry rather expected. What he didn't expect was that they were all modest and warm, usually with matching leggings under fur-edged skirts, and hoods. After skating, Harry would take her to dinner at interesting places. They sampled National dishes from many countries, at street fairs and small bistros. They both loved Pancit Bihon in all its exciting varieties. Though Ginny could not try shrimp or shellfish, the chicken, Chorizo, and vegan varieties were delicious.
The gardens at the Manor had been wrapped for the weather. The Koi and the hyacinths had been moved into tubs inside the warm greenhouse. The long pool was carefully frozen, and became a place for them to practice. At the Burrow, Arthur was doing much the same with their pond. Being much bigger, it would never freeze clear to the bottom, but arrangements had to be made to keep the fish breathing if they wanted ice thick enough to skate upon. Arthur came up with bubbling fountains contained in ice basins.
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On November 28, Luna and Rolf came to dinner with Harry. They were both excited, and could barely pay attention to their excellent dinner! "Where are they? They haven't hatched yet? This is unique!"
Finally relenting, Harry led them to the kitchen, where a steel-lined but basically stone enclosure had been erected next to the fireplace. An Old One was on duty there at all times, making sure the dish of tuna and the small water fountain stayed full. The enclosure was half-filled with clean straw, and roofed with steel bars. Inside, the Tyrannorabbit was nestled on a nest of ...eggs? She opened one eye and growled.
Mitty appeared. This was her domain, and she was already fond of her pets! "Bees careful – do not stick fingers in the bars or you will lose them! She be super protective!"
Rolf was setting up cameras, supplementing the ones Harry already had installed. "How did this happen? Where did you find a male? WHEN did this happen, because I thought you had a strong pen for her?"
"We do. We've never seen another. She was out on the front lawn on Samhain night, which was a full moon like tonight. She was hunting frogs the elves hid in the grass for her. She was quite firmly fenced in, but during the time the elves were all fighting a fire in the woods, someone released Adders through the fence. She caught and ate them all – she was quite fat and sleepy when the elves collected her! We really only know it was Adders because we traced them back to an empty box left outside. The big meal seems to be all she needed, because she started constructing a nest immediately. We fixed this, brought her inside, and she began laying her eggs. There are thirteen. We don't know when or if they will hatch, or what to do with them when they do!"
Luna was casting spells and considering the colors of the glowing results. "Interesting. There was no male. She's parthenogenic, born pregnant, like a gecko or a tribble. All she needed was the huge meal. All of the eggs are good, and look as though they will hatch any day. They are identical clones of her."
Rolf was thinking. "You will probably need individual pens very soon, so they don't eat each other. Since they are so rare, yet have such large litters, they must be a danger to themselves. You will need to watch for teeth developing, and separate them quickly. You had better have bottles ready, and shallow plates of gruel. Try several kinds to find out what they will eat. She'll need her mouth sealed, too. Feed her in a separate pen."
Harry was bewildered. "What am I to do with any we manage to keep alive? Having one is fine. The elves consider her to be a good pet, and now that we know not to over-feed her this won't happen again. I don't want to order a whole tuna every week. My grocer would never believe me!"
He was interrupted by the cracking of eggs, all 13 at once. Mama stood high, arcing above the babies tumbling out of their shells. Tiny growls filled the air as the babies snuffed around in the straw, digging right into the corners. Mama was ready for them. She arced herself, coughed once, and then spewed a stream of half-digested fish into the straw. She settled, and as the babies slurped up the fish slurry, she ate the shells (except for a few Rolf managed to summon to study.) The smell was incredible, worse than any old-gym-socks potion.
"At least we knows what to feed them," remarked Mitty. She was still standing next to the pen, forgotten by everyone.
"Mitty, dear girl, please do not ever feed me Bouillabaisse again," requested Harry, as he produced a bubble-head charm. "I'm not sure I'll be able to face even a tuna steak for a very long time."
"We'll take them, of course," said Luna. "We should be able to place them in Crypto Zoos around the world with out any trouble. We'll collect them as soon as their eyes open, or when she shows any signs of weaning them. We trade baby animals all the time, keeping the rare bloodlines from getting inbred."
