A few days later, I was finally off my crutches and able to walk properly again. I ran to the quidditch pitch, jumping around with glee.
"GUESS WHO'S BACK BITCHES!" I yelled, doing a little dance, and bumping my hips against Ollie.
The team started cheering as Ollie shoved me off, smiling. He was now training us harder than ever. Soon, it was the last Hogsmeade trip of the term. I didn't do any Christmas shopping, since all term I had been working on knitting little gifts for everyone. So I just followed Percy and Ollie around as they went shopping for their gifts. At one point Ollie stopped in front of the perfume shop and pointed at a random spot in the opposite direction. "What's that!"
I looked. "I don't see anything-"
And Ollie was gone. I peered through the store window and started giggling when I saw him looking through different perfumes. I shook my head at his feeble attempt to distract me, so I just bend down and grabbed a handful of snow. When Ollie stepped out of the shop, now holding a small bag, I shoved the snow on top of his head.
"Well, thank you for your kindness." he said irritably, wiping the snow off his face.
"Come on, let's go find Percy." I grabbed his wrist.
We found Percy in honeydukes, looking through different assortments of sweets.
"I can't decide which one my mother would like." he said.
"Just close your eyes and pick one." I offered.
Percy spent another fifteen minutes, before he finally decided on one.
"Shall we head back to the castle now?" Ollie asked, shivering.
We all agreed.
Since we were in our final year, Percy, Ollie and I decided to spend the winter break at school together. I was pleased to have the entire girls dormitory to myself too. Seamus decided he wanted to go back and visit mum.
And finally, the first day of the holidays came. Percy, Ollie and I spent most of our days lounging about, chatting, playing stupid board games and strolling around the castle. Ollie and I forced Percy to not study, and Percy and I forced Ollie to not babble about quidditch the whole time.
"The flobberworms are dead!" Announced Ron one afternoon, after he, Harry and Hermione came back into the common room after their morning visiting Hagrid.
"Oh thank Merlin, I was getting so sick of those." I said.
"Oh Ron!" Hermione had tears glistening in her eyes. "You shouldn't tell her about that!" Hermione turned to me. "Buckbeak is going to be executed."
"WHAT!" I jumped up. "Is it because of Malfoy?"
Ron looked at me. "Please don't go visit Hagrid right now. Unless you want him to crush you when he hugs you while he cries."
I felt really bad for Hagrid, so I visited him the next day. And Ron was right, Hagrid did in fact crush me with a hug while he cried. I returned to the Common Room, rubbing my sore back.
"I told you so." Ron said.
The decorations throughout the castle were incredibly lavish. Even though only a small handful of us were staying at the castle to see the decorations, I loved the effort the professors put in.
Soon, it was Christmas morning. I grabbed all my gifts and barged into the boys dorms. Percy and Ollie were still sleeping.
"IT'S CHRISTMAS!" I yelled, jumping on Ollie's bed.
"FUCKING HELL!" Ollie screamed. "SARA, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!" he put his hand on his heart.
Percy also woke up screaming.
"Presents! Come on now!" I cried happily.
I had knitted a mix of hats and scarfs for Ollie, Percy, Harry, Ron and even the professors, who I would hand deliver them to myself. I started opening all of my gifts.
I had received two organization notebooks from Percy and Hermione, Perfume from Ollie, a box of honey duke chocolates from Harry and Ron, a blue sweater with a black S on it from Mrs. Weasley, a box from the twins which, for my own safety, I decided not to open. Seamus had gotten me a nice little bracelet, and my mum sent me some money and her homemade cookies, which I passed around to the boys. At the bottom of my pile, there was a little box with a card.
The card read:
Merry Christmas Sara!
-Anonymous xx
The handwriting looked familiar but I couldn't pinpoint it. I opened the box and pulled out a necklace that had a moon on the bottom. It was really a beautiful necklace.
"Who's that from?" asked Percy.
"I don't know. Here's the card."
I handed him the card, and Ollie looked at it.
"Why does the handwriting look so familiar?" asked Percy.
"You have a secret admirer!" Ollie wiggled his eyebrows.
"Oh shut up and help me put this on."
Ollie put the necklace on me and I admired myself in the mirror. "I like it."
I tucked the note in my pocket and we went down to the common room. When I saw Hermione, I sat next to her and handed her the note. "Hermione, can you tell who's handwriting this is? It looks so familiar but I really can't figure it out."
She read through it. Her face changed slightly, but then she said "No, I don't."
That little lair! She totally knew.
"Hermione, yes you do! Tell me!"
Hermione shook her head frantically. She looked confused and had a disapproving look on her face.
"Fine, be like that then." I crossed my arms and shoved the note back in my pocket.
"Thanks for the hat." she said sweetly.
I just turned away from her, before feeling her arms around my shoulder.
"Oh all right, you're welcome Hermione." I patted her back kindly.
