Christmas Story 2018 - In the Spirit, part 14 (H/D)
Title: In the Spirit - Part 14
Author: sesheta_66
Prompts used: slythindor100’s early bird prompts 11: Baby it’s cold outside and 25: outdoor Christmas tree (pictures under the cut) and dracoharry100’s prompts 4: sleigh ride and 18: house elf choir
Word Count: 1.2K
Rating: PG, for now
Warning: none
Summary: Harry had a rough Christmas last year, to say the least. But things are looking up this year, and he plans to embrace the season, even if he is still single.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Written for the slythindor100 Early Bird 25 Days of Draco and Harry and the dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge.
On LJ: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 |
Part 13
OR on AO3
[Part 14]
In the Spirit - Part 14
Harry hauled the toboggan back inside and put it away. They’d spent hours on the hills and were numb to the bone. "You know where there’s lots of snow?" he asked a red-faced Teddy who was rubbing warmth back into his hands.
"The north pole?"
"Ha, ha. Very funny. Just for that, you can make the hot chocolate."
"Okay." Teddy ran to the kitchen, flung his jacket over a chair and pulled out the milk and chocolate sauce. He turned to Harry and grinned.
"So, besides the north pole - and the south pole, before you suggest that too - do you have a guess where there might be lots of snow right now?"
Teddy poured entirely too much milk into a saucepan, turned on the burner and scrunched his nose in thought. "The Himalayas?"
Harry chuckled. "Well, yes. Probably. Most likely."
"That’s where the abominable snowman lives, Yeti, right?"
"Yes, he does." Harry recalled Hermione gifting Teddy with some books on magical creatures. Yeti must have been one of them. "How about you guess closer to home?"
Teddy squeezed the bottle, dropping a really long stream of chocolate sauce into the pot, then took out a spoon and began stirring. Harry resisted the urge to check just how chocolatey it was. "I give up."
"Scotland."
"No way."
"Well, Hogwarts does anyway."
"Really?"
"Yup. I have it on good authority - from Hagrid, no less - that there are mounds of it all over."
Teddy continued to stir, but his face dropped. "I wish I was at Hogwarts. It sounds awesome."
Harry smiled. "Not too much longer now, little man."
He turned his scowl on Harry, who simply raised a brow in challenge. He turned back and continued stirring.
Harry got two mugs from the cupboard and asked, "Marshmallows?"
"Well, duh."
Harry got the bag of mini marshmallows from the pantry, hiding his smile. "Right, then. What say you to a trip to Hogwarts?"
"But ... am I allowed?"
Harry plunked a handful of marshmallows in each mug and put the package away. "You’ll be with me, and we’ll be visiting Hagrid, so I’d say that’s a yes."
His eyes widened and Harry motioned for him to keep stirring. "Can I go inside and everything?"
Harry imagined McGonagall’s face and smiled. "I’ll see what we can arrange."
"When do we go?"
"Tomorrow, if your grandmother says it’s alright. Hagrid has a bit of a surprise lined up."
"What is it?"
"That looks done." Harry reached around him and turned off the burner. He poured the hot chocolate into the mugs and the marshmallows began to swell. Teddy smacked his lips. "As for the surprise, you’ll just have to wait and see. Wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you about it, would it?"
"I suppose not."
***
Sure enough, Andromeda was more than happy to let Harry take Teddy with him to Hogwarts. When they tumbled out of the Floo into Hagrid’s hut, Teddy looked around in amazement. Then he turned a curious eye to Harry. "Is this the castle?"
Hagrid let out a bark of a laugh. "’Course not." He pulled Teddy to the window and pointed up at the school. "That’s the castle."
"Wow!"
Harry smiled, remembering the first time he’d seen Hogwarts. "It’s even better up close."
"Can we go?"
Harry looked at Hagrid. "Headmistress McGonagall is expecting us for tea." Teddy’s face fell. "Oh, come on now. Yer to be gettin’ a surprise here before we go up there."
Teddy looked at Harry who just shrugged. "This is Hagrid’s show. It’s not up to me to say."
Hagrid pulled on his coat and gloves. "C’mon then, the both of ye. I thought yer might like to see the grounds," he said to Teddy.
They followed Hagrid out of the hut, passed a handsomely decorated tree and made their way towards the Forbidden Forest.
Harry felt a tug on his jacket. He glanced down at a nervous looking Teddy. "Where are we going?" Teddy looked towards the trees. "Is that the Forbidden Forest?"
Harry smiled. "It is indeed, but don’t worry. We won’t be going too far in."
Teddy nodded but stayed very close to Harry as they followed Hagrid. When they reached a clearing, Teddy gasped. "Is that a sleigh?"
"Right you are there, Teddy," Hagrid said, looking very pleased with himself. "Reckon ye want ter go fer a ride?"
