Chapter Seventeen: Christmas Eve
The following day was Christmas Eve, and those already at Potter Manor were preparing for the guests who were scheduled to arrive that evening. Dumbledore had accepted the invitation to come, as had Hermione's parents, who had expected Hermione home for the holidays before receiving her message sent through Dumbledore that she had been called to Potter Manor the night before she was due home. They were, according to Dumbledore, confused, but willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and join them there.
Remus, of course, was staying, as well as all of the Weasleys. Tonks and Kingsley, both alone, had accepted the invitation to come for the holidays, as well.
Perhaps the most surprising of all was that of Professor Snape who, while declining to come and stay, had accepted the invitation to Christmas dinner. Harry and the others had been stunned when Dumbledore told them this.
Harry had been attempting to wrap his gifts, without much luck, when there was a soft knock on his bedroom door. Quickly he covered over the pile of gifts with his duvet and called out.
"Come in."
"Harry?" Ginny stuck her head around the door. "I thought you could use some help?"
"Could I?" He sighed. "I'm hopeless at this, Ginny."
He threw back the duvet, showing her the pile of unwrapped gifts and she laughed. "You went all out, didn't you?"
He looked uncomfortable. "I didn't want anyone here to not have a gift..."
Ginny's brown eyes turned up to him, suddenly understanding. "There weren't many gifts in your childhood, were there?"
"No," Harry admitted. "None, really, until I came to Hogwarts... and met your family."
"Was Christmas..." Ginny hesitated, wondering how far she should go with her questioning. "Did the Dursley's celebrate Christmas?"
"Of course," Harry said. "I just wasn't allowed to take part."
"You... weren't?" she asked, seemingly innocently.
"No," Harry said softly, remembering. "I sat in my closet on Christmas day. Actually, on most of the days that Uncle Vernon was home and didn't have anything for me to do."
"Oh, Harry!"
Harry was startled out of his memory and looked over at her. There were tears running down her cheeks.
"Ginny, it's okay..."
"No, no, it's not! How could anyone treat a child like that... like... like a vacuum cleaner!"
Harry laughed. "Not quite. They fed me... and made sure I bathed, and Aunt Petunia even cut my hair once..."
"Harry," Ginny said, getting to her knees and moving over to him, pushing aside Ron's gift to climb into his lap and wrap her arms around him. "That's not caring... that's not what children need."
"I know that, Gin... but it's all I had. I made do."
"You will never have to 'make do' again, Harry," she whispered, kissing him softly. "Not while I'm here."
At that moment, there was another light knock on the door and Mrs Weasley walked in, looking askance at them sitting curled together, the duvet in a pile next to them.
"Ginny!"
"Mum..."
"You are not to be in Harry's room with the door closed again, do you understand me?"
"Mum!"
"It's okay, Gin... Mrs Weasley, it's really not what it looks like..."
"I should hope not!" Molly was angry. Really, really, angry.
"Mrs Weasley!"
But Molly hand swung around and left, quickly. Ginny kissed Harry quickly and followed.
"Don't worry, Harry. I'll talk to her."
Harry sighed, and continued wrapping his gifts.
"Mum!" Ginny called, following the furious Molly down the hall and staircase and into the kitchen. "Mum!"
"Ginevra Weasley, I am furious!" Molly turned on her, her eyes snapping. "I cannot believe that you were..."
"But I wasn't, Mum. I was comforting him. He'd just told me that the only Christmas presents he'd ever received have been since he came to school. They used to make him sit in that ruddy closet all day, Mum, listening to them celebrate Christmas!"
Molly looked horrified. "They didn't?"
"They did," Ginny said. "I went in there to help him, because I knew that he was wrapping his presents, and he's terrible at it... and it just came out... I... I didn't know what else to do, so I crawled into his lap and held him... what you saw..."
"Oh, Ginny!" Molly sighed, her eyes sad, as she sat down heavily at the kitchen table.
"I know, Mum... I can't bear thinking of..."
Molly looked up at her. Ginny's eyes blazed with anger.
"I want to hex them into next bloody week!"
"But..."
"And what really, really frosts me..." Ginny began pacing, working up a good head of steam. "What really burns me, Mum, is that he still bought that horrible woman a gift!"
