**A/N**
This is the music that Y/n is listening to in the beginning of this chapter 🙃
https://youtu.be/A4ej-ZftQRw?si=VUt5TMpUBWaD_NwX
You bob your head in time to the bossa nova version of Happy Xmas playing through your headphones, and silently thank your muggle aunt for giving you her old ipod shuffle. You are currently sitting in the great hall in a study hall period, and admiring the decorations Prof. Arabelle (the charms professor) and the house elves are putting up. Even though you've looked at the calendar in the common room about a thousand times, you still can't believe that the winter holidays are almost here!
Adelaide Marandez (the Gryffendor prefect supervising study hall) turns your way, and you quickly busy yourself with your History of Magic essay, letting the sounds of yet another jazz-ified christmas tune drown out your surroundings. The paper isn't too difficult this time, but three lines in and you realise that it's still going to be a struggle. If only—
And then (just as Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You comes on) a scroll plops down in front of you, only to be followed by the person who wrote it. You give a slight sigh of relief, and pull your headphones out by their coord before Scorpius can see you with a muggle device. For some reason you feel self-conscious about using it, but he doesn't seem to notice it.
He smiles at you from across the table and opens up a transfiguration textbook. You smile back and unroll the paper he gave you. You sigh in relief again as you see that it's a History of Magic essay, written in your friend's neat, concise handwriting. With an even wider smile, you pull a notebook out of the pocket of your robes and hand it to him. He nods in thanks, and you both exchange a mischievous grin over the only bit of stereotypical Slytherin stuff you two do; cheating off of each other's work.
As soon as you're sure there are no prefects looking, you both open each other's notes and get to work; bonding over the thrill of misbehaviour.
~-----------------------------------~
"Hey Y/n," Scorpius says suddenly, breaking both your focus and Cayla's on the book you're supposed to be turning into a rabbit. You both turn to look at him, and he continues, "where are you going to spend your winter holidays?"
"Oh," you say, "at home. My grandmother and aunt on my father's side are coming down for Christmas, and we're going to do all sorts of muggle activities! What about you?"
He smiles a bit, and says, "I'll be at home, as usual. We don't usually have any of my father's family over because..." he trails off, but then regains himself. "Mum's family is nice enough as family goes though; maybe they'll come over this year!" Before you can say anything else, Scorpius turns to Cayla and says, "where are you going to spend your holiday?"
"Oh," she says, her smile dropping from her face, "I-I'm just going to stay here, I think."
"Why?" You ask before you can stop yourself, "Shouldn't you be with your family?"
"My mom left for the states to visit my grandparents a few days ago and so she can't pick me up from the station. But staying here should be fun," she says, forcing a smile. "They decorate so nicely!" You see her pained expression, and wish you could help. Then you realise something!
"Hey!" You say suddenly, making Scorpius jump. "I could write to my mum and ask her if you could stay with us!"
"Really?!" Cayla asks, jumping up in her seat. "Could you really? "
"Yeah," you say with increased excitement. "I'll get the paper now!" You leap out of your seat in the great hall, and practically run down to the dungeon and through the Slytherin common room to your dorm. It's just about empty, and you grab a sheet of parchment and a quill, and go back to the common room to start writing.
You're halfway done writing your letter when someone sits down across from you.
"Cayla ran off to write to her mum to get permission, and she wants me to thank you." says Scorpius' voice from across the table. You smile, but don't look up from your paper.
"It's nothing, mum loves visitors. Hey," you say, looking up so fast Scorpius jumps. "I bet if I asked, mum would let you stay too! Oh—" you look down, suddenly remembering that your mum told you very specifically not to be friends with Scorpius. You'd forgotten about that 'till now, and feel a tiny prick of guilt in the pit of your stomach "N-nevermind, forget I said anything. Sorry."
"It's alright," Scorpius says, with a small laugh, I don't think my father would have wanted me to go anyway; he likes to know the people I stay with."
"Makes sense," you say with a laugh, but you can't help but think that his father does know your mum, even if you don't know how they met. That scene in Olivander's proves that they know each other. You shake your head slightly. Come on, Y/n, you think to yourself, you're supposed to be writing to your mum, not piecing together her backstory!
With that, you go back to writing your letter. When you finish, Scorpius offers to post it, and you hand it over, and you go back up to finish your transfiguration homework with Cayla.
