Unofficial Portkey Archive

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore

Thank you ever so much to Anndee Granger, my dear friend and beta.

This fic has no knowledge of any so-called epilogue and steadfastly ignores its supposed existence. This fits in the same universe as a previous fic of mine, Fixing Yesterday's Mistakes.

Disclaimer: No money is being collected, no infringement intended upon the creative property of J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, or Warner Brothers. Also, I really don't think JKR would write something like this.

…He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

The sparkling Christmas tree provided the only light in the living room, gradually shifting from red to gold, to green to blue to purple and back again. On one of the walls adjacent to the tree was a large, picture window open to their sizeable backyard. One could almost see moonlight glinting off one of the Quidditch hoops. The room where the Potters sat, while large, was still quite cozy. It contained several oversized chairs and couches around the room, with an open space left in front of the tree. Framed Wizarding and Muggle pictures sat on the mantelpiece and the wall surrounding it, also adjacent to the tree. Five stockings were hanging neatly in a line.

Hermione finished her annual recitation to her family as they all sat curled up on the couch closest to the tree.

"Mummy, was he like a house-elf?" asked little three-year-old David, squirming around in his Harry's lap now that Hermione was finished.

"Of course not, David," Emilia Potter, David's five-year-old sister, responded. "Though, honestly, mum, it doesn't make a lot of sense. "Why wouldn't he just Apparate?"

"He's not a wizard, Em," Teddy Lupin, the Potters' adopted son answered in the superior tone of a ten-year-old who obviously knows far more about the world than his younger siblings.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance, trying not to laugh at their inquisitive children. Their friends teased them that the young ones were revenge against their parents. For sometimes it seemed that there was never an end to the questions, except when there was mischief to be found.

Hermione wrapped her arms tighter around Emilia and smiled down at her daughter. "Teddy's right, Em. After all, there are many different kinds of sentient species around."

"I bet those reindeer are kinda like the Beauxbatons horses that Aunt Fleur talks about though, 'cause they can fly and all," Emilia responded knowledgably.

"Probably, dear," quipped Harry.

"I'd fly a broom, not no reindeer and sleigh. Daddy, do I get a broom for Christmas?" David joined back in the conversation, obviously glad to be able to change the topic to the piles of bright presents under the tree.

"Teddy just got one two years ago, Dave. Your mum and I have said that you can when you're bigger." Before the youngest could complain, Harry stood up from the couch with him still in his arms. "But, I can still fly you to bed! Whee!"

Harry took off running around the room, having flipped David in his arms, so that he was "flying" on a pretend broomstick. David's brown hair was quickly ruffled from the dives that Harry was taking him on. Teddy ran around the two of them, pretending to be a player from the opposing time.

Hermione and Emilia looked at each other, sharing that look known by so many mothers and daughters when they silently comment on the antics of the male members of the family.

"Ok, I think it's time for future Quidditch players to get up to bed, before Santa comes," interrupted Hermione, setting Emilia on the floor and standing up.

Switching David to a more standard position, Harry mock sighed, David mimicking his expression. "Ok, little guy, Santa can't come if you're awake."

"Yeah, c'mon, Dave, I betcha Santa's got something really good for you," Teddy chimed in.

"Presents! Presents!" Dave was practically bouncing out of his father's arms.

"I think it's time for all little munchkins to head to bed," said Hermione, "Come on, pumpkin, time to brush teeth and head to bed." Hermione picked Emilia back up and led the group upstairs.

Soon, teeth were brushed and the younger two tucked into bed after several reminders that Santa could not come until they were asleep.

Teddy was in his room reading, when Harry and Hermione stopped in to say goodnight. It was a typical boy's room, or rather, as typical as one could be when he was a Metamorphmagus and his adopted parents were Harry and Hermione Potter. He had a big bed with a blue bedspread against one wall of the room. Posters of Quidditch teams and popular bands covered most of the wall space. A large bookcase, filled with both Magical and Muggle titles, took up most of another wall. One window was cracked open, an empty owl perch next to it. Clothes were piled on the floor near the hamper and overflowing from the dresser.

"Don't stay up too late, Teddy," said Hermione, coming to sit on his bed, "We'll be going over to the Burrow after brunch."

"Is Grandma going to be there?" he asked, setting his book aside.

Harry looked to Hermione for an answer, "She said that she would stop by for dinner. I think it tends to get a little-busy around there for her."

"I think you mean a little crazy, mum," Teddy muttered under his breath, his hair shifting to an unnatural red.

"I don't think that's your color there," teased Harry, ruffling Teddy's hair.

Teddy blushed and concentrated to make his hair shift back to its normal dark brown.

"Yes, it is always crazy over at the Weasleys, but they're family and Molly would never let us hear the end of it if we skipped it. We'll have Andromeda over here on Boxing Day, would you like that?"

"That'd be great, dad. She's always got such funny stories about mum." Teddy's face brightened with this. He was very close to his maternal grandmother.

"We'll dig out pictures and everything, Teddy. It's good for Emilia and David to hear about their grandparents and Sirius as well," replied Hermione. She gave him a hug, followed by Harry, before they both got up and headed out of the room.

