Presents at the Burrow

"Scorpius here is new to our little tradition so I will explain how this works. Now that everyone has already opened their individual gifts, we can get to the special Albus round. Since every year Albus crafts most of his presents using his own magic, it is tradition for him to present each gift to the familyhimself and to receive a gift in turn from each of us." Molly Weasley had had to yell to be heard over the giddy noises of happy children and the drunken laughter of the adults.

"Alright everyone! Given that Ferret Face, erm… Given that Draco has actually gotten something for Albus that we didn't have time to open at the Manor, why don't we see what the old codger got him." Harry could barely contain his delight at watching my expression. It struck me as odd that Harry could ever be as jovial a man as he was, having lived through the wars. Harry didn't seem at al what Father or grandfather had described. Then again, in all fairness, it didn't help that he was already well into his eggnog.

"Alright…" Said Al sheepishly ripping the paper to reveal Father's gift.

"MERLIN'S BEARD!" Cried Albus, Hermione and Rose as Albus pulled the book from its wrapping. The sight of the gift merely made Hugo whistle from above the pages of his own book.

"What is it?" asked George. "You know, for us non geniuses."

"We knew you never paid attention in class George, but i'd hoped you were a little smarter than Ron and might actually recognize a book when you saw it." quipped Mrs. Potter.

"I can help here." I offered proudly, interrupting the laughter to explain. "That, is a first edition signed copy of The Mastery of Potioneering by Nicholas Flammel. It is one of the crowning jewels of Father's Collection."

"S… S… Signed! First edition!" Sputtered Rose, snatching the book entirely from Al's hands.

"THIS BOOK IS WORTH HUNDREDS OF GALLEONS!"

"WHAT!" Screeched half the Weasley household. They are impossibly loud. It was beyond me how anyone could be as loud and abrasively indelicate as the Weasleys.

"What did you do to get Draco Malfoy to give you that?" asked Louis curiously as the entire family turned to face Al. Al's face was so plainly pained that i couldn't help but break into a wide grin.

"Well?"

"Lets hear it twerp."

Al was fidgeting abstractly with the wrapping paper when he launched into his explanation. He was suddenly the shy little boy i knew from the ministry.

"Come on Al."

"I mean... We were just talking in Mr. Malfoy's study. It happened right after I gave him his christmas present."

"And?"

"Well he found out that I loved potions when I mentioned how rare a first edition copy of that tome was-"

"So he just gave it to you like that?"

"Shhh James. Don't interrupt your brother."

"I mean I was sort of just admiring it… when I may have overzealously jumped into some of the theory that is rumored to be written only in the first editions…"

"Leave it to Al!" yowled Teddy, laughing hysterically as Al turned pink.

"Scorpius. You must tell your father that while we are flattered, we could never accept..." Ginny Potter managed before I raised my hand to stop her. Ginny Weasley is absolutely stunning I thought watching her. Not unnaturally so like her niece Victoire but more like Mother, she could still model if she wanted to. Merlin If they had a problem with father's gift they were never going to let Al have either of mine. I'd have to make sure I gave them to him in private.

"I am very sorry to interrupt Mrs. Potter but Father told me last night that you might try to return this gift the moment you realized its worth. Father knew Albus wanted his own gift to him kept secret but told me that there was no other way to explain why he felt justified in giving away something so precious in return." Father was right to give Al the book. I would have showered Al with whatever he wanted for the remainder of his life.

"I am sorry, all I can say…" I turned smiling at the twit. "… Is that Father showed me Al's gift and approved of me sharing at least this." I said pulling the book out of Hermione Granger's pilfering hands and returning it to Al.

"Neither that book nor my own presents can cover one one hundredth the personal value of Albus's gift to us. I can honestly say I would have traded half the seven hundred first editions as rare as that in our collection just to have what Albus gave him and the other half just to receive the letter Albus wrote. I have never seen my Father cry in my life. I wasn't sure he was capable of it quite frankly, well it was more of a glisten." Silence filled the room as everybody turned to look back at Al. I was quite honestly frightened that Father would find out about this.

"Well since i'm a Ravenclaw at heart, i'd have had all the books transcribed first of course. Its funny thats all I seem to remember, father must have used a memory charm on me because I seem to be missing several hours after that."

For some reason Hermione, Ginny and Harry looked at each other knowingly but the moment was lost as they remembered what I had just said about the gift.

I don't know why I feel so free around Al or his family I just seem to blurt things out like I do with father sometimes. I have for years cultivated my Grandfather's idea of a healthily pure-blooded Slytherin. Sometimes I forget that that is not really me. Although it could have just been Al.

