The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 49: Christmas Day

"A weird variety of teas for Ana, because... you like drinking from leaves," Jacqueline said with a questionable brow as she tossed a pink parcel of intricate silver boxes Ana's way. Ana immediately undid the parcel to look at the teas better, tossing the last of the massive stroopwafel in her mouth.

"How charming," I said in an undertone as I watched stroopwafel crumbs drop on my duvet.

"A set of fancy quills for Gisele because she's boring," Jacqueline went on, tossing a black box with a cursive maker on the front. Gisele blew a kiss her friend's way before turning back to the quills.

"A new set of stationary for Ava because she's also boring," Jacqueline continued, tossing me a brown paper bag filled with white parchment with lavender ribbons on the front. It was rather pretty stationary. Who knew Jacqueline would have such an eye.

"And lastly, for Titia Marie," Jacqueline emphasized dramatically as Marie sat up on her bed expectantly, "a nice big box of fudge. Voilà, I am done!"

"Fudge? And I thought you were going to give me golden gloves or something," Marie said, eyeing the tiffany blue box of maple fudge hazily.

"If you don't want it, I'll gladly take it back," Jacqueline offered as she went on to sit on top of both Rosalie and Mila's legs, causing them to squirm like children.

"How are you so.damn.heavy?" Mila exclaimed through gasps as she tried in vain to get her legs out from under her friend while also trying to balance the defeated face mask clinging to her face by a thread.

"It's from all of these Hogwarts meals," Jacqueline said diplomatically as she reached for her coffee. "What did Fleur say the other day about Hogwarts's food?" She asked, turning to Mila expectantly.

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," Ana quoted dramatically in English causing everyone, including Mila to snicker at the presentation.

"Merlin, what would we do without our delicate little flower of a classmate?" Marie asked with a laugh before going for one of the maple fudge samples.

"Be a normal student body," Rosalie said under her breath to all of our surprise, making the lot of us laugh.

We spent most the day enjoying the lazy Christmas that Hogwarts had supplied, with its fluffy snow as a backdrop to the sunny day. I saw my brother at breakfast where he, in his usual fashion made sure to scuffle up my hair from its original pretty curls that I had worked on an hour ago into a rat's nest. Since most of the younger Hogwarts students were away for break, there was enough room at the Ravenclaw table for my brother to join us unceremonially, to all my friends delight as was mine.

"I see your date has done his homework," my brother said, eyeing the white rose corsage on my left wrist. Jasper had caught me right before I entered the Great Hall and gave me the corsage in his usual awkward yet gentle fashion.

"I thought that since you can't be at a dance at home, having at least one of the customs done right here would make you happy," He went on as I gapped at the corsage in the box. I had no idea where he would have found a wizarding shop willing to make a corsage, let alone one in the UK. To say I was flabbergasted was an understatement.

"It was really cute of him," Mila said happily. "He looked so awkward and shy about it!"

"No, I think it was Ava that made the whole ordeal awkward. She gave him an awkward hug," Jacqueline informed my brother who in turn glanced at my reddening face.

"Thanks Jacqueline."

"What would mother say?" He quipped jokingly, cueing my eye roll.

"I'd like to see how Mamen would react to whoever your date is," I shot back expectantly. I watched as Theo's family blue eyes sharpened for a moment before turning back to his French toast absently.