Let's pretend we
are still yesterday,
that we still have
another day.
"Jacob, tell the children to stop flying around the house. " a feminine was sounded in a living room, her voice worried, heard only by the person standing close to her. Her french accent seemed to get stronger with the bigger getting worry.
The man chuckled amused at his wife as he placed his two strong arms around her waist from behind her, now to watch the kids fly around the huge Christmas tree. The family already is gone, and the clock striking midnight, yet none of them made a move to get the kids into bed, enjoying the atmosphere.
"Let them. Kalina looks like she has fun. Just like Cayden. ," his eyes were just like the ones the blond girl held as she flew around, in the light of the fairy lights hanging around looking warmer than they looked in the past months. Both temporary flew near enough their parents that Jacob momentary placed his hands away from his wife to rather catch his two children in the air, one in each arm now. The children giggled, wiggling in the arms of their father.
"Papa, laisse-moi partir. (Papa, let go of me.) ," the oldest Atkinson child giggled out. Both kids managed to finally get themselves out of his arms, again flying carelessly around.
"Will you stop having the children speak French when I'm around? ," his arms again were around her waist, leaving the blond to chuckle. "You like it when I talk French and don't understand as much as now." He lightly nogged his head at her neck. "Yes because it is sexy. "
One of the children was flying on his new toy broom while the 6-year old girl flew behind him, acting as he flew way to fast for her. Their laughter was heard in the whole house, warming listeners hearts. The two parents only caught a glimpse of them from time as their living space was way too big to look over everything from one position, yet they remained near the tree.
"See, they're enjoying their presents. So at least they can start to play Quidditch. ," Alodie turned around in the arms of her husband, placing a hand on his cheek. He didn't lean into the touch but rather remained with his eyes focused on something further away, not, in particular, concentrating on it.
"Just because you now work in the Ministry doesn't mean that you have to stop playing Quidditch. You can still play it, maybe with the kids in the garden.," she said sincerely, looking worried at Jacob. She knew it wasn't his decision to stop playing Quidditch and to rather start working in the department of law enforcement.
" Not in the way that I want to.-And I have to focus on work. I've avoided the job for years now. My father is right, I have to take a serious job. " The french wasn't easy to fool herself, knowing fully well that the words he spoke out were from the endless discussions with his father.
"But if you don't like it-" "It doesn't change anything. Trust me - my family had tolerated my lack of a job in the ministry for longer now. " he kept silence for a moment, his gaze fixed on his two children, who hovered a little farther away in the air, one of them talking two the other while both quietly chuckled to themselves. "And it will not work any different for our children. "
Victoria stood in front of the smaller Christmas tree that was standing in the Gryffindor common room, watching the lights on it, making the room look brighter. Cayden and Chris sat a little further away, playing exploding snap while drinking hot chocolate and remaining in their casual clothes. She let them play on their own, clutching the letter her mother had sent her.
Dear Victoire,
you know how your father is, so because of you remaining in Hogwarts, I hope you agree with our decision. You are an understanding woman, and a smart one, so I believe that you will understand. But he and I agree that you and Cayden will definitely come home for the Easter holidays.
So please look from his perspective - it is a unique situation and unknown to your father, so please have understanding for his side of the situation. For the howler from your grandfather, please make sure your brother is okay. I put a letter from me to his present, I send you.
I miss you and I love you,
your mother
joyeux noel
The girl hadn't had expected anything other from the woman who gave birth to her. She had always been more of a loving wife than a loving mother. Jacob Atkinson was perfect in the eyes of his wife, leaving the loving woman to justify his actions in a way that made you see that when she loved, she loved whole heartily.
Victoria's facial expression had to be something between scoffing or smiling a little at the lovely words of her mother. Yet a light scoff got more to her decision/mood. The blond let her thoughts stop revolve around what Christmas could have been and regardings to her family in the future, but let her gaze wander towards the two boys who didn't mind her silence as the room was filled with anything but it.
A soft tune was flying around the room in a volume considered soothing, coming from something Chris had placed in the corner of the empty common room, still slightly leaving the crackling of the fire to be heard. The tree which Victoria stood next to was decorated colorful, having the remaining people get a little more into the Christmas mood as it were only 5 Gryffindors remaining in Hogwarts during the holidays, Victoria included.
But as the other 4 settled just like the blond in the castle, they weren't in the common room, leaving the 3 for their sleepover there a little more private. Victoria had offered them to join them, yet the others declined politely as they joined friends, or family in other houses.
Walking in a winter wonderland
Walking in a winter wonderland
The woman's voice slowly started to fade away, the black disc stopping to move as the song found its end. And even then, the silence wasn't complete there, as the thoughts of the representative ones seem to fill out enough of the room. Each of them was dressed in compare clothes, and while leggings and here old Montrose magpies pullover were the definitions of comfortable for Victoria, both boys went similar ways with being dressed in sweatpants and their quidditch house sweater, as Cayden not played quidditch yet, his sisters' ones had to fulfill the use.
The Atkinson gens held positive aspects, with not bad looking appearance being one of them, their height was another one. Victoria would probably go up to 5'8 feet, now standing 5'7 feet high, the blond boy was rather large for his age, 160cm high. So the sweater could easily pass as his own.
It was as Victoria sat down on the couch, her legs crossed, and her eyes fully focused on the two boys sitting on the carpet. Their games seemed to come to an end, "Again? How did you win again? , "Chris asked in disbelieve, his eyes focused on the game in front of him. The other boy didn't mind the success as he stood up and stroked towards the thing in the corner. "What is that? ," he asked, holding up the black object that moments before had caused the room to only then seem to look holiday like. Of course, he was just like his sister raised without the knowledge of anything regarding muggles.
