It was nothing but pure bliss ever since Oliver and Mary kissed that rainy day. Over the next few months, the two were nothing but happiness that radiated off of them, and the others took notice of it. While Jacob and Eliza weren't too surprised at this, Violet felt a bit hesitant, but eventually came around. Andrew, however, took a bit longer, grumbling about it whenever he got the chance to do so. Still, everyone thought it was better than making any snide comments towards Mary.
By the time December rolled around, Christmas was all the six could think about. The idea of keeping their spirits up was something they were determined to do during this month. When the snow began to fall, there was a small hint of excitement from everyone as the air got cold and the forest was covered in white. In a way, they found magic in the winter atmosphere.
As Christmas Eve was creeping among them, the group were sitting around by the fire, finishing up their dinner. They all sat there in silence for a bit with only the cracking of the fire making noise.
Jacob huffed a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "So, I've been thinking..."
"Oh, Merlin, here we go," Andrew mumbled.
"No, this is actually something good," Jacob protested.
"Does it involve any risks of getting us caught or killed?" Oliver asked.
"Well, yes, sort of, but--"
"Then it's a hard pass for me."
"Ollie, just hear me out, okay?" Jacob stated. "Since Christmas Eve is only a couple of days away, I've been in the mood for some...you know, holiday festivities."
The others couldn't help but grin and chuckle at Jacob's remark.
"And what exactly do you mean by holiday festivities?" Eliza asked.
"I mean all of the fun stuff we all did around Christmas!" he exclaimed. "Like roasting marshmallows, singing Christmas carols..."
"Right, as if we can do any of that in the middle of the woods," Andrew retorted.
"No reason why we can't go get some marshmallows right now," Jacob pointed out. "And while we're at it, we can stroll around and look at the lights. That sounds nice, doesn't it?"
There was a short moment of silence from everyone, taking the time to exchange glances of approval to one another. It was the holiday season, after all, and maybe some Christmas cheer would be nice for everyone.
"I mean, it does sound nice," Mary perked up. "I don't think it would hurt to get into the Christmas spirit."
Jacob grinned at Mary's statement. "Exactly." He turned his head towards Violet and grabbed her hand. "What about you?"
The blonde girl shot him a skeptical look. "I don't know. If we get caught--"
"We'll be extra careful," he assured her. "Come on, it'll be romantic, and I know how much you admire that about me."
Violet's face turned red as she giggled. "Yes, that is true." She paused, then sighed in defeat. "Well, as long as we're cautious, then I'm in."
"Excellent!" Jacob exclaimed. "So, as for the other three, what do you say?"
Oliver, Eliza, and Andrew remained apprehensive, giving each other looks of concern. While it sounded fun and cheerful to do, the three liked the idea of seeing something other than trees.
"Let's face it, the lights here won't be like they are back at Hampstead," Andrew stated. "But at least we'll have something to look at, since we didn't see them last year." He took a pause, then continued. "I say we go."
Eliza nodded her head. "Well, not only that, but this year in general hasn't been the greatest, either," Eliza added. "So you can count me in as well."
Everyone's eyes went on Oliver as he was the last one to make a decision. Really, he was already outnumbered, but he figured this trip would be good for everyone.
So, he moved his head up and down. "Okay, I'm in."
Jacob smiled in excitement. "This is going to be a memorable Christmas."
*******
The anticipation of seeing Christmas lights and then roasting marshmallows and singing Christmas carols afterwards stayed with the group for the next few days. While they were still nervous about the risks involved, nothing could get them out of the Christmas spirit that they were in.
On the night of Christmas Eve, just when it was completely dark, their destination was going to be a nearby Muggle village, one where it was less likely Snatchers would find them. Bundling up in their winter attire, the six of them Apparated as close as they could to the village without being seen. Then, they headed down, already mesmerized by the lights that were strung on the street lights and buildings.
As they made their way down the street in the main part of the village, the sound of Christmas carolers echoed throughout the atmosphere. A warm feeling came over everyone as the lights got brighter and the singing was louder than ever before.
Merlin, they really did forget how Christmas made them feel.
