Chapter Twenty-One

Yule at the Broom Closet

The Winter Solstice arrived dry and very cold, but a warm glow spread through the cottage as the Yule Log, which seemed to fit in the hearth perfectly despite its outward appearance, broke into a steady flame with the flick of Severus' wand. Corey had the honor of dragging the tree in (although he cheated a little to get it in the door), setting it in the far corner to keep it from getting knocked by opening and shutting bookcases. Severus then made himself scarce as Jennifer and Anna tried to coax Corey into helping, but the boy really wasn't in the mood to celebrate and soon wandered out the door with Cheshire to take a walk.

Near the ice covered stone wall that separated the sheep farm from the bluff, Corey stopped and sat upon it. Cheshire went ahead, leaping through the snow as if attempting to touch it as little as possible so not to get wet.

Corey sat there quietly for a long time before Cheshire came bounding back with Essie not far behind. She ran up and hugged him, and he returned it stiffly as she buried her face in his shoulder crying softly.

"I don't want Christmas to come," Essie said at last. Corey sighed and patted her on the back.

"I know, it's all right. I feel the same way," he said, cleaning off an area of the wall and helping her up next to him.

"I can't stay long. I'm supposed to be helping bake but I told them I needed to go out to the barn," she explained. "What have you been doing?"

"Oh, Mom and Aunt Anna are decorating and Dad went out to stock up on Solstice mistletoe. But all I can think about is the last Christmas we were all together. Remember when Charlie nailed ice-skating blades to his new boots? Boy, Mum was sure angry."
"Father would always put a Christmas bell around the youngest lamb, and we could hear it ringing when we went to church," Essie said.
"We always had new wool mittens and coats from Mum. Last year I even got that game player I wanted... I haven't been able to play with it since it happened." Corey admitted. "Dumbledore didn't tell me until after Christmas, you know, hoping to soften the blow, I think. But I keep feeling guilty about how much fun I was having, not even knowing they were gone." Essie leaned on him comfortingly.
"Aunt Rebecca is trying not to think about it. She hasn't even mentioned it," Essie said after a moment. "But she keeps trying to do things that Mum used to do, like she's trying to make things right, somehow. Her plum pudding isn't anything as good as Mum's was, though."
"Mom and Dad haven't mentioned it either," Corey said. "And Mom's doing the same thing, trying to make everything perfect. I wonder if she's read from me yet that I really wish it'd all just go away," he sighed, hopping off the wall. "I brought this for you," he added, handing her a gingerbread girl.
"She winked at me!" Essie said with amazement. "Is she alive?"
"No, it's just something in the mix. It's safe, I've had two myself," Corey insisted. "Just make sure Aunt Rebecca doesn't see it." Cheshire began to paw at Essie's shoe. "You'd better get going."

As Essie walked through the field, Corey watched her carefully to make sure she got home all right before heading back himself.

The small cottage was bustling with visitors from that evening on, and Corey made himself scarce whenever possible, retreating to his room at the first opportunity. Severus was no less in a hurry to go to the basement, so Jennifer and Anna soon found themselves entertaining everyone as the wizards disappeared the moment there was a knock on the door.

Sirius came over quite often, taking Anna on long walks along the bluff, while Jennifer spent a great deal of time in her room, putting last minute details on one of her Christmas projects. This was far from the close family Christmas that Jennifer had imagined. As it came closer to Christmas, Jennifer couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she wasn't doing the wrong thing by leaving Corey alone when his grief was apparent to her.

Early on Christmas Eve, Harry came over to take Anna to the Black Mansion Christmas party and drop off some presents under the tree. Anna came down in a lovely ivory dress, the rose jewelry she had gotten from Sirius, and a white coat that Jennifer had never seen before. Glancing at Harry's face and then back to Anna's, Jennifer privately wondered if Anna had any guess what Sirius had planned for that evening. Jennifer was also quite glad that she and Severus had decided to stay home, and not just because he and Sirius did not get along. There were just some things that her husband didn't need to know right away.

"I don't know what Sirius got Severus this year, but whatever it is, I claim no responsibility for it," Harry said. "You sure you don't want to go, Jennifer? How about you, Corey? I can have him back before it gets too late."

"No thanks, not tonight," Corey said quietly from where he sat by the fireplace. "Have fun, Aunt Anna, Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Happy Christmas, you two. Don't let Severus stay down in that lab all night," Harry said.

