Yuletide Celebrations

[Rosie Chamberlin]

"I can't wait for you to meet my brother!" Rosie stated happily as she snatched Bryce's wrist and started to pull him up the driveway. After much pestering from Rosie, her parents decided that it would be okay for Bryce to come spend the day at her house. At first they seemed to dislike the idea of it, but Rosie figured that was only because her parents hadn't been around many magical folk. They were unsure how to act around Bryce. Rosie also mentioned he was deaf, but her father seemed like that didn't bother him at all. Apparently he knew some sign language still! Lastly, Bruno was due to come home sometime this week. Rosie hoped it was today so that Bryce could meet him. Rosie figured that they would get along really well. Bruno was a pretty nice guy, most of the time. He had his moments. Rosie took notice that her childhood home looked the same as it always had. Small and quiet. It wasn't much, but Rosie hoped that Bryce liked it. It might be different from what he was used to. Rosie was pretty sure he group up in a family that used magic regularly. Rosie's family didn't use magic at all. The only one who had magical abilities in the family, was Rosie, and she wasn't even able to use magic outside of school until she was seventeen! Some people were really into the muggle world and all of it's secrets, just like she was sure that some people were really into the idea of magic. Sadly, most people had no idea that such things like Hogwarts existed. Rosie figured it was for the best though. There was too much they didn't understand, they would only make a mess of things. The beauty and wonder of this world needed to be protected.

The minute Rosie opened the door, the smell of tasty home cooking greeted her. Her mother must have been in the Holiday spirit. Although she often cooked a decent mean whenever she could, she usually only prepared a feast for big events. "My mother's been busy cooking. I hope you like turkey and stuff." Rosie mouthed to Bryce before she motioned for him to follow her. In the living room she could hear voices. It sounded like a guy's voice. Apparently someone was talking on the phone. Rosie rounded the corner just in time to see her older brother Bruno hanging up the phone. "BRUNO!" Rosie bolted towards him and hugged him as tightly as she could, temporarily forgetting that Bryce was here to see her do all of this. Bruno was away in New York most of the year attending some University. He wanted to be a film editor, or director...or something. Rosie had forgotten but it had to do with movies. He had a girlfriend back in New York too. One that he had been with for years. Well, they had broken up a few times too. But right now they were together and seemingly happy. "I'm so happy you came home for the Holiday's! You've gotten so old looking! But-oh! I want you to meet someone. This is Bryce! He's the deaf boy I told you about in my letters." After letting go of her brother, she made sure to point out Bryce. She had spoken about him before, but they had never officially met. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Christmas tree gleaming. There was even some presents under it too! ​

 

[Bryce Chamberlin]

Bryce Chamberlin looked to Rosie when she started to speak, after he had convinced his parents and siblings he would be okay over at Rosie’s house. She was excited to have him meet her brother. Bryce gave her a smile, but inside, he was as nervous as could be. He knew that the family was a little tight on money, so he felt bad when he was going to stay over, eat their food, everything like that. Bryce did not want to speak with the family, since he did not know if they would accept him for his little disability. He did not even define it as that, but he took pride in who he was. They probably did not even know that he was not fully human. He was a quarter Veela if he was not mistaken. His father was a muggle-born so he knew what muggles could be like when one hung around them. Half of his family were muggles. It was nice though. He got acquainted in both worlds rather easily. Looking upon the house, he could see that it was small, and cute. It would not be bigger on the inside because the family were muggles. Bryce swallowed and he approached the door with a bag over his shoulder, right behind his best friend. What if the parents thought that they were going to get married and such? He once knew this other deaf girl in the muggle world, he went over to her parents’ house once and the parents were planning their wedding and everything. He was about seven. Bryce freaked out, but since moving to a magical community, he did not talk to her anymore. An owl carrying a letter might freak her out a bit. Bryce shrugged and he made sure to hide his nervousness from Rosie as they stepped into the house.

