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“IT’S SO GREAT TO HAVE most of the family here even before Christmas Day!” Mary beamed.
The delicious scent of the meal filled the kitchen. Mary had loaded the table with food, even though it wasn’t even a Christmas dinner.
For Ciara, the situation was like déjà vu. She was once again sitting beside Liam at the familiar table. The twins—Poppy and Polly—were giggling together. Mary was telling Ray off for eating before everybody else. Gabriel was talking with Liam and Ciara about his studies.
The only ones missing were Henry and Jenna.
It wasn’t like an exact copy of Ciara’s memories, but she had spent dozens of dinners at that table with the same people. What made it even more similar to the past was Liam’s hand resting on her thigh.
It was as if the past three and a half years had never happened. Everything felt so familiar—so domestic. The Rosslers’ place had been like a second home for Ciara.
“What are you thinking about?” Liam asked. Gabriel was shovelling food onto his plate, so he was briefly distracted from the conversation.
Ciara’s smile widened, and she glanced at Liam. “I’ll tell you later.”
Seeing Ciara smile like that made Liam smile, too. “Okay.”
“Oh, I have a question for you, Ciara!” Gabriel said.
Ciara turned to look at him. “Go ahead and ask.”
“Were your grades good when you graduated?”
“They weren’t the best, but they were better than average. So, I suppose they were good,” Ciara said.
“Were Liam’s grades better?” Gabriel asked.
Liam smirked cockily. “Of course they were.”
“Gabriel, in case you didn’t notice back then, your brother was the biggest swot ever,” Ciara said, grinning.
Gabriel chuckled. “You’re probably right.”
“He even tutored me.”
“He did?” Poppy squealed.
“Don’t raise your voice at the dinner table,” Mary scolded Poppy, even though she was still smiling gently.
“I did,” Liam said proudly. “On potions.”
“I was the worst at potions courses,” Ciara told.
Gabriel’s face brightened. “So I still have a chance of becoming a hit wizard!”
Mary’s eyes widened. “Wouldn’t it be better to become a curse breaker like Liam?”
“What if I really, really want to become a hit wizard?” Gabriel asked.
Ray frowned and turned to look at his wife. “The kid has to make his own decisions,” he said, even though Ciara had a feeling he didn’t like the idea of Gabriel becoming a hit wizard any more than Mary did.
Mary sighed heavily and turned to Gabriel. “I will not support your choice to become a hit wizard. But your father is right. It’s still your choice.”
Gabriel smiled.
“But think it through more than twice,” Ciara said seriously. She hadn’t thought it through more than once. She didn’t regret her career choice, but she would prefer to see Gabriel in a safer job.
Gabriel nodded. “I will.”
“Ciara could even get you a position,” Liam said. “She has her own team and office, and she’s only one rank below the head of the department.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened, and he grinned. “Really?”
“I could take you into my team for training,” Ciara said, nodding. “But after that, I would preferably have you moved onto another team. One that doesn’t handle some of the most dangerous tasks. My boss, the head of the department, would likely agree with me.”
Gabriel’s eyes were glistening with hope. “Really?”
“We’ll talk about it once you graduate unless you change your mind,” Ciara promised.
Gabriel grinned. “Great!”
Ciara glanced at Liam who was smiling at her. She couldn’t help but blush, seeing the dreamy look on his face.
“What?” she mouthed at him when no one was looking.
Liam just smiled. He briefly glanced at his plate, but soon his gaze was back on Ciara. “Nothing.”
***
“Y-YOU TWO ARE TOGETHER?” Henry’s face was priceless when he and Jenna arrived on Christmas Day. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. Pointing between the couple, he asked, “How did this happen? Again!”
Jenna rushed to hug Ciara. “This is wonderful!”
Henry blinked a few times, finally regaining his composure. Soon he smiled a little. “Honestly, Liam, stop stealing my best friend over and over again,” Henry said light-heartedly.
Liam chuckled. “Not anytime soon, buddy.”
