Author's Note

No, I was not dead, just busy with my exams, yet many of you were asking about it. So here we are.

Maybe, a bit of big, this chapter would. But, I think that would cover my absence. Christmas is covered in this chapter, and the main purpose for this chapter was Christmas. Third-year would be another chapter long, at least I think so.

As always, do review, favorite, and follow. It gives real motivation.

Pairing: Harry Potter x Daphne Greengrass

Note- English is not my mother language. There will be bashing. The cannon paths diverge from the story.

'The question is not how to get cured, but how to live.'

"Why do I have to meet your father?" He groaned as the blonde-haired girl pulled him towards the door. Their two amused friends could not contain their laughter.

After the day Sirius had been freed, only happiness could be seen on Harry Potter's face. No sign of distrust, deceits, or tension, only pure happiness. He had relaxed a bit, hung out with friends, canceled the training (much to Salazar's dismay.)

Sirius became Lord Black, officially after going to Gringotts for the Lord's ring. He handled the tasks pretty well in Wizengamot. He had also started to go to a mind healer on Harry's initiative. When they were in Potter Manor, they were able to give Sirius treatment to remove the horrors of Azkaban from his head, but it was not as good as a Professional Mind Healer.

They were going to celebrate Christmas in Potter Manor, but they decided to visit Sirius' old home, Grimmauld Place in summer. Apparently, the house was protected by many advanced wards which were not present in other Black property. This also allowed Harry to learn about the Wards, and also check the main Black library.

Yes. The main Black Library is in Grimmauld Place, and Harry was excited to see it. There would be many books on Illusion, Dark Arts, and Family Magic.

He had confronted Ron, and had cleared the argument which was going between them.

Placing his hands on hairs and ruffling them, he looked around the Corridor in order to find him. With his other hand grabbing the cage which contained a healthy and beautiful Owl, he fidgeted his fingers. His eyes roamed across the corridor in some hope to find him.

He looked around a little more. Ravenclaws, Hufflepuff, even some Slytherins, but not the boy he was looking for. He, finally, spotted him, he was coming in his direction, directly looking at him. He was slightly startled by how bold, yet nervous he looked but completely ignored it.

"Ron," he called out, startling the boy slightly. Ron ruffled through his hair a little, and mumbled, "H-Harry," as the greeting. Harry smiled slightly, as the boy made an effort.

They came close enough to speak when Harry was about to say something, Ron cut him off, "H-harry I would like to th-thank you." Was his statement shaky?

Harry frowned at his words, "Why?" He asked him, Ron looked nervous, and gave him an awkward chuckle.

"Well, my dad informed me that Peter Pettigrew was Scrabbers." He answered.

Harry nodded, "Yeah… So?"

"So, I mean, you could have informed DMLE that we had the rat, but you did not for that I am grateful," he finished with a small smile gracing his lips

Harry waved him off and gave a laugh, "Think nothing of it," He said. "Besides, I wanted to give you this," he stated as he gestured to the Owl which was in the cage.

Ronald darted his eyes at the Owl, and then looked at him. "Me? Why?" He questioned him.

Harry took a deep breath, and replied honestly, "Well, this is an exchange for Scrabbers. Well, I took your pet away, so I think he will fulfill its role."

"O-oh, thank you." He mumbled.

Harry brushed him off, "Think nothing of it," He answered as he turned around. "Well, I must be going," he told him.

When Harry was about to leave, Ron grabbed his hand. Harry, on instinct, turned around, "Yeah Ron?" He raised an eyebrow.

Ron looked down for a few seconds, just staring at his feet until he looked up with a firm determination, "Harry, I know that I had been an …. asshole. But, do you think we can be friends again?" He asked with uncertainty evident in his voice.

Harry gave him the brightest smile he could manage, "Sure, why not!"

A chuckle escaped his mouth as he recalled it. Surely, they did not talk after it, but they did not glare at each other as they used to, and this change was observed by most of the people. It was pretty weird, after becoming friends, then breaking friends, and after that again becoming friends. Now, they both had rejoined Golden … Trio.

Hermione.

His throat became sore after thinking about her. He had yet to confront her, and he, certainly, did not have the courage to face. Where was Gryffindor bravery? Would she even want to become friends? Would she reject his friendship? Or the worst, would she hate him?

Before he could get enveloped in his thoughts, he was pulled out by the melodious voice he had been hearing for one and a half years. "Harry, come fast," She moaned as her hands were on her hips.

