Mine

[37]

It was Christmas morning and I excitedly made my way downstairs. I had always loved Christmas, as any child does. My mother always decorated the house festively with a gorgeous tree and fake snow that magically sprinkled down from the ceiling before disappearing into the air. The first thing I saw was my mother sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in her hand, my father beside her with his arm around her.

"Good morning." My mother said with a wide smile as I made my way into the living room.

"Merry Christmas!" My father announced, getting up to press a kiss to my head. "There's coffee and hot chocolate in the kitchen."

My mother's hot chocolate was one of my favorite parts of our Christmas traditions. She always made it from scratch, and it sat in a large pot on the stove to stay warm all day. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a mug and scooped myself some of the warm liquid before my eyes went to the tray of fixings. On the tray were broken up pieces of peppermint, miniature marshmallows as well as large marshmallows, and salted caramel bits. I grabbed a small handful of peppermints and mini marshmallows and dropped them into my cup.

I turned around at the sound of footsteps entering the kitchen area, smiling at the sight of my boyfriend. He was showered and dressed, whereas I was still in my pajamas. "Merry Christmas, Draco." I said softly as he wrapped his arms around me, being mindful of the mug in my hand.

"Merry Christmas, love." He murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I tilted my head back, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

"Want some hot chocolate?" I asked, raising up my cup.

"I know I do!" I heard my brother say from behind Draco.

"Merry Christmas, Grant." I said with a laugh, stepping out of the way so that Grant could access the hot chocolate station.

"Merry Christmas." Grant said to both Draco and I as he began to fill two mugs with hot chocolate and then plopped marshmallows and peppermint into one and salted caramel pieces into the other. I could guess which one was for him since he had a love for salted caramel just like my father.

Penelope appeared in the kitchen soon after as Draco helped himself to some of the cocoa. I couldn't help but smile to myself as I stood in the kitchen, peering over my raised mug to eye my boyfriend, my brother, and his girlfriend. On this very morning, things felt so perfectly normal and blissful, and I felt very lucky.

With our mugs full, we all went to join my parents in the living room. I sat on the floor before the Christmas tree, pulling one of the plush blankets over my lap as Draco sat beside me. My parents were seated near the edge of the couch while my brother sat on the edge of the armchair Penelope was seated in.

My mother gestured towards the tree, where a few presents were nestled beneath. "Who wants to go first?" She asked.

"I do." My father said, hopping up from his seat, earning a chuckle from my mother. He stooped down and picked up a gift but handed it to my mother. "Didn't really think I was going to jump ahead for my own gift, did you?"

"I never know with you." She said, playfully rolling her eyes at him.

We all opened our gifts, my mother having received a pair of diamond earrings from my father, him receiving cufflinks engraved with a "B" for Brooks from her. My brother had received a new broomstick he'd been eyeing for quidditch and I received a silver ring with a single stone.

"The stone is from my grandmother's engagement ring." My father said as I eyed the ring on my finger. "There were three stones on her ring. I had the stones separated and one made into that ring, the other two being made into that set of earrings." My father said to me, then to my mother, gesturing towards the earrings he had given her.