WHO: Ralph and Miranda Frobisher!!
WHAT: Christmas Miracles!!
WHEN: Some time before Christmas!!!! Christmas Eve?!
WHERE: Their flat!!!!!
Ralph stepped back, thoroughly enjoying the view of
their finally fully decorated Christmas tree. It didn’t have a centralized theme like all those trees that were on streets with one color or all the same shaped ornaments, but instead a
homey tree, with decorations from both their families as well as new ones Miranda had brought home a couple days back. It looked damn good, actually, like a real person’s tree. Not too perfect, or with any of that tinsel that shed and made trees look bloated, just like... what their tree would look like, and not anyone else’s.
Though, he supposed he would like it regardless of the ornaments--- the charmed twinkling lights within the branches would always be enough for someone who came from using strings of bulbs and actually hooking ornaments onto branches every year .
“Well?” Ralph asked, finishing up the best part of all, the topper. After some research (asking Dedalus), he had managed to acquire a spell that made the star on top look like an actual star from the sky. It practically pulsated with light, flickering in size and--- he was proud of it. Ralph hadn’t told Miranda about it, either, which also added to his general excitement.
“Do you like it?” he turned, smiling brightly. He was so excited that this itchy Christmas sweater was barely even bothersome.
Miranda also had a surprise for Ralph, a surprise she didn’t know she’d had until leaving the bathroom two minutes prior to entering the living room. Her cheeks were rosy and her fingers were busily chipping at her nail polish because her nerves were now jolting about in her body. She was a professional actress, she should be able to manage a straight face to maintain the bit of secrecy required to surprise one’s husband for Christmas, but all Miranda could do was smile and let out shaky breaths as she tried not to cry.
“I love it,” she said honestly, moving to wrap her arms around Ralph’s chest and gaze up at the tree. His sweater scratched her cheek but she couldn’t be bothered to care. This tree was a long time in the making; Miranda had made it her goal to decorate both hers and Ralph’s four-posters back at Hogwarts, and then his dorm at uni, so to finally have put something together to call their
own for the holidays, well...it just made this very hormonal woman weep at the sight of it.
Weep. Miranda had been really confused as to why the emotional scenes she had been doing in rehearsal were literally making her uncontrollably sob for a good twenty minutes after she got off stage, and that little pregnancy test sitting on the bathroom counter answered all her questions. Ralph’s sweater was sure to soaked in a matter of moments, and Miranda pulled back to wipe at her eyes.
This news could
not wait until Christmas.
The sight of the tree had reduced Miranda to tears? Well, add that to the list of secret and completely worthless talents he had. Tree decorating! Ralph had been finding out a lot of these 'talents' lately, with not particularly having a full-time job
per say, leaving a lot of down time in his days. And running errands time. And a lot of time to do chores. Really, he did whatever Miranda told him to do, but it didn't bother him much. After the past few years they had experienced, Ralph was alright with leaving things relatively open for the time being. It also kind of felt good to not be stressed all the time.
Ralph shook his head, taking the moment to squeeze Miranda affectionately with a laugh. "All hail our great tree!" he joked, taking one arm away from Miranda to wave it generally in front of them. "Maybe our thing should be Christmas decorating," he continued in a serious tone, feeling anything but serious as he said it. "We could charge our friends. Though that would hardly be in the holiday spirit..." he trailed off, a specific image of Greta vehemently calling him out for this rather less-than-Gryffindorish plan.
"Do you want to take a picture?" Ralph finished finally, twisting to face Miranda again. His grip loosened on her in preparation to leave. This was the first Christmas they'd be celebrating in their flat too.... she would definitely want to document this.
Miranda nodded, shutting her mouth tightly to try and stop herself from weeping some more. Ralph was so
excited. Their tree made him so happy! It made
her so happy too, of course, she was very proud of their handy work and starting a tradition and...just to think! Next Christmas, they’d have a little baby to ooh and ahh with over the shiny lights and the beaming star. Miranda couldn’t help but think that way, to be optimistic; having survived the war when so many did not caused her to count their blessings and cherish them.
She followed him around as he searched for the camera, trying to stay quiet. It
would be a good Christmas present. Surprise! A shirt that said ‘World’s Best Dad’ or something like that, but with each step she took throughout the flat made it harder and harder to contain her news.
