▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE - 🍂 ୧ potter . . .
christmas ও🦌

AS WINTER APPROACHED, Autumn's family arrived at the Potter household, their eyes widening in awe as they took in the splendid festive display of magic that had transformed the residence into a winter wonderland.

The sight of a sleigh floating over the rooftop and holiday decorations that appeared to be alive amazed Autumn's family, their astonishment growing as they struggled to reconcile the sensory spectacle with reality.

Despite the magical family members' likely familiarity with the breathtaking scene, the presence of the visitors seemed to elevate its enchantment, making it appear more spectacular than ever.

Autumn's father stared in astonishment at the lavish exhibition of magical phenomena surrounding the house; her mother, on the other hand, was visibly nervous with the strange sight of the animated decorations moving towards them.

Amidst the dazzling holiday magic, the Potter residence exuded a sense of aliveness, as each ornament and decor element appeared to possess an interactive feature.

Autumn was completely enthralled by the adorable outfits chosen for the several lively statues, finding them just as charming as if they were real animals.

Though devoid of fur, the statues compelled her to stroke their coats, their realistic look and endearing appearances so convincing that she momentarily forgot their artificial nature.

"Darling, check this out!" August exclaimed, gesturing at his wife to observe the luminescent deer sprinting across the yard. Aurelia, however, averted her gaze from the animated animal statues.

Raven chuckled as she approached Autumn and her parents, who were also marveling at the lively holiday decor. "Your parents are clearly just as dazzled by the decorations," she commented with a smirk.

Autumn allowed a weary sigh to escape her lips as she pivoted to face Raven, remarking, "Might as well make our way to the front door. At this point, our parents will most likely become the talk of the neighborhood given how enthralled they are by those decorations."

Raven nodded as she and Autumn made their way to the entrance, and after knocking, the door opened to reveal James and Sirius, sporting huge grins and gaudy Christmas sweaters. They had both adorned themselves with ridiculous-looking accessories: James with fake elf ears, while Sirius wore a bogus Santa beard.

"Happy Christmas!" the guys chorused together, with James rushing forward to greet Autumn and flash her a grin. However, before he could speak, both boys took notice of the girls' parents becoming entranced by the lively decorations.

"Bloody hilarious," Sirius guffawed as he watched the four adults, captivated by the animated decorations, and unable to tear their gaze away.

James and Sirius chuckled as they observed the adults, so engaged that they forgot about both Raven and Autumn. Fleamont and Euphemia approached the entrance to chastise the boys for leaving them at the doorstep.

After getting the adults' attention, everyone made their way into the abode. Before the families had entirely entered the home, though, James' parents approached Autumn and enveloped her in warm hugs, their faces adorned with big smiles.

"I knew it the moment I saw her!" Mia declared as she hugged Autumn tightly. "I knew she was the girl destined to win my son's heart."

Sirius let out a small, scoffing snort and stated, "She already had his heart long before you even met her." A swift kick from James landed on Sirius's leg, causing him to squirm awkwardly. Following this, both boys were greeted by a stern glare from Autumn's father, prompting James to sheepishly recoil.

"My little girl, merely sixteen years old! My precious angel, just sixteen!" August groaned, his overprotective nature on full display, while Aurelia just rolled her eyes at her husband's overreaction.

"I'm nearly seventeen," Autumn pointed out, which prompted her father to let out an exasperated huff.

"'And still too young for a boyfriend!" August asserted, jabbing his finger in her direction.

"Should I remind you how young you and mom were when you started dating?" Autumn muttered, frustration evident in her voice, while her father carried on with his childish fit.

"But he's a boy! A boy!" August yelled, the remaining spectators struggled to suppress their laughter.

Autumn rolled her eyes and placed her palm on her face, clearly annoyed, before turning towards James's parents, who remained unfazed by her father's behavior.

"Darling, why don't you save your childish tantrum for later?" Aurelia suggested to her husband, who had retreated to a corner and was muttering to himself.

Watching August's antics, James felt a wave of relief wash over him, as he had previously been anxious. He had been worried about gaining approval to date Autumn, but thus far, everything seemed to be going well in that regard. However, James acknowledged that the holiday had barely started, and thus he realized it might be premature to assume a positive outcome just yet.

...

A full hour later, Lily, Remus, and Peter arrived with their families, and the Potter residence was now teeming with people, with the adults gathering together and the teenagers left to interact with each other.

The teenagers had now regrouped in the living room, where James was lounging on the floor, while Autumn was seated, nestled between his legs with his head resting on top of hers.

Raven and Remus settled down on the floor, with seats positioned directly next to each other, while Lily, Sirius, and Peter had taken up positions on the couch.

"So your sister has decided to spend her holiday with her fiancé and his family?" Autumn inquired, turning to an exasperated Lily who promptly sighed and confirmed it.

"Thank goodness for that," she responded. "I was worried my parents would make me go with them, but as soon as I suggested coming here, they were so quick to approve." Lily said, leaning back against the couch.

"Oh, your sister would've been thrilled about that," Raven quipped with a hint of sarcasm, as she was well aware that Petunia was most likely fuming that their parents had chosen to spend the holiday with Lily instead.

