HP fic: Post-DH
Title: Post-DH
Scene Title: God Rest Ye Merry...
Progress: WIP
Surprisingly, the holidays came sooner than Albus would have thought and almost without warning, he and James were both ready to go back home to visit. Albus was a bit saddened at the thought that he would have to leave Hogwarts when it was just beginning to look so festive, with decorations lining the halls and the giant tree in the Great Hall which Professor Flitwick somehow managed to direct Hagrid into setting up before using charms to decorate it, with the pond that had been dedicated in the name of the Weasley twins Fred and George being frozen enough so that House Elves would skate across it in amusement while they ran about the corridors, getting things done. Peeves even seemed to be getting into the holiday spirit, singing lewd songs that were only relevant to Christmas because of phrases such as,
"Saw her shaggin' the man in red,
O' and when her husband saw
They bolted straight from the bed!"
James, however, didn't seem to mind at all, claiming that he'd heard about the happenings of Hogwarts during the Christmas break the year before. "It's not all that interesting," he said one day when Albus went to talk to him about it. "Not very many people stay and it's rather dull, really. Plus, even when Hogwarts has some of the best food--it definitely can't beat Mum's cooking."
Albus didn't see why James wasn't a little more disappointed with having to return. He supposed that after being there for a year, the entire mystical element Hogwarts seemed to embody wore off. Still, even if that was the case, he wished he could spend just one Christmas there just to see how it was like.
It didn't take long to return home. Surprisingly, the trip back was shorter than the one up to Hogwarts. Before he knew it, Albus greeted by the sight of his mother and father who James practically tackled as he ran up to greet them. His father was laughing in amusement as James babbled up to their mother about Christmas dinner and what she would be cooking this time and oh, yes, there was a house elf that suggested this one recipe...
Albus hung back for a bit, feeling more than a bit uncertain how to approach his parents with his brother stealing their attention the way he was. It was a pleasant surprise, as it always was, when his father turned to him and waved him over. Brightening, Albus ran up to him and got a quick, one-armed hug from his tall father, who made a sound of surprise, looking down at his son and saying, "Blimey, you've grown bigger. How long have you been away again?"
"I've only been gone four months!" said Albus with a smile on his face, trying to be indignant but not able to achieve it.
His father just laughed a bit. "So you have!" he said before making Albus turn to his mother. "Look, Ginny, he's gotten taller!"
Ginny looked over to Albus, James finally relinquishing her attention, and smiled. "Well, it doesn't surprise me a bit," she said before walking over and giving Albus a hug. "If he's anything like how you were, Harry, he'll be sprouting like crazy in Fifth Year."
"Hey now," said Harry with some amusment. "I wasn't that small--er..." He hesitated as if he just remembered something. "Well, it was hardly my fault. Growing up the way I had, it's hard to be that big of a person at that age. Sometimes, I think I'm lucky my growth wasn't completely stunted because of it."
James popped out of nowhere just as Ginny released Albus, "He's always going to be a short midget, I think."
Albus ignored his brother's dig and looked to Harry to ask instead, "What way was that, Dad?"
His father paused, seeming to debate whether or not he should answer. After a moment, he shrugged and answered, "Well, you know that I was an orphan and my Muggle aunt and uncle took me in? Well, they weren't the nicest of people, especially toward me since I was a wizard and all and they seemed to take offense to my being one--not that I knew until my 11th birthday, though."
Even James seemed not to believe what their father was telling them. "How can you not know you're a wizard?" asked the older brother, not understanding.
Harry looked to Ginny with a bit of a helpless look which his wife answered with a bit of a smile before she said, "All right, you two. Lily's missing us back at home. You can wait until then to pester your father about his being a midget as a kid--"
"I wasn't that short," objected Harry. "Just because your brothers are so tall--"
"Charlie's not that tall," pointed out Ginny.
"Well, yes, but he's always been sort of exceptional--never mind, you're whole family's that way and that's the way we all love them." Harry looked down to his sons, smiling. "Isn't that right?"
James snickered while Albus answered, "Yeah!"
"Right then," said Harry, taking hold of Ginny's hand. "Shall we head home?"
They had already gotten to the parking lot and loaded up into the car when Albus thought to ask of his parents, "Mum, Dad... what's Christmas like back at Hogwarts?"
His parents exchanged looks for a moment before answering at the same time, "Magical."
A bit unable to think of what to say to that, Albus remained silent while Harry continued as he looked back in his seat and backed the car out of its parking space, "I think one of these years, we'll have you stay there just so you can know how it's like. It's not like any other Christmas you'll ever have."
For some reason, Albus was willing to believe his father and was now wanting even more to be back at Hogwarts, seeing how Christmas was like there, just once.
