Closed First Christmas

[Maria Madison]

Maria had been both looking forward to and nervous about today. She had always loved Christmas, and having a family to throw elaborate celebrations for was a delight. With each of her kids though, it had taken them a year or two to feel comfortable at family Christmases, as they built traditions together, and Maria knew that this was going to be even more difficult for Odette. She was older, had years of Christmas memories with a mother she would likely have complicated feelings about at this time of year. It was a lot, and Maria wanted to be delicate with the girl, to make sure she felt comfortable and safe. To Maria's relief, the morning had gone well, Odette had seemed to enjoy her gifts of a nice dress, and a new set of bracers for Quidditch (Maria had noticed Odette's old ones looked a bit worn) and now they could relax and enjoy lunch.

It was never something she had seen herself wanting when she was young, a busy, full home at Christmas, but as she brought the salad over to the chatter-filled table, Maria couldn't see her life any other way. She set the bowl down, catching the end of a conversation where Emily was trying to describe Hogwarts to Finn for what felt like the hundredth time. Looking to the other end of the table, the one Maria had been more nervous about, she was relieved to see that things seemed to be going well. She had asked Odette how she would feel about Matthew joining them for Christmas before inviting the boy, and was glad to see Odette seemed to be enjoying her brother's company. Hopefully it would help her feel more settled, and less like an outsider in an unfamiliar celebration. Once the last plate was on the table, Maria cleared her throat, smiling brightly. "Alright, everybody dig in and enjoy." She said cheerfully, before reaching for the potatoes.

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette hadn't celebrated Christmas at home in a few years. She had stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays for the past few years, and since her mother's death that had been a source of guilt for her. Talking about these feelings with Maria had made her see that it wasn't always a rational guilt, but that didn't mean it wasn't real. She hadn't known what she was going to do with Christmas this year, until Maria had made it clear that it was alright for her to come celebrate with Maria and her family. Odette had been both excited and nervous at the prospect, and both feelings intensified when she had agreed to let Maria invite Matthew. He was the only biological family that would acknowledge her, and she felt like she had to hold onto that link, even if she wasn't entirely sure what to make of him even now.

Getting presents for everyone had been very stressful, but in the end she had gotten Charlie a new beanie, Emily some bracelets, Finn a paint set and Maria a light summer scarf she had seen while out shopping. Matthew had received some film for his camera, which wasn't the most exciting gift, but he seemed to like it. Odette was very happy with the presents she had received too, and had made a point of putting on the dress immediately to show her appreciation. Now it was time for a nice Christmas lunch, and Odette marveled at the relaxed atmosphere at the table. She had a bit of awkward conversation with Matthew about Hogwarts, but was relieved when they could start eating. She looked over to Maria, and gave her a small smile. "It looks wonderful." She said honestly, and she started to put some food onto her plate.

 

[Matthew Harper]

Sitting with a family that wasn't his own at Christmas was something Matthew had done a few times now. He'd spent the last few at Leah's house, so he was a little used to the sensation. But there was a member of his family here, and Odette looked very mature as she sat next to Maria's younger daughter. Matthew hadn't seen her face to face in a while, and it was good to see how well she was doing under the circumstances. He had been honored when Maria had invited him to celebrate Christmas with their family, though he would have to return to Leah for dinner that night. It was nice to be in the middle of such a busy family, and a little strange too. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to being around big families that were very casual with each other. Remembering the formal dinners at his own childhood home made him sad, but he tried not to think about that. He also tried not to think about Charlotte, who was doubtlessly upset with him for missing yet another family holiday. She simply didn't seem to understand he couldn't come home, and that he didn't want to.

He talked to Odette for a little while, and while it was a little stilted, he was glad they were on speaking terms. It was nice to hear stories about Hogwarts, as Matthew did definitely miss the place. He smiled at Maria as she started the lunch, and waited until everyone else had gotten some food until he got some himself. He felt a little awkward, especially as he didn't even know his own half sister that well. But he did feel nice and welcomed, and it was pretty nice to just listen to the kids chat with each other as they ate. He hadn't known them well enough to give them personalized gifts, so he had given everyone large selections of Honeyduke's sweets. That was usually a safe bet. He nodded in agreement when Odette said it looked wonderful. "It does." He said quickly. "Thank you." He added, glancing at Maria with a small smile.

 

[Charlie Madison]

Christmas had changed in meaning dramatically for Charlie over the course of her life. She had never especially liked it as a child, something feeling hollow and impersonal about donated gifts from strangers, and presents from foster parents who knew so little about her, but everything had changed when Maria adopted her. It was hard not to be bitter, thinking about the childhood christmases she had missed because of birth parents who didn't want her, but ultimately they had given her the chance to find her true family, so Charlie supposed there was something to be grateful for in that. Her birthday was right before Christmas as well, so it was a time of year laden with gifts, and there was nothing wrong with that.

This year though, Christmas was different again, with another new person joining their family. Charlie was still getting to know Odette, but she had seen Mum looking at her with the same motherly care she directed at the other three of them, and knowing her mother as well as she did, Charlie knew Odette was as good as a member of their family now. Not that Charlie minded, she found. The older girl was surprisingly cool, and though it was weird not being the oldest in the house anymore, it was kind of nice not to have that pressure to be the most mature kid. So Charlie was beginning to accept Odette into her mind as an older sister, though she certainly wouldn't say as much to the girl out loud any time soon, and it was good to have her around for christmas. Mum was definitely showing off a bit, though, putting more effort into the lunch than usual. It probably had something to do with Odette's brother visiting as well, something Charlie was less happy about. Strangers in the house unsettled her a bit, and she kept her distance, sitting at the opposite end of the table with Finn. She stayed silent for the moment as she filled her plate up with food, letting Mum and Emily handle the niceties together.

 

[Emily Madison]

Emily had been looking forward to today every since getting home from school. Christmases at Mum's house always made Emily happy. There was so much to look forward to... presents, snacks, games, so much food! She missed a proper hot Christmas, like they had had back home in Australia, but Emily was getting used to the New Zealand weather after a few years here. And the amount of fun they always had on Christmas more than made up for it. This year was extra special too, as their first Christmas with Odette in the family, and Emily could tell Mum was trying to make it special. A proper sit down lunch was a bit more formal than their usual, but Emily relished the chance to be fancy. She had asked Mum in advance if she could sit next to Odette, and had been delighted when Mum agreed. Emily really liked the older girl, and wanted to help her feel welcome in their home.

Piling her plate up with food, Emily felt warm and happy with all of the company. She had been surprised and a bit nervous when Mum invited Odette's brother as well, but he thankfully seemed nice. Emily didn't know what she would do if Mum invited any of her own biological family to Christmas, but to Emily's relief Mum knew all too well how bad an idea that would be. She was glad to find that Odette had a better relationship with at least one of her biological relatives, and the boy seemed nice, if a bit quiet. Emily wanted to make sure he and Odette both felt welcome in their home for Christmas, so she was doing her best to make conversation and be entertaining. "Thank you Muuuuum!" She said happily when it was finally time to eat, picking a few favourite things to put on her plate, bypassing the salad until she got a pointed look from Mum. Relenting and putting a few measley leaves of lettuce on her plate, Emily turned to Odette. "What's your favourite Christmas food?" She asked, curious to know more about the girl's traditions.

 

[Finn Madison]

Finn loved Christmas, pretty much more than any other holiday he could think of. Presents were great, everyone was happy, and his big sisters were home from school. His amount of big sisters just seemed to grow more and more, and though it was strange having Odette around he had gotten used to her presence. She was nice, quiet like Charlie, and always seemed interested in his paintings. Finn had given her a couple of them for Christmas, and Odette had seemed happy with them, which made him happy. He wondered if she would hang them up in her room, or maybe take them back to school. He hadn't realised Odette's brother was coming today, and felt a bit bad about not having a painting for him too, especially when he had brought lollies for everyone, but he didn't seem to mind. And now it was time for lunch. Charlie seemed even quieter than usual with Odette's brother around, but that was just her being shy. Emily was, as usual, the exact opposite of shy, and Finn didn't mind listening to her talk, figuring he could always chime in if anything came up that he wanted to talk about. After struggling to cut a piece of meat for a few minutes, Finn gave up and slid his plate across to Mum sitting next to him, asking in a small voice. "Could you cut that for me?" It was sometimes embarrassing, being the baby of the family, but Finn didn't want to embarrass himself anymore, failing to wrangle his knife and fork.

