A Very Frosty Christmas
"So that greasy haired git offered to help Draco?"
"Yes, which Draco's mother requested of him, which he admitted." Arthur replied to David.
They and Mike were standing at Merlon Manor, by the kitchen sink, peeling a mountain of sprouts for Martha. Snow drifted past the window in front of them.
"What else did he say?" Mike asked Arthur.
"He said that that he promised Narcissa that he'd protect Draco, even making what he called an Unbreakable Vow -"
"What?" Both David and Mike said in shock.
"Are you serious? He actually said that?" David asked.
"Yeah. Then Draco said that he'll just have to break it." Arthur frowned. "So what was he suggesting? What happens if you do break an Unbreakable Vow?"
"Simple, you die." David frowned, leaving Arthur surprised by the severity of this oath. "Dad told me all about them. He worked on a case where someone was forced to make one and it was too much for them, resulting in their death."
"What were they forced into vowing to?" Arthur asked.
"To assassinate a Ministry official." David replied.
"Yikes." Arthur muttered as the three continued peeling the sprouts.
"Need any help to speed up the process?" Jack's voice said as he and Kevin entered the kitchen.
"Sure." David said and the twins joined in, peeling the sprouts, speeding up the process.
"Mary's told us of what's been going on with you and Chrys, you know." Kevin said to David, who frowned, not really in the mood to talk about this.
"Really? And what do you have to say about it?" He spat, hoping this would end quickly.
"That you're a prat, that's what." Jack told him off, making David look at him with betrayal in his eyes.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. So what if Chrys snogged Krum? Imagine how she'd feel if she learned you snogged Gwenog Jones. And besides, have you forgotten that she and Krum only treat each other as friends now?" Jack explained.
Arthur forgot about that fact as he looked over at David, whose eyes showed that he was realising this himself and then his head bowed with a guilty expression, seeing that he truly was acting like a prat.
"Don't worry, little brother." Kevin said as he patted his back. "You will be able to cool off and then try to get things back to normal with Chrys when the holidays are over."
David nodded silently as Martha entered the kitchen.
"Hello, boys, I'm letting you all know that Remus is arriving tonight and Charlie isn't coming home this year." She informed them all.
"And what about Sam?" Kevin asked.
"He promised he'll be home in time for dinner." Martha replied before she left the kitchen.
"When we're done, we're gonna go to the village and play some card tricks to entertain the folk living there." Jack informed the three boys. "Want to come?"
"I can't. I promised Dumbledore that I wouldn't wander off from the manor." Arthur told them before they continued peeling the sprouts.
Once they were all done, the twins left and set out into the snowy lands.
"Will you tell Dumbledore about what you heard from Snape and Draco?" Mike asked Arthur.
"I will, and Ben as well. Though I know that Dumbledore will just say that Snape isn't working for Voldemort." Arthur frowned.
"As well as other members of the Order. They'll just say that he's only trying to figure out what Draco's up to." Mike added.
"I know. Just what will it take for them all to realise the truth?" Arthur groaned.
"I don't want to know." David replied.
Of course, Arthur couldn't tell Chrys about all this.
She disappeared from Slughorn's party shortly before he came back, being informed by a very irate McLaggen. She had already made it to the common room when he returned. Then he, Mike and David had left for Merlon Manor early the following day, barely able to wish her a Happy Christmas.
Arthur didn't have the chance to speak with Ben, who worked very long hours at the Ministry, until Christmas Eve night.
All of the Merlons and their guests sat in the living room, which Mary had decorated so lavishly that Arthur felt like he was sitting in a paper chain explosion.
The twins, Arthur, Mike and David were the only ones to know that the angel on top of the tree was really a garden gnome that bit Jack on the ankle when he was pulling carrots for Christmas dinner.
Having been Stupified, painted gold and stuffed into a miniature tutu with small wings glued to its back, it glowered down at them, being the ugliest angel Arthur had seen with its large bald head making it look like a potato with hairy feet.
