Disclaimer: NOT MY CHARACTERS. JKR TAKES CREDIT FOR THOSE. And some other stuff.

Long time no see! So this is the new chapter. It's late and I don't have time to really do a long I'm so sorry yada yada post. I did that earlier.

The Christmas Miracle

Back home in Devon, approximately seven weeks after the awful Memorial Ceremony, the Weasleys were fast at work preparing for their Christmas dinner. Fabian had already come first, to help set up the tree. He and the twins were laughing as they strung up the ornaments. Ginny had her old doll Ruby, and was busy stringing together the hair on the doll before they stuck her up on the tree. This year, Ruby had won the annual Angel Pageant. Molly was in the kitchen, stirring a broth for the soup she was making for dinner tonight, along with a full roast turkey, and several side dishes. Arthur had Charlie helping him decorate the house for Christmas. Together they were plodding together, stringing tinsel and mistletoe up together.

"Need any help in the kitchen, mum?" asked Bill as he walked downstairs, his hair damp from having just showered.

"I'm fine Bill dear," said his mother, as she began to hum happily, though not the way Bill remembered from his childhood. When they were younger, her tunes were bouncier. You could dance to them, and often, she would dance to them. The song would fill the kitchen, and be airy and happy, like the entire world was in her kitchen, bouncing to a beat. Now the songs were slower, more drawn out. The hum would carry a softer tune, just one you could hear as she stand beside her. She didn't dance. She wasn't the mum from his childhood.

"I'll get the dishes behind you," said Bill as he began to wash the soup tureen, just listening to his mother's song, working in a slow silence together.

Outside on the edge of Devon, stood a strange, magical house. Unlike the Burrow, which lacked a definite shape and was all straight edges and awkward angles, this house had a definite shape. A tall, looming magical rook. The garden again was different from the Burrow's unruly but managed mess. This garden had grown wild in patches, as though it had no regulation. In others, carefully planted rows of plants were arranged. It was like a mixture of order and chaos. The front path to the garden was sealed off. Visitors weren't welcome.

Owls floated in and out of the sky, dropping letter after letter in slow steady intervals, into a neat little device, meant to catch them. A large basket hung off of the house, where the letters landed. A tube lead the letters into the house, and straight onto the large oak table where Xenophilius Lovegood was sitting and editing the final article. It was a compelling read of a victim of a fraud in the Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures who had been turned away from a supply of Wolfsbane, offered to werewolves who were good members of society. The conditions were outrageous, mostly because Wolfsbane was hard to produce and supply at a cheap cost. This poor victim had been denied the Wolfsbane because she had not submitted her Werewolf registration papers immediately after the war. The woman had fled to France. She wasn't even in England at the time! The gall of the ministry!

He wasn't dressed in his work clothes though. His robes were a fancy blue dress set, slightly worn since he hadn't worn them for years now. His brighter, happier coloured robes had been too intimidating to put on, but this sky blue, it suited him. Perhaps not Christmas, but the native Wizards of Mongolia had worn blue once to celebrate the birth of a king. So ergo, he could celebrate Christmas in blue.

"It's Christmas," came the low, husky voice of his wife, as she came behind him, "You aren't really working on Christmas, are you Xeno?"

"This issue is out tomorrow, Silly," said Xeno with a sigh, as he looked up at his wife. She was already sorting through the mail, her bag in her hand. She looked beautiful dressed in a somber red dress robe, her blonde hair pinned up with bright orange stars on her ears. It wasn't as festive as he remembered their first two Christmases, but it was more festive than the last two. He smiled as he placed an arm on her hip, but she flinched, and he drew it away immediately.

"Let's go, Xeno darling," said Selene, smiling, but there was a sadness in her eyes, "The Weasley's will be waiting, and the articles will be here waiting for us."

"But the letters! The subscription's for next year, I need to sort through them," said Xeno, grabbing the pile, "At least into the renewal's and new one's!"

"Not a chance!" replied Selene, grabbing all the letters and holding them away, laughing as they fell.

"Fine," said Xeno, but his eyes sparkled. There was something different in the air this Christmas, something warm and tingly. Something they hadn't felt since Luna was gone. Maybe, just maybe, things were getting better. Maybe, time was healing them together.

"Let's go," said Selene, as she tossed the letters behind her, and took her husband's hand, pulling him out along the door way.

The festivity had begun around four in the afternoon, when the Weasley household received Augusta Longbottom, the only guest who was punctual. She was dressed in a festive green dress robe, but her eyes were sad. Ginny had seen her sad eyes, and when she asked what Mrs. Longbottom had done for Christmas, and if Santa had been good to her, the old lady had simply smiled a sad smile. She had visited family, she said, and Santa had not been very good this year. Her mother had ushered away from Mrs. Longbottom, who was already sipping a glass of fine wine from one of the two bottles she'd brought by the time Amelia Bones arrived.

