ENCHANTED[2]

chapter thirteen

DECEMBER 25th, 1989

He had been having terrible nightmares, dating back to seeing Nora's face one last time, standing on the stairs as James couldn't do anything, holding his daughter. He should've stayed, he should've switched places, he should've done something.

Being startled awake after hearing Nora's faint scream, James got scared as he saw his two kids jumping on the bed to wake him up for Christmas. "Daddy come on! Santa came!" Louise said, jumping on her dad's chest, the lad groaning when Harry was slapping his face awake.

"He did?" James asked, holding his son's hands to make him stop slapping him. "He did! He ate the cookies and drank the milk!" Louise squealed, biting her lip with her face going red over Santa.

"It's true, he was hungry."  Said Harry in a calmer voice, James smiling at his two kids. "Alright, let's go brush our teeth." He smiled at them, Louise and Harry running to his bathroom, standing up on their stools, one green and one red, James pouting a little at the colours.

Leaving room for James in the middle, he was thankful his parents did the three sinks, knowing Monty and Effie liked their separate space and made another one for James when he was older.

The house was so big for these three, almost walking in a pack wherever they had to go. Brushing his teeth and spitting out the excess, his kids did the same thing, all brushing their tongue before James had to do Louise's hair, the girl staying on the stool as Harry jumped off.

"I'm going to see if uncle atty is here." He yelled out, Louise wondering what her dad was going to do for her hair today.

"Are we taking pictures?" Louise asked, James brushing her hair. "Well of course, it's Christmas—"

"Then maybe do that Dutch braid." Surprised of how she knows the word Dutch, James obeyed her request, clearing his throat as he began doing her hair.

"You're getting better daddy." Louise said with a smile, knowing it usually hurts but this time it wasn't. "Thanks Princess, I'm learning from your aunt Betty." He told her, the two soon being done, hearing Atticus and Betty in the house, Sirius and Remus coming out of their bedroom too.

"Morning uncle moony— why is uncle Padfoot smiling like that?" Louise asked, Remus slapping the back of his boyfriend's neck to knock it off.

"He's just excited it's Christmas, go say hi to Millie." James informed her, the girl running down the stairs. "You two shagged on Christmas Eve?" James asked, staring at his friends.

"More like Christmas morning— OW!" Sirius yelled, Remus ashamed of Sirius sometimes. "Charming." James mumbled, going down the stairs, hearing the two bicker behind him.

"Happy Christmas Jamie." Said Betty, coming over to hug him, kissing his head as James didn't expect that. "She's hungover." Said Millie, Atticus covering his daughter's mouth from saying anything else.

"Don't listen to her, she's moody we didn't take her bowling last night with the malfoys—"

"You get to stay home alone?" Harry and Louise asked at the same time, looking at their dad as to why they're never home alone.

"No we forgot her." Said Betty, kissing the twins' head as everyone went to the living room, the Christmas tree standing tall with everyone having presents.

James thanked Remus and Sirius for being Santa this year, leaving it up for the twins of what they want, James staying out of the way to keep up the tradition for a while.

"Alright, gather around for a photo." Having one of the house elves to take the photo, James saw his siblings hugging each other as there were four stockings, keeping Nora's up still.