Present Perfect
Present Perfect
The gift beyond your means
can be the most precious one.
At Christmas, play and make good cheer
For Christmas comes but once a year.
- Thomas Tusser (1524-1580)
Outside Heron's Nest, the early December snowfall tapered off to the last few flakes, and the sun came out. Hugo Weasley looked out the window with anticipation. "Mum? Can Rose and I go outside for a snowball match now?"
Hermione put down her copy of The Witch's Holiday Cookbook to straighten the collar of Hugo's jumper. "Tell me, honourable number one son, have you thought of a present for your sister yet?"
"Um... does it count when I nailed Denny Parkinson for trying to hex her?"
"No, dear. You're not supposed to use magic between classes."
"I didn't, Mum. I punched him out."
"Ten points for good aim, then. But that would account for the black eye he gave you, and the detention for fighting, so minus ten points... for not ducking."
"Oh, man! You hear about everything I do! I can't get away with anything!"
"The price of fame, dear. Now, back to the matter at hand: You have your christmas allowance; presents, for your sister and cousins?"
"I'll think about it. Can we go outside now, pleeease, before it all melts?"
"I'll think about it."
"Honest, I'll get them gifts!"
"Promise accepted. You can go out, if you leave your wands indoors; no more piles of self-aiming, self-propelled snowballs. And dress warmly!"
"Woohoo! ROOOSE!"
Rose sauntered into the room, fully dressed for outdoors. "Stop shouting, I'm ready already," she said, and flopped down in her Mum's lap. Hugo roared away for his coat, gloves and boots.
"How about you?" asked Hermione. "Thought about Hugo's present yet?"
"No ideas yet," said Rose.. "Maybe we hafta go shopping."
"What's the hurry, Rosie? There are such good bargains on Christmas Eve, y'know; almost nothing on the shelves, but really cheap."
"They're even cheaper after Christmas."
"True. Or we could skip it altogether. But I have these labels, see, and I want to attach them to something. A pile of unattached labels on Christmas morning is so... cold."
"This afternoon?"
"This afternoon would be a very good start. It'll probably take two or three afternoons to get it all done. Can I ask you something else, dear?"
"Sure."
"How old are you?"
"Thirteen, duh."
"And how much do you weigh?"
Rose shrugged. "Um... eight stone."
"More than the average lap dog, wouldn't you say?"
"Are you telling me I'm too fat?"
"Don't worry, boys will still like you when you're fat. Actually, I was just wondering if you're getting to be a wee bit too big to sit in my lap."
"What's the matter, Mum? Are your legs going to sleep?"
"Something like that."
"Must be old age."
"Remind me to change my will and disown you. And just in time for Christmas!"
"Okay, sorry about the 'old' joke."
"Forgiven." The two stood up as Hugo returned, suited up and anxious to go, and the children headed for the door.
"Whoa!" yelled Hermione. "Wands, please."
"Rats," muttered Hugo, and reached under his coat.
-o-
Hermione's estimation had been spot on; with presents for all the relatives and each other, shopping took the better part of three days. For a while each day, the ladies of the family went off to do the clothing shops, and Ron took Hugo in tow and did men's shopping. They also enjoyed a good long visit to the Wheezing Wheezes shop, and took a look at the latest brooms (but just a look), and satisfied the sweet tooth in each of them.
It was a good thing that Dad paid for the ice cream, because Hugo still needed to buy one more present - Rose's. He now knew exactly what she wanted; she had ooh'ed and aah'ed over the potions kit when she saw it in the shop window, and tried to convince Mum to get it for her, but Mum had new robes in mind for both kids. It was up to Hugo to get it for her. There was one little problem: his allowance was gone, spent on everyone else. How could he manage it?
Then he saw Mum hand Dad a big wrapped package to carry, and he knew exactly what he had to do. It would be a real wrench to do it, and Rose might get a little bent about it, but...
-o-
After Christmas breakfast, the gift-giving and unwrapping took well over an hour. After the last package had been sought out and delivered, Hermione unwrapped herself from Ron's warm arm and started towards the kitchen to finish cooking for the Burrow feast.
"Wait a minute," said Rose. "Mum, we're missing one present I remember buying. Did you send it to the Burrow by mistake?"
"Dad?" murmured Hugo, "The last present I bought is missing."
