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Theo was on edge. He could have several reasons for this. It could have been the fact he was surrounded by more people at Christmas than he had ever been growing up. It could have been the fact that Millicent was currently trying to evict Oliver Wood’s tonsils with her tongue. It could have been the fact that Harry had left him twenty minutes ago to fetch drinks while he was holding a sleeping Teddy.
It could have been any one of these things, but it wasn’t. It hadn’t been for some time.
What unnerved him the most about this Christmas Eve get-together at the Granger’s was an object. A doll dressed in red and whose eyes followed him wherever he went.
He had tried asking Hermione what it was, what purpose it had, but she had gotten as far as “it’s to ensure good behaviour-” before she’d been cut off by one of her children. Who had somehow managed to wrap themselves in tinsel entirely and was now chasing his sister around the house.
Teddy yawned in his ear, and Theo looked down to see the kid blinking blearily.
“Good nap?” Theo asked.
Teddy had been asleep when they had picked him up from Andromeda’s almost an hour ago, and since Teddy could sleep for England, Theo had flooed with the tyke to Granger’s - Harry was still prone to stumbling, particularly when he carried something.
Teddy rubbed his eyes and mumbled incoherently as he looked around the room. A grin spread across his face, and suddenly the sleepy child became an over-excited five-year-old. Despite the Featherlight Charm Harry had thoughtfully cast before they left, it was still supremely awkward to continue holding a bouncing and enthused child.
Quickly setting him down, Teddy went running off, no doubt to find other children, with a quick hug and a ‘Bye Theo!’
“I never pictured the day when Theodore Nott would walk into a party holding a sleeping child with Harry Potter’s arm around his waist.”
Theo snorted internally and turned to sneer at the dark-haired woman beside him.
“And I never thought I’d see the day when Pansy Parkinson would let herself be knocked up, let alone with a Weasley brat.”
The silence between them stretched before they burst out laughing. It was at that moment Harry returned, glancing amusedly between them.
“Sorry,” he said, pressing a kiss to Theo’s cheek and a butterbeer into his hand, “Got caught talking to Percy about the promotion he’s up for.”
“Oh, Merlin, I had to fake a contraction to get out of that,” Pansy rolled her eyes, “how did you manage it?”
Harry shrugged, “I pretended I saw Kingsley and ducked away.”
Theo groaned, “please tell me that didn’t actually work?”
Harry grinned, “I’m standing here, aren’t I? There’s a reason why it’s a classic.”
Their talk soon turned onto other topics, namely Pansy’s efforts to keep her child from being named after a famous dragon.
But the entire time, Theo could feel those eyes as a quiet prickling sensation on the back of his neck. He moved into another room only to find another doll next to the dip.
In the kitchen, one sat in a soup ladle. In the bathroom, one helpfully offered the toilet paper. In the hallway, one sat on the sideboard with a piece of parchment and a quill.
It was in the hallway that Harry found him staring at the doll, trying to discern its secrets.
“You alright?” He asked, as his arms encircled Theo’s waist. “You’ve been tense all night.”
Theo hummed, “it’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing if it’s bothering you.”
Theo sighed. He knew Harry wouldn’t be deterred now.
“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just these elf… things.” He said, gesturing at the sideboard.
“The Elf-on-the-Shelf?” Harry asked.
“They’re… eerie,” Theo huffed.
Harry gave him a wry grin, “I think so, too, kids should be free to play without fear.”
“Kids? Fear?” Theo asked as he turned.
Harry nodded, “That’s what they’re for. Parents tell their kids that the elf is watching and if they’re bad, it will report back to ‘Santa’ and tell him if the kids deserve gifts or not.”
Theo’s frown increased, “That seems like a terrible idea. I thought Granger enchanted them for the party to make sure nothing got broken.”
Harry chuckled. “No, they’re a muggle thing.”
“No offence, but I think I prefer Yule traditions.”
Harry smiled softly at him, “I do too, all of the spirit with none of the trappings.”
Harry leant in to place a gentle kiss on his lips. He tasted of warm butterbeer and a hint of chocolate as he swiped his tongue across Theo’s.
When he drew back, he whispered. “Happy Yule, love.”
Theo hummed happily and kissed him soundly in reply.