Title: This Christmas

Category: Romance

Summary: Sequel to 'It's Christmas'. The Fates of our six couples are revealed on Christmas Days years after the ending of 'It's Christmas'. Not completely DH's compatible.

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author notes: It is BEST if you read It's Christmas first but I don't think it will be mandatory. I'm actually planning to do a one-shot for every couple (even those who DID NOT get the girl) in It's Christmas. It's going be like homage to the original story. The Theme of this Series of One-shots is my favorite Christmas music; every one-shot will be named for one of my favorite Christmas songs!

This chapter was inspired by a country-western song of the same name by Reva McIntire. If you are a country music fan and you've never heard this Christmas song please check it out!

This Christmas:

Installment 6: "Christmas Letter"

+ December 25 +

My Dearest Marietta,

Merry Christmas, my darling. Again I've come to send you my love after a long year with many happenings, I do not wish for you to ever be forgotten. It is the time for my memory to go back in time to this night, this very Christmas night, that we went visited Lewis-with-Harris for the Holidays. Every year I return to that that cold, crisp, air and those lush flatlands. It was not Christmas as we had always spent it but it was Christmas none the less. It seems that writing you every year compensates for my inability to stand at your grave too long. I know you understand, for why should I stand around and talk when you are here with me every moment of every day?

Gwendolyn has finally seen a huge investment made toward her charity for research on Vanishing Sickness. Some purebred family lost its matriarch a few months ago to the disease and now sees that the disease is a crucial fight to fight. The entire family is just immensely pleased, that one donation is more than the charity saw in its first five years of existence. Marietta, it will be because of you that the love of some one else's life will be saved. Sometimes it is hard to step foot into that research center, sometimes it is frustrating to hear that weeks have gone by without the Healers and Scientists discovering anything but I, well we all, know in the end it will be completely worth it.

It's strange to think that it was on Christmas day that I found out that you would be leaving me. I do not think that I will ever return to that cottage on Lewis-with-Harris but I will never forget that holiday, ever. I used to think to myself that if I had one wish I would change everything but now, years later, I do not think I could be that selfish. I could not bear to see you live on in pain and if you had never suffered so Gwen would have never took a chance on a Wizard -- and Ernie Macmillan at that. Their oldest just went off to Hogwarts a few months ago; he turned out to be a Hufflepuff, of course. I have never seen my sister so happy. And without you I would never have met my Hannah.

And my family is doing quite well, as you have seen to for all these years. Hannah is a wonderful wife and companion, sometimes I believe that you allowed me to find her. Some days I cannot see how I would make it without her, a feeling that I felt so strongly while I was losing you. I used to think there would never be another Christmas for me. But then she came and slowly I began to heal, slowly I could see again. And the moment my vision was clear I saw her. Pamela is growing quite nicely, we are just waiting on her to learn to control her magic but my heart tells me my daughter is going to be something great. Another Hermione Granger I figure, I see it already. And Mark, well Mark is a lot like his father, an admirer of Football and artistry alike. He will make us proud as well, this I am sure.

Seamus and Lavender finally added a little bundle of joy to their cozy little home. I did not think it would ever happen but leave it to Seamus to be almost Dumbledore's age before bringing a child into the world. He is such a proud dad and Lavender is a wonderful mother. They named her Marietta. I could not believe it. The moment I held her I knew she was just as special as her namesake. You will be her guardian angel won't you? She's going to need you with her willful spirit. She's just learning to pull up but I see she's going to be one that we will need to keep an eye on. Miss Marietta Finnagin is truly a gift to her family and ours. It was her first Christmas today and what a day it was.

There is truly nothing like seeing the Holidays from the eyes of a child. I can remember the joy and pure excitement that used to radiate from Mark's eyes when the Holidays rolled around. And nothing can compare with the love Pamela has for this time of year, the moment she feels snow coming you cannot wipe the grin from her little face. But I had not felt the season so strongly in years until Marietta laughed her way through our caroling and I witnessed the widening of her eyes at the very sight of holiday decorations. Seamus described it as the most peaceful feeling in the world, I agree. There is truly peace in the eyes of a child on Christmas morn.

I would never have imagined, all those many holidays ago, that I would ever get the opportunity to share in this kind of joy. I really cannot tell you what day, or what time, the veil of grief lifted but it did. And the moment it did I could see the beauty of every snowflake, of every breeze, of the excitement of the holidays, of the love, the camaraderie; it was like I could really feel again. Marietta, here I am again seeing the destiny in all of this. If not for you I would never know how to appreciate all that I have.

Although, you are watching from above, have a happy Christmas, darling.

Yours Always,

Dean