By breakfast the morning after the Yule Ball announcement, everyone and their Hippogriff knew that Alex and Hermione were engaged; the fact that Severus had almost choked on his dinner and then full out embraced the young couple in full view of the Great Hall was a helpful hint, as was the now visible to all ring on Hermione's left ring finger. All the girls were surrounding her, trying to get a look at the ring, and all gasped and sighed when they saw just how special it was. The boys began ribbing Alex, but he was literally in the air from happiness, he didn't walk about for 3 days, he simply floated an inch off of the ground, to the humour of many.

At the end of the week, everyone was paired off, at the demigods' insistence a smaller party would be held for the younger students who weren't to attend the ball in the Room of Requirement, Wilhelmina volunteering to watch over them all. Even still, a fair few 3rd years were asked to the ball by older students, usually 4th years, the largest shock was when Padma Patil came into Gryffindor Tower with her sister and, with a large blush, asked Colin Creevey to go to the ball with her. The 3rd year had immediately keeled over in shock but when he came back around, he agreed enthusiastically and, after placing a gentlemanly kiss on the back of the Indian witch's hand, rushed off to owl his folks for money to buy some dress robes.

3 days before the ball, a huge spectacle was made in the Lion's Den, when the twins, practicing their dancing with each other, commented to their idiot brother that he had no date. He threw out his chest and stating bluntly that he was taking 'that Veela chick', only to be laughed at by everyone present. He was lucky to walk too after his big brother learnt of his words, Bill was attending and the only reason Viktor had asked Fleur was so that she would have a gentlemanly date; he had a fiancée back in Bulgaria, while it would be inappropriate for a professor, even from another school, to ask a student to the ball. So Ron was racing about, asking and demanding girls to go with him, before pleading his mother via Floo to force his cousins or aunts to take him; he'd already earned a Howler for demanding she bring Ginny back over from America to go with him. He must have found a date as he was strutting around like a peacock on Christmas Eve.

Christmas dawned with the demigods pounding on Severus and Remus' two doors, "WAKE UP! We're going to be late again!"

The two men proved they were up before the teens raced to Amelia and Tonks' rooms and did the same thing. The women were more vocal in their displeasure at being woken up on their morning off but did get a move on. 20 minutes later, and with Penny in tow also, the teens were joined by everyone else out front of Hogwarts, in the snow, and apparated away, Remus taking Tonks as she didn't know where they were heading.

The second they landed, Tonks and Penny toppled over, though the latter only did so after the former hit her on the way down. A curse and a bleat later and they were all up and looking at the gaudiest Christmas house on the planet, "Sirius, what did you do to my house you mutt!"

Sirius poked his head out, a large grin on his face, "Oh come one Severus, it's not that bad, actually, Wade and Kelly love it."

"Yeah, well I always thought they were off their rockers to dive into peoples' mouths," the wizard shook his head, embracing his once enemy, "Happy Christmas, you got everything set up in here?"

"Of course, I've nothing else to bloody do," the Marauder complained, hugging everyone who entered, taking longer with his cousin, and leaving his arms around his love, "Wade and Kelly will be up in a few, they forgot some presents."

Dobby popped in with large mugs of cocoa, a flashing Christmas apron around his waist, "Happy Christmas everyone."

"Happy Christmas Dobby"

The day moved quickly, as the Hogwarts contingent was due back by 2pm, or so the girls swore to the men. Thankfully Hermione sent word to her mother to warn Wade about the engagement, so all he did was embarrass both teens in stating he was not to be a grandfather for a few more years at the earliest but did admit he had seen this happening, it was as obvious as the nose on his face. Hermione slipped off and privately told her mum about their plans for the wedding on Alex's 16th birthday, a Muggle ceremony in Scotland somewhere, not telling her about the following two as she wouldn't be able to even attend them to the teen's sadness. Kelly began to plan in her mind, a huge smile on her face, and even a place in mind, the same place she had married Wade when they were 16, eloped was more to the point but no reason for her lovely daughter to know that.

As 2pm got closer, those that had to leave were packing away their presents and saying their farewells, promising to stay in touch, and to be safe. Alex and Hermione embraced the Grangers for a long time, knowing it would be a while before they saw them again, and were torn over that. Sensing something was up, the adults pulled their kids aside, "You won't be coming back for summer will you?"

With tears in her eyes, Hermione shook her head, "No, at least not until near the end. We love you both so much and we want you to remain untouched by the things going on in our lives, we need you to stay in the dark so that we can have a normal life here. One where you are our Mum and Dad and nothing else can ruin that. Do you understand?"

"Honey, we've known since that first summer back from Hogwarts that you two were even more special than we'd already known," Wade told his adopted daughter, wiping away the tears that fell from her eyes, "We will always be just Mum and Dad, and we know there's a lot more in your lives than being simply a witch and wizard, and we're fine not knowing. Every day that we've had you both in our lives has been a privilege, one that your Mum and I never thought we'd ever have, and we cherish whatever time we get with the two most important people in our lives."

Now both teens were crying, and buried their heads into their parents' shoulders, "Thank you."

Giving them as much time as they needed and more, the adults pulled back, wiped the tears away, and kissed their cheeks, "You two go out and do what needs doing but always remember that there are two people in this world who will only ever see you as Harry and Hermione, our kids."

"Love you," two uplifted teens called out as they rushed to join the large group.

"Love you both too," Kelly and Wade replied, waving goodbye out of the back door as they all left as one.

Sirius came up behind them, "You two look like you need a drink, come on."

So with Sirius and Dobby, the Grangers celebrated the rest of Christmas, laughing and telling stories of the two children that brought them together as the odd and large family.