He paled a little at the thought of what he was going to do, or specifically what she was making him do. He was going to meet her parents. 'Seriously, it has not been a month since we started dating, and she wants me to meet her parents,' he thought internally with a groan.

He gave her a charming smile, "Do you think it would be right to meet your parents? Considering I am snogging their daughter." He stated sincerely, trying to hide his nervousness and failing miserably.

"We have not snogged yet, and it will be alright," she assured him with a grin.

"Only for you," he mumbled as Blaise and Tracey stiffened their laughter.

"What was that? I did not catch you," she asked him. He shook his head, "Nothing. Let's go," he sighed. "It's not like I can stop you," he mumbled, unhearable.

"What was that?"

He huffed in annoyance, "Nothing."

With a wave of his hand, all the trunks were packed and shrunk. Tracey and Blaise pocketed their trunks as Harry had to carry both his and Daphne's because of her excitement. She grabbed her hand and began pulling him, but she was too frail to even move him.

Blaise laughed at him openly, and the raven-haired man came in front of him, "Laugh it all. One day your time will come," he hissed the last part, making her shiver, and pale.

He was pulled out from his thoughts when she pulled him again. Sighing, he followed her. A soft smile made its way to his face. How excited she looked! She might be the Ice Queen, but when anyone would see the intense beauty and warmth, its heart would melt there.

Finally, he stepped out of their compartment, thus leaving the train.

"So, Daphne is going to take you to meet mom, and dad, huh?" A voice full of mirth asked, already knowing the answer.

Looking at his back, he spotted the younger Greengrass who had just come out of her compartment which she was sharing with her other first-year friends.

Harry shrugged, and smirked, "Sadly, yes."

Astoria smirked back, "Well, I am going to enjoy this," she declared.

"I hate you, Tori," Harry growled with a faux horror.

"No, you don't," was her prompt reply.

They stepped out of the train with Tori who was still giving a girlish giggle. Daphne's frail hands pulled him in her direction as he took a glance at her parents.

(Now, I did not give a lot of information about the Greengrass, so yeah, I am giving here.)

Cyrus Greengrass was a tall man who stood at 6 feet, he was very built with aristocratic looks. His blue eyes and brown hair attracted a lot of attention.

Roxanne Greengrass had one of the most delicate features Harry had ever seen. With her blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes, she stood at the height of 5'6 feet. It was unspoken that Daphne had inherited the best from both of them.

It was not like he feared both of them, but then again, he just started dating her daughter, and he had to meet him.

"Shall we go?" She asked him with a cheerful smile.

He sighed, "Let's get over it." He said as he ushered them towards the Greengrass'.

Harry came into Cyrus' vision as the man gave him a small smile. Daphne quickly went to hug her mother, soon Astoria joined the three too. Harry bowed as he greeted the Lord, "Lord Greengrass, it is a pleasure to meet you again"

"Of course, Lord Potte-" He started but was interrupted by Harry.

"Please call me Harry," he chimed before the Greengrass Patriarch could finish.

"Of course, Harry," he said with a smile. "I hope that Lord Black's health is fine," He said, still smiling.

Harry slowly nodded before replying, "He is much better than before. He is visiting a mind healer every day," He explained.

"Understandable. I must say I was surprised when Lord Black was innocent, and Pettigrew was alive," he admitted.

A scowl marred his features, "Indeed. Due to the incompetence of some people, a man has to suffer tremendously, even when he is innocent." He agreed grimly.

"True. The Judiciary system of Magical Britain is not very good," Cyrus mused aloud.

"Yes," was the short answer by him. The Greengrass matriarch was finished greeting her daughters by now as she turned around, and glanced at him. Within a second, her lips twisted and an easy smile made her way.

Harry kissed her knuckles when she extended her hand, "Lady Greengrass, a pleasure to meet you again," he said as he stood up.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Lord Pott-"

"Please. It is Harry to you."

She grinned again, "Of course, Harry." Her grin turned to a smirk as he began, "I have heard that you are dating my daughter, Daphne," She teased him. Cyrus' both eyebrows rose as he looked at him with surprise, but at the same time he wanted to throttle him for dating his daughter

A slight blush made his way to his face as Harry gulped under the Greengrass Lord penetrating gaze, "I am, Lady Greengrass," he admitted.

She smiled at him again but this time widely, "That's so good to hear, and please call me Roxanne." She said as Harry nodded, "Of course, Roxanne."

