That night Olivia slept soundlessly, not a single nightmare came for her, and nor did she have to have someone by her side to chase them away.
Charlie had kissed her sweetly, as if he couldn't get enough of her. Reluctantly he finally went to his own room, smirking back at Olivia as she gave him a lazily grin watching him walk down the hallway.
The next morning she woke with presents at the foot of her bed waiting to be opened. Mrs. Weasley had made Olivia an apron this year, ironically Olivia had made her one too. The twins got her a new paint set, Olivia had designed their joke shop logo as their gift this year.
Harry had given her a couple books on Muggle artists. And she had knitted him another cardigan for the DA lessons. Remus had gifted her special bookmarks, one that was metal flames, another metal feather, and one shaped as a crescent moon.
His gift from her was a note explaining that she had her Dad teach her how to make the Wolfsbane potion and next full moon she would be sending it to him.
There was three people that she wanted to exchange gifts in person with, Sirius, Charlie, and her Dad. Still in her pajamas she patted down to Charlie's room, knocking once and walking in.
"Happy Christmas!" She shouted causing Charlie to startle and fall out of bed. "Oops sorry," she said giving him a wary smile as he got to his feet.
Charlie wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in, "Happy Christmas Ollie," he said kissing her.
She pulled away and handed him his gift, "Open it!" She said excitedly. Charlie gave her a small smile and unwrapped the gift.
Inside was a medium size tote bag that zipped, Olivia had charmed it to be extended so he could fit whatever he needed into it and not run out of room.
"I thought that you could use it for when you travel so you don't have to lug baggage and stuff. I charmed it, so you can fit whatever you want in it." She explained.
"I'm sure it will be easier to carry than trunks and luggage back and forth." He said, "Thank you." He kissed her cheek. Charlie walked to his bedside table and pick up a present and handed it to her.
Olivia unwrapped it and opened the lid, inside was a small ring with a family crest, as she looked at it she realized it was the Snape Family crest.
Amor et Virtus. She read the words scripted on the crest. Love and Virtue. Olivia liked the words better than the Black family's, Always Pure.
She slid it on her index finger on the same hand she wore the one Sirius had gifted her, that she wore on her thumb.
"It's perfect." She said softly, smiling at the ring on her hand. Olivia kissed him and let herself be held in his arms for a moment before she left him to get ready and find her uncle.
After she slipped out her pajamas, and changed into her outfit she picked out for the holiday. She wore a emerald green wool sweater dress, that had a turtle neck, navy blue stockings and short chunky brown leather boots.
She threw her hair up into a messy ponytail, with fringe curls around her face. Olivia picked up her uncles gift and went off to find him.
She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him, in his finest robes wearing a Father Christmas hat, singing happily. In the drawing room he was admiring the Christmas tree, content with the world.
"Happy Christmas Uncle Padfoot!" Olivia greeted him, handing over the gift.
"Happy Christmas, Evans!" He replied accepting the box and unwrapping it. Sirius laughed pulling out the black dog collar and leash that had metal spikes going along it. And the dog tag,
Snuffles
If lost please return to Olivia Evans or Harry Potter
"I thought you got tired of your pink one, so I upgraded it for you." She laughed
"It's wonderful, thank you." He said pulling her into a side hug. Remus had come in to join them, Sirius held up the gift to show him what he got.
Remus laughed, "I believe I still like the pink one better."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "I was just about to give Evans her gift," he said. "Sit down there." Sirius said pointing to the couch. Olivia sat down looking up at the men. Her uncle placed a larger box in her lap.
She gave them a suspicious look, but opened it up. It was a leather jacket. The worn down material laid facing down, had be covered in patches and pins. From Sex Pistols to David Bowie, there was many designs. Olivia flipped the jacket to see the front of it.
On the right hand chest side, was embroidery of yellow thread. Sunshine.
She ran her finger over the stitching, it was new compared to the coloring of the other threads, like the word had freshly been added to the jacket.
"Use to be mine back in the day, got all the ladies wearing it." Joked Sirius, "I know it's a little worn and faded but I thought you'd might like it. So I'm passing it on to you." He said smiling softly at her.
"He thought he was the greatest thing in that jacket, still got the burned holes from where James tried to hex you because you kept looking at yourself in the mirror, hogging it. James couldn't fix his precious hair, that always looked a mess even when he fixed it." Said Remus, smiling at the memory.
Olivia felt the burn holes on the cuff, singed little holes no bigger than a pen.
"Of course, there had to be an addition made to it before it was yours." Said Sirius pointing at the yellow threaded word. "Thought that my rebellious, prankster niece deserved her own nickname."
Olivia smiled, showing all her teeth, "Wait, you mean to tell me... that I have my own-"
"Marauder's nickname, yes." Answered Remus with his own grin.
"Only seemed right since you followed in your dear uncles footsteps, and became an animagus." Sirius chirped. "Since you are a fiery little bird, and you keep us going with your bright and shining personality, it was only fitting that you was named Sunshine."
Olivia felt the tears coming, her bottom lip of her smile trembled a bit. "I don't deserve this, I'm no marauder! I can't even compare to you all... You both are legends..."
"Now we know that we have someone to count on to carry out our Legacy." Said Sirius happily. "Besides, it just feels right to pass it on, letting the tradition continue. Who better yet to do that, than you?"
"It took us forever to think of your name. Then it hit us, Sunshine!" Said Remus, smiling, "Not as great as Moony, but still pretty good." He joked.
"It's perfect, I don't know what to say..." she said softly staring at the jacket, a moment passed and she looked up at the men with a mischievous smirk. "Oh I'm gonna give Umbridge hell, when terms starts back!"
