The smell of roast dinner was enough to make Ophelia's stomach growl and her mouth water. Never in her life had Ophelia seen such a feast like the in front of her - she had been to many of luxurious dinners, yet none were quite like this. Even the welcome feast at Hogwarts didn't seem to match what we in front of her!
"Merry Christmas Severus." Ophelia offered her usual bright smile to the boy who had chosen to willingly sit next to her on Christmas Day.
"Hm. You too McGonagall." Severus spoke, barely moving his lips as he breathed the words out.
"Are you having a nice day so far?"
"Remarkable." It really looked like Severus had to force the words out of his mouth.
After the remaining few seats had been filled, the dinner began. Laughter and chatter filled the Great Hall, even Peeves had joined them with no prank planned. Instead he sang Christmas songs, with the occasional rude word added, that caused even Dumbledore to let out hearty chuckles. In between the main and dessert, thudding footsteps behind Ophelia made her turn.
"Appy Christmas Ophelia." Hagrid bellowed and if it wasn't for the loud happy conversations around Ophelia would assume the entire table would have gone silent to listen.
"Merry Christmas Hagrid!"
"Fang loved 'is toy, 'e 'as not destroyed it yet either."
"Aw I'm glad, I knew he'd like the bacon scent on it! Little secret though Hagrid, I charmed the toy to be basically indestructible."
"Ruddy amazing! Right Fang and me got yeh a gift as well." Hagrid handed Ophelia a partly ripped gift, tears in spontaneous places.
"You didn't have to get me anything Hagrid."
"Rubbish, not many people 'ere spend time we me; think I'm crazy that they do."
A scoff came from Severus.
"That is because no one has taken the opportunity to get to know you." Ophelia spoke with her attention fixed on Hagrid, but a sharpness that Severus never expected from the girl he had only just truly met, was evident in her tone. The gift shook slightly in Ophelia's hand, which caused the three's gaze to turn to that.
"Uh, think its gotten a bit mad being kept under the table." Hagrid scratched at his wire like beard. "Might wanna be careful when yeh open it up."
The present shook again and Ophelia decided now would be the time to open whatever this gift might be. Tentatively she pulled away at the remaining bits of paper but as soon as she unwrapped it, a book dropped to the floor. Not just any book, this book began to scuttle across the floor.
"Hagrid is that book alive?" Ophelia stared down at the book on the floor, a mix of fear and interest inside her. A few others had turned on their seats to watch what was causing that awful screeching noise on the floorboards.
"Kinda." Hagrid watched as Ophelia stood up to approach the book, before an important detail suddenly reentered his mind. "Oh Ophelia don't touch it it will -" The book began to snap viciously towards Ophelia's approaching fingers, causing her to pull away. "-bite. You need to-" Hagrid was interrupted by Ophelia's actions once again, this time though she was speaking gently to the book.
Slowly Ophelia placed a hand to the spine of the book and began to stroke it like you would a dog, whispering reassuring words to the book whilst she continued to pet it. After a few strokes the book began to calm and the snapping came to a halt; once settled it fell open to the first page.
"Ow did you work that out?" Hagrid looked with disbelief between the book and Ophelia.
"It's alive, that means it has feelings. It was clearly stressed so needed soothing." Ophelia was knelt on the floor, gingerly turning each page to look at the sketches briefly. "Thank you so much Hagrid, it looks really interesting."
"Yer-yer welcome." Hagrid stuttered slightly, still shocked as to how Ophelia understood the book had emotions.
"DESERT IS SERVED." A small house elf squeaked with volume from the bottom of the table. With another thank you given to Hagrid, Ophelia gently closed the book and climbed onto her seat, keeping the book sat safely in her lap.
"Wonder if that book contains information about werewolves." Severus muttered beside Ophelia.
"Probably not, they're not monsters. In fact calling anything a monster is quite cruel." Ophelia shrugged, her attention more on the Christmas pudding that had just been lit by a non-existent flame.