It was a privilege to be a wizard - a pureblood.
That's the same "rule" they had grown up with, and the one her parents thought was the right reason to hold their children away from the muggle world. Victoria was a witch always curious about the muggle world, their way to deal with things without magic, and their way of interacting, but her fascination wasn't really outlived with the lack of contact with muggles and the ban from her grandfather to choose muggle studies, something unnecessary as she would spend the rest of her life in surrounding from wizards.
And while most of the times she held her curiosity to herself, her brother was a little more forward as most of the times he wasn't really interested. In her point of view not because the youngest Atkinson shared their families opinion, but rather as he only sometimes was curious, yet most of the time understood by himself what was going on, or simply didn't bother.
Chris didn't know that and as he skeptically looked from one Atkinson to another, Victoria quickly spoke up, her voice calm while she let the technical lie came out easy. "Our parents are not really the biggest music fans - besides, technology isn't really their thing." Chris nodded, despite his skeptical expression. It could have been from seeing right through the lie or from not understanding that someone didn't like music, him never being able to imagine a future without it. And as Chris explained and replayed the disc, both siblings listened to his explanation.
Soon again, they found themselves in front of the fire, sitting on the couch while eating from the stack of candy, lying on the table. Chris watched the two siblings unnoticed, noticing the resemblance in their behavior, as they both leaned quietly against each other, Cayden's head on his sister's shoulder and hers on top. While the Hufflepuff was happy about his relationship to both, especially to Victoria, he had noticed somewhere on the way, that she wasn't that much of an open book as she made people think she is, yet he didn't pressure her in a way she had to tell him, but rather remained on being there for her and conclude on some things.
Both siblings sat their calm on the velvet couch, their posture somehow even now perfect, while both read. While Victoria re-read one of her spell books, Cayden remained with potions. "You know that other people would read a normal lecture in their free time. " Similar both siblings looked up, before looking at each other and then again at Chris with raised eyebrows.
"You read your herbology book only moments ago. ," Victoria stated, and despite telling the truth, Chris only scoffed amused to mask up the word 'nerd'.
And as the 3 had previously found themselves reading, they now found themselves in a heated pillow fight. And while it was started with Victoria throwing the first pillow at Chris, the two boys were the most passionate in the fight. And as both laughing wrestled around in a pile of pillows, Victoria unnoticed levitated some pillows to her, building up a stack.
Only as the boys noticed the lack of pillows around them did they also noticed that Victoria was missing in their actions. Standing up again, the boys were faced with a smirking Victoria, surrounded by the pillows she easily had sneaked away. And only a second before the spell left her mouth, did the boys knew what she had planned and leaped forward.
"Oppugno" The word left her mouth to result in the boys falling back again from the pile of pillows which were now on top of them. And as it was silent for a moment, the three burst out in laughing, clutching their stomachs.
"Okay, you win. ," the two boys playfully grumbled, again hoping onto the sofa. Victoria smiled triumphing, and as it went unnoticed by the two exhausted boys, Victoria saw the clock striking midnight, telling her that it was Christmas. But rather than starting with the presents, the girl sat down to the boys, joining their conversation.
And forgetting time as an hour later, Cayden fell asleep on the armchair, leaving the two elder for themselves.
"So he has no problem in staying here? ," the boy asked the girl whose eyes were fixed on her brother. His blond hair was messy and his position cuddled up in a role, covered by a emerald green blanket. He fell asleep rather fast as he was exhausted from the activities they did during their day.
"I don't think anymore, and honestly, - now, I think its great that we are here. He is the happiest I have seen him in a while, especially during Christmas. " Chris nodded, placing his arm around her and pulling her closer. "And you?" "
The girl looked up to him smiling. "I'm happy."
And while the tiredness slowly started to win over both of them, one sleept longer than the other. With that, Victoria was woken up with the sight of Caydens eyes fluttering, and Chris missing. And as both kids looked around, a Hufflepuff entered through the portrait hole, holding 3 broomsticks in his arm.
"Common Atkinson 1 and 2, let's look at how the genes work together."
•••
"That is not normal that you two are so good at Quidditch. ," Chris said, watching the siblings fly around. From more experience, Victoria was better but as the youngest Atkinson flew around, his talent was immediately spotted by anyone around. And as they played round after round quidditch, they gained some watcher, seems like everyone who stayed in Hogwarts now watched the 3 on their brooms.
"There are a lot of girls watching you Chris. Anyone in particular there? , "Cayden asked while flying near the seeker. Chris smiled a little as he looked over to the group of girls, mainly ones from Ravenclaw. Immediately they giggled, which caused the boy to smile awkward and wave a little before turning back to the boy.
"I don't like girls that way. ," Chris said directly, a little nervous from the reaction the boy could give. But the Slytherin didn't seem bothered the slightest, having rather a small smirk on his face, before he spoke up again.
"Well, then you can embrace yourself in front of a boy you like, as you lose against the first year. ," Immediately he speeds away, having seen the snitch in the corner of his eye. As the boy broke out in laughter at the usual quiet boy, Victoria watching them smiling, having pushed back the thought that this was maybe only the calm before the storm.
And while she loved their Noel, filled with laughter till the end, there was something she had missed most Christmas. And somehow, despite the letters from her parents, grandparents, godmother, aunt and uncle - not everyone good, not everyone bad - , the sometimes lovely and sometimes flat gifts, the girl had a part of her missing - how the family would have been and how they were during holidays.