Albus Potter and the Prophesied Year

Ch 62 Christmas of twenty-twenty-six

It was ten-thirty in the morning, Thursday December twenty-fourth, and Ginny's mobile rang.

"Hello, Erica," Ginny answered.

"Hello, mum," Erica replied. "Could Viktor and James and I stay in James Senior's room tonight? We've been sleeping in the same bed, sleeping, just sharing a bed, since we have been here, and it would just be nice to have breakfast with the family again like little James and I have been doing. Back to normal."

"We could arrange for a formal betrothal if that is what you want," Ginny grinned.

"I think that because Viktor has been accused of all sorts of things, and just because he is a good and honorable wizard, we will wait, mum," Erica replied. "He has a very developed sense of honor, and I can see where that comes from after meeting some grandparents and great-grandparents. Not his mum, who we have all sorts of issues with, but, well, some of the last three days have been good and some not so good."

Ginny thought, from the way Erica said 'not so good' that she was being charitable.

"The room will be ready for you," Ginny replied.

*

It was late the evening of December twenty-fourth before a tired Erica and Viktor and a sleeping James came through the Floo. Harry stayed up to wait for them. "I need less sleep than Ginny," Harry explained. "How was Bulgaria?"

"Some of it was good and some of it wasn't so good," Viktor sighed. "My father tried to be nice to all of us, and his parents and grandparents are nice. I'm not sure about the grandparents my mother's side. One of my sister was friendly, the other one is on my mother's side and not friendly. My mother was not nice at all, and it was hard."

*

"Christmas!" Gregory Potter told his parents as they went downstairs to have breakfast Christmas morning. "Presents!"

"Yes, there will be Christmas presents," Ginny told her three-year-old. 'Three years and three months, about nine months older than Will,' Ginny thought. That age difference would not matter much once they were adults, but now it was a huge difference.

"Did Erica, James and Viktor get here last night?" nine-year-old Minerva wondered.

"Late, and they were very tired," Harry announced.

A short time later Lily came downstairs, carrying nine-month-old Eileen. Billy was walking with two-and-a-half-year-old Will, holding his hand as Will proudly but carefully walked down the stairs.

"Merry Christmas, Will," Gregory told his nephew. "Presents!"

"Lo, Greg-rey," Will replied.

"Did Erica, James and Viktor get here last night?" Lily wondered.

"Late, and they were very tired," Harry repeated to Lily and family.

It was close to seven-thirty before Erica and Viktor stumbled downstairs, Viktor holding three-and-a-half-year-old James's hand. Erica was seven months pregnant, and she looked very pregnant.

"Welcome back, Erica, Viktor, James," Ginny greeted the trio.

"Glad to be back," Erica muttered. "Thank you for letting us use the bedroom."

"How was your trip?" Lily wondered.

"Later," Erica frowned at Lily, conveying much more than her words by her looks.

Lily grimaced.

Erica nodded.

The family finished eating and went up to the drawing room to take down stockings and exchange Christmas presents.