Mrs Potter-Malfoy {ON HOLD}

I wish it could be christmas everyday

Bella had never been in a flying car. But as a joint Christmas present from all the parents James had been gifted one. A blue Ford Fiesta.

This led to him, Bella, Lily, Albus and Scorp all soaring above the clouds in the car. Bella was in the front seat, with Lily in the back, squashed between their brothers.

"Should we head back?" James asked, slowing down to gently float along. "It's already going to be dark by the time we do get home."

The group agreed, quite sadly, but the thought of repeating the last two hours of peace for the trip home was enough for them.

"Yeah and," Bella began "dad's going to have a fit now we're late for dinner." She hiccuped a little, maybe from the champaigne Albus smuggled from the cellar before they left. The now empty bottle was sitting on Lily's lap, gently rocking in the swaying car.

"He's also going to have a fit when he finds out you're drunk." James retorts from beside her. She lightly hits his arm. "Don't distract the driver." He tries to say it seriously but one glance at his drunk wife brings a smile to his face.

"Did anyone bring any water?" Lily asked, slouching further in her seat. She had drank more than Bella had, and white Bella was still able to form coherent thoughts and probably walk in a straight line, Lily would be nursing a horrendous hangover the next morning.

Ron has thought it would be funny to give her a DIY DNA set for a Christmas present. And while she did think the present was funny it just reminded her of how badly she was doing at finding out anything about her biological father.

All conversations with Ginny were shut down, she wouldn't say a word and Lily had long since learned to stop asking.

"We maybe should have," Scorp said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side. One in an attempt to comfort her, and two to try and get her to stop swaying to avoid her throwing up.

"We will be home soon and food will sober her up." James said, looking back at his little sister in the rear-view mirror.

"There's always champagne with dinner, they're bound to give us a glass this year, they did when you all turned 17." Bella said, turning around to her slightly green best friend. "Lily just don't drink anymore, barely even wet your lips, no one will notice."

"Maybe I'll just go straight to bed."

"No Lils you can't do that, you have to act normal, act sober." Lily nodded against Scorp's side.

She had slightly sobered by the time they arrived home. James linked here arm through hers and helped her walk to her seat at the table.

"We sat down already, Hermione saw the car come back so we thought we would sit and wait."

"That's fine," Bella started, kissing her fathers cheek where he sat at the end of the table and sitting to his right. "You didn't have to wait, you could have started without us."

"Yeah we lost track of time." James continued, sitting a woozy Lily in her designated seat before sitting in his between Lily and Bella. Scorp and Albus managed to sit opposite the two without rousing too much suspicion. After all they only had about two sips each Lily had downed most of the bottle before anyone noticed. Bella took it off her and finished it, after the boys said she had more to celebrate. Bella knows now that that was only because they knew they didn't want to look drunk when they got back.

Smart bastards she thought.

Sure enough there was a champagne flute filled three quarters for the way sitting beside every place. Except Alice and Hugo who had a similar glass filled with apple juice. They were the youngest, everyone else was over the age of 17.

It was a family only dinner this year, with the Malfoys, Potters, Weasleys and Lupins. The all picked up their glasses as Draco started the toast.

"This year, like the last few, has not been easy on our family. With unimaginable struggles faced as a whole and each of us having our own individual struggles. It is a wonder we are all still standing. I think that is so because of what we have here, a family. Not all are related by blood, some have been joined by marriage," he gestured to Bella and James, before looking at all the others in the room who had married into one of the three main families, the Potters, Malfoys and Weasleys. "It has been incredibly hard to stay positive these last few years, the last months especially, but I have done so because I know that because of this I have a family. It used to just be me, Laura, Bella and Scorpius, but over the last 6 years our little foursome has grown into this magical huge family I see before me. I wish it couldn't be Christmas every day.

Merry Christmas everyone."

Everyone cheered and raised their glasses, a chorus of clinks echoed around the room, then fell silent as everyone took a sip from their glasses. Lily raised her glass to her lips and like Bella had suggested barely dampened her lips, but to anyone not watching closely it looked like she drank some.

James was right, the food sobered her up and within an hour she was back to herself again.

After dinner it was suggested that they play Christmas games and everyone gathered in the huge living area. (I imagine this is the hall where they were taken in Deathly hallows where Draco is asked if it's Harry, but it's all been done up by Laura and it's comfy and cozy now.)

They played charades, Pictionary and mad libs until the early hours of the next morning. Bella fell asleep in James arms on the floor downstairs.

She remembers moving and is aware of being carried somewhere. She fully becomes aware when the person carrying her almost drops her on the stairs. "Sorry," James whispers and kisses her forehead, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Are you going to stay?" She asks, ignoring his apology. "In my room, are you going to stay?"

So far they had never slept in the same bed, from being separated at hogwarts and uni and even in the week they had both been home they had stayed in separate rooms. James never pushed the issue because he knew she was still healing.

"Do you want me to?"

"You're my husband."

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll stay, tonight.... and forever." He lightly kisses her forehead again before she dozes off again and he continued to walk to her room.

Once there he slowly tries to slide off her dress to avoid waking her and once it's off he slips one of his shirts in its place and deposits her under the covers, before changing himself and climbing in beside her.

She must have still been awake slightly because she cuddled into his chest and whispered, "Tonight and Always."

"Tonight and Always."