Fifteen Years Later: The OBHWF Christmas Special
Title: Fifteen Years Later: The OBHWF Christmas Special
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: Deathly Hallows & Previous Chapters
Rating: PG-13 for mild language and discussion
Characters: The Weasleys, the Potters, Teddy Lupin, Andromeda Tonks
Summary: Christmastime at the Burrow
Notes: Eh, why not post this now? There’s a second half to this that will be posted, but I think it’s isolated enough where it doesn’t have to be a 1 of 2, 2 of 2 situation. Extremely raw, I wanted to get it posted before I left in fifteen minutes for vacation, and will probably have to come back and edit a bit.
I don’t own any of these characters. They belong to JK Rowling.
Jareth / Previous Chapters / Afterthought
Ah, Christmas Eve.
When Arthur Weasley received the Burrow from his family in… well… it had to be approaching fifty years ago now… he and his bright, cheerful wife didn’t know what they would do with all of the space that had suddenly been given them.
That was, of course, before seven children. Over fifty years and a dozen additions later, the Weasley family finally found a new equilibrium in the size of their house. They could comfortably fit every child, plus the occasional friend or relative, within its confines, and there was no difficulty setting them around the kitchen table, even during the holidays when the eldest sons would return from their various journeys.
But then the marriages started happening.
And the kids.
Suddenly, Molly and Arthur found that a Weasley Family Christmas couldn’t involve everyone sitting around the table sharing a meal anymore. Heck, they had a difficult enough job stuffing everyone into the sitting room after the Weasley Christmas dinner to watch the many, many grandchildren open their presents.
A family of nine had in ten years grown to a family of twenty-three, not even including the occasional family guest. And it meant the creation of what was the most dreaded word to many:
The Children’s Table.
Or, in the Weasleys’ case, two Children’s Tables.
“Muuuum!”
“James, leave your brother alone!” Ginny Potter called from the other room.
James Potter instinctively pulled his fork away from Albus’s plate, hiding it quickly in his lap.
“How did she know it was me?” he whispered to Teddy Lupin who, along with his grandmother, had been invited to every Weasley family Christmas, and most of the Granger family's, since the end of the war.
“Who else would it be?” Rose Weasley said in response to James's question.
“I don’t know,” James said with a shrug. “Fabian?”
Fabian Weasley, with glasses and bright red hair a mirror image of his father, paused, a forkful of beans halfway to his mouth, and glanced incredulously over at the table where James, Teddy, Albus, and Rose sat along with the youngest Potter, Lily.
“Don’t worry about it, Fabian,” Rose said. “James is just being a prat.”
“I am not,” James mumbled. “It’s not my fault Al got more goose than I did.”
“No, I didn’t!” Albus replied.
“Yeah, you did,” James insisted. “Look, you got loads more than I do!”
“No, he doesn’t!” Rose said, leaning over to James’s area with her fork poised.
“Don’t touch my food!” James yelled as Rose pushed it around his plate.
“See?” she said, pointing triumphantly. “You have some under your potatoes. So leave Albus alone.”
“Thanks, Rose,” Albus said with a relieved sigh.
“No problem,” Rose replied. “Do you want some of my stuffing? I don’t like the apple.”
“Okay,” Albus said, leaning over and taking a scoop from her plate.
“This is gross,” said James, glaring down at his plate. “Now you have to give me some of yours, Al.”
“No!” Albus replied, pulling his plate closer to him.
“But I can’t eat this!” James said. “It has Rose drool all over it.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Rose said as Lily giggled. “I used a clean fork.”
“I saw goop on it…”
“James,” Teddy said with a sigh, “let it be, alright?”
“Okay, Teddy,” James said, suddenly much more agreeable.
He has no problem giving other people shite, Teddy thought as he leaned back wearily. But he’ll do whatever gets Big Brother Teddy’s approval.
As he leaned back, he felt a soft lump between his shoulder blades, and knew it could only be one thing.
“Children’s Table, yeah?” said Victoire Weasley from the other table, leaning back at the same time as Teddy and bumping her head against his back.
“Children’s Table,” Teddy said with a chuckle. As the only two teenagers of the Weasley family Christmas, Teddy and Victoire were traditionally the ones put in charge of the often unruly Weasley and Potter children. Of course, wherever Teddy sat, James and Albus wanted to sit. Which is where Rose and Lily wanted to sit. Which left Victoire at the spare table with nine-year-old Fabian and four giggly five-year-olds.
