AN: This interlude is set after the events of Chapter 1.
Fleur watched with a small smile as her energetic sister bounced around the room. Only her own children could rival Gabby's level of excitement, but they were off staying with Arthur and Molly at the Burrow.
It was understandable, though. Today was a special day, just as it had been since they were little. Every year, Fleur, Gabby, and Maman would wake up early, stay in their pajamas, and prepare to spend the day celebrating Yule.
And this year was extra special because, for the first time, her little sister was bringing someone home with her. And not just any someone…Her Soul Bonded partner.
Harry was joining their family celebration and Gabrielle's excitement was infectious.
"I don't think I've ever seen her so happy," Fleur said, her hand rising to her chest as she watched her sister skip down the hallway.
Apolline smiled. "You should have seen her when she and Harry first got together," she said with a wistful sigh. "She came bounding out of the floo, practically aglow, radiating joy."
Fleur nodded as she began to unpack the box with the unused supplies from last year. "I just hope he'll be as good as Bill was his first year," she said with a small sigh. "I don't want to see Gabby disappointed."
"You don't think he'll want to participate?" she asked with a frown, pausing in the act of setting Yule decorations on the dinner table to look at her.
"Well...you've met him," Fleur said, her lips tightening as she considered how to word her thoughts. "I have a hard time picturing him being as festive as Papa, or even Bill."
Apolline rested a hand on Fleur's shoulder. "You needn't worry," she said with a reassuring look. "Your father wasn't even remotely interested in our traditions at first. He'd just go through the motions for my sake. But then you girls came along, and he couldn't help but be roped in. I'm sure Harry will be the same."
Fleur smiled, giving her a one-armed hug. "Papa humours us. He enjoys it, yes, but he'd much rather sit in his chair, pour himself a drink, and relax all day," she said with a giggle. "Just like Bill."
"Those two are the same, yes," Apolline said with a nod.
"The only difference would be Bill running off to play quidditch in the snow with his siblings," she said with a roll of her eyes.
Apolline let out a light laugh. "At least he participates and does his best to make it look like he enjoys it as much as we do," she said. "That's really all we can ask of Harry."
Her mother had only just finished speaking when Gabrielle dashed back into the room, her hands full with more boxes than was wise to carry. "I brought all the rest out," she said, her eyes alight with merriment as she put them down. "We just need to unpack and set everything up before my Honey and Bill come."
Fleur watched as she pulled out garland from the first box and danced around the room, humming her favourite tune as she began decorating.
After years of suffering, years of not knowing what was wrong with her, Gabby was finally able to live normally, with a man she loved more than life itself. Fleur had felt guilty marrying Bill and having a child when her poor sister hadn't even been able to kiss a boy without disaster striking.
But as she caught her mother's eye, they both shared a contented look. Things were finally as they should be. Both sisters were with wonderful men, and they'd have the whole family together to celebrate Yule when the girls got back from the Burrow.
She just hoped Harry had a modicum of festivity today, even half as much as Bill would do. Over time, Harry could learn to appreciate it. He might even grow to participate as much as Papa, if and when, they had children of their own.
Fleur smiled fondly at the thought.
x-x-x
"He's here! Everyone, he's here!" Gabby shouted, her hands pushing back the curtains as she glued her nose to the window.
Fleur raised an eyebrow before turning to Bill. "I can't decide if it's sweet or concerning," she muttered.
"The latter. Definitely the latter," he said back. "I mean, come on...have you met Harry?"
She held back a laugh just as a knock on the door sounded.
"I'll get it!" Gabby said, jumping up and racing to the door. She pulled it wide open and held her arms out in a welcoming hug. "Cupcake!"
"Muffin!" Harry said back, picking her up in his embrace and swinging her around.
"Oh! How sweet," said a new voice in the room.
Fleur turned around to see her mother watching the scene with adoration in her eyes, her fingers pressed to her lips. "Come, Harry, come," she said, ushering him inside. "Bill, take his things upstairs, would you? I need to get acquainted with my new son."
