A/N: Hello and welcome to the fourth part of my Seven Days of Christmas! Still a fair few more to come, hope you're all having a lovely winter!
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Harry could scarcely believe it. Here he was waking up on his fiftieth Christmas. Granted, as a Magical he didn't look more than thirty-something, but Merlin, that didn't stop him from feeling fifty. Still, old and sore as he now found himself to be, he'd not trade it for anything. Elaine was still beautiful and desirable as ever, their family was large, and it kept growing larger every few years. It was a dream of a life he'd not expected ever to have.
He kicked aside the covers, the sounds of Elaine and the kids down below making him hurry along with his typical morning routine, and he did. It took him ten minutes, fifteen at the most, and then he found himself descending those familiar stairs in the main room of their manor. Unlike all those early years, the walls weren't bare. Instead, they were covered with wizarding photos of their family, Elaine, and a few of himself, all in the midst of achievements or yearly photos to capture their children as they grew older.
I could stay here for a day and never grow tired of seeing them all.
But he couldn't do that today. No, they'd promised their children, all of them, the chance to view their marriage. It was a memory given unto them by their favourite aunt, Corene. Thus it was from her perspective as Elaine's Chief Bridesmaid that the pensive would show them go through their vows.
He wasn't sure why their children wished to view it as badly as they did, but he'd not question them any. Not unless he wanted a rebellion on his hands — his daughters had been very adamant, after all, and they were nothing if not like their mother. He'd not tell Elaine, but he imagined quite a few of their children would grow up more powerful than they were.
How couldn't they be when one considered just how powerful a couple they were? He snickered when he recalled almost those exact words being used when their first child, Corlene, was announced to the world.
Harry, with the thought of his first child's birth in his mind, pushed open the door to the more private parlour room near the gardens. Immediately, he was set upon. His youngest few sprinted over, with his elder children, the teens especially — they were difficult sometimes — lingering towards the rear.
There was a chorus of "Morning", "Morning daddy", "Morning papa," and more, with Elaine waving at him from a chair; their youngest was in her grasp, cooing and grasping at errant strands of hair. Harry couldn't help but grin like an idiot as he hugged each child in turn, before, as soon as they were done with their greetings, they led him over to the spot beside his lovely wife.
Elaine welcomed him with a chaste kiss on the cheek, and the wandering hands of their newest babe found purchase in his shirt. He'd come to learn early on, the grasp of a baby was nothing to scoff at despite what one might think.
Still, after a few seconds he managed to separate those tiny fists from his body and thereafter, he led all of their children over to the pensive, whereupon reaching it, he cast a charm of Elaine and his own creation. It allowed the memory to project itself unto the wall beside it, saving everybody from needing to enter the bowl.
No sooner than the first images of Corene's memory began did his children all sit on the floor, pulling him down alongside them. He heard Elaine snicker behind him before he and the rest were pulled back with a gentle tug of air.
As the memory began to play the portion his girls, Corlene especially, wished to see, he felt Elaine's hands delving into his hair. The impromptu head massage was wondrous, and Harry's eyes closed as the man that'd married them all those years ago, began to speak; even now, Harry remembered the words.
"Do you, Harry Peverell, take this witch, Elaine Gaunt, to be your lawfully wedded wife, vowing to love, care and protect for all eternity?"
Unsurprisingly, Elaine had ensured the last bit of their vows were altered.
"I do," he heard his much younger self say, much to the delight of his children.
"And do you, Elaine Gaunt, take this wizard as your lawfully wedded husband? To love, care and protect for all eternity?"
"I do," Elaine said, and again, the squeals of delight as they watched their mother shift closer to him were loud and happy.
There were no small amount of comments about her either. Her dress had been crafted to her specifications, her hair had been done up in a French style, aristocratic and attractive, and the little cosmetic charms she settled on only brought attention to her dark features; it's always been her eyes that'd done him in.
The ceremony continued, with the man speaking to their guests, friends and family. There hadn't been a chance for anybody to object to their wedding either, Elaine had removed that bit of the ceremony and, instead, had a part added where all spoke the words. "We swear to respect this union."
He turned it off not more than a few seconds later, when the kiss to bind their marriage was about to be had. There was no small amount of booing from his daughters, but he didn't exactly need the lot of them watching his younger self snogging Elaine.
Corlene, for her part, began to clap, and soon after she was joined by the rest of their children… until it was announced by Elaine that it was time for gifts to be done. That ended their applause and saw their horde of tiny versions of themselves rush to the tree.
Harry pulled Elaine close, her arms still holding their youngest.
"You're just as beautiful as the day I married you, love."
Elaine kissed his cheek again, chaste and pure, but her eyes spoke of lurid times ahead, as did her words. "Tell me that again in the evening," she whispered her final word. "Lover."