Harry spared a glance and gawked at Cyrus for his permission -or denial?- He sighed in relief Cyrus smiled scratching his chin, "You know if any other person would have said this to me, then I would have smothered," He took a pause before continuing, "But you are different,' He pointed to him, "I will let you date my daughter because you are the only competent man here," he finished.

Harry nodded but the Greengrass Patriarch was not finished here, "I am believing in you, Harry. Don't let me down."

Harry shook his head, "I won't Cyrus. I will never hurt her," he vehemently denied.

Astoria squealed, "That's so cute." Harry and Daphne turned red as Daphne grumbled, "Shut up, Tori."

"And please call me Cyrus," he said as Harry nodded, "Of course, Cyrus." Harry grinned at him.

Suddenly a familiar voice invaded their ears, "HARRY!" The voice of Sirius Orion Black gathered all the attention of the platform, his overzealous voice, and his giddiness made Harry groan.

Harry turned around to look at his Godfather. He was looking much better than fifteen days ago when he had last seen him. The mind healers were doing a splendor job, and he was also pushing himself to his pinnacle. At least, he was no longer looking like a lunatic but a respectable and handsome man as he was before.

But there was always room for improvement, wasn't there?

He let the small smile fall across his face that threatened it. If there was a fatherly figure for Harry, then it was Sirius. Sure the man had the behavior of a teenager (hormonal one), but he was also deeply caring and showed affection to him for which Harry was grateful.

As soon as Sirius came at enough distance, he launched himself at Harry and hugged him, crushing his bones. Harry also hugged him back softly without the reluctance he showed when they hugged for the first time.

"Sirius," he greeted the man in a somewhat casual manner after they pulled apart.

"Harry," he nodded with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "How was your school?" He further asked.

Harry shrugged, "Just as before." He said with a cheeky grin.

Sirius pinched his cheek causing him to rub it to relieve pain. Then his face turned into pure concern, "What are you doing here? I was waiting for you where we planned to meet."

He shrugged again, and gestured to Greengrass', "Was meeting with Lord and Lady Greengrass," he stated.

His godfather's lips twitched and turned into a smirk, "Meeting your girlfriend's parents," he teased. "It reminds me of old times when I used to meet the parents of my girlfriends," He added with a dreamy look.

Harry frowned, "What do you mean by 'girlfriends'?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Sirius shrugged, and gave him a cocky look, "Well, I used to have a lot of Girlfriends."

The Potter Lord sighed, "Well not all of us are Cassanova," he grumbled.

Sirius cheered, "Damn right." Suddenly they heard a cough sound and twirled around to see the amused looks of the four Greengrass'. They both gave them a sheepish look, ruffling their hairs. The surprising fact was- they were perfectly synchronized.

Deciding to break the awkward silence, Harry spoke, "Sirius, this Lord Greeng- Cyrus and Roxanne. Roxanne and Cyrus, this is Sirius."

Cyrus extended his hands as he politely nodded in respect, "Lord Black."

"Lord Greengrass," Sirius said with courtesy of his own. Cyrus gestured to his wife, "This is my lovely wife, Roxanne."

Sirius kissed her knuckles, and let her go. Cyrus started, "And these are my daugh-'

"We have met," Sirius interrupted the man and smiled at the two girls who waved him back.

His attention was gained by Greengrass Patriarch when he spoke, "I hope that you are fine after being exonerated."

Sirius nodded, "Indeed, I am better… much better to be exact. Azkaban is not one of the nicest places," He stated, earning a nod from the man.

"I know, I have been there once, and the place still horrifies me," Cyrus informed with seriousness in his voice (pardon the pun).

"It was certainly a shock to hear that you were innocent after the Ministry made a perfect story of the crimes," Roxanne intervened in the conversation and said to him.

"The bastards wanted to save their asses," he growled, earning a nod from the two.

"At least, late is better than never," Roxanne pointed out.

"Indeed, I am a respectable member of society now, and that is all I want," he added.

"Well, I congratulate you, Lord Black, and hope to have you in Wizengamot soon," he added as an afterthought. Once again, the Greengrass Lord extended his hand which Sirius shook.

Sirius smirked, "I look forward to seeing how people will react to a new Lord Black."

Cyrus gave a bark of laughter, "Indeed, I am looking forward to it too." He continued, "See you later, Harry, Lord Black."

