The first day of the Christmas break had finally come upon everyone, and the day was spent in the common room or in the freezing grounds, walking through the sludgy snow. It was very cold in that part of Scotland, and I guessed that helped it to freeze a lot easier. In the part of England that I came from, it was always cold but never snowed.
It was like a winter wonderland at Hogwarts however. The Christmas tree and festive decorations were perfect, and the people staying for Christmas were mostly in good spirit (barring some grumpy Slytherins and 7th years of course).
James had decided to go home to his parents - he invited us to come too, but we all didn't want to invade and had declined - Remus had also gone home saying he wanted to visit his sick mother, because every month he had gone without fail apparently home to visit. Peter had also decided to go home, saying he missed his dad and he wanted to play Quidditch at home where first years couldn't here, saying he wanted to practice.
Lily had gone home to her family, saying she wanted to make amends with her sister, which I believed to be absolutely unnecessary. Her sister sounded very horrible about the fact that Lily was magical, and anyone who discriminates against magic is immediately put on a special list.
Aafiya didn't celebrate Christmas, but she was going to take advantage of the break and go home to be with her family, Mary had gone home, as did Alice and Marlene, to visit relatives. Which meant, that left myself and Sirius, both of us not wanting to go home to the families that we supposedly disappointed.
"Sirius, wake up, it's Christmas day, you ugly troll," I shouted, walking through the doors of the boy's room and looking to see a very tired Sirius with one eye open. He grumbled some incoherent words and then he sprung up suddenly, his eyes wide and grinning. "Hey Thea?" he started, "Can you be a dear and help me throw some snowballs at some unsuspecting victims before lunch?" I laughed, of course I would, who did he take me for?
"I want you to open your presents first, I've already opened mine, go on," I urged. He honestly needed to sort out his priorities. He jumped on the bed, grabbed some presents and tore off the wrapping paper with surprising speed, he threw one after another onto a pile and then pleaded, "Can we go now?" He was such a child.
I placed all of his presents neatly in the places they should have gone - sweaters in the wardrobe, chocolate on the table, books and socks in their respective drawers - all the while Sirius stared at me like an overexcited dog going for a walk. I had finally finished folding his shirts and said, "Come on then." He grabbed a neatly folded sweater, pulled it on and then dragged my hand down the common room, past a group of 3rd years eating Pumpkin Pasties, and into the Hogwarts grounds.
"We haven't even eaten breakfast yet Sirius," I shouted as he pulled me along. He turned back to glance at me and yelled back, "Who needs breakfast when they have snowballs to make. Besides, we'll eat too much later at lunch." I couldn't argue with him, even if I wanted to, Sirius Black was more stubborn than my great aunt Karen.
Twenty minutes later, snowballs were made, snowballs were thrown, and some snowballs were shoved down unaware victims from mainly 5th year Slytherin. Sirius said he had a personal vendetta against them and as Bellatrix was in that year, I couldn't disagree. She did rat us out about the whole Gryffindor thing, and I couldn't wait to throw something at her. The things she said about Muggleborns scared me.
On that subject, Evelyn Green had stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas, so seeing her sometimes in the Great Hall was really awkward for the both of us. Since that Potions lesson, we hadn't really talked, and the only thing I'd said to her was, "Had a nice day?" then I'd walked off. I don't know if she blamed me, was insecure I'd found new friends, or just didn't have time to talk to me.
After a good time outside, Sirius and I had walked back inside, warming ourselves up before going to the Great Hall to eat our Christmas lunch, there seemed to be a lot of people staying over Christmas, and as there was food appearing on the tables, there was a lot more food than usual. There seemed to be too much food for everyone to eat but after the first course, it seemed to not be enough. Everyone was extra greedy around Christmas time.
"Athena.. Thea.. Earth to the weirdo. Oh bloody hell," Sirius had been trying to get my attention for a few minutes and I'd only just realised when I saw a hand snap in front of me and he sighed, "I thought you were dead." I was about to tell him not to be so dramatic when I felt a pair of eyes on my head and as I spun around, I saw Evan Rosier staring in our direction. What a creep.
I was going to ignore it but Sirius had better ideas and shouted, "What'd you want Rosier? Staring at my pretty face?" The Slytherin made a disgusted face and then answered back with a sneering expression, and an equally condescending tone, "Don't be ridiculous Black, I was merely going to tell you that you're missing a wonderful Christmas party at your mothers, you too Pattinson, you would have been invited. Oh and Black, your brother is missing you."
He turned back around laughing with Avery, and the grey eyed Gryffindor muttered, "Stupid party anyway it's boring and rubbish. But my brother," he lowered his voice to barely a whisper, "he chose to listen to my parents and looked over the punishments and he's only ten years old. I still have hope though.. he can make it into Gryffindor if he just tries." I patted his shoulder sympathetically, there was not much more I could do or advice I could give.
