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BOOK TWO: CHAPTER TEN

"Merry Christmas, Veronica dear." Molly smiled sweetly as she handed Veronica an ornately wrapped gift.

"Oh, you know you didn't have to, Molly! You and Arthur letting me stay here is the only gift I could ever need."

"Oh hush, we wouldn't have it any other way; we love having you here, and so do the kids, and you know that. But that doesn't mean you don't get a gift. Now go on, open it!"

Veronica carefully removed the beautiful wrapping paper. It was a light blue with all the iconic Christmas symbols, like candy canes, gingerbread men, and reindeer, all dancing together around the box surrounded by snowflakes. It was a beautiful scene, and Veronica almost felt bad for disturbing it. When she finally got the box open, she found a blue and bronze knitted scarf inside, and her heart melted at the sight.

Charlie and Bill were both Gryffindors, as were Molly and Arthur, so it was commonplace to find red and gold wool in the house. Veronica was the only Ravenclaw, yet there was a homemade scarf in her house colors, which meant Molly must have gone out and bought blue and bronze wool just to make her this scarf and the sweater she had received last year.

Veronica turned to Molly with tears in her eyes, and pulled her into a bone crunching hug, thanking her profusely.

"Oh, come now dear. It's nothing!"

"No, Molly, you have no idea. It's everything. I love it, thank you."

Molly stroked her hair and patted her cheek softly. "You're welcome, darling."

Molly gave Veronica a look that she had grown used to; it was full of love, but something else was hidden behind the love that was beyond evident in her eyes. Veronica thought it could be a mix of sympathy and sorrow. She always got the feeling that Molly suspected something wrong was going on with her parents, but Molly never pried. She kept her worries and questions to herself, only for them to surface in her eyes every now and again. Veronica pretended not to notice.

At that moment, Veronica heard a loud gasp behind her and recognized right away that it was Charlie. Spinning around quickly to see what was the matter, she found him holding the gift she had gotten him with his jaw practically on the floor. Veronica grinned from ear to ear as she watched him admire the brand new broom.

"Veronica, tell me this is a joke. Tell me you didn't buy me a Nimbus 1500!"

"Okay... I didn't buy you a Nimbus 1500." Veronica shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and had to repress a giggle at the look of defeat on Charlie's face. She could tell he was beginning to think he had opened the wrong gift. She decided not to prolong his suffering. "I'm not sure why you would ask me to lie to you though." She grinned as Charlie's eyes widened.

Shaking his head, Charlie gently leaned the broom against the kitchen table and ran over to her, kissing her all over her face before hugging her tightly. Veronica felt herself flush, but had to remind herself they were just friends. She knew Charlie would be mortified if he knew of the butterflies in her stomach whenever he did this, and he would never do it again, which is why she didn't say a word.

Little did she know, Charlie was thinking and feeling the exact same way. "You didn't have to do that Ron, it's too much! I could literally never even begin to repay you for this."

Veronica couldn't help but notice that Molly had walked away, undoubtedly to give them some privacy, and the rest of the Weasleys were too distracted by their gifts. Last Christmas, Veronica had only gotten Bill and Charlie gifts as she hadn't met the rest of the family yet. This year, as it was the first year she was getting everyone something, she really wanted to be thoughtful with her gifts and get each person something they would love, and from the looks on all their faces, she managed to do just that. Turning her attention back to her best friend, she rubbed his cheek with her thumb. "Don't be ridiculous Charlie, you don't ever need to repay me for anything, come on. You've given me a family, which is all I've ever wanted. I owe you everything."

Charlie rolled his eyes and pulled her into a bear hug. The type of hug that made them both sigh in pure bliss. "Oh, shut up, this is different, and you know it. I'll find a way to repay you someday, I promise." He whispers in her ear as he pulls away from her.

Veronica shakes her head softly, but doesn't push the issue any further. They would deal with this another time. "Come on, let's go test it out. Now you'll have no excuses when I beat you at Quidditch," she teased as she bumped him with her hip.

Charlie glared playfully at her before grabbing the broom and making his way to the backyard with her. Right before the door to the backyard closed, he could have sworn he heard his mother yell, "you better marry that girl, Charlie," followed by a quieter, "if he doesn't marry that girl, I won't know what to do with myself."

The pair spent the rest of the afternoon racing each other and having little mini one-on-one Quidditch games in the Orchard beyond the garden. However, Charlie never even put up a real fight. He loved the look on Veronica's face when she won, and he would do anything, even tolerate her constant teasing, to see that look.

When Molly called them in for dinner hours later, that was the first time they realized how dark it had gotten and how late it must be. As usual when they were together, they hadn't noticed the time going by; they were too busy enjoying each other's company to even realize how cold they were. Once inside, they ran over to the fireplace and sat cross-legged on the floor until they warmed up before going over to the kitchen table and sitting in the only two remaining seats.

After dinner, Molly cleared the table before bringing out dessert. Once the table was laden with dishes full of her homemade fudge, mince pies, and apple tarts, Molly pulled a tray out of the oven. "Last but not least, my rhubarb crumble." Placing a full tray on the table, Molly beamed as she watched the joy spread over Veronica's face. "Charlie told me how much you love my rhubarb crumble, so I made it especially for you, Veronica darling. Have as much as you like," Molly leaned over the back of Veronica's chair to whisper the last part in her ear, "and I made some extra for you to take with you back to Hogwarts."

Molly chuckled as Veronica squealed in delight, clapping her hands before diving into all the amazing desserts in front of her. Molly couldn't help but observe Charlie as he watched his best friend, eyes sparkling with love, which was something only a mother would notice. She only hoped he would tell Veronica how he felt before it was too late.