Because You Love Me

29. Christmas

Harry and Ron spent the night in Alaina's quarters, so when they woke up the next morning they would already be in the midst of all of their presents.  Alaina insisted the two of them could have her bed and she would sleep on the couch, but they wouldn't have it.  Harry slept on the couch and Ron in the easy chair.  So when Dumbledore came late that night to deliver the presents she made sure she was up to open the door.  He had sneaked in and floated them right under the Christmas tree without either of the boys knowing anything about it.

Ron was the first to open his eyes.  He instantly sat upright and his eyes bulged at the sight of all the presents.  

"Whoa!" he exclaimed.

His cry woke Harry up.  His eyes fluttered open slowly.  He felt over on the coffee table for his glasses.  Once he got them and put them on, he knew what Ron had been so excited about.  He grinned.

"That is a lot of presents," Ron commented.  "Are they all for you?"

Harry rubbed his eyes.  "No.  I expect some of them are for you, too."

"Oh right.  Let's see!"

Harry got down off the couch and Ron hopped out of the easy chair.  They raced over to the Christmas tree and slid into the presents, almost knocking some of them over and bursting out in fits of laughter.  The noise woke Alaina up and she got dressed to go out and join them.  When she opened the door, she had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at them.  They were both sitting in the floor with presents all around them.  They looked up when she walked into the room with sheepish expressions.

"Sorry we woke you, Mum," Harry apologized.

"Yeah, sorry Professor Evans," Ron said.

She smiled.  "It's Christmas.  You don't have to apologize for being excited."

They both grinned.

"So, let's get this party started," Alaina said.  "Go ahead and tear into your presents.  Let's see what you've got."  She sat down on the couch and watched them open each and every one.

Ron got one from his family, a maroon knitted sweater monogrammed with an 'R'.  The rest were from Alaina, a basket of candy, a brand new set of robes, and a few other little things.  Harry got a sweater from Ron's mother with an "H" on it.  It was blue and a basket of candy as well.  He got a new pair of shoes and a few other things.  When he had opened them all, there were still two more that had his name on them at the back of the tree.  Alaina frowned.  She hadn't remembered getting anything like that and wrapping it up.

Harry grabbed them before she could say anything.  He turned.  "What are these, Mum?"

"I'm not sure.  Let me have them before you open them though."

He got up and took them to her.  Alaina took out her wand and ran it over them.

"Well," she said, "there's nothing dangerous in there."  She handed them back to Harry.  "Go ahead and open them."

Harry walked back over to the tree and told Ron to help him open the smallest one.  It was a velvet pouch.  Harry opened it up and pulled what was inside out.  It was a small vial of some kind of liquid potion.  He frowned.   "I wonder who this is from."  He held it up for Alaina to see.  She smiled.

"I know who it's from."

"The only person in the world who would give you a potion would be Snape," Ron guessed.  "But why would he get you a present?  He hates you."

Harry shrugged his shoulders.  "I don't know."  He knew Snape didn't hate him, but he doubted he would get him any kind of present.  Ron was right.  He put the potion off to the side and opened the next one.  It was a cloak, decorated intricately with a design he had never laid eyes on before.  "It's a cloak of some kind."