The twelve year old - his birthday was November - and myself the eleven year old - May - walked up the staircase to the common room after the mood had changed and we'd finished our food. Upon entering the common room, I gave the password, Advent, and we walked in to a blazing warm fire, and the Prewett twins plus Leon Jordan whispering in the corner near the stairs.
I wondered what they were up to because it definitely wasn't homework, and they would most certainly be up to no good, but instead, I flung myself onto an armchair by the fire.
"Now that Christmas is nearly over I'm kind of depressed. Now it's just homework and our first exams to worry about. Everything is just boring this side of the holiday," I complained. Sirius side-eyed me concernedly, and gave me such a funny look I couldn't help but smile.
He then said cheerfully, "Don't be sad yet we still have about a week left till the school days start again, and in that time we can throw things at people, eat lots of food and ignore the amounting pile of homework I have stashed in my cupboard along with all of the horrible things my parents packed me, because that's where I hide myself when I'm upset."
I gaped silently at him and asked, "Sirius, are you okay?" he said nothing and stared at the fire, deciding the safest thing would be to talk to the three at the back of the room, and ignore the pressing/ alarming confession which Sirius would probably regret saying. "Hey Leon, what are you doing huddled up over there? Got anything you would like to share with us?"
Leon Jordan and the Prewett twins turned towards me and Sirius, and the red headed twins grinned mischievously, but Jordan shook his head worryingly, not wanting us to know what they were looking at.
I chuckled to myself and grabbed Sirius by the hand, leading him to sit with the group of suspicious boys. Fabian said, "Unless you want to look at what I think is Frank's picture of a toe but that could also be a picture of a-" Gideon and Leon slapped a hand over his mouth and Sirius gave a small laugh, myself shaking my head but also smiling way too much.
After a long time in the common room sharing jokes and playing exploding snap with the boys, I'd decided that I was tired and I excused myself, going to bed in an empty common room. It was very lonely in there on my own, the girls were all gone, and I felt an overwhelming sense of force being pushed onto me, the feeling of loneliness was not one I liked. I wanted to go back to the boys but they probably followed my lead and went up to bed too. I know Sirius wanted to sleep.
Laying down in my bed, I read a few short letters that Remus, Peter and James had sent me along with their presents.
𝒜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓃𝒶,
𝑀𝑒𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓂𝒶𝓈 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉𝓁𝓎, 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓃'𝓉 𝑔𝑜𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝑜 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓂𝓎 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝐼 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑔𝒾𝒻𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼'𝓁𝓁 𝓈𝑒𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝒶𝓉 𝐻𝑜𝑔𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝐼 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝓃𝒿𝑜𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒹𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇, 𝓈𝒽𝑒'𝓈 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝑒.
𝑅𝑒𝓂𝓊𝓈
It was Friday, December 17th when it was a New Moon and I'd had the letter. Then, the next day I'd got one from Peter which was quite funny:
ᴬᵗʰᵉⁿᵃ
ᴴᵃᵖᵖʸ ᴮⁱʳᵗʰᵈᵃʸ‧ ᔆᵒʳʳʸ ⁱᵍⁿᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ⸴ ᵗʰⁱˢ ⁱˢ ᵐʸ ˡᵃˢᵗ ᵖⁱᵉᶜᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵖᵃʳᶜʰᵐᵉⁿᵗ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴵ ʷʳᵒᵗᵉ ⁱᵗ ʷʳᵒⁿᵍ‧ ᴵ ᵐᵉᵃⁿᵗ ᴴᵃᵖᵖʸ ᶜʰʳⁱˢᵗᵐᵃˢ⸴ ᴵ ʰᵒᵖᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵐʸ ᵖʳᵉˢᵉⁿᵗ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴵ ᵈᵉᶠⁱⁿⁱᵗᵉˡʸ ᵈⁱᵈ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵒᵖᵉⁿ ᵐⁱⁿᵉ ᵉᵃʳˡʸ⸴ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵃᵗ ᵃˡˡ‧ ᴮᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵃⁿᵏ ʸᵒᵘ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜʰᵒᶜᵒˡᵃᵗᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵃᵗᶜʰ⸴ ᴵ ⁿᵉᵉᵈᵉᵈ ᵒⁿᵉ‧ ᴹᵉʳʳʸ ᶜʰʳⁱˢᵗᵐᵃˢ ᵃᵍᵃⁱⁿ⸴ ᵉᵃᵗ ᵃ ˡᵒᵗ ᵒᶠ ᶠᵒᵒᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵉⁿʲᵒʸ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵖʳᵉˢᵉⁿᵗˢ‧
ᴾᵉᵗᵉʳ
James' present came two days before Christmas Day, and looked as if it was hurriedly written:
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚,
𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭, 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐈'𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐦 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐫 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐬.
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬.