Disclaimer: I don't own. I'm sorry.
Author's Note: Though I type Jas, its pronounced jazz. Like how Jasmine's nickname is Jas, it's pronounced jazz. I just don't want any of you to get confused.
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December 25th, 2006
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It was days like this Harry wished he wasn't out of coffee. Of course, he could simply run to the store and get some, but they were all closed. He groaned, looking in the direction of where his child (technically children, though only one was actually playing) was playing, and his wife of five years watching. Rolling his eyes as his eldest child attempted to read Hermione's name, he cracked a smile and walked out of the kitchen.
Sitting on the sofa, he outstretched his arms, and Hermione gave their youngest to him. He instantly brought him close to his chest, giving him a soft kiss on the head. Their youngest, Alec, was only six months old. He looked at his oldest, Jasmine (suggested by Hermione's mother), and saw her scrunching up her nose, still trying to figure out what she was reading.
"Mummy, what is this?" asked the four-year-old. "I see H-E-R-M-I-O-N-E," she continued, pointing at each letter. Her large hazel eyes looked questioningly at her mother.
Hermione smiled and kneeled on the floor, situating herself behind her daughter. Bringing her on her lap, she started speaking. "Love, this is my name. See, Hermione. H-E-R-M-I-O-N-E."
"But I thought your name was Mummy?" she wondered.
Harry chuckled. Jasmine looked at him, but he shook his head smiling. "Nothing, sweetheart. Mummy will explain," he reassured his child.
"Jas, my real name-before I was a Mummy-was Hermione Granger. But then I got married, and my name became Hermione Potter. And when you were born, you call me Mummy," she explained patiently. "But my friends still call me Hermione."
"So your name's Herm-inny?" she retorted, knitting her eyebrows together.
She chuckled. "No, it's Her-my-oh-knee."
"Oh." She paused, thinking of another question. "Then why does Daddy call you Mummy?"
"Because you call me Mummy," she answered. "And pretty soon Alec will call me Mummy, and Harry Daddy."
"Oh. Okay."
Adjusting Alec in his arms, Harry asked aloud, "So, who's up for a round of present opening?"
Immediately, Jasmine's hand shot up and she squealed, "Me, me, me!"
Smiling, Harry sat on the floor, leaning on the sofa, and said, "All right then, Miss Potter. Do you want to give a gift first, or do you want to open it?"
"I…" She paused, wondering which to pick. "I… I wanna give one!" she answered triumphantly. She searched under the decorated tree and found one with blue, silver, and green stripes on it. "Al… eck…" she mumbled, trying to read it. "Alec…?" She gasped, jumping up and down happily. "Alec! This one is for Alec!"
"Good job, sweetie," congratulated Hermione, glad that her daughter was learning to read at such a young age. "Now, give this to Daddy and he'll open the present from Ro-Santa." She glanced over at Harry and gave him a small smile; silently apologizing for almost telling where the present actually came from.
She handed it to Harry, who in turn gave a wide-awake Alec to his mother and started opening it. Inside was a box of nappies. I guess he knew we were running out, he thought, wistfully smiling. "Look," announced Harry, showing everyone the nappies, "Santa got us nappies for Alec!"
"Yay!" said Jasmine, clapping her hands. "Now my turn!" she announced, looking for a present with her name on it.
After a bit of trying and she couldn't find it, Hermione suggested, "Why don't you try that pretty blue and white one?"
"Okay, Mummy." She picked up the gift and started unwrapping it, smiling when she got her wish. A toy doll with very fashionable clothes was inside. "Mummy, Daddy, look! I got my pretty dolly!"
"Yes you did, love," he smiled.
"Now who wants to open presents?" asked Hermione, looking at her daughter expectantly. However, before she was able to volunteer herself, Alec started giggling and kicking his legs wildly, looking at Hermione. Chuckling as she saw her son get excited, she said, "Well, I suppose we know who's getting his present next, then."
Chuckling as he saw his son happy, he kneeled over and looked for a gift with Alec's name on it.
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"So how did you like your presents?" asked Ron, picking at his sandwich. "I heard Santa gave you a doll, nappies, magazine subscription, and bracelet?" He looked at the Potters as he said this.
