Christmas with the Weasleys

Christmas with the Weasleys

ChocolateTruffle

'Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the Burrow

All the Weasleys were sleeping

Except for -

"FRED! GEORGE! You two better get your bums out of bed right now!" Mrs. Weasley screeched, stomping up the rickety wooden staircase and into the twins' room.

There certainly was a cheery Christmas atmosphere at the Weasley residence today. Bright red stockings lined the oak stair railing, most looking rather stuffed with small presents and candies. Numerous wreaths adorned with holly hung about the household and also on the doors of each and every room. Then, of course, there was the enormous Christmas tree smelling of fresh pine, embellished with tinsel and glittering ornaments, many of which dated back to many years ago when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were still children.

And outside...as soon as you stepped out the front door you were instantly brought into a winter wonderland. Plastic figures of reindeer and snowmen sat on the snow-covered lawn, bewitched to greet a happy Christmas to those passing by. Everyone seemed in the holiday mood - even the lawn gnomes!

"Five more minutes, Mum...." George mumbled, burying his face into his squishy pillow. Fred lay in the bed across from his, still fast asleep and snoring loudly.

"Not five more minutes! Not five more seconds! You and Fred get dressed and take care of those singing gnomes in the yard now!" Mrs. Weasley ordered, throwing off the bed covers.

George propped himself up onto his elbows, shivering slightly from the draft that seemed to have found its way in. "Singing gnomes, eh?" he rubbed his eyes. "Oi, Fred!"

Fred sat upright, eyes droopy. "Yeah?"

"Oh sure, I can never wake up Fred up but George can...." Mrs. Weasley muttered to herself.

"Mum's complaining about some singing gnomes," he informed Fred, smirking.

"Really...why is she coming to us for help?" Fred asked, grinning.

"Maybe because you're the only two in this house who would bother to even think of it? Now go fix them before I start taking away presents," Mrs. Weasley said seriously.

"Oh Mum, we don't care about the presents. Just the joy of being with the ones that love us most, food on the table, and a roof over our heads makes us happy," Fred smiled innocently.

"Is that so?" Mrs. Weasley asked, hands on her hips. "Because if I'm not mistaken, I saw some bags and boxes from Zonko's hidden in the closet the other day...but since no one would need them...."

With an excited glance from one twin to the other, the two Weasley boys got ready for the day.

***

"Well, Molly, I'm off to hang those Christmas lights outside!" Mr. Weasley hollered, swinging a bundle of stringed colored lights over his shoulder.

"Arthur, please! Please just do it by magic! I need help preparing, and you...well, you'll get hurt somehow. You always do...." she added under her breath.

"Oh, I will not, Molly. How hard can it be? I just need to secure them around the outside of the house. It'll be fine. If those Muggles can do it, so can Arthur Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley looked very uncertain at this point and thanked her lucky stars when Bill and Charlie walked through the front door, shaking the bits of snow out of their hair.

"Ah, Happy Christmas, boys," Mr. Weasley greeted merrily, setting the lights down.

"Happy Christmas, Dad," they greeted in return, each giving him a loving son-father hug. "Again, sorry we won't be able to stay the whole time."

"Oh nonsense, as long as you're here now, it's fine. Your old friends will be delighted to see you later."

"Were the singing gnomes your doing, Mum? They're excellent!" Bill added, hugging his mother. She sighed.

"Me? It's the work of your twin brothers, that's who. They insist they can't find a way to stop them from singing, but you know them...they know how to stop it, they just want to wait till everyone cracks before they decide to do so."

Bill, Charlie, and Mr. Weasley looked at her, quite amused.

"Well then," Mrs. Weasley declared, "how about some help in the kitchen? Ginny! Ron! Charlie and Bill are here!"

Seconds later, loud thumps could be heard coming down the stairs.

After an exchange of hugs and Christmas greetings, Ginny followed her mother into the busy kitchen to help with food preparation.

