Kiss From A Rose
Merry Christmas
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EN-GB'>: I think you must be the first person to tell me that they feel ‘sorry’
for Camille. The usual reactions I get to her are more like torturing… killing…
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EN-GB'>: Aww, thank you! I like protective-
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Mrs Sirius Black
EN-GB'>: Thank you! I’m glad you like the story.
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Chapter 17
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Merry Christmas
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style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> walked through the crowded street of Diagon Alley, trying to avoid anyone
as people were rushing by while they tried to get the last Christmas presents.
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style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>She
reached with her hand into her pocket and touched the soft fabric she felt
inside. Relieved to find it still there she dodged a young woman who was
rushing through the street, moving that her stomach showed away from the woman.
She should have taken Dyson up on his offer to accompany her but she had wanted
to keep what was inside her pocket a secret and she wasn’t sure whether or not
Dyson would have been able to not tell his cousin anything.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Two
hands on her shoulders brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up to
meet a pair of brown eyes looking down at her.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Oliver.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Are
you alright? You look tired.” Oliver said and frowned down at her.
EN-US'>Angelina
shook her head.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
EN-GB'>“Just tired of this crowd here.
I was trying to get somewhere from where I could apparate home.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“How
about we have a cup of tea together before you head home again?” Oliver asked
her and Angelina
EN-GB'> didn’t have to think long about it before she agreed. They went into a
café and sat down at a table by a window.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“How
have you been in the past weeks?” Oliver asked her after they had ordered each
a cup of tea. “I read those articles in the Daily Prophet.”
EN-US'>Angelina
at the table.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
EN-GB'>Adrian
meeting with his lawyer had been a success. The Daily Prophet had posted
to pay dearly for the article. Just this morning Dyson had told them that her
family had sent her to
EN-GB'> to marry a friend of her father. Her family saw no way to get her back
into
EN-GB'>’s society after she had caused such a scandal.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Angel?
Are you sure you’re okay?” Oliver asked her worriedly.
EN-US'>Angelina
nodded.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Yes,
it’s just, about the article… I …”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“You
don’t have to say anything about it.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Don’t
you want to know if it was true or not?” style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> asked silently.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“No.
Whatever it was that you went through in the past years,
I know you don’t want to talk about. If you ever need someone to talk to about
it, I’m there for you, but I won’t press you for any information on it.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> smiled relieved and took Oliver’s hand in her own.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Thank
you.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“That’s
what friends are there for, right?” he smiled back at her.
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style='font-size:13.5pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“I
can barely remember what Christmas was like.” Julia whispered while she stood
in front of the huge Christmas tree. style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> kneed behind her and moved her arms around her sister to hug her.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>While
she watched the decorated tree she could exactly remember how Christmas had
been with her parents. Could remember the scent of biscuits and the fir filling
the house, the rooms she wasn’t allowed to go into before Christmas because her
presents were hidden there, the anticipation when she had to go to bed and
could barely bring herself to sleep because she didn’t want to miss Father Christmas.
And then, the next morning she had woken up and the floor around the tree had
been covered in presents from Father Christmas.
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style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>The
last time she had celebrated Christmas with her parents had been five years
ago. Before the war. Before her
parents had died. Before…
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Looks
like the Christmas angels have appeared early this year.” Dyson’s voice brought
her back from her thoughts. Angelina
EN-GB'> arose and turned around to greet him. His nose and cheeks were red and
he was rubbing his hands together.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Why
didn’t you just apparate here?” she asked when he took off his scarf and his
coat.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Because
I like being outside at this time of the year.” He said and smiled at Julia
before he lifted the girl into his arms.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“I
could already smell the snow today.” He spoke matter-of-factly and Julia beamed
when she heard this.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Do
you think we will get real snow for Christmas? Real white
snow? I can’t remember snow. Have I ever been in the snow?” she asked
EN-US'>Angelina
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Yes,
I remember Dad built you a snow house right before Christmas.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Can
we build one when it really snows?” Julia asked and looked pleadingly at her
sister.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
EN-GB'>“Of course.
won’t manage to make it bigger than you are this time.” Dyson put Julia down
again and they watched her as she ran out of the room calling back something
about her going outside and smell for herself for the snow.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Where’s
EN-GB'>?” Dyson asked as he turned back to
EN-GB'>.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
EN-GB'>“In the library.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Dyson
nodded and headed out of the room as well.
