Chapter 3 – Cosy Little Christmas

Just you and me
Under a tree

A cosy little Christmas here with you

Melinda Bobbin was sat at her desk, staring down at the sparkling diamond ring which glistened from her finger and the simple band of white gold which sat just beneath, contemplating her first three months of married life.

Her life, in general, had experienced a monumental shift in the last half a year, and her whirlwind engagement and now marriage were barely even a part of it. But, it had to be said, she was so far enjoying it far more than her first.

It helped, she had come to realise, to be married to someone you actually loved, and who cherished and respected every single part of you in return.

She couldn't help but smile, even though there was no one around to see it. She couldn't deny how euphorically wonderful it felt to finally admit, both to herself and to everybody who saw them, that she was in love with Cepheus Roberts.

She had felt like a besotted teenager, desperately harbouring a crush she just couldn't shake, or like she was performing a role in a Shakespearean play, forced to hide and conceal her true emotions for fear of what others would say if she were to confess what lay within her heart.

But she hoped he had known, from the instant that they had first given in to those temptations they'd so desperately initially fought against, that she had been hopelessly and completely his. It had been such a whirlwind love affair, despite those tender words he had always whispered, she could never have known for certain if it was anything deeper than just a physical relationship for him. They had never, really, officially defined their relationship. They had never said they were 'dating' as it were, nor even truly gone on a date.

Melinda considered, at her age, it would have been immature to describe anyone as her boyfriend, and so they'd never really had a term for what they were, exactly. Not until then. Not until she could confidently and proudly call him her husband.

They had opened their hearts to each other, of course, whispered sweet nothings, confessed how importantly and ardently they cared for the other, but they had never even told each other they were in love with the other. Oh, she had known, the instant she first looked into those deep honey-coloured eyes, and seen the playful smile which sat between dimples so youthfully mesmerising, that it was true, but Melinda Bobbin had always found it difficult to unlock her heart, especially for others.

So indeed, being allowed to admit to herself, let alone the rest of the world, that she was hopelessly and desperately in love with him, was kind of incredible. Being able to walk the halls of the castle with the rings on her finger, clear for anybody to see, an outward material symbol of the love and commitment which lay between them, felt fulfilling in a way she hadn't felt in a while. It wasn't that she needed a man, or a husband, to define her—she'd coped more than well enough being an unattached divorcée for almost two decades now—but it felt nice to no longer feel so, well, alone.

Being the headmistress of a school like that one was a role she cherished and had always considered to be her crowning achievement, but it was also one of isolation. But now she had more. She had a husband. She had a family.

And then, Bobbin sighed, dragging her gaze away from the jewellery to instead stare longingly out the window. It was rapidly getting colder, and she was sure the first flakes of snow would be settling that week, as close to Christmas as it now was. But, at that moment, the sky was grey and foreboding.

Bobbin thought, as she so frequently did, of her daughter. Ebony seemed to fluctuate, with unmotivated intensity, between whether or not she loved or hated her. Whether she resented her for never having revealed their true relationship for the first seventeen years of her life, or was grateful to her, to have finally been accepted by a stable maternal figure who would do all she could to love and protect her. Whether Ebony accepted the circumstances in which Melinda had concealed her maternity, and forgiven her for all the lies and secrets she had been forced to conform to for her own wellbeing, or resented her with every fibre of her being for having allowed her to live in unideal conditions, and never having rescued her from the turmoil she'd been forced to endure.

Bobbin wasn't in denial that it was a huge uprooting of a teenager's life to find out that your headmistress and teacher was your biological mother, but she also longed for more kindness and tolerance. She hadn't known whether Ebony had ever sought out the identity of her birth mother before, nor if it was of any deep importance to her. Bound by the vow she'd made, it wasn't as easy as all that for Bobbin to reveal the truth.

And even if she had wanted to, Bobbin had known it wasn't her choice. The circumstances in which she had eventually been forced to reveal her identity in Ebony's family tree had come only as a correction, for she'd assumed—(understandably so, given the circumstances)—that her mother was actually Bobbin's sister. If the girl had not gone seeking the truth of her own accord, Bobbin never would have provided it. She had vowed, before Ebony's birth, that she wouldn't play any role in the girl's life outside of the academic one she played for all of her students.

Even still, Bobbin knew she had crossed lines with Ebony that she never had with the others—that she took a special interest in her wellbeing and often sought her out to ensure she was functioning okay, granting her special privileges and leniency for the rules which others certainly didn't receive

And now, she was her mother, truly, for the first time in her life. Another thing Melinda no longer needed to conceal, but could freely admit to the world after years and years of concealment.