But when Oliver glanced over at Andrew, who had a somewhat uneasy look on his face. "You okay, Andy?" he asked. "If you're worried about any Snatchers finding us--"
"No, it's not that. " Andrew swallowed hard before going on. "You know, this time last year, things were a lot different for me. My family was alive and we actually got along those few days together. It was really nice to just be civil towards each other. Then, before I knew it, they were all gone right before my eyes." A few tears formed in his eyes as he huffed a sigh. "I can't believe it's almost been a year. Sarah would've loved this, you know, being out here, having a good time just taking it all in. If anyone knew what Christmas was really about, it was her." He took another pause. "I miss Sarah. I miss all of them."
Oliver felt his heart ache for his best friend. "I'm sorry, mate. It's hard knowing that you're still here when they're not."
"Yeah," Andrew replied, kicking the snow under his feet. "At least I still have you lot, and I'm grateful for that." He looked over at his girlfriend beside him. "Including you, Mary."
She lifted her head up in surprise. "Really?"
He nodded his head in response. "Really. I know we had a rough start, and I've been holding a grudge against you for so long now--"
"You had every right to hate me," she assured him. "I know me and my family did horrible things and I'm sorry our actions hurt you and your family and friends."
Andrew merely stared at her before replying. "Thank you. I hope we can start over, get a clean slate from both of us."
Mary nodded her head. "I'd like that."
When he shot her a small smile, he went back to gazing at the lights, eventually joining Eliza up front.
Oliver couldn't help but grin at Mary. "Well, I'm glad you two are on good terms now."
"I agree," Mary said, taking her hand in his. "What was Christmas usually like back at Hampstead?"
"Andy, Liza, and I would go walk around and look at Christmas lights," he explained. "Eliza's parents made the best hot chocolate, so we had that to keep us warm." He chuckled at the memory. "It was one of those things only the three of us did if we were in Hampstead for the holidays."
"It sounds nice," she told him.
"What did you do back in America?" he asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Not much. We had a huge Christmas dinner every year with other families we knew. You know, a tradition among the purebloods."
"Yes, I'm sure those were fun," Oliver commented.
"Oh, yes, tons of fun," she replied sarcastically.
"So how do you like this Christmas?"
"It's been very nice so far?"
"Are you tired of us yet?"
Mary chuckled. "I could never get tired of any of you."
Oliver smiled. "I'm happy to hear that."
As the two kept strolling, they watched as Jacob spun Violet around, resulting in the two laughing at one another before he pulled her in for a kiss. Andrew and Eliza were smiling with them, while Oliver and Mary did the same. As the two approached a street light, they stopped in their tracks when they noticed something hanging off of the post.
"Is that what I think it is?" Mary questioned, looking up at it.
When Oliver spotted the green color, he grinned. "Mistletoe," he said, then looking down to face Mary. "You know, it's tradition that we kiss under it."
She raised her eyebrows. "That's one tradition that I can get behind." With a smile, she leaned in and kissed him.
Oliver cupped her face in his hands, feeling nothing but warm when his lips met hers, despite the snow, despite the cold air around them. They remained in their embrace for only a few seconds, but it seemed as if time slowed down just a bit in order for the two to savor the moment.
Once the kiss was broken, the two went to catch up with the others. For the rest of the walk, it was nothing but laughing and beaming from the six of them. There was even some singing included, even though they all agreed how terrible they sounded. At the end of the stroll, before they headed back to the woods, Jacob bought some marshmallows from a nearby shop.
They Apparated back to their campsite and immediately got the fire going, where they made a circle and roasted the entire bag of marshmallows. For hours, they kept a conversation going until their voices were nearly gone. So when it was agreed that everyone was tired from their journey, they entered the tent and went to their own beds, drifting off to sleep.
While their fun only lasted for a few hours, it was the most cheerful they had all been in such a long time, and it was definitely a Christmas they would never forget.
A/N: Well, just a short and sweet chapter for y'all!
This chapter went in a different direction than I originally had planned, but I hope you liked it either way.
Song above is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra aka one of the best Christmas songs ever so don't fight me on this.
Comment, vote, y'all better get ready, because it's about to get really intense.
-A