"Harry, it's my turn to open a door on the advent calendar." Lexy informed me when I reached up to turn over the wooden block with the number 18 on it.

I paused and looked at her. "But you got a turn yesterday, remember? You got the giraffe behind number 17."

"Yeah, but I missed a day back on the eleventh, when I was sick. So I should get to open this one too, to make up for it."

"Okay," I agreed, for I had forgotten about that day.

The wooden advent calendar was very old, it had been made by my grandfather as a gift for my grandmother when they had their first Christmas together. Grandma Eileen had been Roman Catholic, and had kept her traditions when she married Grandpa, who was Methodist, but didn't much care for religion one way or the other. Grandpa said believing in God was enough, and whatever way you decided to worship Him was your own business.

Advent was a Catholic tradition, and Dad kept it because he'd been raised that way by Grandma. It began four Sundays before Christmas and was a way we prepared for the big event, counting the days until the birth of Jesus. It had started this year on December 4th and continued until the 25th. During this time Dad and I went to church every Sunday, or Alaina and Lexy went with me if Dad was on call. Dad said it was important to thank God for all the blessings we'd received during the year and to remind ourselves that Christmas was about more than just presents. (But the presents were the best part.)

I didn't mind going to church, it was peaceful and quiet there, and Father Henry (whose name was nearly the same as mine) always made you laugh during the homily. He said that laughter was music to God's ears. Guess God must have been hearing an awful lot of music on Sundays at St. Mary's then.

We also celebrated St. Nicholas Day on December 6th, which was the feast of the patron saint of little children. I'd introduced Lexy to that custom, explaining that St. Nicholas was once a real man, he'd lived over a thousand years ago in someplace called Myrna, which Dad said was in modern day Turkey, and during his lifetime he was a bishop who gave away all his gold to the poor children of his parish, which was how the custom got started of giving gifts to children.

On St. Nicholas Day, Dad and I made little iced gingerbread cakes with sixpence inside them and we drank hot cocoa, the homemade kind, with real cream and melted chocolate. Dad also gave me a little present, usually it was some kind of chocolate from Honeydukes or a small joke product from Zonkos, in keeping with the tradition of the saint's gifts. This year, Lexy and Alaina celebrated with us, and we received purring puffballs as our St. Nicholas gift.

The puffball was a magically animated ball of very soft griffindown colored in a variety of different hues. Mine was a bright green and Lexy's was turquoise. The puffball crawled about on your hand or the floor and purred when you stroked it or cuddled it. It sneezed if you got it wet and growled if you dropped it and squeaked if you squeezed it too hard. It had a special box you could put it in to make it go to sleep when you weren't playing with it and you could name it too. I called mine Fuzzy and Lexy named hers Sparkles, she said it was a girl puffball. I said you couldn't tell the difference, but she insisted she could, and I wasn't minded to argue with her.

After dinner, Dad read to us from the big book Lives of the Saints about St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myrna. Then we had the hot cocoa and the cakes for dessert, and Lexy and I discussed the Christmas lists we'd made with each other and played with our puffballs till Alaina and Dad said it was time to go to bed.

Both Lexy and I tried to be extra good during this time, ‘cause we didn't want to get put on Father Christmas's naughty list. Grandpa said that kids who got put on there didn't get any presents on Christmas morning, only lumps of coal and a switch. The switch was for giving the naughty kid a spanking, and I vowed to never be that bad, so the only thing I got for Christmas was a spanking. Though I bet Dan had been that naughty probably, I told Grandpa, and he agreed with me.

That was why I allowed Lexy to turn over the block on the advent calendar, which Grandpa had carved in the shape of a house and all the blocks for the days of the week were the windows and the door. They were all numbered up through twenty-five (Christmas) and behind each block was a different carved animal or object. Under the Christmas one was Father Christmas, I knew because I'd done the advent calendar before, since I was two and old enough to understand what it meant. But I didn't tell Lexy, because it would ruin the surprise.

"Look, Harry! It's a kitten!" Lexy exclaimed, removing the block and pulling a sleeping kitty out of the space behind it. "Aww! How cute!" She held the little carving in her hand a moment before setting it back in its space. "There are only seven more days till Christmas," she declared happily. "I can't wait."