They were all supposed to be listening to a Christmas broadcast from one of Martha's favourite singers, Celestina Warbeck, whose voice came from a large wooden wireless.
Fleur, who found her to be dull, talked so loudly in the corner that a scowling Martha kept turning up the volume.
Under the cover of a jazzy number called 'A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love', the twins and Mary were playing a game of Exploding Snap. David was reading a book, Rob and Fleur continued being lovey dovey in the corner, as well.
Meanwhile, Remus Lupin, who was now thinner and more ragged looking than ever, sat beside the fire, staring right into the fire, like he couldn't hear Celestina's voice.
Oh, come and stir my cauldron,
And if you do it right
I'll boil you up some hot, strong love
To keep you warm tonight
"We danced to this when we were eighteen!" Martha said, swaying her head to the song as she was knitting. "Remember, Ben?"
"Yeah, such a lovely moment." Ben said as he was enjoying an apple that he sliced with a knife.
He then looked over at Arthur and Mike, who sat nearby, cuddling against each other.
"Sorry about this, you two." He said, nodding to the wireless. "It'll be over soon."
"It's okay." Arthur said, stroking his thumb up and down Mike's arm. "How's the Ministry been?"
"Busy to say the least." Ben said. "I wished that we were making actual progress, but the last three arrests… I highly doubt any of them are actual Death Eaters."
"They're still holding Stan Shunpike?" Arthur then asked with a frown.
"Unfortunately. Dumbledore tried appealing right to Scrimgeour about Stan, as anyone who truly knows Stan knows that he ain't even close to being Death Eater material. But the top levels are stupidly prioritising looking like they're making progress. Making 'three arrests' sounds better than 'three mistake arrests and releases'. Of course, this is all top secret."
"We won't say a word." Arthur said.
He then decided, at this moment, to tell Ben about what he heard from Draco and Snape. He noticed that Lupin turned a little towards them, taking in every word he said.
When he finished, there was silence, except for Celestina's crooning.
"Are you sure that's what he said to Draco?" Ben asked, frowning.
"Yes. Very much so." Arthur nodded.
"But has it occurred to you, Arthur, that Snape was simply pretending -"
"To offer help to find out what Draco's up to?" Arthur cut off Lupin with a frown of his own. "I thought you'd say that. But you don't know that."
"And neither do you. And it isn't our business to know." Lupin replied, facing him with his back facing the fire. "It's Dumbledore's business. Dumbledore trusts Severus, and that ought to be good enough for all of us."
"Well it isn't for me." Arthur said, sitting up. "Besides, if Dumbledore's wrong about Snape -"
"People have said it, many times. It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgement. I do; therefore, I trust Severus."
"Dumbledore has admitted to making mistakes." Arthur shook his head. "You just don't see it because you're eternally grateful to him for letting you go to Hogwarts. And I just don't understand how you don't hate Snape."
"I neither like nor dislike Severus." Lupin replied. "No, Arthur, I am speaking the truth." He added when Arthur raised a sceptical eyebrow. "We shall never be bosom friends, perhaps, after all that happened between John and Sirius and Severus, there is too much bitterness there. But I do not forget that during the year I taught at Hogwarts, Severus made the Wolfsbane Potion for me every month, made it perfectly, so that I did not have to suffer as I usually do at the full moon."
"And yet he let it slip that you're a werewolf, forcing you to resign." Arthur pointed out with bitterness, making Lupin shrug.
"The news would have leaked out anyway. We both know he wanted my job, but he could have wreaked much worse damage on me by tampering with the Potion. He kept me healthy. I must be grateful."
"That's because he begrudgingly did so to not be on Dumbledore's bad side. And don't say that I'm determined to hate him, because he's done nothing in my eyes to prove he's good." Arthur said, knowing Lupin would retort against his prejudice.
Celestina then ended her song on a very long and very high pitched note with loud applause issuing from the wireless, Martha joining in.
"Eez eet over?" Fleur said loudly. "Thank goodness, what an 'orrible -"
"Let's have a nightcap with some egg-nog." Ben said loudly and leaping to his feet.
