Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel characters or any of the X-men. The same can be said of the wonderful world of J.K. Rowling. I am not making any profit, but simply having fun. I did however create Emma Winter.
Memories and dreams are in italics.
Edited in March 2021 during lockdown.
It was early Christmas morning, and everyone was fast asleep at Xavier's but Jones who was busy flicking through the hundreds of TV channels that were on cable. The rest of the house was utterly quiet, the few children who had decided to celebrate Christmas had gone very late to bed and the teachers had gone even later to bed after wrapping the presents for their friends, all but Ororo who was incredibly organized when it came to everything and had finished everything she needed to do by the first week of December.
Emma hadn't gotten to bed until very late after a long night of feeling dreadfully homesick, so homesick in fact that she had spent most of the night reading Hogwarts a history while thinking home. Logan had left for the cottage the evening before and Emma would join him in the morning when she would get up. The witch suspected that the mutant had something special in mind and it warmed her heart that Logan was making a fuss over their first Yule together.
While working at Xavier's Emma had often missed her old friends, especially as the relationship with Logan got serious. The witch wanted her friends to meet the man that was so special to her heart. The holiday season had been especially difficult for her; she had never been away from Hogwarts at Yuletide, not ever since she had enlisted into Hogwarts as a child. Emma missed not only her friends but also the special feeling that stirred in her chest every Christmas when she spent time at magical Hogwarts.
The buffet over the holidays at Hogwarts was always a smorgasbord, anything and everything that one might desire. Emma wasn't filled with the same passionate principles that Hermione had and had refused to join S.P.E.W (otherwise known as the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) to champion House-elf's rights.
Emma had been raised with Mrs Ashbrook and as in so many magical households, there had been a house-elf called Skimpy who had entertained Emma immensely as a child. Skimpy had continued to be a part of Emma's life as Dumbledore had taken the elf under his wing when Mrs Ashbrook passed away. In fact, according to the will, Emma had inherited Skimpy but since she was just a child at the time it had been decided that the house-elf would work in the kitchens at Hogwarts until, and if the time ever came that, Emma would want Skimpy's service in her future household.
Influenced by Hermione's passion, Emma had once offered Skimpy freedom and would never do that again, the witch had learned her lesson well that day as the sweet-natured house-elf had turned into a hissing monster at the mention of independence before explaining to Emma in an explicit language where she could shove that freedom. The elf then disappeared from her sight, refusing to speak to her for months afterwards making Emma understand just how seriously she had wounded him. Finally, Emma had profusely apologized and sworn on her wand that she would never use the dreadful f-word in Skimpy's presence.
Emma had been thinking much of Skimpy, the house-elf, and one of the reasons was that every Christmas morning the elderly elf gave her a box filled with sweets that he had made for her. It was a tradition that Emma knew that she was certain she would miss at Xavier's, and the thought made the witch a little gloomy.
Like most witches, Emma had some kind of premonition installed into her genetic makeup and should have realized that there was some reason why she was thinking so much of the grumpy, little house elf. However, even though Emma was a witch, she had never been interested in premonitions, dreams or other unreliable things of that nature.
If Emma had been a believer she might not have been surprised when a loud pop was heard and a small, old house-elf appeared in her room at dawn on Christmas morning. It was Skimpy, looking rather annoyed by the sight in front of him. A sleeping witch, the house-elf thought that the witch was always sleeping. Skimpy felt Emma slept too much for a human even though the other elf's said that sleeping every night was normal for humans. Ridiculous waste of time the old house-elf thought before clearing his throat loudly trying to wake up the witch.
Nothing.
The witch didn't even stir.
"Miss? You must wake up," Skimpy's loud voice echoed in the room.
Emma had never been an early riser and after the long night she had had she was even deeper than usual in the clutches of a dream. Emma grumbled in recognition of the voice she had heard so often in her childhood but then fell asleep again.
"Miss, wake up. Dumbledore sent me," the voice said again with a little bit of impatience embedded into it.
"Five more minutes Skimpy," Emma's voice groaned from under the covers while she moved to find the perfect position to continue dreaming. It was not often that the witch enjoyed cheerful dreams and when she did it was very hard for her to let go.
"I asked you kindly miss, you can't fault me," the high-pitched voice threatened before Emma's duvet was violently ripped off her and thrown into the nearest wall where it slowly slid down to the floor. House-elves were infamous for having little patience for sleeping humans, it was a trait that Emma should have remembered from when she was a child.
The young witch groaned in protest when all the lights in the room were turned on at once as a cold draft surrounded her half-sleeping body. It took her a few seconds to register the hoarse voice that was openly nagging her as if she were five years old and still living with Mrs Ashbrook.
"... silly, lazy witch. She sleeps too much. I told Dumbledore, who needs to sleep every night as she does? Did he listen? No, he didn't. No one listens to poor Skimpy."
Emma sat up quickly in her bed and narrowed her eyes to see what was going on in her bedroom. By the side of the bed was a small silhouette of an agitated, elderly house elf that was impatiently pacing back and forth while waiting for Emma to get up.
"Wait! What in Merlin's name is going on here? Is it you Skimpy?" Emma asked in a groggy voice and not quite believing her eyes.
"Dumbledore's beard, I have finally managed to wake the sleeping beauty," Skimpy's voice said sarcastically revealing quickly to Emma who it was. The snarkier side of Mrs Ashbrook had rubbed off on the elf, shocking others of his kind who would never speak to their masters in such a discourteous manner. Mrs Ashbrook had had the kindest, biggest heart of anyone that Emma had ever met in her life, however, no one could deny that the old witch had enjoyed sarcasm and had turned it into an art form.
"Oh, Skimpy! I can't believe it's you! I must still be dreaming," Emma gushed joyfully before throwing herself down on the floor beside the elf, hugging him tightly and kissing his old, wrinkled face with an unusual affection that made him feel slightly claustrophobic.
