Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- JK Rowling does (AKA: Not me)
A/N: Originally the Christmas chapters were only going to be a Christmas chapter but fate apparently had different plans. Please review and tell me what you think, I love constructive criticism. Thanks for reading this far!
I woke up the next day and I couldn't remember what had happened in my dreams although I did remember having them, I was certain of that. I tried and tried as I stroked Stan's hair to remember what I had dreamt about. I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia and then I'd sense warmth. I remembered what had happened the night before with a start as I woke up. I checked the necklace around my neck just to make sure I hadn't imagined it like I had so many times before. Stan stirred beside me but before he could even realize where he was I kissed him. Not on the lips as I had the night before but a quick peck on the cheek and his face although groggy, seemed to show recognition.
"Hi girlfriend," He said and kissed my cheek this time. He sat up slowly. "Merry Christmas." We got dressed quickly and I was even more conscious when Stan went to the bathroom to change. We were the first people up and we moved to the living room where presents were piled under the tree, some bulging out towards the fireplace. Stan sat down on the infamous loveseat and I sat on his lap with no remorse. I had just gotten him back, I had to resist myself from touching him every second. Stan wrapped his arms around my waist and I laid my head on his shoulder and he did the same with mine. We watched in silence the snow outside. Abby's snowmen stood in the middle of the backyard looking happy with the prospect of another cold day. And then I heard it.
I tried to ignore it, I really did. Stan acted unfazed and I wondered if he heard it at all and then suddenly it was there again, louder.
"AH!" The voice said a third time. I blushed red. Oh Maddie, please don't. I really don't want to know if you're a screamer, I begged her silently. Stan sat suddenly rigid. His slight rocking stopped and he sat with his head cocked. From the room down the hall to the right another sound came. This one came from a male and sounded more like a gasp. I looked to my watch; it was only 6 in the morning. Stan made a movement to try and get up from under me. I tried to stop him but I was already thrown into the seat beside Stan's and he took off towards his little sister's room stomping his feet and glowing a beet red.
"…Never liked him… she's only 17…" He continued to mumble as I followed him down the hall, partly out of curiosity and partly to help Maddie. Stan angrily threw open the door and I closed my eyes. Oh goodness. It was silent for a few seconds.
"What the HELL?" Stan roared and I chanced a glance into the room. There in the middle of the sea foam green room was Nick looking sheepish and Maddie who had suddenly sprouted her brother's trademark grin, both fully dressed. In between them was a robotic dog. I grimaced at the thought of the sexual games they had been playing.
"Did we wake you up?" Maddie said innocently enough. She didn't even have the decency to blush.
"No." I answered quickly and tried to pull Stan out of the doorway. He just glared at Nick.
"Answer my question," He commanded to Nick, not even acknowledging Maddie. Nick however, unlike his girlfriend, blushed a deep red.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to give her the present before we went and opened everything else," Nick stuttered and looked at Stan's knee instead which was about even with him since he was sitting Indian style on the floor.
"So you just thought you'd get a little afternoon delight before then, huh?" Stan sneered and I couldn't help but giggle at his choice of words. I faked a cough to cover though. I thought it was quite convincing. Stan however seemed unfazed.
"What are you talking about?" Maddie said blushing now.
"I heard the sounds. Don't think you can lie to me. I'm just glad Mum didn't find you," Stan said shaking his head. Nick suddenly jumped up when he realized what Stan was referring to.
"NO! No, no no no no! I bought Maddie a robotic dog for her Christmas present. She's always saying she wants a dog but you know you can't have one at Hogwarts, too many cats. I bought her a muggle one because I'd know she would appreciate it. She is always very keen on muggle things." Nick was talking at an alarming fast pace. I don't think he took a breath through all of it. He was pacing back and forth and Maddie just blushed a red to match her lips. "So I thought why not give her the present before everyone else and that why she'll be able to thank me and I won't be embarrassed. So we get the dog out of the package and it says you have to call loudly to it if you want it to come and we tried shouting and everything but Maddie's the only one who could get it to work and so that's probably what you heard. We didn't do anything!" He threw his hands up in a defensive manner. Maddie spoke up this time.
"We're waiting, you know." Maddie said blushing again. I wished I had been like her. Stan was the one looking flustered and I saw his ears turn pink.
"Oh… well then, I guess you can carry on," He said and shut the door. He turned to me and I could have laughed at how red his face was.