Scene Title: God Rest Ye Merry...
Progress: WIP
Surprisingly, the holidays came sooner than Albus would have thought and almost without warning, he and James were both ready to go back home to visit. Albus was a bit saddened at the thought that he would have to leave Hogwarts when it was just beginning to look so festive, with decorations lining the halls and the giant tree in the Great Hall which Professor Flitwick somehow managed to direct Hagrid into setting up before using charms to decorate it, with the pond that had been dedicated in the name of the Weasley twins Fred and George being frozen enough so that House Elves would skate across it in amusement while they ran about the corridors, getting things done. Peeves even seemed to be getting into the holiday spirit, singing lewd songs that were only relevant to Christmas because of phrases such as,
"Saw her shaggin' the man in red,
O' and when her husband saw
They bolted straight from the bed!"
James, however, didn't seem to mind at all, claiming that he'd heard about the happenings of Hogwarts during the Christmas break the year before. "It's not all that interesting," he said one day when Albus went to talk to him about it. "Not very many people stay and it's rather dull, really. Plus, even when Hogwarts has some of the best food--it definitely can't beat Mum's cooking."
Albus didn't see why James wasn't a little more disappointed with having to return. He supposed that after being there for a year, the entire mystical element Hogwarts seemed to embody wore off. Still, even if that was the case, he wished he could spend just one Christmas there just to see how it was like.
It didn't take long to return home. Surprisingly, the trip back was shorter than the one up to Hogwarts. Before he knew it, Albus greeted by the sight of his mother and father who James practically tackled as he ran up to greet them. His father was laughing in amusement as James babbled up to their mother about Christmas dinner and what she would be cooking this time and oh, yes, there was a house elf that suggested this one recipe...
Albus hung back for a bit, feeling more than a bit uncertain how to approach his parents with his brother stealing their attention the way he was. It was a pleasant surprise, as it always was, when his father turned to him and waved him over. Brightening, Albus ran up to him and got a quick, one-armed hug from his tall father, who made a sound of surprise, looking down at his son and saying, "Blimey, you've grown bigger. How long have you been away again?"
"I've only been gone four months!" said Albus with a smile on his face, trying to be indignant but not able to achieve it.
His father just laughed a bit. "So you have!" he said before making Albus turn to his mother. "Look, Ginny, he's gotten taller!"
Ginny looked over to Albus, James finally relinquishing her attention, and smiled. "Well, it doesn't surprise me a bit," she said before walking over and giving Albus a hug. "If he's anything like how you were, Harry, he'll be sprouting like crazy in Fifth Year."
"Hey now," said Harry with some amusment. "I wasn't that small--er..." He hesitated as if he just remembered something. "Well, it was hardly my fault. Growing up the way I had, it's hard to be that big of a person at that age. Sometimes, I think I'm lucky my growth wasn't completely stunted because of it."
James popped out of nowhere just as Ginny released Albus, "He's always going to be a short midget, I think."
Albus ignored his brother's dig and looked to Harry to ask instead, "What way was that, Dad?"
His father paused, seeming to debate whether or not he should answer. After a moment, he shrugged and answered, "Well, you know that I was an orphan and my Muggle aunt and uncle took me in? Well, they weren't the nicest of people, especially toward me since I was a wizard and all and they seemed to take offense to my being one--not that I knew until my 11th birthday, though."
Even James seemed not to believe what their father was telling them. "How can you not know you're a wizard?" asked the older brother, not understanding.
Harry looked to Ginny with a bit of a helpless look which his wife answered with a bit of a smile before she said, "All right, you two. Lily's missing us back at home. You can wait until then to pester your father about his being a midget as a kid--"
"I wasn't that short," objected Harry. "Just because your brothers are so tall--"
"Charlie's not that tall," pointed out Ginny.
"Well, yes, but he's always been sort of exceptional--never mind, you're whole family's that way and that's the way we all love them." Harry looked down to his sons, smiling. "Isn't that right?"
James snickered while Albus answered, "Yeah!"
"Right then," said Harry, taking hold of Ginny's hand. "Shall we head home?"
They had already gotten to the parking lot and loaded up into the car when Albus thought to ask of his parents, "Mum, Dad... what's Christmas like back at Hogwarts?"
His parents exchanged looks for a moment before answering at the same time, "Magical."
A bit unable to think of what to say to that, Albus remained silent while Harry continued as he looked back in his seat and backed the car out of its parking space, "I think one of these years, we'll have you stay there just so you can know how it's like. It's not like any other Christmas you'll ever have."
For some reason, Albus was willing to believe his father and was now wanting even more to be back at Hogwarts, seeing how Christmas was like there, just once.