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Merry Christmas, Pepper
Although the Pumpkin Juice and the nice talk with Ginny had definitely helped, Pepper still didn’t really manage to fall back asleep. The time difference and her nap (technically, yes, it had been a nap) made it almost impossible.. How did Tony do it? But then again: Tony wasn’t full of questions. This would definitely go down as the weirdest christmas ever. At some point she had walked over to the small bookcase and pulled out what she imagined to be one of the kids’ books. Hogwarts: A history. And for a couple of hours Pepper immersed herself into a story of magic, ghosts, friendship… she couldn’t remember the last time she had just set down to read something new like this. Life was too busy sometimes.
When she heard the first signs of movement downstairs, she shot up in a hurry. The present she and Tony had brought for the kids should really be under that tree in the living room before they all got up.
Carefully she grabbed as many of the bags as she could find and sneaked down the stairs. Sirius was awaiting her at the bottom of the stairs, looking ruffled, but really happy. He was spotting reindeer ears.
“Merry Christmas!”, he whispered loudly, “I am the lookout.”
“Merry Christmas.”, she replied and looked at him questioningly.
“Go ahead. Harry is in there. I hope he hasn’t eaten all the cookies.”
“I am delivering the present.”, she heard Harry’s reply. Apparently they hadn’t been that quiet.
“Merry Christmas.”, Harry smiled at Pepper, as she entered. He was indeed stacking presents under the tree, wearing PJ bottoms and a tank top. Normally Pepper would have been embarrassed by seeing him like that, but he really didn’t seem to care at all. Maybe Tony was right and Americans were just too prudish.
“Morning. And Merry Christmas.”, she smiled back, “We forgot last night… what’s your excuse?”
“I don’t have one. Alec sometimes gets up at night, so we decided to put the presents here early in the morning, instead of late at night.”, he answered, while placing a present that clearly read “Pepper” on it.
She blushed. They had really prepared for her arrival. And she had been so scared she wouldn’t be welcome. She really hoped that Tony had thought of a present for Sirius. With the way they were behaving yesterday, she really wasn’t sure. And even as his assistant, she was never allowed to buy presents for his family. It was the one thing he always did himself.
“Is there a system?”
“Yes. All over the place.”, Harry grinned and Ginny began to carefully place the presents under the tree. Had Tony actually wrapped these himself?! Sure looked like it.
To her great relief she found a present for Sirius in there as well. Although it looked a lot less handled with care, than the others. This wasn’t her beef, she decided. Two grown man could do that themselves.
Suddenly something caught her eye. “Is the angel on top of the tree moving?”, she asked suspiciously. And what a damn ugly angel it was. Maybe one of the kids had made it.
“Oh, he shouldn’t be.”, he frowned, “Ginny immobilized one of the garden gnomes. Hermione keeps telling her it’s cruel, but Ginny says it’s tradition.”
“A what now?!”, even Pepper could hear the slight panic in her voice. She had known that something was wrong here. The feeling hadn’t left her, ever since they got here.
“A gnome.”, Harry explained patiently, “Since this didn’t use to be a magical home, we originally didn’t have any. But two of Ginny’s brothers released some here. For fun, they claim. I am almost sure it was the idea of Ginny’s dad. I know most people associate them with those weird, ugly things some people put in their gardens. Ours are a lot more… alive.”
Pepper was staring at him blankly, her thoughts racing. Crazy, this was crazy. Harry couldn’t be completely insane, could he?
Before Pepper could actually, consciously form any thought, Ginny walked in, wielding a small wooden stick. There were presents floating along in front of her.
“Oh, good morning and Merry Christmas, Pepper.”
Pepper screamed.
If Pepper weren’t so shocked, she might have realized that the whole thing was indeed somewhat funny. Ginny was so startled that she dropped the floating present. Harry, placing parcels under the tree shot up in alarm and caught his hair in the needly branches. Sirius ripped the door open, stick in hand as well. And Merlin the huge dog ran inside, barking in excitement. The three adults were staring at her in shock. Then there was a shout from upstairs: “Is someone dead?!”