"Me either. This is going to be the very best Christmas ever, I just know it. Or at least as good as the ones we'd had before Mum had died," I added loyally.

"D'you miss your mom sometimes, Harry?"

"Yeah, sometimes. She loved Christmas, she used to have a snowball fight with Dad and me and Uncle Sirius and Remus the week before Christmas."

"What if it didn't snow?"

"It always does at Hogwarts, that's where we go to have it," I told her. "We'd go up by the Quidditch pitch and build two snow forts and then we'd have teams. I was usually with her or Dad, since I was too little to throw well, but we all had fun anyway, and sometimes the students would join in, if they saw us outside and they had a free period. It's great fun, only we didn't do it last year, ‘cause Dad was too busy to arrange it."

"But could we do it this year, d'you think?" Lexy asked. "I'd love to have a snowball fight with you, Harry. My dad never did anything that cool with me, all he did was buy me some expensive jewelry or a porcelain doll that I couldn't play with, but had to put on a shelf as a collectible. But a snowball fight's so much better than that. I could be on a team with Mom and Mr. Toby and we'd kick your butt."

"You wish. Dad and I would wipe the ground with you," I snorted.

"Could not!" she disagreed.

"Could too! I bet you throw like a girl."

"I do not! I throw better than any boy, Harry! You'll see, if we ever get to have one. D'you think we could ask your dad tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. Maybe we can have Ron, Mione, Blaise, and Ginny play too. Monday's the beginning of Christmas break, so we won't have any school."

"That's tomorrow."

"I know. Says so right on the calendar," I said loftily.

"Smart aleck."

"Yup, that's me, smartest student in Mabry," I smirked.

"You mean the smartest boy in Mabry," Lexy corrected. "Mione and I are the smartest, we beat you in spelling last term."

"So what? Who cares about spelling?"

"Miss Underwood does," she answered, sticking her tongue out at me.

I stuck mine back at her. "You might be smart, Lexy Montague, but I'll bet you can't beat me in a snowball fight."

"Oh yeah? Says who?"

"Me."

"Right! I can knock you out in fifteen seconds."

"Can not!"

"Can too!"

"Can't!"

"Can so!"

We were standing nose to nose now, glaring at each other angrily.

"What's going on in there?" called Dad from the den, where he was putting the finishing touches on the tree, spelling it to last through the whole month. "Are you two arguing again over the calendar? Because if so, you can both miss today and go stand in the corner for fifteen minutes for quarreling over such a silly thing. I've told you before, the advent calendar is meant to be shared."

We'd gotten into arguments before over whose turn it was to turn over a block and Dad said if he caught us doing it again, it'd mean a time-out.

"We aren't arguing over that, Dad," I told him when he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, the advent calendar was sitting on the baker's rack, inbetween the cannisters of flour and sugar.

"Then what's the problem, Harry?"

"Lexy says she can beat me in a snowball fight, only she can't, ‘cause I throw way better than her."

"Do not! I know how to throw a curveball, bet you can't do that, Mr. Potter!" she challenged.

"Boys throw better than girls, it's a fact."

"You're making that up! Girls can do anything boys can do-better!"

"Enough!" Dad ordered. "There's only one way to settle this. And that's to have a snowball fight and see who wins."

"When, Dad?"

"As soon as I can call Moony and Padfoot and your grandfather and maybe your Uncle Al too."

I was practically jumping up and down. "How about Magnus, Dad? He's spending Christmas with Uncle Sirius this year."

"Him too, if he wants to play. And Alaina."

"How about Ron, Mione, and Blaise? Can we ask them?" I begged.

"And Ginny too."

"If their parents agree, then yes. Now stop squabbling and play nicely together, because Father Christmas is watching you and taking notes," he warned.

"Yes, sir," we said, practically in the same breath.

Then I winked and grinned at Lexy. The snowball fight was on again!

* * * * * *

Tuesday was the day of the big match, and we divided the teams up mostly by girls vs. boys, with Alaina, Lexy, Hermione, and Ginny on one team and me, Dad, Sirius, Uncle Al, Ron, Moony, and Blaise on the other. Grandpa volunteered to be on Lexy's team, since he wanted to trounce Dad and Padfoot, who needed to be taken down a peg.

