On December 24, 1983, it was the first time that Alice McGarden, then an Auror, decided to host a Christmas party. The previous year, she had spent it intimately with little Harry, and the year before that had been a year of mourning. But this year, she was determined to organize a nice party, one of those the Muggles love. On the morning of the 24th, she set to work decorating.
"Okay, on my list, I've written... a Christmas tree, with decorations on it." She looked around her living room, one hand on her hip, her gaze thoughtful, while holding baby Harry, who didn't seem to care much about the preparations but rather about tugging at his godmother's hair, which he was trying to pull playfully.
"Is your list long? I have things to do at my place..." said Severus, sitting at the table behind her, his tone detached from the dynamic radiating from the young woman.
"Sev’..." Alice looked at him, an annoyed expression on her face.
"I obviously have nothing to do at my place, Alice, I’m just teasing you..." He raised an eyebrow. "You're on edge, my word. How do you want me to help?"
Alice sighed before turning toward him. "Sorry, I’m stressed right now... Harry is having trouble sleeping through the night, and Bagnold has a ton of official outings, so..." She lowered her gaze as if the words were slipping away from her. "It’s complicated."
Severus leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "The life of a workaholic mom doesn’t suit you. Well, if you ask me, it doesn’t suit anyone." He shrugged as if to emphasize the obvious. "You should ask for more leave. She likes you a lot, the minister, doesn’t she? And she could make your hours more flexible..."
"I’m not his mother, Sev’... just... well..." Alice paused, clearly a little lost in her thoughts.
"Just his godmother, the godmother who changes his diapers, watches over him all night, sings him ridiculous lullabies, gives him his bottle, worries more than she should when he has a simple colic..." Severus fixed her with an intense gaze. "Yes, that's true, you're not his mother, but your responsibility in his life is almost the same. And that must count for something."
Alice stared at him, a bit unsettled. "It's just a title... It doesn't really matter in the end. And why do you care so much?"
Severus briefly looked away, as if searching for the right words. "I don’t care." He sighed, more seriously this time. "It’s just that, if you’re going to do all this work, you might as well have the title you’re entitled to, especially if you're going to take care of him all the way."
"The one who deserves that title is Lily," Alice replied, her gaze lost in thought. "Harry already has a mother." She paused for a moment. "You're suddenly so involved in my relationship with him, Sev’... Are you trying to build me a family, is that it?"
The young professor nearly choked on his sip of coffee. Alice’s gaze didn’t change, unaware of the double meaning her words could take. Severus, his cheeks flushed, avoided her gaze and cleared his throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He didn’t answer, preferring to change the subject, wanting to escape a conversation he hadn’t seen coming.
"And your leave, then?" Severus raised an eyebrow.
"The Christmas tree, where do you think I should put it?" Alice didn’t seem to be paying attention to Severus’s question, her mind already elsewhere. She was scanning her living room.
"Are you listening to me?" Severus raised his voice, irritated by her lack of focus.
"Hold Harry for me, would you?" Alice handed the baby to him without really looking at him. Harry, seemingly not too bothered by the situation, waved his arms and let out a small cry.
Severus, visibly uncomfortable, took the child in his arms. "Alice, the baby..." he said, awkwardly holding Harry.
Alice looked at him with a mischievous smile. "He’s a baby, Sev’, not an ogre! You don’t have to be scared of him..."
He furrowed his brow, more embarrassed by the situation than by the remark itself, but Alice was no longer focused on him. She had turned back to her decorations, looking concentrated.
"Well, the tree... I didn’t note what kind of tree. I suppose it should be up to everyone’s choice...," she mumbled, half-distracted.
Severus, though not very experienced in matters of holidays, knew one thing: a Christmas tree was a fir tree. He could have told her, but he chose to remain silent, a little amused by her confusion. Maybe it was a small personal revenge for the earlier episode of the baby on his lap. He allowed himself to say nothing.
Alice continued thoughtfully. "I like cherry trees, they’re pretty and pink, but maybe something more traditional would be nice... An oak, an olive tree, a fir tree..."
Severus, who was trying to hold back laughter, bit his lip. He hadn’t said a word, but his mind couldn’t stop finding amusement in the situation.
