If I May Be So Bold (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

30.

December 2034

JAMES

It was a quiet Christmas that year. Piper's situation didn't have her feeling all that festive and Raigan was tiptoeing around her, not sure whether it was better to proceed as usual with the decorations and the traditions, or to assume a sort of solemn, mournful nature out of respect. It was easier when he was around Elise and the girls, all of whom were getting on unprecedentedly well. Juni and Ella hadn't gone this long without some little tiff since Juni was an infant, and Ella had taken to sitting in their bedroom while Elise got ready for work in the morning, watching her and chatting about all the things she usually only told him.

Elise, of course, was beside herself with joy at this new behavior.

On Christmas day, they spent the morning around the fireplace exchanging gifts, then had a late but festive breakfast with Raigan and Piper, the latter of which seemed to be trying her best not to seem too miserable in front of the girls.

They all sat around playing games late into the afternoon, until Elise got an apparently urgent message from work (that definitely could have been handled without her) and she looked at James with these half mischievous, half puppy dog eyes, and he rolled his eyes and said, "Go ahead. I'll be waiting to hear all about it."

She kissed him, hugged each of the girls, including Piper, and apologized to Raigan for ducking out, but no one was really surprised by this. It had happened before on holidays.

"I love how much mum loves her job," said Juni when she'd gone. She curled up at the end of the couch, resting her head on the arm. "I want a job I like enough to actually want to go in on Christmas someday."

Ella smiled.

"She's an anomaly," James said. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I enjoy my job. But I'm not teaching anyone anything on Christmas."

"You just taught me how to play that card game," Juni pointed out.

"You," he said, "are too smart for your own good."

She gave him a big cheesy grin.

Raigan and Ella both laughed, but Piper, sitting in the red armchair her mum usually occupied when she was here, didn't seem to have heard any of this. Her gaze was fixed out the window and her eyes had that lost look she'd had several weeks back when this had all just happened.

James knew how difficult the holidays could be at times like this. He remembered vividly that first Christmas, no Dawson and no Elise, where he and Raigan had tried their best to smile through the work parties and the family gatherings, but when they'd been on their own, just the two of them and Piper, they'd been a pretty miserable pair.

James regretted that she had made it to that chair before her mum could and now wondered if she had done it on purpose. If she'd been on the couch, he'd have taken a seat next to her, put his arm around her shoulders, but she'd isolated herself over there. She'd been doing that a lot lately, making it difficult for anyone to comfort her. She didn't seem to want to let anyone acknowledge the situation anymore, and yet, he could see her dwelling on it.

He didn't like thinking about her going home alone that night, but Raigan had already offered for her to come back to her house, and she'd refused.

"Pipe," he said.

She turned her eyes towards him for a second, but kept her chin facing the window. They made brief eye contact and then she looked away again.

"You wanna go for a short walk?"

"It's cold," she said.

"I know, but just a short one. A bit of fresh air."

She shook her head. "Not right now," she said. Her voice sounded heavy, like just getting out those three words was more effort than she had left in her.