Daughter of Mine | Harry Potter

IX.

Christmas morning came quickly and Lalia hopped out of her bed to go meet with her dad, but she stopped when she saw the gifts at the edge of it.

There was a beautiful book about magical creatures from Hermione, a stuffed hippogriff from Morag, who knew how upset she was about the cancelled lesson, a beautiful new scarf and glove set from Sue, and from Draco an illustrated picture book of magical creatures with moving images. She gleamed happily, thankful for all their gifts, and hoping they had liked the ones she sent to them.

She saw another small packaged wrapped haphazardly still on her bed. She grabbed it and carefully opened to see the most beautiful locket with a wolf and black dog howling at the moon engraved on it. She stared at the piece of jewelry awestruck at its beauty.

She was confused because she thought her dad and her were exchanging gifts in person as they always had done. Rushing to get ready for the day, Lalia threw on a fuzzy white sweater and black pants, before rushing to her dad's room.

Knocking quickly, she threw open the door.

Remus was sitting at the table he had in his room, drinking a cup of tea.

"I love it!" she said, excitedly. She closed the door and ran up to her dad.

Lalia hugged him tightly before kissing his cheek.

"Well, I love this greeting, but I'm afraid, I don't know what you're talking about," Remus said, smiling at his daughter. He had been feeling the effects of the approaching full moon and was having a terrible time until his daughter ran in.

Lalia's face paled as she fell into the chair next to her dad and she dropped a wrapped gift on the table.

"Little bean, what is it?" her dad asked her, softly cupping her cheek.

Silently, she dropped the locket on the table. Remus picked up the jewelry and looked at. Seeing the engraving, he gasped, shaking.

"No..." he whispered. "He couldn't have..."

He looked over at the shaking, watery eyed form of his daughter. Standing weakly, Remus grabbed her head in his arms and pressed it against his stomach.

"How... how... how did he... how did he get it to me?" she sobbed to him.

"I don't know, little bean, I don't know. I'm so sorry," he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, multiple times. "I'll handle it." Remus picked up the necklace and balled it up in his palm.

"No! No!" Lalia screamed shrilly.

Remus turned to the mess his daughter was.

"Please, dad. Please, I want to keep it." She wasn't sure what made her say it, but she knew it was the right choice. It had calmed her panicked heart.

"Lalia, it came from..."

"I know. I know who it came from and I don't care about him, but I love it because it reminds me of you. Please, please let me keep it."

Her dad sat next to her, dropping the locket back on the table.

"On one condition," he said, noticing how quickly she looked up at him. His heart clenched. He was losing his daughter to the one person who held a stronger connection to her than him possibly. "You turn it over to Professor McGonagall and have her check it for any curses."

"Deal," said Lalia, wiping her eyes.

She hugged her dad tightly, before shakily pulling back and handing him the small gift she had dropped earlier.

He looked at her gently before taking the gift in his hands. Her carefully unwrapped it at the things crammed into the box. There was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts book, a massive chocolate bar, packets of hot chocolate, and at the bottom a picture of himself and Lalia when she was seven years old. The image was her on his shoulders as they spun around in circles. The smiles on both their faces were the largest they could be. Under the image on the frame in a gold plaque read the words 'The Best Dad'.