"Oh, don't worry, I won't," Jennifer promised, showing them out. "Have fun, stay out as late as you want. I'll cover for you," she grinned with a wink.

"I would have anyhow," Anna admitted before the two of them stepped off the porch and Apparated.

"Well! Now that that's done, I guess it's just the three of us," Jennifer said cheerfully before sitting down in the chair next to Corey's, drumming her fingers on her slightly bulging stomach. "So, is there anything special you want to do tonight, Corey? I was thinking that we could try and coax Severus out of the lab and perhaps go do something you want to do."

"Anything?" Corey asked thoughtfully.

"Sure, even if it's a Muggle thing, name it. I'm game," Jennifer grinned. Anything to get him out of this mood.

"Well, what I'd really like to do is check in and make sure Essie is all right," Corey said slowly, and Jennifer nodded in understanding. "Then, if it's all right, can… can we go see my brother and my parents?" Jennifer gazed as Corey for a long time before smiling softly at him.

"Yes, of course, Corey," she said. "Why don't you go tell your Dad and ask him to finish up? After that, you should get some Muggle clothes on, and make sure you dress warm. Perhaps we can walk and enjoy the lights and on the way."

Jennifer quickly rummaged through her clothes to find a passable dress that Minerva had altered to fit her and had Mercy disguise her cloak into a long dark coat. By the time Severus had come upstairs, Jennifer and Corey were ready, so he quickly put on a disguise spell and put on his glasses and the three of them walked out into the chill night. Electric Christmas lights had always fascinated Jennifer, and it wasn't long after they reached the top of the path that they saw houses inundated with hooks and wires and glowing glass lights of every size and color. They walked quietly towards the local church with Corey leading the way, listening to the soft sound of carolers knocking on doors and laughter ringing out of the houses.

At last they turned into the graveyard and over to where his parents and brother were buried, their graves already filled with candles and flowers. They added wreaths of holly and ivy to each one and Jennifer and Severus stood back a bit with Severus' arm comfortingly around her as they stood in the darkness. Gentle flakes of snow began to drift downwards.

Corey sighed softly, feeling a numbness not caused by the cold as he stood there, waving his hand as he knelt so that the candles flickered to life.

"Well, Mum, you'll be proud to know I'm actually applying myself this year. Second best in my class, and all that. Really, I'm the best, but some things come first, you know. Father, the farm's doing really well this year. Uncle Mark really knows his business and Essie thinks they'll have a good year. Aunt Rebecca's pretty strict with her, I know you'll like that, Mum, but then Essie was always the white sheep of the family. Don't be angry at Aunt Rebecca about me, okay, Father? I'm really happy where I'm at, and the more I think about it, the more I think it's for the best only… well, I think Essie would like to go to Hogwarts too. And I think it might be in her, she's just a late bloomer is all. Charlie, you'll never guess but I'm playing a sport now. Oh, well, it's not football, but I think it's just up your alley. If you haven't seen me play, you should come and watch sometime. I think you'd like Quidditch, really. I sure wish you were here," he added softly, shaking his head. "But there are some things even a real wizard can't do, let alone a kid like me. Not that I wouldn't have tried." Corey got up, suddenly overcome with grief, choking back his tears. "Goodbye, Mum, Father, Charlie. I'm going to go see if I can't light a candle for you," he said, heading back over to Jennifer and Severus. They each took quick turns by the graves before rejoining him.

Jennifer knew it was getting late when people began to head towards the church, their soft chatter echoing through the cemetery on the cold air. Jennifer still couldn't help but be a bit surprised when Corey said he wanted to go in. She looked over at Severus expectantly to see him gazing at her, but then he nodded expressionlessly. Double-checking each other to make sure they looked Muggle enough, the three of them walked in, grateful for the warmth as they slipped quietly in a back pew.

Jennifer had never been in a Muggle church before nor would she have gone in for anyone else. Severus had been one a very long time ago, but felt no less awkward than she did. He had distinctly been aware from the moment the entered how many eyes had fallen on Corey and then on the two of them, most of them smiling softly at him when they noticed his gaze. A surprised look came from Rebecca Hunt, who stared at them for a long while with an almost bewildered expression. What were they doing here? They didn't belong. It was so unbelievably obvious just by looking at them, huddling almost protectively around Corey like fish out of water. But Corey didn't look like a fish out of water. Corey had the look of someone who had just come home from a long journey, and watched and listened furtive attention and enthusiasm which he had never had about church when he went with his family as a child. He stood and sang out with the choir in a loud soprano as Jennifer and Severus' eyes grew wide in complete surprise. Jennifer quickly realized that there was a lot about Corey's Muggle life that she had never asked about because of his parent's death. She found herself wanting to, especially on the second verse of Silent Night when they realized that Corey was singing completely by himself and everyone's eyes were on them.