"Can we?" Teddy asked Harry.
Harry grinned. "That’s why we’re here."
"Cool!" And he took off, all fear of the forest gone, and jumped into the sleigh.
"Thought yer might like this." Hagrid laughed. "Alrigh’ if we join ye?"
"Definitely!" Once they were seated, Teddy asked, "Is the sleigh magic?"
"Not strictly speakin’, no," Hagrid said. "There’s some warming charms been put on it, and there might be a bell or whistle or two." He winked at Harry. "But today we’ll just be lettin’ the thestrals take us round."
"Thestrals?"
"They’re invisible to everyone that hasn’t seen someone die," Harry explained, looking at the creatures, thankful that Teddy couldn’t see them. "Let’s hope they stay that way for you for a long time yet."
Teddy shuddered briefly, but then smiled widely as the Thestrals took off and they slid smoothly along the path out onto the grounds. Harry watched him, wondering if that was the look he’d had when he’d ridden in the first year boats across the lake to the castle.
As they rounded a turn in the path, heading towards the greenhouses, a horrific rendition of Baby It’s Cold Outside met his ears. "What’s that?" he asked.
"House elf choir," Hagrid replied. "Fer the life of me, I don’ know why anyone would want ter hear that, but ... well, ter tell the truth, I think our Hermione put that idea in their heads a while back. Summat abou’ singin’ ter the plants. Neville - that’d be Professor Longbottom to you, Teddy - has em practicin’ near the ones that won’t be affected., jus’ in case the music isn’t ter their taste. Not so sure the elves want ter be doin’ it at all, really, ‘cept maybe ter get Hermione ter stop pesterin’ em about it."
"Neville too, I’d wager." Harry laughed. "Sounds like Hermione. She can pester most anyone into doing anything."
Hagrid shook with laughter. "Right you are, Harry. Right you are."
They circled the grounds until it was nearly time for tea.
As they climbed out of the carriage and made their way back to Hagrid’s hut before heading up to the castle, Teddy’s eyes gleamed with excitement. "I can’t wait to come here, Uncle Harry."
"You’ll love it," Harry said, thinking about all the adventures he’d had in his time here. Knowing that Teddy would get to experience it without the shadow of Voldemort looming, he couldn’t imagine his godson not loving it.
Harry thought ahead to the day he would take Teddy to King’s Cross Station to see him off, he and Andromeda waving goodbye as the train pulled away. He’d be pleased for Teddy, he knew.
But I’ll miss him when he goes.
Part 15
Author: sesheta_66
Prompts used: slythindor100’s early bird prompts 11: Baby it’s cold outside and 25: outdoor Christmas tree (pictures under the cut) and dracoharry100’s prompts 4: sleigh ride and 18: house elf choir
Word Count: 1.2K
Rating: PG, for now
Warning: none
Summary: Harry had a rough Christmas last year, to say the least. But things are looking up this year, and he plans to embrace the season, even if he is still single.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Written for the slythindor100 Early Bird 25 Days of Draco and Harry and the dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge.
On LJ: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 |
Part 13
OR on AO3
[Part 14]
In the Spirit - Part 14
Harry hauled the toboggan back inside and put it away. They’d spent hours on the hills and were numb to the bone. "You know where there’s lots of snow?" he asked a red-faced Teddy who was rubbing warmth back into his hands.
"The north pole?"
"Ha, ha. Very funny. Just for that, you can make the hot chocolate."
"Okay." Teddy ran to the kitchen, flung his jacket over a chair and pulled out the milk and chocolate sauce. He turned to Harry and grinned.
"So, besides the north pole - and the south pole, before you suggest that too - do you have a guess where there might be lots of snow right now?"
Teddy poured entirely too much milk into a saucepan, turned on the burner and scrunched his nose in thought. "The Himalayas?"
Harry chuckled. "Well, yes. Probably. Most likely."
"That’s where the abominable snowman lives, Yeti, right?"
"Yes, he does." Harry recalled Hermione gifting Teddy with some books on magical creatures. Yeti must have been one of them. "How about you guess closer to home?"
Teddy squeezed the bottle, dropping a really long stream of chocolate sauce into the pot, then took out a spoon and began stirring. Harry resisted the urge to check just how chocolatey it was. "I give up."
"Scotland."
"No way."
"Well, Hogwarts does anyway."
"Really?"
"Yup. I have it on good authority - from Hagrid, no less - that there are mounds of it all over."
Teddy continued to stir, but his face dropped. "I wish I was at Hogwarts. It sounds awesome."
Harry smiled. "Not too much longer now, little man."
He turned his scowl on Harry, who simply raised a brow in challenge. He turned back and continued stirring.
Harry got two mugs from the cupboard and asked, "Marshmallows?"
"Well, duh."
Harry got the bag of mini marshmallows from the pantry, hiding his smile. "Right, then. What say you to a trip to Hogwarts?"
