Sorry there's been a bit of a gap between updates, I was in Madeira for a week and only got back late on Monday so I've been pulling this one together since then.

CHAPTER NINE: Yuletide Traditions

It was Christmas in the Potter household.

Somehow, that sentence had taken on a new meaning since the previous Christmas. For a start, it was a different house. For another, the people living in it were different. Not just the role call but even the members of the family who had been there a year earlier had been changed. James had locked himself in the sitting room for the best part of an hour so he could have a long chat with Emily. "And Martin", he'd hastily added, when requesting the privacy. Albus and Lily were in the front room, trying out all the new games they'd been given.

Rose and Hugo were spending Christmas Day with the Weaseleys, so the only other people in the house were Harry and Hermione. They were standing in the hallway, keeping a close ear out for any disturbance from the children. Every now and then, one of the two adults made a quick dash down the passage to the kitchen, just to make sure Christmas dinner hadn't burnt. Neither of them was really used to cooking it.

"I can't remember the last time we didn't spend Christmas with the Weaseleys,"Hermione remarked.

"Twenty-two years ago,"Harry replied absently.

A memory flashed through Hermione's mind, the church bells ringing in Christmas Day as they'd fled Godric's Hollow. Harry lying injured after his encounter with Nagini, her waiting for Christmas morning watching over him. In many ways, it seemed a lifetime ago. In other ways, they hadn't really come that far.

"Oh yes,"she acknowledged.

Harry's mind seemed more concentrated on the present than Christmas past and on the three children sharing the house with them. "They seem a bit quiet."

"I think they're happy,"Hermione reassured him.

"Do you?" Harry sounded concerned. "This isn't what they're used to, there's all sorts of Christmas traditions we used to have…"

Hermione put an arm round his shoulder. "We'll just have to start some new traditions. Yours and mine."

There was a large gathering at the Weaseleys'. At least, it was large by most families' standards: Molly and Arthur, Charles, Percy, George, Ron and Parvati, Victoire and Teddy, Rose and Hugo. But everyone was aware that there were faces missing.

"Would you cut the roast, Charles?"Molly suggested.

Charles got up awkwardly from his seat, suddenly promoted to the position of number one son. He took out his wand and began cutting the meat with a low level Severing Charm.

Molly nudged Arthur, who got up and raised his glass. "We all know it's been a hard year for us,"he noted. "And we all miss your parents, Victoire"-Teddy gripped Victoire's hand comfortingly and she smiled-"and we miss Ginny. But we're all here, as a family, and there will always be a place at this table for anyone who's family." He seemed to glance over at Rose and Hugo for a moment, as if he was going to say something further on that subject, but then thought better of it and turned his gaze to the rest of the table. "To family."

"To family,"the others echoed before taking a long drag of their drinks.

Molly began handing out the Christmas dinners. "Is that enough for you, Parvati dear?"she asked, heaping food onto the plate of her youngest son's new girlfriend.

Parvati gave a grateful smile. "Yes, thank you, Mrs. Weaseley."

"Oh call me Molly. After all, you're family now. It's nice that Ron's found himself a nice young lady at last."

"Yes, we're very glad to have you here,"Arthur interrupted hastily and Molly moved on to serving Rose and Hugo.

"Thank you for having us round, Grandma,"Victoire put in. "We kind of planned a Christmas on our own, with it being the first since we were married, but…"

"But we remembered we're both rubbish cooks,"Teddy added.

Molly smiled at them. "Oh, nonsense, family's always welcome. It's good that we've got all the important people here."

Ron looked sideways at Rose and Hugo, who both seemed to be looking down at their meals and trying to ignore what was going on around them. "Mum, can I talk to you in the kitchen?"he asked, pushing his chair away from the table and leaving the room.

Molly came after him, seeming slightly puzzled. "What's the matter?"

"Mum…can you stop?"

"Stop what?"

"All the comments about Hermione. I know you're just trying to stick up for me but it's hard enough getting Rose and Hugo used to everything as it is. She's still their mum, you can't make them hate her."

