Chapter One; Meeting Santa Claus


	My name is Lilly Michelle Potter, and my uncle Ron has a very neat job that he started when I was only a baby. He takes his job very seriously, although he’s always at home whenever he can be. It didn’t used to be like that though, my mummy and daddy say. For a long time ago he used to work with dragons and it was a very tough job with hardly any time off.  He didn’t ever hate Christmas, but he did seem to complain about it an awful lot. Like when he had to dress up like Santa Claus for instance, that was back in the days where he and little kids didn’t exactly see eye to eye. A magical little reindeer was about to change all that, and that’s where our story begins….



	It was the first part of December and Ron was in Romania instead of at home. He knew that he had to be taking care of some orphaned dragons and that soon he would have to be dressing up as Santa for some orphaned kids. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel sorry for them, for he knew from being around his best friend slash brother in-law Harry Potter how orphans could be treated. For occasionally he could get a very nice little boy or girl, but mostly they were brats and he still had to act jolly about it. In the wizarding world, Santa really existed, in fact muggles just copied their ideas even though in their world it was just stories. “I dunno how he can do it,” Ron began to his coworker and friend Alex Walker as he cooked some lizards in a caldron on a fire since dragons ate everything cooked.


	Alex Walker was tall, had black hair and baby blue eyes. He was also a muggleborn so he hadn’t known that Santa really existed. “All those little boys and girls that are so rotten and yet he cares about them all.” Ron said. “He does give the naughty ones coal,” Alex pointed out. “In my opinion they all should get coal, even some of the nice ones still find a way to drive you crazy, that’s why I’m never having children. I mean I do have a niece that’s my little sister’s daughter, but she’s only a baby and I don’t even see her that often. So when she’s crying and pooping it’s their problem.” Ron grouched as he took out his wand and pointed it at the fire. “Glacious,” he said as he extinguished the flames with the ice off his wand and took off the cauldron. “I bet your family misses you though.” Alex said as Ron heaved the cauldron over to the kitchen counter and set it down on top of it. “Well I wish I could be there, but instead I’m stuck up here being a jolly old fat guy!” Ron cried. “Good thing your all grown up now, or you’d be on the naughty list for sure. Alex said as they both started chopping up the lizard into the pot. “Do you think Spike will like trying solids?” Ron asked. “Hope so,” Alex began. “I’m getting tired of waking up at two thirty and feeding him his bottle.” he finished and at that moment the two boys heard a wrapping on the window.


	It was Ron’s and Hermione’s owl, Brownie, who had just arrived with some letters. Ron left Alex continuing to chop up the remains of the lizard while he lifted the window to let her in. “Thanks girl,” he said as she landed on the counter carrying the letters under her beak. One was from his wife Hermione, and the other two were from Harry ( Lilly) and Ginny. Ron removed the letters and opened the cupboards to get out the ( mice) owl treats. Ron tossed her a mouse and she caught it in mid air before shrieking and flying back out the window. Ron smiled down at the letters and the pink envelope that was on top. He tore it open and read it silently.


	Dear Ron,

	
I hope your having a good time in Romania. Hermione, Ginny, and I all miss you. Lilly misses you too even though she can’t say it yet. She did however say her first word; “Dada.” Ginny’s not surprised since Lilly is such a daddy’s girl. Anyway, now that I understand what being part of a family is all about, I can’t imagine having your job and being away from them. I’m sure the dragons and the kids appreciate what you do for them. The family’s hoping that you’ll be back by Christmas, and your mum hopes that you don’t catch your death up there. We’ll write soon.