"Mistress has strange dreams if kissing Skimpy is a common occurrence," Skimpy mumbled before wrapping his thin, little arms around Emma's neck and hugging her quickly back showing how delighted he was to meet his true mistress again after months apart. Skimpy had always cared for his mistress Emma even though she was very strange indeed, even for a witch she was considered eccentric.
"What on earth are you doing here Skimpy?" Emma asked smiling broadly and stroking his small back affectionately before sitting down on the floor beside him. Skimpy looked at Emma disapprovingly, it was not proper for any witch to behave in such an unsuitable manner. This time he decided against nagging her, Emma had never responded well to that. The witch might be tempted to start talking about freedom and socks again if he tried to scold her.
"It's Christmas morning miss, I came to bring you my present," Skimpy said indignantly, his voice rising to a high pitch and a large red box appeared in his hands. The box appeared even larger by the small size of the house-elf and Emma smiled widely when she saw all the ribbons that had been used to tie the box. It seemed obvious that Skimpy had learnt how to wrap presents from his old friend Dobby.
"You came all the way here to give me my present? You are wonderful!" Emma gushed and grabbed the box that Skimpy had handed her way. She opened the box and greedily ate one with a grin on her face. Chocolate was Emma's addiction and her favourite sweets in the world were the ones made by Skimpy.
"They are fantastic as always, the best Christmas present I could get," Emma said popping another piece greedily into her mouth and chewing quickly as if her life depended on it. A sugar rush so early in the morning made her grin mischievously at Skimpy as she knew he would have scolded her right away if not for the fact that Emma was eating his creations.
"Skimpy knows that mistress loves her chocolate," he said proudly feeling his chest swell at the obvious joy that his mistress was showing over his present. It wasn't often that Emma allowed any type of fussing from the little house elf so he had started to look forward to each Christmas when he could spoil the young witch with what she loved the most in the world.
"Oh yes, I love it and your sweets are the best," Emma said affectionately before closing the box and putting it on her bed. If she wouldn't stop herself the contents of the box would be finished in no time and she wanted to share them with Logan at the cottage.
"Hang on, how did you find me?" Emma asked suspiciously wondering how in Merlin's name the little house elf had found her in Rochester, New York. She was a secret keeper, no one was supposed to know of her whereabouts, Harry and Ginny's safety depended on it.
"It's our magic miss, house-elves must be able to find our masters if needed," Skimpy said while frowning at all the mess in Emma's room. There were clothes everywhere making the nice sized room look smaller by the junk that was all over. Usually, Emma kept her room reasonably tidy but wrapping presents the evening before had left the room in an atrocious state. With a few practised snaps of Skimpy's hand, house-elf magic had taken care of the mess and the room looked shiny. Emma nodded thankfully to the elf who behaved as if he hadn't done anything. It was a common occurrence that wizards and witches were too distracted to do house chores, it made the house elf's feel needed, so everybody gained from the partnership.
"What if someone tracked you Skimpy? Then I might be in trouble, even worse all these muggles here might be in a world of trouble," Emma explained worriedly wondering if someone was hunting her, they might just have found a perfect way to track her down. Her heart constricted with sudden worry for her friends and students at the mansion.
Skimpy looked severely insulted at Emma, "did miss learn nothing at Hogwarts besides breaking rules? No one can track house-elf magic; not even magical people."
"Right, Harry mentioned something like that about Dobby," Emma admitted feeling her face flush scarlet with shame at how dissatisfied the old elf had looked as he glared at her with a look that said she really should know better. It didn't feel too good when the elf made fun of her, Skimpy often was correct in his assumptions when it came to her old habit of speaking before thinking.
"Harry Potter is an excellent wizard, he is a true friend of house elves," Skimpy said affectionately his face showing the adoration he had for Harry. Skimpy had been one of the few house-elves at Hogwarts that had dared to be around Dobby, the only known free house-elf in history. Even though Skimpy had never shared Dobby's ideas there had been a solid bond of friendship between the two different elves and a shared admiration for Harry Potter.
"I'm so very happy you came to visit me Skimpy, I was feeling dreadfully homesick," Emma admitted quietly to the house-elf that looked at her silently for a moment before admitting who had given him a slight push to find his ever-elusive owner.
"Dumbledore thought you might be missing home. When I asked permission to visit, he told me to bring a few items for you," Skimpy said snapping his fingers again. In front of Emma appeared a present and a thick letter with her name on the front.
"Thank you so much Skimpy, it meant a lot to me that you came to visit," Emma said smiling widely and then wondered if she should invite him to stay with her over Christmas. She had no idea what normal owners of house-elves did in a situation like hers and if the Skimpy would even like to stay with her having nothing to do but stay out of sight of the mutants that lived at the mansion.
"Would you want to spend Christmas here with me?" the witch finally asked quietly, not knowing how she would explain Skimpy's presence to anyone at the mansion or Logan.
"I am needed at Hogwarts miss. We are preparing lunch for students and faculty. Unless miss needs me to stay that is," Skimpy said knowing that if Emma wanted him to, he would of course stay. It was his honour bound duty to make his owner happy, even if she had tried to give him freedom once.
"Very well Skimpy, I don't want you to disappoint Dumbledore or the other elves," Emma said undesirably knowing that Skimpy would be far happier doing his duty at Hogwarts rather than moping over her.
"I have a few things from Dumbledore. Perhaps miss can open them after Skimpy leaves?" the elf asked hopeful and snapped his fingers. A few parcels appeared at his feet and he watched the witch with affection as she moved a little closer to the presents. Emma had never been a patient one, not even as a child. That same impatience was coming up as she eyed the presents in front of her.