They both nodded and said their goodbyes, Harry even got a kiss on the cheek from Daphne for which he was sure that Sirius would tease him endlessly.

{SCENE BREAK}

The green flames appeared in the fireplace of Potter Manor to reveal Harry Potter and Sirius Black.

As soon as Harry stepped out of the fireplace, he heard a sudden Pop, and the head house-elf came in front of him and squeaked, "Master Harry is back. What would Master Harry like for dinner?"

Harry kneeled and patted the elf's head as he spoke with a smile, "We'll talk about the dinner later; but firstly, please bring me a glass of water." Nodding, the house compiled the wish, and with another pop, he disappeared.

He stretched his muscles as Sirius snickered, "You don't like sitting very much, right?" It was more of a question than a statement.

"No, I don't why you don't let me apparate from there," he stated, glancing at his Godfather.

He promptly replied, "Because, you don't have a license, and we can't have one until we are 14," he pointed out.

"Who cares about License, I mean it's not like someone would file a case on me, and besides if they did, then I will just pay the fine," He huffed indignantly.

"I don't care. Rules must be followed," he said with a tone that said 'End of conversation.'

But he was not finished here, "It was not in the rules to nail every girl on Hogwarts during your times, was there?" He replied with a smirk.

"Hey! Besides, I did not nail every girl, some are still left," He pouted cutely.

"Whatever, let's go meet Grandfather and Grandmother." He said in a dismissive voice.

They arrived at the Living Room where he dappled the portraits of his Grandfather, Grandmother, Great-Uncle, and Great-Aunt.

He bowed in front of them in a sense of respect, as Cassiopeia asked, "How was the session?"

"Not very interesting," He replied blandly, but his face twisted into a smirk, "Also… I got a girlfriend." Charlus gave a whistle, as Cassiopeia /and Dorea practically squealed, whereas the lips of Arcturus twisted in amusement.

"Well, what's her name?" Dorea asked almost giddily.

"Daphne," he replied with amusement. He noticed that Arcturus was giving some galleons from the portrait to Charlus. Charlus gave a triumphant grin, "Told you, they would be together."

"Whatever," Arcturus grumbled but could not remove the smile from his face.

Harry's eyes widened as the realization hit him, "You both were betting on my relationship?" He asked, pointing his finger at the two of them. The two men simply nodded.

Cassiopeia's attention turned to Sirius, "So who are you inviting to Christmas?" She inquired, arching her eyebrows.

Sirius looked thoughtful, "Tonk's, Remus… and Harry, do you want to invite Greengrass?"

Harry shook his head, "Asked them, but they were going somewhere. Though, Neville and his grandmother are coming." He replied.

Sirius nodded, Charlus interrupted them, "The same Lupin boy? The one who was with you and James during school?"

Sirius tilted his head, "The very same." He answered.

Dorea huffed, "He better have a damn good reason for leaving Harry to those muggles." She spat with distaste in her voice, Charlus agreed with her.

"He has," Sirius said in understanding.

{SCENE BREAK}

Looking at his preparation, he was able to say- 'Perfect.' Thirty house-elves were working together for the decoration, after all; and their hard work paid off. The small but decorated Christmas Tree at the center of the Living room.

He did not plan to celebrate the festival, but the strong push by Sirius was enough. He had to celebrate it. At least, he was going to celebrate with his only family.

His godfather had also invited Remus Lupin. Truth to be told he was also planning to invite the werewolf. The whole living room was decorated with Chandeliers, candles, jackalopes, and just name it. Even though they were inviting only Tonks Family, and Remus, they did not back down from the decoration.

He had finally sent his Christmas gifts to each and every one of his friends, and the ones which were coming he had saved for them,

He was wearing an elegant blue-colored robe with both Potter and Black crest embedded on them, his hair was laid back and smooth, though still messy.

Sirius was still busy with his make-up. Yep, 'make-up' would be the right word. He was preparing himself for the last two hours and still hadn't left his room. He and Harry had chosen Sirius a peach-colored robe after two hours of his whining.

Mira had also taken a bath today, as did Hedwig. Mira slithered her way to his feet as he noticed her. He put his hand on the marble floor for her to climb, "Merry Christmas," he hissed in Parseltongue.

Mira nodded in acknowledgment as she hissed back, "Happy Yule." Harry raised an eyebrow, was she a pureblood?

Harry nodded as she slithered her way to his neck, wrapping her body around it tightly.