"Ginny dear, go fetch me the old cookbooks from the cupboard, I'm going to get started on that turkey," Mrs. Weasley said happily, whipping out her wand.

"For just once I would like something done the Muggle way. Everything's just too easy with magic! And besides, I'm sure it'd be loads of fun," Mr. Weasley announced to his sons still standing in the room. They all looked at each other exchanging looks of uncertainty.

"What?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Well, that's sort of what magic is for, Dad...to make everything a bit easier," Bill said.

Mr. Weasley glared at his sons.

"What is that bloody racket?!" Ron asked, putting his hands over his ears.

"The gnomes! Fred and George's doing."

"Yes, they're supposed to be singing," Charlie added.

"That's supposed to be singing, is it? Well, I propose I could do a much better job if that's singing," Percy declared, walking in the front door carrying two large bags filled with poorly wrapped presents.

"Percy! Glad you could make it!" Mr. Weasley slapped a hand on his son's back. Charlie, Bill, and Ron stared coldly at him.

"Well come on, boys! That's no way to greet your brother."

"It certainly isn't!" Percy exclaimed, setting down his bags and brushing the snow off the hem of his robes. "I actually cared enough to get you lot presents, so you better be nice to me."

His brothers' glares seemed to be more eminent than before.

"Only joking...."

***

"Ron?" Mrs. Weasley called through the back door out into the yard, where Ron and twins were in the middle of a snowball fight.

Ron ducked just in time, as one of Fred's snowball's came whizzing his way and missed him by inches.

"Wow...you two could learn a thing or two from me!" Ron teased, scampering over to where Mrs. Weasley was. "Yeah, Mum?"

"Could you do me the slightest favor? Your father is upstairs with Charlie and Bill; take these and hide them somewhere in your room before he sees you." She held up two bulky bunches of Christmas lights.

"Er, okay," Ron agreed without asking why. "Could I just have two more minutes?"

"No, Ron, I need you to do this now," she replied sternly.

"Thanks, Mum, love you!" Ron dashed away before Mrs. Weasley could argue.

"Alright you two! Show me what you've got!" he yelled snidely, scooping up some snow into his frozen hands, despite his mittens.

A large snowball was fired from Fred and George's snow fort in Ron's direction but Ron stepped aside and again, it had missed him.

"HA!" he exclaimed, just as he felt the painful sensation of ice colliding with the back of his head. He turned sharply in that direction, expecting to see one of his other brothers laughing like mad, but instead he only caught a glimpse of his mother whistling to herself just before she closed the door.

***

"Ginny, hurry and come into the dining room!" Mrs. Weasley shouted stressfully, straightening tablecloths and picture frames lined along the wall. Everything needed to be absolutely perfect today, no doubt. "People will start arriving soon! Oh Heavens, do I look alright, Arthur?" she asked fretfully, running her fingers through Ron's red hair, trying to tame it over to one side.

"Mum!" Ron argued, rumpling his hair as soon as she turned away.

"You look wonderful, Molly," Arthur assured her.

"Thank you, Arthur. Ginny!" she yelled once more.

As soon as everyone, excluding Charlie and Bill, was downstairs nicely dressed and looking presentable, Mrs. Weasley began to calm down. Their guests weren't to start arriving for another fifteen minutes.

George and Ron agreed to a quick game of wizard's chess as Fred and Ginny helped themselves to the sofa and watched. Percy attempted to busy himself with work from the Ministry until Mrs. Weasley scolded him and ordered him to put them away, saying today was supposed to be relaxing and a time to share with your family. Percy grimaced but nonetheless put the stack of papers away and joined Fred and Ginny.

About fifteen minutes later the doorbell rang. Mr. Weasley opened the door, greeted Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks with a friendly handshake, and invited him in.

"Happy Christmas to you all," they said, setting their share of gifts under the tree.

The Weasley children greeted both of them in return.

After everyone in the room was acquainted, Mrs. Weasley bustled in with a smile on her face.