"I will go now, happy Christmas miss," Skimpy bowed before his mistress before disappearing into thin air, not even allowing Emma to say goodbye to him. She sighed before turning around to get a few more sweets. The little house-elf had made her happier than he knew himself by bringing her a little taste of home.
"Emma, happy Christmas. Please come to my office one moment," Charles Xavier said warmly as the witch walked quickly through the hallways of the lower level of the mansion. The witch was in a hurry, she knew Logan was probably already awake and she didn't want to miss a moment with him. The witch was startled to hear Xavier's voice as Emma thought she was the only one up so early in the morning.
"Happy Christmas Charles," the witch replied quickly before following Xavier as he headed to his office. As the two of them settled into his office, Xavier smiled warmly at Emma who was eying him rather suspiciously.
"Don't worry; you are not here to be scolded, quite the opposite. Christmas is a time for family and friends but also a bittersweet holiday for those that have loved ones far away."
Emma nodded silently in agreement, trying to ignore the big lump in her throat at his words. She had been nostalgic ever since Skimpy left her, distance made the heart go fonder and Emma had realized just how much she missed her friends back home.
"I wanted to give you something for Christmas but for the life of me, I did not know what to give you. In the end, it dawned on me. What you would enjoy the most would be to talk to your loved ones back home and I can certainly help you to do that. I have a secure line from this house to call whomever you want, wherever they are located in the world. Don't worry, the call cannot be traced."
"I don't know what to say Charles, that is wonderful," Emma replied enthusiastically before a slight hesitation awoke in her. The temptation was great to contact her friends, but she had no idea how muggle contraptions worked and if it was even safe to use one to contact her friends. Xavier had to know more about telephones than she did, so she sought out to get reassurance from him.
"Are you certain that it's safe?"
"Certainly, as safe as it can ever be," Charles Xavier replied warmly before leaving the office and allowing Emma to make the call.
"Moine? Is that you?" Emma asked hesitantly when the call was picked up on the other end, and the witch tried not to talk too fast as she always did when she felt excited.
"Yes, this is Hermione. Who am I speaking to?" Hermione answered politely and didn't recognize Emma's voice on the phone. No wonder as Emma had never called anyone in the magic community before and it felt strange to hear her old friend from a muggle contraption.
"I have been away too long when you don't even recognize your cherished friend," Emma drawled and enjoyed the thrilling gasp from the other end of the line.
An exited Hermione Granger gushed into the phone while Emma chuckled happily finally at long last hearing her friend's voice, "Sweet Merlin! Emma!"
"Hang on a moment, I have to call Ron, he will be thrilled," Hermione laughed before disappearing from the end of the line. There was silence for a few seconds before Emma could hear Hermione's voice roaring very uncharacteristically, "Ronald Weasley, get in here this instant! Emma is on the phone!"
"Sorry Emma, I was just calling Ron, he'd love to hear you too," Hermione said merrily into the phone as if she had just popped for a coffee and not shouted at the top of her lungs.
"I heard that, most of your neighbourhood could as well," Emma said sardonically. Muggle or not, magical folk seemed to be incredibly uninterested in normal everyday electrical equipment. Phones were the worst of them all, as proven by Ron's next reaction.
"Tell Emma that I say hi!" Ron called loudly as if he was trying to shout over the Atlantic Ocean to the mansion in America. Emma managed to shift the phone away from her ear a mere second after he started shouting; she had expected this from Ron after seeing him trying to phone Harry up a few times.
"I'm sure she heard you Ron, there is no need to howl like a banshee," Hermione scolded him while Emma tried unsuccessfully to hide a bubbling, joyful laughter. She had missed them, the banters, the solid familiarity and friendship she shared with the three Gryffindors.
"I heard him all right; did he learn to speak on the phone from Mr Weasley?" Emma asked laughing merrily as Ron continued to shout in the background.
"Arthur is positive that the best way to speak on muggle contraptions is to yell as loudly as you can," Hermione said sarcastically and right away getting exuberant protests from Ron who was not happy about Emma making fun of his dad.
"Oi, stop that. My father is a great man," Ron said proudly of his father who was known for his enthusiasm when it came to muggles. It was true, compared to most fathers Emma knew Arthur Weasley was the best. He loved his family and would sacrifice anything for their well-being. Harry, Hermione and Emma had found their second home at the Burrow and had loved every minute they had spent with the Weasley clan. Emma had always felt extremely welcome by most of the Wesley's, that was to say, besides Molly who never really liked the young witch because she was a Slytherin.
"We know Ron, we all love your family," Hermione said in a gentile tone, out of the four friends she had always been the peacekeeper. The brain of Gryffindor smoothed things over when the others got their feathers ruffled and that was quite often. Hermione had realized sooner than the others that clashes were bound to happen when dealing with a group of passionate people that had strong opinions about everything under the sun.
"Emma where have you been all this time? We tried looking for you, even Dumbledore wouldn't tell us anything and he loves to gossip."
"I would bloody well hope not as it wasn't his job to say," Emma said testily as she would not have been surprised in the slightest if he had hinted something.
"Where have you been hiding these months? It's been four months since we last saw you."
"Something like that," Emma replied vaguely while her mind raced with explanations for her disappearance. Trust Hermione to start the investigation so upfront. They had been worried, of course, they had been. Guilt bubbled at her chest for not having been in contact sooner, no matter how many ethical boundaries she was breaking by contacting them while under the Fidelius charm.
"Where in Merlin's name is Emma? Does she need us to fetch her; is she in some kind of trouble?" Ron's unusually concerned voice hollered, and it made Emma feel touched how ready Ron was to come and get her if there was trouble. Such was the love between the four that throwing oneself into danger did not matter; the friendship was strong and overruled everything else. Even Death Eaters couldn't scare them, and even Voldemort himself couldn't kill the friendship between them.