In a moving display at the wedding, Ebony had insisted on taking her surname—the one Melinda had retained even after her wedding vows. She had lived with her throughout the summer, despite being a newlywed herself—(which Bobbin was still very much trying to make her peace with).

But it had not come without its difficulties. Especially since returning to Hogwarts, Ebony had been morose and distracted, and Bobbin knew exactly why. She supposed she could not fault her daughter's hasty decision to get married, given she herself had just married a man she had been seeing for a far shorter amount of time. But she was in her forties, Bobbin thought furiously—Ebony was just eighteen!

As much as Bobbin was truly fond of James Potter, and had always seen something in him that she'd hoped he would continue to grow and nurture, she would never, in a million years, have wanted him to set his eyes on her daughter, nor would any self-respecting mother. With his reputation, Bobbin had always kept a wary eye out should he ever cross paths with Ebony, but he had been distracted by the Russian countess they had hosted for two years, hungry for the popularity boost dating her would provide. Bobbin hadn't been too thrilled about that either, but she'd have chosen that over James pursuing Ebony any day.

Until the inevitable had happened, and, of course, they had fallen for each other. Bobbin could not deny that they were clearly in love, and James had surprised her by being faithful and committed to the girl for two years now, but, even still, she really wished they had not eloped.

James had been there for Ebony in ways Bobbin never could have been over the past couple of years, and she was grateful to him for it, but his absence was now taking a great toll on her daughter.

Bobbin had granted Ebony the honour of being Head Girl for her final year at the school, not caring about the optics of appointing one's own daughter to such a prestigious position, hoping it might give her more of a sense of purpose as she tried to navigate life away from the person who had always made her feel most like herself.

Ebony had been withdrawn since the wedding. Since, really, James had been ripped from her side. Bobbin had argued with her all summer about not letting James stay in the castle. As far as she was aware, no student had ever attended Hogwarts whilst married, and it was a bizarre and confusing thing to navigate, but there was no way in hell that the governors would allow James to continue his stay in the castle without any kind of professional reason for him being there—and that was certainly not something Bobbin was going to grant him.

No, it would be good for Ebony—to stand on her own for a year. But, naturally, the eighteen-year-old did not see it like that. And, once more, Bobbin had been cast in the role of the villain in her daughter's life. With Christmas fast approaching, Bobbin really wanted it to be a happy time for the family, but she feared Ebony would never warm to her again as she once had been.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Bobbin called out lazily from where she was sat at her desk. She wasn't expecting anybody, nor did she particularly wish to speak to anyone right then.

Cepheus Roberts, her husband, entered the office.

"I was just wondering, Professor Bobbin," he said politely, offering her a charming grin, "if I might be able to speak to you for a moment. We can, of course, arrange a more formal meeting if you're too busy at this time."

Bobbin broke into a grin of her own, totally endeared, as she always was, by him.

"Oh, Professor Roberts, I am quite available," she assured him, playing along.

Roberts carefully closed the door behind him, and Bobbin slid out from her desk to meet him in the centre of the room.

They stared at each other, a breath apart, like they were two giddy teenagers. Melinda got it, she really did. If Cepheus were suddenly to be ripped from her life, denied access to him for an entire year, she'd be just as heartbroken.

"I will always be available for you," she murmured with affection.

"Glad to hear it," Roberts said tenderly back.

Before she could stop him, not that she would have, he bent down to plant a kiss on her lips, the familiar softness warming her heart and temporarily melting away at least some of her troubles.

"How has your day been?" Roberts asked, still in a soft, low voice, placing his hands on either side of his wife's arms.

Bobbin's fleetingly warm demeanour slipped, but she recovered quickly. "All the better now that you're here."

It was weird for them, being married and essentially living together, but still very much operating their own lives professionally. As the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Roberts had lessons which took up the majority of his day, and when he wasn't teaching, he was lesson-planning or marking students' work. He had his own living quarters, his own office. Similarly, Bobbin had to fulfil her role as Headmistress.

They actually rarely got much time to spend together. It wasn't like they could act much as a couple even at the meals they shared, given that they also shared them with the one thousand students who lived in the castle. And they had to conduct themselves professionally as co-workers most of the time. Stolen, personal moments were rare indeed. But that was why they cherished moments like that.

Roberts moved one of his arms to take hold of Bobbin's chin and tilt it upwards towards him. He stared into her eyes. "How are you really feeling?" he asked a little sadly.

Bobbin was surprised. "I am genuinely much happier now that you're here," she said, confused. How could he possibly doubt that?

