Home for the Holidays
A/N: The twins come home for Christmas. For those of you who aren't aware, biscuit is the British term for cookie.
"When're Danny and Rica gonna be here?" Anna Potter whined.
"Later today, Anna," Minerva McGonagall, Anna's mother, answered patiently. "Your father's bringing them."
"Papa's coming, too?" Anna asked, bright blue eyes wide with delight.
Minerva nodded, smiling. "Yes, Papa's coming as well."
Anna stood still for a moment before whooping her delight. "Yay!"
"Anna, calm down." Minerva sighed and brushed a strand of black hair out of her face. "Your brother's taking a nap."
The four-year-old flinched at her mother's tone and nodded. "I'm sorry, Mama."
Minerva paused in her cooking long enough to stroke her daughter's hair. "It's alright, Anna. Why don't you go read for a bit while I finish baking these biscuits?"
"Are they Ginger Newts?" Anna asked eagerly.
Minerva nodded, laughing. "Yes, and you'll get one when they're done _only_ if you go read quietly, understand?"
Anna nodded vigorously, making her pigtails bob before turning and rushing into the playroom, where her picture books were stored. Minerva turned back to her baking. _Albus, hurry home._
* * *
"Are both of you all packed?" Albus asked, looking down at his stepchildren. The boy nodded and brushed a lock of his messy black hair out of his eyes. The girl smiled and nodded as well, her long brown braid bobbing behind her. "Very well, come along."
They followed their stepfather into his sitting room, where a warm fire blazed. When Albus offered a jar of Floo Powder, each twin took a pinch. Daniel was the first to throw his on the flames, making them blaze higher and turn green. "Leómann Cottage!"
Once the flames were normal, Erica tossed her pinch on the flames and called, "Leómann Cottage!"
Taking one last look around the rooms, Albus tossed a pinch of Floo Powder on the flames and calmly stated, "Leómann Cottage."
After spinning for a few moments, he spotted a familiar living room and clambered out of the fireplace. "Papa!"
"Hello, there, Kitten." Albus smiled as he caught his daughter in a warm hug. Scooping her up, he settled her on his hip and headed for the kitchen, where he could hear the two older children chattering away, with their mother's voice inserting a question now and then. "Have you been good for Mama?"
"Uh-huh." Anna nodded solemnly. "I miss Danny and Rica, though."
Albus chuckled. "I'm sure you do, but they need their education."
Anna made a face as they entered the kitchen. "That's what Mama said."
"What did I say?" Minerva asked, amused.
Albus set his daughter on her feet and walked over to his wife. After kissing her tenderly, he told her, "I'll explain later."
She narrowed her eyes at him, but he merely countered with his calm, twinkling gaze. She sighed and shook her head, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Very well, Albus. Have a seat at the table."
Albus sat down between Daniel and Erica, both of whom were eating biscuits. A few moments later, Anna clambered up into his lap. Once comfortably ensconced, she leaned forward and grabbed a biscuit from the plate in the middle of the table. As she happily began demolishing the biscuit, Albus reached out and snagged a biscuit for himself. Setting a glass of milk out for each of them, Minerva sat down across from her husband with her own glass of milk and helped herself to the biscuits. The five of them were steadily working through the large pile when a little voice from the doorway distracted them. "Mummy?"
Minerva rose and walked over to scoop up her younger son. "Did you have a nice nap, Little One?"
"Uh-huh," the two-year-old nodded, rubbing his dark green eyes with one chubby fist. "Hungwy."
"Have some biscuits and milk," Minerva suggested, gesturing to the table.
Tiberius, however, had spotted his father. "Daddy!"
Albus coaxed Anna from his lap and gestured for Minerva to bring Tiberius to him. The little boy gladly snuggled into his father's arms. "Hello, Tiberius. Have you been good for Mummy?"
The boy nodded. "Wan' biscuit."
Albus picked up a biscuit from the plate and handed it to the little boy. "Here you are."
"Wan' that one." Tiberius pointed to the biscuit his brother had just picked up.