"Ron, let me take care of this. Aren't you late for your Quidditch practise?" Hermione asked with an obvious intent of getting rid of Ron's shouting from the conversation.
"I'm going, I will be off the team if I'm late again in the same week," Ron mumbled next to the phone before a very distinct kissing sound echoed over the line as he kissed his wife goodbye.
"Bye Emma, come back soon. We miss you or at least 'Moine does," Ron chuckled at his humour. He was the biggest fan of his sense of humour which was good since the others didn't enjoy his jesting as much.
"Cheeky bugger," Emma said affectionately before remembering a significant thing. Ron was so used to gossiping that the whole Quidditch team would know about her call in less than ten minutes, "Moine please tell Ron no matter what he can't tell anyone I called! It's important, no one!"
"Right, hang on a moment," Hermione said understanding the problem. The other three had always been cautious telling Ron secrets, even his wife knew better than to tell Ronald Weasley something that the world was not allowed to know. Emma heard a clatter as Hermione threw the receiver down on the table and went running after Ron to catch him before he would apparate.
Mumbled chatting was all that Emma heard before a loud cracking sound was heard through the line, a tell-tale sign that Ron had apparated away from the house.
The receiver was grabbed and Hermione's voice chimed, "Emma you still there?"
"I am."
"Thank Merlin, I wasn't sure you'd hang on the line," Hermione said worriedly and it was obvious she had half expected Emma to end the call after all the chaos so far.
"It's fine, I still have a few more minutes," Emma said warmly. Xavier hadn't given her any specific time so she wasn't too concerned. If there were any real expenses, the witch would be happy to have them retracted from her salary.
"What's going on Emma, you had mentioned a new job prospect I never expected you to disappear like that without a proper goodbye," Hermione said and Emma felt a pang of guilt at her words. Hermione was right, and Emma felt guilty for not being able to speak frankly to her dear friend.
"You're right, I'm so sorry to leave so abruptly. Things escalated out of my hands and I ..." Emma didn't know how to end that sentence. How could she explain to Hermione that Dumbledore tricked her yet again by using her friendship with the trio against her, Emma couldn't do it as she felt too loyal to Dumbledore.
Emma adored Dumbledore but she also had a darker opinion of Dumbledore than her friends and she didn't want to taint their hero. Dumbledore had been their light in the darkness and a homing beacon when all seemed lost. Emma wouldn't destroy the view the trio had of him by expressing her grievances of the old wizard who was the closest she would ever come to having a father.
Hermione was silent for a moment, a clear sign that her famous problem-solving brain was working overdrive on trying to solve the problem of why Emma had left so abruptly as she did.
"I often wondered if your leaving was connected to Harry and Ginny leaving around the same time?" Hermione asked right away as if not to give Emma time to weasel her way out of the oncoming questions.
Emma opened her mouth to refuse but the magical bounds of the Fidelius charm forced her to stay silent. It was a known fact that secret keepers couldn't answer any questions connected to the secret they kept and now Emma was experiencing first hand just how frustrating it was to be bound by magic. Hermione Granger knew that, and Emma could hear her friend chuckle at the other end of the line as if she had solved a great mystery.
"Right, do you know where they are now?" Hermione pushed even further as if to prove some point. There always was a point with her questioning, after all her mind was the sharpest of many years at Hogwarts. Fidelius charm was very clever for keeping secrets but it had an Achilles heel that Hermione had found very quickly, no surprise being one of the brightest witches to ever graduate from Hogwarts.
When Hermione had asked where the young Potter's were it had startled Emma. It had been four months; surely the young married couple had gotten the celebration out of their system after that amount of time. Still, the bounds of the charm tied Emma to her promise. Since she was still stuck under the magical bounds it was only fair to assume that the young Potters were still travelling around, having a great time.
"Never mind, I understand your predicament now," Hermione muttered her famous problem-solving brain having reached the most obvious, and correct conclusion.
"If you did, then I'm sure you understand that silence is of importance," Emma hissed into the phone, feeling angry at herself for having fallen so readily into Hermione's trap. She should have realized that it wouldn't take Hermione long to comprehend what was the real reason for Emma's departure. Emma had decided to call Hermione in a curious glimpse to see if Harry and Ginny had returned from their honeymoon, if they had she would be free from her obligation.
"You're right of course, let's talk of something else," Hermione said apologetically knowing that she often annoyed her friend when her brain took over from her good sense. It was a trait that, few or no Slytherins could understand. Secrecy had often been of the essence during the war but after the fall of Voldemort, it had become obvious that Hermione had let her guard down like so many others within the magical world.
"Ever the pacifist," Emma said teasingly, quickly offering peace, and was rewarded with a burst of merry laughter from her beloved friend.
"That was my job simply because the lot of you were absolutely off the deep end," Hermione chuckled happily thinking back on their teenage years. Even if they had spent more than a good portion of their lives in danger, they had had a great time through the years at Hogwarts.
"I know, after all, it was marvellous to be a student with you lot," Emma said and honestly meant it. They had had hard times for sure with struggles of was but the bond of friendship as strong as ever. The trio was like family to her, like the siblings she had never had and never would have.
"Always, how are you, my dear Emma?" Hermione asked warmly and Emma felt happy to hear the familiar phrase from her friend.
"All is well 'Moine, I fell in love," Emma gushed and heard a startled gasp on the other line before Hermione laughed loudly in surprise.
"He must be very special indeed to capture your heart. I can't wait to meet him," Hermione said joyfully, and Emma smiled widely at her friend's words. It would certainly be interesting to see Logan meeting her friends from Hogwarts.
"I can't wait for you all to meet him. He's a good man," Emma answered, her heart filling with warmth thinking of the mutant that was waiting for her at the cottage to celebrate Christmas.
"He must be a character for you to fall for him so quickly. Do I hear wedding bells in the future?" Hermione asked curiously. Emma had never been interested in the young men at Hogwarts so it would be indeed curious to see who had managed to steal her elusive heart in such a short amount of time.
