Epilogue: Christmas at the Potters
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I only own what I made up.



BOOM!! The entire house shook under the low rumble.

"James and Darenn!" Ginny yelled. Ginny followed the sound of the explosion into their room.

"That was great!" Darenn cried. Darenn, George, James and Paul were all sitting around the room admiring the fireworks exploding around the room.

"What in Merlin's name is going on in here?" she cried, sounding a bit like her mother.

"Hi Mum!" Darenn grinned. Ginny glared at George.

"Now now Gin," George said and walked over to her. "Come on, see, they don't make a mess and they're gone in a few seconds." Unfortunately he was right.

"Please don't encourage them, George," Ginny scolded.

George smiled and gave his sister a hug. "I love you too, Gin," he mocked. Ginny playfully smacked his shoulder and pushed him away. He laughed and tossed another firework into the air, and the house shook again.

"What are those things?" she asked.

"Mini Miracles," George replied. "They're new. You throw them in the air and they explode without the use of a wand. Its like fireworks filled with glitter and it all disappears within seconds."

Ginny shook her head. "They'll be here any moment. I want you all in the sitting room when they arrive."

George nodded in understanding and turned back to his nephews.

"Five minutes, George," she reminded.

George nodded and she left him to herd the boys into the siting room.

Due to the wager that had been placed on the Quidditch game during the summer, the American Potters were coming to England for the holidays. Harry had left an hour earlier to meet them at the Distance Jumper Station, so they should be arriving back at any moment. The entire Weasley family was there, and a few of the Potter family were coming from American. Andrew and his wife, Hannah and their children Garett and Ali; Ben Jr. and Angela, Julie and Kelsey, and Josh Potter were the only ones coming. Due to the events over the summer, many of the American Potters had opted to stay in American. In the back of his mind, Ginny knew Harry was a tad disappointed, however, she knew that the people who really cared about Harry where the ones who were one their way.

She walked back down the hall and into the sitting room where the majority of the Weasley's were gathered. Ginny smiled at her family. She was happy that they all had agreed to have Christmas at her house this year. Usually it was done at the Burrow, and she had been apprehensive in asking her Mum if it was all right to move it for a year. Molly agreed whole heartily, saying that her kitchen was getting to small for their growing family. Besides, Harry and Ginny's house had enough room to feed the Weasleys and the Potters.

However, getting all of the Potters and the Weasleys had been a bit of a task. The American Potters weren't the problem. It was British ones. Specifically, her eldest son had been the problem. There was a Holiday Ball at Hogwarts this year. James wanted to stay at school for the holidays so he could attend the dance and Harry wanted him home for the entire break. Getting the James home had been a huge row between Harry and James which had ended in a even larger hassle for Ginny. In the end, Ginny had to find the middle ground between the two and suggest that if James was home for Christmas Eve, Christmas day, the New Year, and when the American Potters arrived, then Harry would allow him to attend the Ball on Christmas night. Both father and son ahd agreed. James, Darenn and Reagan had returned home a few days earlier and James and Harry had been walking on eggshells around each other since.

Getting all the Weasleys had been difficult as well. Molly had insisted that every Weasley attend the arrival of the American Potters and the Christmas dinner. Bill and Charlie had been the biggest problems. Charlie, and his wife Caroline, lived in Romania where Charlie was the Head of the Field Office of Dragon Welfare in the Romanian Department of Magical Creatures and Caroline was the Professor of Magical Creatures at the Romanian School for the Magical Arts. Their children, Mackenzie and Jordan, had both attended Hogwarts. Mackenzie had already left Hogwarts and Jordan was a Fifth year.

Bill and his wife Elizabeth lived in Egypt where Bill was a Curse Breaker for the Egypt Branch of Gingotts Bank. Elizabeth was a Egyptian Translator of Hieroglyphics. Their boys, William and Cameron had also attended Hogwarts. William had already left Hogwarts, and Cameron was in his Seventh year. Both Bill and Charlie had a hard time getting time off to come but in the end they were both successful. Their dual success rates could have been in part to the British Minister of Magic requesting they have the time off, but that could also be a perk of being related to her. William and Mackenzie were both Aurors and had been stationed in New York, monitoring for any signs of the Barangers still loyal to Lord Barandor. However, they didn't have as hard of a time getting time off as their fathers had. It might have had something to do with the fact that their Commander in Chief was also their Uncle.

Ginny sat down next to Hermione who was rubbing her head.

"Now, Hermione," Ginny began. "You can't honestly have a headache?"

Hermione managed a smile. "It was a long day at work."

Ginny laughed. "Did you imagine twenty years ago that our lives would be like this?" Hermione chucked and Ginny nudged her.

"Ginny, twenty years ago I was a Sixth year worried about my N.E.W.T.'s," Hermione replied.

"And if Ron was going to ask you to the Yule Ball," Ginny said.

"Well, he did put it off till the last minute!" Hermione exclaimed. "At least Harry asked you weeks in advance."

"Well he had to," Ginny answered. "Neville said that if Harry didn't have any intentions of asking me then he was going to ask me again himself. When Harry asked me, he actually said, 'Would you allow me to save your feet at the dance?'"

"He didn't!" Hermione cried.

Ginny was fighting the fit of giggles in her stomach. "Yes, he did. At first I had no idea what he was talking about. Then he proceeded to explain it to me and we both ended up laughing for hours about it. Neville ended up taking some girl a year younger than him, you know that dark haired girl in my year? Anyway, when we saw Neville and her at the dance we couldn't stop laughing. She had the worst look on her face! I felt so bad, she looked like she was in so much pain!"

"I always wondered why you two kept laughing that year," Hermione said, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh poor Neville!" Ginny giggled. "He turned out okay, though."