The moment he stepped into the house, his nose was flooded the smell of delicious food. It was making him really hungry. His mouth was watering just by the smell alone. He looked around the living room, before he set his bag down next to the door. He looked around some more as he walked around. He did look at Rosie enough for her to tell him that her mom was busy cooking, and she hoped that he liked turkey. Of course he did. Bryce followed Rosie further into the house and watched her hug some older guy, but not too old either. Her older brother maybe? He was not sure. Bryce walked forward to be somewhat next to Rosie because he was not comfortable otherwise. He was a little shy around new people, and that was to be expected. He wondered what the man did for a living, though muggle men his age were in college, something Bryce was unaware of. He reached out his hand for greeting, and gave the older guy a smile. He just wanted to meet with Rosie’s family and see how she lived outside of the school. He looked back at the Christmas tree and it was shining like the stars. It was amazing. He nodded to the guy and set his hands to the side of his body. Bryce simply looked at the guy, and as soon as he started talking, he noticed that the guy was talking a bit too slow. Which made him question if he had ever been around deaf people. Obviously not. But he was Rosie’s brother, and he simply smiled and nodded.​

 

[Bruno Reilly]

Bruno was just returned from his long time away from his family. Bruno Reilly was an aspiring actor, learning to act at college. His college life was going pretty well. He was dating one amazing girl, he was getting top grades in his classes and recently, discovered another world thanks to the magical abilities of his sister, Rosie. She was brilliant, but often, Bruno was jealous. Not in a way that he would make her unhappy, but more of a, why could that not have happened to him too? Though the idea of flying on broomsticks terrified him. He could not lie on that. The idea of Rosie being on a broom had him nervous too. What if she got hurt? That would be really hard to deal with! As soon as he arrived home, he unpacked his things, kissed his parents and then rushed to the phone to call up his girlfriend like he had promised as soon as the plane landed. He picked up the phone and started dialing. He grinned and he started talking to her. He loved her, and she loved him in return. She was like him, without magic. She was going to college too, to become a teacher in science. He thought that was really hot, to have a woman like her with him. Though he would not see her for some time, he was okay with that. Both were following their dreams and remaining loyal to each other. Bruno would always be loyal to her. He heard the door open and then close. He bid the one love of his life goodbye and he turned around to hear Rosie come through, shouting his name. He chuckled and responded with, "Baby sister!" He returned her tight hug with one of his own before he looked down at the boy that was called Bryce. So he was the deaf one. "So you are Bryce! It is a pleasure!" Bruno spoke rather slowly, and shook the boy’s hand. However seeing from the fact that he was giving Bruno a death glare, he did not say anything more directly to him. "So, you guys ready to eat? Supper should be ready soon!"​

 

[Rosie Chamberlin]

The first thing Rosie had to do, was laugh at the way her brother spoke to Bryce. She thought it was cute because her brother seemed to behave the same way that every other person did when they first met Bryce. When they didn't know how to act around someone who was deaf, they had a tendency to talk really slow or not talk at all. "Bruno, you don't have to talk so slow. He can ready your lips just fine when you talk normally. He's deaf, not stupid." Rose warned, noticing the look that Bryce had given her brother when Bruno spoke slowly to him. Rosie smiled softly and turned to Bryce so he could see her talk. "Sorry, my brother's never really been around someone who can't hear, so he had no idea about the whole lip reading thing." Rosie hoped that aside from this little incident, that the two of them would get along, because she really wanted Bryce to have a place within her family. Not like she was going to marry him or anything, but Bryce was her best friend, and Rosie truly believed that to have a best friend, he needed to be comfortable around her family. Her dad would love Bryce, that one was a given. It was Bruno and her mother that she wasn't sure of. "I'm starving! I already miss the feasts we used to have at Hogwarts." Rosie didn't know if they offered a feasts during the holidays when everyone was gone, but for Halloween, or the feasts at the beginning and the end of the year were the absolute best. Rosie was already making herself hungry by thinking about the mashed potatoes and the pumpkin juice. It was shame that muggles like her parents hadn't heard of things like cauldron cakes.

