Prim and Joy were standing next to each other, waving to their friends who were sitting in a magically driving carriage that was leaving the grounds of Hogwarts just now. With a sigh, Joy turns on her heels to go back inside. Prim lays her arm around Joy, comforting her. "It is going to be alright..."
"I can't believe Lucius hit James just like that", and she sighed again, not only because she noticed that she indeed is taking crap even though she had sworn to herself this morning that she wouldn't, but also because she noticed that it hurts to see her friendship with Lucius and Nila fade. "Do you really think he follows you know who?"
Prim shrugs her shoulders but nodding her head softly. "We have to prepare ourselves..."
Joy noticed an undertone in Prim's voice that indicates that she wants to say more. "Because of me?"
Prim sighs, and takes a look around. Hogwarts was covered in snow and Christmas decorations were hanging all around, but the sun was still shining bright, it's a perfect day. "Let's make today not about them, it's about us", she smiles. "and after what I've heard this morning", she wiggles her eyebrows, "I think you cannot wait to go out on a date with James!", she grins.
Joy frowns but cannot help herself, she starts smiling. "It's not a date!"
"Yes yes, the four of us are simply going on a visit to Hogsmeade", Prim continues in a lazy voice, predicting what Joy was just about to say.
Joy presses her lips together in order to prevent a laugh, and when she caught herself again she nods a perfectly strict: "exactly".
The two walk over to the courtyard where Prim said to meet them. There weren't a lot of students left at Hogwarts that were staying over Christmas, but for people in Joy's year it was not unusual to stay, quite a few students actually stay to study for their N.E.W.T.s. Joy wishes that would be her reason, but she did not even waist one thought on her final exams (That's a lie, she did, when she needed a problem that was less hard to solve than her others).
Joy and Prim just entered the courtyard, when Sirius and James came running around the corner clearly out of breath. "Are we late?", James stumbles.
Joy and Prim exchange a glance and start laughing at the look of the boys. James with his hair messy as usual and his glasses crooked on his nose, and Sirius who was holding his left side, catching for air.
"You would say that Quidditch players have stamina", she raises an eyebrow, still laughing. But Joy's laughter calms down, admiring the fact that Sirius Black and James Potter were afraid to be too late for their trip.
"Well", Sirius puts an arm around Prim's shoulders, "the broom kinda does not make me run".
"Huh, I bet I would beat you in a run off then", Prim grins up to Sirius, who frowns.
"I'll come back to that, ight".
From mustering Sirius & Prim, who now walk past Joy in direction of Hogsmeade, Joy's gaze wanders to James. With his hands in his pockets, Joy notices that he has a good style apart from his Hogwarts uniforms. He was wearing a jeans jacket with white fur inside, a Gryffindor hoodie underneath and black jeans. "Good Morning", he grins shyly. Joy gifts him a grin. With his head nod he indicates a 'let's go' and both follow Sirius and Prim.
The snow reached to Joy's hip, but ditches were already dug by the houselves. Still, the new snow had covered most of it and so, Joy could see Prim taking out her wand to melt their way through with hot air.
„How's the jaw?", Joy looks at James who's walking next to her. He shrugs and slightly pats his hand on it, „it's not too bad, Madam Pomfrey's medicine is real good."
Joy nods, and after a few seconds she lets out a sigh. „Why did he even punch you? Out of nothing?"
For a moment, James didn't answer but eventually he shrugs his shoulders. „We had a little argument after you let us standing there, but nothing too wild", he shrugs his shoulders again. „He was probably just very impulsive the evening"
Joy watches her feet.
„Do you like the Christmas decoration?", James asks out of the blue.
Joy smirks, „actually yes, I love it"
„Good. We spent hours and hours decorating with the teachers and houseelves, real exhausting"
„Ohh right, I forgot about that, you head students have to help", she lets out a slight laugh. „I love really love Christmas".
„Yea! Me too!", James grins.
They both fall back into silence and after a while Joy let's out a sigh. Even though most of her friends and her brother are spending Christmas at Hogwarts, she wishes she could go home. Her home, in a small village in the suburbs of Edinburgh, was always covered in snow, with the smell of fireplace and Christmas cookies that she had spend the whole morning baking with her mother. They would decorate the house together, wear silly pullovers and sing carols around the Christmas tree. That was what Christmas was about for her, family.
„It's weird, isn't it?"