"That he certainly is, and we shall see about the future. One step at a time," Emma laughed before asking, "How are you and Ron? What have you been up to since I left?"
Ever since the conversation had begun, Emma had felt like she and Hermione had just spoken the day before even if it had been four months. She had been feeling worried that Herminie might feel annoyed that Emma disappeared like that without a warning. As always though she shouldn't have worried, Hermione Granger had figured out Emma's predicament in just a few moments.
"Well I still have the job at the Ministry of magic and I love it. Ron was just picked as a beater for Puddlemere United. If he plays well, he might have a shot at playing for the English National Quidditch team," Hermione said her voice showing how happy and proud she was of her husband for what he had achieved.
"Really? That's brilliant news, it was Ron's childhood dream to play for them," Emma said remembering not too fondly all those arguments between Harry and Ron about Quidditch. Hermione and Emma had gone to every single match that the Gryffindors played to show support. However Hermione was always more enthusiastic than Emma, it might have been her love for Ron that inspired her to keep her eyes open at the matches. Emma on the other hand had fallen asleep at almost every match; something that she had thought was impossible with the amount of noise at the stands with the crowd screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Oh yes, he's extremely happy and can't stop talking about Quidditch. It's driving Molly bonkers," Hermione laughed teasingly. Few things set Molly off but talking about Quidditch for an entire weekend while at the Burrow had done that. Ron had finally been hexed by his mother, a thing that had never happened before in the Weasley home, not even when Molly had been dealing with the twins.
"I can imagine, I was close to punching the boys a few times myself at the endless talk about Quidditch and its players," Emma said and for the first-time understanding Molly a little bit. Finally, there was something they had in common besides being witches. It wasn't a big thing but in time it might be a start to a conversation between the two very different women.
"If I remember correctly you DID hex Ron after a night of him constantly chatting about Quidditch," Hermione laughed remembering Ron's reaction to Emma hexing him. The Gryffindor had been in shock to see a furious Slytherin attacking him because of Quidditch.
"Honestly, can you blame me? I adore Ron but he can test my patience sometimes," Emma said defensively, knowing that no one would understand her reaction better than Hermione.
"He does that to everyone that cares about him. The newest thing he likes to argue about is the fact that Victor Krum is one of his teammates."
Emma thought for a while, Krum. It was a name she was supposed to be familiar with. Then it came to her, Hermione's old flame from Bulgaria. Krum was a famous Quidditch star that had made Ron so jealous that he had almost started convulsing with anger every time he heard the Bulgarian calling Hermione affectionately Hermo-Ninny. The Bulgarian accent was too harsh to say Hermione, so Victor had called her Hermo-Ninny for the time they were friends. Of course, Harry and Emma had called her that for years afterwards, driving Ron up the walls each time.
"No, not Krum the one Ron hated through most of our years at Hogwarts?"
Hermione cleared her throat embarrassed in response to Emma's question. It was a certain sign of just how much the witch had liked Krum at one point in time, when teased about him she had always gotten sensitive to the subject of the Bulgarian heartthrob.
"Yes, Durmstrang's champion and the seeker on Ron's team," Hermione sounded nonchalant about the whole thing but Emma knew her better than that. It had rattled the witch's cage to have a ghost from the past re-enter her life like that, especially one that annoyed Ron so very much.
"Oh, I'm sure that Ron is just loving that my dear Hermo-Ninny," Emma said sarcastically knowing full well that if something got under Ron's skin it was bound to stay there forever. Ronald Weasley was not forgiving if he ever felt that he had been wronged. It was a real problem, so much so that Ron often was still sulking long after he, and those around him, had forgotten why he had gotten angry in the first place.
"Please not that name again Emma, I can't stand it. Ron is not as envious as he used to be. Thankfully there are a few things now that have pacified his jealous side," Hermione said vaguely and then sighed tiredly. It was too vague in Emma's opinion that was more used to her friend being painfully direct.
"Such as?" Emma asked suspiciously. The last time she had hung out with her friends, Ron hadn't sounded a changed man as Hermione was declaring.
"That I am way too in love with Ron to ever care about a childhood sweetheart?" Hermione answered yet again being too vague for Emma. Since when did Hermione talk about love as a reason behind something? Never, not even when she and Ron got married did she ever mention love in her wows. She had mentioned soul mates, forever, friendship and laughter but the word love seemed to be something too personal to broadcast in front of a room filled with people.
"But you have always loved Ron so that's not the point now is it?" Emma asked trying to trap her friend into telling her exactly what it was that Hermione was hinting at.
"That is a very good reason Emma. That and well... I'm expecting our first child," Hermione said shyly waiting on her friend's reaction.
"Wait, what? You're going to be a mum! That's wonderful ´Moine! Oh, I'm so happy for you both!" Emma sniffed happily feeling stunned at how truly pleased she was for her friends. If there were ever good parents in the making it would be Ron and Hermione.
"Yes, we are extremely happy, completely over the moon," Hermione cooed in a content voice and Emma was certain her friend was glowing with happiness. The two of them had wanted children for quite a while and at long last, it was quiet enough in the magical world for that to happen.
"When are you due to give birth?" Emma asked wondering if she would be back home by the time the little Weasley would be born. She was quite positive that the offspring of Ron and Hermione would be a wild character, unable to listen to anyone who tried to control it, with a strong love for classical literature and most importantly sporting red hair like the entire Weasley clan.
"Beginning of June, we can't wait. Ron says my temper is like a hippogriff these days due to hormones and morning sickness," Hermione said snorting showing exactly what she thought of her husband's words.
