Chapter Text
It was Christmas Day—the most magical time of the year. Outside, the world was wrapped in a sparkling white blanket of snow. The sound of innocent laughter filled the air as children raced outside to build snowmen and try out their new sledges. Blackbirds sang from the trees above, where icicles glistened in the afternoon sun. Drops of water fell from the rooftops with a gentle plop, creating a calm and steady rhythm.
Number 12 Grimmauld Place was the opposite of calm, which wasn't at all unusual when the very large extended family got together. Whenever the Weasley brood mixed with the Potters, Blacks, and Lupins, chaos always ensued.
The very large group gathered in the drawing room, where Sirius had placed a large family tapestry, including the many people currently in the room. He had stripped the old tapestry years ago, when redoing the house, along with his mother's portrait and any other reminders of the childhood he had long since left behind. The new tapestry included not only blood family but also the family that Sirius had found along the way. It showed the names and pictures of not only the pure-bloods but also the half-bloods and even Hermione, who was Muggle-born.
A large tree stood in the far corner, brightly coloured baubles and uniquely shaped ornaments hanging from the tree. Wrapping paper and boxes littered the floor as children raced in and out of the room with their new toys. The adults sat around and talked, the men with their glasses of Ogden's firewhisky and the women with their wine. In the corner of the room, Albus and Rose played a heated game of chess, while some of the younger children played a game of Exploding Snap. Molly bustled around the room handing out thirds of her homemade biscuits, not taking no for an answer. Lily reached for a gingerbread-shaped biscuit, stopping momentarily at her mother's glare.
"Lily Luna," Ginny sighed. "That is your third biscuit. You're going to make yourself sick."
Harry set his glass of firewhisky on the table and placed an arm around his wife's shoulders. "It's Christmas, Gin, and they already finished their lunch. I really don't see the problem—"
"Fine,” Ginny said, throwing her hands up in surrender. "But if she's up half the night from all that sugar, that's on you."
Lily took the treat and shoved it into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed before shooting her dad a grin, her normally pearly white teeth caked in red icing. "Thanks, Daddy."
Sirius snorted from the corner of the room. "That little girl's got you wrapped around her finger, Harry. I don't think you're capable of telling her no."
"Oh, like you're much better, old man! Tonks piped up, spilling wine down her front as she went to take a sip. "You give in to her every want and need."
"Yes, well, I'm her granddad. It's my job to give her everything she wants."
"Right,” Tonks snorted. "And what's your excuse for Hanna?" She glanced over at the teenage girl who hung upside down in a chair reading the new Quidditch book Harry and Ginny had bought her. "When was the last time you told her she couldn't have something?"
Sirius gulped down the rest of his firewhisky and set the empty glass on the table, using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth. "I tell Hanna no all the time. Just the other day she was asking to go on a date with some bloke from school. I told her absolutely not."
"And I, of course, told her she could go,” Sirius's wife, Yoko, spoke up as she entered the room.
"What?" Harry spluttered. "A date?" He looked over at Hanna, who remained oblivious to the conversation around her as she listened to the music on her iPod, which had been a Christmas gift from Hermione a few years back. She hummed along as she flipped through the pages of her new book, snapping the colour-changing gum in her mouth. Harry shook his head in disbelief, “Hanna isn't old enough to date."
"See!" Sirius said, his voice a bit louder than needed. "Thank you, Harry! Finally, someone who agrees with me."
"Oh, come on." Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Hanna is older than James, and neither one of you seems to have an issue with him dating."
"That's completely different,” Harry argued. "James is—"
"A boy?"
Harry opened and closed his mouth several times, obviously lost for words. "That isn't what I said."
"Maybe not," Ginny shrugged. "But I've known you for quite some time now, Harry. We often don't need words to communicate. And I know for a fact you weren't going to say mature."
"Oy!" James yelped, throwing a hand to his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Mother."
"Right," Harry said, ignoring his son. "But—"
"But nothing, Harry. Do you or do you not have a problem with our son dating?"
"No,” Harry sighed, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. "I don't."
"And if Albus were to bring home a girl, would you or would you not be okay with that?"
"I'd be happy for him, of course,” Harry replied without hesitation. "As long as the girl wasn't a complete wacko." He gave his wife a lopsided grin, and even she couldn't help but smile a bit, as Sirius snorted into his drink.
James looked up in annoyance. "Hazel wasn't wacko. She was—"
"Eccentric,” Al said, his eyes fixed on the chess board, watching his cousin’s every move.
"Well, I think she was a gormless numpty who lacked basic intelligence,” Lily piped up. "I was glad when you dumped her."