Their news. She hadn’t wasted any time in telling Ralph the first time she was pregnant, and then she had been so scared and upset about it...Miranda regretted those feelings, but
this time she wanted to make sure every moment was a perfect one.
“Ralph,” she said, her voice still wobbling with her tears. Just
thinking about telling him was bringing more tears to her eyes and she tugged the back of his shirt, “Look at me.”
He would have sworn he’d buried the camera in the big trunk of random things in the living room. Perplexed by this puzzle, Ralph opened the trunk further to get a better look inside. Distracted by his search, he was not completely aware of Miranda behind him, and only barely registered her tugs. “Huh?” he responded vaguely, overpowered by the loud noise of shuffling objects.
“Aha!” Ralph spoke suddenly, pulling the camera out by it’s strap in a flourish.
Finally. Turning to Miranda with a large smile, it took him a few moments to register that she no longer had tears in her eyes, but might actually be crying. Oh no. Most of his energy dropped and Ralph felt his body sag slightly. What could have her upset? His thoughts automatically went to the worst, and he tried to put them off until she actually gave him an indication of what was bothering her.
“What’s wrong?” Ralph asked, letting the camera drop to the floor with the strap still wrapped in his hand. He frowned, and moved closer to touch her arm lightly with his empty hand.
She felt really terrible for crying, but she honestly could not control herself. Her breath hitched as she smiled through her tears, and she reached out to try and grab onto Ralph’s hands. What could she say? How should she say it? She must look like a crazy person! Should she make him sit down first? This was a happy thing, she was so,
so happy, but it was hard to portray happiness with tears streaming down your cheeks. Pull yourself together, Dodderidge!
Miranda shut her eyes tightly, taking in a deep breath as she clutched onto Ralph. Would he be happy? She believed he’d be happy. This should make him happy. She pushed up on her toes to kiss his gaping mouth quickly before dropping down to her feet, “I’m--I’m pregnant.”
The laugh she let out was strangled, but the smile on her face helped portray her truly elated feelings. Miranda felt like she was beaming just as brightly as the star on top of their tree, and wanted to kiss Ralph again and again and again. He
did play a part in this surprise, and she was so grateful for it.
For a second, Ralph had let himself think that Miranda's tears were over the people that were no longer with them to celebrate the holidays. They had lost so many people over the years, and their lives had just now begun to feel normal.... he felt guilty for jumping to the worst when she finally spoke. Though his guilt (and the concern as to why he automatically thought of worst before the best) were all pushed aside by the bursting realization--- pregnant! Miranda was pregnant!
“Really?” he asked, his words coming out quick. This was--- great, beyond great, not what he had been expecting at all! They had talked about it at King's Cross, yes, but, now it was actually happening? Ralph hadn't let himself to think about it too much since then, or let his hopes up because of everything that had happened. And now it was? He gulped loudly, refusing to let the creeping anxious thoughts in the back of his mind get very far. They would not ruin this moment, they
deserved this, deserved to be happy and--- a large smile broke out onto Ralph's face as his eyes danced.
“Really?!” Ralph repeated, his voice even more excited than before. He too let out a strangled laugh and broke one of his hands away from hers to reach toward her stomach. He knew there was nothing to see or feel, but the motion seemed right with all this new energy coursing though him. A baby! Their baby! Another laugh escaped him, and Ralph took Miranda's face into both of his hands. Kissing her rapidly, his words came out just as fast.
"This is--- amazing! Fantastic! I'm so---
really?! Miranda!" With every passing second, Ralph realized how much he had suppressed his true thoughts and emotions about this. So now he felt--- elated! In a quick motion, Ralph grabbed Miranda's sides to lift her into the air.
Miranda let out a shriek of delight at being picked up off the ground, her excitement completely bursting out. Her arms wrapped around Ralph’s neck and she kissed him over and over, her legs locking around his waist. With how the world was spinning right now she was sure they were going to knock over their beautiful tree. She hadn’t seen Ralph look so happy, so
excited in such a long time, and it was all because of the little baby they had made together. She felt so
proud!
“Really, really!” she kept repeating, nodding over and over. There really, really was a little baby inside of her! Miranda had no idea how far along she was, or how big the baby was, but it didn’t matter! The baby was
there and it was
theirs and it was the best Christmas present anyone could have given them. Miranda couldn’t think of anything that could have made her happier, and from the feel of Ralph’s lips on hers it seemed like the same went for her husband.