"No, Tiberius, that's your brother's." Albus' voice was gentle, but firm. "You'll have to settle for this one."
"Wan' that one!" Tiberius shouted.
"Tiberius, that's enough." Minerva's voice was firm.
The little boy subsided and ate the biscuit his father handed to him. Minerva's eyes met her husband's and they clearly said 'He's going to be trouble if we're not careful.'
Once the plate was empty, the twins headed upstairs to change out of their school robes. Albus took the two younger ones into the family room and asked Anna to pick out a book for the three of them to read. The little girl chose a book called 'The Night Before Christmas.' With a child nestled on either side of him, Albus began to read.
After a few verses, Minerva entered the room and, changing into her feline form, curled up on her husband's lap. The children weren't the least bit startled by the change and would occasionally stroke the silver tabby as she drowsed in Albus' lap. After another verse, the twins appeared, wearing their regular robes and they sprawled together on the floor at their stepfather's feet, listening to him read. By the time he finished and set the book aside, Anna and Tiberius were fast asleep. Minerva jumped down from Albus' lap and returned to her human form. "It's time little children were in bed."
"Aw, Mum!" Daniel whined, before his sister cuffed him. "Ow!"
"No buts, Danny-boy," she warned him, "and no taking matters into your own hands, Rica."
"Yes, Mum." Daniel got to his feet.
"Yes, Ma." Erica let her brother help her up.
Minerva stooped and kissed each on their foreheads. "Go upstairs and get ready for bed, I'll be up in a minute."
Nodding, the twins trooped upstairs. Turning to the couch, she noticed that Albus had already maneuvered Anna into his arms, but couldn't stand up because Tiberius was leaning against him. Minerva easily scooped the boy up, allowing Albus to carefully stand up. Exchanging smiles, they headed upstairs as well. In no time at all, the four children were tucked into bed and Albus and Minerva were finally alone in their room. Without a word, he drew her into a warm kiss that left both of them breathless.
"Always, Albus."
"Forever, Minerva."
A/N: The twins come home for Christmas. For those of you who aren't aware, biscuit is the British term for cookie.
"When're Danny and Rica gonna be here?" Anna Potter whined.
"Later today, Anna," Minerva McGonagall, Anna's mother, answered patiently. "Your father's bringing them."
"Papa's coming, too?" Anna asked, bright blue eyes wide with delight.
Minerva nodded, smiling. "Yes, Papa's coming as well."
Anna stood still for a moment before whooping her delight. "Yay!"
"Anna, calm down." Minerva sighed and brushed a strand of black hair out of her face. "Your brother's taking a nap."
The four-year-old flinched at her mother's tone and nodded. "I'm sorry, Mama."
Minerva paused in her cooking long enough to stroke her daughter's hair. "It's alright, Anna. Why don't you go read for a bit while I finish baking these biscuits?"
"Are they Ginger Newts?" Anna asked eagerly.
Minerva nodded, laughing. "Yes, and you'll get one when they're done _only_ if you go read quietly, understand?"
Anna nodded vigorously, making her pigtails bob before turning and rushing into the playroom, where her picture books were stored. Minerva turned back to her baking. _Albus, hurry home._
* * *
"Are both of you all packed?" Albus asked, looking down at his stepchildren. The boy nodded and brushed a lock of his messy black hair out of his eyes. The girl smiled and nodded as well, her long brown braid bobbing behind her. "Very well, come along."
They followed their stepfather into his sitting room, where a warm fire blazed. When Albus offered a jar of Floo Powder, each twin took a pinch. Daniel was the first to throw his on the flames, making them blaze higher and turn green. "Leómann Cottage!"
Once the flames were normal, Erica tossed her pinch on the flames and called, "Leómann Cottage!"
Taking one last look around the rooms, Albus tossed a pinch of Floo Powder on the flames and calmly stated, "Leómann Cottage."
After spinning for a few moments, he spotted a familiar living room and clambered out of the fireplace. "Papa!"