Best holiday wishes

Harry



	Ron gave a sad sigh as he read the letter and then folded it back up. The letter from his wife had been about basically the same thing. She said she loved him and missed him, and even though some part of her still wanted children, at least she didn’t have to bare the burden of being a single mother. “Come on Ron, the lizard’s ready, let’s go feed Spike.” Alex said as Ron nodded in agreement. Meanwhile back in Godric’s Hollow, Ginny, Hermione,  Luna, Amber, and Casey had been going Christmas shopping together. They even had Lilly with them. “Even though some part of me wishes that Harry and Ron were here, I’m sort of glad that this a girls’ outing.” Ginny said as she carried her daughter. “Take a look at it this way Ginny,” Casey began. “even though Lilly looks like you, she definitely has Harry’s personality.” she said with a smile. “For now,” Hermione began. “She’s only an infant, that may change once she gets older.” she finished as Ginny rolled her eyes. “You always have to be so proper Hermione.” she said as Hermione scowled at her. “Somebody has to, after all every Cheetah cub has to have a mama.” she pointed out in a snappish sort of way. “It’s just too bad that we can’t have Ron with us for our Cheetahlicous Christmas show.” Luna  said sadly. “Yeah, well we all know that he has to work.” Ginny said as she handed Lilly over to Hermione. “Here, take Lilly to the toy store, me and the other girls will go shopping for the boys. If you see anything that Lilly might like, let me know. Later on we can go take her to see Santa Claus.” Ginny explained as Hermione nodded and then they went their separate ways.


	Back in Romania, Ron and Alex had just finished feeding Spike down in the dragon room. “Mister Weasley!! Mister Walker!!” they heard a voice calling them that happened to be their boss and Ron’s older brother Bill. “How many times to I have to tell you Bill, you can call me by my first name!!” Ron cried as his brother rushed over to him. “Great news fellows, were holding an adoption fair for the orphaned dragons, that means that you guys get to go home to your families for Christmas after all!!” Bill cried excitedly. “Your joking!!!” Ron exclaimed with disbelief. “No I’m not, I’ve written to Alex’s family, and to our home to let everybody know the fantastic news. You leave on a plane tomorrow morning.” Bill explained with a smile as Ron and Alex cheered then hugged each other. “What am I still doing here then!?!” Ron cried as he disaperated.



	Meanwhile Harry had been flying back home on his broomstick. He had just been to wizard court to put away a wizard that had been torturing a gnome behind bars. Since he had a dog and four cats he hated the way that some wizards and witches mistreated animals. Once he had landed at the doorstep he had found the letter that his brother in-law had written explaining the situation. A wide smile had spread a crossed his face as he read it. “Won’t the girls be happy about this.” he thought to himself out loud. He folded the letter back up and tucked it away in his robes before getting out his wand and pointing it at the doorknob. “Alohomora,” he said as he heard a click and the door magically unlocked itself. Once he was inside Shiloh the beagle greeted him by jumping up on his legs. The food and water. magically fed the animals itself so all Harry had to do was make sure they had enough.



	Hermione had been carrying her niece over to the line for Santa to meet the other girls. She and Ginny both knew that it was a good idea to feed Lilly after she met the jolly red guy, just in case she got excited or scared. Amber had bought an actual dragon egg for her boyfriend Aaron Parker who had always wanted a dragon for a pet since he loved them the most. He and three other boys had even formed a singing group called The Dragons who sometimes sang with The Cheetah Girls. Casey was also dating a Dragon member, a young man by the name of Derek Dodger. She and Luna however had just been observing an electronic dragon that blew real fire because they were both making dragon berry pumpkin bread cookies as Christmas presents for all of the Dragons. At last the girls met Hermione and Lilly at the end of the line for Santa Claus…. Now this was my first Christmas, but mummy says that I was more surprised than scared. I also loved looking around at all the different boys and girls that were in line. Most of the other little kids cried when they were placed on Santa’s lap, and most of them were even older than me. But I just sat there and smiled looking at Santa with my baby blue eyes.


	“And who is this pretty little girl?” a deep jolly voice asked as my mother smiled down at me. “Her name is Lilly.” she answered. “Hullo there and nice to meet you Lilly. I hope you have a merry Christmas.” Santa said in a deep jolly voice as I giggled right before my mother tickled me and talked in a high squeaky voice getting me to smile for the camera. I still have that picture in my room somewhere, and I’m starting to think that I should find it. Considering how well behaved I was around Santa Claus at such a young age may have been foreshadowing what would happen to Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione later on in life. For things didn’t end up going the way Uncle Ron had expected them to go, but that we’ll get to in the next chapter. By the way, to help you understand Uncle Ron’s story more, ( it really is his, even though I’m the one telling it) whenever you see the dot, dot, dot it means the story is going to a flashback, then once you see it again, it means that I’m narrating.