"So what have you been up to lately?" Arthur asked Lupin as everyone else stretched and broke into conversation, including Mike.
"Oh, I've been underground." Lupin replied. "Almost literally. That's why I haven't been able to write, Arthur; sending letters to you would have been something of a give away."
"What are you talking about?" Arthur frowned, not yet understanding.
"I've been living among my fellows, my equals." Lupin said.
"You mean other werewolves." Arthur said, knowing exactly what he meant.
"Yes. Nearly all of them are on Voldemort's side. Dumbledore wanted a spy and here I was… ready made."
He sounded bitter and realised this because he smiled more warmly as he continued. "I am not complaining; it is necessary work and who can do it better than I? However, it has been difficult gaining their trust. I bear the unmistakable signs of having tried to live among wizards, you see, whereas they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing - and sometimes killing - to eat."
"But why would they be on his side? He hates anything that isn't Pure-blood." Arthur questioned.
"They think that, under his rule, they will have a better life. And it is hard to argue with Greyback out there -"
"Fenrir Greyback?" Arthur asked, remembering that name because Draco said it in Borgin and Burkes in the summer.
"How do you know his name?" Lupin asked with a frown.
"Because Draco threatened Borgin by mentioning him in the summer. He's a werewolf?" Arthur said.
"Yes. He is perhaps the most savage werewolf alive today. He regards it as his mission in life to bite and contaminate as many people as possible; he wants to create enough werewolves to overcome the wizards. Voldemort promised him prey in return for his services. Greyback specialises in children… bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise them to hate normal wizards. Voldemort has threatened to unleash him upon people's sons and daughters; it is a threat that usually produces good results."
Lupin then paused before he revealed "It was Greyback who bit me."
"When you were a kid?" Arthur asked in astonishment.
"Yes. My father had offended him. I did not know, for a very long time, the identity of the werewolf who had attacked me; I even felt pity for him, thinking that he had had no control, knowing by then how it felt to transform. But Greyback is not like that. At the full moon he positions himself close to victims, ensuring that he is near enough to strike. He plans it all. And this is the man Voldemort is using to marshal the werewolves. I cannot pretend that my particular brand of reasoned argument is making much headway against Greyback's insistence that we werewolves deserve blood, that we ought to revenge ourselves on normal people."
"But you're normal. It's just like an illness." Arthur argued fiercely.
Lupin burst out laughing at this.
"Sometimes you remind me a lot of John. He called it my 'furry side' in company. Many people were under the impression that I had a hairy chest."
He then accepted a glass of egg-nog from Ben, saying his thanks, looking a little more cheerful.
The mention of his father reminded Arthur of one of the spells in the Half-Blood Prince's book.
"Have you ever known someone called the Half-Blood Prince?"
"The Half-Blood what?"
"Prince."
"There are no wizarding princes." Lupin said with a smile. "Is this a title you're thinking of adopting? I should have thought being the 'Chosen One' would be enough."
"It has nothing to do with me." Arthur groaned. "I have a potions book that once belonged to the Prince. It's full of notes, including spells that he invented, like Levicorpus -"
"Oh, that one had a great vogue during my time at Hogwarts." Lupin reminisced. "There were a few months in my fifth year when you couldn't move for being hoisted into the air by your ankle."
"I saw my dad use it on Snape in the Pensieve." Arthur told him.
Lupin's smile was now a little too understanding.
"Yes, but he wasn't the only one. As I say, it was very popular… you know how these spells come and go."
"It seems as though it was invented while you were at school." Arthur said.
"Not necessarily." Lupin argued. "Jinxes go in and out of fashion like everything else."
"Was my dad a half-blood or a pure-blood?" Arthur then asked.
"He was a pure-blood. And I assure you, he never asked us to call him 'Prince'."
"And it wasn't you, right?" Arthur asked for confirmation.
"Definitely not."
"I ask because I'm trying to figure out who he is, especially since his notes are helping me out in Potions class." Arthur said, now thinking that it's most likely that Snape just might be this Half-Blood Prince.