"Alright," Roberts said with a laugh, "but why are you feeling down in the first place? That's what I meant."

Bobbin dropped her gaze, and Roberts dropped his hand. She had poured her heart out a lot to Cepheus over the years, especially with regards to Ebony. In fact, other than Professor Longbottom, he had been the first person at the school she'd even confessed her secret to. And he had always been kind, and supportive, and taken the weight of her despair, because his heart was so desperately good. But Bobbin often felt guilty for unloading on him so often. He needn't be privy to all her emotional distress.

"It's Ebony," Bobbin confessed in a small voice. It always was.

Roberts' eyes gleamed with understanding, and he offered a small, conciliatory smile. "Ah," was all he said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Bobbin wasn't sure. She very much did, but she was also self-conscious about how much she unloaded on her husband with regards to her daughter.

"I asked her to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, but she wants to go to the Potters'," she eventually said.

Roberts nodded. "Is that really so surprising?" he asked uncertainly, like he couldn't understand why Bobbin would be surprised and upset that the girl would rather spend Christmas with her husband than the mother she had a fraught relationship with.

"No," Bobbin considered, "but it was the way she said it."

Bobbin did not wish to dwell on the look of disgust Ebony had given her at the sheer suggestion that they might spend Christmas together as a family. James was her family, she had insisted, and it had hurt Bobbin to her core. It was the first Christmas that Ebony would not have to return to the Darkbrows—her adoptive parents. They had been awful, and abusive, and Bobbin would never forgive herself for letting them anywhere near her daughter. She knew how much Ebony had resented and feared returning home for the holidays, and she had wanted, finally, to give her a Christmas where she could feel truly loved.

But love was not something Ebony sought from her mother. Not when she had James.

"I just wanted to be a family," Bobbin said in a small voice.

"We are," Roberts assured her. "But Ebony is eighteen years old, and this is the longest she's ever had to spend away from James. Of course she misses him, and of course she'll want to spend Christmas with him—she's never had the opportunity to before."

Bobbin bit her tongue to resist pointing out that it was also the first Christmas in which Ebony had the opportunity to spend the festive season with her true, birth mother and her new stepfather.

It wasn't just James, Bobbin realised. She had to accept that Ebony would always choose him over her. Naturally, of course. He had been her strength and had her heart far longer than Bobbin had. No, it was also the thought of Ebony spending Christmas with the Potter family—opening presents in front of a fireplace, enjoying a Christmas feast around the dinner table with Harry and Ginny, smiling, laughing, feeling safe, feeling home. No doubt she would consider her in-laws to be more of a family than she would Bobbin and Roberts. She held no strained, bitter resentment towards them. They had always been welcoming, and kind, and supportive—to Ebony, at least. (They had been equally as furious at James for eloping as a teenager as Bobbin had been with Ebony).

Bobbin could admit that she was jealous. Despite Ebony's insistence on taking the Bobbin surname, she was worried she would always consider herself a Potter. When she thought of family, she would think of them, not of her.

"It's our first Christmas married," Bobbin continued sadly. "And the first Christmas that Ebony knows I'm her mother. It feels like finally, finally, I get to have everything I ever wanted—but she doesn't want the same."

"It is also," Roberts reminded her gently, "her first Christmas married."

Bobbin scowled. That he would even compare their own marriage to that of James and Ebony's was infuriating. What Melinda shared with Cepheus was a real, genuine, adult relationship. James and Ebony, in love as they may very well be, were children. Their elopement had been a childish act of rebellion, poorly thought out and done impulsively—because they were young, and reckless, and didn't know any better. They were worlds away in terms of authenticity, and it was a mockery to compare their own marriage to that of the teenagers'.

"It's our last opportunity to spend Christmas together in the castle," Bobbin went on, pouting slightly. "I won't have another opportunity once Ebony leaves—I doubt she'll barely want to see me at all."

"Like it or not, Ebony is an adult—in the eyes of the wizarding community anyway. She is legally married to James. If she wants to spend Christmas with him then she will. It is her choice."

Bobbin, once again, did not appreciate her husband being the voice of reason. She had desperately attempted, though she'd never admit it to Ebony, to find a loophole in her marriage to James. Given Ebony was only seventeen at the time, James eighteen, and both of them still students, Bobbin had thought, maybe, the legality of their nuptials could be called into question. Without a guardian's permission, could Ebony be lawfully wed at such a young age? And, if it came down to it, though it would likely only make Ebony resent her further, Bobbin was more than prepared to retract any such permission.

Unfortunately, as wizards were considered of age at seventeen, it had been completely legal.

"I just"—Bobbin sighed in defeat—I really wanted us to be a family for Christmas. Our first one all together."