Miss Bones was dressed in an elegant looking set of red robes, with a gold piping that made her look grand and festive. Yet her hair was still in the incredibly tight bun, and she had brought along with her a large chocolate mousse cake for dessert. She took her refuge with Mrs. Longbottom. The two women seemed to understand each other, despite their age differences and the differences in their lifestyle. The women were currently discussing something ministry related with Daddy and Bill, while Charlie and Percy played chess against the twins. Ginny was sitting on her father's lap, not really listening, but enjoying his feeling.

"Selene and Xeno are here!" called Molly, as the two entered, smiling brighter than they had in a while. Ginny noticed Selene's eyes grow sad when she saw her, and the woman hesitated, before taking the open seat beside her daddy.

Bill had told her Luna would be her age, and that Mrs. Lovegood had trouble with children since her own baby was taken from her. Mrs. Lovegood had put her bag between her father and herself. Ginny stared as the woman gave her a strange smile, before the conversation continued. Mr. Lovegood seemed more social, while Mrs. Lovegood was more reserved and listened more. Ginny watched the woman curiously, as she sat on her father's lap.

"Can we join the fun?" asked a voice, and they turned to see Remus with a smiling Sirius, who was waving a large bottle of Firewhiskey, and both were dressed in simple black robes, Remus's again shabbier than Sirius's.

"I'm so glad you all came," said Mrs. Weasley, beaming as she began serving Christmas cookies around, while Uncle Fabian poured drinks for everyone and roped Sirius to the side. Charlie hovered near them, trying to sneak a drink, but Uncle Fabian and Remus were too quick for the young Seeker. He grinned as he took a seat, and said, "This is how Christmas should be! To us!"

"To us!" said everyone, cheering as their glasses were raised in the air.

The conversation continued idly, as Ginny slowly got bored. Her brothers had started playing Exploding Snap, but she hadn't joined. She was far too interested in the assorted adults around her. They seemed so different from the usual adults she saw. Sirius would make a silly joke, and she found herself giggling along.

"Oh, Molly, we bought something for Christmas!" said Mrs. Lovegood, searching her bag as she said so.

"What's that?" asked Ginny curiously, pointing to a white envelope with childish scrawl that was barely legible across it.

"A letter," said Selene, frowning as she read the front, her eyes furrowed. "Must be an article or subscription letter, though whoever wrote it must have some sort of condition. Ah well, it's no matter. It probably slipped in earlier."

"Can we open it? What's a subscription letter?" asked Ginny excitedly, glancing at the strange, foreign letter.

"Oh I suppose we can," said Selene with a small smile. "Subscription letters are sent by people who would like us to send them our magazine first."

She handed the envelope to Ginny, who ripped open the top flap, not bothering for neatness. Ginny loved letters. Uncle Fabian, and Bill and Charlie were the only ones who sent her letters though. The Lovegoods must be important, to have so many letters! She grinned as she finally opened the envelope, and the first thing she noticed was the picture in the envelope. Curious, she discarded the remnants, and plucked the picture first to peer at it, as her father and Selene shared an amused look, before taking a peak at the picture.

Behind Ginny, her father suddenly froze, while Selene took a large gasp. Both of them had paled as they stared at the photo in her hand, much to Ginny's surprise. She glanced curiously at them, and then back at the photo. It didn't seem so awful. She frowned at her father, while Mrs. Lovegoods gently took the photo from her fingers to look at.

"Impossible," said Arthur, unable to tear his eyes from the photo.

"What on earth are you two oggling at over there?" Asked Sirius jovially, "Did my love letter to Moony get mixed up?"

He came over with a bounce in his step and glanced over at the picture. His entire body went slack, and his glass slipped from his hand. It bounced uselessly on the ground from the Shatter-Proof charm. and dribbling the red whiskey all over the carpet. While the carpets soaked in the stench of alcohol, the room went silent staring at the three thunderstruck adults and one child observer.

"Sirius!" Said Remus with a frown, "What- Is there something in that picture?"

He frowned as he walked over, knowing Sirius never let go of his drink for no reason. His eyes glanced at the picture, and like Selene, he took a large gasp. His hand was shaking, and he stepped back as though he had been burnt. His eyes were wild now, feral. Remus closed his eyes, and began muttering things under his breath, before opening them again and moving forward to look at the picture. His amber eyes still retained the crazy look to them.

