Expectations

Ever since Kellan's come home from his first term at Hogwarts, Neville's noticed that he's quieter than usual; at Christmas Eve dinner, always erratic because of Hannah and his varying shifts downstairs, in the pub, Neville catches his son picking at his food while his two sisters row over who's going to feed the cat.

"You know," Blizzard snaps, "Harry likes my salmon, not yours! You know that you always put too much cream on it, and it gives him-"

"And why," Valerie retorts with a roll of her eyes, "are we even fighting over this?"

Her older sister shrugs. "Maybe because it's Christmas Eve and we have nothing else to fight over?"

"We're not supposed to fight at all on Christmas Eve," Kellan mumbles.

Three pairs of eyes are on him, and he immediately regrets speaking.

"Kellan?" Neville stares at him with concerned brown eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"N- I mean, yes! Why wouldn't it be?"

"You've hardly eaten anything," Valerie points out, "Usually, you clear the plate in three seconds-"

"Actually, two," Blizzard smirks, "the other is for swallowing."

"Oh, shut up, you-"

"Girls," Neville interrupts. "Kellan, tell us what's wrong. We're your family; we can help you."

Kellan blushes and focuses on his pasta. "I think you're disappointed I got Sorted into Hufflepuff," he mutters quickly.

They stare at him some more.

"Could you repeat that?" Valerie says gently. "We didn't catch it."

He obeys.

Neville sighs; Kellan first thinks he's reprimanding him, but he looks up and sees sympathy in his father's round face. "Oh, Kel," he says softly. "Did you really think?"

"Think what?"

"Think that just because I was Gryffindor, you would be, too."

Kellan looks down. "Well, yes."

"I used to think that, too," Neville's eyes are elsewhere, "my dad was Gryffindor. Gran always used to tell me about living up to expectations-"

"Yeah?"

"- But then I realised that the only expectations I could live up to are my own." Neville smiles. "It's true for all of you, you know."

"No shit," Blizzard mutters, rolling her eyes at Neville. "Sappy, Dad."

"Sappy," Valerie says with an approving nod, "but very true, Dad."

"Arse-kisser," her sister shoots.

"Savage," she retorts.

Neville sighs and shakes his head with a small smile at Kellan. "You know, son, it was far simpler when we spent our Christmas Eves speaking of the presents Father Christmas would bring."

Kellan glances at them amusingly and grins. "Sorry, Dad, but I think that time is long over, by the looks of it."

Neville and Hannah's little family: Marilyse (known as Blizzard), Valerie, and Kellan. Blizzard is about ten years older than Kellan, I think. Valerie is three years younger than Blizzard.

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