“Did you say something?” Alice asked, turning toward him, suspicious.
Severus shrugged, feigning indifference. “It’s probably the baby you placed on me who’s asking you to come back into your arms.” His voice was dry, but he couldn’t hide a slight amused smile.
Alice chuckled and shook her head. “Pfft, you’re funny. But the baby can’t talk yet. All he says is ‘Ayiii.’” She imitated the baby’s cry loudly, with a comedic tone in her voice.
Severus, now sitting with Harry on his lap, quickly realized he was trapped. Alice was speaking to the baby like a child, her eyes fixed on him as he wiggled innocently in her arms. Meanwhile, Severus, despite a touch of annoyance, found himself unexpectedly enjoying the moment. He didn’t want to be anywhere else, even if the situation didn’t exactly fit his idea of comfort.
Alice continued making strange noises to entertain Harry, fully absorbed in her little game. Severus, for his part, felt like a stranger in a parallel universe, yet he remained there. Nothing about this scene felt like him, yet he was happy to be a part of it. A strange peace washed over him.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay tonight? There will only be a few colleagues…” Alice asked, still adjusting the decorations in the living room.
Severus slightly shrugged, looking uninterested. “No thanks, I’ll pass. I’m going to read a good book while drinking a nice whisky…” He turned away, his words laced with the usual weariness that accompanied his solitary evenings.
Alice looked at him for a moment, amused by his predictable answer. “Will you at least come by tomorrow? I 'might' have a little something for you!” She added the last part with a playful look, hoping to spark his curiosity.
Severus turned his head slightly, glancing at the decorations taking shape in the corner of the room. “I 'might' drop by then,” he replied.
Alice laughed softly, almost nonchalantly, and returned to her preparations, a little sparkle in her eyes. She focused on setting up a lovely little oak tree in a corner of the room, carefully adjusting each branch. She decorated it with various trinkets, the sparkling garlands winding around the trunk, while the red and gold baubles hung delicately from the branches. This was her little corner of Christmas, and she was enjoying herself, each detail seeming to draw her deeper into the magic of the holiday.
Twelve years later, on December 24th, 1995, Alice Mc.Garden was preparing to celebrate Christmas for the first time in many years with her godson.
It had been several days since she last saw him, as Harry had decided to spend his holidays at the Black family home, while Alice had returned to her own house. She had done a thorough cleaning, dusting every corner after so many years of absence. However, to her surprise, she noticed that the dust hadn’t accumulated as much as she had imagined after twelve years. Had someone been cleaning in her absence?
Today, on December 24th, she was preparing for a small Christmas party organized by the Weasley family, to which Harry had invited her. The location of the party was not much different from the house where Harry was spending his holidays, and that did not fail to displease Alice. She definitely did not like the Black family home. Yet, she had no choice but to go there, and she had to muster extra motivation that morning to get ready.
She put on a long brown corduroy skirt she had found among her belongings and a pretty black turtleneck she hadn’t worn in years. With all the courage she could gather, she made her way to 12 Grimmauld Place, a place she still dreaded.
Upon arriving, she was quickly greeted by Molly, who gave her a warm kiss on the cheek. “Alice, how are you?” she asked cheerfully.
“Very well, thank you, Molly,” Alice replied, offering a sincere smile. Molly kissed her again before guiding her toward the dining room, all cheerful.
In a wheelchair, Arthur seemed tired and still a bit unwell, but he wore a big smile and enjoyed the presence of his family, which filled the room with laughter and lively conversations.
“Mc.Garden!” Arthur exclaimed with enthusiasm. “What a pleasure to see you! Take a seat, take a seat!” He shifted slightly in his chair, happy to see a friendly face among the guests.
Alice shook his hand warmly, recognizing the big smile and energy he still carried despite the challenges he had faced. Arthur was one of those people she had often crossed paths with during her time at the Ministry. Although they didn’t work in the same department, the members of the Order, with their often invisible bonds, were used to gathering from time to time. Perhaps it was also because of her mentor, a valuable member of the Order, that she had frequently found herself exchanging words with Arthur.
As she scanned the room, looking for a familiar face, her eyes landed on a figure approaching her.
“Remus!” she exclaimed with a burst of joy, before throwing herself into his arms.