"Ah, so good to see you, Remus. Happy Christmas." She caught Lupin in a welcoming embrace and then Tonks.

"Good to see you too, Molly. So sorry Kingsley couldn't make it. He's off on some business," Tonks informed her.

"I suppose we should save him a bit of my treacle tart then, eh?" she smiled.

"What time did you tell Hermione and Harry to come, Ron? I know Harry's at Neville's; is Neville coming, too?"

"No, Neville isn't coming. His grandmother wouldn't let him spend Christmas away from home. And I told them to be here at six."

"Six? It's now six-forty-five! Where could they be??" She began to fuss again.

"Molly, calm down! They're just running a little late - "

"A little?? Forty-five minutes, Arthur! I just don't - " she stopped and listened. "FRED! GEORGE! GET RID OF THE BLOODY SINGING GNOMES! THEY'RE TERRIBLE!" she shrieked.

Fred and George looked up. "We did...."

"Oh dear, Molly," Lupin pulled aside the curtains and glanced outside. "Those were carolers...."

Mr. Weasley rushed to the front door and opened it just in time to see one of the last carolers.

"See if we ever come to wish you a Happy Christmas ever again!" And with a harrumph, she left with the rest of the group.

"Brilliant," Ron said quietly. His siblings chuckled lightly.

"Ah, look who's finally here! Come in, come in!" Mr. Weasley ushered a worried Hermione in first, while waiting for Harry to make his way in as well. "Well hurry up, Harry, haven't got all day."

Harry walked over with trouble, swaying from side to side, giggling like mad. Neville's toad, Trevor, sat happily on his shoulder.

"Happy Christmasss! Chrissstmasss...I think it's time to ssing!"

As Harry finally stepped inside, Hermione rolled her eyes. "PLEASE, Harry, NO more singing!"

"Okay! On the count of ssevvennn! Five, twooooo, sseven! J-joyyy to the worldddd! The Lordd is ccoome! Let...let...er, Happy Christmasss!" Trevor ribbitted along with Harry. As soon as he finished, Trevor leapt off his shoulder and out the door. Nobody took much notice to this.

"Hermione...what's - " Mrs. Weasley started, not taking her eyes off Harry. Everyone's eyes were upon him as he almost fell over.

"He got a little out of hand at Neville's with the Firewhiskey...his grandmother had gone out for a bit and he and Neville...well, you can sort out the rest for yourself." Hermione plopped onto an armchair, almost ashamed.

"Well," Mr. Weasley declared, helping Harry set his gifts down next to Hermione's bunch, "he'll be just fine. Just needs a spot of tea, don't you think? Yes, come sit down, Harry."

As soon as Harry was sat down, Mr. Weasley grabbed a mug from the kitchen and walked over to the fireplace with the mug in one hand, a pot filled with water in the other.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

"Boiling some water. What does it look like?"

"Um..."

"I'm going to do at least something the Muggle way tonight, you have my word on that," he said seriously.

"Mr. Weasley, perhaps I should - " Hermione offered, standing up. She didn't want to know what would happen if he attempted to work with a match.

"No, no, I've got it. Don't you worry. Here we go." He lit the few logs with ease and blew out the flame on the match. Hermione smiled, relieved.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Weasley entered the dining room, her arms filled with a large silver platter, a beautiful roast turkey atop it.

"And here we go!" Mrs. Weasley announced proudly. "Took me all day, and here it is!"

Everyone finally started filing into the dining room, gawking at the turkey and complimenting Mrs. Weasley on what a terrific job she had done.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" Ron asked, anxious to start the meal.

"Could someone get that? I think Harry's water has started boiling," Mr. Weasley asked, just feet away, walking over to the boiling pot of water. Harry hiccupped from his seat at the table.

"I'll get it," Remus offered, getting up.

Everyone watched as he opened the door, straining to get a better look at whoever it was.