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style='font-size:13.5pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> wasn’t sure what had woken her up. It certainly wasn’t
EN-GB'>Adrian
for he was still lying sound asleep behind her with his arm around her waist
and his face buried in her hair. So she kept her eyes closed and listened
trying to hear something that was out of the ordinary. But there was not a
single sound.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>When
she finally opened her eyes she almost hit
EN-GB'>Adrian
face with her head. Julia was standing next to the bed, her teddy in her arm
and a big smile on her face.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> gazed at the clock and when she saw where the hands were she fought
down the urge to curse. It was too early for her to be awake. Maybe it was just
her having gotten used to sleeping long, but right now
EN-GB'> sounded like the middle of the night to her.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Julia,
what…” she whispered and cleared her throat. She wasn’t even awake enough to
speak yet.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“It’s
Christmas.” Julia beamed at her sister. “And it has snowed!”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> could hear
EN-GB'> groan against her neck at this early waking call.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“You
said we could build a snow house.” Julia reminded
EN-US'>Angelina
looked expectantly at her.
EN-GB'>Adrian
slowly lifted his head from his ‘pillow’ and looked at Julia.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“You
know, when I was your age the last thing on my mind on Christmas morning was
the weather. I was way too occupied with opening the presents. Has this changed
since I was a child?” He wondered, the last sentence directed at
EN-US'>Angelina
wide.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“I
get presents?”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
EN-GB'>“’Course.
here just after you’ve gone to sleep and left about a zillion packets all with
your name on them.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>If
possible, Julia’s eyes grew even wider and her mouth opened slowly. But she
soon closed it again and frowned, obviously thinking hard about something.
Finally she came to a decision.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Can
we make the snow house after the
presents?” she asked Angelina
EN-GB'> and looked apologizing at her older sister.
EN-US'>Angelina
grin.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
EN-GB'>“Of course.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Julia
hurried to the door and was almost out of the room before she turned back
around.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Aren’t
you coming?” she frowned at the couple in the bed.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Just
give us five minutes.”
EN-GB'> promised her and Julia nodded before she closed the door. She sat down
on the staircase and waited impatiently for five minutes to be over.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
EN-GB'>Adrian
kissed Angelina
EN-GB'>’s shoulder and pulled her closer to him, taking pleasure in the warmth
of her body against his.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“I
guess we better get up then.” He murmured though he made no move to get out of
the bed.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Yes,
but therefore you have to let go of me, so I can leave the bed.”
EN-US'>Angelina
under protest,
EN-GB'> did so.
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style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Luckily
Julia had no idea how long five minutes were – other than they were very long
today – and so she didn’t notice that it took style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> and Adrian almost ten minutes before they emerged the bedroom to head
downstairs with her.
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style='font-size:13.5pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Julia
had opened all her presents and was already playing with them when
EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'>Adrian
a small wrapped package.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“What
is it?” he asked and looked asking at her.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Open
it.” Angelinastyle='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
said and noticed that her hands were sweating when
EN-GB'>Adrian
opened the present.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“We
will need them in a few months.” style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> told him while he stared at the small shoes in the box. His eyes moved
back to her face and for several seconds he only stared at her.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“We’re
getting a baby?” He finally managed to ask.
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“Well,”
Angelinastyle='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
started “Actually I’m the one who’ll grow fat, get mood swings and have to
press the baby out of an opening that is too small but I guess that means, yes,
we’re getting a baby.”
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>
EN-GB'>Adrian
eyes dropped to her stomach and swallowed. He would be a father. A smile tugged
at his lips. He would really be a father. style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Angelina
EN-GB'> watched him closely and saw the smile spreading over his face, not only
reaching his mouth but his eyes as well. And though she didn’t know it yet, the
nightmares that had been part of her for the past four years would never return
to her at nights.
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