"What are you four ogling at like that?" Asked Mrs. Longbottom sharply.

"Can we see?" Asked the twins, bouncing over to take a look.

"No," said Arthur in a harsher voice than Ginny had ever heard, while gently pushing the twins back.

George pouted an identical pout Fred, and they both seemed to flush in anger. An identical crackle went into the air at being left out. Suddenly Arthur yelped as the picture in their hands grew larger and larger. Selene let go of it as it became the size of a dinner plate and kept on growing. It fell to the ground by the time it reached the size of a table and then stopped.

Now everyone was staring at the image, frozen in place by what they saw. The room was silent, and only the large gasps and sudden intakes of breath had any place in the silence of the room. The world was silent, and in that moment, each heartbeat seemed synchronized at an elevated, thudding pace.

The picture itself was not one of fright or danger. It was an innocent picture. There was a finger, a knobbly grey one, covering the top of the image, interrupting the flow. Below the finger was an innocent looking bench, with five kids seated along it in the middle of a park. The most bizarre part of the picture was the absolute stillness to it. Not a person in the picture moved.

On the extreme left of the photo was a thin, dark-haired boy with a rounded face. He had two buck teeth, and he wasn't facing the camera. Rather, he had some dirt in his hand, and a flower growing out of the dirt. His clothes were caked with mud, and looked shabbier than even the clothes of the Weasley twins, who had worn hand-me downs for years. Holey and large, they matched the clothes of the other children in the picture. Beside him, with her hand linked through the round little boy, was a red-haired girl.

Her red hair was cut short with full frontal bangs, and bright grey eyes that surveyed the camera with curiosity. Her smile was wide though, and she had a magazine tucked in her arm. Her frock was barely in one piece. It had evidence of several rips and tears. Around her shoulder was the arm of a second red-headed boy with long tangled red hair, a missing front tooth and several freckles splashed across his tanned skin, as though he spent many hours outdoors. His clothes were in the shabbiest condition, and he wore no shoes. He was laughing as he faced the third boy in the photo at the extreme right.

The red-headed boy's other arm was being held by a small blonde girl, who was half the height of the tall boy. She was clinging to it desperately as she held a copy of the Quibbler in her hands, pointing to the camera. Her blonde hair was long and dirty, knotted as she demanded something from the older boy. Her grey eyes and fair skin were soft and accentuated by her baby fat. Beside her, another dark haired boy was laughing, his green eyes alight with joy. His hand held a ball, which seemed to hover in the picture, a gold golf ball it seemed. His grey shirt was frayed and small on the far too thin boy, and his other hand was clasped on the blonde girl's shoulder.

"Impossible!" Shrieked Amelia Bones, her hand clapping over her mouth in terrified shock.

Everyone else was silent, staring at the picture as their skin paled. Mrs. Weasley approached the picture first, and got on her knees. Her fingers moved to the red-headed boy's face, and touched it, while Bill jumped up to stop her. Sirius had fallen to his knees by the right corner of the picture, just staring. Remus had clasped his shoulder, holding it for support. Augusta moved to Molly, and sat beside her on the left, staring at the image. Bill stood behind his mother, distraught as he watched his father come to the top of the picture and stare at it, clinging to Ginny.

"Luna," murmured Selene, sitting beside Mr. Weasley as the looked at the little blonde girl. Xenophilius had followed Amelia to the corner of the room, but neither could their eyes from the picture.

"But aren't they dead?" Asked Charlie, his face ashen as he came beside his father.

The twin culprits for the enlargement of the picture were standing by their mother, staring at the image. Both seemed shocked speechless, while Uncle Fabian moved to hold Percy, who had screamed in fright and was burrowed in his uncle.

"That's Ron?!" Squeaked Ginmy excitedly, "He's alive!"

"But- they were- the fire! Impossible!" Said Amelia, her eyes welling with tears.

"The letter! Get the letter!" Said Selene, as Charlie rushed to the envelope and plucked the letter.

"He's hovering a snitch," said Sirius with a sense of pride, "James would have been so proud."

"Read the letter!" demanded Xenophilius.

Molly's head snapped up, her hand still on Ron's cheek, and she asked desperately, "Letter? Ronnie wrote us?" as Charlie suddenly froze with all eyes on him.

"Read the letter!" Barked Sirius to Charlie, who fumbled before clearing his throat.

"Dear Mr and Mrs Lovegood," he began, and everyone glanced at the Lovegoods, who seemed taken aback themselves.

"My name is Susan- but my brothers and sisters call me Suzie."

"They're a family," said Augusta softly, glancing at the picture.

