CHRISTMAS OF '80!
DECEMBER 1980
• • • •
"Oh, she's adorable, Holly." Delphina grinned, as she played her great-granddaughter, who was sat on her lap.
"She really is, isn't she?" Holland smiled, changing the record on the record player.
The Lupin and Lux family had decided to celebrate Christmas at Hollyhock Cottage. The fire was crackling, the turkey was in the oven and Christmas songs were playing from the record player in the living room.
"I bet Remus is obsessed with her." Lyall chuckled, nodding his head to the garden, where his son and wife were talking.
"Oh, you have no idea." Holland nodded.
"I just can't believe how big little Regulus has gotten." Larissa said with a laugh, as she and Oberon were playing with their grandson on the floor.
"I know," Holland chuckled, "This the most still I've seen him in weeks. He's like bloody Roger Bannister."
Her family laughed at the statement.
"Well, then he definitely takes after his mother," Jeremiah laughed, "When you were a baby, we'd sit you down, turn around for two seconds, and then turn back and you would just be gone."
Holland smiled, before looking out of the window, seeing Hope and her fiancé in a somewhat heated discussion.
"Are they alright?" She asked Lyall.
The man sighed, "Hope, uh. She just needs to tell Remus something."
Holland went to reply, but Remus entered the room, seeming rather upset.
"You alright, Rem?" The girl asked.
"My uh, my Mum wants to talk to you." Remus told her, kissing her cheek, before going upstairs.
"I'll go talk to him," Lyall said, going to follow his son, "You go talk to Hope."
"Okay," Holland nodded, grabbing a blanket off fo the back of the sofa, wrapping it around her shoulders, as she stepped out onto the porch of the back garden, "Hope?"
"Holland." The woman smiled.
"Is everything alright? Remus seems quite upset."
Hope sighed, looking down at her feet, "That's because I just told him something. Something his father and I should have told him the moment that we found out."
"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about, as well?"
Hope nodded.
"W-What is it?"
"You know how Remus would cover up being in the hospital wing after the full moon by saying that I was ill and he was visiting me?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it was his father and I who told him to tell that lie," Hope said, "Except..."
"You weren't lying," Holland finished her sentence, "Were you?"
Hope shook her head, "No." She whispered.
"Oh, Hope." Holland muttered, hugging the woman, who returned the embrace just as tightly.
"I need you to promise me that you'll look after each other."
"I promise."
***
It had been about forty minutes since Remus had retreated to him and Holland's room, and the sound of his footsteps making their way downstairs, made Holland excuse herself from the conversation that she was having with Elara and Theadore, greeting Remus at the bottom of the stairs.
"You okay?" She asked him softly.
He nodded slightly in response, "I think so."
Holland gave him a smile, "Okay. I love you."
Remus kissed her forehead, "I love you, too."
Oberon poked his head into the hallway, "Hey, since dinner won't be ready for another half an hour, my dear wife is insisting that we do presents now."
Holland sent her father a smile, "Okay."
Oberon gave the pair a nod, before disappearing back into the living room.
"You sure you're okay?" Holland asked Remus, as they made their way into the living room.
Remus smiled softly at her, "With you by my side, I'm always okay."
Holland blushed as they sat down on one of the sofa.
"Right, who's going first?" Larissa grinned excitedly, rubbing her hands together.
"Uh, I'd like to, if that's okay." Remus said, gaining nods.
Crawling under the beautifully decorated tree, Remus pulled a small, neatly wrapped box.
"Uh, Holly, this is for you." He muttered, holding the gift out to the girl.
Holland gave him a small grin, accepting the present, gently ripping the wrapping paper off of it. Seeing a small box nestled in the blue paper, Holland looked up at the boy with a raised eyebrow.
"What have you done?"
Remus smiled at her, "Just open it."
The girl complied, freezing at the contents of the box, a smile creeping onto her face.
"Told you I'd get you a ring."