"I think we know which ones you mean," said Hermione. "Rose, what's missing?"
"You want me to say what it is? Aloud?"
"Yes."
"Okay... I got Hugo that home Quidditch set he wanted.. But it's not here!"
Hugo blushed; he was not surprised. "Thanks, Ro. I know it's not here. That's my fault."
Rose was stunned. "Huh?"
"I saw Dad carrying the big package, all wrapped up, and I guessed what it was. I was out of money, but I really wanted to get you that potions kit, y'know, so... I told Dad he could return the Quidditch set so I'd have the money to get yours. I'm sorry. Like you said, your potions kit's prob'ly at the Burrow."
Rose blushed as well. "No, it isn't."
It was Hugo's turn to be stunned. "Huh?"
"When I saw Mum carrying the odd-shaped package, I knew it was the potions kit. Thanks for that. But I had already gotten you the set; now I was out of money too, and to finish getting everybody else's, I... I said I'd give up the potions kit for the money. Sorry."
Now, neither of them had gotten what they wanted, or seen the other get their gift.
Shaking his head, Hugo laughed. "You big git!"
Rose smiled. "You little dope!"
For a moment, no one knew what to say. Hermione finally broke the silence. "Well, I, for one, am enjoying this rare moment of brotherly-sisterly love! But, before I go to cook, I have a confession as well."
"What?" they asked.
"I'm a git too. I didn't return the potions kit. I had the store send it to the Burrow."
"And I'm such a dope," chuckled Ron, "that I did the same thing with the Quidditch set. Just remember to act surprised when you find the presents there this afternoon."
Hugo and Rose looked at each other happily, then a thought occurred. "But, Dad!" moaned Hugo. "We can't pay you for them! We're broke."
"Been there, done that," said Ron. "We're Weasleys! We're used to being broke. Someday, we won't be. This mattered more than working a few more hours to pay for it. Next year, stick to your budget, all right? Happy Christmas, kids."
When families gather 'round,
Or friend can be with friend
The Christmas song will sound
And never needs to end.
To be a friend or lover
Is the finest magic art;
At Christmas time,
Keep friendship in your heart.
The gift beyond your means
can be the most precious one.
At Christmas, play and make good cheer
For Christmas comes but once a year.
- Thomas Tusser (1524-1580)
Outside Heron's Nest, the early December snowfall tapered off to the last few flakes, and the sun came out. Hugo Weasley looked out the window with anticipation. "Mum? Can Rose and I go outside for a snowball match now?"
Hermione put down her copy of The Witch's Holiday Cookbook to straighten the collar of Hugo's jumper. "Tell me, honourable number one son, have you thought of a present for your sister yet?"
"Um... does it count when I nailed Denny Parkinson for trying to hex her?"
"No, dear. You're not supposed to use magic between classes."
"I didn't, Mum. I punched him out."
"Ten points for good aim, then. But that would account for the black eye he gave you, and the detention for fighting, so minus ten points... for not ducking."
"Oh, man! You hear about everything I do! I can't get away with anything!"
"The price of fame, dear. Now, back to the matter at hand: You have your christmas allowance; presents, for your sister and cousins?"
"I'll think about it. Can we go outside now, pleeease, before it all melts?"
"I'll think about it."
"Honest, I'll get them gifts!"
"Promise accepted. You can go out, if you leave your wands indoors; no more piles of self-aiming, self-propelled snowballs. And dress warmly!"
"Woohoo! ROOOSE!"
Rose sauntered into the room, fully dressed for outdoors. "Stop shouting, I'm ready already," she said, and flopped down in her Mum's lap. Hugo roared away for his coat, gloves and boots.
"How about you?" asked Hermione. "Thought about Hugo's present yet?"
"No ideas yet," said Rose.. "Maybe we hafta go shopping."
"What's the hurry, Rosie? There are such good bargains on Christmas Eve, y'know; almost nothing on the shelves, but really cheap."
"They're even cheaper after Christmas."
"True. Or we could skip it altogether. But I have these labels, see, and I want to attach them to something. A pile of unattached labels on Christmas morning is so... cold."
"This afternoon?"
"This afternoon would be a very good start. It'll probably take two or three afternoons to get it all done. Can I ask you something else, dear?"