James crossed his arms and tried to act annoyed, but even he couldn't deny that his siblings were right.
"Back to what I was saying." Ginny said. "You're completely fine with both our sons dating, but let's say Lily brought home a boy. How would you—"
"Woah, hold up,” Sirius said, looking absolutely disgusted. "Lily is eleven years old."
"Going on twelve."
"Still only eleven,” Harry said. "And nowhere near ready to date."
"Exactly,” Sirius agreed. "What's next? Winnie?" He motioned to the youngest member of the family, who was currently snuggled up in Harry's lap.
"Of course not,” Ginny said. "Winnie won't be old enough to date for quite some time. But that doesn't change the fact that Lily will be at that age before we know it, and Hanna is already there. Harry and I had both already had our first kisses before we were Hanna's age and had begun dating each other not long after that. In fact, I had kissed at least a few boys before Harry."
Ron stood up from the couch, reaching for the bottle of firewhisky in the middle of the table and pouring himself another glass. "We don't need a reminder of your horrible dating history."
"Oh, like yours is much better, Won Won,” Ginny snapped. "All I'm saying is that Hanna is sixteen years old and more than ready to date."
"That doesn't mean that she should,” Harry shook his head. "It wasn't that long ago she found snogging disgusting. And as for my little girl," he added, his eyes wandering to Lily. "She's already promised me that she's never getting married."
"What?" Lily looked up, eyes wide. "I said no such thing."
"Oh, you most certainly did. You told me you were living with mum and I forever, and that kissing was gross."
"Oh for Merlin's sake, Harry." Ginny sighed, getting more exasperated by the minute. "She was four years old."
"Well," Ron said, clearing his throat. "I'm just glad I don't have to worry about Rosie bringing home any boys. She's more concerned with her academic achievements than messing around. Isn't that right, Rosie?" He looked in his daughter's direction, but she avoided eye contact, a slight blush creeping upon her cheeks.
Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I still think sixteen is too young."
Remus shot his friend an amused look. "Need I remind you of what you were doing at sixteen, Padfoot?"
"That's exactly what worries me." Sirius said, crossing his arms. "And seeing as you busted James for snogging his girlfriend in your office only weeks ago, it's obvious that teenage boys haven't changed."
James looked up from his plate, which was filled with leftovers from their earlier meal, pausing with a forkful of cold ham halfway towards his mouth. "Speaking of which, I still think my punishment is completely unfair." He eyed his parents warily.
"Unfair?" Ginny practically roared. "Remus walked into his office after a long day of work, ready to grade assignments, only to find you with your hand up Chloe's robes, and her hands Merlin knows where. What did you expect us to do, James?"
"I dunno." He shrugged. "But I think taking away the cloak was a bit much. Remus did tell me his door was always open."
"I think he meant his door was always open if you needed someone to talk to." Al said with a grin, tearing his eyes away from the chessboard for the first time in nearly an hour. "Or if you needed to see a familiar face. He told me the same thing my first day at Hogwarts."
"Exactly." Teddy said, pulling Victoire close to his chest. "He certainly wasn't giving you an invitation to sneak in and shag your girlfriend."
"We weren't shagging."
"Right. But who knows how far the two of you would have gotten if my dad hadn't shown up? You acted very irresponsibly, James."
"You acted very irresponsibly, James." he mocked in an overly dramatic voice. "Oh come on, Teddy. You of all people shouldn't be lecturing me about responsibility. You're not even married, and the two of you are expecting your first child."
Vic's cheeks turned pink, but she quickly composed herself before fixing her younger cousin with a glare.
"What?" Fleur shrieked. "I'm going to be a grand-maman?" She turned to face her oldest daughter. "Is this true?"
"Nice going, James." Lily snickered.
The room erupted into full chaos as everybody started talking at once. Even Hanna took out her earbuds to get in on the family drama.
"How does James know, and I'm just finding out?" Dora asked, a mixture of joy and disappointment on her face.
"I don't know." Teddy said, looking absolutely horrified. "I didn't tell James anything. I swear! The only person I told was Harry."
All eyes turned to Harry, who quickly grabbed his glass of firewhisky and downed it. Ginny elbowed him in the ribs.
"Harry, you absolute prat. Why would you tell James something like that, knowing full well Teddy was trusting you?"
"I didn't." Harry said. "I didn't say a word. He must have overheard our conversation."
Ginny rounded on her son. "How many times have I told you not to eavesdrop? Nothing good comes from listening in on others' conversations."
"Oh, I don't know." George chuckled. "I'd say those extendable ears came in very handy. In fact—ow!" He yelped as Angie kicked him in the shin.
"I couldn't care less about eavesdropping right now." Bill growled. "Can we get back to the part where my nineteen-year-old daughter is...is..." he waved his hands as if making a point.
"I believe the word you're looking for is 'pregnant.’” Ron added helpfully.
"Not helpful, Ronald." Hermione hissed.
"I still want to know why Harry knew before I did." Tonks said, her hair changing from its typical bubblegum pink to a fiery red. She turned to glare at her son. "Harry may be your godfather, but I'm your mother. I should have been the first to know."
"You should have been the first to know?" Fleur butted in. "What about me? It's my daughter who's pregnant."
"And my son who's the father." Tonks snapped. "The baby is my grandchild just as much as it is yours." Remus placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder, but she quickly pulled away.
"Well, you won't be able to make fun of me for being old anymore." Sirius said, flashing his friend a grin and trying to ease the tension. "There is nothing more amazing than having the honour of being a grandfather." As if to prove his point, he scooped Winnie up and planted a kiss on her rosy cheek, causing her to erupt into a fit of infectious giggles.
As the adults all continued to talk, or in the case of Bill, shout, James took the opportunity to sneak off, eager to explore the forbidden parts of his grandfather's house. Specifically, the attic.
"Just where do you think you're going?" Hanna asked, jogging to keep up with her nephew.
"Exploring, of course."
"Exploring? James, you've been here a thousand times."
"Yeah, but I've never seen the attic."
Hanna suddenly grew very serious. "We're not allowed up there, and you know it. The attic is off limits."
"Oh, come on." James stopped walking and rolled his eyes. "You can't honestly tell me you've never snuck in there? You, of all people. Daughter of the famous Padfoot and prankster extraordinaire."
Hanna hesitated for a moment, shifting nervously on her feet. "Of course I have." she said at last. "But last time my dad caught me in there, he got really mad. He said there are all kinds of things up there that I have no business getting into and made me promise to stay out."
James' eyes twinkled with glee. "All the more reason to go in, I say."
Before Hanna could argue any further, Albus appeared, closely followed by Lily, Rose, and Hugo.
"Where are we going?" Lily asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.
"We aren't going anywhere." James snapped. "Take Hugo and go back to your little game. And if you know what's good for you, keep your mouth shut."
Lily crossed her arms and clicked her tongue. "I may be younger than you, James, but I'm also smarter than you. And I'm tired of being left out of all the fun. So you either let me in on what you're about to do, or I'll just have to go tell Mum—"
"Okay, fine!" James snapped. "But if we get caught, I'm blaming you."
"Right." Lily rolled her eyes. "Like anyone will ever believe you over me." She waited for her older brother to take the lead and followed him down the hallway, which was filled with Christmas lights and garland.
"This really isn't a good idea." Rose said, rushing forward and throwing out her arms as if to stop the others.
"You don't even know what we're up to, Rosie."
"Maybe not. But whatever it is, it can't be good. Not with you involved." She shot her older cousin a look that reminded the boy of his aunt Hermione. "Every time I get involved in your brilliant plans, we all end up in trouble. Well, I'm not doing it this time, James." She looked around at the others. "And if you all knew what was good for you, you wouldn't either."
"Shove off." James said, pushing his cousin to the side and making his way up the last flight of stairs. He had been curious as to what the attic held for as long as he could remember but had never actually gone up there. The closest he had ever come to going up to the attic was when he was five years old and playing hide-and-seek with Hanna. He had made it halfway up the stairs when his granddad appeared, reaching out and pulling him back. "Where do you think you're going, you little mischief-maker?" He had asked. He laughed it off, gently reminding James that he couldn't go up there. But even to this day, James could remember the slightly worried look on his grandfather's face, and it only piqued his curiosity. James knew, of course, that Sirius came from a family of dark witches and wizards, but as far as he knew, Grimmauld Place had been cleared out years before, made safe long before Hanna was even born.
At last, James made it to the top, peeking behind him to make sure they weren't about to be caught before reaching for the door handle. He rattled it for a moment, a slight frown on his face as he realized the door was locked.
"Well, it looks like Sirius locked the door." Rose said with an impatient sigh. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to my game of chess." She had just turned around, ready to head back down the stairs, when Lily shoved her way through.
"I think I have an idea." She said, pulling a muggle hair pin out of her pocket. She messed around with it for a moment before sticking it into the lock, jiggling it a bit until she heard a soft click. She pushed the door open, a triumphant smile on her face.
"Where'd you learn to pick a lock?" Rose asked, eying her younger cousin suspiciously.
"The same place I learn all the things I need to know in order to sneak around." Lily said with a shrug. "Uncle George."