"That's an interesting question all by itself," Harry mused, "How does a parthenogenic species keep from getting inbred?"
"Two usual ways," replied Luna, "Mutations, which are usually minor things like coloration variations, or they might actually have a sexual phase if a male can be found. We'll post for one on our 'want list', and try the experiment if we ever find a male. We recently found an exotic snake that is actually triploid. It requires THREE parents to produce viable eggs, though the haploid individuals clone themselves just fine until conditions are ripe. Their fertilized triploid ova split into haploid triplets before forming eggs. Everyone was trying to breed them from diploid ova, and that didn't work. The snake is so rare no Zoo had three, until I fell into a small cave full of them in Canada. They also require sub-zero temperatures, which no one expected of a snake." *
Rolf laughed, and snapped his fingers in front of the distracted Luna. She blinked. "I did it again, didn't I?"
"You did. It's another chapter for the book!"
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Ginny and Molly had decided this year's Solstice Party would be held at the Burrow, as an outside skating party, instead of a formal Dinner at the Manor. Molly felt she should return the many party and Dinner Invitations she owed, including many of their family. Ginny would invite her friends and the Harpies. Arthur would invite coworkers from the Ministry, and Harry happily invited all of his own friends, many employees, and some of the Wizgamot. There was plenty of room at the Burrow. Their wards were the same as at the Manor.
Arthur already had the pond set up for skating. The bare orchard became the warm dining area, the branches outlined in tiny green lights, and lanterns trimmed with the rune of the Winter Solstice etched into the glass in gold were hung over the tables. The moon would be nearing full, adding to the lighting. Twinkling white lights marked paths around the pond and through the woods, both for walkers and for beautiful white sleighs pulled by handsome white horses, which would circle the area all evening giving rides. Snow was expected, but Harry left nothing to chance and arranged for magical snow to cover the area. A dance floor was set beside the orchard, for the traditional dances, with a small orchestra. Instead of lights above or around it, the lights were in the floor itself, triggered by the steps of the dancers. The same effect was set into the ice of the pond, where the skaters would leave trailing designs (in the colors of their costumes) as they skated, or walked between small amusement booths set around the fountains. Fires were arranged by the pond banks, with benches for donning skates or taking a break. The fires were all bright green, the color for Solstice, which did give an odd glow. The elves, in green fur skater's dress and boots, would be passing out hot chocolate and mulled cider, toasted marshmallows and chestnuts for everyone all evening.
There were choices of how to arrive, with an arrival point set at the gate to the road. If you wanted, you could apparate, portkey, or even fly. Some people actually drove cars, with elf Valet service parking to a small car park down the hill. As part of the gate a temporary Floo was set up. No matter how you arrived, you had to present an Invitation to get past the gate. Leaving would be much easier – multiple exit points had been arranged inside the grounds, including that all of the fires were one-way Floos. It was difficult to get in, but even a baby could walk out. The Weasleys had learned THAT lesson well, when the DE invaded Bill and Fleur's wedding. Most guests brought small gifts, which the elves sorted and listed. Foods and drinks would be appropriately laid out with the after dinner snacks.
The tables were clear glass, and so were the dishes, illuminating the food with lights below. They had gone with an International Banquet for the meal, choosing favorites from all the restaurants they had tried. Pancit Bihon proved a hit with everyone, and amusing since the thin rice noodles were almost transparent. Lit from below, the vegetables and meats seemed suspended in mist! The drinks were also amusing, glowing in the twinkling lights. Dessert was assorted Gelato balls trimmed with Mistletoe icing figures, with warm Baklava.
After dinner was cleared, the same tables were re-set with assorted games. If you did not want to dance, skate, walk, or ride in a sleigh you could simply stay in the dining area and watch the activities. The chairs were warm and comfortable. Several sets of chess were soon in play, and quite a few hard-core card players politely settled wives with their friends and disappeared to play cards all night. More than one wife pulled out knitting.
