Fair warning, it gets pretty dark this chapter.

A dreadful Christmas: Chapter 18

Once again, the end of term came to a close, leaving hundreds of students to depart down towards the Hogsmeade station where they'd all be taken back to London. Harry and his friends had already secured a carriage for themselves to ride down to the station in, although the air was still thick with tension from the other night's activities. Rose had been eerily quiet since her argument with Harry, uncharacteristic of her completely. For his own part, Harry was a little distant from his friends, something that unnerved the rest of them completely. What should normally be a cheerful holiday mood seemed more depressed and oppressive than ever before.

"So…what are you lot doing for Christmas then?" Alec finally broke the silence.

Harry looked at him with glassy eyes. "Dunno…have Christmas dinner I suppose? I'll ask Grandma if you and your dad can come over. I'm assuming you lot will all be over?" Harry's question was directed at the Weasley's and Hermione.

"Of course we will. Either way we'll see you Christmas day!" Ron was rather exuberant, trying to uplift the mood.

"I'm afraid that mum and dad have other plans." Hermione lamented, "I think they want to go to some family friends for Christmas dinner. But I should be able to see you all on boxing day!"

Ron looked dejected, but Harry just offered a simple shrug. "That's fine. We'll see each other I'm sure."

As the carriages pulled alongside the station, students began to pile out and drag their trunks towards the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Harry helped Rose and Ginny get their trunks loaded up in a compartment, the former for brotherly love whilst the latter for how tired she looked. Sparing Ginny, a glance, Harry smiled softly, but it wasn't returned, as Ginny just took a seat on a bench and closed her eyes.

As everyone settled down, Harry took a hold of Rose's wrist and gently dragged her to his side. "Can we have a chat?"

Rose just shrugged and nodded her head as she let her brother lead her into the hallway. "What's going on? You've hardly said two words since last night? Is it because we argued?" Rose stayed silent, "Rose, please, talk to me."

"Fine, you want to know why I'm not talking, because we tell each other everything! We're more than just siblings, we're practically twins!"

Harry was a little taken aback but kept silent. "You…Y-you're my best f-friend Harry, my f-flesh and b-blood. We should b-be able to tell e-each other everything."

Taking his now sobbing sister in his arms, Harry ran a hand through her auburn hair as he cooed softly. "It's alright Rose. I don't want to tell you what Malfoy said because I don't want you to be worried."

"But I am worried! If my big brother, my protector, is worried about what some ponce like Malfoy said, then why shouldn't I be worried!"

Rose had a point, Harry thought, but he still didn't feel right about telling her. "Fine…you want to know what that prick said? He said he hoped you got k-killed by the beast that's roaming the school…among…other things."

Staying deadly still, Rose just looked up into her brother's eyes, a shimmer of worry coming through. "Thank you." Her voice was small and quiet, "Thank you for telling me Harry."

"You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you, right?"

"I know." Rose quivered, "I love you Harry, I know you'd do anything for me, as I would for you."

Smiling for the first time since last night, Harry pressed a soft, brotherly kiss to Rose's brow as he slowly released her. "Come on, let's go play a game of exploding snap. Maybe that'll wake Ginny up too."

Re-entering the compartment, most of the gang looked up from their own little private conversations, except for Ginny who was still thoroughly asleep. "All good you two?" Alec spoke up.

"Never better. Sometimes you just need to talk things over." Harry smiled.

Relieved smiles spread across the compartment like an infection. Rose, who had a smile from ear to ear, took a seat next to Alec. The older boy couldn't help but offer a rather flirty smile and wink that only sent the pair of them into a deep blush. Taking a seat next to Ginny, Harry gently nudged her elbow, but didn't get a response. The second time he tried it, Ginny's hand shot out and grabbed Harry's arm, only for her entire body to curl up into a ball against his side, with her arms thoroughly wrapped around Harry's and her head in his lap.

"Ginny!" Ron went forward to break his sister off of his best mate.

"Leave her!" Harry put up a spare hand, "She's alright. She's obviously tired, I don't mind."

In truth, Harry was more than alright with Ginny using him as a sleeping aid. If it meant seeing her normal vibrant self again then he'd take it. Besides, having her fiery red hair splayed across his lap, sparkling in the sunlight, was more than fair compensation for having to play exploding snap with one hand.

Half way through the trip, the twins came wandering through with some interesting news. "Have you heard, apparently…" George began.

"Crabbe and Goyle got knocked out…" Fred added.

"By flying cupcakes."

Ron and Harry shared a look before smirking. "Flying cupcakes? Sounds like magic to me. Sure they didn't just eat too much?" Harry answered innocently.

"Well, maybe they did…"

"But flying cupcakes don't strip off clothes."

Ron couldn't help but break into laughter at that bit. "W-wait a minute. You mean to say, someone found them in the nude?"

"That's exactly what we're saying Ronnikins…"

"You wouldn't happen to know anything, would you Harrikins?"

Harry just smirked as he shrugged. "Ask no questions and receive no lies."

The twins gave each other a look and grinned. "Good potential this one…"

"Surely he'll be ready to continue on with our work soon."

Harry shared a laugh with the twins as the rest of the compartment also let out a chuckle. As the twins left, Ron couldn't help but voice his questions. "How come Malfoy hasn't been around yet? You'd think he'd be all for gloating in our faces before Christmas."

"Haven't you heard? He's staying at Hogwarts for Christmas apparently." Hermione answered.

"What? How come?" Ron looked surprised, "I would've thought the smarmy bugger would be rearing to go home."

Hermione just shrugged as she flipped through her potions text book. "I don't know Ron, honestly. But maybe something is going on at home."

"Yeah…maybe. I don't like it though."

Harry, who was absentmindedly running finger traces along Ginny's shoulder, hummed in agreement. "It is a little odd. All those that are staying are staying because either their family are unable to collect them or…well…they're orphans."

Rose looked up at her brother and offered a small smile, one which he returned. "It is a little strange. There's only a handful of students staying, enough to count on two hands."

"Who cares honestly!" Alec spoke up, "He's out of our hair for a few weeks and so is this business about the heir of Slytherin. Let's just enjoy our Christmas holiday."

"Agreed. The smarmy bugger doesn't deserve anymore of our attention." Ron agreed.

Although a little perturbed to be interrupted, Harry just nodded and smiled in agreement as he turned back to the game of exploding snap. As always, the trolley Witch had impeccable timing, arriving just as the deck of cards finally combusted into ashes. By this stage, everyone had remembered that their stomachs were rather hungry so they all bought a little something. Ginny, who was still fast asleep on Harry's lap, was shaken awake gently by Harry's touch.

"Did you want to eat something Gin?" Harry spoke in barely a whisper.

Rousing from her blissful slumber, Ginny was rather groggy for a couple of moments until she jumped away suddenly as she realised what she was doing. "Harry! I'm so sorry! I didn't…You should've…"

"It's alright Gin." Harry raised a hand up to stop her worries, "You were happily asleep, I didn't mind at all. Now, are you going to eat?"

Although her stomach told her otherwise, Ginny certainly wasn't in the mood for eating. "Um…no that's okay, I'm not that hungry."

"Are you sure? Because I heard some growls that would've put Ron to shame."

An indignant Ron let out a huff but kept his food stuffed mouth shut. "Honestly it's okay."

"Nonsense, you're a growing girl." Harry insisted, eventually buying her some pumpkin pasties, "Besides, you haven't been eating much lately."

"I've eaten just enough thank you very much." Ginny snapped back.

Rose made a noise over her side of the compartment. "I thoroughly disagree. You've eaten not nearly enough. Just let Harry feed you for once, you did it to him plenty of times already."

Growling in defeat, Ginny accepted the pasties from Harry, refusing to smile even though her eyes shone. "Thanks…"

"It's alright Gin, anytime."