"He got honors in Herbology," Hermione pointed out. "And now he works for the British Bureau of Magical Plants and Fungi. He wrote a book too."

"That's true," Ginny replied. "Neville turned out okay. I'm actually quite proud of old Neville. Especially after what he's been through."

"Mum, Dad's almost here," Reagan announced. Ginny nodded at her daughter, still amazed that she shared a magical bond with her husband. Over the past six months, Reagan and Harry had been working to control it. Hermione's idea for them to 'shut their minds, like slamming a door,' had actually worked well. They were still very sensitive of each other, and Reagan's absence at home could have had something to do with its progression.

Reagan sat at Ginny's feet and played with Abby's new black kitten. Hermione had decided that it was important for Abby and Andy to have pets, to teach responsibility ("Honestly, Hermione," Ron had said, "they're six years old!"). Hermione had promptly gotten each twin a kitten, and Ginny was convinced they were part kneazle.

As Ginny opened her mouth to yell for George and the boys, they came into the room, shaking the magical glitter off of their sweaters.

"No worries, Gin!" George said, seeing her expression and he patted her on the shoulder. Ginny rolled her eyes. After the summer, George had been more like, well, his usual self. He was more like he was before Fred died. He was happy and giddy and go-lucky again. Ginny had realized that she missed the goofy George, he George from Fred and George.

"Now, Gin, how weird does this look?" Charlie asked. "They walk in and we're sitting here like a painting."

Ginny sighed. "Would you rather we were standing all over the place?" she asked.

"Yes," several people answered at once.

"Well, as long as we all stay in the same vicinity," she replied. As soon as she spoke, everyone got up and moved around.

"Come on Ginny," Hermione said getting up. "Lets go and check on your Mum." Ginny sighed and followed her sister-in-law through to the kitchen, thinking her husband was insane for wanting thirty seven of his relatives under their roof.

The house elves had been busy all week long preparing for their guests. The enormous Christmas tree sat magnificently in the middle of the living room, with beautiful gold decorations. Greenery was draped throughout the house with red bows, and tiny candles accenting them wonderfully. Luxurious tents had been set up in the backyard for the American Potters to stay in, and they had all been reinforced with Warming charms. Ginny had inspected them earlier this morning and was pleased to see that there were decorations in their as well.



Meanwhile, outside, in the cold British winter...

"Now, Harry, where do you plan to put us all?" Andrew asked as they walked towards the door.

"Oh, we put up makeshift tents in the back," Harry replied.

"Tents, like camping tents?" Angela asked.

"No, more like guesthouses," Harry explained. He stopped when he got to the door.

"Now explain to me why we arrived outside your house?" Andrew asked.

"Because the wards on the house won't allow Apparating or Portkeys inside the house," Harry answered. "And there were too many of you to Floo in." He glanced in the window and saw Ginny in the kitchen talking to Hermione. Reagan came in and excitedly said something to her mother. Ginny smoothed her daughter's hair and the two women followed the eager First year into the other room.

"Ready?" he asked looking at his American relatives. They all nodded energetically either from excitement or from the cold. He turned and opened the door, inviting his new family into his home.

"We're here!" he cried into the house. He lead his foreign relatives into the sitting room where the majority of the Weasleys seemed to be located.

"Hey!"

"Hello!"

A chorus of welcomes came at them as they entered the room. The American Potters looked a bit shocked to see a room full of red headed people.

Harry smiled and introduced everyone to each other. Mackenzie, Cameron, William and Philip, the four eldest Weasley grandchildren, came and took their luggage. Harry motioned towards the entry where the house elves would take the luggage to the tents.

"Welcome to England!" Hermione was saying to the Potters and shaking their hands. George was somewhere in the mix of people, his laugh could be heard distinctively over the noise. Harry stood and grinned like a twiterpated school boy.

"Harry," Ginny said touching his arm. He looked at her, thankful for what he had. For what he had almost lost.

"Hey, Gin," he said pulling her close to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Am I? Are you kidding me? I'm great."

"Good," she replied.

"I never thought this was possible," he admitted.

"What?"

"This. Having the Potters and the Weasleys under the same roof."

Ginny smiled at her husband. "It can happen again, you know."

"I know," he sighed. "Its just one of those silly dream come true kind of things."

Ginny laughed. "Well, is there any other dream you want to come true, Mr. Potter?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that an invitation, Mrs. Potter?"

"Harry!" she exclaimed and batted his playfully. "Keep it PG, okay?"

"I'll try," he laughed. "Merry Christmas, Ginny."

"Merry Christmas, Harry," she replied and snuggled into his chest.

"Urh," he groaned.

"Harry," Ginny warned.

"No, not that. Its just..." Harry looked over towards the kitchen. Ginny followed his glance and saw Reagan standing with her arms crossed.

"You two have got to get better at that."

"I know, I know, but I'm hungry too!" he said. Ginny laughed at him and made an attempt to move everyone towards the dining room. Harry watched as his wife moved his family out of the sitting room and towards the dining room and smiled for what he had. He had what he had always wanted: Ginny, James, Darenn, Reagan, Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys; a family.

With that, Harry went into the dining room, no longer able to control his stomach from rumbling.



A/N: Thank Merlin, I'm done! I think I'm going to cry! My first fan fic! All grown up and moving on! Okay now, seriously, thank you to everyone who reviewed, it is so encouraging to read what you all think. The 'twiterpated' comment is form Disney's Bambi. Oh, and to I started on the sequel. Fasten your seat belts, that will be a bumpy ride! But you might have to wait a week or two, you know, to let everything settle. But keep checking! If you want an e-mail when I post the sequel, leave me your e-mail address in the review box. And if you take the time to open the review box and log in (and even if you don't log in) would you be so kind to tell me what you thought of my very first fan fic. I would deeply appreciate it. Thanks! ~EE