"But ... am I allowed?"
Harry plunked a handful of marshmallows in each mug and put the package away. "You’ll be with me, and we’ll be visiting Hagrid, so I’d say that’s a yes."
His eyes widened and Harry motioned for him to keep stirring. "Can I go inside and everything?"
Harry imagined McGonagall’s face and smiled. "I’ll see what we can arrange."
"When do we go?"
"Tomorrow, if your grandmother says it’s alright. Hagrid has a bit of a surprise lined up."
"What is it?"
"That looks done." Harry reached around him and turned off the burner. He poured the hot chocolate into the mugs and the marshmallows began to swell. Teddy smacked his lips. "As for the surprise, you’ll just have to wait and see. Wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you about it, would it?"
"I suppose not."
***
Sure enough, Andromeda was more than happy to let Harry take Teddy with him to Hogwarts. When they tumbled out of the Floo into Hagrid’s hut, Teddy looked around in amazement. Then he turned a curious eye to Harry. "Is this the castle?"
Hagrid let out a bark of a laugh. "’Course not." He pulled Teddy to the window and pointed up at the school. "That’s the castle."
"Wow!"
Harry smiled, remembering the first time he’d seen Hogwarts. "It’s even better up close."
"Can we go?"
Harry looked at Hagrid. "Headmistress McGonagall is expecting us for tea." Teddy’s face fell. "Oh, come on now. Yer to be gettin’ a surprise here before we go up there."
Teddy looked at Harry who just shrugged. "This is Hagrid’s show. It’s not up to me to say."
Hagrid pulled on his coat and gloves. "C’mon then, the both of ye. I thought yer might like to see the grounds," he said to Teddy.
They followed Hagrid out of the hut, passed a handsomely decorated tree and made their way towards the Forbidden Forest.
Harry felt a tug on his jacket. He glanced down at a nervous looking Teddy. "Where are we going?" Teddy looked towards the trees. "Is that the Forbidden Forest?"
Harry smiled. "It is indeed, but don’t worry. We won’t be going too far in."
Teddy nodded but stayed very close to Harry as they followed Hagrid. When they reached a clearing, Teddy gasped. "Is that a sleigh?"
"Right you are there, Teddy," Hagrid said, looking very pleased with himself. "Reckon ye want ter go fer a ride?"
"Can we?" Teddy asked Harry.
Harry grinned. "That’s why we’re here."
"Cool!" And he took off, all fear of the forest gone, and jumped into the sleigh.
"Thought yer might like this." Hagrid laughed. "Alrigh’ if we join ye?"
"Definitely!" Once they were seated, Teddy asked, "Is the sleigh magic?"
"Not strictly speakin’, no," Hagrid said. "There’s some warming charms been put on it, and there might be a bell or whistle or two." He winked at Harry. "But today we’ll just be lettin’ the thestrals take us round."
"Thestrals?"
"They’re invisible to everyone that hasn’t seen someone die," Harry explained, looking at the creatures, thankful that Teddy couldn’t see them. "Let’s hope they stay that way for you for a long time yet."
Teddy shuddered briefly, but then smiled widely as the Thestrals took off and they slid smoothly along the path out onto the grounds. Harry watched him, wondering if that was the look he’d had when he’d ridden in the first year boats across the lake to the castle.
As they rounded a turn in the path, heading towards the greenhouses, a horrific rendition of Baby It’s Cold Outside met his ears. "What’s that?" he asked.
"House elf choir," Hagrid replied. "Fer the life of me, I don’ know why anyone would want ter hear that, but ... well, ter tell the truth, I think our Hermione put that idea in their heads a while back. Summat abou’ singin’ ter the plants. Neville - that’d be Professor Longbottom to you, Teddy - has em practicin’ near the ones that won’t be affected., jus’ in case the music isn’t ter their taste. Not so sure the elves want ter be doin’ it at all, really, ‘cept maybe ter get Hermione ter stop pesterin’ em about it."
"Neville too, I’d wager." Harry laughed. "Sounds like Hermione. She can pester most anyone into doing anything."
Hagrid shook with laughter. "Right you are, Harry. Right you are."
They circled the grounds until it was nearly time for tea.
As they climbed out of the carriage and made their way back to Hagrid’s hut before heading up to the castle, Teddy’s eyes gleamed with excitement. "I can’t wait to come here, Uncle Harry."
"You’ll love it," Harry said, thinking about all the adventures he’d had in his time here. Knowing that Teddy would get to experience it without the shadow of Voldemort looming, he couldn’t imagine his godson not loving it.
Harry thought ahead to the day he would take Teddy to King’s Cross Station to see him off, he and Andromeda waving goodbye as the train pulled away. He’d be pleased for Teddy, he knew.
But I’ll miss him when he goes.
Part 15