Teddy couldn’t decide which of them had it better.
“One of these days,” Victoire said with a sigh, back to back with Lupin.
“Yeah, right,” said Teddy. “Unless some space starts opening up in the kitchen we’re stuck here by default. At least until some of this lot start having kids of their own.”
“Why aren’t you sitting with the grownups?” Fred asked Victoire. “You’re old!”
“They can’t,” said Hugo, breaking away from a whispered conversation with Matilda and Gideon. “They have the Trace. No one can sit at the grownup’s table if they have the Trace.”
“Nuh uh!” said Matilda.
“Yuh huh!” Hugo said. “That’s what my Dad says!”
“Your Daddy doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said Matilda. “I was able to sit with my Daddy last year at the grownup’s table after they ate!”
“Well, that’s because you were sitting on his lap,” said Gideon as though explaining that the sky was blue. “Not the chair.”
“Oh, Lord,” Victoire moaned, shifting her head so that it landed on Teddy’s shoulder. “When do we go back to Hogwarts?”
“Another week,” said Teddy reaching up to pat her head. “Don’t worry. You’ll survive. You have to. What would Buckbeak do without you?”
“Good point,” said Victoire. “You want the rest? I can’t eat another bite.”
Teddy reached behind him and took the plate from Victoire’s hand. Pulling it back around to himself, he looked down at it. “There’s, like, half of it still left. Not hungry?”
“Trying to watch my girlish figure.”
“Yeah, right,” Teddy snorted.
“Okay, okay, I have a stomachache,” Victoire admitted. “Beyond that, you don’t want to know.”
“Girl problems?”
“Not that I’m comfortable talking about them around you…”
“I have a girlfriend,” said Teddy. “I’ve heard it all, believe me. And then some.”
“Definitely girl problems,” Victoire grumbled. “Stupid body…”
“What girl problems?” Matilda asked.
“You’ll know when you’re older,” Victoire said quickly to her little sister. “Otherwise, no. Fred, put that present down!”
“I’m not opening it!” Fred, who was sitting closest to the tree, said, putting the wrapped package back on the pile. “I think I know what it is, I just wanted to shake it to be sure!”
“One more week,” said Teddy as Victoire shook her head wearily. “Then we can get back to the Great Hall and some mature conversation.”
“You know, Percy,” George said. “I love you like a brother.”
“You are my brother…”
“That being said,” George continued. “I thought you might want to open your present from me a little early?”
George pulled a small package in shiny wrapping from his lap.
“No,” Verity Weasley said from beside him.
“It’s just a little present…”
“No.”
“It’s nothing!”
“I recognize that box,” said Verity. “Those are Purple Pudge-Producing Pasties, aren’t they?”
George opened his mouth to answer. Closed it. Opened it. “No?”
“You can’t fool me,” said Verity. “I stock those things every day. I’m eating, love. I’ll lose my appetite if I have to stare at an infected Percy over my pudding.”
“Infected?” Percy gasped. Penelope put her hand over her mouth to cover a laugh, and George looked at his wife.
“You always ruin my fun,” he said grumpily as he set the package back on the ground.
“Why do you think I married you, George?” she asked, patting his leg. “It was for the good of all mankind. If I wasn’t here, you would have started the Apocalypse by now, I’m sure of it.”
“Yeah,” George said wistfully. “But it would have been a funny Apocalypse. Eternal torment with rainbow wigs and rubber dog poo.”
“Probably would have been worth it to see how many Horsemen could fit into one of those tiny cars,” said Charlie.
“The Antichrist would be a sock puppet named Pepè, it would be brilliant…”
“How did this conversation get started again?” Percy asked. “I get lost so quickly with you sometimes.”
"I don't see what the big deal is," said Ginny Potter at the other end of the table. "I took it years ago. It was easy."
"Yeah, well," said Ron, "how much help did Harry give you? Or Dudley? You're surrounded by Muggles."
"Excuse me?" said Ginny with an arched eyebrow. "Aren't you married to a Muggle-born? Aren't all of your in-laws Muggles?"
"I've been trying to teach him," Hermione Weasley explained. "He's just a slow learner, that's all."
