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The next day, everyone was wearing their new Weasley sweaters as they sat down to Christmas lunch. Mrs. Weasley was sporting a brand new midnight blue witch's hat glittering with what looked like tiny starlike diamonds, and a spectacular golden necklace. "Fred and George gave them to me!" she gushed. "Aren't they beautiful!"
Eleanora, who had helped the twins pick the gifts out, smiled sweetly as George said, "Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now we're washing our own socks." He waved an airy hand. "Parsnips, Remus?"
"Is Tonks coming to lunch?" Eleanora asked Mrs. Weasley with sudden interest. She'd just remembered that Tonks hadn't been at the last few Order meetings.
"I invited her," said Mrs. Weasley with a wistful look. "But she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"
"No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much," said Lupin. "But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?"
"Hmmm," said Mrs. Weasley. "Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually."
She shot Lupin an annoyed look, and Eleanora felt bad for even bringing it up. She didn't know all of the recent details of Lupin and Tonks, but she could tell things weren't going well. They'd both been quieter and more distant than ever. Eleanora gave Lupin an apologetic look, which he shrugged off.
"Are you on duty tonight?" she asked him, desperate to change the subject.
"Yep. Diagon Alley, the usual. You?"
"Same."
Mrs. Weasley huffed from across the table. "I can't believe they have you working on Christmas. Don't you ever get a break?"
"It's not much like Voldemort to take a break for family," Bill said with a dry smile. Then, more quietly to Eleanora, "Be careful, will you? Don't let your guard down just because it's the holidays."
"I won't, I won't." Eleanora waved him off.
"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley said suddenly. She had risen from her chair; her hand was pressed over her heart and she was staring out of the kitchen window. "Arthur — it's Percy!"
"What?"Mr. Weasley looked around. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up for a better look. There, sure enough, was Percy Weasley, striding across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight. He was not, however, alone.
"Arthur, he's — he's with the Minister!"
Before any of them could say anything, before Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could do more than exchange stunned looks, the back door opened and there stood Percy. There was a moment's painful silence. Then Percy said rather stiffly, "Merry Christmas, Mother."
"Oh, Percy!" said Mrs. Weasley, and she threw herself into his arms. Rufus Scrimgeour paused in the doorway, leaning on his walking stick and smiling as he observed this affecting scene.