"I'm the second oldest in my family, R -Ro - Ron is my older brother. He doesn't have a short name, just Ron," continued Charlie, stumbling over the name Ron.

The Weasley's all gave gasps and seemed to move towards each other, as Molly burst into tears. Augusta held her close, softly brushing the woman's hair. Amelia Bones moved towards the picture, sitting beside Augusta and eying Susan's image closely.

"He doesn't know his full name," gasped Molly in shock.

"Younger than me are Harry, Neville and Luna," continued Charlie, as everyone in the room gasped or sucked in a breath.

"But I'm writing today for my youngest sister Luna," he continued, squinting to make out the writing.

"Luna wrote to us!" Said Selene excitedly, turning to Xenophilius, who looked pale and scared.

"Luna's only four and can't write just yet."

"Why not?" Asked Xenophilius, almost in a whisper. "We wanted to teach her by four, remember Selene?"

"I remember," whispered the woman.

"I have the best writing. Luna can't spell properly yet, she's just learning to read. Her favourite thing to read is the Quibbler- your magazine."

"She liked it?" Asked Xenophilius, sound scared and hopeful, as he moved towards the image tentatively, as though each step was a strain.

"She loves it!" Said Selene with a beaming smile.

"The boys are awful at writing. Neville gets dirt on anything he touches because he always plays in the garden with seeds and other icky stuff."

Augusta said nothing, but a small smile graced her lips as she glanced at the boy holding the flower. He seemed so sweet and innocent.

"Harry likes to draw more."

"Where'd he get that from?" Asked Sirius in surprise, "James liked doodling, but he was never a serious artist."

"He's six Sirius, he's not an artist," said Remus with a chuckle.

"I like writing and reading I suppose, but not as much as Luna."

"That's our daughter alright," said Selene cheerfully, her eyes dewy with tears.

"Alright, Luna wants me to write what she's saying now," continued Charlie.

"She's going to speak!" Squeaked Selene excitedly, while other parents looked wistful.

"Hi Mr and Mrs. Lovegood. My name is Luna. Just Luna. I don't have many names like the people in your magazine."

"Luna Lovegood, sweetie, that's your name," said Xenophilius quietly.

"She doesn't know any better," said Augusta softly.

"I'm four years old. I like your magazine lots! But some words are hard to read. I don't know what they mean. But I really like to read it. The pictures move! I've never seen anything with moving pictures before!"

"Muggle! They're growing up muggle!" Said Arthur in surprise.

"Why? How do we even know this is real? This could be a lie, couldn't it?" Asked Amelia, still uneasy.

"Who would do this though?" asked Augusta softly, "And Neville looks just like Alice did as a baby. He has some Frank, but more of his mother."

"But what if this is a lie? I mean, it's not hard to assume what they could look like!" said Amelia with a frown.

"I'll settle this," said Fabian, hovering his wand over the image. Nothing happened, and everyone in the room seemed to relax and tense again as the realization occurred.

"But how?" asked Amelia softly, her eyes wide and fearful.

Charlie noticed no one was speaking, so he tentatively continued, "How do you get them to move? Are you wizards like Wormy?"

"That rat bastard!" yelled Sirius, jumping to his feet, while a growl practically ripped from Remus's throat. Both seemed to have their hairs standing on their arms as they glared at the letter, and then at the picture.

"What?! Who's Wormy?" asked Arthur suddenly, staring at the two men, while Sirius suddenly turned and barked something to Remus quietly.

Remus left the room, still growling angrily and generally terrifying everyone in the presence. Sirius began to pace, his hand reaching out and punching a hole into a pillow. His eyes were crackling with an immense intensity of anger, and everyone gave him a wide berth as he angrily muttered to himself under his breath.

"Sirius, what's going on?!" ordered Amelia Bones, getting everyone's attention.

"Wormy- Peter's nickname- Wormtail. Harry called him Wormy," he managed to spit out, before going on to mutter a list of swears so long and vast that the impressionable twin Weasley's would never forget, and that young Percy would learn to use at choice moments. Some even shocked Bill.

"He- Are you saying- Peter Pettigrew is- He has our babies?" asked Molly softly, staring at Sirius in horror.

"Impossible! He died in the Fiendfyre that day! I saw the file myself! I wrote it!" argued Fabian angrily.

"And I've accessed all the records, I had to know," said Amelia, shaking her head at Sirius.

"He was an Animagus," said Sirius bitterly, "He could have-

And then Remus walked back in. He still had a wild, angry look to him. His eyes, the soft amber Ginny had thought were safe, were on fire. His fists were clenched and he looked as though he was restraining himself in every manner. Remus glared at the letter, shocking Charlie, who dropped it before Remus looked away

"He staged it," said Remus in a low, feral growl, "He pulled one over us, and we fell for it."