"Tipsy," he called out his faithful house-elf. With a pop, the elf came in front of him. "All the preparations done?" He asked to which the elf nodded.

"All the things are done, Master Harry." She replied. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes," She continued.

Ruffling through his hair, he nodded as he stroked his own bangs of raven hair. He took the jug, and poured water into the glass, and drank that.

Damn! He was getting dehydrated. 'The party was supposed to be Sirius' plan. So why am I preparing for it?' He growled internally.

Rumbling through the glass stairs, he went to his Sirius' room, kicked the door, banging it on the wall. 'He hadn't even put any locking charms,' He chuckled internally, and when he saw him, or his…. Back.

He was combing his smooth hairs whilst he was partially naked. Only wearing shorts -which was way too short for him- his back was revealed.

He took out his wand. Waving it, he sent an overpowered stinging hex at his ass. "Oww!" Sirius hissed in pain as he looked at the man who had sent the hex.

"What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his butt to soothe the pain, only to be hexed by his Godson. He howled in pain as he managed to stutter out, "What was that for?" again.

"Who the hell takes this long to be dressed?" He growled as he looked at him for an explanation.

"I was just getting dressed up," He pouted, still rubbing his ass. "And besides, no one has come yet." He added.

"You were getting dressed?" He looked at him incredulously, he raised his hand as the comb stuck onto his palm immediately. "Then what is this?" He questioned, pointing to Comb, "You were supposed to be ready by now. Not start getting ready now," he growled.

He removed the fake dust from his shoulder, "Fine. Fine. I am getting ready," he huffed.

"You better," He said. His eyes went to his wand, "Or otherwise."

Sirius raised both his hands in mock salute, "Don't worry. I am getting ready." He nodded reluctantly as he went out of the room.

Sirius massaged his temple as he sighed, "This boy." Thunder rumbled, making Sirius cringe in fear.

{SCENE BREAK}

The green flame burst out in the fireplace revealing Remus Lupin who was looking far better than he looked at the school.

He was wearing some not so elegant but decent red robes. His hair was combed along with his mustache which was no longer messy. His fairness covered for his scars which he had gained in the passage of time.

A grin plastered his face as he looked around and observed the manor.

...

He went to greet his uncle when he saw him, looking at him he could not help but admire him. Even after all the scars and hardship, the man did not forget to laugh and smile. He had seen his discomfort when a student's boggart was a Werewolf.

Many people give up just because they had the problem that the man had suffered. To be determined to live in a society like a normal being or at least try to was an admirable effort. And one to gain respect from him.

Yes, he was sour that the man had not visited in years, but he had his reason. Even if somehow, he succeeded in taking him under his custody, he would not be able to nurture him.

The werewolves' discrimination was a lot in the British Isles. While many countries tend to ignore it, Britain was very strict in these cases. He was not able to understand why they were not able to differentiate between good and bad.

The man's life had sudden changes every year, and this year he learned that his best friend was not only innocent but Pettigrew was alive.

He coughed a bit gaining his attention, "Remus," He nodded to the man with a smile, respectfully.

Remus' eyes turned to him as he glanced at him for a few seconds until he wore a smile, "Harry!" He said cheerfully.

He initiated his hand to Remus but instead of shaking it, Remus engulfed him in a hug which warmly returned. "So, what does it look like? The manor?" He asked, scratching.

"It's fantastic," Remus declared. "But where is Sirius?" He added, arching his eyebrows.

He deadpanned, "That idiot is still preparing himself."

Remus snickered, "The same thing happened when we were teenagers."

"Well, leave it," he sighed. "Come inside," he said as he gestured to the Sofa. Remus nodded as he began removing his blazer, he gave him a questioning look regarding where he should put it.

He raised his hand, "Wait a second." He called out, "Tipsy." With a pop, the elf appeared in front of him, "Take Remus' blazer."

Tipsy nodded as she carried the coat away. As Remus sat down, they began to chat with each other. It was another fifteen minutes later when the flames burst and Tonks' family stepped inside the Manor.

Andromeda was wearing a purple dress that hugged her curves, as her hairs were in a loose burn. She simply looked beautiful. There was not a lot of make-up, just some touches.

Nymphadora was wearing a silvery-gold dress that hugged her curves just like her mother. Her hair was ash-blonde, and her eyes were green, much like his. He was able to see slight make-up. Also, she did not require make-up, considering she was a metamorphmagus.