When Rosie's mother entered the living room, Rosie grinned. Her mother looked a bit tired and worn out, but at the same time, she looked happy. Quickly Rosie, introduced Bryce to her mother, and mentioned that he was the deaf boy that she had written about. "Rosie, you never mentioned how handsome he was! It's nice to meet you Bryce, I hope you like to eat." Rosie was about to mention how Bryce loved to eat, but then she caught on to what her mother said. Rosie blushed and frowned at her mother. Rosie had forgotten that her mother had never met a Part-Veela before, and she wasn't about to explain what they were either, but it would explain why she thought he was good looking, despite being young. Rosie always wondered what her brother would do if he had ever met a female one. Rosie decided to try and use some of the signing she had learn and signed asking if Bryce was hungry. She figured the answer would be yes. Sometimes, he was kind of scary when he ate. His stomach was the closest thing she had seen to a bottomless pit. Her dad was the same way, the two of them could bond over the plates of food they could finish. ​

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[Bryce Chamberlin]

Bryce really wanted to hit Bruno upside the head with a frying pan with the way that he was being treated right now. Even the look suggested what he wanted to do with the muggle at that moment. Merry Christmas indeed. Bryce instead forced a smile and signed the word, “Dumbass” to the older brother, making it seem like he was complimenting him instead. Bryce looked to Roo and knew that she would not understand that word. Bryce never taught it to her, and he hoped that she did not study the worst words. Perhaps that would be Bruno’s official name in sign language to Bryce. The deaf were known to give out names to others when they wanted to. After he had added a gesture of course. Roo apologized and nodded, knowing that his behavior could be excused, but Bryce just kept a close eye on him instead. What else could he do? Bryce let out a sigh and he did not mouth anything or say anything. He did not feel comfortable enough to talk to the others just yet, but he would be glad to once he settled into the muggle family. He knew a fair bit about the muggle lifestyle, since his own dad was muggle-born. Bryce looked around the house and he liked the comfortable atmosphere that he was receiving right now. It was definitely nice. Bryce too was really hungry just thinking about the food that he was smelling right now. He tried to name some, but he didn’t know for sure. He did miss the feasts at Hogwarts, and how luxurious they were. Nothing could beat that, could it? Then again he did not know Mrs. Reilly’s cooking either, so he knew that either way, he would be pleased.

Vibrations under his feet told them that someone else was in the room. Bryced looked up and saw Mrs. Reilly, and she looked beautiful. Rosie looked better but that was because she was not old. Bryce knew better than to call Mrs. Reilly that though. Roo introduced them, and Bryce gave the mother a broad grin. Bryce then blushed a bit at what the mother said, and he turned to Roo. He gave her a weird look, and hoped that she understood what he was signing, “You never mentioned how handsome I am?” But she was blushing too, and it made him smirk a bit. Truth be told, he knew that the only reason why he was even handsome to begin with was because he was not fully human, and he was deaf on top of that. There had to be a bad joke in there somewhere. Brycce saw that she signed, asking if he was hungry. Bryce nodded eagerly. He never noticed how much he actually ate at a time, so when she called him the human trash can, or anything else similar, he never knew where she got that from. Bryce just hoped that there would be mashed potatoes. He was crazy over mashed potatoes. And rolls.​

 

[Bruno Reilly]

If that death glare was not enough, Rosie's warning to him would have set him straight on the spot. He instantly felt bad though. Bruno looked to Rosie and he nodded, while looking to Bryce just as he finished signing something. Bruno didn't understand a bit of that, but he just said in a normal speaking voice, "Sorry, Bryce. I didn't mean to offend you." He really didn't mean to, and he looked to Rosie before wondering if the two were really best friends. He thought that he might be jumping to things a little fast, but he thought that the two of them would have made a cute couple in the future. However they were much too young to be thinking of serious relationships, like what Bruno was thinking about right now. "I hope your studies are in the top students, Rosie. I know that you'll do great." Bruno then turned to see their mom walk in and embarrass his little sister a bit, before chuckling himself. As an older brother, sometimes he wanted to tease her a bit too. He would have to wonder that, why didn't Rosie tell them that her friend was very handsome? And she was blushing too, which might have indicated that she thought that too, even if she denied it. "He really is something, isn't he, mom? Handsome, smart... He is the perfect candidate for a son-in-law one day." He laughed and winked at his sister before he walked into the kitchen and attempted to help set the dining room table. Truth be told, he was just trying to get things out so that he could eat too. Bruno had been saving his appetite for dinner and boy, his mom was an awesome cook. No one cooked like his mom, not even his girlfriend. Well, he cooked for the two of them, but still, he preferred his mother's over anyone else's.​