Ginny and Harry made the rounds of all of the activities together, having a wonderful time. For tonight, they were once again the carefree young marrieds that their friends expected. Molly and Arthur danced all night – Molly seemed light as a soap bubble! Both were happy, and you could see the young girl Arthur fell in love with, gazing back into the eyes of her lover. Ron was seen lifting Hermione into one of the sleighs, but they were also seen skating crazy trios with Charlie. Hermione's parents skated more sedately, in costumes copied from a Currier and Ives painting.
On the far side of the pond an odd pick-up game that resembled both Hockey and Quidditch was in motion. There were 4 pucks on the ice – a Gold, 2 Green, and a Red. Bill, Percy, and George faced off their wives, with many of their old teammates swapping in and out of the other positions. Oliver and Percy played keepers, and snowbanks were quickly heaped up as goals. No one seemed to be keeping score.
McGonnagal and Flitwick seemed an odd pair, but turned out to be quite animated both as skaters and on the dance floor. A shadowed pair of elderly but energetic dancers that no one seemed to quite be able to focus on mostly danced two person versions of the French Gavotte, Tourdion, Bal-mussette, and Farandole in a corner. Others would join them for a dance or two, hopping and skipping gleefully around the floor, and then wander off again as though they had forgotten who they were talking to. Active dances alternated with Waltzes and Promenades.
Nearing midnight, under the bright moon, another fire was lit – the Yule log, lit with a saved splinter of the log from the year before. Everyone gathered around this fire in a great ring. A druid brought a basket of mistletoe sprigs, tied with green ribbons, and passed them around the circle. Each person passed them on, until everyone had one. A whistling warble had one side of the circle opening, where the boy with the whistle led six others into the center and around the fire, carrying a tiny candle-lit bier with a small dead bird upon it. Without a word, they continued out the other side and vanished in the darkness, the whistling diminishing. The quiet adults went back to the dining area for a late dessert or coffee, followed by a second round of entertainments. Celestina sang songs of new beginnings to the diners.
Everyone was also given tiny wrapped gifts, fancy packets of cookies, as they took their leave over the next few hours. The moon had set; the Sun was soon to rise as the last guests left. The great Yule log was transported to the house and settled in the main fireplace, where the fire would be nursed through the holidays. All the other fires were extinguished. Harry's elves were very busy with cleanup as the humans went home to bed.
Their party was a huge success. The Press had gotten wind of the plans but found it impossible to slip on to the property. Of course they mobbed the road as close to the well-lit gate as they could, but found themselves unable to enter the lighted circle. They could not Floo in, Apparate, or fly over, and none found anywhere on the entire perimeter where they could climb a fence. Rita tried, but even Animagi could not enter. Neither could they get any pictures beyond the gate! They knew the party was outdoors. They could see the glow of lights, hear the music, but they could see nothing. All the scrying spells they had tried to attach to people going in not only peeled off the targets at the gate, but returned to the caster with red paint bombs! When the guests had left, the elves came out and gave each of the Press a packet of the cookies, too. The party would get a mention in the papers, including shots of a few people at the gate, but had no interviews.
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Christmas this year was both similar and different to last year. Harry and Ginny both came for Christmas Eve dinner, bringing baby James. At almost 6 months, he was old enough to sample mashed lasagna, followed by a bit of ice cream on the tip of a spoon. After making a face at the cold experience, he decided he liked it and hollered for more! In by the fire, he quickly fell asleep with his mother holding him on the window seat, illuminated by the blue taper. Exhausted, he slept right through the visit with Nicholas and Penny.
In the morning Harry discovered someone, probably the elves, was laughing at him. His new slippers were fat white rabbits! They were quite soft and warm, though he had to swing his feet a bit wider than normal as he walked. He wore them to breakfast with his new pajamas and robe. Breakfast today was pancakes, with sausages, bacon and beans. The pancakes were quite thick, cooked in molds, and had assorted fruit in the batter. Harry had his favorite, blueberries, in cakes shaped like snitches. Ginny had strawberries and apricot bits in skate shapes. Honey and assorted syrups were available. When the children arrived their pancakes had chocolate bits, in molds shaped like farm animals.
