Mischievous-A Marauders Fanfic

10-The Great Snowballing Extravaganza

Christmas Day in fifth year dawned cold, and bright, and airy. Sephy, Halley and Samantha were up reasonably early, all scrambling into comfy sweaters and leggings, before picking up their presents for each other and scurrying out onto the balcony above the common room, which had been decked out a few weeks prior with all manner of tinsel, holly, fairy lights and Christmas streamers.

"The boys aren't up" Sephy commented flatly.

"Course they're not!" Halley scoffed. "Come on, girls. Let's get the sofa before someone else does."

The three of them charged down the stairs, and piled onto the sofa, putting the boys' presents in a pile on the floor and swapping around their own.

Samantha was elected to unwrap first. She picked up Sephy's first, and smiled at the regular rectangular shape.

"I know what this is" she smiled, as she ripped back the paper. She drew out a huge, leatherbound copy of Charms of Defense and Deterrence by Cattelus Spangle.

"You said you wanted it" Sephy smiled, hugging Samantha, who looked like she wanted to dive into the book straight off.

"I did" Samantha sighed happily, grinning from ear to ear and holding the book close to her chest.

"Oi!" Halley giggled. "Do mine too, Sammie."

She handed Samantha a soft, squishy parcel. Samantha studied it, bemused, before ripping open the paper to reveal a square of midnight blue sparkly material, which unfolded into a dress as Samantha picked it up.

"Wow" she gasped, seemingly lost for words, as the dress rippled and the sparkles danced around the room. "Thank you."

Halley grinned, and Samantha scrambled across the sofa to give her a hug.

"You next, Hal" she said, shoving a smallish package into Halley's hands. Upon ripping it open, Halley picked out three Chocolate Frogs and two scarily lifelike human ears.

"You didn't!" she gasped, looking at Samantha in sheer delight.

"Are they Extendable Ears? Are they Extendable Ears?" Sephy squealed, leaping up and stretching for Halley to hand her one of the little pink ears.

Samantha nodded in confirmation as Halley pounced on her, hugging her so hard she felt like her ribs were going to crack.

"Awwww!" Sephy complained. "I can't top that!"

She passed Halley a small square package, and the brunette girl opened it, to reveal a small square box.

"Hold on a sec" Sephy cut in. "Sammie, we've got to sit back. "This thing has to Imprint on Halley."

Halley, holding the box in her hands, looked incredulously at her tiny friend, before suddenly squealing and dropping the box.

"Something moved!" she gasped, still staring at Sephy with now a hint of fear in her eyes.

"You're going to love it" Sephy reassured her, from the end of the sofa where she and Samantha were both sitting, the latter also looking quite afraid.

"But it has to Imprint onto you, or it won't stay with you" the tiny girl continued. "Point the box towards yourself when you open it."

Halley skeptically did as she was told, putting the box in her lap and leaning over the top as she opened it.

"It's still moving" she commented warily as she opened the top of the box, but then her mouth dropped open as she was confronted with a tiny, perfect model of a dragon.