Remus hugged her warmly, then held her at arm's length, looking at her for a moment, his gaze full of tenderness.
“Alice…” he said, a hint of concern in his voice. “You seem tired. Is everything alright?”
She shrugged, trying to mask her fatigue. "And you, then!" she replied with a tired smile. "I'm fine, Remus. I read too much at night, that's all." Alice chuckled softly, relaxing a little under her friend's attention. But deep down, she knew her fatigue didn’t come from thrilling books but from restless sleep, disturbed by sobs and bad dreams.
Alice appreciated Remus. Their relationship hadn’t started under the best of circumstances; in fact, she had despised him, like the other Marauders, throughout her school years. But she had grown, and so had they. She would probably never forgive them for the things they had done, yet she knew better than anyone that it would be hypocritical to continue despising people for their past actions when they were trying to change.
"Alice Mc.Garden." The dry, sharp voice of Sirius Black suddenly echoed through the room.
Anyone can change, yes, except maybe some, she thought bitterly.
"Sirius Black," she responded, her tone equally cold.
"We didn’t really greet each other the other day," he said, with a touch of frost. "Nice to see you again." He extended his hand, but there was only the smallest amount of sincerity in his words.
"The pleasure is mutual, Black." Alice shook his hand firmly, but the handshake didn’t last long. Both seemed eager to pull away from each other as quickly as possible, as if they feared any lingering contact or proximity.
The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly, becoming heavier. A nearly tangible tension had settled in, although most of the guests, absorbed in their conversations and bursts of laughter, hadn’t noticed. But Harry, ever observant, had picked up on this subtle vibration in the air. Curious to understand what had caused the shift in mood, he approached the small group in the corner of the room.
"Everything okay? Alice, Sirius?" he asked, looking from one face to the other, trying to sense the source of the unease.
"Everything’s fine, Harry, thank you," Alice replied, her smile intended to be reassuring, though it was clear something wasn’t quite right. She hoped Harry wouldn’t notice.
Remus, for his part, gave a sheepish smile, feeling a bit caught between the two. He wasn’t the type to get involved in these kinds of tensions, but he knew Sirius’s old friend wasn’t the easiest to handle.
Without another word, Sirius turned away from the conversation. He simply went back to his armchair, grabbing his Daily Prophet distractedly, his eyes immediately sinking into the pages.
"It's time for me to leave," Alice announced after a moment of silence.
"Already?" Harry asked, surprised by how quickly she was leaving.
"Yes, I have a patrol to do at the castle tonight. I'm not completely on vacation!" Alice explained as she stood up, a apologetic smile on her lips. "But I'll be back first thing tomorrow! Wait for me before you open the presents!"
She waved them off briefly and left, Disapparating into an empty alley, where the eyes of passersby wouldn't be able to see her.
The remaining guests settled comfortably into the living room to continue their various conversations. All except Hermione Granger, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Are you okay, 'Mione?" Ron called out, noticing his friend in a strange state of concentration.
"Yes, well..." Hermione furrowed her brow, hesitant. "Professor Lupin... well, Remus, I'm sorry, but you might be able to shed some light on something..."
"I'm listening, Miss Granger," Remus responded, a curious look in his eyes.
"It might be a ridiculous thought..." Hermione cast a furtive glance at Harry before turning her attention back to Remus. "At the beginning of the year, since we had no information about the new teachers, I took it upon myself to do some research, and... it doesn't add up."
Harry, who seemed to understand where Hermione was going, froze. He hadn't thought about it, hadn’t paid attention to that little investigation, so pleased was he to have found Alice again.
"How could Professor Mc.Garden have been at school with you if she's not listed on any records? There's no mention of an Alice Mc.Garden anywhere..." Hermione continued, her voice tinged with worry. "And when I say nowhere, I mean absolutely nowhere..."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Molly and Arthur, who had been chatting with the twins just moments before, had fallen silent, their eyes now fixed on the younger ones' conversation.
Sirius, who had been standing a bit apart, slowly got up. A sly smile spread across his lips as he moved closer to the conversation, eager to hear what would come next.
"Yes, Remus, that's true," he interjected, his tone both curious and slightly teasing. "Why isn't 'Alice' in the records?"