"I know," Roberts said kindly. "But, irregardless of what Ebony's decision is, Melinda, it is still our first Christmas together—as husband and wife."

Bobbin could not help but smile at that. As much as she longed for Ebony to embrace the festive season with her too, Melinda could not deny how excited she was to share it with Cepheus Roberts. She had always loved Christmas, though it had always been somewhat of a lonely time for her. She couldn't leave the castle, after all, given that a lot of students opted to stay behind, and it was her duty to oversee their safety. So she had often spent Christmas at Hogwarts, surrounded by the smiling faces of the kids, but feeling quite alone herself. It had been so long since she'd spent it with people she truly loved. People she considered family. And, she supposed, if she couldn't have Ebony too, at least she would have Cepheus.

"It's almost our anniversary," he piped up, looking thoughtful.

Bobbin frowned. "We got married on the second of September—three months ago."

Roberts playfully rolled his eyes in response. "I didn't mean our wedding—I meant the anniversary of, you know, us." He raised her eyebrows at her suggestively.

Ah.

Bobbin could not help but smile, recalling it all too fondly. It had been New Year's Day of that very year in which she and Cepheus had first started their torrid love affair. She had not known back then, after they had shared their first kiss and things had quickly escalated far beyond a mere relationship between colleagues, whether it would ever be anything more than just physical for them. She could not deny that the relationship they'd shared behind closed doors in the clutches of the night was anything short of wild, and passionate, and the most thrilling thing she had ever experienced, but she had always craved more. She had loved him even then, and she had wanted his heart to be hers.

Little did she know, it already was.

"I don't know if that counts as an anniversary," Bobbin said with a sly smile. "I'm not sure we ever put any labels on what we were, exactly, back then."

They had not really dated, as such. It has certainly been more than just physical—for the both of them—but neither was sure they could really even call it a relationship, let alone one worth commemorating with an anniversary.

Bobbin was also more than a little alarmed that it hadn't yet even been a year since they'd shared their first kiss, and they were already married. If you looked at it in those terms, it seemed like they were the ones making a hasty, impulsive commitment, not James and Ebony. But, Melinda thought fiercely, she and Cepheus were both adults—they both knew what to expect from an adult relationship, from a marriage. Or, at least, Bobbin did. She had been just nineteen when she'd met her first husband—Ebony's Muggle father—and they had married after a couple of years of dating. In the five months she and Cepheus had been seeing each other before they were publicly engaged, following fifteen months of being colleagues and friends, Melinda had experienced far more love, happiness, trust, and support from him than she ever had in her five-year relationship with John.

James and Ebony might have been committed to each other for two years already, but they knew nothing of the world outside the castle's walls. Not really. Bobbin only hoped they would be able to withstand it together rather than suffer the way she had from getting married so naively young.

"Just as well," Roberts said, his voice low and teasing, bringing Bobbin back to reality. "You'd have only broken my heart and insisted we were nothing."

Bobbin felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "We crossed a lot of boundaries," she reminded him with a smirk. "Professionally. We could hardly have wandered the castle shouting about it."

"No," Roberts agreed. "Best to have conducted ourselves in the way we did. After hours in my office…"

Bobbin bit her lip. Merlin, it had been exhilarating back then. Not that it wasn't still, but there was something to be said for the appeal of a forbidden relationship.

"And then you went and ruined it all by proposing in front of the Minister, the students, and a whole bunch of their parents."

Roberts raised his eyebrows. "I ruined it, did I?" he teased, taking her into his arms once more.

"Really," Bobbin said, just as playful. "If I'd said no, I likely would have been fired."

"And how do you figure that?"

"Well," she considered, "you revealing that the Headmistress of Hogwarts had been engaged in an illicit affair with one of her much younger professors certainly wouldn't have gone down well with the governors. But," she went on, still grinning, "fortunately, it was true love—so it was beautiful, and romantic, and a lifelong commitment rather than just a fling, so it completely excused the impropriety of the situation."

"Ah," Roberts said, brushing a long, black strand of hair out of her face. "So if I'd put my heart out on the line and exposed our relationship by proposing to the woman I was sleeping with, and she'd said no, it would have been a sinful scandal. But because it was true love, it was okay."

"Exactly."

"Well," he said, "I guess I'm very lucky that you said yes."

Bobbin knew her eyes would be reflecting the adoration she saw swimming in his. "You're very lucky that I was in love with you and not just sleeping with you."

"I certainly am," Roberts murmured with affection, lifting her chin so he could press his lips to hers.