"They're not married yet, Apolline," said the gruff voice of Fleur's father. "Jean-Claude Pierre-Patrice Delacour-Béliveau. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter."
Harry broke away from Gabby to accept the handshake. "Pleasure to meet you, as well," he said. "That name…"
Jean smiled good-naturedly. "I'm not surprised if it rings a bell," he said. "I do have a family member up in Britain. A second cousin yearly-removed."
"Yearly-removed?" Harry said with a curious frown.
"Yes, we don't associate with them, so we keep trying to remove them from the family every year."
Harry nodded in understanding.
"He's rather full of himself. That whole side of the family is," Jean explained, lip curled in distaste. "This one went off and got married to some superstar Quidditch player. Threw an extravagant wedding that must have cost a fortune."
Bill tensed besides Fleur but remained silent.
"Well, that's just unnecessary," Harry said, putting an arm around Gabby's shoulder. "My Soul Bonded and I would never do such a thing."
"You know, I could tell that right away just by the look of you," Apolline said, patting Harry's cheek.
Fleur cleared her throat loudly to prevent Bill's muttered comments from being heard. "Anyway," she said, walking towards them. "Harry, once you get settled, you can join us in the kitchen. We have these traditions we like to do every year, and you're just in time for the first one: baking a cake together!"
Harry's eyebrows raised in interest. "Oh?"
"Yes, Blueberry-Muffin, you'll absolutely love it!" Gabby said, tugging on Harry's arm.
Fleur braced herself for a negative reaction, recalling the first time she'd explained their traditions to Bill.
'Baking? I've never baked a thing in my life. And we have to decorate it too?'
"Oh, wow. Okay...then I suppose...it's lucky I packed my apron!" Harry said with a bright smile, opening up his suitcase and summoning it. "What do you think?"
Fleur let her eyes travel over the bright red apron that Harry placed over his neck and tied around his waist, the words 'We Whisk You a Merry Christmas' printed on the front.
Gabby gasped, her hands coming to her mouth. "How did you know to bring it, Butter-Tart?"
"Dunno, I just thought it might come in handy!" Harry said with an adorable shrug.
Fleur looked around to see her maman grinning widely and her papa nodding his head, impressed.
"Go on, Bill, take his bags," Apolline said, waving him off. "Harry, into the kitchen with you!"
Without a second's hesitation, Gabby grabbed Harry by the elbow and led him inside. Fleur followed after, giving an apologetic look to Bill over her shoulder, before helping the pair retrieve the ingredients.
"We like to bake the cake in the shape of France," Gabby explained while Harry cracked eggs over a bowl.
"Oh?"
Jean looked over his paper and eyed Harry. "No problem with that is there, Harry?"
Harry smiled. "None whatsoever," he said, giving Gabby an affectionate look. "J'aime la France."
The girls 'aww'd' in response.
"You know...I like this one," Jean said, pointing a finger at him.
Apolline nodded in agreement. "So, Harry," she said, turning to him, "while we set the cake in the La Cornue Grand Palais 180 Kitchen Range to bake, we always like to get started on our second tradition: carolling."
Fleur paused in her search for the All-Clad Nonstick Pro-Release Rectangle Baking Pan in the cabinet and looked over her shoulder at Harry. He may have been up for the baking traditions, but surely he would draw the line at carolling.
Merlin, she could remember how much of a fight Bill put up the first time.
'Singing, Fleur? I'm a terrible singer. And going door to door? You know I hate going anywhere.'
"That's fantastic!" Harry exclaimed, accidentally spraying Gabby's face with batter as he pulled out the Le Creuset Revolution Acadia & Teal Stainless Balloon Whisk in his enthusiasm.
She giggled as Harry wiped it off with his finger and stuck it in his mouth, the Delacour girls cooing in response.
With a sigh, Fleur turned back around and resumed her search for the baking pan, moving aside several Farberware Reliance 3pc Aluminum Nonstick Frying Pans in the process.
x-x-x
Fleur squinted as she twirled her wand, watching the colour slowly brighten to what she required. Once she had the perfect shade, she began to delicately charm it into place. Paled Turquoise for the base, Antique Silver for the details, and Sunset Gold to top it off.