"How old is this book, Arthur?"
"All I know is that it's old, torn and battered." Arthur shrugged. "And I didn't check when it was published yet."
"Well, perhaps that will give you some clue as to when the Prince was at Hogwarts." Lupin reasoned.
Shortly after this conversation, Fleur decided to imitate Celestina singing, and based on Martha's expression, everyone took that as their cue to go to bed.
Arthur and Mike curled up against each other in bed, Arthur wrapping an arm around Mike, who snuggled his head against Arthur's chest.
Arthur used his free hand to look through his copy of Advanced Potion-Making. He saw on the front of the book that it was published nearly fifty years ago. This still didn't mean that the Prince's notes were written that long ago. Anyone could've had this book and put the notes in long after it was published.
And so, after coming to this conclusion, he put the book away, turned the lamp off and closed his eyes, snuggling against MIke with a kiss on the top of his head.
"Wakey, wakey, Arthur." Mike's gentle voice woke Arthur up before he felt his lips kiss him on the cheek. Arthur smiled and turned to kiss him on the lips as he opened his eyes.
"Merry Christmas, Mike." He greeted him.
"Merry Christmas, Arthur." Mike replied before he sat up and leaned over the side of the bed, pulling up a small present and handed it to Arthur.
"Here you go. I thought I'd get both you and I something." He said as Arthur unwrapped the present.
Inside were two necklaces of gems attached in gold frames. One was a green gem, matching his green eyes perfectly and the other is a purple gem, perfectly matching Mike's eyes.
"It's a way to signify our love for each other." Mike explained as Arthur was left speechless and with his eyes welling up. He looked up at Mike and pinned him down, giving him the most passionate kiss the two ever had, leaving them moaning in euphoria.
"I love you so much." Arthur whispered as he nuzzled his nose against Mike's/
"I love you, too, Arthur." Mike grinned.
They both wore the necklaces, wearing the gem of the other's eye colour before they tore into their other presents.
Arthur got a sweater from the Dentleys that was entirely purple with a pattern of a tiger, Mike's Patronus. They even made a green sweater for Mike with the pattern of lions on it. He got a large box of Merlons' Magical Merchandising products from the twins and found a damp, mouldy package from Kreacher.
"Throw it away, it'll be something unpleasant, knowing how much of a git that elf is." Mike frowned. Arthur threw it out of the window, out into the snow.
Everyone gathered and sat for Christmas lunch.
Martha showed up and wore a brand new navy blue witch's hat that glittered with what Arthur realised was tiny star-like diamonds as well as a spectacular golden necklace.
"Jack and Kevin got them for me. So gorgeous." She said.
"Thought we'd show how much we appreciate you, mum." Kevin said. "Parsnips, Remus?"
"Want some gravy, Fleur?" David then asked.
He was eager to help, which resulted in him accidentally knocking the gravy boat, making it fly. Rob waved his wand, making the gravy soar up in the air and return meekly to the boat.
"You are as bad as zat Tonks." Fleur told David when she finished kissing Rob in thanks. "She is always knocking -"
"I invited her to come along today." Martha said, setting down carrots with force as she glared at Fleur. "But she said she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"
"No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much." Lupin replied. "But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?"
"I actually got the impression she was going to spend Christmas by herself." She replied with accusing eyes on him. Arthur frowned, trying to connect him to Tonks' behaviour when he came upon what may be going on: Tonks is in love with Lupin, but he's avoiding her and turning her down, most likely because of him being a werewolf, sending her down a spiral of depression.
Lupin looked guilty as he chewed his turkey and swallowed quickly.
"Ben, Sam's home!" Matha suddenly said, rising from her chair and looking through the doorways of the living room.
Everyone turned and saw Sam at the front door and he wasn't alone.
"What the hell's the Minister doing here?"
Arthur noticed him, having seen images of him in the Daily Prophet, seeing that he was limping slightly as he followed Sam inside, his mane of greying hair and his black cloak flecked with snow.