"Clueless."
"Huh?" Ophelia hadn't heard Severus due to his rather irritating trait of whispering.
"Nothing."
"Want me to tell you if it contains werewolves?" Ophelia tried to continue the conversation, simply happy to have a conversation started by Severus rather herself.
"Don't really care."
"That's okay, let me know if you do." Ophelia was blissfully unbothered by Severus' sharpness, it did hurt her to think he may not like her,but something told her this wasn't the case. There was something bothering the boy that caused him to be like this, Ophelia may never find out what that could be but that wouldn't stop her trying to be kind. So in the spirit of Christmas, Ophelia picked up the remaining Christmas cracker and hovered it in front of Severus. Warily, the boy took the other end, his eyes still squinted with insecurity. Ophelia began to pull at the end, like you would the normal muggle cracker, but Severus kept still and seconds later a small spark appeared in the centre that exploded into a firework. The paper disintegrated to reveal a floating bottle, filled with a blue liquid.
"Alihosty." Severus eyed the potion with what Ophelia took as keen interest.
"It can cause hysterical laughter right?" Ophelia asked.
"Yes. Can be hard to make if you don't cover your mouth and nostril correctly."
"You have it."
"I could just make it myself." Severus still stared at the blue filled vial.
"Severus." Ophelia spoke with a slight stern tone, causing Severus to lift his head. "You have it."
"Hm, thank you McGonagall."
"You're welcome." A few people had begun to leave the feast, Ophelia looked over to where Minnie was sat and noticed how engrossed in a conversation she was with Dumbledore and Sprout. "I'm going to head out, tell Minnie I have gone back to the room to read." Ophelia didn't wait for the non existent answer from Severus, so just picked up Hagrid's gift and began to stand up.
"Merry Christmas McGonagall." Ophelia stopped mid walk and spun to face Severus, he had the vial of Alihosty between his fingers and a small smile seemed to be on his face. That was the final Christmas present of the day for Ophelia, a gift she definitely didn't predict but a gift that meant just as much to her as any material item.
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There was just one present left for Remus to open, a present he had kept hidden underneath his bed from the moment he returned home. It may have seemed stupid to some, but Remus didn't want his parents to see the additional gift because he didn't want to answer any questions from his parents about who it was from. He didn't want to see that hopeful glint in his mother's eyes when she heard about a girl.
Remus held the present in his hands, it was a square box that was slightly heavy, causing his already tired arms to ache more. It was wrapped in a crisp brown paper that had white Christmas trees printed across it, each fold completely immaculate and matched with the opposite side.
As one of the folded seals opened, a strong smell filled Remus' nose. His senses were still slightly heightened from the recent full moon, often smells could become too overwhelming but this mixture of smells seemed rather soothing. One smell overpowered them all though, apple.
Beneath the wrapping paper was a wooden box, a quote engraved on top.
"Tea time is a chance to slow down, pull back and appreciate our surroundings." – Letitia Baldrige
An idea of what might be inside appeared in Remus' head and a rush of energy he didn't realise he could muster appeared. With a click of each clasp, the box opened to reveal an envelope covering the true gift. Eager to see the gift though, he lifted the envelope to see ten glass vials filled with various leaves of many colours. Tea leaves. Remus tore the envelope open now deciding to see what Fi had to say.
The note triggered an emotion Remus he didn't know he had, he felt warm. But most importantly, yet strangely, he felt understood. Now receiving tea leaves isn't something you would typically associate with the feeling of being understood, but this wasn't being understood as one of the infamous Marauders. It certainly wasn't being understood as a lycanthrope. No, this was being understood as simply Remus Lupin, a guy interested in tea and books.
Remus brushed his hands across each vial, attempting to look at each one in detail. Yet one in the centre stood out though, one with a smell that seemed to dominate over the others. One that seemed comforting. Instinctively, Remus' hand grabbed that vial and he pushed himself from the bed. Each bone clicked as he walked with speed from his room, down the stairs to his kitchen, but his post full moon pain wasn't going to stop him.