Melinda Bobbin allowed the kiss to linger, briefly indulging in her own bliss to distract herself from the torment she knew she would have to face again the next time she saw Ebony. "I do love you," she murmured back.

Roberts returned her bashful smile and kissed her once more. "I love you too. And I want you to have a good Christmas, Melinda."

"I will," she promised. "Because I'll be with you."

"Ebony is young, but she has to make her own decisions—her own mistakes."

Bobbin sighed, but it was partially out of contentment. "It's so annoying that you're so smart, and kind, and compassionate. No wonder the students love you so much."

Roberts blushed slightly at her complimentary words, letting go of her chin so he could take both of her hands into his own. He gave them both a reassuring squeeze. "Do you want me to talk to Ebony?" he offered.

"No," Bobbin said firmly. "She'll only know it's coming from me, and it will drive her further away."

"Okay," Roberts conceded. "But if there's anything you need me to do at all, you know I'm your man."

"Yes," Bobbin agreed breathlessly, her heart fluttering with unadulterated joy as she stared into his beautiful honey-coloured eyes. "You certainly are."

Roberts made to leave, but Bobbin had another sudden thought, a panic she had overlooked until then. "Presents," she gasped.

Roberts looked at her inquisitively.

"Christmas presents," Bobbin clarified, looking frantic.

"Well, you don't need to get me anything," Roberts said kindly, a little amused by her sudden distress. "I've already got everything I need."

Bobbin did not feel comforted by his flattering words. After the disaster of Ebony's eighteenth birthday just over a month prior, she knew she had to really outdo herself that Christmas.

It was completely foreign to Melinda—buying gifts for one's daughter. She didn't know what kind of things teenagers were into, what kind of things Ebony liked. Besides James Potter, of course, she thought bitterly.

So when Ebony had turned eighteen, Bobbin had relinquished the burden of buying her a gift (and likely getting it wrong) by instead telling Ebony she could choose whatever it was she wanted from Hogsmeade. And even though she had chosen a beautiful but ridiculously expensive dress (which Bobbin was sure she had only done to spite her), the Headmistress could feel the massive weight of disappointment.

She realised that she had, unintentionally, made it appear as though she didn't care for Ebony. It only emphasised how little she knew the girl, and perhaps suggested a lack of thoughtfulness and sentimentality.

Bobbin did not want to make that same mistake for Christmas. She had one chance to redeem herself—to show Ebony how much she not only knew the girl, on a more personal and deeper level, but how much she truly loved her.

"I have to get something special for Ebony," Bobbin told Roberts, almost pleading.

"You've got time to think," he assured her. "And I'm sure she'll love anything you get for her—because it came from you."

Bobbin just rolled her eyes. Like a true Hufflepuff, sometimes Cepheus was too kind for his own good.

"No," she insisted. "It's a test—it has to be perfect. I already screwed up with her birthday, and I can't fail her again."

Roberts looked amused but like he was trying to conceal it, knowing it would likely only push his wife to fury. "Ebony isn't materialistic," he told her gently. "Anything you get her—anything meaningful—will mean the world."

That was easy for him to say, but Bobbin was wracking her brains. What could she possibly get for Ebony that would both be meaningful and impressive? She could buy her material things, like clothes or jewellery, but Roberts was right. Would that be too impersonal?

But what if she gave her something sentimental and she rejected it? Bobbin didn't want to look like she was trying too hard—she wanted to truly impress Ebony. She longed for that flicker of appreciation in her eyes. Bobbin knew her daughter would never say the words to her, but she wanted to feel that she was loved and appreciated by Ebony. And, right then, her best shot was getting her the perfect gift for Christmas.

"Hey." Roberts had taken hold of her hands once more, forcing Bobbin to look up at him. "Don't stress about it," he instructed, "and just enjoy the Christmas season. You were right—it's your last one in the castle with Ebony, your first proper one with me, and you deserve to enjoy it."

Bobbin did not reply, her mind still in turmoil, but she gladly let him press his lips to hers once more.

"I'll see you later," he promised. And then he was gone.

Bobbin sank back down to her desk once more, torn between eager delight and frantic worry. She aimed her wand at the empty fireplace and a fire immediately sprung up, filling both her office and her heart with warmth.

Happiness was within her reach, and if she could only get this one thing right, it could truly be the most perfect Christmas ever.

As Bobbin watched the flames dance and flicker, she made a vow to herself. Ambitious Slytherin that she was, she was determined to ensure it would be.

Author's Note: Title and epigraph inspired by Katy Perry's 'Cozy Little Christmas'—yes, I changed it to the British spelling, it felt slanderous otherwise!