It was Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?! What are you doing here?" Ron and the twins asked simultaneously and stood up, a sense of loathing in their eyes.

"Malfoyyy! Happpy Chrissstmas!" Harry's words continued to sound slurred. "I think it's tttime for annnooooother carooool! Ready? Weeeee....WISH you a merrrry Christmasss, weeee - "

"Quiet, you!" Ginny shoved a bread roll into his mouth, also wondering what Draco was doing here. Hermione, however, looked the least bit surprised.

Looking at Harry as though he were insane, he looked inside the house full of people.

"Well, I - "

"Oh, there you are, Draco. I began to worry about when you'd turn up. Come in!" Mrs. Weasley said warmly. Everyone shifted their eyes quickly from Draco to Mrs. Weasley.

"You invited him, Mum? But why - "

"FIRE!" Draco shouted, pointing at Mr. Weasley, an expression somewhere in between amusement and worry on his face.

"ARTHUR! YOU'RE ON FIRE!" Mrs. Weasley screamed, rushing over to where he was standing apprehensively.

"WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO? I NEED SOMETHING TO - " He rushed over to the table, everyone getting out of the way.

"NO, NOT THE TURKEY, ARTHUR!" Mrs. Weasley cried out, rushing to save her turkey.

Arthur threw the turkey vehemently back onto the platter and grabbed the pitcher of pumpkin juice instead.

After dousing the last of the flames with the juice, he sat down out of breath. Everyone else seemed to do the same. Draco had already come in and couldn't believe that was how his Christmas was starting off.

Mrs. Weasley rushed over to the dining table and looked disheartened as she stared at her ruined turkey.

"I - I'm sorry, Molly," Mr. Weasley apologized as she disposed of it.

"No, no. Don't apologize. There's plenty more food...."

"Dad! It's winter! You could have just stepped outside and sat in that cold white stuff we like to call snow," George declared, his eyes still wide.

"Alright, alright, enough. Everyone come and sit. We're going to eat first and then open presents afterward," Mrs. Weasley directed. "You too, Draco. I pulled up a chair for you there, next to Hermione."

Ron looked disgusted and confused. "Mum, firstly, I don't think Hermione would want to sit next to Draco, and secondly, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he asked Draco loudly.

"I invited him," Mrs. Weasley said simply. "For Hermione."

Hermione blushed profusely as Draco took the seat next to her. The two rivals finally came to their senses just before school let out and found themselves unexpectedly exchanging presents the day before Christmas break. After agreeing to stop humiliating each other in school, they found the other to be quite likeable. From there, the rest was cake.

"Oh, well why didn't you just tell me that? Okay, let's eat," Ron said sarcastically. "Hermione, what is going on?"

"Well...."

"I asked her out at the start of Christmas vacation. Happy?" Draco answered irritably.

"Thasss wonnnderfullll! Thisss calls for more - "

"No, Harry. We've had enough of that for tonight, thank you," Mrs. Weasley conjured up a hot mug of tea in a matter of seconds and gave it to Harry. Arthur looked at her sadly.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? Tuck in!" she said finally, a smile on her face.

***

After dinner was finished and the table was cleared, everyone gathered together near the tree. Ginny, Ron, and the twins sat on the floor with Harry, who was very much sober by now, and Remus sat with Percy as they began chatting about how things were going at the Ministry of Magic. Tonks sat on the sofa next to Mrs. Weasley, who was very exhausted. Draco and Hermione shared a loveseat together and started talking about the events of the evening as Ron shot nasty looks their way every two seconds.

"Well now, every year we usually start with the stockings in the morning, but things were just a bit busy for that earlier today so we'll start with that now," Arthur announced as he pulled out the box of stockings he had collected from the stair railing not too long ago.

"We do this for the kids every year," he told Remus and Tonks as they looked happily at the children looking anxiously for the red stocking with their name upon it. Harry and Hermione always had a stocking up at the Burrow every Christmas and this year, Mrs. Weasley made note of it to supply one for Draco, too.