Finally, Ted was wearing a Blue jacket, a white t-shirt underneath, and blue jeans with black boots. It was certainly a surprise to see him in Muggle clothing, but then again, he was a muggle-born wizard.

"Ted, Aunt Andi," He greeted the adult with a hug, surprising Remus since he was not a touchy person, even he occasionally kissed his own girlfriend.

The adults returned the hug with equal warmth. He turned to Tonks with a grin, "Nympha-" he stopped when he saw an intense glare, "Tonks." He corrected himself as she punched his shoulder.

"You live for today," she informed him with a grin. He guffawed as he hugged her. Remus did the same, he shared quiet words with Ted and Andromeda. It was not surprising since they were members of the Order of the Phoenix, both fighting on the front lines.

When they were done, they heard a familiar sound of fire bursting to reveal the Longbottom Matriarch and future Longbottom heir.

Augusta Longbottom was a stern and cautious woman. Never did she believe in Blood supremacy, nor did she believe herself better than others. She kept observing each and every person present in the room as her gaze finally swept up to him. Whilst giving a rare smile, she, with heavy steps, moved towards him.

He returned his own smile as he brushed his lips on her knuckles from the hand that was extended.

"I am happy that you could make it, Lady Longbottom," he stated sincerely as his gaze swept to Neville. With a final nod to him, he met the lady's eyes again. Her deep, penetrating gaze could make anyone nervous but it was not the case for Harry.

"It is certainly nice to be here, Lord Potter," she informed as she looked around the living room and the decorations. "I must say your home is looking beautiful tonight," she added.

"You can call me Harry if you like," he offered. "And I thank you."

With the final nod to the woman, he turned to Neville with an amused smile tugging his lips. "So how is it? Worked my ass off to do this all." He asked casually, eliciting a laugh from him.

"Well, it certainly paid off," he commented.

He glanced at his best friend (at least, according to him) and noted what he was wearing. "Well, someone's trying to be handsome tonight, huh?" He said. "Blue robes with silver borders, combed hair."

"You bet." Was his reply.

…

He was surprised by Lady Augusta's arrival but managed to calm himself down. Sirius had informed him that a few of Harry's friends would be coming, but he did not expect her to come too.

But then again, Neville and Harry hung out together. So, he should not be surprised but he was.

The petite Lady greeted Andromeda first, "Andromeda. How are you doing?" Though still stiff a bit, her voice was no longer confined with coldness, he had heard in his encounters with her. He raised an eyebrow, he was not expecting them to be in.

"I am doing really fine, Lady Augusta," Andromeda replied as they shared some words after their… friendly?... banter, she shared some words with Ted, but with her usual stiff voice, then with Nymphadora, and then her unnerving gaze turned to him.

"Lady Longbottom, a pleasure to meet you," He kissed her knuckles, whilst smiling slightly.

She nodded to him respectfully, pleased with his manners, "It's a pleasure to meet..." Her voice trailed as she was unknown to his name.

"Remus. Remus Lupin," was his prompt reply as his body trembled slightly… in fear.

"The same Lupin that worked with F-frank," she asked, her eyebrows furrowed. Her voice became a bit shaky at the name of her son.

He nodded in agreement, "The very same."

"Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Lupin," she greeted him politely. "I can assure you only good things, I have heard about you." She added as an afterthought.

He politely nodded.

It was time for his best friend's entry.

"REMUS!" The man cried from the stairs, he was wearing olive robes, his hairs straight to his back, and came with the most beautiful aristocratic looks he possessed. The man wrapped him in a hug as he heard him mutter, "We are going to have so much fun tonight."

With a cough he came back from his stupor, finally bothering to greet the other guest.

"Lady Longbottom." his best friend said as he greeted the stern woman, the woman nodded with a ghost of a smile.

"Lord Black. Happy Yule," she said, sniffing the perfume. Sirius smiled, let go of her, and greeted Andy, "Andy," he said happily.

"Siri," she hugged him back as Sirius pouted. "Don't call me that."

Andromeda laughed as Sirius moved to Ted, "It must be hard to live with her," Sirius commented humorously.

Ted laughed, "It is," He said, getting a punch from his spouse on his shoulder.

Finally, with a sinister grin, the Black patriarch turned to her cousin's daughter, "Yo! Nympha- oof!" He groaned in pain when the sharp punch connected to his gut. That damn girl! Even when she was young, she was dangerous! But now after becoming an auror, her dangerousness increased.