The two walked their way into the kitchen.
"Merry Christmas, all." Sam greeted everyone, kissing his mother on the cheek.
Scrimgeour paused in the doorway, leaning on his walking stick as Sam sat and dug in, looking hungry.
"You must forgive my intrusion, I asked Samuel if I could come and visit when he returned home." He said to Martha and Ben, the latter narrowing his eyes before glancing over at Arthur, who noticed this and knew right away what he was thinking.
"In that case, why don't you come and sit, Minister?" Martha said courteously.
"No, no, my dear Martha." Scrimgeour said. "I don't want to intrude, I wouldn't be here at all if Sam didn't accept my request. I only have five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the manor. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden… ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?"
The atmosphere in the room changed instantly. Everyone looked between him and Arthur, all knowing that he only came here to talk to Arthur alone, doing a poor job of hiding his goal.
"Alright." He said, standing up, kissing Mike's cheek and then walked around the table.
"Wonderful!" Scrimgeour said, letting Arthur lead him back outside through the front door and into the snow covered grounds of the manor, Scrimgeour limping slightly at his side.
Arthur knew that he was the Head of the Auror Office before he became Minister for Magic, looking very tough and battle scarred, a contrast to the portly Fudge in his bowler hat.
"Charming." Scrimgeour said as they reached the courtyard that was right outside the library.
Arthur didn't say anything, knowing that the man was watching him.
"I've wanted to meet you for a very long time." Scrimgeour said after a few moments. "Did you know that?"
"Not really." Arthur shook his head.
"Oh yes, for a very long time. But Dumbledore has been very protective of you. Natural, of course, natural, after what you've been through… especially what happened at the Ministry…."
He waited for Arthur to say something, though he didn't, not wanting to oblige him. Scrimgeour went on, regardless.
"I have been hoping for an occasion to talk to you ever since I gained office, but Dumbledore has - most understandably, as I say - prevented this."
Arthur still said nothing, waiting.
"The rumours that have flown around!" Scrimgeour said. "Well, of course, we both know these stories get distorted… all these whispers of a prophecy… of you being the 'Chosen One'."
There it was. The reason for him being here.
"...I assume that Dumbledore has discussed these matters with you?"
Arthur was pondering whether or not he should lie or not. He kept his eyes on various gnome prints all over the snow.
Ultimately, he decided to be vague with the truth.
"We've discussed it, for sure."
"Have you, have you…." Scrimgeour said. Arthur could see from the corner of his eyes that he was squinting at him, which made him pretend to be interested in a gnome that was poking its head out from a corner of the courtyard. "And what has Dumbledore told you, Arthur?"
"That's between us, Minister." Arthur replied.
He made sure his voice was as pleasant as he could make it.
Scrimgeour's tone was just as light as he said "Oh, of course, if it's a question of confidences, I wouldn't want you to divulge… no, no… and in any case, does it really matter whether you are the Chosen One or not?"
Arthur mulled over this for a bit before he replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, of course, to you it will matter enormously." Scrimgeour said with a laugh. "But to the wizarding community at large… it's all perception, isn't it? It's what people believe that's important."
Arthur didn't say anything, having an idea of where Scrimgeour was taking this conversation, but he ain't going to help him get there.
"People believe you are the Chosen One, you see. They think you quite the hero - which, of course, you are, Arthur, chosen or not! How many times have you faced He Who Must Not Be Named now? Well, anyway…" He continued, not waiting for a reply. "...the point is, you are a symbol of hope for many, Arthur. The idea that there is somebody out there who might be able, who might even be destined, to destroy He Who Must Be Named - well, naturally, it gives people a lift. And I can't help but feel that, once you realise this, you might consider it, well, almost a duty, to stand alongside the Ministry, and give everyone a boost."
Arthur simply stared out to the forest surrounding the manor, watching snow fall from the trees to the ground.
"What say you, Arthur?" Scrimgeour asked after a silence fell between them.
"'Stand alongside the Ministry', what the hell does that supposed to mean?" Arthur said slowly and deadly calmly.