Jasmine gasped loudly. "How did you know?!" she asked, amazed.
Ron grinned knowingly. "It's a secret," he answered.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Jas, c'mon, Mummy made cookies."
"Bought, you mean," muttered Ron. He whistled innocently, grinning afterwards. Rolling his eyes, Harry went into the kitchen, coming out a moment later with his son in his arms.
Alec smiled as he saw Ron, showing a few baby teeth. Ron chuckled, pinching his godson's cheek lightly and going back to his sandwich. "Little guy," said Ron, "you may not know this now, but soon you'll be very glad that you got nappies for Christmas."
Alec simply smiled and bit his index finger, large, amazingly green eyes looking into the matching ones of his father's.
Hermione came out a few minutes later with Jas right behind her. She carried a Christmas plate full of cookies (that looked much too appetizing to be made from Hermione's hand), smiling brightly, and placed them on the table directly in front of Ron. "Don't even think about it," she told him, glaring at him for a moment before walking back into the kitchen, wiping imaginary grime off her apron.
"Merlin, and I thought my wife was bad," Ron muttered, shaking his head. "Hermione won't even let me each cookies. At least Allison lets me have a few."
Chuckling, Harry sat on the chair and sat Alec on his lap, keeping a steady hold on him. "It's Hermione, mate. I thought you'd get that by now."
He shrugged. "It's me," he said simply. "I thought you'd get that by now." He made a funny face at Alec, and he giggled happily.
Harry chuckled, giving his son a soft kiss on the top of his head. "True," he agreed, nodding.
After a few minutes in comfortable silence, Hermione and Jasmine came back out. "Allison phoned in, Ron," said Hermione, setting herself on a chair next to Harry's, Jasmine climbing on hers afterward. "She said that you'd better be home soon. Joseph won't stop crying and she's getting really stressed out."
He nodded, standing up immediately. "Okay, I better go then. I'll floo by tomorrow," he told them, getting his coat.
"Tell her Happy Christmas from us," Harry said, watching his friend leave.
Nodding, he put it on and opened the door. "Sorry, guys. I'll see you."
The two eldest Potters nodded. A moment later, Jasmine whispered, "I gotta go, Mummy." Alec started snoozing, and Harry decided it was time to put him in his crib.
A few minutes later, when Harry had put him to sleep, he went to check on his two girls. Hermione was braiding Jasmine's thick hair while she counted off the things she got during that day. She quickly finished and started tucking Jasmine in. He walked inside, helping Hermione tuck their daughter in. "Night, Daddy and Mummy."
"Goodnight," they said, kissing their daughter's forehead.
Smiling, Jasmine closed her eyes and started to slowly fall asleep. The two left quietly and went to their room.
As they started taking their clothes off, Harry asked, "How many teeth does Alec have?"
Hermione knit her eyebrows together. "He's only got about one or two teeth. He's teething," she told him, buttoning up her nightshirt. "Why?"
"Just wondering," he answered. He wrapped his arms around his wife, he murmured, "So, how do you think Christmas was today?"
"Good, except for the fact that Ron had to leave early," she answered, giving his neck a soft kiss. "I especially liked that little note you gave me, along with the necklace."
He smirked, his hands travelling lower. "Which will be taken into effect as of," he squeezed her bottom, "now."
She gave his neck a soft kiss. "Whatever you say, love." She leaned up and went to kiss his lips, but was interrupted by a cry from the baby monitor. She broke away and the married couple went to their son's room.
He was sitting up, clutching his blanket. Harry and Hermione gasped, seeing their son sitting without support. "Harry, look," she murmured, walking up to the crib. "He's sitting!" She smiled proudly. "Oh, my baby boy is growing up so quickly."
Harry picked up Alec and started rocking him; he quieted almost instantly. "I remember when Jas learned how to sit on her own." He smiled, looking at his son.
Through leftover tears, Alec smiled and laid his head on Harry's shoulder. Hermione placed her hand on his back, smiling. "This is a great present, Harry."
"True," he agreed.
And it was.
Author's Note: Haha, that was so corny. Oh, well. I have to go now, so I won't be able to read and reply your beautiful reviews!
Happy Holidays, everyone!
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