Chapter 16: White Christmas
A/N: Okay, this is a bit of a diversion from the main plot line. I just wanted to have a bit of a fluffy chapter after all the heaviness of the last few chapters. I thought a little Christmas chapter might be sweet, so I put that in. I hope you like it! The next chapter will get back to everything going on! Enjoy!
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Raoul's POV
A few weeks passed in peace in mine and Christine's lives. The Christmas season had arrived and Paris was covered in pure white snow. People were bustling about, buying presents for their loved ones and decorating Christmas trees. My wound was healing nicely, and the doctor had said that by the new year I would be able to return to work and resume my duties at the opera. I was glad of this, for being cooped up in the house didn't suit me. I had been out a few times to visit friends, or taking Christine to dinner, and the times had been most enjoyable, except for the fact that everyone was either staring at me or rushing up to ask me how I was. I appreciated their concern, but the constant attention was tiring. The best times over the past few weeks had been spent alone with Christine. We would read together, or she would sing and I would play the violin, or sometimes we would sit and talk, just holding each other. We had gone for one short walk on the horses, but it had only been for a few minutes, because it tired me out.
Now however, I sat in one of the front pews of Notre Dame Cathedral, watching as Christine sang a solo version of O' Come All Ye Faithful as the bishop and the altar servers recessed down from the altar, their candles glowing. Madame Giry and Meg sat on one side of me, while Lucien and Phillipe sat on the other. The Cathedral was filled to the brim with people for the seven o'clock Christmas Eve mass. I gazed at Christine as she sang, a smile on my face. She wore a red dress that was made of the finest silk. It was beautiful; it fell to the floor and the sleeves poofed out just below her shoulders. She had half of her hair tied back with a red ribbon, leaving the rest of the mahogany curls to fall down her back. Her cheeks were rosy, her chocolate eyes shining. I smiled; it gave my heart joy to see the bliss that song gave her. Her final note rang out, and it sounded as though heaven itself had graced the congregation with its presence. Her angelic voice reminded me for a moment of the man who had helped her to attain that voice. I had been truly grateful for the help that he had given to us concerning to gypsies, and I could still hardly believe he had done it. But it had been a hard and awkward situation for Christine and I both. It had brought back memories that neither of us cared to relive, especially Christine. The two of us had had a long conversation after he left, and had decided to accept his help if he offered it again, for it would be in our best interests to have all the help offered to stop these gypsies. And if he was generous enough to offer it, I knew we could unite against this common enemy. I had still been a bit reluctant, but I had agreed in order to keep Christine safe. But one thing we both knew; we had to be very careful in this endeavor. It was an intensely complicated issue, considering the emotions between the three of us.
People began filing out of the Cathedral, snapping me out of the reverie. I waved to a few friends and then met Christine, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"That was wonderful, love." I said with a smile.
"Thankyou," she grinned. " I enjoyed it. I'm glad that Father Perrier asked me to do it." She paused to look out at my pocket watch. " Oh, we had better go or we'll be late for your Aunt's Christmas party."
I nodded, and after bidding a Merry Christmas to the Giry's, we set off. Phillipe and Lucien were going to the party as well, but they had to run a few errands first. Christine and I walked out into the chilly December air, snowflakes falling around us. The city was lit up with festive lights and people were milling about marveling at the beauty of it. Christine and I climbed into the carriage, but before we set off I pulled a small box out of my pocket. Christine looked at me curiously.
"What is that Raoul? We don't open our presents until Christmas morning."
"I know, but I thought I'd give you this one small thing now. I know you don't always enjoy these parties, so I thought I'd do this." I said as I opened the box to reveal a pair of golden earrings in the shape of music notes.
She gasped as she took the box slowly from my hands, and replaced her pearl earrings with these. "Raoul these are beautiful, I love them." she said as she straightened them in her ears.
"Just a little something for you to wear to the party," I said, gleeful at the fact that she liked them. "They suit you."
She grinned as she leaned in to capture my lips with hers. Once we broke apart, we both smiled sheepishly and she straightened my red tie and waistcoat that she had picked out for me to wear on Christmas. She then brushed off the sleeve of my black tuxedo.
"Do I look presentable now?" I asked, chuckling.
"Yes," she said. "Quite."
We set off then, the horses white coats matching the snow on the ground. My elderly aunt lived mere minutes from Notre Dame, right in the center of Paris. She resided in an old, huge, but elegant town house. She had helped raise me after my parents had passed away when I was twelve, and she was one of the most well known women in Paris; she beared the de Chagny name with pride. She had also been one of the main suuporters in my family for mine and Christine's marriage, being the one that had convinced Phillipe that it would make me the happiest man in the world.
We pulled up in front of the grand house, behind a line of many other carriages. A young stable boy approached us and took the horses for me. I smiled at him and pressed a few francs into his hands for his trouble. He looked tired already, and taking care of horses for hours would wear him down; it was the least I could do. I helped Christine out of the carriage and she held my hand loosely in hers. She seemed less tense and happy, and I was relieved. When we entered we were greeted by a throng of people, but we eventually found a table that Lucien had reserved for us. He grinned at us as we approached. I was actually a bit surprised to see him; he wasn't much for social occassions. But seeing as my aunt simply adored him, he had decided to come.
"Hello there Lucien." I said as Christine and I took out seats and began to sip champagne. "I thought you were bringing Meg with you?"
"I was, but she wanted to spend Christmas with her mother, so I understood." he answered.
"I'm glad you decided to come Lucien." said Christine.
"Yes, this should be enjoyable. But look out, here comes Aunt Gabriella at 12 o'clock." he said, chuckling.
Just as he said this, my aunt rushed over to us and enveloped me in her perfume soaked embrace. "Raoul darling, how are you feeling? You seemed to be in a bit of pain still when I visited you last week." She asked in an excited rush.
I laughed and kissed her wrinkled hand. "I'm doing much better, thankyou. This is a wonderful party."
"Yes, I was hoping it would be. I do love Christmas." she said, turning to Christine.
"Christine dear, how are you! I see that you are starting to show!" she said gleefully, gesturing to Christine's growing stomach.
Christine smiled broadly as she kissed my aunt on the cheek. "Its good to see you again. We're very excited about the baby."
"As well you should be dear, its a very wonderful time. I do remember when my first one came, I was ecstatic. Speaking of her, she should be around here somewhere." She said, reffering to my cousin Lunette.
We chatted for a few more minutes until Aunt Gabriella became involved in questioning Lucien about Meg. I took this opportunity to ask Christine to dance. She gladly accepted and we glided out onto the smooth dance floor, where a slow, romantic waltz was taking place. The room was covered in garland with red bows, and a large but elegant Christmas tree stood in the corner of the room by the windows. The lights were dimmed slightly, setting a calm, peaceful mood, much like the one on the very first Christmas that had ever taken place; I now fully understood why they said that 'It came upon a midnight clear.' And to be sure, it was a most welcome atmosphere to Christine and I, after what we had been through over the past weeks. And at that moment, I thanked God for all of the blessings that had been bestowed on me, despite the hardship that I had endured lately. I twirled Christine about, then pulled her close. She looked up into my eyes with genuine happiness.
"Merry Christmas, Raoul,"
"And Merry Christmas to you too, Little Lotte"
A/N: Sooooooo sorry for the long wait, school is insane! Research papers, tests, scholarship applications. Anyway I hope that the wait won't be as long for the next chapter! Thanks for all of the reviews, I really appreciate them! I will also try to do a better job of answering them next time! Please, read and review!