"He what?"
"He bought her a gift!"
"How do you...?"
"He went off into Diagon Alley alone with Remus the other day... I know he went shopping... and..."
"Ginny?"
"Who would he be buying a gift for that he couldn't buy with us there?" she asked. "I just know he's still..."
"Ginny, I think you should leave that for now, love," Molly said calmly. "I'm sure that Harry..."
"How can they continue to hurt him like this, Mum?" Ginny turned tearful eyes on her mother. "He was just a little boy... how could they..."
"I know, I know..." Molly stood and pulled her now-sobbing daughter into her arms.
Ginny sobbed. "I hate them... I wish I'd turned her into a toad while I had the chance..."
"No, you don't love."
"Yes, I do!"
"No, you don't, because deep down you know that that wouldn't do Harry any good at all."
"But..."
"He's still Harry, Ginevra. Imagine how strong he had to be to come through that and still be this wonderful person we know."
"I know, I know, Mum... I'm so scared..."
"Of what, love?" Molly looked down at her, truly surprised.
"That he'll figure out that I'm just Ginny Weasley... that..."
"'Just Ginny Weasley'?" Molly smiled. "And what is so wrong with Ginny Weasley that might change Harry Potter's mind about her?"
"That she's not as brave as he is, that she's not..."
"Oh, Ginny..." Molly hugged her and smiled. "You have no idea of how brave you are..."
"Mum?"
"Love... you are brave enough to love a man like Harry. That's going to be an incredible challenge at times."
"Loving Harry is easy," Ginny sighed. "It's wondering if he really loves me that is hard."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure he does," Molly smiled. "Now, off you go, love. He has presents to wrap, and as you said, he's hopeless at it."
Ginny nodded and wiped her teary eyes with her palms. Sometimes she really didn't understand her mother.
The twins arrived late that afternoon, having closed up the shop at noon, closely followed by Dumbledore and later, Tonks and Kingsley. They all debated going out in search of a real tree to cut and bring into the lounge to decorate, until Dumbledore offered to transfigure one from a bookcase.
The tree in place, Harry, Arthur and Ron flooed back to the Burrow and retrieved the boxes of decorations which Ginny insisted on using, despite Harry's offer to have new ones delivered from Diagon Alley. While they were gone, Molly popped popcorn and Ginny and Hermione, with Remus' rather inept help, strung it with cranberries on long strings to hang about the tree.
"It isn't silver, is it?" Remus eyed the needle that Ginny was holding out to him with a rather determined look on her face.
"It's steel," she said shortly. "It can't hurt you, Remus."
"Tell me again," Remus said a short while later, after poking his finger for the dozenth time, "Why we can't use magic to do this?"
"The magic ones always fall apart before the end of the holidays," Ginny said. "And besides... this is more fun."
At that, Hermione snorted, poking herself again in the process. "Ow!"
"Hmmm," Remus sounded doubtful.
"Don't you have that done yet?" Molly asked, placing another huge bowl of popped popcorn beside Remus, who tossed down his needle and stood.
"Right. I'm off... I've got one more thing to do before this evening, and I'm going to do it. Now."
The three women watched him go, varying looks of surprise on their faces. As the door closed behind him, they burst into laughter.
Remus winced as he heard it, walking away towards the den. He entered, and closed the door behind him, sighing.
"Remus?" Lily's voice came from the fireplace.
"Lils... where is James?" Remus looked at the empty spot where James normally stood.
"He's discovered he can move from painting to painting... he's gone to have a look about."
"Oh," Remus came in and sat in front of the painting. "I'm sorry, Lily."
"Remus?"
"I tried, I really did."
"Tried what?"
"To be there, for Harry," Remus looked up at her with sad eyes. "I checked in on him, really I did..."
"Remus, why did you decide to hand him over to Petunia and Vernon?"
"I didn't," Remus admitted.
"You... but..."
"I wasn't given the option, Lily... I was... well, when it happened it was while I was... indisposed. And Sirius... Sirius was in Azkaban... and..."
"Sirius was in Azkaban?" Lily retorted. "When?"
"After you died, Lily. They said that Sirius did it... everyone thought that he was your secret-keeper, and Peter..."
