Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 76 - Christmas with the Family

Selene's POV

The next morning, Selene woke up with a start, half-hanging out of bed, with only a leg hooked around Remus' holding her in place.

They'd spent the night at the Weasleys at Molly's request, the Weasley matriarch no doubt wanting them all to spend Christmas morning together. Selene had gone back to the cottage long enough to grab pyjamas for her, Remus, and Harry, and then they'd come back and taken over Bill's old room, having to squeeze into the tiny twin-bed. She had been skeptical, but Remus insisted that they could make do.

Selene should've known better.

"Remus!" she hissed, trying to edge back into bed safely. The man was snoring, his face buried in his pillow. "Remus! Wake up!"

"What, Selene?" Remus moaned sleepily, opening a bleary eye to look at her. Catching sight of her hanging off the bed, he woke up enough to laugh at her.

"Oh, hush you, and help me out," Selene said.

Remus obliged, taking her arm and tugging her back towards him, so that her face was pressed up against his warm chest. Then he threw the covers back over the two of them, hugging him to her snugly. "Do you think Molly would be upset if we missed Christmas breakfast?"

"Yes," came her muffled response. She shuffled upwards slightly so that they were face-to-face. "Happy Christmas, by the way."

"Happy Christmas, love," he said warmly, pecking her nose.

She grinned at him.

Eventually, Selene was able to get Remus to accompany her downstairs, with much convincing. After pulling on their Molly Weasley-original jumpers – Selene's was light blue with purple stars, and Remus' was red with gold stripes – they journeyed into the kitchen, which was gradually beginning to fill up with occupants.

"Good morning! Happy Christmas!" Selene announced to the kitchen at large, as she ruffled Harry's hair affectionately.

"Happy Christmas," Harry said to her and Remus brightly.

"Yes, Happy Christmas," said Molly, ushering them into seats at the table and setting plates of various breakfast foods in front of them. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please," Selene said cheerfully.

"You know, Selene," Molly said, as she walked to the other side of the kitchen to pour coffee into two separate mugs, "that dress looked so nice on you yesterday. Perhaps we should take a shopping trip into Diagon Alley sometime over the next couple of weeks to look around at what they have... I think you need to own some more nice dresses like that."

Remus choked on his toast, and Selene thumped his back hurriedly, giving him an odd look. "Um... yeah, sure, Molly. That sounds like fun," she said, looking up at her cousin.

"Lovely," Molly said, beaming, and throwing an enthusiastic glance Remus' way.

Selene raised her eyebrows at him, and he just shrugged, his eyes wide.

Suddenly, Molly froze, looking out the window. "Arthur!" she said suddenly. She had her hand pressed over her heart. "Arthur – it's Percy!"

"What?"

Arthur stood from his chair and looked around. Everyone craned their heads to look out the window. Sure enough, there was Percy, striding across the yard, and he was not alone.

"Arthur, he's – he's with the Minister!"

The Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeous, was indeed following behind Percy, limping slightly. Their heads were both covered in snow from the outside. They made their way to the back door, and everyone watched in silence as the back door swung open, allowing the two men inside.