Many still in sleepwear, everyone flowed into the sitting room where once again the great tree was almost hidden in gifts. Quivering, the children waited for Molly to signal them. Laughing, they were given their stockings. Soon the floor was awash with bits of orange peel and candy wrappers as the adults sipped cocoa or teas and examined their own boxes of chocolates. As the children finished the stockings they sat quietly, gazing at the tree. It had grown, as it did every year, yet somehow it was always the exact size to fit the high ceiling. It was wider, yet the great branches were still covered in gifts. There really were more gifts than last year, for the family had also grown. The children were, finally, given their gifts, and their parents shared their own. For a while it seemed to snow indoors as bits of wrapping paper floated. Harry gave Ginny a weekend at her favorite spa. She gave him a pair of Oriental Jade vases carved with lilies and a dragon chasing the Pearl of Happiness.
While everyone was dressing before the great dinner, various guests arrived. The Tonks brought Teddy through the Floo. The Grangers arrived in their rented car. Rolf and Luna simply walked up the lane with her father.
Dinner this year was a huge turkey, and a beef Wellington with a Solstice rune baked into the crust. Both were so tender they could have been eaten with a spoon. Luna got the giggles when she saw the turkey being floated in, for it had SIX drumsticks lining themselves neatly down the middle. "A Turducken!"
"What's that," questioned several interested parties, assuming Luna had invented a new animal. Arthur took his knife and slit the lacing, so that the steaming bird fell open for neat slices. The cavity in the middle held a dozen smaller drumsticks baked with whole mushrooms and onions in butter, which he passed out to the children. Now he sliced the meat and shared the slices. Each slice had three layers of meat, and two layers of stuffing. (Cornbread, and rice.) Everyone tried a slice of bird, and had a slice of the beef as well as Rice Pilaf, carrots in honey, mashed turnips with onions and brown sugar – all doused generously in gravy!
Molly explained. "A turducken starts with opening a turkey out flat on a net, removing all of the bones except the drumsticks and wings, and spreading a thin layer of cornbread stuffing. Next you skin a large duck, lay it carefully in the turkey, open it out flat and debone it except the drumsticks and wings. and put the rice dressing on it. Repeat it with a large hen. Lace the edges of the net, pulling all the layers together. When it is pulled up but is still open, fill the cavity with more drumsticks and whatever you like – in this case mushrooms and onions in plenty of butter. Pull the laces up tight with the six drumsticks protruding. The lacing will hold them securely while roasting." As she spoke the loaded plates were passed around the table.
The beautiful flaming plum pudding, trimmed with Holly tied with red ribbon, was presented. Arthur took the long silver knife and cut smooth slices neatly onto the cake plates, which were drenched in hard sauce or cinnamon glaze (your choice) passed around the table. He pinned the Holly in Molly's hair, and then sat to enjoy his serving. He and Molly fed each other quite sweetly, as did several other couples. As the hidden prizes appeared, everyone laughed. Last again this year the little silver baby appeared – in Luna's spoon! Luna looked at him, quite unruffled, and said, "I knew that already." She tipped her spoon into Molly's hand. George handed over the silver sickle – they assumed it was a sickle, because it was a silver disk that size, but age and use had worn any image down to a faint trace on one side. The thimble, wishbone, anchor, and ring were collected and taken to the kitchen for cleaning.
The whole group spilled out on the icy pond for an afternoon of races, games, and even dance lessons. Ginny had solved her gift dilemma by buying new ice skates for everyone. Harry had contributed game supplies for hockey, and 'Ice Quidditch', including safety gear. Even the smallest children had skates, though they were so heavily bundled and padded that it was difficult to tell who was who. Triangular frames decorated as fantastic beasts supported any who felt insecure as they chased balls, played tag and Limbo, cracked-the-whip and crazy trio'd. James was packed in a bright red sled, laughing as he was towed through it all.
For Boxing Day, all of the elves received skates and permission to skate on the pond, the pool at the manor, or anywhere else it was safe to do so. Later that night Harry looked out a window at the Manor, to see dozens of elves skating in the light of the full moon.
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* Yes, I'm referring to Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre