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette smiled slightly when Matthew agreed with her and thanked Maria. It seemed to her like he wasn't entirely at ease here, and she couldn't blame him. Maria's family was even more new to him than to her, and he was more of an outsider than she was. But because of those things, she really appreciated that he was here now. She caught his eye and gave him a small smile, before her attention was caught by Emily who asked her a question. She pondered it for a moment, making a show of thinking it over as she started to cut her own food. "I like candy canes a lot. Do those count? What's yours?" She asked the younger girl with a smile. Emily's efforts to make her feel more at ease hadn't gone unnoticed, and she felt a warm affection for the girl that was a little unfamiliar to her. She had a younger biological half-sister, but she had never felt like this about her. Odette was protective of Emily, and wanted nothing bad to happen to her. She liked Charlie a lot too, but didn't feel like she really needed protecting in the same way. She glanced around the table, smiling happily. She was starting to feel at home here, which wasn't something she had really expected to happen.

 

[Maria Madison]

Maria couldn't help her smile widening when Odette and Matthew complimented her food. She didn't usually put this much effort into Christmas lunch, but this year was a special one, and she had wanted to do something for it. "Thank you." She said happily, dishing some food for herself. She had barely started to eat before Finn was asking for help with his meat, and Maria reached over gently, guiding his hands on the cutlery to show him the proper way to cut it. As she helped, Maria turned to Matthew, not wanting him to feel isolated around people who otherwise all knew each other well. "How has your photography been going, Matthew?" She asked, giving him a friendly smile.

 

[Matthew Harper]

Matthew watched the interaction between Odette and Maria's younger daughter with a small smile on his face, though he also felt a pang of sadness as he thought of how Charlotte had reacted to Odette. She was already acting like an older sister to this girl, and Matthew wondered what could have been if Charlotte had been more open to Odette at all. He looked up as Maria spoke to him, giving her a quick smile. He blushed slightly, though he was glad the woman had remembered his hobby. "It's... going well." He said, feeling a little awkward. "I've been looking into muggle courses, like you said... I'm saving up for it now." He said, feeling a little embarrassed about the admission. But at the same time, he wanted her to know her advice had helped him a lot.

 

[Emily Madison]

It was only when she had managed to gather a thoroughly massive mouthful of mashed potato that it occurred to Emily that Odette might ask a question of her in return. She listened to Odette's answer, nodding enthusiastically, then struggled to swallow the enormous amount of food she had muffled herself with. After a few moments of struggle, Emily managed to clear her mouth enough to answer. "I love candy canes!" She said happily. "And those fancy chocolates that come in a box, I never had those when I was a kid, I love them! Do you like those? My favourite is when there's a strawberry one." She explained, words racing. Emily found it hard to contain her energy when she was excited, and what could be more exciting than Christmas?

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette couldn't quite stifle a laugh as she looked at the enormous bite of mashed potato Emily tried to force down in order to answer her question. The girl clearly needed a bit of work in learning how to navigate talking during meals. She reflected for a moment of how horrified her mother would have been at Odette doing that at the table, but quickly pushed the thought away. She nodded as Emily told her she loved candy canes as well, and made a mental note about the chocolates. "I like those as well." She said, fully intending to get some for the girl next year. If... she was still here next year. The thought dampened her mood, and she had to struggle to stay smiling. Maria had said she could stay, but that didn't mean it would work out that way. But that wasn't something she should focus on now. "Did you have fun at the yule ball?" She asked Emily instead. Thinking back to the yule ball gave her a whole other kind of feeling, and she wondered what she would say if Emily asked the question in return. She hadn't told anyone here about Margo yet, though planned on telling Maria soon. It was new and fragile, but also wonderful and good, and Maria would be happy for her. She decided to tease Emily a little. "Dance with anyone?" She added with a slight smirk.