The wizard huddled in his bed. It was Christmas Eve again and he was hiding. If his friends could see him now they'd feel even sorrier for him than they already did. He had considered remaining at Hogwarts. And maybe that would have been best but he missed his mum. Unfortunately, that childish emotion had overrode his memories of just how bad it was when he was at home. His mother tried, bless her, but he frightened her. What he was, frightened her. And his father…well, his father hated him. And in truth, he didn't blame them. He was a monster.
And so silently he voiced a childish wish, rationalising that it was Christmas and while he had long since stopped believing in Santa, everyone deserved to pretend on Christmas Eve.
"I wish had someone who was just mine. Someone who sees past the monster."
He laughed bitterly; he wished for the same thing every year. And as he got older, hearing it voiced aloud made him feel ridiculous. He had no idea why he still did it, he'd given up on it ever coming true years ago. No one was going to see past the monster. He was fourteen years old for Merlin's sake. It was time to grow up.
The elf eyed the boy with something close to pity, shaking her head and popping out of sight.
"Another wish?"
The elf's head jerked up and she sighed. "The boy has the same wish every year. Couldn't we….?"
St Nicolas sighed, "It meddles rather spectacularly."
Jingle hummed, "But…just this once?"
He hummed in response, waving a hand, casting several pictures into the air. They played out like a video, thousands of possible outcomes playing out in front of them. "I don't know," he admitted pointing to one of the screens. "The witch has the potential to be needed by another."
"But what about that one?" Jingle pointed to an alternative.
St Nick eyed it thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he mused. "They'll need information."
"Doesn't that go beyond meddling?" Jingle checked.
"Just this once," he winked, handing her a little bag. "Go and get her."
"And put her where?" Jingle checked feeling a frisson of nervousness now the moment was here.
"Here?" Nick suggested.
"Here?" Jingle squeaked. "The mistress won't be liking it."
"The Mistress won't be liking what?"
Nick flushed, realising he'd been caught. "Well dearest. We were contemplating ah…adopting?"
His wife arched a brow, her eyes darting to the screens. "What is this?"
"The child. Another wishes for her every Christmas. Not her specifically, obviously, he doesn't know she exists yet."
"And so you're uprooting one child on behalf of another?"
"Well…." Nick fidgeted sheepishly.
His wife sighed, "Show me what happens if we leave her." she commanded. The screens shimmered, showing curses and torture, the wishing boy, now a man, dead on a stone floor. The girl dirty and bleeding, far too thin having lived through horrors no child should. They saw her go on to marry a man who didn't understand her, who wanted to love her, did love her, but who wanted her to change. They saw her pick fights, not any happier than he was. They saw them come to the conclusion that they were unsuitable, a sad moment of shared regret, that they pushed to the side for the sake of their children, choosing to remain together despite their differences.
The witch hummed, nodding, "Show me what happens if we take her." The screens showed a little girl who was perhaps a little strange. A little too knowing but who drew people to her. The misfits. The unloved. They saw the boy watch her, a look of awe on his face that only grew more pronounced as they aged. They saw a second, a dark eyed boy who remained at her side like a sentry, pulled away from a life of misery thanks to her stubbornness. They saw the prankster brought to heel when confronted with the consequences of his actions, two brothers reunited when forced to talk to each other and they saw themselves. The joy of having the child they'd longed for. They saw her wedding day, the boy, now a man, staring at his bride with that same awestruck reverence that he'd had since he first laid eyes on her, the dark eyed boy, still standing sentry at her side, a hint of a smile on his usually dour face. They saw the grandchildren, the world that was forced to bend to the whims of a girl who believed that everyone was equal and wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty to achieve it.
"Well need to meddle more," she sighed.
"I know," Nick agreed. "But well…the wizard is an abomination. Surely it wouldn't hurt this once?"
His wife pinned him with a look before she seemed to deflate. "Fine." she agreed. "We'll need to replace her memories and perhaps drop Albus an owl? Let's get rid of Tom before she gets herself involved again, we'll need to arrange for her parents to have a muggle child when the time comes or they'll always feel something missing. It seems cruel...but if it spares them all that," she gestured carelessly with her hands, the first set of videos appearing, playing various horrifying scenes on a loop.
Nick nodded, looking at Jingle. "Off you go then."
The elf nodded once and disappeared from sight.
Remus returned to school following Christmas to find a curly haired witch he was certain he had never seen before curled into his seat. He cleared his throat pointedly, sure she was a firstie he overlooked based on her size alone. The witch glanced up at him curiously and he felt the air leave his lungs. "Can I help you?" she asked politely.
"I…I…" she frowned. "You're in my seat!" he blurted.
"Oh. I'm sorry…I wasn't aware there were assigned seats."
He groaned, "There isn't, not exactly but ah…"
"This one's yours?" she finished with amusement.
"Yes." he agreed sheepishly. "First years tend to sit over there." he gestured to the back of the common room.
If anything the witch looked more amused, holding out her hand. "Transfer student, third year."
"Ah." he nodded, flushing. "My apologies. You're just so short!"
The witch let out a genuine bark of laughter, "Do you just say everything you think?"
"Not usually," he whined before he sighed, holding out his hand. "Remus Lupin."
Taking his hand gently, the witch shook it. "Hermione Flamel."