 

[Rosie Chamberlin]

Rosie was kind of bummed that her brother and Bryce didn't get off to the best start, she had been hoping that they would get along. Bryce seemed like grew up around girls for the most part because he never mentioned having any brothers. Rosie had hoped that Bruno could be a brother-like figure for Bryce. Apparently she had forgotten to mention a few things to her brother before he had gone on to meet Bryce, particularly the whole meeting thing. "Maybe if I talk to Bryce later and explain the whole thing, he'll be willing to forgive Bruno for being insensitive. Bryce doesn't seem like the type to hold grudges." After a brief introduction between Rosie's mom and Bryce, it apparently was time to eat since it didn't seem like Rosie's father would be along today like she had hoped. At least she had Bryce here though. Rosie took a hold of Bryce's hand and pulled him into the small dining room, where the table was already set with all sorts of holiday goodies. There was a ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, vegetables of all kinds, stuffing, and even some pies. It was a safe bet that Bryce was in heaven right now. Rosie glanced at out of the corner of her cocoa brown eyes. She couldn't wait to see how he reacted over his present she had been saving up to buy him either. He might even love that more than he did all the food that was on the table right now. "Wanna sit next to me?" Rosie signed as she headed towards her favorite place to sit at the table, making sure she left enough room for Bryce to sit down next to her. From the spot they were in, he should be able to read everyone's lips easily.

The talk of Bryce being handsome, smart, and possibly future marriage material made Rosie blush a deep rosy hue. Rosie had never really thought of Bryce as someone she would ever date, especially since they had been good friends since before they were even students. It would be too weird to date one another. "What!? No...I mean...not that you're not handsome...I just meant that....oh gosh. We are definitely not a couple you guys. Bryce is just my best friend!" Rosie had gotten so flustered that almost made a complete fool of herself. Luckily she was able to find her voice towards the end and explain that Bryce was merely only a friend to her. It didn't help that he was practically egging her family on either. Rosie didn't think she was quite ready to start dating. School was still on her mind a lot of the time, plus she could barely say hello to someone she thought was cute before turning as red as tomato. Once they were told that they could dig in, Rosie distracted herself by piling ham and mashed potatoes onto her plate. If she was eating, then she wouldn't have to look at the suggestive looks her mother was probably making right now. Rosie was actually glad her father wasn't here at the moment, he probably wouldn't be too happy to see his only daughter bringing home a boy, and then creating a rise at the dinner table. Bryce was a good guy though, so maybe he wouldn't be too upset. "Then again, dad's not really around enough anymore to really have a say in who I hung out with." So whether her dad liked Bryce or not, Rosie didn't think it should matter. Bryce was there for her a lot more these days than her father had been lately, and that was all a girl could ask for in a best friend. ​

 

[Bryce Chamberlin]

Bryce nodded when he watched Bruno apologize, and knew that from there, he did not need to act like a jerk. He would forgive and forget. After all, it was not every day that someone came into contact with a deaf person. He looked down at the ground for a moment before he thought, 'I just hope he did not know what word that I signed to him was.' He was pulled from his thoughts when Rosie took him by the hand and they went into the small dining room. He looked all around the table and immediately started to drool - figuratively. He was so hungry right now, he felt like he could eat the entire thing. His eyes went to her as she signed if he wanted to sit next to her. He nodded and once she was seated, slid in next to her. The talk of him being handsome made him smirk, but the whole marriage thing from what he could read made him blush a color that equaled Rosie's. He could not believe that he was being considered as a candidate for marriage! He nodded to agree with Rosie over the fact that they were best friends, not a couple. However he signed to Rosie, "But I am handsome, you know it. It is a Veela thing." Thankfully, they were free to eat. He took his plate and filled it up with ham and mashed potatoes. He had to cram vegetables on it, and also a couple of rolls. He was eating enough to fill up three people. He took a mental note that the dad was not there. He frowned a bit, but he started to eat, and could not wait until he could give his present to Rosie. He knew that she would love it. And a few more drawings he had of her too. She was such the perfect candidate too. Often, she did not know when he was looking at her, like he was now, with a soft smile on his lips.​

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Fin​

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