The rest of the journey was rather peaceful and uneventful thankfully, with most of the group chatting and playing games amongst themselves. Ginny snuggled herself back up against Harrys side, much to Ron annoyance. As the scarlet engine of the Hogwarts express pulled into Kings Cross, students began to stick their heads out the windows and wave to their respective families. Younger siblings ran along the platform as they watched their elder brothers and sisters shout out in excitement. Harry stuck his own head out the window, spotting a well kempt black dog running along the platform, ducking and weaving between the legs of students.

"Rose! Think that dog looks familiar?" Harry called back to his sister.

Rose stuck her head underneath Harrys, spotting the black dog immediately. "Sirius!"

The dog in question barked out in affirmation as his tongue lolled out of his mouth in excitement. As the train finally stopped, students began to pour out in the dozens, amongst them the group of young Gryffindors. Harry and Rose were immediately assaulted by Padfoot, who jumped up and licked both their faces as he circled around them.

"Hello Sirius, I see you've missed us then." Harry smiled as he scratched his godfather between the ears, eliciting a low whine of pleasure from him.

"Come on then, let's not keep Gran waiting." Rose smiled as she too scratched Sirius' fur.

Ron and Ginny were quick to spot their mother standing next to Harry and Rose's grandmother, alongside Jean Granger. A lanky, white-haired middle-aged man stood rather awkwardly next to them, engaging Alec's father in conversation.

"Daddy!" Luna, who was trailing behind Ginny, broke into a sprint as soon as she saw the white-haired man.

Hearing his daughter, Mr Lovegood turned and smiled as he caught his daughter. "My little moonbeam, I've missed you so much."

Various welcome homes were shared amongst the parents and their children, Alec and Lennox shared a tight hug as the elder embarrassed the younger by ruffling his hair. Hermione too had gone to hug her mother. Molly smiled as she saw her two youngest come up, only for her smile to dip a little as she saw the dark rings below Ginny's eyes.

"Oh, my babies, come here!" Molly wrapped the pair of them into a tight hug, causing both Ginny and Ron to cringe.

"Mum! That's enough!" Ron finally tapped out, leaving Molly looking a little abashed but still full of pride and love for her children.

Running a hand over Ginny's cheek, Molly frowned a little. "What's this darling? Are you not getting enough sleep?"

"Mum! I'm fine, please…just leave it." Ginny brushed her mothers' hand away.

Feeling a little annoyed, Molly obeyed her daughters wishes, reminding herself to bring it up later on when they all got home. Harry and Rose on the other hand were quite happy to give their grandmother a big hug each, Rose especially who had been feeling the tad bit homesick.

"Welcome home my darlings, I see Sirius already greeted you."

Harry let out a laugh as he gave Padfoot a pet on the nose. "I think he's just excited to see us."

"I'm surprised he didn't knock anyone down." Rose giggled as Sirius let out a yap of annoyance.

Slowly, Padfoot began to morph and change, bones cracking and fur giving way to the well-manicured clothing of one Sirius Black. "That's better! You have no idea how odd it feels just wearing fur."

"Maybe you should ask Neville's Grandmother, I hear she exclusively wears fur." Harry snickered.

Harry's laugh was cut off as Sirius scooped him up into his arms, putting Mrs Weasley to shame with how tight it was. "Come here ratbag! I've missed you!" Tapping out, Sirius let Harry catch his breath as he scooped Rose into his arms as well, "And you as well Rose Petal, I've missed you too!"

Rose, who's hug was much gentler, snuggled herself into Sirius' neck as she giggled. "I've missed you too Uncle Sirius."

"Uncle? What happened to Dogfather?" Sirius grinned as he put Rose down onto her own two feet.

"I prefer Uncle. I'm sure mum would've preferred it too."

Looking a little misty eyed, Sirius smiled and ran his hand through his long hair. "Not even home 5 minutes and you've already got me tearing up."

"Sorry Sirius. Come on, lets go home!" Harry cheered the mood up as he intertwined his arm with Juni's.

The shine of Ginny's flickering fiery hair caught the corner of Harry's eye as everyone began to head towards the floo grates. Harry sent a soft smile towards Ginny, who returned it with one of her own. Just being amongst her family made her look miles better then she did at school. A flick behind the ear made Harry look up at the grinning smile of his godfather.

"You're completely smitten, aren't you?"

Blushing deeply, Harry nudged Sirius in the side. "Shut up. She's been having trouble recently, I just…I'm worried about her."

The grin disappeared from Sirius' face as he too looked over at Ginny, who was talking animatedly with Fred and George as they caught up to their mother. "She looks fine to me."

"You didn't see her at school. She thrashes around in her bed and hardly looks like she's slept a wink in the morning." Rose added in on the Conversation, her arm holding on tight to Sirius', "Plus she's snapped at Harry a few times. She never snaps at Harry…ever."

Juni, who was subtly listening in on the conversation, looked down at her grandchildren. "That's no good at all. Maybe the poor thing is just struggling being away from home."

"Maybe." Harry mused, "We've tried to confront her about it but she just brushes it off."

"I'll have a chat with Molly. Perhaps she can have a chat with her and see what's wrong."

As the families reached the floo grates, everyone bid everyone a goodbye, Molly using the opportunity to sweep the non-blood related members of her 'family' up into her arms, namely Harry, Rose and Hermione. Harry and Rose both blushed furiously as Molly set them down finally. Whilst having their grandparents there to look after them, Molly brought the motherly love that Juni could only partially provide in her old age. And whilst neither would admit it out loud, they quite liked having Molly fuss over them and treat them like one of her own brood.

"Now, I expect you'll be over on Christmas then? You hosted last time, it's only fair that we host this time." Molly said as she sorted out the details of Christmas with Juni.

"If you insist." Juni smirked, "But you know you're more than welcome around at ours anytime."

"Thank you, Juniper, that's very kind." Molly beamed, "Come along then everyone, time we got home."

Pushing her gaggle of children towards the fireplace, Ron and Harry exchanged a good-natured smirk and back slap as they passed each other. Rose and Ginny pecked one another's cheeks in farewell, both girls looking rather melancholy at having to be separated. Not wishing to embarrass Ginny, Harry kept his farewell simple with a shy little smile that made the pair of them blush.

"See you Harry."

"Yeah…you too Gin."

Lamenting to himself as he watched Ginny's fiery hair disappear in the green flames of the Floo, Harry was brought out of his musings as Alec clipped him behind the ear. "I swear, if people keep doing that to me, I'm gonna start hexing people."

"Sorry Harry." Alec chuckled, "Couldn't help myself. Anyway, just wanted to say I won't see you till the New Year. Dad and I are heading back to Australia for Christmas, see some of the other oldies."

"What! But what about coming over to the Weasley's for Christmas?" Rose, who'd heard the conversation, stepped in.

Alec just shrugged and frowned a little. "Sorry guys, it's out of my hands. Have to see the oldies at some stage."

"Fine…well…see you then." Rose huffed and made her way towards the Floo where Sirius was smirking.

"Ignore her, she gets moody like that all the time. Have fun anyway, we'll see you in the New Year." Harry smiled at his friend, "Take care of yourself."

"Yeah, you too Potter. Look after that sister of yours."

"Will do." The two boys smiled at each other once more as they shook hands.

Finally, Harry pulled away from the rest of his friends, making his way towards the Floo grate where a very irate Rose was glaring at him. "Hurry up would you!"

"Alright! Alright! I'm coming."

Giving everyone one last wave goodbye, Harry followed Rose through the floo where he found himself tripping over his legs and landing almost flat on his face in front of Rose. "Looks like you were the one to cock up this time."

"Yeah yeah…shut it brat."

Letting out a chuckle, Rose offered her hand as Harry managed to get himself up. "Thanks."