"Must have been some letter huh Albus." shot George after a prolonged silence.

"Must have been?" Hermione spat sarcastically in her disbelief. "What did you give to that man that would make him cry?" I didn't like the way she spat 'that man' but thought better of commenting.

"Um, well... about the crying bit. Best never to repeat that if you want to see me alive again. I'm certain thats what he used the memory charm for."

It was strange to think father had altered my memory for something so trivial. "Your family seems to have a very unusual effect on us Malfoys." I turned from Harry who was looking at his son, to Al who was blushing from all the attention. James merely huffed.

"So twerp, spill. Whad'ya get my cos?" asked Teddy.

"I don't want to say!"

"Alright! Alright! Hold on! If brilliant Al over here has honestly gotten that good at gift giving, then lets all let him give us ours!" Louis shouted drawing attention away from the gift. Rose mercifully cheered her agreement which seemed to settle the issue for the tipsy adults.

"AWW but now all I want to do is sit and read this amazing book!" Al squeaked

"READ IT? That thing belongs behind glass." murmured Molly sr. a little faintly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)◊(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I had to admit that Albus was amazing at gift giving. True to his grandmother's word, Al had enchanted or made almost everything himself, and each item seemed to be just what the intended recipient wanted most.

To me it reflected his deep and abiding compassion. Al had an enormous reservoir of feeling. Grandfather would have called it weakness but to me it was simply extraordinary.

The gifts ranged from complex to simple, colorful to dull, childish to sentimental.

To Al's uncle George went a potion that caused a random eruptions of colored fireworks, sparks, and bubbles from whatever its drinker touched. Further inspection revealed that the drinker glowed like giant gloom worms in the dark. George had immediately launched into details for its sale at his famous chain of joke shops when his nephew Lou knocked him unceremoniously aside to get to Al.

To the veelish boy went a silver mirror which told anybody else who used it that they were hideous, but would whisper sweet compliments in French whenever Louis looked into it himself. Fleur giggled when her eldest received a profanity laced string of insults for testing it.

To Fleur, Domi and a red-faced Victoire went a single spectacular midnight-blossom. Each was of a different color and shape which Al had enchanted to never grow old. His aunt Hermione was so visibly stunned that she tried to steal Al away to discuss the spellwork.

Al explained that like the flowers, Fleur and her girls were exotic and that no matter how much the three of them aged they would always stay as beautiful to him as the ageless blooms. He received a million kisses at that.

Rosie merely rolled her eyes while Ginny nudged Harry suggestively, eliciting a sly smile from him when she'd whispered into his ear. I could have sworn I heard "Smoother than you were at that age."

To his grandmother Molly he gave an enormous kiss. 'What do you get the scariest which in the entire world?' Albus had asked jokingly.

She ended up with a sweater he had knitted. I reasoned it must have been a routine of hers since everyone wore similar pieces. Al's sweater, however, was enchanted to yell obscenities at all the Weasley boys if or… rather when they did something stupid.

Albus explained that that way, she wouldn't tire her voice. She had called him a cheeky devil but hugged him to the point of bursting.

Teddy received a draft of a Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook that his birth father had written but never published. The manuscript had been tracked down while 'slithering off' during the night as Al quoted. The pages had been penned by Remus Lupin's own hand and had made Teddy's eyes water. He crossed the room pulling Albus into a fierce hug.

To Ron went an elaborate chess set that was nearly impossible to beat and was, according to Hermione, 'extra barbaric'. To Hermione herself went a musty old thesis paper. 'A Treatise on the Magical Bindings of The House Elf'.

Minister Granger was ecstatic. She said 'why wait for approval', she'd accidentally use the theory to untether the bindings on all house elves and feign ignorance later. She thanked Albus with a kiss and called him the smartest wizard of his generation, despite him being a 'little shit'.

Albus's gift to his aunt Angelina was a modified rememberall made deliberately to warn her if her children or husband were about to pull a prank in the house. Al apologized that he couldn't get it to work exactly how he intended since the device gave only enough warning to let you know you'd already fallen prey to a prank. His aunt said since most of the time she wasn't even aware that she had been made a victim, she would cherish the gift as an enormous time saver.

Roxanne and Fred were each given a toy wand that he assured his aunt, only worked on the siblings and would never go off in the house. He said it would shoot ink that only stuck to the skin of the other. The furniture and clothes were safe if the wands malfunctioned. Both trouble makers ran out of the house immediately to test them.

To his grandfather, Albus gave a real iPhone, the use of which he had difficulty explaining.