"Thank you so much for the vote of confidence, love," said Ron flatly, poking at his vegetables. "You were able to teach yourself the summer before we left for the Horcruxes. It was easy for you."
"I'm not..." Hermione huffed. "Look, I have complete confidence in you, Ron. You just have to give it a chance. It's a totally non-magical skill to learn. I can see how that would be hard. But you just have to be patient."
"I'm having a late start, that's all," said Ron. "It's not my fault I wasn't able to practice like Bill and the others..."
"Actually, it is your fault," said Bill. "We practiced with the Anglia. You crashed the Anglia and turned it feral."
"I don't see ze bother, Ronald," said Fleur Weasley. "I have not earned my auto license, either. I find it worthless when you can use ze Floo Network to get anywhere."
"Says the woman who begs me to drive her into town every weekend," said Bill with a smirk as Fleur smacked him on the shoulder
"We never had any sort of automobile, either," said Andromeda Tonks. "Ted and I never felt the need to have one. It was too much for just three of us."
"As long as Hermione has her license, you should be fine, though, right?" asked Bill.
"No," Ron sighed. "I don't like forcing her to drive me around like some teenager. And now that I'm at home with Rose and Hugo, I want to be able to take them anywhere not connected by the Network."
"I think it's bloody brilliant," said Arthur Weasley to Harry Potter. "It's about time they're getting around to it."
"Yeah, they're almost there," said Harry. "Now if only the Ministry would get on the boat with the rest of them.”
“They’re stubborn,” Arthur replied after swallowing a bite of potato. “We’re stubborn. We like our independence too much. The Council’s torn. Even Kingsley’s on the fence about joining up, and you know how progressive he is.”
“We’re English,” Hermione said, joining in the conversation. “Hell, look at the Muggle government. Forty years, and they’re still under the pound sterling. Even Denmark finally bowed to the euro two years ago, but Parliament isn’t budging.”
“I just don’t think that we’re going to move until the Ministerium moves,” said Harry. “Every other country on the continent is for this European Union of Wizards except the two big boys. Once Germany gets on board…”
“Hopefully we’ll get on board, too,” Arthur finished. “There are too many conservative wizards in the Ministerium. Too many who listen to the old prophecies about a united government system being a sign of the End Times. It’s the same types who made it hard for the Russians and the Greeks to get on board. Old wizards who have been around for over a century, who have seen it all…”
“Well, they said that when the International Confederation was formed,” Hermione retorted. “And the Federation of Warlocks. For God’s sake, every time the Triwizard Tournament rolled around there were naysayers who thought that the joining of the three schools was tantamount to breaking the Seventh Seal. They can’t keep using that as an excuse.”
“As long as prophets and fortunetellers still exist,” Arthur resigned, “ there will always be people who will continue to use them as an excuse.”
“To them it’s not an excuse,” said Harry. “It’s fact. Lord, just knowing how Voldemort and I reacted to our prophecy, knowing how many others were down there in the Department of Mysteries, how many more are still being made today… Yeah, they’ll always have an impact on our government, whether they should or not.”
“Alright,” Molly Weasley said, setting her fork down, “I’ve heard enough. Arthur, what have I always told you?”
“No eating lentils before bed?” Arthur replied sheepishly.
“No business talk at the table,” Molly replied shortly. “It’s Christmas Eve, for goodness’ sake. Can’t you all forget about it for one night?”
“Sorry, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry said.
Molly sighed. “Harry, how old are you?”
“Thirty three.”
“And how long have you been married to my daughter?”
“Twelve years,” he said with a shy anticipating smirk.
“I think you can stop calling me Mrs. Weasley, dear.”
Harry chuckled. “Sorry, Molly.”
“Apology accepted,” she said with a nod. “Now, who wants trifle?”
Of course, after dinner, the aunts and uncles, along with the grandparents, also gave presents to the children, with varying degrees of spoilage. Harry, for example, loved to see his relatives as happy as possible, and somehow always knew the best present to give them all, even if he had only seen them once or twice in that year. George always gave them samples of his newest stock from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, which earned him squeals of glee from the children and gasps of horror from most of the parents.
Ron and Hermione would, of course, have books for the kids. Charlie’s presents were usually a success, as he would always come home with a collection of dragons’ teeth, claws, and the occasional dragon fur or skin coat.
