I'll Be Home For Christmas

December 25th

"Harry!" Harry felt someone poke his nose. He scrunched his nose and swatted at the offender. "Harry!" The voice called again as they poked him again.

"What?!" He snapped opening his eyes. Piper's grinning face greeted him once his vision cleared.

"You're the last one to wake up. Poppy and Tabby are all ready to open their gifts and are anxiously waiting for you to wake up." She said smiling softly at him. She watched as he groaned and turned over to bury his head in his pillow. "Come on bub, it's time to get up." She said shaking him.

"5 more minutes!" He pleaded.

"No can do, I'm sorry. I've already bought you enough time." She said shaking her head. "But I did bring you some coffee to help coax you out of bed." She said.

"A make-shift bed." He grumbled.

"I offered to switch with you." She pointed out.

"No way. Mum would have my head if she found out I was sleeping in bed while you, a guest, were sleeping on the floor. Besides, wouldn't feel right." He mumbled shifting onto his back. He accepted the coffee Piper offered him and sat up with a stretch.

"Well...we can share...?" She said hesitantly. Harry eyed her and sipped his coffee.

"Let's get through this morning and we'll discuss sleeping arrangements tonight." He mumbled. The coffee was finally beginning to kick in and he was becoming more aware of everything.

"Alright well are you ready to head down? It's only a matter of time before one of those girls bursts through the door and tramples all over you until you go downstairs."

"He's alive!" Gemma cheered as Harry emerged from upstairs.

"Yeah yeah." He grumbled. He was going to need more coffee if he was going to have to deal with Gemma's teasing so early.

"We've all been waiting for like 20 minutes. You're lucky Piper was the one who woke you up. I was ready with a bucket of cold water." She smirked.

"You're an awful person. On Christmas no less." He shook his head.

"Well now that you're here we can get started." Anne said. Harry wasn't surprised to see the girls wearing matching onesies.

"Why don't you start distributing the gifts Poppy?" Michal asked from next to Gemma. Poppy jumped up and grabbed various gifts and passing them out.

"These all look lovely in their wrapping." Anne commented spying a present from Harry under the tree.

"Piper wrapped it." Harry said throwing his arm over her shoulder.

"Piper you did an amazing job." Anne smiled at her.

"Yeah usually Harry's will have a rip in the paper or they're wrapped in the Sunday paper with duct tape as the tape. Either that or they're completely impossible to get into because he's so got them so taped up." Gemma laughed.

"It serves its purpose." Harry defended. "Besides, it's not like these two monsters take much care in preserving the paper. Really, I'm saving money." He said smugly.

"Its all about the presentation though." Piper said patting his knee. "What looks better, a present wrapped in beautiful paper with a lovely ribbon on it, or the bad news splattered across the newspaper as your wrapping paper with bulky silver duct tape holding it together?" She asked.

"Well when you put it that way." Harry mumbled.

"Now that the girls have gotten a few, how about we give one for the adults. Here's one for Harry." Robin said after the girls were placated with a few gifts each. Piper felt her palms go sweaty as she recognized the gift she'd picked out for him.