But, by all that they had done together, by all the memories they had made and shared, he couldn’t blame her for his shattered heart. How was she supposed to know that he loved her?

It doesn’t matter how much it hurts, how painful it is. He would go through anything for any one of his siblings. Fred will live forever through the black ink eternally etched onto his skin.

And there was Travers, grinning manically, his dirt-streaked finger inches away from caressing her cheek. "Hello, sweetheart," he cooed, pacing back and forth. "Marlene, right?" he questioned, his eyes bright and insane undernearth the fluro.

He’d smiled at the baby, stroking his cheek softly, and quickly, suddenly, Teddy had latched onto his pinkie, stuffing it into his mouth, his sharp baby teeth clomping down on the flesh painfully.

He didn't know why he loved her. It wasn't right to love her, not this way, not ever. Why had he fallen for her? Roses are red, and Teddy Lupin is a man who really should know better.

“You think I need a gift?” she asked, tugging her hand away from his. She shifted up higher on the bed, her face lowered as she gazed at her bandaged arms. “You think, after all of this, a simple stone is going to make it suddenly all better?"

“So, that’s a definite no then?” he questioned, glancing up at her. She sucked softly on her bottom lip, before nodding, her gaze lowered to the floor. They'd kill him if she didn't have the ring on her finger before the baby was born.

Walburga Black was a sight to remember, with her long flowing dark hair, and her ruby red lips. Tom was entranced by her, despite the fact she was in sixth year and very much so taken. Walburga, smiling, happy and his, would keep him alive.

The wind rustled her hair and sent the smell of fresh grass up her nose as she circled around, gripping the handle of her broom tightly; her lips quaking with fright. She couldn’t believe she’d allowed herself to be roped into this. For Sora Snape.

Love? What was love? Love was weak; love was something she needed to rid herself of. Her master despised love. The mark on her arm had brought her more pleasure than the ring on her finger.

You don’t care that you can’t muster the strength to pick her up anymore, that you haven’t managed to twirl her around in weeks. All you care about is the fact that you are able to sit and watch the sea with your gazelle.

She was gone. There was no more Roxie to hold in his arms, no more Roxie to laugh with, no more Roxie to kiss. No more Roxie. Sobbing, he squeezed his eyes shut, willing all the pain to suddenly disappear. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

She didn’t know when, and she didn’t know how, but over the months and the courses of working together, she had somehow come to like Sirius Black.

And, to his surprise, she brought her fingers to her mouth and sucked the icing away, delight written on her face. “Yum!” she exclaimed, making him smile broadly, eyes twinkling the sunset.

That didn’t change her feelings, though, not in the slightest. A hand propping up her heavy head, she watched as he paced around the room, eyes light up and hands waving happily as he explained the method to them all.

“I don’t ever want to be tied down like that. I need my freedom.” She forced herself to keep smiling as if nothing were wrong, even though her heart was shattering. She really hoped that he didn’t mean that.

He shook his head, before wrapping his arms around her. “Can you just forget about all the worrying, and the stressing, and can we just focus on our feelings? I love you, and you love me, at that’s all there is to it, okay?”

Don’t flatter yourself. Why you I be looking at you, when you are hardly anything to look at?” she asked. “Why would I waste the time and effort?” He shrugged. “Whatever. You’re trying to deny it Fleur Delacour, but I can see right through you."

One for her, one for Arthur, one for Fabian, one for Gideon, a few more for their other family, and a small teddy bear for Bill. It is their first Christmas together, and it is absolutely freezing.

Devoted to caretaking? He snorted. Yeah, right. More like devoted to trying to pass a law so he could be allowed to whip students.