"No problem Harry. Merlin, you're absolutely covered." Taking out her wand, Rose did a quick cleaning charm on Harry's clothes.

"Where'd you learn that?" Harry quirked an eyebrow.

Rose just shrugged. "Mrs Weasley showed Ginny and I a whole heap of basic household charms. Quite useful really."

"I bet." Harry grinned, "Makes chores easy hey?"

Blushing, Rose waved her hand in dismissal as she began to lug her trunk away. "I don't know what you mean."

Shaking his head, Harry followed his sister up the stairs and into his own room. Although he loved sharing a dorm with the other boys, Harry really did miss having his own privacy at times. Walking over to the window, Harry let Hedwig out of her cage so she could spread her wings and fly. His faithful companion hooted her thanks and head butted his hand before taking off into the sky, a streak of grey and white following her as Zeus came down from high above.

"So, home again." Rose's voice came from behind Harry.

Turning, Harry smiled and nodded his head at his sister. "Home again. You alright?"

"Yes…no…I don't know." Rose sighed. Taking a seat on her brothers' bed, Rose spread herself out on her back as she stared up at the ceiling. "I'm worried about Ginny. She isn't herself. And on top of all that, we've got some sort of monster on the loose. One that's blood purist."

Humming in thought, Harry took a seat next to his sister on the bed. "I have to admit, Ginny is acting strange. She doesn't…feel herself."

Sitting up, Rose quirked an eyebrow. "Feel herself?"

"There was this feeling I use to get with her…all through the summer before school. This feeling that I'd known her forever. But now when I look at her…"

Rose placed a hand on her brothers' arm. "When you look at her?"

"I don't feel that anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still have some mighty strong feelings for her. But she's not…she's not my Ginny. She's just…Ginny. A husk almost."

Looking a little disturbed, Rose just stared at her brother for a long while before speaking. "I'm worried."

"Yeah…So am I."

That night, the Potters, Evans, Sirius and Remus all sat around the dinner table in joyous moods as the whole family was home. Remus had come around just before dinner to welcome the Potters home, informing them that restoration work on Stag Run was almost complete and by the end of the school year should be finished.

"After that, I'm going to get to work on the estate, see how things are financially. I'll need Sirius to help me with that." Remus gave his old friend a smile.

"Don't you worry your furry arse Rem, I'll make sure you don't send our godchildren into the red."

Alex had let out a snort of laughter as the beer he was drinking spilled out the corners of his mouth. Juni had chastised him to no end as the entire table let out a fit of laughter. Even little Jeanne who was protectively sitting by her mistress's feet let out a bark of pleasure. Rose had been making sure to give her and Harry's furry companion plenty of scraps.

"So then my darling's, how has school gone so far?" Juni spoke up once the laughter had all died down.

"It's been…interesting." Harry answered.

"Harry's been accused of being the heir of Slytherin and unleashing a monster on the school that is petrifying everyone." Rose said simply.

Giving his sister a glare, Harry just sighed and nodded his head. "Like I said, it's been interesting."

"Heir of Slytherin? Are they bloody barmy?" Sirius snorted, "Jamie would be rolling in his grave. Don't worry Prongslet, you're not the heir of Slytherin, I can assure you that much."

Remus hummed in thought. "It is concerning though. How come Dumbledore hasn't said anything?"

"Perhaps the Governors are worried this will drive down enrolment rates." Sirius suggested.

"Or the old fool is too stubborn." Alex added.

Juni slapped her husband on the arm. "Enough Alex. Let bygones be bygones. It's all in the past."

"Grandpa's right Grandma, Professor Dumbledore isn't off the hook yet. Harry got hurt because he put us with those people! If anyone should be receiving our mistrust it's Dumbledore!" Rose burst out.

"Rose, come on…" Harry tried to calm his sister.

"NO! I won't come on! You trust him too much! Have you forgotten how hellish it was! How shit our lives were!" Rose had tears pouring down her cheeks, "You almost died! And then what! What would I do without you!"

Harry grabbed his sisters' arm and brought her against him. "I'm here though, and that is thanks to Dumbledore."

"You still got hurt…"

"And I'd get hurt all over again if it meant you were safe."

The table was eerily quiet, the only sounds being Rose's soft sobs and sniffles as she clung to her brother. A pair of soft hands on their backs made the Potters look up. There, staring at them both were the soft, emerald eyes of Lily Potter, her fiery auburn hair framing her perfect face.

"Mum…?"

The pair blinked, and Lily Potter was gone, replaced by the greying auburn hair of their Grandmother. "Are you two okay?"

"Um…yeah…we will be. I think it's time for bed. It's been a long day." Harry replied as he stroked his sisters back.

Rose was silent throughout the whole ordeal, her head buried in the crook of Harry's neck. Extracting his sister from her chair, Harry kept a firm hold on her as he lifted her up into his arms, her arms going around his neck.

"Harry, do you need me to…"

Holding up a hand to stop Sirius from taking Rose, Harry shook his head. "It's alright, I've got this."

"Getting stronger already, better start giving you a workout." Sirius grinned, although it didn't shine all the way up to his eyes like normal.

Wishing everyone a goodnight, Harry made a beeline for his own room, Jeanne on his heels as she whined a little worriedly at her mistresses' condition. "It's alright girl, she's just a little tired."

Plopping Rose on his bed, his sister opened her red, blotchy eyes to stare up at her brother. "Could you get my nightie please?"

"Of course, you just relax." Harry was unable to refuse his sisters request, even if he wanted to, her voice being so soft and afraid that it broke his heart. Months of progress potentially set back over one little outburst.

Grabbing a light, powder blue nightie for his sister, Harry hurried back to his room and let Rose get changed into her nightclothes, and vice versa. Once he was comfortably into his pyjamas, Harry slipped into bed alongside Rose as Jeanne jumped onto the bed, circling a bit before plopping herself down between her owners.

"Talk to me sis, what's on your mind."

Rose's eyes fluttered open, her normally bright chocolate eyes dull and red. "I was remembering."

"Remembering what?"

"What he used to do."

A sick taste came to Harry's mouth. "Who?"

"Vernon."

"What did he do…"

"He touched me." Rose shuddered out the words, tears coming to her eyes, "He touched me in places that no one should."

Disgust was replaced by rage as Harry felt his whole body tense and his teeth almost shatter at the amount of pressure he was exerting on them. "He what?!"

"Harry…"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry's voice had calmed, but there was still anger in his voice.

Rose just shook and let her tears flow. "I was scared…scared you'd be ashamed of me…disgusted by me."

"What!" Harry sounded aghast, "I could never be ashamed of you! Or disgusted! You're my sister. My flesh and blood. Your protection is my responsibility."

Slowly, Rose's tears subsided, her head once more buried into her brothers neck. "I love you."

"I love you too Rosie. You're my sister. I'll never…ever…be ashamed of you." Pressing a kiss to his sisters' brow, Harry let out an angry growl. "He'll pay. I'll make sure of it."

Rose said nothing, her quiet breathing becoming steady as Harry realised, she'd fallen asleep. Looking down, Harry brushed his sister's hair out of her eyes before turning off the light. "I'll make him pay. I swear."

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The leadup to Christmas was rather subdued, Rose's revelation to Harry soon becoming knowledge to the Evans and her uncles. Remus had to stop Sirius from storming off to the Dursleys when Rose had told them all. They were all seated in the loungeroom when Rose decided to tell them all what Vernon had done to her through the years. Juni, who'd had a sneaking suspicion, had her concerns confirmed when she heard her granddaughter tell her of her ordeal. Almost immediately, Juni had gone and wrapped her arms around Rose as her little girl's eyes began to cloud up with tears again. Alex wasn't much better, and was already looking at Sirius with a look of understanding passing between them. There was a list growing in their heads of who had to pay, and number one was Alex's son in law.