"You mean- It's all a lie?" asked Augusta, looking as though the wind had been taken out of her, and she diminished to look like an old little lady.

"Keep reading," said Selene firmly, "There has to be more."

"W- Wo- Wormy is our Uncle," said Charlie, stumbling as Sirius and Remus sat down on a couch beside each other and glared and ground their teeth.

"Uncle! He's their Uncle?!" shrieked Molly in horror.

"Our parents all died when we were babies and so Wormy took us in," said Charlie as fast as he could, as everyone's eyes grew wide, and jaws fell over the room.

"No thanks to the back-stabbing two-faced son of a bitch Death-Eater!" shouted Sirius, getting up, before Remus tugged him back down.

"Wormy isn't too nice," continued Charlie, as everyone muttered angry things, "But I like Winky and Dobby."

"Winky and Dobby? Are those code names?" asked Fabian to himself.

"Sounds more like house elf names," said Amelia, wondering if she could find their indenture records.

"We don't have lots of money either. Ron complains about it all the time, when he thinks nobody's listening," said Charlie, smiling a bit as he read about his brother.

"That's evident," snorted Augusta, glaring at the clothing in the picture.

"But Ron and Susan and Winky and Dobby always make sure that we get what we want," said Charlie, a frown on his face as he wondered what the kids were missing and all the money his family had gotten because Ron was- or had been- dead.

"What do they want?" asked Percy curiously, wondering if he could share his toys with them,

"I don't want lots. Just things to read. Susan's magazines are boring, and Ron and Harry and Neville don't read," said Charlie with a chuckle, "So all I really want is a subscription to the Quibbler."

"Oh baby," said Xeno softly, "You are the Quibbler."

"She loves it, Xeno she does," said Selene, gripping his arm tightly as he slid beside his wife and stared at Charlie.

"But I have no money. Harry said I should just not ask for it. Harry never asks for anything!" said Charlie, and both Sirius and Remus seemed to stop looking angry as their eyes softened to the happy little boy in the picture.

"So different from James, sounds just like Lily, eh Moony?" asked Sirius softly.

"Why doesn't he ask?" asked Remus carefully.

"But that's because Harry says he's not a baby. I'm not one either! But Harry doesn't like it when Ron worries about money- Susan 'splained it to me," said Charlie.

"Splained?" asked Augusta with a frown at the boy.

"It's how it's spelled," said Charlie, pointing to the letter. "Ron worries about money lots. Susan says it's because he's a wart. He doesn't look like a wart to me."

"He shouldn't be worrying about money!" said Arthur, his eyes tight as he held Ginny closer. Bill squeezed Molly's shoulders as she began to sob again.

"He's alive mum," reassured Bill, as he noticed a muscle jumping in Fabian's jaw.

"But Neville says people can be really nice. The lady one day gave Neville seeds he wanted to grow tomatoes. Lots and lots of tomatoes!"

"He likes gardening?" said Augusta incredulously, staring at the boy with a bit of mirth in her eyes and shock.

"So I was wondering if you would give me some magazines. You know, any extra ones you have. Please. Dobby says you need to say please when you ask for things."

"Well trained," said Augusta approvingly. "Mannered children."

"Is there a return address?" demanded Amelia, and everyone stared as Charlie looked at the envelope.

"Yeah," said Charlie, "But I don't understand it. It's an address."

"Let me see kid," said Fabian, taking the envelope and nodding to everyone. "I'll search this place in the ministry."

"After the letter!" ordered Selene, before nudging Charlie.

"That would make my Christmas! If you can't do that, it's okay. Please and thank you!" said Charlie, "Love, Luna and Susan."

He stopped speaking, and everyone stared at the picture. Nobody said anything as they let it sink in. Arthur stood up first, and looked at Ginny. Her eyes were wet with tears. She only just understood, and finally, she hugged her daddy as she asked him, loud enough for all to hear, "When is Ron coming home?"

Arthur glanced at the room, and then sighed as he said, "I don't know Ginny dear. I don't know."

"Take the kids to bed Arthur," said Molly softly, as they began to loudly protest.

"I'll take them upstairs," said Bill, giving his brother's a look as he took Ginny from his father's arms.

"We have things to discuss here," said Amelia.

The Weasley kids traipsed upstairs, despite the early hour on Christmas day. Nobody moved as they stared at the picture in the centre of the room. They heard the thudding of the steps, when the final light pitter patters faded away. Everyone was silent.

"So- Do we believe this?" asked Fabian to the silent room. And nobody knew what to say.