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It was early as Severus woke slowly. The room was still dark. Severus' sleepy mind reminded him that he did not have to rush to work; today was a holiday. A day of presents, lights, food, and supposedly... family.
Severus rolled onto his right side. Even with the room as dark as it was, he could still make out Harry's face. The man slept peacefully as he faced Severus. He never managed to stay on his own side of the bed. He always gravitated towards the warm body. Every now and then the man let out a soft snore.
Severus slid out of bed lightly so as not to wake his partner. He put on some pajama pants and threw on a robe. He headed out of their bedroom and went towards the room next door. The baby monitor next to the bed had indicated that the little monster was awake. Not crying, just awake, which was saying something, since in the beginning he was a fussy baby.
Once Severus entered the room, the baby started to babble in a high baby voice. Severus leaned on top of the rail as he peered into the crib. Severus couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. Jaxom had managed to stick half his foot into his mouth. "Careful you don't choke." Severus picked up the nine month old boy and set about changing him.
---
Severus went about his morning activities at a slower pace. He showered and started on breakfast. He felt slightly festive and tuned the radio to Christmas music. He let Harry sleep longer while he played with Jaxom. The boy had learned to walk a few weeks ago and now liked to walk wherever he could. Harry and Severus had to find a whole new set of spells to proof the house against the new walking terror. As the morning wore on, Jaxom became tired and Severus put him down while he went to wake his other sleeping child.
Severus found Harry in almost the same position he left him in. Only now he was completely on Severus' side of the bed. Severus walked around the bed and plopped his hand on either side of his partner's body. He bounced the bed up and down. The body underneath him groaned and squirmed. Severus paused and Harry pulled the covers over his face. The older man sighed and jostled the bed again. "I don't know I let us get pregnant again. I already have two children."
A sleepy voice rose from the blankets, "Because you wuv us."
"No, I don't think that's it." Severus said as he sat down on the bed and pulled down the covers. Harry blinked up at him, not too much unlike the baby in the next room.
"It's Christmas, Sev! I want to sleep longer?" Harry said, moving to sit up. He didn't make it very far before a familiar expression came over his face. Severus knew all too well what it meant. Harry pushed aside the covers and ran the bathroom and upchucked into the toilet. Severus followed.
---
Harry leaned back, gasping, and Severus handed him a wet cloth. "Seems rather early for you to be having morning sickness. You've only been pregnant for three weeks. Last time you didn't have morning sickness until you were one and a half months in."
Harry stood up and leaned against the sink. "Doctor Polock said all pregnancies are different. Who knows, this one maybe a girl." Harry said, smiling slightly.
"I don't think we could raise a girl" Severus said.
"Well, I think I could, but I don't know about you." Harry said smiling, and poked him in the ribs.
Severus slapped him on the bum as Harry turned on the shower.
---
Harry walked out into the kitchen to find Severus had laid out breakfast and was attempting to feed the nine-month old in the floating high-chair next to him. Jaxom was finding his breakfast very entertaining as he would spit up the baby food and smear it all over the chair. Lucky for Severus the chair magically cleaned up the mess itself, unlucky for Harry because he'd probably be cleaning Jaxom up. Harry walked behind the messy child and kissed the top of his head. He smoothed the messy black hair down were it stuck up in the back, it didn't obey. Harry snagged a peace of toast "Shall we see what's under the tree?"
---
Harry managed to clean up Jaxom, while Severus cleared breakfast. Once they finished they entered the living room. There was a large tree placed next to the fireplace, glowing softly. The tree was decorated with ornaments, some of which moved and sparkled on their branches. There were several presents under the tree, large and small. Harry sat Jaxom down in the front of the tree. The boy automatically started to crawl towards the nearest branch of the tree.
"I'm going to grab the camera." Harry said, dashing off. Severus sat down next to the babbling baby as he grabbed the tree and pulled roughly. They'd long since spelled the tree from falling or the needles from hurting Jaxom. Harry returned shortly and Severus brought Jaxom back to where he was sitting. He placed the nearest small present in front of Jaxom. The baby looked at it curiously, and then started to bang his fist against it. After denting the box slightly, the baby grabbed the bow on top and popped the ribbon into his mouth. Harry laughed as he snapped a picture.
"He's just like his father, sticks everything in his mouth," Severus said, shaking his head. He extracted the bow from the baby's mouth. Jaxom squealed and started babbling. "What did I say about choking?" Severus said, as he placed the bow far away. Jaxom answered by more babbling. Harry stuck his tongue out at Severus. "Careful you don't want to teach your child bad manors." Severus responded, his eyes not leaving Jaxom.
"You do know he's yours too," Harry said, as he moved to the floor. He set the camera aside and started a small rip in the paper to prompt Jaxom. The baby watched curiously and then grabbed the small rip Harry had made. He made one big rip and giggled, smiling up at Harry, almost as if he was checking to make sure he could. Harry just smiled and Jaxom continued to tear away at the paper. Once the paper was off however, the boy lost interest in what was in the box. He managed to stand and make his way towards the next box and started ripping the paper off of it.
"We should have just wrapped empty boxes." Severus said as he lay back against the sofa and played with the stuffed bear from the first box.
"It's cute... besides there will be plenty of time for him to play with them later," Harry said, as he leaned next to his mate and watched Jaxom unwrap one box and then the next. Harry snapped a few more pictures before Severus took the camera.
After Jaxom managed to rip the paper off most of the presents, Harry searched under the tree for a remaining present. He grabbed a small present from the back that Jaxom hadn't managed to reach. He handed it to Jaxom, who made short work of the wrapping paper. Harry then offered the box to Severus, who took it. "I though this would be a cool idea. I came up with it after I found out I was pregnant again," Harry said as Severus opened it.