She bit her lip as she focused on ensuring that she didn't make a single mistake decorating her portion. With three couples this year, they were able to split the cake of France into thirds, much like they'd done as children. In the past, it was Fleur, Gabby, and Maman competing to out-decorate each other.
But once Bill had joined the family, he and Papa had teamed up with their significant others, creating an unfair handicap for Gabby who had always been the most creative of the bunch. This year, however, she had Harry on her side. And Fleur wasn't quite sure if that would help or hinder her. Enthusiasm only went so far if one didn't have the skills to back it up.
With that thought in mind Fleur's eyes dipped over to see how Bill was making out. She frowned and shook her head.
There was a reason it had always been Maman and Gabby competing to win since she'd married Bill. Sure, he did enough, decorating his portion of their third. But the not-quite-forest-green of the trees and the brown mixed between mocha and umber of the trunks left much to be desired. It had taken some neat spellwork, but Bill was capable of so much more if only he put in the effort.
Fleur sighed and looked to see how her parents were doing.
She caught Maman gently patting Papa on the back in comfort as he stepped away, most likely leaving to prep the stockings. Their third of the cake was a vibrant display of decorating finesse. Yellows, reds, and oranges, all so tastefully used.
"Maman, you've truly outdone yourself," she said with a warm smile. "It looks just like the one we made when I was twelve."
Her mother reached over and placed a hand on her arm. "It does, doesn't it?" she said. "I always did love that one best."
"Me too," Fleur said, squeezing her hand.
As her eyes roved over the rest of the cake, Fleur heard her maman inhale sharply.
She looked up to see the woman's hands covering her mouth, and then followed her line of sight.
It was Harry and Gabby's portion.
Fleur lowered her jaw to say something but no words came out.
"How did you do this?" Apolline asked in awe.
Her little sister turned her head, her smile so big it threatened to split her face in two. She hung onto Harry's arm, holding it tenderly, as he continued putting the finishing touches on their portion.
"Well, I came up with ideas," Gabby said, almost chirping the words. "But it was my Sweet-Sugar-Plum that made it come to life. He taught me how to charm the icing."
She squeezed Harry's arm again, hugging it for all she was worth, pure adoration in her expression.
"It wouldn't be half as great without the help of my Extra-Sweet-Ginger-Snap," Harry said, looking down at Gabrielle, his eyes full of love.
Their portion of the cake was almost breathtaking. Miniature scenes set in motion were depicted like a topography over the landscape of France. Near Bordeaux, grapes grew from vines, little people harvested them, crushed them, and turned them into wine. Near the south coast was a beach filled with people swimming, tanning, and building sandcastles.
It was marvellous. Beautiful. Exquisite.
"I've only ever seen this done professionally," Fleur said, her eyes focusing on Harry. "Is the charmwork very difficult?"
Harry turned his green eyes on her and chuckled gaily. "No, of course not," he said before he smiled down at Gabby and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's just about the Importance of Intent, really."
"The Intent?"
"Yes, exactly," Harry said, looking back up at her. "You imbue it with magic and focus your Intent on what you want."
"So simple," she heard Bill mutter under his breath.
Fleur had nearly forgotten he was there. She placed her hand on his thigh and gave it a hard squeeze. Her section was the most elegant, her mother's was the most vibrant, but neither could even touch the magnificence of Harry and Gabby's.
She glanced back at the young couple. Harry had three whisker marks drawn on his face that moved and swayed as if they were real, and he was putting matching marks on his Soul Bonded partner. Fleur's hand went to her heart as she did her best not to melt on the spot. Those two were just too cute, lost in their own little world.
"Did you want to do something like that?" Fleur asked her husband, gesturing toward the pair.
Bill scoffed. "Put icing on each other's faces?" he said, raising his eyebrow. "I'd rather not, no. They look silly and childish."
Fleur frowned. "Well...I think it's cute and endearing."
"Sure," Bill said laughing lightly. "But I'd still rather eat the icing than dress myself with it."
