Hey thank you all sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for the reviews! They are as always very much appreciated! And don't worry guys…….I appreciate your concern regarding my latest critic but to be totally honest here……is that the best she can do? Well man let me tell ya that she has got to be the worst critic in history! Lol:) Oh and if your reading this and you are well pissed at me good! Now bring it on coz I will take you down any day honey:) Alright you guys lets get cracking at this chapter. Hope ya enjoy it and I inform you with a great deal of regret that this will be the last chapter for a few days coz am going away for the weekend! Sorry. Ill be back on Monday thou:) :) Alright talk 2 ya later dude:) :)

The week leading up to Christmas went rather quickly. James and Sirius were working up to Christmas Eve so Lily and Shari had to do all the work of buying presents. During this period Harry and Rob spent their days down in Ron's doing assignments with Hermione or playing wizard chess by the fire. Arielle and the twins were helping Margaret, Shari's mother bake cookies and assist her in the making of several Christmas puddings. Ryan spent this time in the company of his grandfather. Since Ryan was a muggle he was keenly interested in learning about all the different spells and the history of magic and of Hogwarts from his grandfather. Ryan would be the tenth generation of Stilton's to attend Hogwarts.

"How come you aren't using magic to stir granny?" Samia asked as she watched her grandmother stir the mixture with great intensity.

"Ya wouldn't magic make it a lot easier granny?" Kyrah asked curiously. She smiled at Arielle who returned it before replying to her granddaughters' innocent questions as she stirred…..

"Well…..Samia……Kyrah…..you are both correct. Magic would make things a lot easier but…..this way adds the granny touch. Nobody can stir all this together better than your grandmother. Now would you please pass me the sugar Kyrah?" She hopped off the chair she was kneeling on at the sink and fetched the sugar from the cupboard.

"When are you going to add the chocolate granny? It looks Kinda yucky….."She chuckled before saying….."Oh Sami don't worry darling because once the sugar is added we can start adding the chocolate okay?"

"YAY!" The twins shouted as Kyrah handed her the sugar.

"……So it was over a thousand years ago that Hogwarts was founded?" Ryan asked exasperated.

"Yes Ryan it was……by the four greatest wizards of all time……sadly things began to go a little pear shape……."

"Why what happened granddad?"

"Well……"Derek who was sitting on the leather sofa in the study beside his grandson swung his arm over the back of it as he sat sideways so as to look at him directly.

"Godric, Rowena and Hilda all had the same perception of Hogwarts but Salazar did not. He felt that only pure bloods should be accepted to study magic at Hogwarts. So…..legend has it that before he left he hid a chamber beneath the school so that when his true heir returned to Hogwarts……he or she would do what Salazar himself never got the chance to do……rid Hogwarts of muggle borns. And as we know that legend is very much true……."

"Ya……." Ryan said smirking a little.

Christmas Eve finally arrived. It was decided that Christmas day would be spent at the Weasleys so Lily and Shari were preparing the meal for tonight whilst James and Sirius were outside putting up the tree. It was a good ten foot tree with large wing like branches that stretched across the entire patio. The pink, silver, red and white tinsel was wrapped around it to capacity. The glowing snowmen lights were placed in a zig zag fashion, displaying white, red, pink, blue, green and even purple lights every twelve seconds. Remus emerged from the house just as James was placing the angel at the top of the tree, looking extremely anxious.

"Alright guys….." He said mildly as he wrung his hands in a nervous fashion. Sirius and James turned around…."Hey Remus……" They both replied before returning to the tree.

"No a little to the left James…..Hmmmmm……a bit more…..a bit more…..slightly tilt it…."

"Oh come on Sirius my arm is falling off man!"

"Well its good to work those biceps every so often mate……and there we go! Now was that really so difficult?"

"Shut it Sirius…..you alright Remus mate? You look a little…..freaked?"

"I am a little freaked James……what if she doesn't like it?" He asked from the bench.

"Oh come on Remus of course she will like it! Ill bet that she will love it. And besides mate…..Tonks isn't materialistic…."

"No I know that James but…..still it would be nice to think that she is wearing a valuable……"

"Ohhhh Remus! Of course it is valuable mate. It cost you a hell of a lot. And if you think that Tonks is only going to marry you based on the size of the ring then you are wrong. Tonks would marry you with no ring, for no money if you were homeless which you are not and poor which you are not!"

"Well Sirius I am not rich……" Sirius pointed at James and himself and asked…..

"And do you think we are?"

"You are a right side better off than me……"

"Alright look Remus if you don't quit deflating yourself then I will make sure you end up in St Mungos! Tonks knew that you weren't the richest guy on the planet yet she still wanted to go out with you. She also knew that you were a werewolf yet she still wanted to be with you. Are you sensing a pattern here mate? You just gota bite the bullet and get your ass in gear and ask the girl! I guarantee you that she will say yes. How do you know that James I hear you say? Because she loves you to the death you dozy twonk! Now….. Are you coming in for some egg nog?" He nodded.

