It was another Christmas morning in the home of Kentigern MacFusty. As was tradition, he had donned a red robe lined with fur with a matching hat. He was dressed as the visual version of Santa that had first hit popularity when he was just a teenager himself. At the very least, it was the version he had always dressed up as for his children. They would go to the main homestead later but first, they would have their own gathering. Tiger settled presents under their tree and had timed it so that they would catch a glimpse of him leaving.

The older children probably knew it was really just their father but Donny and Cliona still held some belief that they had been visited by Santa in the night. Tiger would then apparate back into his own room and would change back into his pajamas and quickly pretend to still have been asleep. The older teenagers hovered at the doorway whilst Donny and Cliona hopped onto Tiger to wake him up. As if he would not have woken from the loud thunder of their heavy footsteps even if it was not Christmas morning.

He laughed as his youngest urged him to wake up and he engulfed the pair in a big hug before getting up and pulling on his regular house robe. The governess he had long retained during the kids time off of Hogwarts was already downstairs and dressed as were the few staff he had. They seemed to be heading out for their holiday time that Tiger always gave them around this time of year. Some had opted to stay until Christmas morning but for the next week, it would be just him and the kids.

One by one, he called out his childrens names as he handed them their gifts, some from him, some from each other, some from his siblings and one for each given by 'Santa'. After presents and after everyone had finished admiring their spoils, the single father and his brood of children sat down to have their brunch. As he watched his children eating and laughing, his gaze landed on the empty chair where their mother should be.

He missed he, always would. But sometimes he did think of remarrying and having someone new sit in that place. He was lonely and the thought had stopped feeling like a betrayal to Birdie long ago.