Molly was thrown by the comment. "I'm not trying to make them hate her. It's just…I've known Hermione and Harry since they were younger than Hugo and I loved them like they were my own children and now…you can't accept me to pretend nothing's happened."

"I know, Mum,"Ron said gently. "I feel the same way. But they're still family."

There was a sudden flash of anger in Molly's eyes. "They are not. They've given up that one."

"Well, what about Ginny's children? Are they not family?" Ron saw his mother falter and went on. "Because if you want to see them again, you have to get on with Harry and that means you have to get on with Hermione." And with those words, he went back to the family dinner, leaving Molly a lot less sure about things than she'd been when the conversation started.

Harry looked around the front room, his gaze sweeping across James, Albus and Lily, all looking as though they were feeling the after effects of a good Christmas dinner. He had to admit, he was quite pleased with the way it had turned out. Now it was time to begin another new Christmas tradition he'd thought of.

"All right, you three, time for a game of Quidditch in the back yard."

James looked at him curiously. "Isn't our back yard two fields?"

"Yes, so we should have plenty of space."

"I'm too full to play,"Lily moaned.

Harry grinned at her. "Come on, Lily, you need to work off that food. Otherwise, you won't fit into your school robes when you go back."

"Give me a moment to change and I'll come with you,"Hermione noted from behind him.

Harry looked at her in shock and took her out into the passage. "You're going to play Quidditch?"

"Well, why not? I've seen hundreds of games over the years."

"That doesn't mean you can play, though. You've never been that good at heights and…well, people are usually younger than you when they start playing."

Hermione widened her eyes in indignation. "Harry, are you suggesting I'm too old?"

Harry looked at her cautiously. "I'd never suggest that,"he said at last before turning back to the room where his children seemed to be trying to eavesdrop. "All right. James and Albus versus me and Lily, Hermione's in goal. Meet you outside in ten minutes."

Harry cast an anxious look at Hermione, who was wobbling slightly on a broom they'd found, in front of the three rings that constituted the goals. He had to admit, he still wasn't entirely sure that her playing with them was a good idea, at least on a practical level. But on another level, he knew why she'd offered: This was a family game and she was family.

Harry held the quaffle aloft. "Everyone ready?" James, Albus and Lily nodded. "Go!"

He threw the quaffle in the air and all four of them tried to grab it as it came down. James got his fingertips to it, knocking it away from everyone's grasp towards the ground. Albus and Lily both shot downwards to retrieve it. Albus knocked it upwards towards his brother. Harry tried to block the pass but James caught it. Albus swooped in under him and James made to make a return pass, but this time Lily managed to intercept the ball as it travelled between them.

"Yours, Dad!"she called, throwing it to Harry. He caught it, weaving around James who was trying to block his path to goal. He saw Hermione biting her lip nervously in anticipation of a shot and, noticing Lily swooping up towards goal, threw the ball to her. At least she'd have a reasonably soft throw if she shot.

Instead, it was James who scooped the ball out of Lily's grasp and hurled it towards the goal. Swallowing hard, Hermione flew to her left, stretched out an arm and parried the shot away. She smiled in relief, despite the stinging sensation in her arm, but forgot to concentrate on her balance. Her body continued turning to her left and, as she passed the horizontal point, her legs lost their grip on the broom and she fell.

Even though she was only ten feet off the ground, she hit the earth with a thud and a groan of pain.

Four Potters landed in a more conventional manner and James, Albus and Lily ran over to her. "You all right, Auntie Hermione?"Albus asked.

Hermione winced. "I think it's my dignity bruised more than anything."

It was Lily who started it. Looking at Hermione trying to stay calm and poised while sprawled in a heap, she started giggling and soon it developed into a full-blown laugh. Hermione tried to glare at her but couldn't help it: She started laughing too. James and Albus grinned at each other and laughed. Then the three children helped Hermione to her feet.

Harry watched them from a distance: His children and the woman he loved, suddenly looking like a family. From the look Hermione gave him, she knew as well as he did that was worth a few bumps.

And it was almost enough to take his mind off the business with the Order.