For Rose though, telling her family what'd happened to her had been incredibly cathartic, a weight coming off her chest as she realised, she had the support she needed to pass these trials. Harry was Harry of course, his unconditional love and support for his sister the main reason why Rose had the strength to come out and tell everyone. She hadn't told Ginny yet though, and that was a conversation that she knew would be hard for her. Ginny was her best friend and she knew she'd have her support. What worried her was how Ginny would react. She might well go and join in Sirius' and her grandfathers plans.

Now, after the last couple of days of trauma were past them, Harry and Rose were finally getting back out of the house and over to the Weasley's to have a bit of fun. Snow had already begun to fall on the ground, a strong promise of a white Christmas that had everyone excited. Wrapping up warmly, the two Potter siblings took the floo over to the Weasley's where they stumbled upon a serious looking chess match between Ron and his elder sibling Bill.

"What kind of move is that! Honestly Ron, I thought you were the king of chess!" Bill gloated as he took one of Ron's knights. Harry and Rose had kept to the side, although the twins had noticed them and sent them a wink.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong dear brother of mine." Ron grinned as he moved his queen across the board, "Check mate."

Spluttering, Bill looked down at the board, his finger tracing the pieces until he finally made the conclusion that he had thoroughly been beaten. "Bloody hell. How the hell did you do that?"

"I'm the king of chess, simple."

"Don't worry Bill, he beats me all the time too." Harry spoke up from the sidelines. Ron and Bill looked up from the board, the former giving them a face splitting grin as he scrambled up onto his feet.

"When'd you two get here?"

"Just a moment ago, we thought you could use the quiet." Harry grinned.

Bill let out a chuckle as he offered out his hand to the Potter siblings. "Harry, Rose, good to see you both again. How are things?"

Harry shrugged while Rose remained quiet. "Eh, could be better. Did Ron tell you about the whole, 'heir of Slytherin' thing?"

Bill nodded. "He did. It's very concerning. What's Dumbledore doing about it?"

"We're all not too sure at the moment. I think he's just trying to contain it at the moment."

Letting out a grunt, Bill nodded his head once more. "Hopefully it gets sorted out…and soon."

"Um…where's Ginny?" Rose finally spoke up.

"She's up in her room, doing Merlin knows what." Ron answered.

"Probably writing pretend letters…" George spoke up.

"To her secret lover…" Fred added.

"Or maybe just to Harrikins." George finished.

Spluttering, Harry flipped the twins the bird as the room laughed, all except Bill who looked a little taken aback. Rose had slipped out of the room unnoticed, intent on finding her best friend. As the boys settled down to watch Harry get thrashed by Ron, Rose sought out her best friend. Knocking on Ginny's door, a raspy voice answered.

"Come in!"

Sticking her head in, Rose caught sight of Ginny sitting on her bed, flipping through a book. "Rose!" Ginny bounced up as soon as she saw her friend, "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too." Rose grinned as she was grabbed up into a Weasley hug, "What's wrong with your voice?"

Ginny blushed a little. "Oh…well it's kind of embarrassing. I was yelling at Ron yesterday during Quidditch. He just wouldn't listen to me! So, I shouted myself hoarse, I think I lost my voice."

"That's no good. I hope you haven't been overdoing it."

Ginny shook her head. "No, that's why I'm up here. Where's Harry?"

"Downstairs I imagine." Rose answered, "Probably playing chess."

Letting out a snort, Ginny unwrapped Rose from her arms and dragged her over to the bed. "So…what's up?"

Staying silent for a moment, Rose looked up at her best friend and frowned. "What's wrong? Rose…?"

"I need to tell you something…"

For almost a solid half hour, Rose had told her best friend everything that had happened to her as a child. Ginny, a testament to herself, stayed silent throughout Rose's speech, only offering support in the form of a hand hold. When Rose was done, Ginny said nothing, just taking her best friend in her arms as Rose let out soft sobs.

"Thank you."

Rose let out a strangled laugh. "What for?"

"For telling me silly. That takes a lot of courage to do that."

Separating herself from Ginny, Rose smiled softly at her friend. "Thank you for listening."

"Of course. That's what sisters are for."

"Sisters?"

Ginny grinned. "Of course! Honestly Rose Potter, I thought your brother was thick! You might not be a Weasley, but you're the closest person I have to a sister."

New tears sprung to Rose's eyes, this time from joy and happiness rather then shame and terror. It was Rose's turn to grab Ginny, her arms going around the taller girl's neck. "You don't know how much that means to me."

"I can imagine it means about the same as it does to me." Ginny giggled, "I've always needed a sister, and then you came along and filled that role."

"Brothers are fantastic, but you really can't beat a sister, sometimes can you?" Rose chuckled.

Joining in on the laughter, Ginny nodded as she untangled herself. "True. Although I think I'd rather have Harry as a brother than my own."

"He is wonderful isn't he. He sat with me the other night, when I had a panic attack. That's what made me tell him. He was so supportive and understanding…although I'm a little afraid of what he'll do to them."

"Too right. If I were in his position, I'd be going over there to curse them straight away."

"You mean you won't now?"

Ginny shook her head. "It's not for me. It's for you and Harry. You're his flesh and blood, I know Ron would want to deal with it personally."

Rose thought for a moment as she twirled a lock of auburn hair around her finger. "Part of me really hopes he does do something."

"If he doesn't, which I doubt he won't, I bet Sirius, Remus and your grandpa will be more than happy to do something."

For the rest of the afternoon, the two girls talked up in Ginny's room, only being disturbed by Molly once, who had come up to say hello to Rose. It wasn't until well past midday that they were disturbed again, this time by Harry and Ron.

"'Ello 'ello, what's all this then?" Harry stuck his head in and smiled as he watched Rose and Ginny laugh at something they were discussing.

"Harry!" Ginny smiled brightly, "Come in!"

Following Ginny's directive, Harry stepped into the room, an amused looking Ron following. "Typical, happier to see Harry than her own brother."

"Hush you. I see you every day. I haven't seen Harry in ages."

"It's only been a few days." Harry chuckled.

"That's too long." Ginny's eyes were watching Harry's then, her fudgy eyes going darker.

Swallowing hard, Harry took a seat on the floor, Ron joining him. "Yeah…anyway! Are you okay Sis?" Harry asked as he stuck his hand out to squeeze Rose's.

"Yeah…I explained everything to Ginny. It's all good."

"Explained what?" Ron nosed in.

"None of your bloody business mister!" Ginny through a pillow at Ron, who swiftly caught and returned it.

"Alright, alright! Keep your secrets then!"

Rose held up her hand to stop the siblings squabbling anymore. "It's alright Ginny. You can tell your brothers later. I can't…I can't talk about it again." Nodding her head in understanding, Ginny took Rose's free hand in her own, giving it a squeeze of support. "So! Who won chess?" Rose put on a smile.

"Surprisingly Harry did." Ron lamented, "Got me with a surprise move that I did not see coming."

Harry grinned victoriously as he bathed in the glory. "Beware my power Ron, I'll soon usurp your crown."

"Keep dreaming Potter. You just had a lucky match."

"Cockiness is a sure-fire way to lose your crown Ron." Ginny grinned.

Scowling, Ron just waved his sisters advice off as Harry let out a chuckle. "You should listen to your sister Ron, you might just learn a thing or two."

"And not just about chess either." Ginny teased, "You could use a lesson or two on how to talk to girls. I'm sure Hermione would appreciate that."

The tips of Ron's ears went bright red, as did the rest of his face as he ducked it. "I don't know what you mean! We're just friends."

"Ah ha." Ginny grinned.

Harry looked completely lost at the exchange, and Rose just silently smiled. "What? Ron and Hermione? Are you nuts Gin?"

"Only slightly."

