Fixing Old Traditions | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒘𝒐

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winter 1978,
christmas and secrets
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Christmas just around the corner Aimee wanted to make it extra special. Rhea and Phoebe were smiling all the time, smiling at people they recognised. Sirius was always greeted with giggles and smiling faces, Aimee played music throughout the house, they loved hearing familiar tunes.

This Christmas was most exciting because it was their first Christmas as a family, and she wanted everyone to be a part of that. Lily and James, Alice and Frank, Marlene and Dorcas were invited as couples. Remus and Peter were invited though she understood it they didn't come.

Sirius dressed the twins, in babygrows that their auntie Marlene had bought them, written across the front was. 'My First Magical Christmas,' Aimee cooked dinner with the help of Alice and Lily, they were a great help while everyone else played with the girls.

"Aimee," she turned around, "have you got a wipe," Peter said, holding Phoebe in his arms, "Sirius can't find them,"

"Oh yes, they're just in that draw," Phoebe giggled tugging on Peter's jumper

"Come here," she wiped her hands, on her apron, she adjusted Phoebe in his arms, "there she'll be more comfortable now, you be good for Uncle Pete," she glanced up at the clock, "oh gosh, they need their bottles,"

"I'll give them to Sirius for you,"

"Thank you, Peter," she quickly prepared their bottles, "tell him to shake the bottles first,"

As she continued to cook the Christmas dinner, while Sirius fed Rhea and Phoebe their bottles. They weren't quite old enough to try grown-up food yet. Marlene and Dorcas couldn't stop fawning over the little girls, James eyed Lily cautiously, shuffling uncomfortably on the sofa.

"Dinner will be ten minutes," Alice announced.

"I think these little girls need a nap," she took Rhea and Phoebe upstairs to their nursery, Sirius walked upstairs with her.

'All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this. One day when she was two years old she was playing in a garden, and she plucked another flower and ran with it to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather delightful, for Mrs Darling put her hand to her heart and cried, "Oh, why can't you remain like this forever!" ...'

Sirius smiled as she sat in the rocking chair rocking them to sleep, reading them the story of Peter Pan. He made his way downstairs, where everyone was talking about a wizard that Dumbledore had invited to help fight off death eaters.

"Dumbledore wants us to meet a Dark Wizard catcher, I think he said his name was Alastor Moody," Marlene said

"Wait you girls joined too?" James questioned

"Yeah, what did you think we were going to do?" Lily asked

"Leave saving the world to the men, I don't think so," Dorcas added, folding her arms across her chest. Remus spotted Sirius listening in from the doorway, he walked across the room to him, standing beside him.

"Have you told her?" he said

"No Moony I haven't, I just want to get Christmas over with then I'll tell her,"

"You have until 27th, you've known for a while, she'll be more pissed that you've waited two days before to tell her,"

"I'm not proud of it, but we'll be alright,"

Aimee had just set foot downstairs when she overheard the conversation, he was keeping things from her again. She walked back upstairs, sitting in her bedroom, resting her face in her hands, she took deep breaths trying to calm her nerves.

"Is Aimee not coming down?" Dorcas said

"Dinner's ready," Alice said

"I'll go and check on her," she heard Sirius say she wiped her face. She quickly fumbled around the room to make herself look busy, he opened the door, she turned around resting against the chest of draws.

"What are you doing?" he asked

"Nothing,"

"Well, aren't you coming-

"Don't you have something to tell me?" he sighed, the look in her eyes telling him that she already knew.

"I've been given a task to do with James,"

"And when were you going to tell me?" she asked

"I don't know, tonight, in the morning," he said, she shook her head, she walked towards the door, he stopped her,

"You swore to me, Sirius,"

"I know, I just didn't know how to tell you,"

"I can't control what you do, if you want to fight, I won't stop you," she said, she sighed, "please, stop keeping things from me,"

"Alright, I'll never keep anything from you again, starting now,"

"Right now?"

"Yes, Dumbledore has word on some death eater activity, he's asked me and James to check it out, I can't tell you where it is for security reasons, you aren't in the order so I can't tell you every detail-

"I understand that, go on,"

"We leave in the early hour of the morning on 27th, I'm not sure how long we'll be gone though,"

"There," she said, sighing as she looked down at her feet, "that's all I wanted,"

"I promise you I'll come home," he told her,

"Don't make promises like that," she shook her head, a tear rolled down her cheek, "Charlie always made promises like that, and then he didn't come home,"

He nodded, he held his arms out wide, she smiled softly wrapping her arms around him. He lifted her chin, pressing his lips tenderly against hers, she smiled a tear fell down her cheek. He pulled away smiling as he wiped away her tear, he pecked her cheek. He had to find some way to ease her nerves about his first task.