"Get back here, my Fresh-From-The-Oven-Cinnamon-Twist," Harry's jubilant voice rang out, cutting off Fleur's reply.
His face was splattered in the leftover icing Maman had been using, and he was chasing Gabby as she dashed behind chairs, doing her best to evade him. Fleur and Apolline watched the scene with fond smiles and couldn't help but coo at them.
They were just too cute.
x-x-x
"Alright, what's next up next?" Harry said, rubbing his hands together. "This day just keeps getting more and more exciting."
"This has got to be a joke," Bill said quietly next to Fleur.
She scowled at him. "Don't be such a Scrooge, William," she said, pinching his side. "Perhaps you could show a bit more enthusiasm yourself."
Before he could respond, Gabby clapped her hands together loudly and shot up from her seat. "Well, before we get on to our next activity," she said with a coy smile. "We all wanted to give you a little something, first."
"We did?" Bill said.
Fleur pinched him again.
"Close your eyes, my Sweet-Cinnamon-Churros-With-Custard-Filling," Gabby said.
Harry shoved his hands under his glasses and covered them, at once, bursting at the seams in excitement.
With a wave of her wand, Gabby summoned his gift from upstairs and laid it on his lap. "Now open!"
"Oh...oh, my Powdered-Sugar-Peanut-Butter-Fudge-Brownie...look at this," Harry said, holding up the Northlight 20" Red and White Plush Traditional Christmas Stocking with Cuff in his hands, his eyes turning a bit glassy as he took in all the details.
Gabby had gone out of her way to personalize Harry's stocking. A large, green letter H was stitched in the middle surrounded by various little objects. Some Fleur understood the context of: a snitch, a broomstick, a stethoscope. And others, she very much didn't: a jester's hat, a rubber chicken, an orange.
Harry seemed to understand every bit of it, however, not that Fleur was surprised. Together the pair hung Harry's stocking next to the others on the mantel above the fireplace.
"Are you ready for our next activity, Harry?" Apolline said, sharing a secret look with Gabby and Fleur.
A soft groan was heard from Bill's corner of the room, but the women ignored him.
"Hide and SO seek!" Gabby said, practically jumping in her seat.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "So?"
Gabby shook her head. "SO," she said with a patient smile. "As in, S.O. For significant other!"
The women all nodded together.
"The three of us girls hide one gift from under the tree somewhere around the house for our S.O. to find."
A wide grin stretched across Harry's face in response. "I'm your S.O.," he said, looking around at everyone.
"That, you are, my Glazed-Honey-Bun-Cake-With-Pecans!" she said, leaning in to brush her nose with his.
Fleur and Apolline sighed at the sight while Bill pinched the bridge of his nose and fell back against the couch.
With a hard nudge in the leg, Fleur got Bill to stand up beside Harry, who was currently doing an active groin stretch in preparation for the game of Hide-and-SO-seek. Jean had ambled his way over as well, clapping a hand on Harry's back.
"Alright gentlemen," Apolline called with a clap of her hands. "On your marks-"
"Since when is this a race?" Bill said, snapping his head up.
"Get set!" Fleur continued.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Go!" Gabby said.
Harry sprinted up the stairs, leaving Bill to stare after him in a daze. He turned to look at Fleur who was clenching her jaw tight. "Is he for real, right-?"
"Go!" she said, causing him to jump in surprise before heading in the opposite direction towards the cellar.
With a small huff, Fleur collapsed onto the couch next to Gabby who had a serene smile on her face. "Well, you seem like you're having a great time," she said, nudging her sister softly with her elbow.
Gabby's smile grew bigger. "Yes, well," she said with a shy look, "Harry has really made this day extra special."
"He's a lovely dear, isn't he?" Apolline said from her spot by the fireplace. "Why, I remember the first time I dragged Jean home for the holidays. He was a nightmare through every Christmas tradition my sisters and Maman put him through."
"Was he really?" Gabby said with interest.
Apolline nodded. "He's still not very enthusiastic, clearly," she said with an exasperated sigh. "Harry, though? He's different. He's been wonderful from the start."
Gabby grinned to herself. "He really has been, hasn't he?"