Harry let out a laugh at Ginny's comment. Already his heart was thrumming and everything felt right again. He could feel that this Ginny, the Ginny here in this room, was his Ginny. He couldn't explain it, but it just felt right, like it had before school started. "Have you been getting enough sleep by the way?"

"I have actually! I've been sleeping like a log; I've even slept in a bit." Ginny blushed.

"Almost as bad as me sis. Be careful, the twins will find out soon enough." Ron laughed.

Scowling at her brother, Ginny just huffed as she turned her attention back to Harry. "Anyway! Yes, I've been sleeping a lot better thank you Harry."

For the rest of the afternoon, the group of friends sat up in Ginny's room and chatted amongst themselves. Gone was the tension that was surrounding them back at school, right there and then it was as if it was the summer before school all over again. When it was time for the Potters to head home, Ginny didn't waste anytime at all in giving Harry and Rose tight hugs, although the one she gave Harry was considerably longer and tighter than Rose's. It warmed Harry's heart to see her acting like her usual fiery self, a stone throws away from how she was acting at school.

The rest of the lead up to Christmas was much the same as in previous years. Harry and Rose had both gone out with Remus and Sirius during the day to get presents for everyone. Harry and Rose's presents included a new set of knives for their grandmother (magically sharping no less), some experimental seeds for their grandfather to try and grow, various knickknacks, books and sweets for the Weasley's, Hermione, Luna and Alec. They also bought a new coat for Remus and a joint photograph of the pair of them for Sirius to put on his nightstand. Harry also bought a wand voucher from Ollivanders for Ginny, sick of her having to use her great aunt's wand. Harry also got Ron a voucher for Magical Menagerie, with enough money to buy whichever companion he'd prefer. And for his sister, Harry bought a 'do it yourself' potion making kit for when they were at home. His little sister had shown an aptitude for potions, her curiosity of Polyjuice potion spiking her interest in potions. Rose meanwhile had bought Ginny a new set of fancy quills that had different cursive styles charmed into them as you wrote. It was girly, but Rose knew that Ginny needed some girly things. For her brother, Rose thought she'd be unique and buy Harry something completely new and mental, which was a perfect way to describe the lockpicking set she had bought for him.

Christmas morning arrived before anyone was really truly prepared for it. The soft pitter patter of feet rushing down the stairs was the first thing Juniper heard as she sat with her husband in front of the fire in the loungeroom. Underneath their Christmas tree sat various boxes and packages, begging to be unwrapped.

"Merry Christmas!" Rose was the first into the room, jumping into her grandfather's arms with a soft thump.

"Merry Christmas darling girl." Alex grimaced as his old bones ached a little from the impact.

Harry was much more sensible, although still just as excited, as he went other to greet his grandmother. "Merry Christmas Grandma."

"Merry Christmas sweetling. Why don't you and your sister go ahead and open up your presents."

As per usual, Rose took it upon herself to distribute the presents to those that were present. Juni and Alex were both rather pleased and surprised at the gifts their grandchildren had gotten them. "I've never heard of this brand of knife; I take it they're magical?"

"They certainly are. There's a small blacksmiths shop in Diagon Alley. They're enchanted to always stay sharp and never rust!" Harry explained excitedly as he sat by his grandmother's feet.

"Thank you darling, that's very sweet of both of you."

"So um…what exactly are these seeds?" Alex asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

Rose just laughed and shook her head. "They're not dangerous Grandpa, they're just magical seeds. I think some of them might just be flowers that change colour with the season."

"Well, thank you anyway darlings, I'm sure I'll enjoy seeing what I can do with them."

"Who knows! You might grow a giant beanstalk!" Rose giggled as Alex let out guffaw.

On Harry and Rose's turn, the pair of them grabbed the presents from their grandparents first before opening each other's. Rose got a bird watching diary from her Grandfather to help her keep track of her sightings, whilst her grandmother got her a selection of age appropriate makeup. Her Grandmothers gift made Rose blush furiously as she questioned the gift.

"You're becoming a young lady now darling; you might like to try putting some on from time to time. Your mother wore very little and I thought you'd be the same so I only got you a few things." Juni explained.

Letting the blush fade, Rose smiled softly at her Grandmother. "Thanks Grandma, I've never had makeup before."

"Hey, at least this way you can really make your pouts stand out." Harry teased, earning himself an elbow to the ribs.

As for Harry, Juni had given her grandson a cookbook that she'd received from her own grandmother. Handwritten and in blotchy, browned paper, the book had intricate details about ingredients and recipes from the early 1880s until the 1920s.

"I know the food might be a little out dated, but your great…great grandmother use to love experimenting in the kitchen." Juni smiled fondly at the memories, "And since you, my wonderful young man, have a knack in the kitchen, I thought you might like to keep her legacy going."

Harry beamed at his grandmother as he stroked the book with almost a reverence. "Thank you, Grandma. I'll make sure to make her proud. Even if that does mean cooking lambs fry."

Juni let out a laugh as she ruffled Harry's hair playfully. Moving over to his grandfathers present, Harry ripped opened parchment paper wrapped gift, his eyes boggling at the sight. "Wicked!"

There in Harry's hand was an old looking pocket knife, the varnished walnut handle a little cracked but still in good condition. "Be careful with that one Harry. I've had that knife for almost 50 years. Served me well all through the war and afterwards."

Examining the outside, Harry ran a finger over the Victorinox engraved symbol. "This is a swiss army knife!"

"It is. It's an old one, but it still does the job. Go on, open up the tools, have a feel for it."

Flicking open the main blade, Harry gently ran his finger over the blade, hissing a bit as he felt the metal nick his skin. "Ouch! Still sharp."

Alex let out a chuckle. "Careful Harry, I've kept her nice and sharp. She should serve you well, if ever you need to do something quickly and you find yourself without a tool."

Putting the blade away, Harry shoved the knife into his pocket and sent a grateful smile to his grandfather. "Thank you, it's wonderful. Are you sure you don't want to keep it?"

"Harry, it's time you have it. I've no sons to pass it on to, time for you to have to my darling man."

Blushing furiously, Harry just nodded his head as he shoved the knife into his pyjama pocket. Just before breakfast, Sirius and Remus both arrived at the Evans to spend the day with their godchildren. Remus was the first through the floo, dressed in his best clothes, even if they were a little ripped.

"Merry Christmas all! Sirius is just collecting the last of the presents." Remus smiled as Rose and Harry rushed over to grab a hold of him around his waist, "Have you both had a good morning?"

Harry nodded as he beamed up at Remus. "We have! Rose even got some makeup."

"Shut it…Merry Christmas Uncle Moony!" Rose smiled up.

The whooshing sound of the floo activating signalled the arrival of Sirius. "Merry Christmas all!" Sirius boomed out. Quickly disentangling themselves from Remus, Rose and Harry slammed into Sirius with enough force to almost send him flying. "Bloody hell you lot, careful. I'm an old man you know."

"You're not that old Padfoot." Harry teased, "Merry Christmas Uncle Siri."

"Merry Christmas Prongslet. Merry Christmas Petal." Sirius grabbed both his godchildren into his arms and swung them around a bit before putting them both down.

Quickly handing out presents, Sirius watched as Rose and Harry opened their presents from Remus and himself. Coming into the room with a couple cups of tea, Juni smiled as she handed them both off to her daughters two friends. "Merry Christmas boys. I hope they didn't assault you too badly."

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Sirius grinned as he ruffled Harry's already messy hair.

Reverting back to their actual ages, Harry and Rose acted just like how excited children should on Christmas day. They ripped open their presents from their uncles and let out excited cries as the presents were revealed. Harry laughed at the bag of pranking supplies from Sirius, shaking his head in amusement as he opened Remus' present, his own wizard's chess set. "I'm sure Ron will want to break it in tonight." Harry commented.