To Rosie he gave an enormous book of "Ravenclaw Factoids" which he had bought from Diagon Alley. It would shrink down in size and was spelled by BarlestinBarnum, its designers, to randomly shell out a fun fact when you were bored. Al added that the facts would increase in complexity as the years went by and would eventually require you to solve a riddle beforehand.

Hugo was gifted a series of interlinked metal rings. A puzzle that Al had invented for the genius and that he promised would take him years to solve. He told Hugo that while he appreciated that the puzzle as a journey, would satisfy his cousin there was an added surprise if he could actually ever figure it out.

I learned from Louis that there was a longstanding tradition between his father Bill and Al. Since he was seven Al had promised that before he left Hogwarts he would invent a potion that would be able to remove scars left by dark magic. Everyone agreed however that even with the rakish scars Bill was still handsome enough for his exotic wife.

"Alright! NOW ON TO IMMEDIATE FAMILY" Al bellowed turning to his parents and siblings.

"Teddy normally you'd have been in this category but you seemed magically glued to Vicky's face lately sooo I guess… James lets go you insufferable grouch. Outside." Albus said sighing.

"Not that you deserve anything mind you. I just love you too much to leave you out." He finished holding the door for his circus of a family to file out into the surrounding fields. Once they were all outside Al grabbed the gift which was resting propped against an ancient elder tree.

"Here you go you twit." Al said handing him what was obviously a broom wrapped in brown parcel paper.

"NO WAY AL. DON'T MESS WITH ME." James said eying the package suspiciously.

"Ok, fine I'm sure Scor would much prefer…" Al began turning towards me before James violently snatched the broom from him. A shadow fell across James's face when he'd ripped off the packaging.

"This is the first broom from the rumored new Phantom series… Al this must have cost you a fortune." James whispered staring from the broom to Al.

"Well mom got me a discount obviously. I wouldn't willingly spend that much on you of all people, you tro-" Al started before James pulled him into a violent hug.

"Where's lils?" Al cried as James released him.

"HERE! I'm HERE! AM I NEXT?" lily screamed excitedly.

"To the sweetest most beautiful girl I know, and my favorite witch in the whole world." Al pulled out an elaborate silver bracelet attaching it to his sister's slender wrist in a single swift motion. It had several links along its length which each held an oddly shaped charm.

"What does it do?"

"Well Lils. If you are ever alone or afraid the silver charm will glow, filling you with courage and thoughts of home. If you are ever in danger it will glow white hot and call out to warn me… see I have a bracelet too." He paused, showing her his own band. "See this? Any time this pink one glows, it means I'm thinking of you and that I love you."

She looked up at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the glowing pink charm. She broke into tears and hugged Albus so tight that he looked like he might suffocate.

"Lils its ok I'm right here." Al said hugging her back with a smile.

"I love you so much Allie."

They all leak so profusely I mused humorously to myself.

"What are the other charms for Al?" I asked curiously, looking at the oddly shapes objects. All the spellwork on the gifts were outrageously complex, which had my curiosity peaked about those charms.

"Oh well they should pretty much be glowing all the time. Aunt Hermione had to help me with these spells. The orange sun is James, the red broom is Mom, the black cat is Teddy, the yellow lighting bolt is Dad and the green snake is me. If they are glowing strongly then we are safe and sound." Al finished.

"That is so cool Al!" Cried Rose who was obviously impressed by the spellwork. I had to admit i couldn't have created them.

"Yeah but Al since I'm guessing the pink one on yours is linked to Lily, whats that bluish purple one?" I asked pointing to his wrist.

"Oh… um … well … that one… was well...You... actually." He finished lightly flushed, fingering the sapphire moon shaped charm.

"Oh…" I returned emptily, not knowing how else to respond. I could feel my cheeks starting to warm as the Weasley's all turned to look at the two of us curiously. That Al would count me close enough to wear me on his wrist… next to his parents and siblings.

"Awww! Are you like family now too?" squeaked Lily coming over to hug me tightly.

"A Malfoy and a Potter best friends huh? Harry do you suppose the world is coming to an end?" Teddy asked clapping Harry on the back.

"Mom, Dad. You enjoyed your presents right?" Al asked trying to shift attention away from me and the bracelets.

"Of course. That was beyond sweet Albus. Wasn't it Harry?"

"It was certainly that. Now who's left then?"


Ok so heres one of the longest chapters to date. The countdown begins towards crisis. If you think this chapter is too choppy, let me know and i can rework it. PM me if you would like to assist Mattie in Beta reading. Hope everyone is having a nice summer.