Jennifer, who was wishing she were anywhere else but there, then noticed Dumbledore in his Muggle persona standing towards the front, smiling proudly at them. She relaxed, wondering what he was doing there, but was soon distracted as everyone knelt again and had to try and focus her attention to what was going on. If they ever had to do this again, she swore she was going to have to wear knee pads.

Jennifer and Severus slipped out into the foyer near the end and waited for Corey. They received warm greetings from others coming out, including the local pastor who came to shake their hand before taking his place by the door.

"I want to thank you both for bringing Corey. We have missed him here. He's always been a breath of fresh air in this church," the pastor said just as Corey came around the corner, smiling softly as he went to join them. "Please feel free to come back any time. You are always welcome here," he smiled at them. "And Corey, it was good to hear your voice again, do come see us more often."

"Thank you Pastor Pachem, I'll try to," Corey said. He looked back at Jennifer, who nodded to him with a smile as they walked out.

"Let's wait to say hello to Mr. Door before we leave," Jennifer suggested.

"I'd like to see Essie too," Corey said. Jennifer and Severus exchanged glances. "After all, it is Christmas." They didn't have to wait long before Dumbledore came out, walking over to them with a smile.

"Happy Christmas, Severus, Jennifer, Corey."

"Good evening, sir. I'm rather surprised to see you here. Do you come often?" Severus asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, on occasion, to check up on things, and I daresay you couldn't be half as surprised as I was to see you there," Dumbledore said with amusement.

"Corey wanted to come," Jennifer explained, watching to boy as he wandered off to talk to someone he knew. "He needed to come," she corrected herself thoughtfully. Dumbledore smiled at them, then turned his attention back to Corey.

Rebecca and Mark Hunt had just come out, followed by Essie, who then rushed past them and over to her brother.

Before anyone else could react, the pastor was putting a hand on Rebecca's shoulder and saying something to her that made her pause. Although she stopped trying to break them up, it didn't take a Truth Seeker to see that she wasn't happy about it. But it was at that time that Jennifer noticed something else.

"Their pastor knows what we are," she said softly, regarding him carefully.

"Ah, yes, Father Pachem is a good friend of mine," Dumbledore nodded with a smile. "I would trust him with my life." Jennifer and Severus both peered quizzically at him then back at the priest with a new level of respect.

They left soon after, and Corey, although tired, seemed happier than he had been for several days. Jennifer only wished that she could say the same about Severus when they got near the cottage and saw Sirius and Anna kissing on the porch.

"Whoa, now that's intense!" Corey commented while Jennifer was busy getting a firm grip around Severus' arm. Sirius and Anna turned around in surprise, Sirius nodding and smiling to them casually.

"Sorry, we thought you'd all be asleep by now," Sirius said.

"And that gives you the right to make a public display of yourselves on my doorstep at this hour?" Severus snapped, taking out his watch to glance at it. Jennifer touched Severus' hand gently.

"Severus, it's Christmas," Jennifer said in protest.

"The party did run a bit long, I admit, but we came straight here. What in the world are you three doing out so late? Was there trouble?" Sirius asked.

"We went to church," Corey said. "Can I stay up until the packages are delivered since it's already past midnight anyhow?"

"I beg your pardon, Corey, what did you say? You went where?" Sirius said with shock across his face.

"Mom and Dad took me to my old church, and I got to see my sister with Aunt Rebecca there and everything," Corey said again. "So can I stay up?"

"No, you can't, in fact, why don't you go on up to bed now?" Jennifer suggested, opening the door.

"No, wait, let me get this right, Severus went to church? And it was a Muggle church on top of it?" Sirius asked, and seeing his annoyed expression burst into roaring laughter. "I can't wait to tell this to Moony, he's going to flip. Oh I wish I could have seen that!" Quickly deciding that perhaps he'd better leave before Jennifer or Anna got upset, Sirius gave Anna another quick kiss and Disapparated before Severus could get his hands around his throat.

