Chapter 10: Look, it's snowing! For real this time!

'Wake up! Scorp, wake up!' 'Scorp get up, Santa's been!' 'SCORPIUS WAKE UP YOU LAZY GIT.' Albus and Hugo pushed the poor boy off of his inflatable mattress, and onto the cold, wooden floor. 'mmmmm....gerroffff Al...!' 'GET UP, OR NO PRESENTS!' His eyes opened wide at that. 'Presents? I'm not getting any presents, Dad is sending my present to school..' It won't be anything decent anyway. Last year it was a pair of green socks and his Hogwarts school textbooks. Just what every nearly-11-year old boy wants. 'Not from him, from Santa!' Al said, winking. 'My family give anyone who's here at christmas presents. My Nanny started it.' He whispered, as Hugo was pulling on his slippers, on the other side of the room, gazing at a Chudley Cannons poster.
     'LOOK WHAT I GOT! I GOT A BROOMSTICK DADDY LOOK!' Hugo waved his new plastic broom infront of Ron's face. 'I know, Hugo, it is right in my FACE!' 'Ronald, calm down, he's only little.' Hermione handed Hugo another present 'Open this one dear.' Scorpius looked on, feeling a little bitter. His parents were never like this to him. To his surprise, he had also received presents, more than he'd ever received from his own family.
     'Dinner's ready!' Hermione called from the kitchen. The clan sat at the dining room table, all very hungry. Scorpius was sat between Albus and Rose. They ate noisily, chatting about everything and anything. Scorpius could see where Al got his appetite from, every serving plate was cleared within minutes, everyone with a mountain of food on their plates. Scorpius' appetite was even smaller than Lily's, Al's 8 year old sister, who had a huge pile of mash potato and turkey on her plate.
     Rose finally finished her mound of food, feeling sick to the stomach. All of her family had overeaten, as a habit, except for Hermione, Fleur and Harry, the only non-Weasley-related family members. Scorpius looked slightly green, he had eaten so much. Rose giggled. Wait until he saw Grandma's chocolate Christmas cake..
     'How can you eat any more?!' Scorpius blurted out, watching Al & Hugo arguing over the last bread roll. The rest of the family laughed, but neither boy moved, they were both determined to get the roll.
     'Now, is that roll better than your ol'granny's famous chocolate Christmas cake?' Molly Weasley came out of the kitchen with a huge chocolate cake balanced on a serving trolley. 'CAKE!' Hugo bounced over to his grandmother, almost planting his face in the cake in the process. 'Slow it down, Hugh, you'll get a slice, theres plenty to go around, look at it!' Ron smiled. Everyone began to sit in the living room to eat their cake, and to listen to the Queen of the muggle world & the minister of the wizarding world's speeches on the wiz-vision.  Scorpius took this opportunity to go and get the necklace, which he'd been putting off giving to Rose all day, in case he embarassed himself infront of his friend's family.
     He returned with the necklace, just in time to have a huge slice of cake thrust into his arms. 'Here, you have to try Gran's cake, its INCREDIBLE.' Rose was grinning at him. 'Is there anywhere...quieter we can go to eat it? I need to give you something.' 'Sure...the garden?' They walked out in silence, Rose not realy sure what to expect. They sat on a pretty little bench, looking out over the valley.
     Scorpius gulped. He had no clue what he was going to say, he didn't think he'd get this far. 'I..uhh...I don't really know what to say... but here, I saw this in a shop the other day & it reminded me of you. Merry Christmas.' He smiled wonkily. She opened the box and gasped. 'Oh, wow...and I didn't get you anything!' She hugged him tightly, then proceeded to try and put the necklace on, but she couldn't get the clasp. 'Let me help.' He took the necklace off her and put it on her properly. She thanked him, when suddenly they were coated in a thick layer of white powder.
     'It's Snowing, It's snowing!' Hugo squealed excitedly. Him, Al and George, their uncle, were standing behind them, throwing handfuls of icing sugar in the air. Hugo resembled the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, his curly hair and his face were so white. Scorpius looked at Rose and began to laugh. Her curly hair was white with auburn patches, and her face was ghostly pale. 'What are you laughing at? You don't look much different really, you're so pale anyway!' She giggled. He looked down at his hands. They hadn't really changed a bit, but his coat was now almost white with icing sugar, and he could feel a mound of it gathering on his head.
     'GEORGE WEASLEY WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING. EVERYONE INSIDE AND GET SHOWERED, NOW.' Rose's mum was stood at the back door, looking unimpressed. They all began to head inside, when they were stopped at the door by Ginny. 'Shake yourselves off first, you aren't trailing icing sugar all over my floor.' 'We aren't dogs, Gin.' 'George.' She gave him "the look", he chuckled and began panting and shaking like a dog, his shaggy orange hair flying everywhere. Hugo and Al followed suit, followed by Rose and Scorpius. Ginny began to laugh. 'I have 5 dogs shaking on my doorstep!' They all began to chuckle, and wandered inside to get cleaned up.
     'Hey, can I sit here?' Rose was stood next to his large armchair, holding two steaming mugs. He had been sharing with Al, who had decided to run off to play with Hugo and George. 'Sure, pull up a cushion.' he squished up so she could sit down, and took one of the mugs off her. 'Thanks' He smiled. They talked sleepily for a while, their legs intertwined on the oversized chair. Then Al, Hugo and James had to ruin the moment.
     'Shhh...don't make it obvious you're holding it, idiot!' Whispered Hugo and Al, who were crouched behind Scorp & Rose's seat. 'Hey, look who's sat under the mistletoe!' James said, clearly well rehearsed. He was sat on a beanbag, with Lea, his girlfriend, whom it appeared he had stopped sucking face with for two minutes to make things awkward between Scorp and Rose. George joined in with the fun. 'Kiss kiss kiss!' Scorpius looked at Rose, who was blushing heavily. 'It is tradition..' he shrugged, grinning. She began to protest, but the minute he held her back and leant in she forgot everything. He kissed her softly, and she let him.
     'Hey, look, it's snowing!' Al shouted in their ears, from behind the chair. 'For real this time!' They parted for a minute and strained to see out of the window. Everyone else ran to the windows, covering their view. They looked at each other and laughed, then lent in and kissed again, smiling.