Severus took out the small circular ornament and laid it out on his hand. He read the inscription out loud. "Jaxoms, First Christmas, 2008" It was made of porcelain and the words were encircled by a red and green ribbon.
"It's- nice." Severus said. He hung it on the tree next to the small gold lion that paced on the tip of the branch. It let out a soft roar as Severus' hand got close. Harry smiled and picked up Jaxom, sat him in his lap and handed him a small mock snitch that the baby immediately stuck in his mouth. The small family continued to sit peacefully in front of the tree for most of the day.
Jaxom did find interest in his new toys, but mostly he stuck them in his mouth. They ate a light lunch later around noon and continued to enjoy each other's company and a quiet day off from work.
Halfway though the afternoon Harry and Severus cleaned up the wrapping paper up while Jaxom napped. "When are we going to visit you parents?" Harry asked as he waved his wand to gather up all the bows.
Severus paused as he picked up some of the toys. "I didn't think we would this year."
Harry turned to look at Severus "Why? We have every year."
"Because..." Severus paused and Harry waited patiently for him to continue. "I thought that this year we wouldn't. It's something we've done in the past. Now that we have Jaxom..." Severus paused again. "It's like a new beginning starting a family and I don't want my past to taint that." Severus spoke softly, his back facing Harry.
Harry walked up behind him and reached up to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Sev..."
Severus interrupted him "I don't want to talk about: we're not going." He took the toys in his arms to the baby's room.
---
Harry dressed Jaxom in a cute red and green jumper. Harry found that one of the reasons he liked Christmas after entering into the Wizarding world was that it was the one holiday where Slytherin and Gryffindor colors could coexist. Once Harry managed to completely dress the squirming baby on the changing table Jaxom cooed up at him, reaching out to be picked up.
"Are you ready for your first Weasley Christmas?" Harry asked as he complied with the baby's wishes.
Harry walked out of the baby's room with Jaxom to find Severus putting on his cloak. "Are we ready?" When Harry nodded he took Jaxom in his own arms and Harry put on his own cloak. Harry stepped into the fireplace and called out "The Burrow!" Severus slung Jaxom into a special harness inside his cloak to protect the boy from the ill effects of the floo. He sighed and followed his mate reluctantly through the floo.
---
Harry sat on one of the plush couches. He'd only had one bout of sickness after the floo transport and that had been it. Now he was stuffed. He really hoped the sickness wouldn't return tomorrow for him to see it come back up. He pushed that out of his mind as he watched Severus interact with his surrogate family.
Harry could tell that Severus was enjoying Christmas at the burrow this year. Bill and Charlie had managed to come this year and surprisingly, Ginny's fiancé Draco Malfoy had come. Christmas dinner at the Weasleys' had become a tradition over the past few years. Fred and George had learned not to bother Severus from encounters in past years and according to them they didn't mess with a man "now that he had kids..."
The Weasley's house was extremely full this year. All the Weasleys had made it for Christmas dinner. Not only with the new addition of Jaxom, but Percy and Oliver had had their fourth child in October. Ron and Hermione had brought Isobel and Freya. Fleur and Bill had made it this year with their six children, Draco Malfoy made another addition, and Charlie had brought his wife and two kids.
Severus finished his conversation with Bill and sat next to his husband. "When can we get out of here?"
Harry smiled. "Well, I want to take you somewhere. We'll leave Jaxom here for a bit and come back." Harry grabbed their cloaks. On their way out the back door, Harry asked Molly to keep an eye on Jaxom for an hour.
"You take as long as you need, dear." She smiled and winked as they left.
Outside Harry slinked his arms inside Severus cloak, hugging him, and apparated.
---
Once they reached their destination, Harry let go, but held onto his hand. They had apparated to the front of a graveyards' rail-iron gate.
"Little morbid, for you" Severus said, and turned to walk away.
"Come on" Harry said, exasperated, and tugged on his hand. It was bitterly cold as they entered the graveyard and walked down a few snow covered paths. They finally stopped in front of two gravestones. Harry waved his wand and a set of rose bouquets appeared in his hands. He handed them to Severus. "Here, I bought these yesterday and put a long life charm on them."
"Why did you bring me here?" Severus asked, speaking to the flowers in his hands.
"Because you have some complex where you think, your past will drag this family down. Your past helped make you what you are. I'm not saying it was all good" Harry said, as Severus looked away form him. "I'm saying it all shaped you into the man you are now. I fell in love with that man, I married that man, and I made a family with that man. This man-" Harry grasped Severus arms "I love you the way you are."
"I don't want you to give up the things that were good in your in your past. Your parents had a positive influence in your history; don't give them up" Harry finished softly. Severus' face was still turned away from him. After a few moments the older man heaved a sigh and closed his eyes.
Severus turned and set the roses down on the tombstones. He stayed kneeling next to the graves for awhile. After about twenty minutes Severus stood and took Harry's hand. He led the way out of the graveyard. "Next year we should bring Jaxom and Océane."
"Oh, is that what we're calling her?" Harry smiled, happy that things had resolved.
"You got to name the last one," Severus said rationally
"Hmm. Let's get back to the burrow. I want to get home. I haven't received my present yet," Harry said, smiling.
"Who said I got you a present? Isn't Océane enough?" Severus asked.
Harry just huffed and turned his back. "Well maybe I'll just give away your present. I think Bill would appreciate it."
Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and whispered into his ear "You're my present," and they apparated.