"And you can have Reg, since he throws like a girl still," Padfoot declared, snickering.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that, big brother," growled Magnus. "I'm going to bury your arse, Siri."

"You and what army?"

"Us." Alaina replied, standing with her hands on her hips.

"But Alaina, they've got one more than we do," pointed out Hermione. "Shouldn't the teams be even?"

"Don't worry, sweetie. We've got a secret weapon." Alaina said with a wicked smile.

"What weapon is that, dear girl?" inquired Uncle Al, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Me, Albus."

And then Aunty Min stepped out from a pine tree.

"Minerva, it's been years since you've thrown a snowball," gaped Uncle Al.

"I didn't even know you knew how to throw one, Aunty Min!" I cried, shocked.

"Of course I can throw a snowball, you impudent scamp!" Minerva snorted. "I was once a champion snowball thrower, I'll have you know!"

"Yes, about twenty-five years ago!" Uncle Al teased.

"So? I haven't forgotten, Albus. Any more than you have, and it's been over fifty for you, Old One!" Aunty Min shot back.

"I improve with age, Minerva."

"We'll see, won't we?" Minerva chuckled, looking like a little girl with a naughty secret.

We used magic to build the snow forts, but after that, the grown-ups put away their wands and fought with just their wits and hands, it was fairer that way, since neither us kids, Grandpa, or Alaina had magic.

Uncle Al tossed a red scarf into the air, and when it touched the ground, he shouted, "Let the game begin!"

I was sure we were going to win, since my team had two of the best snowball throwers on it, meaning Padfoot and Dad, though Moony was good too, and Blaise could throw well since he'd had lessons with Uncle Matt, my dad's partner, who'd been pitcher for a baseball team back when he grew up in New York. Ron and I weren't half bad either, and Uncle Al was good too, considering he was three times the age of the rest of us.

The rule was three hits with a snowball and you were out, the team with the most people standing at the end of an hour and a half won.

For the first five minutes, nobody was winning, as we were all making and lobbing snowballs as quick as we could at the other team. When you got hit with one, a little light appeared on your coat, so we could keep track of who was hit and how many times.

I went after Lexy, determined to prove her wrong, Ron picked Hermione, and Blaise got Ginny. Aunty Min faced off against Uncle Al, and Padfoot against Magnus, which left Remus for Alaina and Dad and Grandpa. We chased each other through the deep snow, laughing and screaming.

"Got you, Lex!" I shouted triumphantly, catching her with a fake out.

She frowned at the red dot that appeared on her pink coat. "Only once, Harry. Take this!" Then she pulled out two snowballs from her pockets and pelted me with them. One missed, but the other nailed me in the leg, so we were even.

"Think fast, Sev!" yelled Grandpa, lobbing one at Dad, who ducked behind the fort just before it hit him.

"Getting slow in your old age, Dad?"

"Not a chance, boy! I can still take you," Grandpa insisted, and threw another at his son, which splattered harmlessly against the side of the fort.

"Uh, I believe that was a miss," laughed Dad.

"True, but this isn't." Alaina said, popping up from behind a tree and nailing Dad in the back. "Surprise!"

Dad whirled around, only then realizing it had been a sneak attack, and Grandpa had missed on purpose. "Real nice, Alaina!"

"Suck it up and deal with it, Snape!" she hooted, then darted away as he ran after her, snatching up two snowballs and threatening to make her eat them.

"You've got to catch me first, Sev!" she panted, running for all she was worth.

He laughed, for he had longer legs than she did and was gaining on her. He aimed and caught her in the shoulder. "You were saying?"

She shook her head. "That it doesn't matter if you get me, Healer. Because . . .I'm the decoy!"

Too late, Dad realized it was a trap, as Grandpa, Magnus, and Aunty Min all came up from behind trees and drifts and bombarded him with snowballs.

Good as he was, even Dad couldn't stand up to that kind of concentrated fire, and soon he was hit three times and we'd lost one of our best players.

Sirius just groaned. "Merlin, what do you call that? Three on one isn't fair!"

"It's called strategy, Black!" answered Grandpa. "It isn't my fault you never learned how to use it."