As though summoned, Harry rushed into the sitting room, face flushed and with a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Got it," he said, holding up a gift in Fa La La La La La La La La Llama Winter Holiday Cavallini Paper tied together with Grey Glitter Gold Edged Organdy Ribbon. "I got it!"
"So soon, my Cream-Cheese-Frosting-Topped-Red-Velvet-Cupcake?" Gabby said, bringing her hands up to her face in surprise.
Harry shrugged humbly. "I just thought to myself, 'where would my Pink-And-White-Sugar-Coated-Chewy-Biscuit hide my gift', and then...it simply came to me," he said. "Right under her Wamsutta® Medium Density Support Standard/Queen Stomach Sleeper Pillow."
Both Apolline and Fleur grinned from ear to ear as Gabby threw her arms around her Beloved.
x-x-x
"If there's one thing I look forward to every year," Bill said, holding up a piece of cake on his 8.5"
Bernardaud Noel Dessert Plate in Red/White. "It's this part. Sitting, eating, and relaxing."
Fleur sighed. "We're not just sitting," she said, glancing down at her progress. "You could be knitting mittens and a matching hat too, you know."
Bill shook his head. "No thanks," he said. "I'll just enjoy a drink with Jean, stuff myself with cake, and make myself comfortable."
Fleur rolled her eyes and concentrated back on the task at hand, knitting her toque and mittens to create a wintery scene. She was going for a nice soft blue that would bleed into white. Snowflakes would dot the blue sky and trickle down to the white landscape.
She was so lost in her work, that when she glanced up a few moments later, she was surprised to find that Harry and Gabby were missing.
"Where did they go?" she said aloud, quirking her head toward their empty spot on the couch.
"To get changed," Apolline said, a warm smile on her face.
Fleur frowned. "For what?"
"They finished knitting their matching mittens and hat," Apolline said. "So Gabrielle told Harry about our next tradition, and he thought it would be best to dress up for it."
"Matching?" Fleur said before letting out a wistful sigh.
William had only ever participated in the knitting tradition once. And when he had, they were nowhere near matching. He'd chosen a horrendous red and gold colour, while Fleur had gone with a soft lilac.
Harry and Gabby, on the other hand, were like two peas in a pod as they walked back into the sitting room arm in arm. They were both wearing a knitted bright yellow star hat that looked as though it could belong atop the tree. On their right hands, half a heart was stitched around the words 'Har' and 'Gabr'. And on their left was the other half of the heart with the words 'ry' and 'ielle'.
Fleur stood up and walked over to her sister, marvelling at their handy work. Up close, she noticed even more details in the stitching that left her in awe: snowflakes, snowmen, small stars.
"Are you meant to be dressed as Christmas trees?" Fleur said, looking at her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law who were both wearing green jumpers and brown trousers.
Gabby nodded. "It was my Butter-Shortbread-Cookie-Dipped-In-Dark-Chocolate's idea," she said, the excitement impossible to miss in her voice. "I told him about our next tradition of decorating the tree, and he thought it would be fun to decorate each other, as well."
Fleur looked over at her Maman, catching her eyes. They both cooed together as if on cue.
"Let's get to it, shall we?" Apolline said, gesturing to the tree.
Without a second's hesitation, Harry and Gabby bounded over with ornaments in hand. Harry reached up and put two just below the top of the tree on either side, while Gabrielle put two in the front at mid-height. They then turned to each other, wands in hand, and spoke an identical incantation.
When they turned to face everyone, Harry had two ornaments on his jumper that matched what Gabrielle had just put on the tree, while she had two ornaments for earrings.
Fleur almost melted at how happy her sister looked with Harry. They were sickeningly sweet in the best of ways.
"William, would you want to do that too?" she asked, nudging him with her elbow.
"What?" he said before his eyes quickly scanned the room. "Dress up like a Christmas tree?"
He shook his head and snorted. "Not a bloody chance."
Fleur reached down and pinched the inside of his bicep.
"Ouch!" he said, rubbing the spot with his hand. "What was that for?"