"Anyone would have thought that," I said rubbing his shoulder. We walked back to the living room. Abby had stumbled in a few minutes later still adorned in pajamas and a bad case of behead. Tyler came next and was almost dressed the same. Mum came after them and we gathered everyone. Only then we were allowed to open our presents. Our presents quickly separated into different piles. They were all wrapped in the same wrapping paper, a white background with moving penguins. I smiled at the thought of Mum working all night on them to wrap them for us. I took pictures of every present opening. My pile suddenly grew larger and larger when Stan began sorting again. I was surprised when I even got more than one present. I had really only been expecting something from Stan. I touched my neck again just to make sure the necklace was still there. When everyone had finished opening his or her presents I looked down at mine.
"Open mine first," Maddie said excitedly after she had opened the scarf her elder brother had given her. I nodded and opened the package from her. Inside was a small silver bracelet, obviously new with my name on it. "I found it in the junk shop and I was like I have to get this!" She said.
"It's from me too." Nick piped in; obviously flustered he hadn't got me anything. Poor kid. I gave her and Nick a quick hug and slipped on the bracelet. Next was Tyler's. I looked down to find 2 chocolate frogs. I laughed and picked them up. Stan would be happy to finish off my chocolate. The 15-year-old flushed when I stood up and gave him a big hug. I loved this family. I opened a card hand made by Abby. The writing was jumbled and some of the words were misspelled but the feeling was there.
Deer Broke,
Roses r red
Violets r blu
Stan loves you
And I do too.
I giggled nervously and pulled her into the biggest bear hug I could manage. She laughed and squeezed me back. I loved her. Mum had hand knitted a scarf for me with my first initial. "We know the second initial is changing soon," She whispered to me later. It was blue and the fleece felt weightless on my fingers but when I wrapped it around my neck I was instantly warm.
"Thanks, Mum." I said and I suddenly got nervous. If Stan and I were dating could I still call her Mum? Stan however didn't get my discomfort and stood up jerkily. He walked over to where I was standing trying to open my new chocolate frog and took my hand. Before I knew what he was doing he spoke up.
"Brooke and I have an announcement," Stan said a little louder than needed, his family had already fallen silent when they saw him take my hand.
"My baby's getting married!" Mum said excitedly running over to me her arms wide.
"No!" Stan said in a harsh tone. "Why does everyone assume that?" He asked turning to me as if I would be able to make sense of it. I shrugged at him. Mum took her place again and Stan continued. "Brooke and I," He used his fingers motioning to him and me like he was talking to a three year old. "Brooke and I are dating," He said.
"I thought you already were," Maddie said in a bored tone. I sighed, who didn't? Abby was the only one who looked excited.
"… And then we can paint each others fingernails. I've never done that. And in the summer we'll be able to go swimming." She said as I walked over to her. I didn't have the heart to tell her we could have done those things anyway. I caught Stan's eye and grinned. He got a silly looking smile and I wondered if I looked like that. Everyone got changed quickly and the family did a last minute clean up, throwing wrapping paper in the trash, dusting the blinds just one more time. I was sucked into the kitchen with Mum and happily started on the green bean casserole.
"So…" Mum said as she got out the cranberry sauce she had made the night before. "You and Stan are dating." She stated and I couldn't help but smile and nod. "But your sleeping in the same room," She said and I could see she was mentally clucking her tongue. Oops, I forgot about that.
"It's not like we do anything. In fact I don't think we will anytime soon. So you don't have to worry about it," I said nonchalantly but I couldn't help wondering what if would feel like to have Stan's naked body pressed against mine-
"… Brooke!" Mum yelled and I realized I had been drooling a little in the middle of my daydream.
"What?" I said, angry that she'd interrupted me for such a good visual.
"Your casserole!" She screamed and I looked to the timer to see it had completely stopped. How long had I been dozing off? I quickly took the casserole out of the oven and to my delight it wasn't all that burnt.
The Turner's, Mum's brother's family, came at one bearing a big turkey and a young boy around Abby's age carried a vat of gravy. Mr. Turner reminded me of a lumberjack, a big black beard and a head full of hair. He even wore a red plaid shirt. At his side was a meek looking lady, Mrs. Turner, who had white blonde hair and a kind smile. They had 3 children, or at least 3 that came with them. Molly was 17 and oldest, she immediately went off with Maddie and Nick after I'd been introduced. David was 13, just in between Abby and Tyler and went to play a portable videogame in the corner. The youngest was Joseph, or Joe at only 8. He seemed small for his age. Although he was taller than Abby he was as skinny as a stick, I could see the joints in his arm. He went off with Abby and they disappeared into her room.
"They don't look much like you," I commented to Mr. Turner. He let out a loud guffaw that scared me to the point of almost peeing my pants.