Soon, it was time for lunch. When we arrived at the hall, all the house tables were pushed to the side, and now only one long table was in the middle of the room. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, and Filch were there. And a couple other students from other houses who's faces I didn't really recognize.
"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as as we all walked in "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables.... sit down, sit down!"
Percy, Ollie and I sat down side by side, and Ron, Harry and Hermione right across from us.
"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture.
"PRESENTS!" I suddenly remembered. Everyone turned to look at me as I jumped out of my seat and started walking towards all the professors. I handed little wrapped gifts to Flitwick and Sprout, and they beamed at me.
"Oh how lovely dear." Sprout said, looking at her new earmuffs that I knitted with fondness.
I then handed some newly knitted socks to Dumbledore, who grinned. "I shall be wearing these all the time."
McGonagall took her gift and opened it, revealing a red and gold scarf. "Thank you Miss. Finnigan."
"Damn, I really thought that might make you smile."
Her lips switched, but that was it.
I even handed two gifts to Snape and Filch.
Filch didn't even open his new gloves, but Snape took my gift gingerly.
"I didn't curse it." I joked.
Everyone started giggling and Snape opened it, seeing a green scarf.
"Thank you." he said. It seemed like a bit of a struggle for him to thank me.
"You're welcome." I looked down at the last gift in my hand. "Where's Professor Lupin?"
"He has most unfortunately fallen ill again. Poor timing." Dumbledore said.
"Oh, I see." I was surprised at how disappointed I felt.
"When he feels better, you should give him his gift."
I nodded and sat back down, finally digging into my lunch.
During the last few days of the holidays, Ollie and I forced Percy to have snowball fights with us. One evening, I decided to go visit Professor Lupin and see how he was doing. I grabbed his gift and headed towards the Portrait hole.
"Where are you going?" asked Percy, who as locked in a game of Wizarding Chess with Ron.
I held the gift up. "Lupin's gift."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Hm."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Hermione was acting awfully strange, but I decided not to be bothered by it. I managed to find my way down towards the Professors Sleeping Chambers. I could see plaques with each of their names, and I finally found Lupin's door.
I quietly knocked.
"Who is it?" came a tired voice from inside.
"Er, it's me. Sara. Uh, Sara Finnigan?"
I heard some shuffling, and after a few seconds, the door opened and Lupin appeared. He was looking awfully pale with dark bags under his eyes. He was wearing pajama pants with a sweater on top. "Miss Finnigan? Is everything alright? Are you okay?"
"Oh yes. I'm so sorry to bother you. Um, I just wanted to see if you were alright. I heard you were ill again. And on Christmas! So I couldn't give you your gift."
"I'm fine, It's just my age, getting sick so often. Professor Snape has been giving me some lovely potions to help though. Wait.....a gift?"
I nodded, holding out his wrapped present.
He took his softly and looked at me. "Thank you."
"Open it!" I said eagerly, wanting to see his reaction.
He unwrapped it and saw a forest green and cream coloured scarf. The colours were similar to the sweaters he usually wore. He didn't say anything as he stared at it.
"I knitted it myself." I said, suddenly feeling nervous. "It's not muc-"
"No. No! I love it." he said softly. "I just," he took a deep breath. "I haven't received a gift in twelve years."
I looked into his face. He had tears in his eyes.
"And it's my favorite colours too. You notice detail." he said. He looked into my face, blinking away his watery eyes. "I love it. Thank you Sara."
I smiled. "I'm glad you like it."
His eyes trailed down to my neck. "I like your necklace."
I touched the moon on the necklace. "Thanks. Someone gave it to me for Christmas, but it was anonymous. I don't know who it was."
"Hopefully you will figure it out someday." he replied. He looked at his watch. "Now go back to your Common Room! It's already past curfew. You don't want to get in trouble."
I nodded. "Goodnight professor."
I quickly ran off to the common room. Thankfully, I didn't bump into anyone on the way. When I walked in, everyone was sleeping around the couches, except for Hermione, who was curled up reading a book. She looked up at me. "How was it?"
"He really liked it." I said, grinning. "He still looks ill though. Poor bloke. I wonder why."
"You don't know?" she asked.
"No. Do you?"
"I thought it was obvious." she said.
"Oh Merlin, just tell me something already!" I looked at her eagerly.
She shook her head. "I know you can figure it out yourself, you're smart."
I sat down next to her with a hmph.
"You should be careful." she said slowly.
I looked at her. "About what?"
"Just, men....?" she looked awkward now.
I chuckled. "I don't have any man in my life right now, don't worry."
She looked skeptical.
"I don't!"
"Well, alright." she said, turning back to her book.
"Says you, anyhow." I muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You and Ron." I whispered, so that no one would wake up.
"We're not dating." she said scornfully.
"But you likeeeee him."
She ignored me, turning a bright red and I giggled.