"Hello, there, Kitten." Albus smiled as he caught his daughter in a warm hug. Scooping her up, he settled her on his hip and headed for the kitchen, where he could hear the two older children chattering away, with their mother's voice inserting a question now and then. "Have you been good for Mama?"
"Uh-huh." Anna nodded solemnly. "I miss Danny and Rica, though."
Albus chuckled. "I'm sure you do, but they need their education."
Anna made a face as they entered the kitchen. "That's what Mama said."
"What did I say?" Minerva asked, amused.
Albus set his daughter on her feet and walked over to his wife. After kissing her tenderly, he told her, "I'll explain later."
She narrowed her eyes at him, but he merely countered with his calm, twinkling gaze. She sighed and shook her head, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Very well, Albus. Have a seat at the table."
Albus sat down between Daniel and Erica, both of whom were eating biscuits. A few moments later, Anna clambered up into his lap. Once comfortably ensconced, she leaned forward and grabbed a biscuit from the plate in the middle of the table. As she happily began demolishing the biscuit, Albus reached out and snagged a biscuit for himself. Setting a glass of milk out for each of them, Minerva sat down across from her husband with her own glass of milk and helped herself to the biscuits. The five of them were steadily working through the large pile when a little voice from the doorway distracted them. "Mummy?"
Minerva rose and walked over to scoop up her younger son. "Did you have a nice nap, Little One?"
"Uh-huh," the two-year-old nodded, rubbing his dark green eyes with one chubby fist. "Hungwy."
"Have some biscuits and milk," Minerva suggested, gesturing to the table.
Tiberius, however, had spotted his father. "Daddy!"
Albus coaxed Anna from his lap and gestured for Minerva to bring Tiberius to him. The little boy gladly snuggled into his father's arms. "Hello, Tiberius. Have you been good for Mummy?"
The boy nodded. "Wan' biscuit."
Albus picked up a biscuit from the plate and handed it to the little boy. "Here you are."
"Wan' that one." Tiberius pointed to the biscuit his brother had just picked up.
"No, Tiberius, that's your brother's." Albus' voice was gentle, but firm. "You'll have to settle for this one."
"Wan' that one!" Tiberius shouted.
"Tiberius, that's enough." Minerva's voice was firm.
The little boy subsided and ate the biscuit his father handed to him. Minerva's eyes met her husband's and they clearly said 'He's going to be trouble if we're not careful.'
Once the plate was empty, the twins headed upstairs to change out of their school robes. Albus took the two younger ones into the family room and asked Anna to pick out a book for the three of them to read. The little girl chose a book called 'The Night Before Christmas.' With a child nestled on either side of him, Albus began to read.
After a few verses, Minerva entered the room and, changing into her feline form, curled up on her husband's lap. The children weren't the least bit startled by the change and would occasionally stroke the silver tabby as she drowsed in Albus' lap. After another verse, the twins appeared, wearing their regular robes and they sprawled together on the floor at their stepfather's feet, listening to him read. By the time he finished and set the book aside, Anna and Tiberius were fast asleep. Minerva jumped down from Albus' lap and returned to her human form. "It's time little children were in bed."
"Aw, Mum!" Daniel whined, before his sister cuffed him. "Ow!"
"No buts, Danny-boy," she warned him, "and no taking matters into your own hands, Rica."
"Yes, Mum." Daniel got to his feet.
"Yes, Ma." Erica let her brother help her up.
Minerva stooped and kissed each on their foreheads. "Go upstairs and get ready for bed, I'll be up in a minute."
Nodding, the twins trooped upstairs. Turning to the couch, she noticed that Albus had already maneuvered Anna into his arms, but couldn't stand up because Tiberius was leaning against him. Minerva easily scooped the boy up, allowing Albus to carefully stand up. Exchanging smiles, they headed upstairs as well. In no time at all, the four children were tucked into bed and Albus and Minerva were finally alone in their room. Without a word, he drew her into a warm kiss that left both of them breathless.
"Always, Albus."
"Forever, Minerva."