Christmas dinner had almost been grander than a Hogwarts' feast and Harry was one hundred percent sure that even with his over active appetite, he could not eat another thing. The food Molly had produced had been incredible and she had been offering around snacks ever since the meal ended so that everyone was trying to run in the opposite direction if they saw the woman with a tray.
Harry's running ability was completely gone thanks to too much eating and one glass of wine which had travelled straight to his head. It hadn't affected his reasoning or his control of his powers, but he did have a rather overwhelming desire to go to sleep. Hence he was sitting on the sofa, leaning against Draco as his soulmate tag-teamed with Arthur to question the Granger's about all things Muggle.
Non-magical people were not Draco's favourite thing in the world and Harry had a suspicion that they made his lover a little nervous, but since his father had proved once and for all that on certain topics he was less than sane, the Slytherin had taken it upon himself to find out certain things. Hence, when given the opportunity to talk with two 'tame' Muggles (Harry was never telling Hermione what Draco had called her parents) Draco had jumped at the chance. Arthur, loving all things Muggle, had joined in and the Grangers had been stuck talking about everything from the Internet to prit-stick all afternoon.
Harry had joined in the conversation for a little while trying to give Hermione's mother and father some breathing room, but had eventually given up. Mr Granger appeared to be holding his own by firing questions about wizards back at his two interrogators and Mrs Granger had taken to steering the conversation in alternative directions if she found it completely ridiculous. When he had realised this, Harry had settled down and dozed against his lover, only adding the odd word to the discourse if the topic roused him from his partial slumber.
He was quite pleased with the whole set of events since from the general feeling of Draco and his soulmate's odd silent questions, Harry knew Draco was being quietly surprised. When talking to Mr and Mrs Granger it was obvious where Hermione had gained her intelligence and Draco had gained a genuine respect for the two dentists even if he wasn't sure whether to apply this new attitude to all Muggles or not.
"So a mobile telephone allows you to travel and talk remotely at the same time?" Draco clarified a point about the last topic of conversation.
Harry cracked open an eye and saw Mrs Granger nod and fish in her pocket. Living with his Muggle relatives during the summer Harry knew what a mobile phone was, Dudley had two, but he had never seen one up close. Such tools of 'normal' people were never allowed to come too close to Harry. As Hermione's mother passed her mobile to Draco so he could have a closer look Harry, couldn't resist taking a peek himself. It was smaller than he thought it would be; the last time he had seen one more than a room away was before Hogwarts, and the technology had obviously improved since then.
"It doesn't work properly with so much magic around," Mrs Granger explained conversationally, "but I couldn't live without it at home."
"It's possible to charm two objects to allow communication between people," Draco said in a very chatty tone as he examined the mobile, "but we tend to rely on other means of communication usually. If we could adapt this idea somehow so it was like the fire network it would be revolutionary."
Harry was sure that the conversation would have launched into discussions of networks and coverage if at that moment Charlie and Bill hadn't walked in from the garden and announced their presence with a small stream of sparks from each of their wands.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," they said with all the theatrics that were usually associated with the twins, "if you would be so gracious as to accompany us outside, we have something you may enjoy."
They were not quite as in time as their identical siblings would have been, but the effect was spectacular none the less.
"No need for coats," Bill said cheerfully as his family and their guests all looked at the brother's quizzically, "we have charmed the spot where you will all be standing."
It took a few moments for the gathering to move into action, but eventually the somewhat confused groups began to move. Harry uncurled from beside Draco and realised that he hadn't chosen the most comfortable position in which to sit as his neck muscles complained. It took a few moments of shifting his shoulder blades carefully to release the tension by which time everyone was on their feet. Dutifully the Weasleys, Grangers, Harry and Draco trouped towards the back door.
[Should we be worried?] Draco asked dryly as they were herded into the back garden.
[If it were Fred and George, I'd say yes,] Harry replied in kind, [with Bill and Charlie I'm not quite sure.]
The snow crunched beneath their feet where it had frozen in the frigid winter temperatures, but Harry found that there was no chill in the air. He let his barriers down slightly and revealed a shimmering, metallic blue haze all around the revellers. It had to be some kind of partitioning spell combined with a warming charm, which was not a simple spell by any stretch of the imagination. Harry came to the conclusion that a great deal of effort had gone into what was about to occur.
Bill positioned himself on one side of the group and Charlie did the same on the other, at which point they both produced their wands.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Bill said grandly, "we are proud to present, Christmas lights."
"Weasley style," Charlie finished and both brothers flicked their wands.
Suddenly the garden lit up with hundreds of tiny flames and from somewhere music started. The lights were of every different colour under the sun, arranged in complicated patterns and Harry, who still had his barrier to magic at a lower level could see the power it had taken to create the effect overlaid on the whole thing; it was breathtaking. It was so incredible that for a moment the whole group just stood there in awe before finally bursting into a round of applause.
That wasn't it, however, as Harry watched both Bill and Charlie chanted in time to the music, just below proper hearing and the lights began to move. Some of the coloured flames swayed, some danced and some bopped, all in correspondence to part of the classical track that was playing through the cold night air. Unconsciously Harry found himself pulling Draco close, wanting to share the moment with his soulmate completely and he opened his mind so that his lover could see it the same way he could.
It was beautiful; it was breathtaking; it was almost spiritual as the lights and sounds made the night come alive, and it was the most incredible thing Harry had ever experienced. Some of Hogwarts' festivals had had displays equally as vibrant, but this was so personal and made him feel such a part of the extended family around him that everything else paled in comparison.
When the lights finally began to fade and the music stilled to nothing, there was a moment of complete stillness and then everyone burst into a round of rapturous celebration. It was quite honestly the most wonderful Christmas Harry could ever remember.
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Gold Tinted Spectacles (Hecatemus Book #1)
Fanfiction(Drarry) Harry Potter is about to enter his seventh year, and things are not quite what he expected. He is no longer the angry boy who watched his world fall apart at the end of his fifth year, but neither has he completely found his place yet. He i...