"Remus are you ok?" His mother called, not expecting to see her son up and moving.
"Yes fine, just making a cup of tea." Remus called back in an attempt to keep his mother away. But Hope was still interested and she took herself to the kitchen.
"I could have made you one." Hope spoke with the soft voice that soothed anyone who felt down.
"Yeh I know, I just wanted to do it myself." Remus watched the hot water turned to the warm yellow and that apple scent began to fill the room. His muscles relaxed in the scent and he felt some happiness come to the day.
"Thank you Fi." Remus muttered.
Behind him his father had joined his mother in watching Remus, he too was concerned as to what would force Remus to get out of bed. Clearly they had nothing to worry about. So Lyall silently tugged at his wife's sleeve and pulled her to their back garden; ensuring he was far enough away from Remus' unique hearing.
"I recognise that look on our boys face." Lyall put an arm around his wife's waist as they stared into the Welsh countryside.
"You do?" Hope sighed into Lyall's hug.
"Of course I do. It's the same look I had when I thought of you."
"You think there's a certain someone?" Hope tried to repress the grin forming on her face.
"I do."
"That might be the best Christmas present I could have ever received."
"Let's hope our boy gets out of his head then." Lyall squeezed his wife a little harder. There was nothing they wanted more than to see their son happy, he deserved the world and they wish they could give it to him. But they both knew they couldn't do that alone.
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The Pettigrew family tradition was to eat Christmas dinner first, then open your presents. Nothing had changed this year and after an incredibly filling roast, Peter was not sat on a sofa next to his mother with gifts piled around his feet. After excitedly opening many gifts, he soon came to his gift from Fi.
"Mum look, remember I told you about that new girl Fi, this is her gift for me!" Peter smiled, he taken a liking to the girl that much was clear.
"Any idea what it could be?" His mother hummed, she was crocheting a new blanket from some wool Peter had gifted her that Christmas.
"Something super intelligent and thoughtful, she's just like Remus mum. I think her and Remus would make a perfect couple."
"That's nice son."
Peter tore into the gift and a small hessian bag fell into his lap. He pulled at the strings with eagerness to peak inside and spotted small wooden shapes. Unsure as to what they were Peter tipped them onto his lap and sweet shaped tokens fell out along with a folded bit of parchment with his name written on the outside. Deciding it would be sensible to read the note first, Peter unfolded the parchment and read.
Peter's smile grew larger than what seemed humanely possible. He put the parchment down and looked at each token. Words on them included: confidence; love; acceptance and energy. There were many more and Peter knew he would use them.
"Was it a good present sweetie?" Peter's mother asked from beside.
"Amazing mum."
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Christmas is beautiful. The entire day had been beautiful and Ophelia wished it would never end, but it would and for once Ophelia was ok with that. Ophelia was ready for the future. Lying in her bed she thought to herself, what actually is the true meaning of Christmas. Well there was many things that came to her mind.
Christmas is a time of love. A time to give up yourself and think only of others, especially those who mean the most to you. Christmas is a time you strive to bring happiness to others. It is a time to come together, to strengthen those ties.
Christmas is a time for remembering. A time to reflect and look back on the people who made you who you are today. That can be both the good and bad. On this day you can choose whether you let your past affect your future.
Ophelia had had a hard past, there was no denying that. But this Christmas was a time to let that go and become exactly the person she had always wanted to be but never had the opportunity to do before. From this day forward she will always be Fi McGonagall, a witch with an incredible support bubble. A witch who still loved to sing and loved those who supported her in the muggle world. Yes times would be hard and some days would be harder than others, one day coming soon than she wished it would, but that was ok. It was ok not to be ok and Ophelia would embrace that.
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That cute tea set I found on Pinterest is sold here! Just thought I should add that!
https://brickandgrain.com/products/tea-sampler-gift-set-10-test-tubes-of-loose-leaf-115285976