"I am fine with Harry, but not you!" She informed, pointing a finger at him.

After all the greetings were done, Harry finally sighed, "So," he said, getting everyone's attention. "Shall we start?"

{SCENE BREAK}

Removing the blanket from herself, she groggily woke up. Still getting the blurry vision, she rubbed her eyes. A loud yawn escaped her lips as her muscles stretched. Her eyes fluttered as she looked around finally coming back to her senses.

She jumped out of bed, startling slightly at the pressure which was applied to her frail legs. She moved to her left in the search of the mirror. She came at arm's distance from the mirror as she observed herself.

Her pink shorts and pink tank-top were wrinkled. Her blue eyes were glowing, but not enough as they usually did. Her long dark-brown hair cascaded through her shoulders and curving slightly at their end.

Finally, getting back all her senses. Her mind was darted at only one place- The Bathroom.

Her mind screamed another thing- Christmas. Today was Christmas.

'Get fresh, after that back to breakfast,' Her mind reminded her. So she went where she was supposed to go.

.

.

.

.

The door of the bathroom opened as her slightly wet hair wavered. Wearing a pure white robe, she went to her closet in search of a perfect dress. Rumbling with thousands of dresses, she eventually found one of her likings.

It was a bright yellow full-sleeved shirt, and blue jeans. Despite her family status as pure-bloods, she was attracted towards the muggle clothing. The muggle clothing was not heavy, had various color variations and designs, and above all, they were… cool!

She was ready, nigh. The keyword- Nigh. She was forgetting something.

Yep, that was right. She really was forgetting something, perfume. Taking the dragon breath sweet-scented perfume, she washed half of the bottle over her.

She unlocked the door of her revealing the stairs next to them. Walking slightly at the threshold, she looked around. The dim lights lit the Manor, with chandeliers, increasing the Manor's beauty.

No wonder that the elves had worked hard to do this all. She stepped at the first white-marbled stair. Another one. Her slippers voice echoed this time. Not minding she just went with her efforts.

Her stomach grumbled with starvation as the sweet-scented food of her mother invaded her nostrils. Inhaling it deeply, her steps hastened. and she could swear that she would hear some scoldings from her mother, but she did not care about it.

When she stepped out of the last stair, she took a steely glance at her family manor. It was perfectly connected to nature, fresh air, not so modern, but not so ancient too.

The Greengrass' always preferred modesty. They did not like to brag about themselves like Malfoys. Her father had always told her to never look at the status because even a lion hid himself in sheep's clothes.

She looked around the living room. No one was here, and she was in no mood to find. So she called, "Flipsy!"

Their faithful head elf appeared in front of her. "Good morning, Mistress Tori," the female elf bowed.

She chuckled at her antics. Flipsy, along with her mother, had raised Daphne and her. Recomposing herself, she asked, "Good morning, Flipsy. Do you know where mother and father are?"

The elf nodded, "They are in the dining room. Eating breakfast." The head-elf replied.

She nodded as she made her way. Pasting another one of the rooms, she appeared near the kitchen. Their dining room had glass walls and was not closed. There, sitting on the chairs, was her father, and Daphne, whilst her mother was serving them food.

She could not decipher why her mother did not make the elves do it, but as long as it was not her, she did not mind.

But her eyes were not there, her eyes were on the piles of gifts near the dining table. Her steps hastened uncharacteristically, as she entered the doorless room. She did not notice the gaze of her sister, father, and mother. Her eyes were on the shimmering red covered box with a sheen of gold.

And there she groaned.

"You will eat your breakfast first, young Lady!"

She flinched at the scathing yet amused voice of her mother. Her head turned automatically towards them as she saw her father and sister snickering whereas her mother was glaring at her.

One thing she had learned from her father was never to anger a mother, and if she was, then try to be good. Her voice replied automatically and robotically.

"Yes, mother."

"Good morning, Astoria," her sister snarked as she sat down. She wanted to smother her sister for her cheeky greeting. She just ignored her sister and started munching the cereal.

"You should reply when someone speaks to you," her mother chastised her. Swallowing the food, she gave her a sly grin.

"But you told me to never talk while eating."

There we go.

A scathing look was delivered by her mother to her father who shivered after snickering. Her sister just watched their interaction with an amused smile.

She swallowed her food again, "So, when are we going to open presents?" She asked, arching her eyebrows. She was moderately unsure if the reply would come or not.