"Like Buckbeak? That's awful," Emma laughed remembering the hippogriff that Rubeus Hagrid had been so fond of. It had been the grouchiest creature that the Hogwarts students had ever had the displeasure of meeting. That was saying a lot, especially for classes that Hagrid taught as there had been quite a selection of nasty creatures there. Nevertheless, the reigning king of nastiness had been Buckbeak, no matter how much Hagrid had loved him.
"Yes, I can hear how sincere you are," Hermione said sourly before adding, "the only things I crave are chocolate frogs. I never had a sweet tooth in my life until now."
"Seems the baby will take after its dad then; Ron loves everything sweet."
"He's not too happy when I steal his sweets, that's for sure," Hermione grumbled remembering a fight over Ron's secret chocolate stash that Hermione had discovered that morning. Discovered and devoured in a matter of minutes.
"Will you be home by the time the baby comes?" Hermione asked quietly hinting at how important it was to her to have her friend with her to experience such an important event in her life.
Emma sighed, she had dreaded that question, "I'm sorry Moine, that's a question I cannot answer at the moment. I hope I will, but nothing is certain. I will come as soon as I can and please take many photos of your ever-growing belly."
"Don't worry; Ron and Arthur are snapping shots all the time. You will be sick of them in no time," Hermione said laughing knowing that most of her childless friends would get bored in no time of pregnancy pictures and then later pictures of the baby. It was understandable that people that hadn't experienced the wondrous feeling of children would lose interest quicker than those that had experienced parenthood.
"I seriously doubt that I will get bored of anything connected to you lot. I do miss you all 'Moine, more than I can tell you," Emma said feeling herself get teary-eyed as she poured out her heart. Finally, after working out most of her past with Logan, Emma felt enough at peace to miss Hogwarts. It was a wondrous feeling to miss her childhood home after everything that had happened.
"We miss you too, life is extremely quiet when you're not around rocking the boat a little," Hermione admitted. The last months had been relatively quiet. The war was over, Harry and Ginny were away, Emma was gone and for the first time, it was only Hermione and Ron.
"Now I know you do miss me when you need me to raise havoc in your little love nest," Emma chuckled.
"Yes, without you it's so quiet," Hermione complained and grinned with happiness when she found a box of chocolate frogs that Ron left on the living room table for her. That man did know how to make her happy.
"I will be there in no time; think I have to go now Moine. My love is waiting for me. It was lovely to hear from you and Ron again!" Emma said, suddenly realizing that she had been chatting to her friend for well over half an hour. Even though Xavier had been generous enough to allow her to use the secure line, Emma didn't want to take advantage of his kindness.
"Have fun with your man, and happy Christmas Emma!" Hermione said exuberantly feeling happy to have finally heard from her friend. She had been missing Emma a lot and had been hoping to hear from her sometime over the holidays. Her wish had come true and with a bit of luck, they would all celebrate next Christmas together like they had done for so many years while students at Hogwarts.
"Happy Christmas and kisses to the bump. Cheers!"
Emma hung up smiling to herself. Even though she felt conflicted there was a strong sense of joy for having had an unexpected opportunity to call one of her friends. Emma hurried to Xavier to thank him for allowing her to call her friend, and then she headed out of the mansion before the students would wake up.
After the phonecall, Emma headed over to Logan's cottage on foot. The air was crisp, and the ground was covered in fresh snow that crackled with every step the witch took. She was dressed in her black cloak that the witch had gotten from Dumbledore years earlier, and the magic in the fabric kept Emma warm even though she was only dressed in a simple dress underneath. On her back was her backpack that was filled with all the goods from Skimpy, plus Logan's present that had thankfully been a part of the items that Albus had sent her from Hogwarts as the witch had had no idea what to give her mutant love.
Her guardian always seemed to know what Emma needed, she had thought wistfully about Firewhiskey for days as she had wanted Logan to try it. The mutant had said that he could never feel the buzz of any alcoholic drinks, but she was quite sure that Firewhiskey would be different as it was very potent.
When Emma was close to the cottage she heard a roar and a moment later Logan ran out of the cottage with an oven pan in his bare hands. The mutant threw the burned ingredients into the snow beside the veranda and Emma couldn't contain the laugh that broke out of her chest at the sight of him.
"What on earth are you up to?" the witch said with a smile as she stepped on the veranda and into Logan's open arms. The mutant kissed her roughly on the lips and squeezed her tightly to his chest. Logan had been looking forward to seeing Emma ever since he had left the mansion the evening before.
"I was trying to bake cookies for you," Logan grumbled, and Emma looked at him teasingly. The witch had a hard time imagining her lover baking but her heart melted at the thought that he had been willing to try just to make her happy.
"It's the thought that counts," Emma said with a smile, "happy Christmas Logan."
"Merry Christmas," Logan grumbled, kissing her lips quickly before murmuring, "I missed you last night."
"What were you up to that made you stay here alone?" the witch asked and looked curiously at the door of the cottage. Logan grinned at her and took her hand to lead her inside.
Emma gasped, everything had been cleaned and there were little Christmas decorations scattered around the little cottage. Food scent filled the air, mixed with the burning scent of Logan's discarded cookies. A small fire was burning brightly in the fireplace, giving the room a mesmerizing warm light.
"All this for me?" the witch asked wide-eyed, and Logan grinned happily at her. All the effort he had made to make the witch happy had worked. The happy glint in Emma's dark eyes was payment enough.
"You look good enough to eat in your cloak," Logan murmured with a raspy voice and Emma laughed merrily before reaching up to kiss him enthusiastically. As the kiss broke, Emma murmured, "let me give you your Christmas present first."
"First," Logan murmured and grinned at the witch who sounded out of breath after the steamy kiss they had shared. The witch grinned teasingly before nodding in agreement.
Emma put her backpack on the sofa, and then hung up her cloak before sitting on the sofa next to Logan who was looking at her curiously. Emma dug out a large, green box out of the backpack and the mutant eyed her with surprise.
