Coffee & Commentary

Magic and Mistletoe

December – 1993

"Let's take another Muggle vacation, Murphy. It'll be fun, Murphy", he huffed as he reached the top of the ramp to our ski chalet. "We could travel anywhere in the world. We could have spent Christmas in Scotland with the girls. We could have gone to The Caribbean. Could and maybe should have stayed in bed in London for a month, but here we are in St. Moritz. Home of the steepest, iciest, longest wheelchair ramps on the planet." He panted as I dropped my suitcase at my feet. I smiled at him as I caught my breath. He made a fair point, but so did I.

"Do you trust me, Murphy?" I begged as I pulled the key to our winter home out of my pocket.

He reached for my hand and looked up at me, all the sarcasm completely drained from his expression, "More than anything".

I swung open the door and stepped inside. I watched his face as he took in the beauty of the accommodations. His eyes were wide and his jaw was slack. "Everything is so... so... fluffy!" He quickly transferred from his wheelchair to the soft gray couch in the center of the family room. He sunk deep into the cushion with arms and legs spread wide.

I laughed and stood over him. "Don't you want to see the rest of the place?" His eyes were closed, and he looked happier than I had seen him in the year and a half that we had been living apart. He had been working hard in London and I had been playing quidditch in Caerphilly. We were eighteen months in with ten to go before we were fully reunited. The off season is all I had looked forward to for the majority of those months. It felt good to be home with him. "I have all winter to see the rest of it", he muttered into the cushion.

I curled up next to him and pulled the blue cashmere blanket over us. "Ok, but let me show you something else I love about this place." I reached across him and grabbed the remote control off the coffee table. I pressed the top button and the living room curtains raised automatically. The snowy mountain tops below us came into view. He sat up and watched in awe. "It is stunning" he sighed. I pressed the bottom button on the remote control and the fireplace roared to life. He smiled and put his arm around my shoulder.

"This is better than the Caribbean. I should have trusted you on this. Though, more than fourteen people in the ski lodge asked if I'd had an accident. Can you tell me why muggles like to spend exorbitant amounts of money to zip down a mountainside at great personal risk?" he rolled his eyes.

"Because they don't get to fly on brooms? Really it is a question best suited for my dad. We came here every winter when I was growing up. He loves skiing. I never got into it, but I love watching the snow fall on the lake and drinking mulled wine by the fire".

"As long as it involves this couch, I'm all for it." He groaned face down into the cushion. I stroked his strong back and kissed his neck gently.

"Eighteen months apart and you don't want me to show you the bedroom?" I prodded.

He rolled over and kissed me slowly, he pulled away with a little bite on my top lip. "It's been a long eighteen months, but if memory serves, we have no trouble getting pretty comfortable on couches" he grinned as he pulled me closer to him. I ran my fingers through his irresistible hair as he started to snore despite the glare of the snow illuminating the room. I pressed the button to close the curtains and joined him in a nap. I could never argue with his logic, especially after a long train ride. An old fashioned McNully nap at his side was the best possible way to celebrate being back in each other's arms.

We awoke several hours later in total darkness. I lit the fire once more and drew the curtains back. The lights from the neighboring cottages flickered below us and reflected on the lake. The view outside was fantastic but was nothing compared to the sight of Murphy in the warm glow of the fire and twinkling lights outside. I stared for a little too long before an involuntary "wow" escaped my lips. It was the only word I would be able to utter until sunrise.