"That's music to my ears!" Said Sirius, placing a hand on his chest, chuckling.
All the sudden they heard welling from the kitchen, without a moment to think they all headed towards the sound, inside they found a weeping Mrs.Weasley clutching a knitted sweater with the letter P stitched onto it.
Lupin tried to comfort the woman, telling her that it all will be okay. Sirius slipped out of the room to go feed buckbeak. Olivia stared at the sweater, feeling the rage swelling in her chest.
While no one was paying her any mind, she stepped out and rushed to her room. Threw on her coat, tucking her wand in the inside pocket. She walked over to her desk and scribbled out a note.
I stepped out to run to the store, I'll be back, don't worry about me.
-Ollie
And with that, she left Grimmauld place. The streets were empty, she didn't expect anyone to be out today. Olivia knew that the stores were also closed, she had no plan to go there anyway. Navigating the roads, she followed them until she found herself on the outside of an apartment.
With one last look around to make sure she wasn't followed, she knocked. On the other side she could hear the rattling of a door chain being unlocked, and the door opened a bit.
The horn-lined glasses guy stared at her for a minute, shocked to see her. Then slowly, he straightened his shoulders and puffed out his chest, the same way he did when he use to wear his head boy badge at school. "Ollie? What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Hey Perce, can I come in? It's freezing out here." Olivia said sweetly. He furrowed his brow, looked left and right behind her, then stepped back to let her inside.
In the little apartment everything was extremely neat, and dull. Olivia shouldered off her coat and handed it to him. He hung it in a nearby closet, Olivia took in the sight of the room.
A brown couch sat with a end table and a large bookshelf, in the kitchen area of the room had white cabinets hanging on the walls, with a small square dinette table and two chairs.
"What you doing here?" He asked her again.
Olivia smiled at him, "It's Christmas, do I need a reason?"
Percy looked uncomfortable by her presence, "I planned to go into work, so you can't stay long." He said quickly.
"It's Christmas, like I said, the Ministry is closed today, so I know you aren't going into work." She said debunking his lie. She walked over and sat down on one end of the couch, patting the spot next to her.
Percy looked at the seat, and then the door, as if contemplating making a run for it, but he sat down eventually.
"I wanted to have a talk with you, I haven't got to see you around any since you left school, wanted to see how you was doing." She tried to be nice to him.
"I am doing just fine, prompted at my job, I am very important now, Assistant to Minister Fudge." He said bragging.
"I heard," she said keeping her tight grin, nodding her head. "What to know what else I heard?"
"What?" He said nervously
"That you sent back your Christmas sweater from your mum." She said letting the smile drop. "She's a mess you know?"
Percy flinched at her words, but kept his face straight. "That is none of your business."
"But it is, because it's Christmas and of all days, it shouldn't be today that she's reminded of the side you chose, she should feel loved by all her children, she should be happy." Olivia told him.
"She will be when she realizes that I have chosen the right side," he said smugly.
Olivia sighed, "Perce, you know me. We've grown up together, and you know that I have never lied to you, right?"
"Right," he said swallowing looking a bit sad.
"I know what they say about Harry, and I know that throughout school for him, it seems that trouble is always trying to find him and it does. I can understand how it seems, that it could make people not find him trustworthy." She explained, "But what about me? Perce, do you trust me?"
Percy looked at her, pursing his lips into a thin line, trying to find the words to say.
"You just said you know I have never lied to you. I know you trust me. So when I say, Voldemort is back, he is." Olivia said with a stern face.
Percy started shaking his head, denying what she said. "Minister Fudge-"
"Is a mental man, that believes the public can't handle the truth. I use to respect him, I did Percy." She said taking his hand, looking him in the eye. "But I stopped, whenever the night I came back from the graveyard covered in blood that wasn't my own, and told him the list of Death eaters that was there. Told him that Lucius Malfoy was the man that beat me. You know what he said?"
Percy shook his head again, Olivia continued.
"He looked me straight in my blackened eyes, and told me that Lucius Malfoy is a respected man and that he would never. You've never liked the Malfoys, but I want to know, do you now? Just because Fudge does."
Percy sighed and looked down, "No, I don't."
"Then do the right thing. Don't wait until it's too late." She pleaded with him.
"I'll think about it." He said, and Olivia nodded her head. Standing up to leave he retrieved her coat and put it on.
"Happy Christmas, Perce." She said with a sad smile.
"You too," he said holding the door open for her. "And Ollie?"
"Yeah," she said looking at him.
"I think you'll be good for Charlie." He told her with a soft smile. Olivia flung her arms around his neck and hugged him, dropping a folded piece of parchment on the floor behind him.
"See ya." She said walking out and heading back to Grimmauld place.
Percy closed his door and locked it. He headed to go to his room, when he stepped on the paper, and picked it up.
He knew Olivia must have dropped it because his place was spotless. Percy unfold it and read what was written on it.
Don't be what they want you to be. Be who you want to be.
-O
With the parchment in hand he went to his desk in his room, that had a framed photo sitting on it. Olivia had given it to him one year, it was in the summer when she was staying with them. She had snapped the photo of him and his siblings one evening, it was the summer that they were going to the World Cup.
Percy stood to the side of the other 6 Weasley children, all of them smiling for the camera in front of the Burrow. He tucked the parchment into the corner of the frame. And sat back staring at it in his desk chair, feeling the guilt build up inside of him.
How he wished to go back to the time that the photo was taken in. To go back to when the world wasn't flipped upside down. To go back to his family.