"I should've seen that coming," Dad said in disgust, going to sit out, next to Ginny, who'd been brought down by a well-timed shot from yours truly. "That'll teach me to trust a pretty woman. And my sneaky father, who learned strategy from the Royal Marines."

Grandpa laughed. "You got overconfident, boy, and then you paid for it! Quit your grousing, Sev."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Dad called back mockingly, and got a snowball in the face from Grandpa for his cheek.

Dad sputtered, scrubbing the freezing mess from his face frantically. "Dammit, Dad!"

"Tobias, that was mean!" scolded Alaina.

"All's fair in love and war, girl!" Grandpa chuckled, then sent a barrage of snowballs at Sirius, who just managed to duck most of them, though one caught him in the head.

He brushed the snow off his woolen cap and hissed, "Hell, Moony, we've got to take him out, and fast. He's dangerous."

"No kidding. What's the plan, Padfoot?"

"We do a sneak attack of our own. Harry, Ron, c'mere." He beckoned us over.

Uncle Sirius's plan was for me and Ron to burrow under the snow and wait while he and Moony drew Grandpa out from behind their fort. And they'd try to get Aunt Minerva or Magnus too while they were at it, for those two were a great combination, and had taken out Uncle Al with three well-timed throws.

When they'd drawn them out enough, Ron and I were to come up and get them from behind.

At least that was the plan.

But Grandpa was too smart and wily to be tricked that way, and Magnus knew Sirius too well to fall for his brother acting like a sitting duck. And Minerva simply refused to be budged from behind the fort, so the only thing that happened was Ron and I nearly froze and when we tried to crawl back, Lexy and Hermione spotted us and dumped about a ton of snow on top of us while we were trapped trying to run away.

"Still think boys are better than girls?" Lexy demanded, smirking at me, one hand holding a snowball.

"You cheated!" I sputtered.

"She did not!" Hermione objected. "Nobody told you to bury yourself under the snow and try to ambush Mr. Toby."

"Sirius did," grumbled Ron, scowling at her.

"It's your own fault then, for taking his bad advice," Hermione sniffed. "Better luck next time." She held out a hand to help him out of the snow.

Ron took it, then yanked her down into the snow beside him. Hermione shrieked, getting a mouthful of snow.

"You dirty rotten bugger!" spluttered Hermione.

Ron rose to his feet, dusting himself off. "Next time don't be such a know-it-all."

He turned to walk away, since we were now eliminated from the fight, only to run right into an angry Magnus.

"Apologize, right now," the Guardian snapped, putting a hand on Ron's shoulder.

Ron gulped upon seeing Magnus's normally friendly features turn hard as stone, but he said bravely, "What for? I tricked her like you did Severus, Magnus."

Magnus glared at him sternly. "No, you didn't. What we did to sev was in fun, you knocked Hermione in the snow out of pure meanness, and you know it."

"She was bragging about how girls were better and all she did was get lucky." Ron said stubbornly, his chin sticking out.

"That may be, but it doesn't excuse your behavior, Ronald. Apologize, now."

"Fine!" Ron stomped over to Hermione, who was sniffing and wiping her eyes with her mitten, and growled, "Sorry. There!" He turned to leave.

But Magnus caught him by his coat collar and yanked him back around. "Not good enough. Do it again, and this time mean it."

Ron quivered, then said sorry again, and this time you could tell he meant it.

"Better. Next time, boy, don't be such a sore loser. Now get!" He gave Ron a nudge towards the side of the field where Dad, Ginny, and Uncle Al were sitting. "I can't stand sore losers," he said to me as I went past him.

"Am I out too, Reg?" asked Hermione.

"No, since Ron was already out before he knocked you in the snow, so it doesn't count." Magnus brushed the snow off her and walked her back to the fort.

It looked like my team was done for. There were only Padfoot, Moony, and Blaise left against Grandpa, Magnus, Alaina, Mione and Lexy. But the two Aurors and my baseball pitching friend put up a good fight. They managed to take out Alaina and Hermione before being trounced by Grandpa and Magnus and Lexy, who really did have a good curveball, I had to admit.

"We fought the good fight, Padfoot," Remus said, shaking snow off of himself.