Percy and Penelope, on the other hand, would have gift vouchers for Fortescue’s or Honeydukes. Percy would also have Treasury Gilts.
“You know you’re a boring git, right, Perce?” George said as the children tried to comprehend the idea of getting money that they couldn’t use for twenty years.
“It’s a fine gift!” Percy argued. “I’m investing in their future!”
“Why do you think I got them the candy?” Penelope said to George.
“Hey, they’ll thank me in twenty years when they have to buy their first flat,” Percy insisted.
“You just have to put up with twenty years of disdain in the meantime, big bro,” said George with a smirk.
“Hey, Uncle Charlie?” Hugo asked as he examined his dragon fang (about the length of a finger, it was, of course, magically dulled; dragon fangs and teeth are so sharp that unaltered ones were considered weapons and were illegal to sell to anyone below age). “Next time we visit, can I ride a dragon?”
“Not until you’re older,” Hermione said quickly. “Not until you’re much, much older.” Harry watched with some amusement as a shudder passed through her, and he and Ron exchanged a glance. They knew that she was thinking of the day they escaped from Gringott’s on the back of that blind old beast. If Hermione allowed Hugo to even sit on Norberta’s back before he was fifty Harry would be amazed.
“We’ll see,” said Charlie, giving Hermione a reassuring smile that she tried her best to return.
“Oh, my…” Victoire breathed as she tore the wrapping from a large, flat present. “This is beautiful!”
“You like it?” Harry asked.
“I love it!” Victoire said, holding a framed picture with a broad grin on her face.
“What is it?” asked Bill, craning his head over his daughter’s shoulder.
“It’s a leezard,” Fleur replied with some distaste.
“It’s a Moke!” Victoire said.
“A what?” asked George, receiving a sharp glance from Hermione. “I know, I know, it’s in a textbook somewhere, isn’t it?”
“Like a Moke-bag?” asked Percy.
“They’re made from the skins of Mokes, yes,” said Hermione. “For protection.”
“Oh, my, but they’re so beautiful,” Victoire sighed as the painted silver-green newt-like creature skittered around inside the frame.
“Hagrid actually suggested that we buy you an actual Moke,” Ginny explained. “But we figured this was the safer bet.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Victoire said with a nod. “Unless there was an air-tight barrier around a cage it couldn’t hold a Moke if it wanted to escape.”
“Hagrid decided to do a lesson on them for the third years,” Teddy explained to the group. “But as soon as he pulled them out for the students to see they disappeared. Shrunk down until they were the size of a grain of salt. No one knows what happened to them. Shortest lesson plan in Hogwarts history, I think.”
“Hagrid says that Victoire fell for them hard, though,” Ginny continued. “Made for an easy choice. This or a painting of a Jobberknoll.”
“I absolutely love it,” Victoire repeated, jumping up and hugging Ginny and Harry. “I’ll hang it up in my dorm. Thank you so much!”
“Pleasure’s all ours, Vickie,” said Harry as Victoire kissed him on the cheek.
“A few more!” Molly said, pulling out a big pile of wrapped packages.
“Oh, dear,” said Ginny with a smirk. “It’s sweater time, isn’t it?”
“It…. it might not be,” Molly said, flustered but smiling nonetheless.
“Well, as long as we’re handing out presents,” said George. “Ron, I got one for you.”
“No.”
“Just ignore Percy’s name. He didn’t want it.”
“No.”
George stuck a pouty lip out at Verity. “You’re not fun.”
"Happy Christmas, children," said Arthur, hugging Gideon and Fabian after they pulled their jackets and gloves on. They, along with the rest of the Weasleys and Potters, were gathered in the front hall, donning their winter gear.
"Happy Christmas, grandfather," Fabian said.
"What time are you leaving tomorrow morning?" Molly asked Percy and Penelope.
"Same time as the others, I gather," Percy said. "We'll spend the morning at home, then head to the Clearwaters' for dinner."
"Our Portkey for France leaves tomorrow afternoon," said Fleur. "We will be back after ze New Year."
"And I think we'll have plenty of time to play with Fred's new toys before we have to head to the DeVines'," said George, giving his only son a ruffle of the hair before he pulled his stocking cap over his years.