She pressed her lips together in a thin line. "You don't always need to act so macho, you know," she said, biting back as much frustration as she could. "You could follow Harry's example and actually involve yourself for once. But Merlin forbid, you have some fun."
Without another word, Fleur stood up and made her way over to grab a couple of Vickerman
43" Silver 3-Finish Snowflake Christmas Ornaments. She waited her turn to hang them, and then couldn't help but smile as both Harry and Gabby gained identical ornaments on their own trees. The two of them poked at each other with their wands, laughing, giggling, and simply having a grand time of things.
Fleur turned and looked back at her husband. He just sat there, butterbeer in hand, another slice of cake about to be shovelled into his mouth.
She shook her head. Would it really kill him to get up and help decorate?
x-x-x
It hadn't taken very long to decorate the tree, and the room was quiet now as everyone sat and relaxed in the festive environment.
"Are we moving onto the next tradition now?" Harry said, practically vibrating with anticipation.
At this, Bill threw him a look. "Next?" he said in disbelief. "Haven't you had enough?"
Harry shook his head vigorously. "My Frosted-Sugar-Topped-Lemon-And-Lime-Tart said we'd go until we were out of energy," he said, giving her a loving look. "And I don't know about you, but I'm definitely not out of energy yet."
Bill simply stared at him for a moment before looking at Fleur, then back to Harry. Then to Fleur. "Is this some kind of joke?" he said, mouth open in confusion. "If I have to do one more damn tradition, I'll-"
"You'll what, William?" Fleur said, crossing her arms tight and glaring at him. "Go on, tell me! You've been absolutely insufferable since morning, and frankly, I've had enough of it!"
He threw his hands up and shook his head. "Oh, for the love of...Just because Harry's acting like a niffler digging up a pot of gold, doesn't mean we all have to behave the same way, too. He's been an absolute dickhead all day, and I'm tired of it."
Gabby gasped and placed her hands over Harry's ears. "Don't you dare speak to my Warm-Piece-Of-Apple-Pie-With-Whipped-Cream like that!"
Harry gave his beloved a sad smile. "No, no. It's okay, my Warm-Piece-Of-Apple-Pie-With-Vanilla-Ice-Cream," he said. "Bill has a point. I've...been rather overeager today."
"Hush you!" Gabby said, placing a comforting hand on his cheek.
Harry closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's just…"
"Just your relatives," she said, spitting the word out. "I know they've never celebrated Christmas with you properly. You're just so excited to spend it with real family this year."
"Shh, it's fine, my Melted-Triple-Chocolate-Cake-With-Crushed-Candy-Cane-And-Marshmallows," Harry said, placing his hand on top of hers.
"You don't celebrate with your own family?" Apolline said, her hand reaching up and clutching her heart.
Jean straightened up in his seat at this, forehead furrowed in concern.
"Well...I…" Harry said, clearing his throat. "No. In fact...I've only ever celebrated with the Weasleys and my sister Hermione before."
Bill's face had brightened at the mention of his family's Yule gathering, causing Fleur to silently fume at him.
"For that, I should actually thank you, Bill," Harry said, giving him a nod of gratitude. "And...if you feel frustrated with my enthusiasm today, I understand."
Gabby clicked her tongue. "But my Godiva-Chocolatier-Medium-Biscuit-Assortment-In-Red-And-Green-Candy-Cane-Wrapping! You can't really help having decades worth of pent-up Christmas Spirit to burn off," she said, throwing her arms around him.
Fleur sighed in frustration as she turned to look at her husband. "Maybe Harry isn't the problem here," she said, levelling a burning stare at him. "Maybe it's you, William. You've been a right Grinch since we arrived, and you should apologize to Harry this instant."
Bill spluttered for a moment, looking from one person to the next. "You've got to be kidding me."
All the Delacour women glared at Bill in response. Even Papa gave him a disappointed look.
"Son, this attitude does not look good on you," Jean said, shaking his head. "In fact, right now you remind me of someone. Someone I try and remove from my family, yearly. His name is Jean-Jaques Pierre-Phillipe Babineau-Béliveau."
Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "Who?"