"Just wasn't good enough, Moony." Sirius sighed.

"And you were saying you were going to kick my arse, big brother?" remarked Magnus, grinning.

"Next time, your arse is grass, Regulus Black." Sirius mock-growled.

"Big talk for someone who has snow on his eyebrows."

"You're asking for it, little brother."

Magnus laughed.

Then Padfoot became a big black mutt and knocked his brother in the snow.

The two tussled and wrestled like two playful cubs, barking and yelling, but you could tell it wasn't for real, since Sirius could've bitten Magnus badly if he'd wanted to, and Magnus could've hexed Padfoot a dozen times over. But Magnus was getting the worst of it until Moony decided to help by pouncing on Padfoot in wolf shape, and knocking him head over tail into a snowdrift.

Magnus burst out laughing at Padfoot's startled expression, covered as he was from nose to tail tip in snow.

Then Padfoot shook himself, snarled revenge at Moony and jumped on the werewolf. The two chased each other all across the field, while the rest of us watched and laughed.

"Kids!" Grandpa snorted, rolling his eyes. He was the only one of us who'd managed to never get hit by a snowball.

I noticed my dad eyeing him wickedly, then he beckoned all of us kids over and whispered that we all ought to swarm Grandpa and knock him in the snow for being so unbearably smug.

So we all jumped on him, I tackled him about the knees and Lexy climbed up his shoulder and Ron, Mione, Blaise and Ginny just fell into him.

"What the blazes . . .?" he cried, his blue eyes widening. "Hey!"

Then he swayed and toppled over, right into a huge snowdrift, and all of us fell on top of him, laughing and screaming.

"Got you!" we chanted, cracking up.

"Why you . . .you . . .little brats!" he roared, coming up out of the snowdrift like an angry grizzly.

All of us froze and shrank away, unsure whether he was serious or not.

Then he grabbed me and tossed me in the snow, laughing. "Nice one, minnow!"

The rest of them scattered, but he managed to catch Lexy and Ginny and tickle them half to death in retribution before throwing them into the snow beside me.

"This was your doing, Severus!" Grandpa mock-growled.

"Me? I wasn't the one who jumped you," Dad said, pretending innocence.

"Don't play innocent with me, Severus Snape, I know you were the mastermind."

Dad just smirked, then said slyly, "You know what they say, Dad, pride goeth before a fall."

Grandpa's expression clouded, and I wondered if he were going to start fighting with Dad right there, but to my surprise he burst out laughing again. "You got some nerve, son! Some damn nerve!"

"Yes, well I learned from the best, sir," Dad admitted, then he started laughing too.

It had been a very fun afternoon, even though Lexy's team won.

* * * * * *

Finally it was Christmas Eve, and Lexy and Alaina were spending the night, but we were too excited to sleep, even after we had drank several cups of cocoa and eggnog. "You know, Santa will never visit here unless you two settle down and close your eyes," Alaina warned, patting the couch beside her.

"But Mom, we're just not tired," whined Lexy, coming to snuggle on one side of her.

"Yeah, I could stay up all night," I said, sitting down on her other side.

"Ah, but if you do that, Harry, then Father Christmas will pass right over and you won't have anything to open under the tree tomorrow morning," Dad said. "You don't want that, do you?" He came to sit down on the couch as well, and Lexy moved over to curl up against him, lately she seemed to want to be near him a lot, maybe because she didn't have a dad anymore, like I didn't have a mum.

I snuggled next to Alaina, who put her arm around me, and then she said, "Sev, these two will never go to sleep tonight unless I read them a bedtime story."

"Yes, a story!" I cheered.

"What story, Mom? The one about St. Nicholas?" asked Lexy.

Alaina nodded. "That's right snugglebug." She took a large picture book that she'd brought into the den earlier and placed on the table and opened it. "Now, Harry, every Christmas Eve Lexy and I read this book aloud, it's a long poem by Clement Clarke Moore called The Night Before Christmas or A Visit From St. Nicholas, depending on which version you read. I usually read a line, and then Lexy does, and so on, until the poem's ended. Would you like to help us out tonight?"

"Yes, please." I leaned in closer to see the book.

"And Sev too," Lexy said, not wanting to leave my dad out.

