Raising Hope {Fred Weasley}

Secret Santa

Since the family was expanding what seemed to be everyday in the Weasley family, it was agreed that the family would join in the tradition of holding a Secret Santa, where everyone would select a name from a hat and buy a gift for the person they chose. Returning from Hogwarts for the holiday, Hope was all kinds of excited for the new tradition. Everyone was to meet at the Burrow to select the names of the person they were to be Santa for.

Hope didn't care who she got, she was just excited with the whole idea. Sitting on her mother's lap in the Burrow as the family was gathered around, along with the Cedric, Marnie, Elliot and Nixie, Sirius and Henry, the hat started to be passed around.

When it finally passed to her, she reached in and selected her name. A bright grin drew across her face as he closed her hand around the piece of paper. 

She had a lot of brainstorming to do.

"Who did you end up getting?" Elliot asked one day as he and Hope were in the shop while their parents were upstairs in the flat enjoying some time together.

"I'm not telling." She said. "It's supposed to be a surprise."

"It's only supposed to be a surprise that you're getting the gift for, Hope." Elliot told her.

"Oh." She made a face. "Oh well, I'm still not telling you. It's going to be great though, I've been working on my gift since I picked out the name."

"Really? Must be someone special." Elliot chuckled.

"Of course."

"Can I at least get a hint?"

She shrugged. "I supposed. Alright,  the hint is...it's a he."

"Oh boy, that narrowed it down plenty." Elliot rolled his eyes. "Well, I got Eliza, do you have any idea what I should get her?"

"How about some earrings?" Hope suggested. "Eliza always compliments other people on their earrings but doesn't have a pair of her own."

Elliot pondered the idea for a moment. "Good idea, Hope."

Working diligently on her secret santa gift wasn't easy for the young girl as plenty of people came to Hope for ideas of what to get their  chosen giftee.

One morning, she was working at the table in the kitchen when her father came in from the shop.

"What are you working on?" He asked but Hope quickly covered it up. 

"It's supposed to be a surprise, Dad. Shoo!"

"Hey you don't get to shoo me. Only I get to shoo people."

The two stared at each other. "Shoo." Hope said to him.

"Oh...no no no..." Fred shook his head.  "There is only one shooer in this household!"

"So when are you leaving?" She challenged him.

Eleanor walked out to see the father and daughter having a stare down with one another.

"I'm not going to ask. I'm not going to do it." She muttered to herself before leaving downstairs. She patted herself on the back. "Good on you, Eleanor. Good on you."

Moments later the mother heard a screech but she was certain it didn't belong to Hope.

She turned around to head back upstairs but after a three second debate in her head, she proceeded with continuing downstairs.

Hope hid where ever she could to work but to get the last part of her gift, she needed a little help. Trying to figure out who to go to, it came down to one person.

"Greatpa Ly Ly?"

"What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

"I need your help." She placed half of her gift in front of the man. 'You think you could help me get the second half?"

Lyall looked down at the incomplete gift and smiled warmly.

"I certainly can."

The time had come for everyone to start exchanging gifts as Hope sat with hers carefully in her lap. She watched as everyone started exchanging gifts, bringing laughs about the Burrow. Suddenly, it was her turn to receive her gift. A wide smile grew across her lips as Henry stood up and brought over his gift to her.

He sat beside her as she opened it up. Eleanor and Nixie exchanged smiles as Nixie winked at the woman. Fred and Sirius just looked flat out confused until Hope opened up the gift and found a bracelet made a pearls.

"Wow!" Her eyes opened wide before looking to Henry. "It's just like my Mum's!"

"Do you like it?" He asked scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Of course I do." She said sliding it onto her wrist. "This is fantastic!"

"Don't you have a gift to give someone, Hope?" Elliot asked with an expected look, glancing in Henry's direction.

"Oh yeah!"

She jumped up to her feet holding her present.

Elliot grew confused as she crossed the room and stood in front of her giftee.

"Here you go, Grandpa."

Arthur looked up at his granddaughter as she held out the gift to him.

"For me?" He said in surprise.

"Of course! Here!" She nearly knocked him in the face before he jerked back to avoid being knocked in the face.

He chuckled before taking the present and setting it in his lap. He ripped the wrapping paper off, noting that Hope definitely took after her mother with her wrapping skills.

Opening up the box he dug in and pulled out a rubber duck causing him to start laughing. Hope giggled with him before he dug in to pull out the second part of the gift.

It was a small handwritten book that Hope had decorated with her own drawings and made the binding out of yarn.

"The Functions of the Rubber Duck, by Hope Weasley." He smiled warmly at the gift before looking back up at the girl, who waited patiently. 

"Thank you so much, Hope."

"You're welcome, Grandpa!" She said before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "I'm glad you like it."