"It's magical, I'm sure you would fit in it if you tried," Emma said to the surprised mutant that was eying her backpack with astonishment. There were moments that Logan sometimes forgot that Emma was a witch, but then little thing popped up that showed him just how different she was, even when she didn't use any magic. All was forgotten when Logan's curiously woke up and he shook the box to investigate what was inside.
"Just open it up," the witch said smiling at Logan as he tore into the box with obvious curiosity while wondering what the with had decided to give him.
Quickly Logan dug out a bottle of something called Firewhiskey and a large box of his favourite cigars. The witch had been taking mental notes on what things he liked the most because she nailed it completely. Logan didn't like anything unpractical, and the present would serve him good on brooding nights away from the mansion.
"Thank you, darlin', you know me," Logan said teasingly before kissing her quickly. Presents were his Achilles heel; he had been wondering for days what to give the witch and everything had seemed so trivial and useless somehow.
"You are most welcome," Emma said quickly and looked at Logan with curiosity as he looked so uncomfortable. The witch wondered what was on his mind and waited patiently while the mutant explained his thoughts to her.
"I didn't know what to give you darlin', everything seems so insignificant compared to what we share," the mutant said, and Emma agreed with him wholeheartedly. Cupid had struck both of them harder than they had ever expected, the love that was brewing in their hearts was priceless and no material things could ever compare to them.
"You have given me your love, that is all I could have wished for Logan," Emma whispered emotionally, and the mutant grinned happily at the witch before pointing to the kitchen counter.
"Your present is over there, I think you will like it," Logan said and watched as the witch stood up and walked to the kitchen counter where a large box was waiting for her. In seconds Emma had opened the box and dug out a helmet and a motorcycle jacket.
"Want you in one piece darlin'," Logan said as an answer to her surprised look at the helmet. Emma was probably the first witch in history to have her own motorcycle helmet as most would prefer the normal way of travelling that was apparating.
"Come here I want to give you a proper hug," Emma said emotionally, her arms wrapping around his waist while his heavy harms pulled her in close to his warm chest. Cigar smell, Emma never would have thought that the smell of cigars would remind her of the great love and friendship she shared with the dangerous mutant.
"I wanna something more than a hug, even if I enjoy holding you," Logan said with a raspy voice and the witch laughed. A few seconds later, his lips crashed down on hers in a passionate kiss that didn't hide the lust that was between them.
The remains of Emma's dress were on the floor, Logan had ripped it off as lust took over. Logan's state was not much better, his clothes had been thrown away by the witch who had greedily wanted to taste and touch every part of his body.
The witch moaned as Logan's lips travelled down her chest, to her nipples and down her stomach before the mutant knelt in front of her. Hot, passionate kisses were placed up her tights and hips before his warm tongue brushed over her sensitive nub that was sleek with wetness.
Logan grinned as the witch moaned in lust with every small movement of his tongue over her most sensitive area. Faster and faster he went until the witch yelled out her orgasm, her hands entangled in his wild hair.
The mutant stood up to his full height and kissed the witch who could taste herself on his lips. While they kissed, Logan played with her with his fingers, gently pushing her close to release yet again.
Logan felt himself getting rock hard again at Emma's lusty moans for him. The mutant kissed her with passion before turning her to face the window before pushing inside of her gently, the witch gasped as his fingers continued to play with her.
"I won't last long," Logan groaned in warning feeling his balls tighten up with every thrust. The scent of Emma's lust mixed with the strong scent of cinnamon was driving him crazy and he desperately needed a release.
The witch caressed the hand that was on her core before moaning loudly as the mutant lost control as he plunged roughly in and out of her, his teeth biting down at the side of her neck in a desperate need to mark her as his own. Over and over again he thrust before he came with a roar while the witch twitched forcefully in his arms. Her insides throbbing over his member as Emma came down from her orgasm.
The next morning Emma woke up in a tight embrace on the little cot after a long night of lovemaking. Emma sighed with content and Logan kissed her affectionately on the top of her head. The love he felt in his soul was profound for the dark-eyed witch in his arms, and the way she looked up at him with a smile on her face made it clear that she felt the same way for him.
"I have a question," Emma murmured, her dark eyes meeting his with sudden alertness that made Logan chuckle. There was no question that Emma Winter was the most intriguing person he had ever met in his life. The witch seemed driven by a desperate need to understand, and if Emma didn't understand something she would ask outright.
"What is on your mind this time witch," Logan said chuckling and Emma grinned at him playfully. The witch knew that many got frustrated by her questions, but Logan had always been captivated by how her mind worked.
"Why do you always nip at me there?" Emma asked curiously and pointing towards where her neck connected to her shoulder. She had wondered why the mutant seemed so close to breaking the skin on so many occasions.
"A feral thing, the beast in me wants to bite down hard to mark you as my own," Logan answered, his ears flushing red with embarrassment. It was not an easy task to try to explain feral ways to those that didn't understand, but Emma was more open-minded than most.
"Is your feral side trying to tell me that you want to marry me?" The witch asked teasingly, and Logan laughed loudly, his chest booming, "that's exactly what it's saying. Both the feral and the man. Will you marry me, beautiful witch?"
"Are you certain?" Emma asked as if to clarify that she had just been proposed to in a very unorthodox way. Biting she had never heard about before but having been around Logan enough it was a clear need that he had for marking her. As strange as it sounded, it was not an off-putting or a scary thought to the witch who had seen so many strange things in her short life.
"Darlin' I just asked you to marry me, it's a yes or no question," Logan said, the green in his eyes more apparent than ever before. The beast inside was more than a little interested in the direction of the conversation, if the witch would accept the mutant would want to howl with joy.
Emma grinned before she gave herself a moment to think. At long last, she nodded with a wide smile on her face, "Yes, I would very much like to be your wife Logan."