"If he wants to, Lexy." She looked over at Dad, who was cuddling Lexy. "Severus?"

"I would, Alaina. Let's all read it together. You start, love." He moved over so we were all scrunched together cozily with the book before us. The fire was crackling merrily in the grate, and the tree sparkled with tiny lights and I leaned back against Alaina's shoulder and waited for her to begin reading this new story.

She cleared her throat, then started, "‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house . . ."

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Lexy read next. "Your turn, Harry."

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care," I read quietly. That was true, Lexy and I had hung up our Christmas stockings on the mantle.

"In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there," Dad continued in his silky baritone.

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds," Alaina picked up the next line, looking at both of us kids meaningfully. Then she nodded that I was to read next.

"While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads." I could feel my mouth water. Sugar-plums sounded absolutely delicious right about now.

And so we continued, with each of us taking a turn reading, until we'd read the whole poem, which was all about the American version of Father Christmas, which they called Santa Claus, being seen by mistake by the father of the house as he came for his yearly visit.

By the time we'd done, I was feeling rather sleepy, but I was so comfortable against Alaina that I didn't want to move. "I really like that story, Alaina," I murmured, yawning in spite of myself.

"It's my favorite," said Lexy sleepily. "We always read it on Christmas Eve."

"I think two little children are ready for bed now, wouldn't you say, Alaina?" Dad asked quietly.

"Definitely," she agreed, gathering me into her arms. "Come on, scamp, let's get you tucked in."

I put my head on her shoulder, she smelled so good, like cinnamon and strawberries, just like the way a mother ought to. I was very sleepy now, so I didn't mind her carrying me like a baby.

Through half-shut eyes, I saw Dad carrying Lexy, who was half-asleep on his shoulder as well.

Then Alaina was tucking me into my bed, which was warm and my sheets smelled like lemons because that was the scent of the detergent Dad used on our laundry. He used a spell to wash the linens, and the soap from the spell usually smelled like lemons for some reason.

"Sweet dreams, my Harry," she whispered, and kissed me gently on the forehead.

Next to me, Dad was doing the same with Lexy, then they switched places and I dozed off just as Dad told me goodnight and kissed my forehead. I fell asleep with the scent of lemons and strawberries and cinnamon in my nose and dreamed of how nice it would be to have Alaina for a mother. Then I'd have a family like everyone else again.

* * * * * *

"Wake up, Harry! It's Christmas!"

I groaned, burying my head in the pillow. Why did morning have to come so quickly? I'd just fallen asleep and now Lexy was shaking my shoulder and yelling in my ear that it was Christmas.

It was Christmas!

I bolted up from my bed so fast the pillow fell on the floor. "Yay! It's Christmas! Did you see if he came, Lexy?"

"I just peeked into the den, Harry, and there were lots of gifts under the tree and in our stockings, so I think he did," she reported, smiling brightly.

"And no coal or switches?"

"No! Neither of us were that bad, you silly goose!" she poked me playfully in the arm and I clonked her over the head with my other pillow. "C'mon, let's go wake up our parents!"

We tiptoed into Dad's bedroom, where both of them were still asleep. "On three," I whispered. "One. Two. Three."

Then we both jumped up on the bed and screamed, "Rise and shine, lazybones! It's Christmas!"

Dad and Alaina both woke up.

"Great Merlin, Harry!"

"Lexy, for heaven's sake! Must you scream so loud?"

"Well, we had to make sure you heard us," she told her mum.

"I think they heard you in Australia, imp," Dad sighed.

"C'mon, Dad! Get up!" I urged, bouncing up and down on the bed.

"What for?" he pretended to be grouchy.

"Because we can't open presents unless you're there."

"Oh? And what makes you think there are any presents out there for you?"

"Uh, because I tried real hard to be good, Dad." I said honestly.

"Me too!" Lexy added. "Even when we were bad we tried to be good."

Dad laughed at that and so did Alaina. "All right, pests, leave for a minute so we can get dressed." He ordered, and we scampered off the bed and out the door.

Six minutes later they were dressed and we were running down the hall into the den, where a mountain of presents, at least it seemed that way, awaited us beneath the tree.

"Presents!" I screamed, diving under the tree to find one with my name on it.