Rose meanwhile, received very pretty silver watch from Sirius. It had a thin band with little vines and leaves etched into the silver whilst the face itself was decorated with black quartz numerals. "Oh, Uncle Siri…it's beautiful! Thank you!" Rose jumped up and grabbed her godfather once more, holding him tight around the neck as she squealed in delight.

"You're very welcome my little Rose Petal. You deserve to have some jewellery of your own. Plus, everyone needs a watch."

Letting go of Sirius, Rose went back to open the present from Remus. The paper wrapping gave way to reveal a small hessian bag, inside residing a brand-new set of garden tools, all with her name etched on the wooden handles. "Uncle Remus! This is brilliant! Thank you!"

Much like with Sirius, Rose jumped up and grabbed her uncle around the neck and thanked him profusely for such a generous and thoughtful gift. "It's perfect Uncle Remus. I can put them to good use in the garden."

Remus chuckled as Rose pushed herself away little to look at her uncle in the eye. "Your grandfather told me how much you liked to help in the garden. So, when you come back for summer you can get stuck in with your very own tools."

Rose wiped a stray tear away as she nodded her head and sat back down again, a broad smile on her face as she traced her finger along the etching of her name. Remus and Sirius opened their presents soon after, both smiling and letting out little gasps of surprise as they looked at their godchildren. Remus especially loved his new coat, brand new and without any wear and tear. Deciding then and there to put it on, Remus modelled for everyone, earning a very cheeky standing ovation from Sirius, who was happy to wolf whistle as Remus did a little mock twirl.

But the joke was soon on Sirius, as he let his tears flow freely when he saw the portrait of Harry and Rose gifted to him by said pair. Running a finger over their faces, Sirius gave them a watery smile as he thanked them both, letting his charges wrap their arms around his body once more. "It's lovely, thank you. I don't have many pictures of you and none of you from now, I'll make sure to put it by my bedside."

With presents done and out the way, everybody headed into the kitchen where Juni was finishing up a big Christmas morning breakfast spread. Mouths began to water as all sorts of delicious sweet and savoury delights piled onto the table, children and adults alike digging into the food as Juni sat back with a delighted grin on her face. It didn't bother her in the least that Remus and Sirius were almost over every night for dinner and sometimes for breakfast as well. She missed having a full house and so welcomed having the young men in her kitchen. Alex certainly didn't mind it either, happy to have some company to talk shop with. So, seeing them both there, doting over her grandchildren, made her heart light up.

"Everybody happy with their presents then?"

Both Harry and Rose nodded happily as they raced to see who could swallow their food first. "I won! Very happy grandma!" Rose exclaimed, her tongue sticking out at her brother, "I'm really looking forward to tonight though."

"I don't doubt that in the least my sweetheart. We'll head over just past midday; I'm sure Molly could use my help." Juniper smiled at her granddaughter.

Breakfast ended with full bellies and happy smiles all round as the ramshackle family enjoyed each other's company before it was time to head over to the Weasley's for the rest of Christmas day. Dressing up in neat but still comfortable clothing, the Potter and Evans family, Plus marauders, took the floo over to the Weasley's where they were greeted by a puff of snow in their faces. "Bloody hell!" Sirius let out as he almost fell over into Remus' arms.

"Whoops!"

"Sorry Sirius!"

"We thought Rose and Harry…"

"Would be the first ones through…" Fred and George looked rather sheepish as they hid themselves behind the couch where they waited for their prey.

Sirius grumbled as Remus chuckled and cleaned the snow from Sirius' face with a quick spell. "Watch your back you two, never mess with the prank masters."

"That sounds like a challenge to me Fred." George grinned.

"One that I think we would be mad to refuse." Fred added.

"So bring it on old man!" The twins finished in unison as they fled a conjured snowball Sirius chucked their way.

"Bloody…little gits." Sirius grumbled some more as Remus clapped him on the back and steered him out of the path of the floo.

"I guess this is Karma then hey Pads, about time you got pranked."

Sirius flicked Remus on the nose as he grumped past just as the sound of thundering feet came down the stairs as Ron came to greet his best friend. "Oh! Hello Sirius, hi Remus. Is Harry here yet?"

"Him and Rose should just be right behind us." Remus said as he offered Ron a handshake in greeting.

On que, Rose was thrown out of the floo, gracefully landing on her feet as she quickly sidestepped to miss the oncoming ball of raven hair that was her brother. Landing flat on his face, Harry groaned for a moment as Ron and Rose stood over him with bemused smiles. "Honestly mate, it's like you make up for missing out on Quidditch injuries with floo injuries." Ron smirked.

Rose couldn't help but snicker as Ron helped her brother up. "Keep laughing you two. Just you watch, I'll have my vengeance!"

"Ah ha. I'm shaking in my boots." Ron grinned as he joined Rose in brushing the soot off Harry.

Moments later, Juniper and Alexander came out of the floo, with a tad less grace than Rose but still miles better than Harry. Molly came bustling into the room, sweeping everyone up into her arms for hugs, even the vastly taller Sirius, Remus and Alex, the later planting a friendly kiss on her cheek that made the redhead blush and splutter.

"You old flirt." Juni smirked as she whacked her husbands' arm.

"You know me love, you're the only redhead for me." Taking his wife's waist, Alex leaned down and planted a very passionate snog on Junipers lips.

Rose, Harry and Ron all made gagging noises before Sirius clipped them around the ear. "Shush you lot. Be lucky if you last a fraction of the time with your partner."

As seasonal greetings were carried out, Harry couldn't help but notice the absence of one of the most vital Weasley's. "Where's Ginny?"

"Oh, um…I think she's up in her room?" Bill shrugged as he popped a sugar cookie into his mouth.

Giving Ginny's eldest brother an eyebrow raise, Harry decided to go drag his friend down from her hidey hole. Knocking on the youngest Weasley's door, Harry waited for a moment to hear her voice beckon him in, only to be met with Silence. "Ginny? It's Harry. Are you coming down for Christmas anytime soon?" Although there was a hint of teasing in his voice, Harry still couldn't help but sound slightly concerned.

Swinging his hand back to wrap on the door once again, Harry was met with air as the door was suddenly swung open, revealing a grumpy looking Ginny Weasley. "What do you want."

"Merry Christmas to you too Gin." Harry had a bemused smile on his face, "Everyone's downstairs if you wanted to join us?"

"I'm not feeling well. I might come down later."

Frowning, Harry's heart dropped as he realised this was the same Ginny he'd been dealing with at Hogwarts. A husk of his friend. "Are you alright Gin? What's the matter?"

"I just told you, I'm sick!" Ginny huffed in annoyance, "Now leave me alone. I'll come down for presents later."

And with that, Ginny slammed the door in a bewildered looking Harry's face. Standing there for a couple moments, Harry had half a mind to knock again and demand more answers, but before he could he heard his name being called from downstairs. "Harry! Come play some Quidditch!" Ron called.

Sighing, Harry placed his hand against the door for a moment before slinking away, his shoulders slumped. As Harry disappeared from the hallway, Ginny's door opened a fraction as two bloodshot fudge brown eyes stared down the halls. "Help…me…"

Making his way outside, Harry noticed that Rose was standing off to the sidelines with Percy, engaging the Weasley brother in light conversation. "So how exactly do brooms fly?" She asked the elder boy.

"Well, there's all sorts of charms built into the wood. That's why they end up worse over time, the charms begin to fade and wear away. Some of the best and premium charms can last decades, and it's been known that some manufacturers carve runes into the wood, although it's not very common here in Britain." Percy explained, his eyes upcast as he watched his brothers zoom around.

"How come you don't join them?" Rose asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, Percy looked down at the youngest Potter. "How come you don't join your brother?"

"Afraid of heights. I've been getting better though; Harry's been teaching me. I just don't feel like it today though, too cold."

Percy hummed in thought as he sat there in silent contemplation for a moment. "I suppose I've never really seen the thrill in it. I prefer to have fun by learning a new spell or mastering a potion."

