From The Dining Table [H.S]

Family

Primrose's POV:

Fields stitched together by deep green bushes filled the surroundings as we drove deeper into the countryside - a sight I'd very much missed since moving to the coast. Small dots of white scattered the grass, the sheep grazing leisurely in the freezing cold temperatures of the outside. It was slightly overcast, meaning a foggy blanket hung high in the sky, causing the world to feel dull and gloomy. However, it didn't feel dull and gloomy to me.

Not with Harry sat next to me.

His hand was positioned on my thigh as it always is, his eyes focused on the open road before us as I stayed glued to the window, watching every passing obstacle like I was seeing them for the first time. The journey wasn't too long, around 5 hours including petrol and loo stops. Harry dragged me out of bed especially early today so that we could get a head start, and evidently, when I walked into my living room with my coat on ready to go, Harry was asleep on the sofa.

He'd been restless all night, overcome with excitement as he knew he was going home the next day. I too had a sleepless night, but for extremely different reasons. I'm nervous to meet his family. I have good people skills given my job, but, Harry's family will be judging me from the second I walk through the door, making sure I'm the right fit for their beloved son. It's understandable though, that they will keep a stern eye on me, because someone as amazing and precious as Harry deserves to be with someone just as special... and sometimes I question if that is actually me.

Admiring the sleepy bundle of curls on the sofa, I couldn't bring myself to wake him. So, I quietly sat next to him, bringing his head to rest in my lap as I stroked soft lines against his cheek with my finger. Accidentally, I must've dosed off too, because I awoke to Harry shaking me rapidly. Turns out, we'd both slept until 2pm, and if we didn't leave immediately then we wouldn't arrive there until late in the evening.

A large sign reading Holmeschapel drifted past the car, and Harry smiled to himself at recognition of it, holding my thigh tighter ever so slightly as we entered the quaint town. By now, it was about 7 in the evening, and the sky was no longer grey: it was a deep black, accompanied by the beaming light of thousands and thousands of stars. Streetlamps washed the road a sepia yellow, revealing the figures walking beneath them. The town was fairly lively, considering the size there were a lot of people about.

Harry turned from the main road, pulling into a darker, smaller sideroad holding many houses. I took a deep breath in as I knew we were nearing his house, knowing that I couldn't escape this interaction, and that Harry wasn't going to let me hide in our room all day. Noticing my uneasiness, Harry stroked his thumb against my jeans on my thigh, looking over for a few seconds and smiling comfortingly. I smiled back, feeling a rush of panic fill my body as the car came to a steady halt.

"They'll love you, Primrose." Harry speaks calmly, turning to face me now that the car had stopped outside what was assumingly his family house. "My family are so welcoming - once you start talking to them you'll never want to stop." Harry assures, and I nod, swallowing down all my nerves. Harry swings his door open, stepping out into the biting cold and pacing round to open my door for me. Helping me out the car, we both retrieved our bags from the boot and I trailed behind Harry as he walked up his front drive.

Pausing for just a second, I took the moment to appreciate how personal this holidays was going to be for Harry. The gesture is beyond kind, beyond thoughtful. Not only has he invited me to meet his family, he's invited me to meet his family at his house, to spend Christmas together. It's the type of thing that happens in films, or fairy tails, never something I expected to be blessed with. I smiled to myself as Harry approached the front door, ringing the bell and standing back, his expression of excitement beaming even from the back of his body.