holding on {t.r.}

t w e n t y f i v e

Immediately following breakfast, Tom and Alexandra began their walk toward the lake. While it wasn't snowing, the ground was covered with a few inches of snow from days prior.

"Tell me," Alexandra stated, looking over at Tom. "What's something you've always wanted to do as a kid on Christmas?"

"I don't suppose there's much I desired to do," Tom shrugged. "I never really understood the concept of gifts, nor how people found enjoyment in playing with ice."

"You've never wanted to play in the snow?" Alexandra asked, kicking the snow beneath her feet. "Build a snowman? Have a snowball fight?"

"I used to sit by my bedroom window and charm snowballs to hit the other children in the head," Tom explained, smiling at the memory. Alexandra laughed. "It was quite amusing."

"It does sound thrilling," She smiled.

"What is something you've always wanted to do, then?" Tom asked.

"The generic things, I suppose. Opening presents in my pajamas, playing in the snow, skating on the lake, drinking hot chocolate by the fire with the people I love," Alexandra explained, stopping as they approached the lake.

"I haven't got any skates," Tom stated, pressing his foot on the ice to see if it would crack. "But we have a perfectly frozen lake."

"Skating with boots on will not end well," Alexandra laughed. "Besides, I haven't got a clue how to skate."

"Neither do I," Tom stated, realizing the lake was a bad idea and moving on to Plan B. "Do you know how to build that weird layered thing out of snow?"

"A snowman?" Alexandra asked, slightly amused with how oblivious he was. He nodded. "I do, actually."

"Let's build one," Tom smiled, picking up a pile of snow and packing it together. Alexandra smiled. "I don't know why they call it a snowman when it hardly resembles a man."

"You take things too literally," Alexandra pointed out, watching him throw snow into a pile with a confused look on his face. "I never thought I'd find you cute."

"Did you just call me cute?" Tom chuckled. Alexandra nodded. "That word is ridiculous."

"What do you mean?" Alexandra laughed. "It's just another word for attractive, which you are. Let me compliment you."

"I'd prefer devilishly handsome, then," Tom stated. Alexandra rolled her eyes. "What?"

"You're just trying to seem manly to distract from the fact that you're building a snowman," Alexandra joked.

"Precisely," Tom smirked, dropping another handful of snow into the pile. "This seemed much more exciting as a child."

"I know," Alexandra agreed, already becoming bored with the activity. The two of them stood in the same stance, looking down at the pile of snow with their hands on their hips. "This is a very wonderful mound we've built, though."

"I suppose-" Tom stated, being interrupted when Alexandra kicked the pile of snow towards him. He took a step back, examining his now semi-wet clothes as she laughed. "This is not fun."

"It is for me," she smiled, kicking snow towards him again. This time, he retaliated.

"You're right, this is fun," Tom smiled, laughing as snow was kicked and thrown back and forth until they were both equally cold and damp. "Now I know how the other kids felt."

Alexandra cackled, covering her mouth after the heard the noise that had come out of it. Her and Tom continued laughing, and, for the first time, they understood what it meant to laugh until their stomachs hurt.

"There's something I wanted to show you," Alexandra told Tom as they finally relaxed. Tom looked at her, his cheeks pink and a small smile still present as Alexandra pulled out her wand and pointed it towards the lake. "Expecto Patronum."

His stare immediately left her and fell onto the silver dove that flew freely over the lake. He laughed lightly as the bird flew around his head, flying once again towards the lake before it faded away. He's only heard of what a Patronus looks like, but he's never seen one in its true form. After all, Alexandra was the only student known to be able to fully produce one.

"I've been practicing," Alexandra stated, pulling him out of his daze.

"You're brilliant," Tom smiled. "It's a dove, yeah?"

"Yeah," Alexandra grinned. "I'm not exactly sure what it means. Some books say peace, others say love. I even read something about self-sacrifice."

"I think it perfectly encases who you are with every definition," Tom told her, a wave of positive emotions overwhelming him to a point that made him somewhat uncomfortable. Instead of acting on these emotions, he ignored them and attempted to push them away before he said or did the wrong thing. "Shall we go back inside?"

"Yeah," Alexandra agreed, surprisingly content with where the conversation ended. They walked somewhat quickly, primarily because they were becoming colder by each passing moment. When they finally arrived inside the castle, they both sighed in relief as they were embraced by the warmth. They looked at each other, seeing how red their faces were, and laughed.

They entered the common room before quickly separating to get out of their wet clothes as soon as possible. Alexandra returned to the common room a short while later, expecting to see Tom but noticing he was nowhere to be found. She was surprised when- instead of returning from his common room- he entered through the main door.

"We didn't open presents in our pajamas, neither of us know how to skate, and we gave up very quickly on our snowman," Tom started, approaching Alexandra who had made herself comfortable on the couch. "But I don't think either of us can possible screw up drinking hot chocolate by the fire."

"Tom," Alexandra smiled, taking the mug he held in front of him. "This is wonderful."

"I may not understand the meaning behind Christmas, but I do understand that celebrating the holiday is something you desire," Tom explained, sitting beside her. "And you shouldn't celebrate alone."

"I-" Alexandra started, the words she wished to say getting caught in her throat. "Thank you."

"Of course," Tom smiled, clinking his mug with hers. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas."