Christmas

[eleonore]

Thank you all so much for all your kind words!
I'm waiting for a friend and I decided to write a nice Christmas story - even though it didn't exactly turn out to be exeptionally great...

part one

Christmas

- Some five years before -
Athena McGore turned in her bed and took a long look at her younger sister. She was still sleeping peacefully even though it had struck ten already. Outside it was still dark and it seemed to be one of those days when it never really gets light at all. This Christmas holdiday had been the best fun she had had in years and she loved the presents she received under the tree: new quills and parchment, lavender Bubble Balls for in the tub and the most exquisite mohair sweater in a soft pink colour. She had tried it on immediately and she felt she looked quite fetching. She pushed her sister, who moaned: “I don’t wanna…” and Athena laughed. “C’mon! It’s the last day we can spend together – we both have to leave tomorrow.” She whispered in her little sister’s ear. “Oh, alright. Gimme a sex, will ya?” Ariadne stretched and bended and yawned very un-ladylike. “Okay, I’m awake. What shall we do?” “Lets wake up the boys and have a game of Quidditch!” “No – not on an empty stomach, love.” Ariadne violently shook her head and Athena wondered why her sister had such a different accent than she did… Some debating later they decided to go to the kitchen and make themselves breakfast without any help from the house elves. They made the kitchen pretty messy, but felt very proud when they had made poached eggs and french toast and a big pot of tea.

- The Now -
Athena turned in her bed and felt beside her. Empty. Naturally she knew he wouldn’t be there, but somehow she found it hard to adjust to the fact that she was alone. And that it had been her who had dumped him. She was not a woman who liked to be toyed with and she had most definitely more selfrespect than to let a man hit her. Nero (she could have known) had hit her once and she had waved her wand. The few scars seen on his face would always remind women he wasn’t a man to get involved with. ‘Ha!’ was what sprung to her mind. Athena rubbed her eyes and tried to make out shapes in her room. It was dark because the curtains were still drawn and she had no house elves to do it for her. She supressed a yawn and slung her feet over the edge of the bed. The floor was cold and she hurried to shower and dress. She felt excited – yesterday she had been owled and today she would leave for home.
She hadn’t been home in ages, not since that time she and Ariadne had shared a room and managed to cover the ceiling in the kitchen with raspberry jam… How angry their mother had been: “You girls have no respect for the ones cleaning up after you! I’m going to stay here and watch you clean it up the Muggle way!” Mum’s emerald eyes had sparked and Athena understood why their father had fallen for her. The Athena who was packing her suitcase kept remembering things one by one. She was the eldest of five children: two girls and three boys and she recalled how they had shared a very normal family life. And how she missed that nowadays. Athena shrugged to get rid of the lonely feeling that was trying to claw into her and picked up her robe from the hanger. Going home… going home…

Athena couldn’t Apparate that well – she was too chaotic somehow and it had taken her endless tutorings and patience to master it finally – so she took the floo. She hadn’t been home for five years, not because she had run away, nor because she had terrible rows with her parents, but because her job hardly ever gave her a chance to celebrate a holiday. Christmas, New Year’s, Easter… she practically always had to work because all the others had families and wanted to share the joy and happiness those days bring with them. This year though, Athena had put her foot down and she had been granted a whole two-week vacation! She was thrilled. Her trunk was filled with presents for all her siblings and parents and with nice dress robes. Athena couldn’t wait to sit around the big table in the dining room and unwrap presents and to feel the love around her.

In the time that Athena had been reminiscing, her father had wandered the grounds of his home, thinking of the prepartions his wife was making. This year would be the first in five that they would all be together. His ability to keep his offspring in close watch without them knowing had been very handy the last year and he had been very proud of how his little girl had put a spell on her former boyfriend. Her mother had definately raised her right in that aspect! Having his whole family together again gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling and he hated to admit it, but whenever he thought of how they would be coming in one after one today, a tear would well up in his blue sparkling eyes.

Athena stood in the cold ashes and hated how her new shoes would be ruined if she stood there any longer, but somehow she found it difficult to move. Whereto should she floo first? She was aware that she would be the first to arrive if she would burst into the hall now and she wanted to make a grande entrée… Athena took a handfull of floo-powder and twirled into the cosy pub in her home-town.

Athena’s mother was busy preparing the last little details for this afternoon and night. Christmas Eve had always been one of her faovourite days of the year, with the candles burning their soft light, the smell of the tree, the excitement of the children when they were young. Stories were told, memories shared as well as bites of candy and they drank hot chocolate and when they grew up they would have warm wine. Her husband would tell a story he made up along the way and they would all look at him with affection. The smallest of the children would crawl upon his lap and she would always cut into the story, telling it was getting ‘terribly late’ with the children objecting: “No no no, not yet, we want to know how it ends!” And as always she would give in, smiling at how one by one they nodded off. When the children grew up, they would help with the stories, tag them as it were and when they were adults – which they were all now, they would point one out to tell the story. “Yes, indeed they were as normal a family as anyone else’s.” Athena’s mother thought, nodding her head.

Just before tea-time the first one to arrive was Max. He was the oldest son and he would never miss a meal, especially prepared for him. He was a clever fellow, much like his father in many aspects – their eyes were the same, as how they were built and he had a sense of humour easily to trigger. His laughter filled the hall when his father came to greet him. “There you are my boy! The first one to arrive!” the old man said, wrapping his arms around his child. “Well, you know me Dad, I’ve never been one to miss a good tea!” Two loud voices drifted off in the air and they talked about the many delights awaiting them when a second son appeared in the doorway. “Max! Dad! I could have known: scones and tea-cake: that’s enough for my big brother to be in time!” “Matthew! I knew a sarcastic remark could only come from you!” The young man fooled around a bit before Matthew hugged his father. “Good to see you Dad.” “Good to see you, my son. Shall we go up and see your mother?”