"They're all adopted so I don't think they look much like me either. Though they're ours, Sally's and mine and I love 'em down to their very last pinkie toe," He said in a booming voice. And thus began my friendship with Mr. Turner or as he preferred to be called Al.
We talked a lot over Christmas day. We talked until dinner (Mum's hard work paid off) and then until 8 in the evening when Al's youngest, Joe fell asleep on the couch. Al obviously favored Stan. Of course he talked about his other nieces and nephews but never the way he talked about Stan.
"Stan is always so noble. I tell my kids, 'Look up to Stan, be like Stan when you grow up.' I love 'em." Al said and ruffled Stan's hair. It seemed odd that Stan was the one having his hair ruffled. He always seemed like the ruffling type to me. That was what Al said always. "I love 'em," leaving of the first two letters, it could have meant 'him' 'her' or even 'them,' no one was ever sure. Al and I conversed about everything- the family, politics (we both favored Kingsley Shacklebot), and even our favorite authors. We discussed the weather, Mr. Shunpike and even Al's own love story. It was quite cute, involving disapproving parents, a love song and a single rose. I think the thing I liked most about Al was that he liked everyone. Even when we talked about people we didn't approve of, Al was still polite. We talked a lot but instead of it being like with Tyler where I couldn't get a word in, we would alternate. His stories and then mine.
"You marry this woman, you hear? If you don't I will," Al told Stan as we walked them to the door. I laughed and hugged Sally and Al, and waved goodbye to the children whom I had only seen at the dinner table. Once the door closed and my smile slowly faded. Now what? I was about to head upstairs to bed when I felt to arms encircle me and toss me around in a circle. I heard Stan laugh gleefully as he put me down again.
"They loved you!" He said amazed. "I was so afraid that you and Al wouldn't get along. You're both so opinionated but it just worked!" He snapped his hands and laughed again. I couldn't help but laugh along.
"Want to go upstairs and snog until we both pass out tired?" I suggested he shrugged his shoulder and looked over to his family who were spread out around the kitchen.
"Trust me they won't miss you. Race you!" I yelled and sprinted up the stairs I burst open the door to our room. Stan caught up to me eventually and then slipped a kiss on my cheek. I don't remember much from that night; my brain had been so fried, but the next morning I woke up with a smile on my swollen lips and a hoarse voice.
The train station as we entered seemed strangely eerie as we entered again. Instead of the nerves I had felt the last time I felt instead regret from spending the last week snogging Stan instead of spending it with my family. No longer did I feel embarrassed by saying this, it was a fact. I knew it; they were my family. Of course I had spent time playing quidditch with Tyler (we could never find that kiwi) and I did speak quite a lot with Maddie who seemed to know more muggle movies than I did. Abby moped all morning and crossed the barrier to 9 ¾ in tears. I hugged her and led her towards her other siblings. We watched as the train came into the station. I took Maddie in my arms and hugged her tight.
"Come back safe, write often," I told her and caught a glimpse of Nick watching us. "Tell your boyfriend that Stan likes him even though he won't admit it." I heard Maddie let out a sniff. She pulled back from me and hugged her older brother before boarding the train. I hugged Nick awkwardly and when it was over he looked even more flustered. He kept checking behind his shoulder as if someone was watching him. Cute kid. Tyler came last and I found him the hardest. He had played qudditch with me almost everyday and I loved the kid. He had already used his extendable ear twice, and those two times I had caught him listening into a conversation between Mum and I. He talked so much about everything I felt like I already knew his friends (Pete, a fellow quidditch player and Bryan, a playboy but top of the class). I hugged him tight and he hugged me back.
"I'll miss you. Make sure you write." I told him, pretending to be stern. I hugged him again but this time he quickly pulled away as someone called his name. Pete, I could tell by the glasses and broken nose, stole Tyler away and they headed on to the train. We, Stan, Abby, Mum and I, stayed until the train pulled out of the station; only then did I feel tears. They weren't the kind of tears you shed at funerals, no, this kind was silent and I hardly noticed they were there. Stan however did. He drew me into a big hug and wiped the tears of my cheeks with his index finger.
"I love them," I said. Saying it out loud for the first time was much different for thinking it. I felt a rush of emotion. I loved them, I loved them, I loved them, and I loved him. Before I could help myself I had crushed my lips against Stan's. He was kissing back and hard. My arms reached up and pulled his head closer. A cough from behind startled us both. Mum stood there looking embarrassed with Abby who seemed unfazed.
"We're ready to go home as soon as you are." Mum said looking at the ground. I unraveled my hands from Stan's hair and instead encased his hand in my own. I laid my head down on his shoulder, heaved a sigh and left platform 9 ¾.