Beauty and the Beast (Remus Lupin)

82.

"You know what I just realized?" Rose asked as she poured Remus a cup of tea.

"You're always realizing things, so...what?" He looked up from his book.

"This'll be our first Christmas as a married couple." She handed him his tea, "but it's strange how it's just going to be us."

"I prefer it to be just us, if I'm honest."

"Really? We usually do so much on Christmas. Like when we went to St. Mungos, then to the burrow, and now this."

"After all, it'll be better this way. We've got to keep you safe."

Christmas was just around the corner, and the entire Order thought it would be best if they all celebrated Christmas separately. Even Bill and Fleur were to stay at home for the holidays.

Ginny arrived back at the burrow safely and Mrs. Weasley was unsure if she wanted to send her back after the holidays.

Hogwarts wasn't like how it used to be. At all. Now, the punishments were so severe, they're even using the cruciatus curse on students. So naturally, Rose assumed Filch was having fun watching the students he hated getting what he thought they deserved. Rose remembered when Umbridge was in charge and how she made him in charge of punishments.

Fred and George always told Rose about what Filch had in his office. One thing that he's always wanted to use was his shackles. But when Dumbledore was in charge it was merely "decorations".

Rose was happy though, to be with Remus during Christmas. But she was surely going to miss the people she had spent it with over these past few years. Especially Tonks since Rose had only seen her once for Christmas.

But while being on lock down, Rose had barely seen anyone. And it was getting harder and harder everyday to occupy herself with so little to do.

Remus was so scared that something may happen to her outside of the house that they haven't even gone out to get a Christmas tree. The only time they'd go out was to the backyard since it's snowing most of the time.

There had been very little updates since Harry had been spotted at the Ministry.

It gave Rose some hope that they had gotten away safely but at the same time, she had wished to hear something to indicate they were alright.

~

Christmas morning wasn't as special as it used to be.

There was no yelling downstairs indicating that Ron and his brothers were arguing, or hearing Hermione asking Ginny about Harry, and there was no Mrs. Weasleys cooking or baking.

Everything was so different.

One thing that Rose had looked forward to though, was she and Remus being perfectly fine. Even despite the Ministry tearing away families and making these holidays hell, luck had finally seemed to make its way to them.

Throughout the whole day, it insisted in Christmas music and Rose trying to make gingerbread.

Then the radio started to play Mrs. Weasleys favorite artist, Celestina Warbeck. Rose remembered the previous Christmas where Fleur was making fun of the way the woman had sang.

"That thing in the family room, what is it?" Remus walked into the kitchen.

"You've got to be a little more specific. There's many things there." Rose dropped flour on the table for the gingerbread.

"It's the rectangle thing that you put smaller rectangles in."

"A VHS? Blimey, Remus. Wasn't your mother a muggle?"

"Well, yes but we didn't have one. Anyways, what does it do?"

"Well those smaller rectangle are movies, or shows. Then you put those in the player and turn on the TV to watch them."

"That's it?"

"Yes, why?"

"Just curious." He walked over and grabbed a cookie cutter, "I've got to learn for the baby."

Rose grabbed the cutter and handed him the rolling pin, "then I'm sure you'll be more than happy to take over the hard job."

He rolled up the sleeves to his sweater and started to roll out the dough, "After I got bitten, we stopped doing these things. I was always either ill or tired most of the time. My mother paid attention to that more than anything else."

"Because she's your mother," Rose sat down, "that's what they do. Even when my mother was sick, she cared more for me than herself."

"Well, now I know where you get it from."

Once they finished rolling the dough, they cut up all the shapes then popped them in the oven.

"Let me teach you how to make the icing." Rose pulled out powdered sugar, vanilla extract and then the milk from the fridge and instructed him through it, "ok now put two cups of the sugar in the bowl."

Remus did as he was told. "Now put 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla extract then put 2 tablespoons of the milk."

Once Remus added that all, Rose grabbed the whisk, "and you do this part, it's hard."

"How is it hard?"

"Once it gets all thick it's hard to work with. Hence why I'm making you do this part."

"Nice excuse."

"Well I didn't want to use the fact that I'm having YOUR baby." Rose joked, "I'm sacrificing my body for this, nothings going to be the same once the baby comes out."

"I'm sure your body will still be just as beautiful or not even more."

"Men." She rolled her eyes.

After they finished decorating the cookies, Rose set them on a platter in the family room. "Let's watch one of those movies." Remus walked in with two cups of hot chocolate.

"Ok, I'll put you on a classic then." Rose grabbed a VHS tape and put it in the player.

"What is it?" Remus sat down.

"The Christmas Carol." She grabbed the remote, a blanket and sat down besides him, "like I said, it's a classic."

Surprisingly enough, Rose would say this was one of her best Christmases.

They stayed in from the cold, had hot chocolate, homemade cookies and got to stay warm together while watching a movie.

She wish she could've stayed in this bubble of hers for forever.