Teddy turned to Victoire, who, along with Matilda, was standing by the front door. "So you'll be gone for the rest of holiday?"
"Yeah," she said, giving him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Happy Christmas, Teddy. Say hello to H.C. for me, tell her I'm sorry I couldn't see her this year."
"Can do," he replied. "See you back at Hogwarts."
"So what time are we expecting you two?" Hermione asked Teddy and Andromeda as Rose and Hugo were preparing for departure.
"We might even beat you there," Andromeda replied. "There's just two of us; we haven't ever had a lot of Christmas traditions. And I think Teddy wants to see your sister as early as he can."
"Don't say that, Gran," said Teddy with a grin. "We're going to church, having breakfast. I love spending Christmas with you, I'm in no hurry."
Andromeda gave a sad smile. "Thank you, dear."
"Well," said Harry, extending his hand as Ron and Hermione made their goodbyes, "Happy Christmas, Teddy."
"Happy Christmas, Harry," said Teddy, shaking his godfather's hand. "Thanks a lot for the albums."
"Well, I couldn't get you an iPod, so I figured they would have to do for Hogwarts."
"Oh, they're great," said Teddy. "I've been really wanting some old Beatles and Van Halen to listen to at school."
"I'm just glad I still have people who are into Muggle music," said Harry. "I have a better idea of what's good and what isn't on that side of the world. By the time I got used to wizard bands, I was too old to appreciate them."
"Happy Christmas, dear," Ginny said, giving Teddy a hug.
"Happy Christmas, Ginny," said Teddy, and he and Andromeda left the Burrow, leaving only the Potters to depart.
"Say hello to Petunia for me," said Molly.
"We will," said Harry.
"Oh, blimey!" Arthur said. "I almost forgot." He ran out of the front hall and into the sitting room.
"We're looking at the same schedule as Percy and George," said Ginny, helping Lily into the rest of her gear. "Opening presents in the morning, heading to the Dursleys for dinner."
"I wonder of Father Christmas has already been to our house?" Albus asked.
"Do you think he has, Mummy?" Lily asked Ginny.
"Not yet," said Ginny with a smile to her parents. "But the sooner we get home and the sooner you get to bed, the quicker he'll be here."
"He's in Moscow right now, actually," said Harry. "He'll make his way to us soon enough."
"Ah, here we go," said Arthur, walking into the room with three wrapped presents. "Muggle gifts for the Dursleys."
"Feeding the addiction, eh, Dad?" said Ginny as she took the presents.
"Well, I found them in a Muggle shop," said Arthur, "and I knew that they would love them."
"What are they?" Harry asked with some trepidation.
"Something called Legos for Evan..."
"Oh, yeah," said Harry, looking at Ginny with some surprise. "Actually, he really will like those."
"A spark plug for Petunia," Arthur continued, "and a salad spinner for Dudley and Susan."
"Yeah," Harry said slowly as Ginny snorted laughter behind her hand. "I'm... yeah, they'll... they'll like that."
"It's absolutely amazing technology."
"Drive safely, dears," said Molly, giving Harry and Ginny long hugs after taking care of their children.
"We will, Mum," said Ginny. "Happy Christmas."
Happy Christmases were spread all around the front hall, and Molly closed and locked the door as the five Potters made their exit. Molly turned to Arthur and sighed contentedly.
"Well, looks like it's just the two of us for the rest of the night," she said.
"That it is," Arthur said with a nod. "Shall we start cleaning up?"
As they turned to exit the front hall, they saw a third body leaning against the doorway.
"Oh, Charlie dear!" said Molly with a smile. "I almost forgot about you."
Charlie smiled wearily. "It happens."
"So it looks like it's just the three of us, eh?" said Arthur. "Do you want to help us clean up, Charlie? Then maybe we can play some chess or some cards before bed?"
"Yeah," Charlie said with a sigh. "Actually, I'll help you two clean up. Then I think I'll go take a walk. Maybe stop off for a drink."
"Oh," said Molly. "Well, of course, dear. But... are there even any pubs open on Christmas Eve?"
"Probably a few," Charlie said, taking one last look at the door before walking into the wrapping-strewn sitting room with his parents. "There's always someone who wants to drown their sorrows this time of year."
Jareth / Previous Chapters / Afterthought