Bright and much too early, Jennifer was awakened by the excited shouting of a twelve year old boy. A quivery feeling was going through her stomach and she put her hand on it with a sigh. Well, if the kids were awake, perhaps she should be too. She chuckled to herself, sitting up. That was when she noticed that Severus was gone as well. She pulled on her robe and went out into the kitchen to see him standing and tapping his fingers against his arm, looking at her accusingly. Blinking at what she saw in his face, she peered into the living room and grew bright red when she noticed there was not one, but two brooms beside the tree. Apparently, Severus must have changed his mind about getting Corey a broom, and they both ended up ordering one. Jennifer glanced up guiltily at Severus, who was glancing back at her rather sheepishly.

"I don't believe it! Two brooms! And both CS Nighthawks! Are both of these mine?" Corey asked in awe, grabbing one and clutching it protectively.

"Of course not," Severus said, shaking her head at him. "One of the brooms is… is your Aunt Anna's, obviously," he improvised. Anna, who had just stepped out of the bookcase looking half asleep, suddenly became wide-awake. "And she'd better appreciate it, because those cost more than twice what I paid for your mother's old broom."

Anna, who had already had bad experiences riding a broom, wondered what in the world came over Severus to get her a broom. Jennifer smiled and shrugged at her, giggling nervously. But something against the wall caught Jennifer's eye and she forgot all about the mix-up. It was a very familiar red high-backed chair set against the wall, with a trailing ribbon holding onto a folded note. She already knew who it was from.

A replica for your sitting room to help you relax through the months ahead. ~ A. Dumbledore.

Jennifer sank down into the chair contentedly and looked as if she had no intentions of ever getting up again. Within moments, the others were searching through the presents as well and colored paper was fed onto the Yule Log.

Jennifer, already content with her chair, also got a very lovely set of crystal potion bottles from Corey and Severus who had filled them with balms and lotions they had made for her swollen feet and other aches and pains. Minerva had sent her a wand kit, and Pomona couldn't resist but give her the book, Exotic Herbs and How to Make Them Get Along, and Sagittari had sent her a parcel of homemade baklava. But her favorite gift other than the chair was a small ornate music box made of carved wood and pearl with a tiny dark-cloaked prince kneeling to kiss an auburn-haired sleeping beauty.

Tucked inside was a small note which read: You are forever my sleeping beauty although a prince I'll never be. Of course, if you fancy toads I may be able to arrange that… Severus

Jennifer gazed over at his serene face to exchange a private smile as he looked up from one of the many books he had received, wearing his Chest Cloak that she had repaired for him, adding a heat proof charm to it to go along with the flame proof one "For the next time he wanted to go Dragon Tickling," she had teased. She had also given him an emerald and onyx basilisk-shaped cloak pin. Nearly everyone else had given him books ranging from Experimentation with the Magical Properties of Minerals by N. Flammel (from Dumbledore) to The Count of Monte Cristo (From Anna). Even Sirius gave him books, not that Severus really appreciated getting a copy of Miss Manners, nor the inscription on A Christmas Carol that said: "To the man who makes Scrooge look like Mary Poppins."

"You should have seen what he was going to get him before I stopped him," Anna grimaced when she and Jennifer spoke of it later. "I told him if he didn't get Severus a reasonable gift this year, I was going to strangle him." Anna, it seemed, got mostly clothes from her friends and family from the States and seemed quite elated with that. But she also adored the music box that Severus had given her of a Unicorn in a copse of trees, and the ornate Puzzlebox that Jennifer had given her. Dumbledore had given both Anna and Corey Pensieves, and Severus soon found himself demonstrating how to use them.

Corey couldn't believe he finally managed to get a Christmas with no books or clothes in it. Instead it was filled with gadgets, cards, and lab equipment. Several different people gave him broom kits, enough to last him a lifetime in fact, but Corey couldn't help but get restless an hour later and finally asked if he could go to the broom park to try it out. Anna too, had quickly gotten dressed in her new clothes and wanted to go to Harry's house, and before Jennifer could blink, they were out the door and up the chimney.

"Well! So much for family Christmas!" Jennifer exclaimed.

Then she chuckled softly and shook her head, leaning back in her chair. But Severus didn't seem a bit displeased by the turn of events. Instead, he put down his book and went over to his wife, offering a hand up as she looked thoughtfully up into his revealing eyes.

"Yes, it looks as if I'll get the Christmas I wanted after all," he said.

He face was expressionless despite his intense gaze, knowing full well she could read exactly what he had in mind. Jennifer smiled lovingly as she accepted his hand and stood, while he gathered her new crystal potion set and led her out of the room.