Unspoken Love

15: HAPPY CHRISTMAS

DECEMBER 24th, CHRISTMAS EVE

"This is going to be a mess." Albus hissed to his mother as they waited by their front door for Harry, James and Lily to join them before they apparated to the burrow for Christmas Eve dinner. 

"Don't say that." she whispered back, but she too, was apprehensive. Tensions were running high ever since Albus had punched James in the face. His leg was healed and so were James's teeth, but Harry had been livid. It was silently implied that they should keep their distance from one another, as no arguments seemed to happen when they were apart. 

     At dinner, Albus ate quickly and in silence before running back up to his bedroom. He wouldn't go downstairs if Harry was there and vice versa for upstairs. Harry would occasionally pop his head into Albus's room to remind him to study, but that was usually met by a glare and a wordless exchange. 

"It's going to be like this forever, isn't it?" Albus breathed. He didn't really mean to say it out loud, and he wished he hadn't as Ginny sniffed and threw open the front door. This thought truly did plague him constantly, it seemed that his relationship with his father was irreversible, doomed on the day of his birth. Thinking like this used to make him sad, but now he was just irritated. 

"I wish you wouldn't say that, Albus." Ginny said before shutting the door behind her, leaving him standing in the entryway of the house. 

--

"Don't be nervous, dad." Scorpius was saying as he and Draco walked up the path to the front door of the burrow. 

"I'm not." Draco snapped, tugging at the collar of his sweater uncomfortably. Scorpius rolled his eyes before ringing the doorbell, he knew his father was too prideful to admit to being scared of a Christmas Eve party. Scorpius could already hear music and lively voices inside. This Christmas Eve was to be the best one of all, he decided. His father was here for the first time, his boyfriend was here, it was just going to be perfect. Well, he hoped it would be. 

     Molly threw open the door and a wide beam spread across her plump face, "Scorpius! How lovely to see you and- Oh! Draco, so happy you could come this year!" she said excitedly as she caught sight of Draco, looking clammy as he stood off to the side. His heart was beating fast and his hands were slightly shaking with anxiety. How would those in the house respond to his presence? Would he be ruining their Christmas? Draco couldn't help but wonder...

"Come on!" Scorpius said enthusiastically, grabbing Draco's hand before pulling him into the house. This was nothing like Draco's childhood, Malfoy Christmas's. Molly was whisked away by Arthur to help him with the Christmas dinner preparations. Draco's eyes widened as he looked into the small kitchen space and spotted spoons stirring themselves, pans flipping of their own accord, and liquids swishing all around Molly Weasley who seemed to be perfectly in her element. 

     Scorpius pulled Draco through the dining room and past the huge dining table and into the living room. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were sitting by the fireplace with fire whiskey clutched in their hands. Ginny looked up at their arrival and her face lit up. 

"Draco, come over here!" she called, beckoning with her hand. Hermione spun around in her chair and she too, split into a smile. 

"I didn't know you were coming!" she said, standing up to shake his hand. Scorpius nudged him forward as Draco stood rigid on the spot. It was like his legs were no longer responding to his brain which was being thrown into chaos, the anxious warning signs were going off: Run! Leave! But he managed to walk forward and he took Hermione's hand, allowing her to lead him to one of the empty armchairs in their circle. Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks but both cleared their throats and put on polite smiles as their wives kicked them discreetly in the shins.