"Hey, there's one here with a lump of coal!" Ginny giggled, holding it up.

"It's probably Percy's," Fred said without looking up, sorting through his own stocking. Percy shot him a look of most utter loathing.

"Hey...it is!" Percy said offensively. "Mum, Dad!" He held up his stocking.

"What is it, Percy?"

"I come back here for Christmas and I get a lump of coal. Thanks, I love you guys, too."

"What? We didn't give you...George!" Mrs. Weasley glared at him as he grinned innocently back.

"Well then, I'll be right back, just forgot to, uh, I'll be right back," Mr. Weasley told everyone and hurried out of the room.

"Alright, we're going to start exchanging the presents now. It's so nice to have everyone here together!" Mrs. Weasley chirped excitedly.

After they'd sorted out the load of brightly colored gifts, everyone dug into their own pile.

"Honestly, Perce! Living with Mum for as long as you did...I would've thought you would learn some decent present-wrapping skills by now...." Fred declared, holding up the badly wrapped gift, which turned out to be a few odds and ends from Zonko's.

"Don't blame me, it was this bloody house elf at the Ministry that wrapped my gifts!" Percy replied defensively. He then figured it probably wasn't the best idea to say such a thing when he noticed the unusually bright red color Hermione's cheeks turned.

"Don't you DARE blame that on the house elves, Percy Weasley! If you - "

"It's okay, Hermione, calm down...I'm sure he didn't mean it, did you, Percy?" Draco shot Percy a strict look.

"No, no, of course not...." Percy replied in a convincing, but rather bored tone.

"Ron, how did you know this was my favorite baby photo of you? The frame is adorable. Thank you!" Mrs. Weasley smothered Ron with endless kisses, leaving pink lip-shaped marks all over his cheeks.

"Mum, stop! What are you talking about? I didn't give you - "

"Don't look at us, bro," Fred and George said together, noticing their younger brother looking at him furiously. "That was Bill and Charlie's doing! But since we're on the subject of ickle Ronniekins' baby photos...might as well look at the rest!" George whipped out a box of old baby photos to share with everyone, most of the pictures of him clothes-less. This, of course, resulted in Ron acting sulky for a good twenty minutes or so.

Everyone had gotten the things they asked for this year and surprisingly nothing was to be returned.

"Oh, Draco, it's gorgeous! Thank you," Hermione gushed about the silver necklace as she kissed Draco lightly on the cheek.

"You're welcome," he replied, satisfied, as he returned her gratitude with a kiss on the forehead.

Ron's eyes narrowed and his ears turned pink at this. He got up from his spot on the floor to grab himself a cup of pumpkin juice from the kitchen.

"Ron, are you going to get something to drink? Let me join you, I'm so thirsty," Hermione called out, unclasping her fingers from Draco's, and abandoning him on the loveseat.

"You could've just asked me to get it for you...." Draco said.

"Don't be silly, I can get it my - " Hermione stopped short, realizing she couldn't move, it was as if her legs locked into place. Everyone turned to look at her, Ginny grinning widely. Ron walked over to help by shoving her out of the spot, but failed miserably when he too, became stuck.

"Well, then. I guess that enchanted mistletoe from Zonko's does work!" Ginny stated happily.

"Ginny!"

"Sorry! I just had to see for myself if it was true."

"So what do we do now?" the two asked, now noticing the tiny branch of mistletoe hung in midair right over their heads.

"Well isn't it obvious? You have to kiss!" George answered, smirking.

"What? No, no, no. I'm not going to watch my girlfriend snog someone else!" Draco protested, standing up.

"Well...there's always another way to get them both free...." Fred said teasingly, just to make sure Draco was still interested.

"Okay, then! Get on with it!"

"Well it consists of one person not under the mistletoe to snog both of the people that are. Which in this case, would be you, since you're the one that's objecting."