"See you in the morning, son. Let's hope your siblings don't get up at four this year," commented Harry as he stood holding the doorknob.

"Can't we lock them in their rooms? Please…" Teddy's expression was pleading. The younger Potters were bound to come and wake him up first, preferably by jumping on him.

"I'll think about it." Harry laughed and shut the door.

Harry and Hermione headed down the stairs silently, hoping that there would be no sprogs sneaking out of bed.

"You know," Harry commented as they reached the main floor, "Teddy's idea of locking them in their rooms wasn't a bad one…"

Hermione looked over at him sharply, only to see him smirking at her. They both burst out laughing. "I guess we should teach him how to lock his bedroom door more effectively against them…"

"It is about time to get him a wand. He'll be eleven soon," observed Harry

"We'll just have to make sure that he doesn't tell the others. The Minister may look the other way when our child uses a wand, but not everyone gets that treatment," remarked Hermione seriously as they reentered the living room. "Of course, the Ministry couldn't detect the use anyways with those wards I put up years ago."

Harry nodded and headed off downstairs to the basement to retrieve the children's stocking stuffers. It was not as if the Potters had any major gripe against the Ministry, after all, they both worked there. It was a far different place from what it was when they were in Hogwarts, but after everything they had been through, they were careful with whom they trusted.

Hermione was sitting on the floor by the tree, fingering Teddy's stocking. "It's odd to think," she began as Harry walked back in the room, "that he'll be heading off to Hogwarts this September."

"I know…" said Harry softly as he set down the box of presents and came to sit down beside her, wrapping one arm around her waist. Hermione leaned into him. "I was just thinking that next Christmas, maybe we could give him the Map and cloak."

"I'm rather surprised that he hasn't asked for them already, actually." Hermione looked up from the stocking and gave a small smile, "Whatever will Hogwarts do, now that the next generation of Marauders will be there?

"Poor Minerva." Harry shook his hand with exaggerated seriousness.

"Honestly, Harry," sighed Hermione. She stood up and hung the stocking back up on the mantle, between hers and Emilia's. Turning back to Harry, she said, "They would have been so proud of him."

Harry stood up and walked over to Hermione, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "You've been a good mum to him, Hermione, even before you and I were together. I couldn't have done this without you."

"Thanks, Harry. And you've been a great father to him, even when you had no clue what you were doing." She smirked up at him as he leaned down to place a quick kiss on her lips. "I'm teasing, Harry. You taking responsibility for Teddy was just one more thing that made me fall in love with you."

Hermione pulled her arms from around his waist and snaked them up around his neck. She loved being these quiet moments between them, when they could be completely honest and secure in the other's understanding.

"It's what Sirius would have done for me. How could I have done anything else?" Pulling her tighter, her head now resting against his chest, he nuzzled his nose into her hair.

"Such a Gryffindor," breathed Hermione, her voice having dropped nearly an octave. She started to sway to silent music, enjoying the feeling of her body rubbing against his and the thrills that it was starting to send through her system.

"That is what the Hat said." Harry had started to sway with her, his hands falling down to her hips, those lovely hips that could drive him absolutely mad. The lights from the Christmas tree were making her hair glow, almost as if it were dancing on its own accord.

"Smart for a hat." Grinding her hips into him, she was delighted to see his green eyes darkening and a telltale hardness pressing into her abdomen. She waved one of her hands and all of the candles in the room extinguished themselves, causing the whole room to reflect the slowly shifting colors from the tree. Upon returning her hand to his neck, she began to run her fingers up and down it, allowing an occasional fingertip to slip underneath his shirt, before playing with the exposed skin again.

"Mm-hm…" Harry started running his hands up her back, smiling when she arched into him. "But not as smart as you, love."

"Flattery is good. Smart man." Hermione raised her head slightly and started laying light kisses on his neck, interspersed with her tongue flicking out to touch him.

The hot sensations from her kisses and the cool from her tongue were only making him more aroused, especially as she kept moving her mouth away from him as he tried to lean down to kiss her. Frustrated, he finally removed one of his hands from where it had been playing under her shirt and grasped the back of her neck, tilting her head up so that he could capture her mouth.

Hermione's hands tangled themselves in his hair and pulled him closer to her, sliding her tongue into his mouth and moaning as he did the same. She loved teasing him, but she loved it even more when he took control, all of his extraordinary energy focused on her and her alone.

After a few minutes of ever-increasing sensations, she relaxed away from him, breathing deeply. "I think that…is my favorite kind of magic…Mr. Potter."

Hermione's cheeks were quite flushed, Harry noticed, and the lights from the tree were now dancing off her face, as they had rotated slightly during their enthusiastic snogging session. "I think that I like another kind of magic even better, Mrs. Potter."

Looking up to see his wicked grin, Hermione responded with one of her own. "Come find me…" she whispered as she backed away from him and faded out of sight.

"With pleasure," Harry responded, before fading from view himself.

A few minutes later, there was a giggle and then a soft sigh, though all that appeared to remain in the room was the Potters' sparkling tree.