I pulled out one with gold wrapping and tore it open. Inside was a knitted jumper of deep green with a black panther on it. "Cool! An Inky jumper!" I showed it to Dad then ran back to find another one.

* * * * * *

Twenty minutes later, all our presents had been opened. In addition to the Inky jumper I also got shirts and trousers (because Father Christmas is practical), a whole new series of books called The Legend of Merlin and Arthur (he knows I love to read), a new broom repair kit (I'd lost my old one), some new sketch parchment and pencils (I love drawing too), the Young Wizard's Potion Kit (that's been on my list forever), movie passes (because that's one thing I never grow tired of), a few Wizards and Warriors action figures (they'll move and fight when you say a command word) and the best gift of all-a Panecea Diagnostic Wand for would-be Healers.

"Dad! Look! He brought me it, I've always wanted one! Now I have a wand just like yours!" I raced over to show him it, now I could practice being a Healer just like my dad.

"Almost like mine, scamp," Dad smiled. "And you're going to need this to interpret the diagnostic readings, intern Potter." He handed me a flat package wrapped in red and green paper. Inside was a book called Diagnostic Results Decoded by Healer Heather Goodall. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Thanks, Dad!" I hugged him.

My stocking contained all kinds of sweets from Honeydukes and some harmless pranks from Zonkos and popcorn balls and candy canes.

Lexy's stocking had the same stuff mine did, and her presents were similar to mine, clothes, books, a new set of quills with jewel-toned inks and erasable parchment, a Cabbage Patch doll (they were all the rage among Muggles), more movie passes, some Fairy Friend figures (they were for girls and the fairies fluttered and sprinkled dust and chimed) and her big present was a new broom, a Nimbus Starseeker, with a broom repair kit and every safety charm invented on it.

"Woo-hoo! Look, Harry, look! I got a broom too! Now I can go flying with you and Ron and play Quidditch." She was grinning from ear to ear.

"After you have flying lessons with Sev, Alexis," reminded Alaina. "You're not to get on that broom unless an adult wizard or witch is with you, am I understood?"

"Yes, Mom." She turned to look at Dad pleadingly. "Can you teach me to fly now, Healer Sev? Please?"

"After we eat breakfast and I give your mom my present, I'll give you a lesson. Okay, firefly?" That was his pet name for Lexy, because she flittered and glowed like a firefly.

"Deal!" She gave him a high five.

"And when you go flying, you'll need this to keep you warm," said her mum, and she handed Lexy a bag with a reindeer on it. Inside was a pretty griffindown cloak dyed a bright robin's egg blue, since blue was Lexy's favorite color. It had fur about the hood and a silver clasp in the shape of a cat. "Merry Christmas, sweetie!"

"Oh, I love it, Mom!" Lexy cried. "It's perfect!" Then she hugged Alaina. "When's breakfast?"

We all laughed at that.

Even Inky got a present from Father Christmas. His was a gigantic leg bone from a buffalo, cured and basted with barbecue flavored gravy. He dragged it over to the hearth and started gnawing away on it, which made us all laugh some more.

Then it was the adults turn to give each other presents, since Father Christmas didn't visit them anymore.

Alaina gave Dad a beautiful gold stick pin, it could be worn on a cloak or a robe, of a caduceus with emerald eyes surrounded by a lovers knot. "Now every time you wear it, you'll think of me and how much I love you, my Sev," she told him and then she kissed him.

Funny, but usually watching grown-ups kissing grosses me out. Not this time, however. This time it seemed . . .right.

"Thank you very much, darling," Dad said sincerely, and pinned it on his shirt. "I'll treasure it always." He cleared his throat, looking slightly nervous. "But all I have to give you in return, Alaina Montague, is my heart. Well, my heart, and this." He made a clicking noise and Inky rose and padded over to where Alaina was sitting.

In the panther's mouth was a small gold box.

"Severus, what is . . .?" she opened the box and gasped.

Inside it was a beautiful diamond ring, with two emeralds on the side of it.

All of a sudden Dad got off the couch, he'd been sitting next to Alaina when we'd started opening presents, and got down on one knee in front of her.

"Will you marry me, Alaina Montague? I promise to love and cherish you forever, just the way you deserve." Then he took the ring from the box and held it out to her.