"WHAT? There's no bloody way I'm kissing Weasley."

"Alright then. I suggest you two," Fred gestured toward Ron and Hermione, "better get on with that kiss then!"

Draco sat back down, staring hard in the other direction.

"Er, are you sure there's no other way?" they both asked desperately.

"Nope! Unless you want to be stuck there all night."

Hermione sighed. Then quickly, she closed her eyes and leaned forward a bit. Ron did the same. Their lips touched for just a moment and then as fast as it happened, they broke apart, the mistletoe gently falling to their feet.

"Um, I'm not so thirsty anymore," Ron said immediately, looking quite embarrassed.

"Er, me either," Hermione agreed as she reclaimed her seat next to Draco. Everyone else in the room seemed to be smirking, giggling, or snickering one way or another. Hermione and Ron tried hard to not look at each other.

"Oi, Harry! There's one more present here for you," Tonks tossed a green and red wrapped lumpy-shaped present into Harry's grasp. Ron leaned over to see whom it was from. There was no notice of it attached to the present.

Harry carefully ripped off the wrapping paper only to find a pair of green boxers patterned with red Santa hats, real jingling bells on the tips of every one.

"Dobby," he and Ron said aloud together. Hermione beamed as Harry read the incoherent smudged note tucked inside out loud:

Deer Mr. Hairy Pawter,

Dobby hopes Hairy and Hairy's friends is enjoying their krismas. Theez are for you, Hairy Pawter. Winky helps Dobby to make them. Winky and Dobby are vary happy at Hogwarts, Winky and Dobby is getting pade evry week. Pleez tell that to Miss Grainjer. Happy krismas!

Dobby

"That's fantastic!" Hermione exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Draco didn't look all too pleased but pretended to, nonetheless, to make Hermione happy.

After Mrs. Weasley collected everyone's wrappings to dispose later that night, everyone enjoyed some hot chocolate near the nearly ruined fireplace.

"Er, has anyone seen Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking around the room as she cleared up the last of the dishes. "He still has his presents to open!" she pointed out, motioning toward his small stack near the tree.

"Molly!" Mr. Weasley burst through the front door as if on cue, his nose and ears rather pink from the cold. "Everyone, come on outside!"

Wondering what was up, Mrs. Weasley, Remus, Tonks, and the kids rushed out through the front door, everyone trying to squeeze through three at a time.

As soon as everyone was gathered in the snow alongside Mr. Weasley, they all looked disappointed to find there was nothing special waiting for them there.

"Okay, Dad, what's all this about? It's cold out here," Ron complained, breathing warm air into his cupped hands.

"You all said I couldn't do it. You all thought I couldn't do it. But guess what, I did it!" Molly looked at her husband as if he were out of his mind. "I know the whole tea thing didn't work out too well, but thanks to Ron's flair for hiding things horribly, I've put up those lights without breaking a sweat!" he announced proudly. Molly eyed her youngest son with narrowed eyes.

"Well, then, where are they?"

"Everyone stand back, now. The house will glow as soon as I flip this switch," he held up a metal switch in his gloved hands for everyone to see.

"Okay, here goes nothing...one...two...three!" And with a flip of the switch, the lights gleamed as bright as the sun - literally.

"MY EYES!" the twins exclaimed simultaneously, shielding their eyes from the blinding luminosity, pretending to pass out in the snow.

"Isn't that beautiful!" Arthur remarked, setting down the switch in a pile of snow, not noticing his sons.

"I'd have to say yes, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied, putting her arm around her love's waist. He replied with a hug and a kiss, standing back just a bit to view his work.

Everyone else took one last look at the glowing house, or tried to look at least, before scampering back into the warm house, leaving the Weasley parents alone outside.

Suddenly...

"The first Noel, the angel did say...was to certain poor Shepherds..." High-pitched voices coming from the gnomes' mouths sang loudly.

"FRED! GEORGE!"

And everyone had a very Weasley Christmas.