"Alright…..lets go boys."

"Okay…….oh James! Just the man I was looking for…."Lily cried which made James snigger.

"You can have me any you want darling. I aint fussy!" He winked as he walked over to her put his arms round her. She laughed a little before kissing him lightly on the lips and shrugging him off.

"I need you to shift this table outside……."

"Outside? But it is freezing out there!"

"We can't cater for everyone in here James! I thought I told you to incubate the patio….."

He stood back a little as she scratched his head and asked…..

"What do you mean we can't cater for everyone here? Who is "everyone?"

"Well……"everyone" is the four of us plus Sirius clan which makes six, the Weasleys including the two older ones which equals nine and Shari's parents and Ted and company which makes another four making that a grand total of…….twenty-five……so please go and incubate the patio and then you and Sirius can shift the two tables outside……"

"Lils we don't have enough babe……we are going to need to borrow a table or three from Arthur……"

"James…….go and incubate the café now. We will all fit sweetheart….."

"Lils how? Between ours and Sirius we can fit……twelve which means that……we need another thirteen spaces….."

"Have you forgotten about the picnic table? That can fit eight remember?"

"And the other five?"

"Derek and Margaret have conjured a table so please go and incubate……."

"Okay I am going……"

"Thank you! Ughhhhh men! Oh Harry please go out and help Sirius shift some tables and chairs. You too Arielle…."

"Okay mom……"They replied in unison.

"Well you are very quiet? Is everything okay Remus?" He was standing with his back to a cabinet as he looked up and smiled sheepishly and said…..

"Oh ya I am fine thanks Lily……"

"Really? Are you sure? A little anxious about the proposal?"

"…….Ya……to some extent ya……."

"Aww Remus…..you shouldn't worry. Tonks will say yes I am sure of it!"

"Ya and how do you know?" He asked while shaking his leg nervously.

Lily smiled warmly at him before saying……

"Because she loves you Remus. There is no other explanation."

"Did you say yes immediately to James?"

"Yes……yes I did. I knew that I loved him and that I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life. Okay maybe we were a little young but……I have no regrets. You know people say that there is more than one person out there for us but I don't believe it. Nobody can make you feel the way you do than your first love. In nine cases out of ten people end up marrying their first love and 98 of the time……they work….."

"I wasn't her first love Lily…..nor is she mine….."

"I know that Remus. When I say "first love" I don't mean the first person you say those three magic words to…..I mean the first person that you really truly deeply loved. That person only comes along once in a lifetime. Your first love is someone you think about all the time, somebody who you feel comfortable telling your most embarrassing moments to, someone who makes you feel safe, loved and secure every moment of every day. Someone who you want to spend the rest of your life with and know deep down in your heart…..in your soul that…..you could be content going to bed and waking up every morning with them. They and only they are your first love Remus. So……to propose or not to propose that is the question…." She said as she chomped on a carrot stick. Remus looked down at the ground thoughtfully.

"Oi Remus! Tonks is here……"Sirius called from the doorway.

"Okay…..thanks Sirius….." He nodded and left. Lily quirked an eyebrow before saying…..

"Well…….what's it to be Remus……."

"I am going to ask her……now!"

"NOW…..! But……what about dinner?"

"I cant wait that long Lils. I need to get it out of my system or else it will eat away at me forever……" He headed to the door but Lily called out……"

"Remus…." He turned around……"Good luck….." He smiled as he said…..

"Thanks Lily……."

Outside Remus found Tonks speaking with James and the Weasleys. He stormed over to her.

"Hey Molly, Arthur….."

"Evening Remus….."They replied. He smiled a little before whispering to Tonks……

"I need to speak with you….."

"Ohhhh Kay….."She smiled confusedly as she put down her wine glass and followed him over to the end of the garden. Once she got there she found him standing awkwardly, biting his lip. He smiled nervously at her as she reciprocated it……unsure of what was going on.

"Ummm…….Tonks I need to ask you something……"

"Okay but first would you care to tell me what has gotten into you? Have I done something wrong?"

"What…..? No of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Well……you are actually being rude Remus! That is not like you……"

"How was I rude?"

"You just drag me away from company like some scolded child and when Molly and Arthur greet you

You barely acknowledge their existence. Is there something going on that I should know about Remus?" She asked tentively. He looks at her scrupulously for a few seconds as he studies her anxious face.

"No……nothing I am fine Tonks. So eh…..shall we get back to the others?" He asks as he passes her by. She catches his arm gently and asks…..

"Wait Remus…..what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Its nothing Tonks……"

"Are you sure? You seemed pretty urgent a moment ago."

"No its nothing that wont on…."He smiled as he reached out for her hand.

"Okay…."She clutches his hand happily as they walk back to the patio.

"Okay okay okay I am sooooo sorry! I misled ye BUT if its ANY consolation I misled myself too coz I was going to have Remus propose tonight but……thought this was better as I went along! So sorry! Forgive me?  lol. What did ya think anyway? Talk to ya later:) Keep it real people:) :)