Henry shook his head, smiling. “Unbelievable.”
Shortly after Henry and Jenna’s arrival, it was time for the Christmas meal. Mary had prepared everyone a perfect Christmas dinner. There was everything—roast turkey, roast vegetables, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, and more.
“Don’t eat yet!” Poppy screamed when everyone was about to start eating.
“What? Why?” Mary looked between the table and her daughter.
“I need a picture for Instagram!”
Everyone burst out laughing. Poppy sighed and shook her head. Then she snapped a photo of the table. After a few more photos, everyone was allowed to start.
It was the kind of Christmas Ciara liked. The food was delicious. The house was decorated beautifully with floating baubles, dancing candles, and swaying tinsel. Everyone was chattering joyously.
And no one spoke a word about the witch hunters. No one even thought about them.
“It’s so rare to have everyone here on Christmas Day.” Mary smiled, watching her husband, her children, and her sons’ girlfriends eat the meal she had prepared for them.
Liam smiled at his mother. “We should definitely make it a tradition.”
Mary grinned. “Next time, we’ll have Jenna’s parents come over, too. And your mother, Ciara.”
Ciara smiled. “That’d be nice.”
***
ONCE EVERYONE HAD FINISHED dessert, it was time to gather around in the living room to open the presents. It took a while for everyone to find all their own presents and open them.
“I have one more thing for you,” Liam whispered to Ciara, wrapping his arm around her.
“Naughty or nice?” Ciara mouthed after checking no one was looking.
Liam chuckled. “Nice.”
“What are you two giggling about?” Henry demanded to know, pointing an accusing finger at the couple.
“Inside joke.” Ciara shot a grin at Henry. “You wouldn’t get it.”
Henry pretended to be hurt, placing his hand over his heart. “My heart!”
Jenna snorted. “Your heart is fine.”
***
LATER IN THE EVENING, Ciara leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching Liam fill his wineglass. She let herself admire the view. He had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair was tousled, lacking any hair products to keep it neat. She couldn’t resist the urge, and snapped a photo of him with her phone.
He turned to look at Ciara. “Did you just take a photo of me?”
Ciara grinned. “Maybe.”
Liam chuckled, placing down the wine bottle and walking over to the doorway. “You’re impossible.”
“I can’t exactly draw you with my drawing skills, so I need to have something.”
Liam had given Ciara one of his drawings for Christmas. They had both been in that drawing together, hugging, and she loved it.
Liam smiled. “I still have something for you.”
“Something nice, I think,” Ciara said, amused.
“I think you’ll like it.”
Ciara smiled. She snapped her fingers, making a bunch of mistletoe appear over their heads. She looked up, and Liam followed the gesture. They looked back at each other at the same time. He pulled her closer to him with his free arm—he still had the wineglass in his other hand. He let his lips linger right above her lips, teasing her, before he finally leaned in.
They didn’t pull away until they heard someone walking down the stairs. They turned to see Poppy.
“Can I have some wine, too?” she asked.
“Not until you’re eighteen,” Liam said.
Poppy placed her hands on her hips. “So you’ve never drunk alcohol at a school party?”
Ciara had a hard time holding in her laughter.
“I was the responsible one,” Liam said.
“He was,” Ciara confirmed.
Poppy frowned. “But—”
“No.”
“Boring.” Sighing, she left back upstairs.
“In three years!” Liam called after her.
“Boring!”
“I remember who was acting not-so-responsibly at school parties,” Liam said smugly, sliding his gaze to Ciara.
She cringed. “Oh, God, no.”
***
“I HAD A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS,” Ciara said, smiling and lying in bed with Liam.
Liam grinned, turning to look at her. “Your Christmas is missing one more thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Something nice.” Liam grabbed his wand from the nightstand and flicked it in the air.
Just then a love bracelet appeared on Ciara’s wrist. It was identical to the one that had broken.
Ciara looked at it in awe and turned to smile at Liam. “You’d better not break this one.”
“Never.”