For some reason Alaina was smiling and crying at the same time.

"Yes, of course I will, Sev!" She held out her hand and he slid the ring on it. "I promise the same, and I give you my heart as well." Then she jumped off the couch and into his arms. "Merry Christmas, Sev!"

I looked at Lexy. "Uh, does that mean what I think it does?"

"Yup. It means they're gonna get married, and then I'll have a real dad again and you'll have a mother and you can be my brother, Harry!" she began to spin around in circles, giggling and singing, "They're gonna get ma-a-rried!"

I just stood there for a moment, shocked speechless. Of course I'd known that Dad and Alaina were dating and that they loved each other, but I never thought my wish for a mother would be answered.

But now it was.

And I also had a twin sister, sort of.

I grinned and started singing "Here Comes the Bride", ‘cause that was the only wedding song I knew.

Dad and Alaina stopped kissing each other finally and turned to us.

"Harry, Lexy, how do you feel about us getting married?" asked Dad.

"I think it's great!" cheered Lexy. "Now I've got a real dad again!" She hugged and kissed them both.

"How about you, Harry?" asked Alaina.

"I think it's awesome and I'm really glad you banged into us that day at the supermarket, Alaina."

"So am I, Harry. I think it was fate." She held out her arms and I hugged her tight.

"This is the best Christmas ever!" I said. Then I asked a very important question. "When's the wedding?"

"In about three months, when the weather gets warmer," answered Alaina.

Lexy tugged on Dad's hand. "Hey, Dad, when are we going to eat breakfast? I really want to go flying!"

Dad hugged her. "Wait a bit, firefly. The sky isn't going anywhere."

They made us eat at least a piece of toast and some ham before Dad took Lexy for her flying lesson and I went with them.

"Be careful, Harry," Alaina said worriedly.

I turned around and smiled at her. " Okay . . .Mum." I said, trying it out.

It sounded odd . . .but good. So very good.

And that wasn't all. We had visitors all day long, Uncle Al dropped by with presents for everyone, and my uncles, Sirius, Remus, and now Magnus as well, came over for dinner.

"Finally!" Sirius exclaimed when Alaina showed him the ring. "Thought I was going to have to give you a map and a book, Sev!"

"Congratulations!" Magnus shook my dad's hand and hugged Alaina. "You two were made for each other."

"I agree," said Moony, smiling. "But remember, Alaina, if he gives you any trouble, call us and we'll straighten his arse out."

"In your dreams, Remus," said Dad. "Because that'll never happen."

"I'll keep it in mind though!" chuckled my soon-to-be mother. "Now I think I'm going to call my parents and tell them the good news!"

By the time she had gotten off the phone with them, Grandpa had arrived and been told of the engagement. "Congratulations, both of you. Welcome to the family, Alaina and Lexy. It's about time I had a daughter and a granddaughter to spoil, Severus."

Then he hugged Dad and Alaina and Lexy and me too.

This Christmas really had turned out to be a special one, just the way I'd hoped for. And there was still the wedding to look forward to. I couldn't wait to tell my friends.

But later on that night, when Dad came to tuck me in, I asked him something that had been bothering me all evening. "Dad, do you think Mum would . . .mind that you're marrying Alaina and she's going to be my new mother?"

"No, Harry, I don't think she would." Dad said, coming to sit on the edge of my bed. "You see, when your mother . . .when she knew that she was dying . . .she told me that I shouldn't spend the rest of my life alone. That if someday I met someone special, I should marry her and be happy. She said that was the most important thing to her-that I was happy and so were you. I still love your mother, Harry. That will never change. But now I love Alaina too, and she loves me and she also loves you, scamp. Just like your mum did. Does that make you happy?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Then Lily would be happy too. You can still love your mother and love Alaina as well, son. There's nothing wrong with that, because you can never run out of love, remember?"

I nodded. The worried feeling vanished then, and I turned over on my stomach and Dad rubbed my back till I fell asleep, and I dreamed that my mother came to me with a pair of wings and said, "Be happy, Harry."

I woke the next morning content and smiling, for I knew that my mother understood and I could love Alaina almost the same way I had loved Lily.