The mutant laughed louder before kissing her over and over again, deep joy in his heart. For weeks he had wondered how to approach the subject, how to ask the young witch to marry him but had always lost courage as he was too afraid that Emma would run away in fright. It seemed that whatever magic had ensnared him to her, had done the same to Emma and Logan would be forever thankful for that.
"So how does this mating work?" the witch asked curiously a little while later, and Logan looked at her with twinkling eyes filled with amusement before he turned with her in his arms until the witch was on top of him.
"When I'm about to come, I will bite you here," Logan murmured, his teeth grazing over the skin where her neck connected to her shoulder. The witch shivered in his arms at the touch and Logan nipped a little harder before murmuring in a raspy voice, "I will break the skin and you will be marked for life."
The witch pressed against his body, her want surrounding the mutant who felt his need grow with every moment. The witch kissed gently down his neck and murmured, "but what if I try to mark you? Will it heal right away?"
Before Logan could answer, Emma bit down almost hard enough to break the skin and the mutant gasped as lust washed over his system. He tried to keep his head on straight when the witch looked at his face, a soft smile on her face when she felt what her touches were doing to the mutant. Emma rubbed her core over his hardness and the mutant groaned as he felt her want.
"Darlin' … I don't know if it will heal, but it would give me great joy if you did that," Logan moaned completely at the mercy of the young witch that was on top of him, her teeth grazing over his skin again. With each nip, the mutant groaned with want and the witch felt her need increase with every touch.
"There he is," Emma murmured as the green in Logan's eyes shone brightly back at her, "How ready are you to mate now?"
"Just feel for yourself," Logan groaned and then witch rubbed over his hardness again before murmuring playfully, "I think you are more than ready."
Logan's chest rumbled with a deep growl and Emma lowered herself slowly on his hardness. When her lips crashed on his, the mutant felt himself responding, his tongue brushing against hers over and over again as the witch started to ride him faster.
The animal in him took over as he started growling loudly, the vibrations in his chest making the woman moan even louder in his arms as he started to slam up into her staking a claim on her body.
Emma knew that Logan was losing control, his fangs were close to her throat and she knew in her soul he wanted to bite down, "Wait, my love," the witch whispered urgently before kissing Logan with passion.
The mutant growled in agreement, his arms wrapping tightly around her as the witch trust down on him roughly and a moment later Emma bit down hard on his neck making the mutant lose control as his mate laid a claim on him. Over and over he thrust up as the woman continued to bite down.
At long last Emma released him, and their mouths met in the metallic taste of blood before the witch came hard screaming Logan's name. As the mutant felt himself on the brink of an orgasm, his mouth went to her silky white skin on Emma's neck and he bit down hard, his teeth breaking her soft skin. As his mouth filled with her fresh blood, he emptied himself with a roar inside of her twitching body.
Emma collapsed into his arms and for the longest while Logan was certain that the witch had fainted from emotion. It wasn't until a long while later that she murmured with a raspy voice, "I have never felt anything like this before."
"You are mine," Logan snarled with possession, the feral side of him wide awake as his arms wrapped tightly around her. Emma's hands stroked his face lovingly, "and you are mine Logan."
"Always," the mutant hummed before licking the wound on her neck with careful attention. Logan's rough tongue stopped the bleeding and Emma shivered with every touch of his tongue.
"Is it supposed to feel like this?" the witch murmured and shivered violently in his arms with every touch.
"Like what?" Logan murmured and continued to clean the wound with his tongue. Emma continued to moan in his arms with each brush of his tongue before she finally groaned, "As if I'm about to climax simply from you touching where you bit me."
"That's how it's supposed to feel," Logan said as Emma moaned louder and he grinned teasingly as he continued to nip and suck until his fingers touched her core greedily. Mere moments later Emma came with a startled moan as Logan grinned at her, his bright eyes twinkling with happiness.
Later, much later Logan could feel Emma's fingers stroking over where she had bitten him before she said, "there is a silvery scar where I bit you."
"My first scar, made by the one I love," Logan said emotionally before kissing her every finger. He had hoped that the mating scar would stay but had doubted it because of his regenerative powers. Somehow the feral side had overruled his mutant powers, allowing the scar to stay on his body. The witch had staked her claim on him, and his body had accepted the claim in full. Logan's heart was full and his body was sated as he continued to hold Emma close to his body in a protective cocoon.
"We will marry as soon as possible, I will make all the arrangements for a civil marriage," Logan murmured, his hand playing with Emma's curly hair. He wasn't big on ceremony, but he was still old fashioned and wanted to marry the witch legally as well.
"Just us Logan, I want this as small as we can as I don't want anyone to make any fuss over us. What happened before was the real ceremony as far as I'm concerned."
"I agree darlin'," Logan said and kissed the top of her head, "now that the mating is done, getting married legally is simply a formality. We are already bonded in the most sacred way. A bond that can only be broken by death."
The mutant nipped his teeth over the spot where the angry mark of his bite was on her skin after their lovemaking. The witch gasped and pressed closer to the mutant who felt overwhelmed with joy. He had planned on proposing to Emma but had worried that she might be scared off as everything had happened so suddenly. Happily for him, the witch seemed to love him enough to be willing to take the plunge.
"I love you husband," Emma murmured and kissed him gently on the lips. Never in a million years would the witch have thought she would marry someone outside of the magical community, not because of prejudice but because she had never been properly exposed to the outside world. Having met Logan had catapulted her life in so many ways and she was happy beyond words to walk the path with him for the rest of her days.
"I love you too darlin'," Logan replied and held the witch tightly before kissing her fervently in celebration. A few months earlier Logan would have laughed loudly at anyone who would have predicted that he would get married later that year. Emma Winter had completely turned his life upside down and Logan loved her even more for it.