"Oh, well, nothing at all onerous, I assure you. If you were to be seen popping in and out of the Ministry from time to time, for instance, that would give the right impression. And of course, while you were there, you would have ample opportunity to speak to Benjamin Merlon, who you'd probably know is my successor as Head of the Auror Office. Dolores Umbridge has told me that you cherish an ambition to become an Auror. Well, that could be arranged very easily…."
Arthur felt absolute fury knowing that the toad that is Umbridge is still working in the Ministry and isn't punished for all of the illegal and corrupt actions she made.
"So you're saying that you want to give the impression that I'm working for the Ministry?" He asked, cutting right through the fancy wordplay.
"It would give everyone a lift to think you were more involved, Arthur." Scrimgeour said, sounding relieved that he'd cottoned on quickly. "The 'Chosen One', you know… it's all about giving people hope, the feeling that exciting things are happening…."
"But it would suggest that I approve of what the Ministry is doing and how they conduct themselves." Arthur retorted, now struggling to keep his voice pleasant.
"Well…" Scrimgeour frowned slightly. "...well, yes, that's partly why we'd like -"
"No, that won't work." Arthur replied. "I don't agree with some of what the Ministry is doing, like locking up Stan Shunpike, for example."
Scrimgeour didn't speak for a moment while his expression hardened instantly.
"I would not expect you to understand." He said, unsuccessful at keeping his anger out of his voice. "These are dangerous times, and certain measures need to be taken. You are sixteen years old -"
"Dumbledore's over a hundred years old." Arthur pointed out. "He doesn't think Stan should be locked up in Azkaban. You're just using him as a scapegoat, like how you want to use me as a mascot."
The two now looked at each other, long and hard.
"I see. You prefer - like your hero Dumbledore - to disassociate yourself from the Ministry?" Scrimgeour said, no warmth in his voice anymore.
"I am not going to be used by the likes of you." Arthur spat.
"Some would say it's your duty to be used by the Ministry!"
"And others would say it's your duty to check if people really are Death Eaters before locking them in prison!" Arthur snapped back, his temper rising so much he felt like he would unleash his Animagus form on him. "You're just as bad as Barty Crouch! You people never get it right! We either have Fudge, pretending everything's sunshine and rainbows while people are murdered right under his nose, or you, throwing the wrong people into jail and pretending to have the Chosen One working for you all because you're more concerned with your image!"
"So you're not the Chosen One?" Scrimgeour asked.
"You said it didn't matter either way." Arthur said with utter contempt. "Not to you, at least."
"I shouldn't have said that. It was tactless -"
"No, that was the only time you were honest. You don't really care if I live or die. All you care about is me helping you convince everyone you're winning against Voldemort. I'm not one to forgive so easily, Minister. You and the whole Ministry didn't rush to my defence when I told everyone that Voldemort was back. And you still have that pile of dung, Umbridge, working despite all that she has done."
The two stood in icy cold silence.
"What is Dumbledore up to?" Scrimgeour asked brusquely. "Where does he go, when he is absent from Hogwarts?"
"I don't know." Arthur gritted through his teeth.
"And you wouldn't tell me if you knew, would you?"
"Correct."
"Well, then, I shall have to see whether I can't find out by other means."
"You'll fail." Arthur said with indifference. "Even if you seem cleverer than Fudge. I would have thought you'd learn from his mistakes when he tried to interfere at Hogwarts. He's no longer Minister while Dumbledore's still Headmaster. That should tell you to leave him alone."
There was a lengthy pause between them as they glared at one another.
"Well, it is clear to me that he has done a very good job on you." Scrimgeour said, his eyes cold and hard behind his wire rimmed glasses. "Dumbledore's man through and through, aren't you, Pendergast?"
"I am. At least we now know where we both stand." Arthur replied before he turned his back on the Minister for Magic and strode his way back inside Merlon Manor.
Scrimgeour is probably just as problematic as Fudge and I can't stand him for the fact that he's more concerned with image instead of just doing his job, no matter what.