Most of my friends and family know that I love the Harry Potter books. I'm involved in one of the online communities and every year, that community has a Holiday Calendar for the month of December.
This year, I wrote a short piece for it. I decided to post it here as well.
I won't usually use my blog to share any fan fiction pieces that I write. Just this one.
Rose's Christmas Miracle - a Harry Potter fan fiction
“…and that’s how it happened. The troll fell to the ground and your Grandma and I became inseparable,” Rose heard her father tell her children as she walked into the living room.
“Now Ron, don’t be telling those children things that will scare them,” Hermione admonished walking in a step behind her daughter. “I’m sure that Violet and Cassiopeia would much rather hear a Christmas tale as opposed to an old scary story. Wouldn’t you girls?”
The girls nodded at their grandmother, and catching sight of their mother began clamoring for a Christmas tale.
“Please Mum, tell us a story,” Cassie begged.
“Yes Mum, a Christmas story,” her twin, Violet begged.
Rose grinned as she joined her daughters by the fire. “I don’t think you’ve heard about how your father and I got together, finally, right girls?” Two curly heads shook their heads no.
“Well then, let me begin,” Rose exclaimed as she pulled her daughters close to snuggle while she told the tale. “Once upon a time…”
~~~~~
It was the week before Christmas and Rose Weasley was tired. She’d been burning the candle at both ends to keep up with her work in the Department of Mysteries as well as studying for the boards she needed to take to truly become an Unspeakable. Becoming an Unspeakable was unheard of for someone fresh out of Hogwarts. The usually organized young woman had somehow managed to not notice that Christmas had snuck up on her.
“Well, that’s it,” she announced to no one in particular as she surveyed her office. “I think I’m just going to have stop. My brain can’t take in any more.”
“Talking to yourself Weasley,” a masculine voice rang from the doorway. “You know what they say; talking to oneself is the first sign of going crazy.”
Rose started and with a glare turned toward the intruder.
“What’s it to you if I talk to myself? At least then, I don’t have to listen to your snide comments.” And with that, she gathered up her things and flounced out of the office without a look back at the young man who ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“
Why of all days does HE pick today to torment me,” she thought. She couldn’t help but noticing how tall he appeared or that he filled out his robes rather nicely after all of the Quidditch he’d played for his House at school. True, in school he only noticed her as competition for the top marks. He’d never noticed that she actually wanted him to see her for who she was and not for her family or her red hair or her intelligence. But to see her.
She’d known for the past couple of months that he was back from his trip abroad. He seemed to make it a point to make a snide remark whenever he saw her around the Ministry. And she usually had an apt comeback, but today she was just too tired and emotionally not up for their usual sparring.
~~~~
The young man stood in the doorway of Rose’s office and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration as he watched the pretty young woman’s red curls bounce down her back as she stalked away from him.
“
Why do I always make a fool of myself around her,” he thought as he sighed and walked towards the lifts. “
Even back in school when we were competing for the top spot, I couldn’t help it. She’s always been beautiful.”
Back in school, he did anything he could to get her to speak to him. Typically that ended up being some sort of prank or comment to get a rise out of her. They’d always shared a rivalry. But now that he’d been back in the country for the past couple of months, he knew he wanted more. He just couldn’t figure out how to stop making a fool of himself around her and let her see how much he fancied her.
“
Perhaps, I need a new approach,” he thought as he left the Ministry and headed towards the Leaky Cauldron.
~~~~~~
Rose wandered aimlessly around Diagon Alley trying to get her temper under control. She didn’t notice the forlorn young man just inside the Leaky as she walked. She also didn’t notice the snow falling softly around her.
“Why can’t he just be nice to me? Why does he always make me so mad? Why can’t I let his teasing not bother me the way that I do James’, Teddy’s or Uncle George’s,” she asked herself stopping in front of Flourish & Blotts. She caught a glimpse of herself in the store’s window and looked hard. She saw a young woman with blue eyes, red curls, freckles, overall not beautiful, but certainly not a troll either.
“Because you love him Rosie,” she murmured softly. “And it hurts more than your cousins’ teasing because it’s him and he doesn’t see you as anything more than a pest.”
She reached up and brushed away the tear that escaped from her eye before squaring her shoulders and heading into Flourish & Blotts.
~~~~~
“Great. You idiot. You made her cry,” the young man muttered as he tossed some money on the table and hurried out of the Leaky. He knew that he had to figure out a way to tell her exactly how much she meant to him.
He stopped by the flower vendor just outside of Ollivander’s. “Flowers! That’s it! I can let her know how I feel with flowers. Today’s the 18th. So that means, a different bouquet every day until Christmas.”