Joy looks up to James.
„The thought, that there will be a war. That you know who is just kidnapping and murdering whole families."
Joy presses her lips together, she notices that everyone had it hard and that even James, the funny sarcastic, charming guy that never seems to worry about anything, is in doubt of life and death. But she didn't have an answer to what he said.
From where they were walking, Joy could see the roofs of all the tiny houses in Hogsmeade that were covered in snow. A beautiful sight.
„I need to shop for some Christmas presents", Prim states.
„Same", James replies.
„Yea, me too", Joy adds.
„Yes, all nice and things, but let's start of with a nice, warm butterbeer, I'm freezing my arse off.", Sirius commands, rubbing the palms of his hands against each other.
The three others nod in agreement.
As they enter the Three Broomsticks, Madam Rosmerta was cleaning the counter, while annoying an all-in-black-dressed man to lift his glass for a second.
There weren't a lot of people, some locals that lived in Hogsmeade and a few students, probably 3rd or 4th years as Joy didn't recognize them.
„You girls go ahead, we'll take care of it", James nudges to Prim and Joy while he and Sirius leave to the bar.
Prim and Joy head towards a table in the corner of the room, making themselves comfortable on the bench, taking off their scarves and beanies. Just minutes later, the boys followed with two jugs of butterbeer each and wide smiles on their faces.
"ahh that smell", Prim grins, taking her butterbeer from Sirius who sits down next to her.
"and the taste", Joy smiles wide after taking a sip and everyone nods in agreement.
Prim cuddling up to Sirius, left Joy smiling to her. She was happy for her, but it was kinda awkward to just be sitting there next to James. Both exchange a glance but in the next second the awkward moment was interrupted by an owl, landing on their table.
Fairly fast, James nods a "Joy MacGee" after reading out the header of the letter that is attached to the owl's foot, "it's for you". As he wanted to untie the ribbon, the owl picks his hand. With a short "aitsch", James takes back his hand quickly, nipping the blood from his finger.
"I guess only Joy is allowed to take it", Prim laughs and quickly, Joy unties the ribbon, without any inclinations from the owl. The second Joy wanted to take out a knut to pay the owl, she already flew out of the door again, that was just opened by three figures entering the Three Broomsticks.
"What does it say?", James asks curiously.
"Probably another secret", Sirius says under breath, receiving a weird look from Prim. "What should that mean?" But he just shakes his head, "nothing, just a joke". Does he know something about Joy's powers?
Joy opens the letter to find a piece of parchment with words written on it.
Come back to the castle. Training in the Defense against the Dark Arts Classroom.
- Professor McGonagall
Joy lets out a sigh and secretly shows it to Prim, who snorts annoyed.
Determined, Joy shakes her head. „I'm gonna stay, screw them, I want to have a good day!"
She raises her butterbeer and clinks hers with Prim. The boys, seemingly confused bring their glasses up as well, but they don't question what just happened.
Prim falls back into chatter with Sirius as Joy and James fall into light talk about Christmas traditions.
„Usually, on Christmas morning", James tells Joy, „Sirius and I wake up to a pile of presents at the feet of our beds, but we wait to open them with my parents, instead of opening them directly. In the living room, mi mum has the Christmas tree set and deliciously smelling cookies, ay."
He continues to talk, and Joy is amused by his strong accent, but loves to listen to it. She musters his facial features, amusement, and how peaceful he looks talking about his family, his home. She cannot help herself but to scooch slightly over to him, so that her shoulder leans against his.
He interrupts himself for a second, just to continue again right away, with a smile that was even wider than before, slowly putting his hand on her back.
„Excuse me", an older lady, with a deep-violet cusp cap and gown, raises the fourth's attention. „Are you Joy MacGee?", she musters Prim, who slowly shakes her head.
„I am", Joy says confused, „Madam, is everything alright?" She notices, that the lady's hands were shivering and her voice stutteringly.
„I, I overheard these men's conversation. Please head ho-„
Further explanation was not possible, as everything escalated into chaos. Panic screams echoed through the hall of the Three Broomsticks. A green lightning appeared and the old lady, who was just yet talking to Joy, Prim, Sirius and James, fell before them on the table, dead.
As quick as their reflexes allowed, the four got under the table.
„Get her out of here!", Joy hears Prim screaming, while panic grew inside of Joy. Was that how it would end?