"Sure."
"How old are you?"
"Thirteen, duh."
"And how much do you weigh?"
Rose shrugged. "Um... eight stone."
"More than the average lap dog, wouldn't you say?"
"Are you telling me I'm too fat?"
"Don't worry, boys will still like you when you're fat. Actually, I was just wondering if you're getting to be a wee bit too big to sit in my lap."
"What's the matter, Mum? Are your legs going to sleep?"
"Something like that."
"Must be old age."
"Remind me to change my will and disown you. And just in time for Christmas!"
"Okay, sorry about the 'old' joke."
"Forgiven." The two stood up as Hugo returned, suited up and anxious to go, and the children headed for the door.
"Whoa!" yelled Hermione. "Wands, please."
"Rats," muttered Hugo, and reached under his coat.
-o-
Hermione's estimation had been spot on; with presents for all the relatives and each other, shopping took the better part of three days. For a while each day, the ladies of the family went off to do the clothing shops, and Ron took Hugo in tow and did men's shopping. They also enjoyed a good long visit to the Wheezing Wheezes shop, and took a look at the latest brooms (but just a look), and satisfied the sweet tooth in each of them.
It was a good thing that Dad paid for the ice cream, because Hugo still needed to buy one more present - Rose's. He now knew exactly what she wanted; she had ooh'ed and aah'ed over the potions kit when she saw it in the shop window, and tried to convince Mum to get it for her, but Mum had new robes in mind for both kids. It was up to Hugo to get it for her. There was one little problem: his allowance was gone, spent on everyone else. How could he manage it?
Then he saw Mum hand Dad a big wrapped package to carry, and he knew exactly what he had to do. It would be a real wrench to do it, and Rose might get a little bent about it, but...
-o-
After Christmas breakfast, the gift-giving and unwrapping took well over an hour. After the last package had been sought out and delivered, Hermione unwrapped herself from Ron's warm arm and started towards the kitchen to finish cooking for the Burrow feast.
"Wait a minute," said Rose. "Mum, we're missing one present I remember buying. Did you send it to the Burrow by mistake?"
"Dad?" murmured Hugo, "The last present I bought is missing."
"I think we know which ones you mean," said Hermione. "Rose, what's missing?"
"You want me to say what it is? Aloud?"
"Yes."
"Okay... I got Hugo that home Quidditch set he wanted.. But it's not here!"
Hugo blushed; he was not surprised. "Thanks, Ro. I know it's not here. That's my fault."
Rose was stunned. "Huh?"
"I saw Dad carrying the big package, all wrapped up, and I guessed what it was. I was out of money, but I really wanted to get you that potions kit, y'know, so... I told Dad he could return the Quidditch set so I'd have the money to get yours. I'm sorry. Like you said, your potions kit's prob'ly at the Burrow."
Rose blushed as well. "No, it isn't."
It was Hugo's turn to be stunned. "Huh?"
"When I saw Mum carrying the odd-shaped package, I knew it was the potions kit. Thanks for that. But I had already gotten you the set; now I was out of money too, and to finish getting everybody else's, I... I said I'd give up the potions kit for the money. Sorry."
Now, neither of them had gotten what they wanted, or seen the other get their gift.
Shaking his head, Hugo laughed. "You big git!"
Rose smiled. "You little dope!"
For a moment, no one knew what to say. Hermione finally broke the silence. "Well, I, for one, am enjoying this rare moment of brotherly-sisterly love! But, before I go to cook, I have a confession as well."
"What?" they asked.
"I'm a git too. I didn't return the potions kit. I had the store send it to the Burrow."
"And I'm such a dope," chuckled Ron, "that I did the same thing with the Quidditch set. Just remember to act surprised when you find the presents there this afternoon."
Hugo and Rose looked at each other happily, then a thought occurred. "But, Dad!" moaned Hugo. "We can't pay you for them! We're broke."
"Been there, done that," said Ron. "We're Weasleys! We're used to being broke. Someday, we won't be. This mattered more than working a few more hours to pay for it. Next year, stick to your budget, all right? Happy Christmas, kids."
When families gather 'round,
Or friend can be with friend
The Christmas song will sound
And never needs to end.
To be a friend or lover
Is the finest magic art;
At Christmas time,
Keep friendship in your heart.