Sorry, I have no idea what problems had I just know that no new chapter was showing until (here) in the morning (so at least I wasn't the only one it didn't work for).

Chapter 17

Merry Christmas

Angelina walked through the crowded street of Diagon Alley, trying to avoid anyone as people were rushing by while they tried to get the last Christmas presents.

She reached with her hand into her pocket and touched the soft fabric she felt inside. Relieved to find it still there she dodged a young woman who was rushing through the street, moving that her stomach showed away from the woman. She should have taken Dyson up on his offer to accompany her but she had wanted to keep what was inside her pocket a secret and she wasn't sure whether or not Dyson would have been able to not tell his cousin anything.

Two hands on her shoulders brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up to meet a pair of brown eyes looking down at her.

"Oliver."

"Are you alright? You look tired." Oliver said and frowned down at her. Angelina smiled up at him and shook her head.

"Just tired of this crowd here. I was trying to get somewhere from where I could apparate home."

"How about we have a cup of tea together before you head home again?" Oliver asked her and Angelina didn't have to think long about it before she agreed. They went into a café and sat down at a table by a window.

"How have you been in the past weeks?" Oliver asked her after they had ordered each a cup of tea. "I read those articles in the Daily Prophet." Angelina sighed and looked down at the table.

Adrian's meeting with his lawyer had been a success. The Daily Prophet had posted a verification on the front page the next day. Camille had to pay dearly for the article. Just this morning Dyson had told them that her family had sent her to Siberia to marry a friend of her father. Her family saw no way to get her back into Britain's society after she had caused such a scandal.

"Angel? Are you sure you're okay?" Oliver asked her worriedly. Angelina looked up again and nodded.

"Yes, it's just, about the article… I …"

"You don't have to say anything about it."

"Don't you want to know if it was true or not?" Angelina asked silently.

"No. Whatever it was that you went through in the past years, I know you don't want to talk about. If you ever need someone to talk to about it, I'm there for you, but I won't press you for any information on it."

Angelina smiled relieved and took Oliver's hand in her own.

"Thank you."

"That's what friends are there for, right?" he smiled back at her.

"I can barely remember what Christmas was like." Julia whispered while she stood in front of the huge Christmas tree. Angelina kneed behind her and moved her arms around her sister to hug her.

While she watched the decorated tree she could exactly remember how Christmas had been with her parents. Could remember the scent of biscuits and the fir filling the house, the rooms she wasn't allowed to go into before Christmas because her presents were hidden there, the anticipation when she had to go to bed and could barely bring herself to sleep because she didn't want to miss Father Christmas. And then, the next morning she had woken up and the floor around the tree had been covered in presents from Father Christmas.

The last time she had celebrated Christmas with her parents had been five years ago. Before the war. Before her parents had died. Before…

"Looks like the Christmas angels have appeared early this year." Dyson's voice brought her back from her thoughts. Angelina arose and turned around to greet him. His nose and cheeks were red and he was rubbing his hands together.

"Why didn't you just apparate here?" she asked when he took off his scarf and his coat.

"Because I like being outside at this time of the year." He said and smiled at Julia before he lifted the girl into his arms.

"I could already smell the snow today." He spoke matter-of-factly and Julia beamed when she heard this.

"Do you think we will get real snow for Christmas? Real white snow? I can't remember snow. Have I ever been in the snow?" she asked Angelina.

"Yes, I remember Dad built you a snow house right before Christmas."

"Can we build one when it really snows?" Julia asked and looked pleadingly at her sister.

"Of course. I just fear we won't manage to make it bigger than you are this time." Dyson put Julia down again and they watched her as she ran out of the room calling back something about her going outside and smell for herself for the snow.

"Where's Adrian?" Dyson asked as he turned back to Angelina.

"In the library."

Dyson nodded and headed out of the room as well.

Angelina wasn't sure what had woken her up. It certainly wasn't Adrian for he was still lying sound asleep behind her with his arm around her waist and his face buried in her hair. So she kept her eyes closed and listened trying to hear something that was out of the ordinary. But there was not a single sound.

When she finally opened her eyes she almost hit Adrian's face with her head. Julia was standing next to the bed, her teddy in her arm and a big smile on her face.

Angelina gazed at the clock and when she saw where the hands were she fought down the urge to curse. It was too early for her to be awake. Maybe it was just her having gotten used to sleeping long, but right now seven o'clock sounded like the middle of the night to her.

"Julia, what…" she whispered and cleared her throat. She wasn't even awake enough to speak yet.

"It's Christmas." Julia beamed at her sister. "And it has snowed!"

Angelina could hear Adrian groan against her neck at this early waking call.

"You said we could build a snow house." Julia reminded Angelina of her promise and looked expectantly at her. Adrian slowly lifted his head from his 'pillow' and looked at Julia.

"You know, when I was your age the last thing on my mind on Christmas morning was the weather. I was way too occupied with opening the presents. Has this changed since I was a child?" He wondered, the last sentence directed at Angelina while Julia's eyes grew wide.

"I get presents?"

"'Course. Father Christmas came here just after you've gone to sleep and left about a zillion packets all with your name on them."

If possible, Julia's eyes grew even wider and her mouth opened slowly. But she soon closed it again and frowned, obviously thinking hard about something. Finally she came to a decision.

"Can we make the snow house after the presents?" she asked Angelina and looked apologizing at her older sister. Angelina fought hard to fight a grin.

"Of course."

Julia hurried to the door and was almost out of the room before she turned back around.

"Aren't you coming?" she frowned at the couple in the bed.

"Just give us five minutes." Adrian promised her and Julia nodded before she closed the door. She sat down on the staircase and waited impatiently for five minutes to be over.

Adrian kissed Angelina's shoulder and pulled her closer to him, taking pleasure in the warmth of her body against his.

"I guess we better get up then." He murmured though he made no move to get out of the bed.

"Yes, but therefore you have to let go of me, so I can leave the bed." Angelina told him and finally, under protest, Adrian did so.

Luckily Julia had no idea how long five minutes were – other than they were very long today – and so she didn't notice that it took Angelina and Adrian almost ten minutes before they emerged the bedroom to head downstairs with her.

Julia had opened all her presents and was already playing with them when Angelina handed Adrian a small wrapped package.

"What is it?" he asked and looked asking at her.

"Open it." Angelina said and noticed that her hands were sweating when Adrian opened the present.

"We will need them in a few months." Angelina told him while he stared at the small shoes in the box. His eyes moved back to her face and for several seconds he only stared at her.

"We're getting a baby?" He finally managed to ask.

"Well," Angelina started "Actually I'm the one who'll grow fat, get mood swings and have to press the baby out of an opening that is too small but I guess that means, yes, we're getting a baby."

Adrian's eyes dropped to her stomach and swallowed. He would be a father. A smile tugged at his lips. He would really be a father. Angelina watched him closely and saw the smile spreading over his face, not only reaching his mouth but his eyes as well. And though she didn't know it yet, the nightmares that had been part of her for the past four years would never return to her at nights.