Life continued at a slow pace during December.
Lee came and went from the house, recruiting Calliope, Fred, George and Ron for various episodes of Potterwatch. Kingsley Shacklebolt became a staple of the show and appeared on it almost as much as Lee himself. Despite the house being heavily protected against invaders, Lee did not ever stay long as he didn't want to give the Death Eaters any more reason to find the hiding place of his friends.
Molly invited Calliope, Fred and George to The Burrow for Christmas, but Calliope and Fred said that they wanted to spend their Christmas at home and George agreed. This was the excuse that they gave Molly anyway, as the real reason was that Ron still didn't want his mother finding out that he was back.
"Merry Christmas," Fred kissed Calliope awake on Christmas morning.
"Let me sleep," complained Calliope.
"Why would you want to sleep when you could be opening presents?" asked Fred.
"Because I can guarantee that at least one of the presents that you and George have got me will explode in my face." Calliope rolled over to face away from Fred. Before she could say anything else, the duvet was ripped away from her, allowing the cold air to hit her skin.
She pushed herself up onto her elbows and glared at Fred, who grinned widely at her.
The bedroom door opened at George walked in, before immediately covering his eyes and backing out of the room.
"Try knocking," Fred suggested as Calliope scrambled to shove a t-shirt over her head and Fred wrapped himself up in the duvet that he was holding.
"Merry Christmas to you too," said George, his eyes still covered, "are you decent?"
"Yes," said Calliope. George uncovered his eyes. "Merry Christmas George."
"I was going to ask if you wanted some breakfast, but it seems you're already having some," said George with a smirk on his face. Calliope threw a pillow at his face. George darted out of the room, laughing his head off.
Fred complained under his breath about George as he began to get dressed. Calliope pulled on a pair of jeans and patted Fred's back as she left the room to head downstairs.
"Merry Christmas Ron," Calliope said as she entered the kitchen, seeing Ron sat at the kitchen table eating some toast. "Harry and Hermione were in Godric's Hollow last night."
"What?" Ron's toast fell from his hand to the plate, taken aback slightly at how casually Calliope told him this.
"You Know Who caught up to them," said Calliope. She had seen the incident at Godric's Hollow play out in her dreams that night and she knew that Ron would want to know. "But they got away."
"We said we wouldn't go there," Ron groaned, "Hermione knew that Vol- You-Know-Who would have laid a trap there. Are they okay?"
"I think so," said Calliope, "they're alive anyway."
Ron sighed with relief.
"Are you going to try and go back to them?" Calliope asked.
"I would if I could," said Ron, "but I'll never find them. I wanted to go back the second that I left."
Calliope patted Ron on the back sympathetically, "things have a way of working out the way that they're supposed to. If you're supposed to go back to them, then you will."
********
They opened their presents in the late morning. To Calliope's surprise, neither of the twins gave her prank gifts, which made her feel a little bit guilty about the shampoo that she had got George, which would dye his hair blue when he used it, but she didn't feel too bad, mainly because of the teasing he had been dishing out to her and Fred after he walked in on them that morning.
Fred got Calliope some books which she had said she had wanted and she got him a box of rare potions ingredients for him to try and use in the potions for the shop.
After they exchanged presents and ate their Christmas lunch (cooked by Calliope, who was the only one in the house with even the slightest cooking ability), Calliope got to her feet to leave.
"I promised Remus and Sirius that I'd visit them," said Calliope when Fred asked where she was going, "you can come with me if you want to."
Fred immediately jumped up and the two of them made their way out of the house, beyond the border of the protective enchantments. They disapparated and appeared in front of the house occupied by Remus, Tonks and Sirius.
Fred knocked on the door, which was answered by Tonks.
"Merlin Tonks, you've got fat," said Fred. Calliope punched him hard in the arm.
"Merry Christmas," Calliope hugged Tonks.
"You need to work on your manners," Tonks told Fred teasingly. "Come in."
"Calliope," Remus greeted her with a hug as she entered.
"You bought luggage," Sirius noted as he saw Fred, who waved at him cheerily.
"Good to see you too mate."
Calliope did not know the other person in the room, but she was unmistakably the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange, making her Tonks' mother Andromeda.
The group exchanged gifts and any news that they had heard, which was minimal, however, Calliope did inform Remus and Sirius of Harry's trip to Godric's Hollow. Calliope and Fred left the house late, having somewhat forgotten the war raging on around them, if only for a day.
Sorry for disappearing for so long!!!