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Bold = Parseltongue

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December 25, 1948

Christmas

"Good morning, my darling," Elaine said, her face but an inch from his when he opened his eyes.

Normally, Harry wasn't all that fond of being woken up from a deep, comfortable, and sound sleep. He supposed he could make an exception for his nearly-naked, pregnant, and powerful wife… just this once.

"G'morning, El-" Harry yawned, cutting himself off. "Elaine."

Elaine smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "You're so wonderfully cute, Harry. Those yawns, your morning voice, the groans you make when you've finally risen for the day — to think it's all mine for as long as time continues is a wonderful present. When I think of how no other woman will ever hear or see you in such a state, the thought of our immense time together only grows sweeter."

Uhuh, He thought, She's exceptionally sappy this morning, something in the Wizengamot must've gone awry.

"I'm happy you think I'm cute," He said, tossing the sheets from his body as he stretched his arms over his head.

Elaine's eyes went from his face down to his chest and arms. She enjoyed every second she could see him in any state of undress, for despite their long relationship, he was still a bit 'prudish' in her words.

"It's a shame I'm already pregnant, I would've liked to try for a child on Christmas day," Elaine commented, her eyes still roaming the bits of skin he was showing.

"Yeah, I'm su- Wait! It's Christmas, why aren't we downstairs by the tree already?" Harry rolled out of bed and practically dove for his clothes. Whilst he was dressing and getting ready to race down their stairs to the parlour room, he took notice that Elaine was still idle on the bed. "What're you doing? Let's get down to the tree and open our gifts. There's a lot I've been waiting for you to open."

"There's a minor issue," Elaine said then, her face conveying no remorse or other apologetic emotion, rather, she seemed a touch annoyed; he'd spent enough time with her to know that it wasn't directed at him.

"Go on," Harry said cautiously, his trousers now on as he worked to button up his shirt.

"Through no fault of my own, there's a situation with a political opponent. You remember Canyon Striker, I'm sure. He was Marcus Potter's dog, and now he's made aspirations towards Head Auror," Elaine was smiling beautifully, charmingly even, whilst she spoke — the fact she was doing so even as she ripped apart a stuffed rabbit on their bed conveyed her true emotions despite her outward appearance. "I'd like to handle him."

Harry held up a hand. "The dea—" Elaine cut him off before he could finish.

"I'll not kill him, the deal's a deal, my love. Nothing between the pair of us will be forgotten, redacted or modified. I swore it to you and you to me, thus it shall be for as long as we live," Elaine assured him, the woman crawling across the bed with her pregnant belly scraping the sheets. "I would like to buy him off, and should that fail, assign him a position that'll make it nearly impossible for him to leave. In the event that neither option is viable, he'll be at the centre of a scandal within the next month."

"Fine, fine," Harry said, waving his hand as he moved closer to Elaine. "Let's go celebrate our Christmas now, wife. It's our first one together as a real married couple after those years of… issues, after all."

Elaine's smile shrunk and the tiniest of dimples were visible on her pale face. Smaller and less pronounced on her beautiful face as it was, Harry knew it was a true smile. It wasn't one done for intimidation or anything of that sort, it was his wife, the woman he'd come to love after no small amount of time, truly enjoying the moment with him.

He lived for times like that.

"I'm not one for Christmas over Yule, normally. But I must admit, Harry, there's a certain charm to your decorating abilities and the spirit you're in at this time of year," Elaine stood up beside him then, her taller height showing. "I've a surprise for you downstairs, by the way. You'll enjoy it, especially when you know I didn't need to invade your mind to ensure you'd like it."

"You've gotten better at that," Harry said with a smile and roll of his eyes.

Elaine raised a brow at him as the two started walking. "Have you not learned that I'm the best at everything, regardless of how minute or challenging it can be for others? Only you have the capability to match me in any and all aspects, hence my calling you my one and only equal when we first began our relationship all those years ago."

"I remember now," Harry said dryly as the two came to a stop at their tree, a myriad of gifts that spanned from wall to wall ending under it. "You're opening the first gift, you know."

"No," Elaine said simply, shaking her head as she pulled him down onto the couch beside her before calling out for an elf. Only a few quick orders later, a gift was in his lap with Elaine's head on his shoulder and the fireplace started. "You'll open your best gift first so that I can enjoy your reaction without any diluting of other gifts. I've heard from you before how fulfilling the gift of giving can be, though I'll admit, it's likely only in regards to those you care about."

Harry kissed Elaine's cheek. "It's more pronounced with people you know and love. Speaking of that, we'll have to see the others tonight, before Christmas ends — Corene, Aster, Daphne, they'll all likely be waiting for us."

"You're lucky that we're already expecting, else you wouldn't be leaving our home this evening. Do open your gift now, patience isn't something I'm overly fond of, my love, and I'd like nothing more than to snog you senseless once you see what's within that box," Elaine's words were serious with only the slightest touch of eagerness in her undertone.

Harry obliged her quickly, and when he opened the small box, he saw something he couldn't believe. Especially with her extreme loathing for them.

"Two?" He asked, his eyes solely on her stomach.

Elaine nodded. "Two, and that is their first picture — we'll keep it framed in our bedroom so long as the earth continues."

"We will," Harry agreed before he initiated a soft, caring, and altogether un-Elaine-like kiss.

He was going to be a daddy, and crazier yet, a daddy to twins on their first try.

Merlin, life was good… when Elaine was good.