~-----------------------------------~
It's nearly noon, and you are sitting in a rattling train compartment with a bouncing Cayla beside you, and a silent smiling Scorpius in the seat in front of you. Your mum was more than happy to take Cayla for the holidays, and you three are now on the Hogwarts Express heading towards Platform 9¾. Cayla's been talking non-stop from the station at Hogwarts, and you're about to say something, when the trolley-lady comes by your compartment.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" you're about to say no (you forgot your money back at the dorms,) when Scorpius pulls out a bag of jingling coins, and looks at you both.
"Just a pumpkin pasty for me; is there anything I can get for you guys? Cayla? Y/n?" you blink. You had forgotten for a minute how rich his family is. You smile.
"I'll have what he's having!" you say. Cayla agrees, and the trolley-lady hands out your treats. When she leaves, you say, "Thanks, Scorpius; that was really nice." He blushes and looks down at his hands, fiddling with the pasty he's holding.
"I-it's no trouble. It feels good to share, especially with... with friends." he looks up at you, his grey-blue orbs meeting yours for just a moment, and then it's your turn to look away.
"All the same," Cayla says through a mouthful of pasty, "it was jolly good of you. Do brits still say, 'jolly good' anymore?" that breaks the tension, and you and Scorpius look at each other and burst out laughing, thankful to have your American friend with you.
About an hour later, the train comes to a gentle stop at Platform 9¾. You all get out, stretching your legs, and brushing the crumbs from your robes. You look around the platform for your mum, but she's nowhere in sight. You do see Scoripus' father though, and a thin blonde woman you think must be his mum.
At the sight of his mum and dad, Scorpius' face splits into a grin, and he runs, robe flapping, into the embrace of his mother. You and Cayla stand there awkwardly for a moment, and watch as the family shares a happy reunion. Scorpius seems happiest to see his mum, who looks warm and inviting in a warm-looking sweater and slacks, but he and his dad (who's wearing a smart, black suit with his white-blond hair slicked back) seem to have a touching moment of their own.
After a moment of talking with his mum, you see Scorpius look back at you two and gesture. His mum looks up with a wide, warm smile on her face, and beckons you toward her. You and Cayla go towards the family, both a little bit shy. Scorpius' mother puts you both at ease, however, by giving you each a warm embrace.
"So," she says, looking you both up and down. "These are the friends I've heard so much about?" you look at Scorpius, but he blushes slightly, and looks away. His mum laughs, and introduces herself. "I'm Astoria Malfoy, and you must be Y/n and Micayla." you nod with a smile, and offer your hand.
"It's good to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy," you say, shaking her hand.
"Likewise," she says, and shakes Cayla's hand as well. "Now," she says, "as much as my husband and I enjoy meeting Scorpius' friends, we really must be going;" she looks at Scorpius, "my mother is waiting at home to see you, Scorpius." the boy makes a slight face, but nods. All of the sudden, you don't want to go; you don't want to leave your friend.
Impulsively, you take a step towards Scorpius, and wrap your arms around him tight, burying your face in the folds of his robes. "Goodbye," you say into his chest, the sound coming out muffled, but audible.
"G-goodbye," you hear him stammer above your head. You hold on for another second, and then draw away to find that Scorpius' face is about as red as the train behind you.
You can almost hear the smirk in Cayla's voice when she says, "Bye, Scorpius; don't expect me to give you a hug, or anything."
"N-no, of course," he says, still sputtering a bit. "Goodbye, Cayla." he looks at you again, the red slowly leaving his face. "Goodbye, Y/n."
"Bye," you say again. "Oh, and goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. It was good to meet you. And it was good to see you again, sir," you say to Scorpius' father after a second. The man nods at you with a small smile, but it seems strained, as if he's slightly uncomfortable.
"Well, we must be going," he says, nodding goodbye to you and Cayla. "Come along, Scorpius." Scorpius does as he's told, waving one last goodbye. You and Cayla wave goodbye as well, and settle down on a bench, waiting for your mum.
"Don't worry, Y/n," Cayla says with a small smirk, "we'll see him soon enough when school starts up again."
"Yeah," you say, but you still can't help missing him.
About two minutes later, you see your mum coming towards you. "Mum!" you shout, and run for her, wrapping your arms around her like you did with Scorpius, except she hugs back.
"It's so good to see you again, Y/n," she says when you finally let go, "and it's so nice to meet you, Cayla. Your aunt and I have a lot of fun planned, so let's get a move-on! The car's waiting outside." With that, you, your mum, and Cayla walk out into King's Cross Station, and begin the journey home.
**A/N**
So Y/n and Cayla do some fun things like ice skating and cookie decorating, etc. Basically, think of a stereotypical Hallmark Christmas activity montage, and that's what happened lol. Y/n got a cat named Geoff for Christmas, and Cayla had fun. Good stuff.