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-26 December 1980. Swirls of blue and purple painted the sky during the early evening hours, blanketed by the usual overcast night. Grey clouds had bequeathed a bounty of snow that came as heaven's sunlit glitter to bring the world to a new shine. Music drifted with the chilly winter air from faint, sweet carols being sung at the church. Cottages stood on either side of the narrow road of Godric's Hollow, their roofs burdened with snow and Christmas decorations twinkling in their windows. Snow covered trees rose as white fairytale beings in the wintery landscape.

Everything was blanketed with snow like a gift wrap only spring can unwrap, revealing the beauty that lives below.

A handsome manor grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond-paned windows. The tall pillars on either side of the gates were topped with a lion and a lioness each. Somewhere in the beautiful back garden, a fountain was playing.

Lena McKinnon was sitting alone in the vast library of the McKinnon Manor, reading an old leather bound book that was slipping through her brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind. Her dark eyes flickered to the door every now and then, as if waiting for someone to walk in.

Her muscles were clenched tight against the cold as the wintery air blew through the library windows. Instead of closing them with a simple flick of her wand, she sits motionless. Deep in thought.

The door to the library creaked open and Alexander McKinnon walked in, his two year old daughter asleep in his arms, holding her stuffed stag. Flakes of snow caked his sunflower blond hair.

Sierra McKinnon looked so much like her mother, with the same tar black hair. But she had her father's piercing, crystal blue eyes.

"Had fun at the Potter household?" Lena asked him, placing the book in her lap. "How is baby Harry doing?"

"Oh, we had lots of fun," Alexander grinned. "Can't say the same for Sirius. Poor bloke almost cried when Harry yanked his hair and ruined his hairstyle."

Sierra's eyes fluttered open. She excitedly clapped her hand against her father's cheek and let out a happy giggle.

"Evening, starshine," Alexander smiled at the child.

The leather bound book slipped from Lena's lap, landing on the woodenfloor with a loud thud.

"Shit!" Lena muttered leaning down to pick it up.

Sierra dropped the stuffed stag she was holding. "Sit!"

"Lena!" Alexander scolded. At this point he was sure Sierra was going to run around screaming swear words that she picked up from her mother's colourful vocabulary. James and Sirius had actually put bets on which word she was going to learn first.

"Sorry!" Lena apologised emerging from under the table. She playfully pointed a finger at her daughter. "You listen here young lady, you're not allowed to repeat anything mummy says, you get me?"

"No"

"Rude." Lena pouted. She glanced at the grandfather clock that sat in one corner of the library. "What's taking Remus so long?" The light outside had faded, with the sun dipping down behind the cliffs and the moon peeking out from behind the grey clouds. "Alexander is there really a point in going there at this time?"

"There's a point in everything and anything or nothing at all, depending on your worldview." He replied.

"It's just. . . I really don't have a good feeling about this." She muttered. A horrible fear was clawing up her chest. It was the day they had been dreading for months. In an hour Lena and Alexander will be walking down the halls of the Department of Mysteries. It was Dumbledore's request. A task assigned to them as members of the Order of The Phoenix.

Noticing the growing anxiety on Lena's face, Alex shifted Sierra to hold her with one arm and wrapped the other around Lena's shoulder, pulling her closer. Sierra reached out her small hand and rested it on her mother's shoulder.

"It's all going to be fine," Alexander said softly, leaning his head on top of Lena's. "Wars don't last forever. And I will never let anything happen to my family."

They stayed like that for a moment. The only sounds being the whistling of the wind and the soft chorus of a Christmas carol from the church.

"Alex, I almost forgot but there's something I need to tell you," she told him, the corners of her lips curling up into a rapturous smile.

"What is it?"

"I think," She smiled. "In nine months-"

A knock on the library door cut her off. The door swung open and the McKinnon's dear friend Remus Lupin invited himself in.

"If it isn't your godfather!" Alexander said brightly.

Sierra excitedly turned around at the mention of Remus. Alex placed her down and she ran up to her godfather, as fast as her small legs would carry her. Remus leaned down and the child wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Uncle Moony!"

Remus scooped her up in his arms a bright smile lighting up his scarred face.

"Thank you Remus, for agreeing to stay with her." Lena thanked him.

"Oh it's fine," He said. "You two should get going, it's quite late already."

Sierra looked from her mum to her dad in confusion as they started moving towards the door.

"Mummy!" She called out. "Dad, come play with Moony?" Her lower lip trembled.

"We will be back soon sweetheart," Alex promised, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Then we can all play together."

Sierra reached out and took hold of a chunk of Lena's hair, refusing to let go.

"It won't take us long darling," Lena smiled, ignoring the anxiety growing on the pit of her stomach.

>★<

Alex and Lena set off at a brisk pace, past an empty inn and a few houses, their figures barely illuminated by the street lamps and the icy air stinging their faces. The snow had become impacted: it was hard and slippery where people had trodded on it all day. According to a clock on a nearby church, it was almost eight o'clock. They heard a snatch of laughter and a pop music as a pub door opened and closed, then they heard a Christmas song start up inside one of the little huts.

"You were about to tell me something in the library," Alex said. "Tell me about it."

"Oh that," Lena recalled. "You will find out at the New Year's Party. I think it will be better to announce it when we are all together."

Little did she know, they would never make it to the party.

Lena would never be able to ask her dear friend James to be the godfather to her unborn child.

None of them noticed the hooded figures closing in on them in the darkness of the night.

"We should apparate from here to the outside of the Ministry," Alex suggested as they had come a good distance away from the manor and out of sight from the muggles. He offered his hand to Lena. She took it interwining their fingers.

Before they could apparate, two of the the hooded figures raised their wands in unison and blasts of green light illuminated the street.