"Bighead Garcon," Gabrielle said.
"Cedille included?" Harry said.
Gabby nodded. "Bighead Garçon," she said, giving him an affectionate look before turning to Papa. "Harry remembers people best by their most prominent attributes, not their names."
"That makes a lot of sense," Jean said, nodding before turning back to Bill. "And it's never a good comparison, son. Their family line is almost at an end because their bigheads overinflate and explode." He dropped his chin and shook his head.
"Ah, but at least you won't have to yearly-remove them if that happens," Harry offered.
Jean's face split into a grin as he let out a chortle. "Good man, Harry," he said, pointing a finger at him. "You're absolutely correct."
Looking properly chastised now, Bill hung his head. "You're right, Jean," he said before giving Harry a look of remorse. "I apologize, Harry. Perhaps...all this time...I've been the dickhead."
Several gasps sounded throughout the room.
"That's alright, Bill," Harry said gently, giving him a gentle smile. "I see you all as my family, and I'm just glad to be here and take part in your traditions."
Fleur and Apolline cooed in response as Gabby threw herself onto Harry in a tight hug, kissing every inch of his face.
Jean cleared his throat. "Now that's dealt with, we do have one more tradition," he said with a pleased look. "We like to have a glass of eggnog and spend the rest of the evening with family."
Bill's eyes shot open at that, his face turning a shade of red only a Weasley could pull off. "I...uhm...might have...forgotten that."
"You really are an absolute knot face today, aren't you?" Fleur said as all three women turned to glare at him, hands on their hips.
"No, no, that's okay," Harry said, coming to Bill's defence. "The only tradition I need is for my Cocktail-Dress-Clad-Gingerbread-Woman-With-Matching-Sparkle-Earrings-And-Necklace-With-Chocolate-Berry-And-Butterscotch-Dips to be at my side and to be surrounded by family." He dropped a kiss onto the top of her head.
"And all I need to make this the best Christmas ever is my Tuxedo-Suit-Clad-Gingerbread-Man-With-Matching-Sparkle-Shoes-And-Tie-With-Chocolate-Berry-And-Butterscotch-Dips," Gabby said, staring up at him, her eyes hopelessly cooing with love.
At this, every occupant in the room stood up and cheered, including the couple themselves.
Floating trays appeared in the center of the room and everyone grabbed a 4.5 oz La Rochere Perigord Champagne Flute of orange juice.
"Well, it's not eggnog," Harry said, holding his glass up. "But OJ will do just fine, I think. Here's to the best family Christmas I've ever experienced and many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many more with my beloved, Soul Bonded, love of my life, Gabby!"
"Cheers, I'll drink to that!" everyone said in unison.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
AN:
Firstly, we'd like to blame Nauze for mispronouncing his own name. It's Nauze. Not Nauze. We still aren't over the closure of the Scurvy-Clinic.
Secondly, we'd like to thank Petri for not beta-ing the last chapter of HH. Those excessive commas, wouldn't, be there, if you had, deleted them.
Thirdly, we'd like to blame Eucla, STS, and Flowerpot for their generous charitable giving. Without it, we wouldn't have had an interlude interrupting our plans. The repurposing of Eucla's Scurvy Clinic has joined the Hiatus Gang.
Fourthly, we'd like to thank Libbly for being the tireless leader of the Hiatus Gang. Without your supremely superb example, so many authors wouldn't find themselves there. And thank you for investing in the new built-in sauna. Any chance we can discuss a new pool table in the rec room?
Fifthly, we'd like to blame Ajax for organizing this entire charity event which raised nearly $2000. If you'd like to donate, you can use the following link: extra-life dot org/team/55622
Also, we'd like to let you know, Ajax, that we received your Myers Briggs results and will 'process' them with your application at an indeterminate point in the future.
Sixthly, we'd like to thank Charlennette for joining the STS server. Please don't leave. You're stuck here now. Enjoy your complimentary orange juice. If you haven't received it in the mail yet, please reach out to our Brazilian Beta, Nauze. He is overly helpful and takes care of these details for us.
As always, stay classy, Eucla. And happy holidays!