"I get that. I'm pretty excited about school most of the time. But don't you want to go and play with your siblings?"

"I guess…I'm not very good though."

Rose just chuckled. "So? Neither am I! They're your brothers, your family. They don't mind if you're terrible."

Percy joined in on the chuckle as he stared at his feet. "Yeah…I suppose you're right. Alright! Maybe I will join them!"

"Better hurry up then, here come's the ace himself." Rose smirked as she saw her brother come out to play, "No Ginny?"

"She's…feeling unwell. She'll come down later." Harry informed them.

Frowning, Rose furrowed her eyebrows in worry as she looked on at Harry, begging for more information. Her brother just shook his head as if to tell her 'later.' Taking one of the Weasley family's older brooms, Harry quirked an eyebrow as he watched Percy do the same. "Coming to join us Perce?"

"Yes. Your sister has convinced me to try and have some fun for once." Percy smiled, a little uneasily as he mounted the broom, fumbling for a moment.

"Here, try and hold it a little further up. Since you're taller you'll have better luck holding it further away from your body." Harry offered the elder boy some advice.

"Thanks. I'm not very good to be honest."

"That doesn't matter. It's Christmas! So long as you have fun!" Harry grinned as he kicked off from the ground with a whoop.

Percy followed close behind, although he didn't make any sounds of jubilation as he took to the air, instead he focused on staying on his broom as it shook for a moment before correcting. Most of the Weasley boys were surprised to see Percy up in the air with them, but they all soon smiled and welcomed him in as they helped correct his form.

"Well, since Perce has decided to join us, we're at a distinctly even number of players. Perhaps we should do a quick skirmish?" Bill decided as he floated over to the twins, "And perhaps we should split these two up so they don't use their 'twin powers' to win the game."

"Why Bill, you wound us!" Fred acted in mock hurt.

"How could you think so lowly of us!" George joined in.

"It's not our fault we were both born…"

"With a natural gift for the finer things in life!"

Bill just rolled his eyes as he grabbed the twins and pushed them in opposite directions. "Right…Perce, George, you're with me. Fred, Ron, Harry, you're together. Use the Oaks and Cedars as goal posts. First ones to 100 points win."

Everyone nodded in understanding as Bill flew down to Rose. "Can you chuck the ball up in the air for us little Potter?"

"Well, I can…if you promise to never call me 'little Potter' again." Rose grumped.

Gulping, Bill nodded as he passed her the Quaffle. "Sorry Rose. Ah…yeah, just chuck it up into the air for us will you?"

Nodding her understanding, Rose wandered into the middle of the makeshift field and looked up at the waiting players. With all her might, Rose threw the Quaffle up into the air, starting a chain reaction as players began to dive for the ball. Ron was the first to reach the Quaffle, blocking Bill who had to quickly pull up to stop himself smacking into Ron. Surprised by his younger brothers block, Bill tried to manoeuvre around him, only to find that Ron had dropped the Quaffle down to an awaiting Harry who was quick to rush along the ball, throwing it to Fred who caught it deftly. Throwing it back to Ron, who'd come up higher to gain a height advantage, Fred found himself versing his twin in a battle of brawn as the two nudged and bumped each other, trying to dislodge each other. Harry shook his head as he watched the twins mess around, only just barely noticing Ron chuck the Quaffle towards him before he finally scored a goal.

"This is going to be a long game…" Bill muttered as he shook his head.

The rest of the game played out fairly evenly, with the twins continuing to battle each other individually, leaving the other four to battle it out. Percy had a surprising gift for trickery, feinting throws that allowed Bill to score an otherwise impossible goal. Likewise, Ron and Harry worked well in tandem, their knowledge on how the other played helping them to coordinate their moves. Eventually, Ron put everyone out of their misery by scoring the final goal, giving their team a three-goal lead at 70-100. Letting out a victory cry, Ron was ploughed into by Harry and Fred as the other Weasley brothers smiled and shook their heads.

"That was brilliant!" Percy beamed, "Now I know why you all play so much!"

Bill couldn't help but ruffle his younger brothers' hair as he helped pile all the brooms back into the shed. "See Perce, you've just got to let yourself have some fun once in a while."

"I suppose you're right. I guess I do need to loosen up once in a while."

Percy's brothers all made a sound of agreement as he blushed. Harry smiled as he watched his best friend's family have their time together, only being broken out of his thoughts as a small arm wrapped itself around his waist. "Missed me, did you?"

"Pfft, please. I just thought I'd come steal all your warmth." Rose grinned as she buried herself closer into Harrys body, "So what's wrong with Ginny?"

"I don't know. She slammed the door in my face and refused to answer any of my questions."

Rose hummed in thought. "And does she…feel right?"

"No." Looking up at her brother, Harry shut his eyes as he let out a sigh, "She feels…empty. She feels completely wrong. Nothing like Ginny."

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Rose asked.

Harry shook his head. "No, I think if I told anyone they'd think I was mad. I don't need more rumours about me spreading."

Letting out a half-hearted chuckle, Rose let her head rest on her brothers' shoulder as they both watched the Weasley boys with fondness. "Do you think about it sometimes?"

"About what?"

"What it would've been like to have a family. To have other brothers and sisters."

Harry let himself think for a moment, the silence worrying Rose until he finally spoke. "Sometimes. But as much as I like the thought of having other siblings…I don't think I could ever love them as much as you."

Letting out a watery chuckle, Rose shut her eyes and smiled. "Same here. Even if you are a great big lug."

"A great big lug who loves you." Harry chuckled as he pressed a kiss to Rose's head, "Come on, lets go inside before we all freeze."

Finished playing outside, everyone shuffled back into the Burrow, the warmth of the fireplace shaking the chill from their bones as they huddled around the fire. The men had already set themselves up comfortably in the sitting room, glasses of fire-whiskey in hand as they chatted amongst each other.

"I heard madeye's finally retired. Any reason why? I would've thought he'd prefer to keep going till he died." Sirius asked Arthur.

The eldest Weasley let the amber liquid of his whiskey swirl in his glass as he thought. "I think there was some pressure from above. Scrimgeour has been pushing for a 'modern' Auror department. I think there were a few who saw Moody as an artefact from a bygone era."

"Fools. If anyone would be able to keep the peace it's Madeye." Sirius huffed.

"I heard you were looking to go back into the Aurors Sirius, have you made any progress there?" Arthur enquired.

Sirius shrugged as he took a sip of his drink. "Some. I'm not sure what's taking so long on my enquiry, perhaps with this whole 'modernisation' thing they won't want one of their biggest mistakes hanging around."

"More than likely. As much power as Amelia Bones has, she still has to answer to Fudge. I doubt the humiliation from your trial has faded." Remus added.

"Why do you need to be an Auror anyway lad? Why can't you just go ahead and do your own investigation?" Alex added his two cents.

Thinking for a moment, Sirius looked at Remus who just shrugged. "I guess there's not a lot stopping me. I mean…that's what we did in the order. But it's peace time, there would be enquiries and investigations if I started making noise. They might not appreciate it."

"Stuff 'em. If they can't see that they're losing an asset then tell them to get fucked." Alex explained rather crudely.

Arthur blushed and spluttered at the old muggles words as he took a moment to calm himself. Sirius and Remus just grinned and chuckled as they raised their glasses. "I'll drink to that. Old Fudgy can go stick his thumb right up his…"

"Sirius. I know where you're going with that and I warn you know, I'll set your goddaughter onto you if you finish it." Juni warned as she came swanning into the room with a tray of white Christmas.

"Ah…yes Mrs Evans."

Alex let out a chortle before he shut himself up as Juniper turned her eyes onto her husband. As the adults continued to chat, the children came to take over the living room. The Weasley boys were quick to grab a chess set and set it up as everyone took seats to watch the oncoming onslaught. Rose had shoved herself comfortably onto Alex's lap, who chuckled and ruffled her long auburn hair.