[eleonore]

part two

The men were almost at the stairs when a sweet voice said: “What about me? Am I not to see our beloved mother?” “Ariadne!” The hall was getting crowded and the noise became severe. It was then when Athena arrived, silently she had opened the door and she wathced her family hug and chatter. Behind her she suddenly felt a presence and she had her hand in her robe, ready to pull her wand when the familiar voice of a brother said: “Do it and I’ll have your guts…” Athena turned around and pulled Mark against her. “How I’ve missed you!” “And I you! Please let go now, I might choke.” Her laughter was so clear and bright, the rest of the clan standing in the hall, quickly took a look and pulled the two ‘late-comers’ inside. Cries of joy and short, well-meant sentences: How well you look! I love your hair like this! What did you buy me? How are you? And: “I can’t wait for tonight to begin!” from Max. Athena laughed again. “Oh Max, you can’t be hungry?” “We haven’t had tea yet.” he answered with a grin. “Your mother will love to see you too, you know.” their father stated and they practically ran upstairs. Athena was the first to arrive in the sitting room and she trew herself in her mother’s arms. “Mummy… I missed you so much…”

The Christmas dinner was a feast. The food was delicious and the wine was good. The happiness just oozed out into the room and love was poured into each other with every bite and every sip. When they came to ending, dessert had been so good, even Athena had had a third helping, the pater familias ticked with his spoon against his glass and the noise silenced. He scraped his throat and a sphere of reverence seemed to fall upon the children.
“It was on a Christmas Eve when your mother told me something that changed my entire life. I had always loved her and when we were married, we tried to keep our personal and private life apart. Being in the same profession, that wasn’t easy. Especially because your mother could be very pushy at times.” “I am not!” his wife of many years objected. “Yes you are.” Matthew stated matter-of-factly. A look from his father silenced him afgain and the old man proceded. “But on that special Christmas Eve, she told me we were no longer a husband and wife, a pair. She told me we were going to be a family. Thus our Athena was announced. Keeping it a secret from the world wasn’t easy and as soon as we could, we went away. Athena was born in Cornwall.
As the years went by our family expended and here we are now. There are seven of us, wizards and witches. Powerful ones – good genes will do that to you…” he joked – his wife shook her head with a little smile around her lips. He quickly carried on. “We have a Healer,” Athena blushed, “A teacher,” Max gave himself a pat on the back, “Two Aurors,” Matthew and Mark gave each other a high five, “And a journalist.” Ariadne smiled broadly. “Our children have done alright for themselves and your mother and I want you to know we are very proud of you. Of all of you. Aren’t we, dear.” “Yes. We are.” “Few people know of us as a family. When they see us, they see a strict Transfiguration teacher and a dotty old Headmaster. But the five of you know who we really are and I wish to propose a toast, please raise your glasses.” Moved to tears, the women took their glasses and sniffled a bit, the boys took their glasses too and listened carefully to what was coming. “To the Dumbledores!” Albus Dumbledore said in the warmest, gentlest and yet loudest voice they had ever heard from him. “To the Dumbledores!” they all repeated, every bit as loud and every bit as joyfull.
It was very late before everybody settled for a quiet night and like in the days of their childhood, Athena and Ariadne shared their room. “Did you hear Mum saying something to Dad when they thought we were all going upstairs?” Athena nodded. “I believe it was: ‘I, Minerva McGonagall, will be faithfull to you, Albus Dumbledore, until death do us part.’ What did you hear?” “That. Exactly that.” They both sighed.

When they woke up the following morning, they looked out the window and found a thick layer of snow. “Shall we?” “Yes! Let’s!!!” When they came outside, dressed in warm Muggle clothing, Athena was surprised to feel a big snowball in her neck. Before they knew it, war had started. Poor Albus, when he came to collect them for breakfast he was pulled into action and it was now four against two. Using a spell, Ariadne called their mother, who was a regular snow-champion. Snowballs were flying around them and screams and laughter filled the grounds of the inner gardens of Hogwarts. Being thrown into a pile of snow, the Headmaster didn’t know how he had it, until his wife came out to search for him. “What do you think?” she asked him. “I think we did a good job. None of them lost the child within.” “What about the love that is so important to defeat what we fear most?” Albus kissed his wife. “Oh… there is plenty there!” he knew as he saw how a snowball hit Max’s eye and Athena rushed over to see how he was. “Lets go inside…” Minerva whispered in her husband’s ear. With their arms around each other they returned to their rooms, waiting for their kids to come in and ravish the foods on the table. Until then, they engaged in a game of whispers and soft kisses.


I know it isn't that wonderful, but I thought a little Christmas never hurts anyone!
(Having read so much on the board now, I must admit I feel a little intimidated! - please be friendly...)

[QuillofMinerva]

awwwww

[Isabelle]

This is cute!

Liz

[Tabby Bee]

SQUEE!!!! This is soooo CUTE! I LOVE it! I was a bit confused in the beginning but I caugh on later. Keep up the great work!



~Di

[zoeteproet]

I loved it! It took me a while before I finally understood that the parents were Albus and Minerva *blush* but it was really great!