"Way to go, Lils." James gave his sister a high five. "I must say, I didn't know you had it in you. We might need you on our team more often."
"Please," Lily rolled her eyes as she entered the dark and dusty attic. "Like I would ever want to be on your team. You're nothing but an arrogant berk. Pulling stupid pranks that tend to go wrong and strutting around Hogwarts messing up your hair like you're somebody important."
"I do not."
"You do too. I don't know what Chloe thinks she sees in you, but it's a wonder you've managed to get a girlfriend at all."
The two siblings continued to bicker as the rest of the children entered farther into the attic, looking around at all the clutter.
"Woah," Albus gasped. "Take a look at this." He rushed over to the corner of the room, pulling an old and dusty blanket off and revealing a telescope. "I've always wanted one of these. Imagine sitting outside and looking at the stars."
"Boooring." James yawned.
Lily headed over to an old chest, throwing it open and coughing as dust flew into her face. She reached in and pulled out a very old set of dress robes. "This is the most abominable thing I have ever seen." She wrinkled her nose.
"I don't know." Rose said, grabbing the robes from her cousin and draping them over her front. "I think they're absolutely gorgeous." She batted her eyelids.
"Yes," Lily giggled. "You look absolutely stunning." She pulled out another pair of robes and held them out in front of her, jumping up onto an old table and declaring in a loud, high-pitched voice, "Look at me. Aren't I absolutely dashing?"
Hugo pulled an old pipe out of the chest and held it to his mouth. "’Ello, old chap. Fancy a smoke?"
"How about a cuppa?" Lily giggled, pulling an old tea set off of a shelf.
"Woah," Albus gasped for the second time. "Would you look at all these books?" He pulled one off the shelf, blowing the dust off the covers. "A Beginner's Guide to Dark Magic." He set the book aside and grabbed another one. "Unforgivable Curses and How to Use Them." He tossed that one aside and picked up a third. "How to Train Your House Elf."
"Those are horrible titles for books." Lily cringed.
"You're telling me." Albus tossed the book aside, grazing the others with a finger. "None of these are remotely interesting."
"I don't know." James said, holding a book up with a grin. "I'd sure like to try out some of these hexes." Lily shot him a glare that could rival their mother. "Just joking, of course." he quickly added before tossing the book to the side and heading to the other side of the room.
The children spent the next twenty minutes sifting through boxes and pulling out buried treasures. Lily waved old wands around excitedly while Rose read through old diaries. Albus dusted off old books, and Hanna did the same with old photos.
"None of them look very happy." She said, staring down at a photo of her grandparents standing side by side, her father and uncle Regulus, mere children, standing in front. The photo gave off a cold energy. None of them touched one another. There wasn't even a ghost of a smile on their lips. She set the photo aside and stood up, dusting off her robes. "We should probably get back downstairs before the others wonder where we are."
The others agreed, and soon they were all heading for the door, but they quickly stopped when they realized James wasn't following them. Turning around, Albus's eyes went wide.
"James, that's a time-turner! Where'd you get that?"
"Impossible." Rose shook her head. "They were all destroyed years ago.”
"I wanna see!" Lily squealed, pushing her way forward. She reached out, her fingers inches from the golden chain, when James snatched it back.
"Hands off. I saw it first." James snapped. Before long, the children were all fighting over whether or not they should put it back or not. They were so busy arguing that they didn't hear the creaking of old steps as someone entered the room.
"Just what do you think you're doing up here?"
Turning around, the children came face-to-face with a very angry Sirius. In his arms was a grinning Winnie.
"Uh-oh," she declared, shaking her little finger in the air. "You in trouble."
"It was James's idea." Lily said, quickly throwing her brother under the bus. "I tried to talk him out of it."
James shoved his sister none too gently. "You were just as eager to explore as the rest of us, you twerp."
Hanna looked down at her feet in shame. "I'm sorry, Dad. We were just—"
"I don't care what you were doing." Sirius snapped, his voice lacking its usual warmth. "This room is strictly forbidden. You of all people know that, Hanna."
"Yes, Dad," she whispered.
"Now I want all of you to march your behinds back downstairs right now."
Just then Teddy entered the room, his wide eyes lingering on James, or more specifically, his hand and what was clutched firmly in it. "Is that a time-turner?"
"What, this?" James gave a nervous chuckle as he tried to hide it behind his back. He took a step backwards, tripping over a loose floorboard and dropping the time turner onto the ground, where it shattered, spilling sand everywhere. The room began to spin as the occupants struggled to stay standing. And then, as suddenly as the spinning started, it all stopped. And standing in the corner of the room was a very large hippogriff.