"Have fun outside darling?"

Rose shrugged as she watched Harry and Ron set up the chess board. "I didn't fly, but it was fun to watch."

"How come you didn't fly?"

"I didn't feel like it." Rose answered, "Besides, I'm rubbish at Quidditch."

Humming in thought, Alex petted his granddaughters head. "Once summer comes back around, I'll teach you some football moves. Then you can beat everyone at that."

Turning to face her grandfather's face, Rose beamed as she threw her arms around his neck. "Really! Thank you, grandpa, that would be amazing!"

As the snow fell outside, blanketing the land in a thick layer of white powder, the inside of the Burrow was alight with the sounds of joy and festivity. Upstairs though, one member of the Weasley family was quietly crying to herself, knees against her chest as a blank book sat open next to her. The sobbing suddenly stopped as a knock at her door echoed against the room's walls.

"Who is it." The girls voice was blank. Emotionless. A husk of her former self.

"It's Rose. Can I come in Ginny?"

"I'm not feeling well. I'll be down later." The voice replied automatically.

Rose waited for a few moments before speaking again. "We're all worried about you Ginny. Are you sure you wouldn't like some company? We don't have to talk; I'd be happy to just sit…"

"I said I'll come down later!" The voice practically screeched at the door, "Now leave me alone!"

There was a soft sniff from the other side of the room before Rose shuffled away. The girl was left alone again, a sob coming up. "Please…let me go…"

"You think they want you? You're just a stupid little girl." A nasty, disembodied voice spoke up, "They don't want to be your friends, they're just taking pity on you."

"But Harry…"

The voice laughed mockingly. "Harry Potter Doesn't want you, a snivelling little brat. He wants his friend, the smart one, the older one. You'll always just be his friend's pathetic little sister."

A sob ripped through the girl's throat as for not the first time she felt her heart explode. "Stop it…please…please Tom."

"The only person who'll ever want you is me."

"That's not true…that's…not true…isn't it?" The girl sobbed.

"Pathetic."

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Downstairs, everyone was sitting around waiting for dinner to finally be served up. Molly had already gone up to try and get Ginny to show herself but she still complained of being sick. Nevertheless, Molly had been a good mother and taken a plate of delicious roast meat and vegetables up to her daughter, who thankfully took it. She was decidedly worried about her daughter, who was fine last night. Excited and ready for Christmas more than anyone else. But this morning, she had woken up in a right grump and only barely acknowledged anyone as she opened her presents from her family. Molly would've thought that having Rose and Harry at the Burrow would bring some joy to her daughter, but she just hid herself up in her room and snapped at anyone who came knocking.

Now that dinner was over though, Molly wasn't taking no for an answer. There were the last presents to open, from family to family. There was no way Molly Weasley would let her daughter hide up in her room for one of the most important moments in the year. When she dragged Ginny downstairs into the sitting room, the Weasley boys all let out cries of joy at seeing their youngest sibling. The twins were as always, teasing, although they certainly calmed themselves once Molly shot them a look. It was the looks that Rose and Harry were giving her youngest that worried her. Both Potter's looked rather sad and frightened, although not at Ginny…that is what truly worried her.

Sitting down next to Ron, Ginny begrudgingly began to look through her presents from the Evans, Potters and Marauders. She hummed her thanks at Rose for the cursive writing quills, not really bothered enough to look at them. Ron meanwhile had let out a face splitting grin when he saw the voucher that Harry had gifted him.

"Bloody hell! Thanks Harry!"

Harry just smiled and gave his best friend a one-armed hug, one that was returned. "You're welcome Ron. I thought you might like to have something other than a rat for a pet."

"Hah, yeah. I think I might get myself an owl. Or maybe a cat." Ron let his thoughts wander as Harry watched on with fondness.

He always did enjoy making others laugh and smile, all stemming from making his sisters life even the barest bit bearable. And although Ron only got him the usual chocolate frogs and lollies, Harry was more than happy with the present. As always, to Harry, it was the thought that counted.

When Harry noticed Ginny going for the voucher, he got her, he watched and waited with baited breath to see her reaction. Ginny frowned as she looked at the rather flat looking envelope, tearing it open and reading it quickly.

"Seriously?"

Harry recoiled. "Um…yeah?"

Ginny snorted and shook her head in disdain. "You got me a voucher. A bloody voucher. How useless are you huh!"

Heads began to turn at Ginny's outburst. Harry understandably looked hurt as he watched Ginny lash out. "I…I thought you might like having your own wand."

"I thought you might like having your own wand." Ginny mockingly parroted Harry's words, "Listen to you. You're pathetic."

"Ginevra Weasley!" Molly raised her voice from her place in the living room, "Get up to your room right now! And you can forget about getting any other presents miss, I did not raise you to be a selfish…rude…mocking cretin! UP! NOW!"

The fury of Molly Weasley was enough to make anyone melt, and yet Ginny just stood up and cast her family one last look of disdain before heading towards the stairs. Before she climbed them though, she turned one last time at the group and sneered at Harry. "You couldn't even protect your own sister from your paedophilic uncle, shows just how useless you are."

Without looking back again, Ginny climbed the stairs, leaving everyone in shock. Rose had gone awfully quiet before she quickly got up and raced outside. Harry was quick to follow her, as was Sirius. Molly though looked like she wanted to blast a hole in the wall. Rushing over to the stairs, Molly climbed them two by two as everyone watched as chaos broke out. The Weasley boys all had confused looking face on them, whilst Arthur was busy apologizing to a shocked looked Alex.

Outside, Harry had quickly sprinted to catch up to his quickly disappearing sister, who was quickly getting bogged down by the falling snow. "Rose! Stop!"

"GO AWAY HARRY!" She shouted, "I'M SPOILED GOODS! I MIGHT AS WELL JUST GO FREEZE TO DEATH! SAVE EVERYONE FROM MOURNING ME!"

With his longer legs, Harry was soon able to quickly gain on Rose, reaching out to grab her arm as she fought violently to release herself. "STOP IT! LET GO!" She screeched.

Gaining a firmer hand on his sister, Harry reared her around to face him as tears poured down his face. "Stop it! Don't you ever…ever say that again! You are not spoiled goods! And don't you dare ever talk about killing yourself again. Understood?"

Rose stayed silent as her eyes were cast down to the ground. "I'm not worth the trouble." Her voice was quiet and small, barely noticeable over the sound of heavy falling snow.

"Don't you dare say that. You are my sister Rose. My flesh and blood." Taking Rose's arm and pushing her sleeve up to expose her wrist, Harry did the same to his own and placed his wrist besides hers, "Your blood runs in my veins. If you think that makes you unworthy of my love then you're wrong. You will never…ever…be worthless. You're my sister."

Rose sniffed as she took her sleeve back down and rested her head against her brother's chest. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I don't know what went through Ginny's mind…"

"That wasn't her. I'm sure of it." Rose's voice was a little louder now, her body calming.

Harry hummed in agreement and was about to reply when he heard the sound of footfalls coming towards them. "There you two are! Come on, come back inside before you freeze." Sirius came over and wrapped them both up into his arms.

"It's alright Uncle Siri, we're coming. I think it's best we head home for the night though." Harry said.

"Yeah…it's been a long night. Come on." Sirius marched the Potter siblings back to the Burrow, snow falling all over them.

It would've been a picturesque night, were it not for the events that had just taken place. The closer to the Burrow they got, the louder the screaming voices became as they all looked up towards the only other light on in the Burrow…Ginny's room. The silhouettes of Mrs Weasley and Ginny screaming at each other made the trio sigh in disappointment over such a wonderful day ruined so quickly.

"It's been a long bloody night."