Her mother sighed, "After breakfast." She informed her.

"Yay," she squealed, spilling some cereal on the table, and receiving a glare from her mother.

.

.

.

.

It was one hour and a half later when her family was finished. She practically screamed, then they detached themselves from the dining table.

It was nothing unusual. Like always they got some gifts from her parents, some close relatives… and some people who were trying to set up a betrothal contract.

Surprisingly when her father saw this, he tore all of them, even Daphne's who received many of the betrothals.

But one gift was new, it was the gift from Harry Potter.

Her father received a book named 'Roots of Magical History.' Surprisingly, he was told that it was very rare, and there were very limited copies of her books.

Her mother received a muggle food recipe book that had recipes of all traditions. How did he know that her mother was interested in cooking? She did not know, but it was a win-win situation for her.

Her sister received a potion guide, but it was none other than Lily Potter's Potion Journal. Whilst she did not know much about her, she was aware of the fact that Lily Potter was extremely good at potions and charms. Extremely meant EXTREMELY.

But, it was not a problem. She was happy for them that liked their presents. The problem was…

She did not receive any. ANY!

Her tears welled up after this. When she was in between her sobs, Flipsy popped up in front of them.

"Flipsy, what happened?" Her father asked.

The elf bowed, "Lord Greengrass. Some unknown man is on the floor. He did not have permission to enter so I thought that I should inform you."

Her father frowned, along with her mother and sister. By now, her sobs stopped and she was looking at the elf curiously.

Her father replied, "Let's get there." With a crack, they apparate in front of the floo plane

"Who's there?" Her father questioned. His voice was a yell.

A deep baritone voice that she recognized spoke, "Cyrus! It's me!" Her father's eyebrows furrowed.

"How do I believe you? What's your proof?"

The voice deflated audibly, and said, "Remember, you said to me '"I will let you date my daughter because you are the only competent man here.' Cyrus, remember anything?"

Realization hit her father as he chuckled uneasily, "Wait a minute, I am giving entry."

After five minutes, the green flames burst as the owner of Emerald's eyes stepped inside. He was wearing a white cardigan, black jeans, and white trainers.

It still baffled her how fit he was. Perhaps he had done some muscle training, but she was not sure.

Her sister leaped at her boyfriend as she hugged his life out. The hug was returned with the same excitement. They both blushed when they heard the snickers of the other Greengrass.

Before anyone could speak, the Potter lord, "So, you all must be wondering why I am here." At their nod, he continued as he took out a blue wrapped rectangular box, "Well, I am here to give Astoria's gift." He finished with a grin.

"What's her gift?" Her mother asked curiously. Harry just grinned at her, and gave the present to her, "Open it." His voice was slightly commanding.

She took no time to unwrap the box. With the blue wrap lying at the other side of the floor, she caught the first glimpse of the box. It was plain! It was just a normal cardboard brown box.

She wanted to ask for a knife but Harry had already conjured it and gave it to her. She cut the box and threw the cardboard piece on the other side of the floor.

Her breath hitched when she saw the gift. It was a large and heavy tome with red color, and the letters were written in gold colors. But it did not flummox her, what flummoxed her was the title of the book.

"Blood Curses and Cures."

Tears started to well up in her eyes, as the two dripped on the gold title as the titles evaporated immediately. Harry spoke up before anyone could, "Open page number- 314."

She did without a second of hesitation, and in big, bold letters it was printed, "The Alackmantis Curse."

His voice got her attention, "This the curse you have." He stated, he pointed at some clusters of runes, she assumed, "This is the ritual for its cure."

She nodded, "But which language is this?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Parseltongue," he answered with a shrug.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she muttered softly, "Thank You." She glanced at him, "How can I repay you?" She asked, firmly.

He shrugged, "You don't need to." He said evenly.

"But, I have to!" There. Her stubborn behavior took over her.

He looked thoughtful for a second before he grinned and patted her head.

"Just be a damn good witch!"

Author's Note

This is the end of this chapter, and I hope you all liked it. I apologize if it seemed like a filler chapter, but the main motive for this one was to cure Astoria.

Now, how Harry got to know that Astoria had the curse, would be explained in the next chapter. Also, the confrontation between him and Hermione.

I have a big part for Sirius to play too, in that chapter.

Anyways. Once again, I hope that you all liked it.

Leave a review, positive and negative, both are appreciated. Favorite. Follow.

Thank You