No one answered what Pepper recognized as Teddy.
“Guys!”
“We are alive!”, Ginny called back, no longer caring about being quiet. The commotion upstairs made it pretty clear that everyone was up anyway.
Lily was screaming somewhere, unhappy with being in her bed.
“That’s my cue.”, Harry mumbled, untangling himself from the tree.
“That one’s mine.”, Sirius followed, chasing after the excited dog, still barking through the house. He closed the door behind him carefully, leaving Pepper with Ginny.
Smooth, Pepper thought.
She was still staring at Ginny with wide eyes.
“Well, I am guessing then, that Tony didn’t tell you.”, Ginny informed her.
“That you can float things with a stick? No.”
“It’s a wand. Actually. We are magic. Tony really should have warned you.”, Ginny sighed and dropped down on one of the sofas.
“Magic.”, Pepper repeated, “All of you. Tony is… has… magic?”
“Oh no. Tony doesn’t. Sorry, I was a bit unclear. Me and Harry, Sirius and the kids… my whole family, actually.”
“Teddy’s hair really did change colour.”, was the first thing that came to mind for Pepper.
“Yes, it does that. He’s a metamorphmagus.”
“Alec was really talking about flying brooms.”
“Yepp. He really wants one. There it is.”, Ginny pointed towards a long, slim parcel.
“But why not? It’s christmas!”, they could hear the indignant voice of said broom-enthusiast outside.
“You will just have to wait a moment longer.”, Harry told him sternly.
“Was Santa not there yet?!”, Alec sounded panicked.
Lily gave a loud, shocked gasp.
“No.”, Harry reassured his kids, “Mum and Pepper just need a moment to talk alone.”
“But can’t they do it away from the presents?”
Despite her shock and general confusion, Pepper started laughing. So did Ginny.
“Would you want to open them without everyone there?”, Harry asked sternly, “Come on, everyone, we will have some hot chocolate in the kitchen.”
“Speaking of… Jimmy, please go and…”
“Wake up Uncle Tony, I know.”, James growled loudly, “Why can’t someone else go, for a change?”
“Because YOU were the one that smashed mum’s vase yesterday. So you are getting punished.”, Emmy informed him gleefully.
“Shut up, Emmy.”
“James. Stop it. It’s Christmas and Emmy is right. Although I do NOT appreciate the tone, young lady.”
“Sorry, Jimmy.”, Emmy grumbled half heartedly. Then there was the busy sounds of people moving away from the door.
“Sorry I woke them.”
“Not really your fault. Tony should have told you. That thoughtless, thoughtless man.”, but Ginny’s voice was more loving, than anything else, “You are taking it much better, than most.”
“We all know there are things that are… well. Different.”
“True.”, Ginny smiled, “The world is a strange place, no matter, if you are magical or not.”
“So you all went to Hogwarts then.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow: “How did you know?”
“I started to read Hogwarts: A history last night. I thought it was a charming concept.”, she stopped for a second, before she suddenly remembered something, “I think Tony might have forgotten that he didn’t tell me.”
“What? I mean, yes, it sounds like him, but what makes you think that?”
“He told me Harry apparated to London. As if that should tell me something.”
Ginny shook her head in exasperation.
“One thing though: If magic is real, and there are communities and schools… I don’t know, shouldn’t life be…”, she stopped, unsure of how to continue.
“Life be what?”
“Easier somehow? Magic can get rid of so many problems…”
“Magic does not solve problems. It just creates new ones.”, Ginny informed her, a sudden darkness in her eyes.
Pepper got the distinct expression, that she had poked at a wound.
“We are a society, like every other society. With different countries. Different laws.”
“Must be strange, though, if some family members are magical and some are not.”, Pepper mused.
“Yes. Jealousy can be a problem. Prejudice… all of it.”
“Did Harry and Tony ever have a problem with that?”
“No!”, Ginny laughed, “Tony is a genius, Harry a wizard. Who is supposed to be jealous. And then again: They are Harry and Tony. I think they have been through too much together, to let anything that trivial divide them.”