He arranged with the vendor to have delivered to Rose that very day a bouquet of daisies and orchids. He took a minute to write a short note.
Rose – A beautiful flower such as yourself should have
someone who believes in the magic of romance (the orchids) and
loves your pure beauty (daisies). This is the first. Look for more.
Because I want to convince you that I love you. ~ Yours always.
He paid the vendor and arranged to have the bouquets, all but the last, he would deliver that himself on Christmas, delivered. The happy vendor set off to Flourish & Blotts to find the young lady while the young man melted into the shadows to watch quietly.
~~~~~
“Excuse me, miss,” a voice drew Rose out of the book she’d settled in with. “These are for you.”
She took the flowers from the vendor and breathed deeply of their fragrance. She read the short note and turned to the florist with a question.
“Do you know who these are from? I’m not seeing anyone.”
“Well miss, you must have an admirer – a secret one at that,” the florist said with a smile and left her to her flowers.
Over the next several days, Rose received bouquets of irises, sunflowers, carnations, wildflowers, and tulips.
She lined them up along her desk. “There’s magic of romance, purity, faith & hope, adoration, longevity, free-spiritedness, and perfect love. Someone’s obviously trying to tell me that he loves me, but who?”
She pulled out the note that was attached to the last bouquet of tulips.
My love for you is perfect. Like this tulip. I don’t deserve you.
Tomorrow’s Christmas. Meet me at noon at the Leaky. I’ll be
wearing your namesake. ~Yours always
Rose knew that she’d meet her admirer at noon. Partly to satisfy her curiosity and partly because her heart was hopeful.
~~~~
Snow was falling softly as Rose approached the Leaky on Christmas Day a few minutes before noon. She was nervous. For all she knew, it could be one elaborate prank that her cousins dreamed up.
Inside, at a table by the window, the young man wearing a single red rose in his lapel was outwardly calm, but inside was a wreck. “
What if she doesn’t come? Or what if she comes and sees me and doesn’t give me a chance?”
Rose stepped inside the cozy inn and stood still for a moment not believing what her eyes were telling her.
“You,” she spat as she stalked towards his table. “How could you? Was this all some big joke to you? Obviously, I’m not a person to you. You take joy in seeing me hurt. Well, I’ll tell you this – I’m crushed. You’ve ruined my Christmas!” And with those words she turned and ran from the restaurant paying no heed to the tears falling freely down her cheeks.
“Rose, wait,” he said running to catch up. “Please listen.” He reached out and grabbed her arm. “This wasn’t a joke. And I hate seeing you hurt. Please. I’m sorry. I make a complete fool of myself every time I’m around you. I always have. But it’s only because I never knew what to say to you. Even in school. It was easier to spar with you than to talk to you. I’ve spent this past week trying to show you how much I care and kept hoping that you’d give me a chance. Oh sweetheart, please don’t cry.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried.
“Do you mean that,” she asked looking up at him with tears standing in her blue eyes. “Do you really mean you’re sorry?”
“So very much,” he replied as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “And I know you hate me right now, but I hope that someday you’ll know just how much I love you. Here these are for you. Roses because they’re the flower that shows just how deeply I love you and red because I couldn’t think of any other color. I’ll do anything to let you believe that my love is true and to win yours, even if it takes an eternity.”
“I don’t think it’ll take that long,” she said as she nestled closer. “You see, I’ve loved you since our second year.”
At hearing those words from her, he bent his head and gently kissed her.
~~~~~~
“Did they live happily ever after Mum,” Violet asked.
“Yes my dear they did,” Rose replied brushing a blonde curl off of her daughter’s forehead.
“So that’s why Daddy always gives you flowers every Christmas,” Cassie announced causing the adults to laugh.
“Speaking of him, where is that son-in-law of mine,” Ron asked his daughter.
“He had to work late. He’ll be here just as soon as he can,” she replied with a smile towards the doorway where her husband stood unnoticed by the rest of the room’s occupants.
“You mean right now,” Scorpius announced his presence as he stepped fully into the room.
“Daddy,” the twins squealed as a flurry of red and gold curls hurled across the room into his arms.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I got here just as soon as I could. Merry Christmas Ron, Hermione. Merry Christmas you two munchkins,” he said as he crossed the room to greet his wife.
“And Merry Christmas my sweet flower, my love,” he whispered to her. “Those bouquets were by far the best present I’ve ever given.”
“How much did you hear,” Rose asked softly.
“Only all of it,” he replied with a grin as he claimed her lips with his own. “You’re my Christmas miracle.”
The End
Disclaimer: The only things I own are my plotline, and Cassie and Violet. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling and the Harry Potter universe.