"Peter? Peter is dead, too?" Lily sounded faint.
"No, Lils... Peter gave you away. He's... he's in league with Voldemort."
Lily's face, if possible, went even whiter. "Wait here, Remus... we need to talk... but I need to go and find James. Stay here!"
"So, you're telling me that..." James looked furious. "You're telling me that Harry was given to Petunia and Vernon the night we died, and stayed there, knowing nothing of our world, until he got his Hogwarts letter?"
"Yes," Remus said. "I checked in on him, when I could. I didn't realize... I knew that he wasn't happy there, and I spoke to Dumbledore several times about it, but..."
"But Dumbledore wouldn't allow you to take him?" Lily asked.
"Take him where, Lily? I had nothing... no home... I couldn't get a job..."
"What about here?" Lily asked faintly. "Potter Manor?"
"It wasn't safe for him... to be with me..."
"I refuse to believe," James said softly, looking directly at Remus, "That you, in any form, would have hurt him."
"It was felt that Harry needed to be away from the magical world... to not grow up being the centre of attention..."
"Well, Albus certainly accomplished that... bloody Vernon Dursley..." James paced in the portrait. "For the first time in my life, Lils, I wish there was a painting of us in that house... I'd bloody well..."
"I know, James... I know," Lily said sadly. "My sister... my own sister..."
"Harry fared well," Remus said. "Which I am eternally grateful for. I think... I think he's stronger for it... but..."
"But?"
"But he's unsure... he's wary of affection... doesn't allow anyone too close..."
"Except Ginny Weasley," Lily said softly.
"Except Ginny... and that's only because she refuses to back off. Believe me, Harry tried."
"Tried?"
"Ginny's had a crush on him forever... Harry used to push her away, until young Miss Weasley figured out that if he thought she was over him, he'd actually treat her like a friend... it progressed from there."
"Ah... the old feint and switch," James nodded. "Smart girl."
Remus laughed. "That she is."
"My poor baby..." Lily said sadly. "Oh, Remus..."
"I'm sorry, Lils... looking back, I know that there was so much more I could have done, but at the time..."
"No, you did what you could, Remus..." Lily sighed. "I just wish I'd been..."
"As do we all, Lily," Remus said, his sad eyes on the long-dead witch. "As do we all."
A/N – Okay, I have been asked why this story has an "R" rating... I'd like to point out what an "R" rating means on this site:
"R Restricted-Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian : This signifies that the rating board has concluded that the film rated contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their children to see it. An R may be assigned due to, among other things, a film's use of language, theme, violence, sex or its portrayal of drug use."
As opposed to an NC17 rating (which is not allowed on this fan fiction site):
"NC-17 No One 17 and Under Admitted (Not allowed on This signifies that the rating board believes that most American parents would feel that the film is patently adult and that children age 17 and under should not be admitted to it. The film may contain explicit sex scenes, an accumulation of sexually-oriented language, or scenes of excessive violence. The NC-17 designation does not, however, signify that the rated film is obscene or pornographic."
Some readers have objected to even the merest hint of sexuality or sexual activity in my stories, and because of that, I have taken a hardline on rating – as the site suggests that we authors do:
"Use the guide above to properly categorize your entry. If uncertain, always use the highest rating possible. does not allow the submission of NC-17 based entries and it is presented for reference only."
There have been fics on here that have had to re-rate up, after being informed that the PG13 rating doesn't cut it. Therefore, I have chosen to rate high, and not risk offending anyone. Trust me – those are flames you do NOT want to get. It's best to be on the safe side. You'll also note that I make specific note at the beginning of any chapter that I feel might bother some of my younger or more sensitive readers. I do this because I want you to keep reading, but only what you're comfortable with. I love the fact that so many people read my fics – and I don't ever want anyone to feel misled.
Now, on to other matters, my hand seems to be getting better. I want to thank you all for the concern you've shown... it is appreciated. The problem is not an injury, or arthritis – I have MS, and this is simply a paresthesic episode. It will pass, or so they tell me. In the meantime, thank you all for being so patient with my lack of response to what are the greatest reviewers on earth – you all rock.
CQ