"I'm sure her future in-laws will keep her occupied," Lily replied casually, but her tone suggested she was still sad about the state of her relationship with her sister, unsure of how to resolve the situation they were in.

The teenagers continued their inane banter, yet one individual remained withdrawn, that being Remus. His peers, fully aware of the approaching full moon on Christmas day, were not surprised by his absence from the conversation.

In light of the full moon upcoming on Christmas day, it was no surprise that their friend had retreated, a factor which everyone understood, save for Lily.

Hope and Lyall had requested that the holiday gathering be held earlier than usual, citing a planned trip as a cover for Remus's upcoming transformation.

This marked the first time that Remus's transformation for December was set to occur during the holiday itself; previously, his friends had become animagi and assisted him during his transformations, but their schedules didn't allow for it in 1974.

In both 1975 and 1976, the full moon occurred before the Christmas break, allowing his friends to assist him.

By 1977, the full moon fell on Christmas day, and while their families remained unaware of the boys' animagus ability and Remus's condition, the boys were still uncertain of how to handle the situation.

James, his voice troubled, posed the question to his friends: "So, what do we do?"

The others were awake and prepared, with Lily blissfully asleep, creating a perfect opportunity for the teenagers to discuss how to handle the upcoming night.

James had initially asked how they should approach the upcoming night, and the ensuing discussions involved the boys sharing ideas on how to handle the predicament.

Autumn raised an eyebrow, her thoughtful look prominent, and posed a question about how they had helped Remus in the past. "Over the summer, how did you assist him?" she inquired.

"During the summer, Remus's parents are usually at work, so they just assume he's isolating himself in the cellar," Sirius explained, detailing how they'd helped their friend in the past.

Raven placed her right hand on her chin, pondering for a moment as she observed Remus, a noticeable lack of energy making him withdraw from the conversation even when the discussion was centered on him.

The boys were initially perplexed about how to aid Remus on Christmas night, but once he had offered his perspective, everyone, except for the blissfully sleeping Lily who was unaware of their friend's situation, unanimously agreed to disregard his opinion that he should handle it alone.

Given the amount of time before Christmas, the group agreed to plan carefully instead of rushing into a solution.

They decided to relish the remaining holiday, spending time together and enjoying their parents' company while feeling safe and comfortable in the expansive and luxurious Potter residence.

Throughout the week-long holiday, August and James took turns as the main attractions, all thanks to Autumn's father's obstinate and hostile attitude towards their relationship.

As a result, August and James became the center of attention, with August continuously challenging James.

James and Autumn were unable to enjoy any alone time, as her father was relentless in watching their every move, acting like a hawk keeping a watchful eye on them.

Autumn managed to slip away from her father's ever watchful gaze, as he was preoccupied with the other teens, giving her a chance to spend some quality time with James.

James was initially taken aback when he found himself unexpectedly removed from his home, but once he recognized Autumn as the one responsible, relief washed over him, ending his state of uncertainty.

"Merlin's beard, I honestly thought I'd been kidnapped by a damn Death Eater or something of the sort," James sighed, expressing his profound relief.

Autumn raised an eyebrow, her tone playful as she inquired, "Now, why would a Death Eater kidnap you during the middle of the day, just snatching you from your own home?"

"I don't know, love," James replied with a chuckle, before adding in a humorous tone, "Maybe they've lowered their standards for some bizarre reason. Or there's a secret sect of Death Eaters who've decided to hire based on, you know, less than ideal requirements, and they've chosen me of all the people!"

As Autumn approached, James was momentarily startled as she encircled her arms around him, but his surprise quickly gave way to contentment as he reciprocated the embrace, drawing her closer and gently squeezing her.

"I missed this," he replied between labored breaths, resting his head atop hers before leaning forward to capture her lips in a fierce kiss that only heightened the intensity of the moment.

James moved his body closer to Autumn's, intensifying their kiss, wrapping his arms around her to draw her even closer to him. Autumn reciprocated, leaning back as James pulled her tighter into his grasp.

Once their lips eventually separated, they appeared slightly breathless, panting from the fervor of their passionate embrace. Their hands remained wrapped around each other, as they stayed in each other's embrace, savoring the closeness and warmth shared between them.

"That was nice," Autumn replied, her tone slighty breathless as she laid a hand on James' glasses, noticing the slight fogging that had resulted, "It gotten a little foggy."

"You bet it was, love," James responded with a chuckle, nodding in agreement before placing a quick, yet affectionate kiss on her lips.

"You're right about that, love," he added with a grin and a light laugh. "I suppose now I need to memorize every single one of your features, so I can recall them even if my vision is foggy."

Autumn couldn't help but roll her eyes in response to his teasing. "How long did it take you to come up with that one?" she asked with a bemused expression.

ames chuckled and gave a slight shrug, smiling as he replied, "Well, it didn't take very long." He then added with a sly smirk, "When it comes to you, being clever is as easy as breathing."

As Autumn leaned towards him for another kiss, she suddenly gasped and pulled away, noticing the presence of her father approaching them.

" Nooo, I need more-" James muttered in slight frustration, watching as his girlfriend pulled away from their embrace. However, his irritation changed to surprise as he saw her pointing a finger and suddenly realized that her father was probably going to be the next source of his Boggart.