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"OH MY GOD MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
Albany laughed heartily at Carly's outburst as the curly-haired girl launched herself at the group. She was a tiny ball of high energy the next morning, curls all over the place and a light-up knitted Christmas sweater swamping her small figure. Somehow, she'd been the last one to join the rest of her friends that morning, rather than Albany, who was usually late but never on Christmas morning.
Faith had finally returned to the dormitories after nearly a week, though didn't speak a word to anyone, and if she wasn't sleeping, she stayed out of the room. Albany had spent all evening the previous day wrapping the presents she'd bought, and the moment she entered the dorms, Faith promptly left, hiding her face. She didn't return until Albany had gone to bed.
It was a little odd, carrying on as if Faith hadn't tried to kill her, though Albany wasn't actually too bothered, to her own surprise. She had a feeling Faith wouldn't attempt anything else - or at least not while their other roommates were present. Besides, she had bigger concerns; the ball, and George.
The boy in question was also in a bright mood that morning, though didn't involve himself much in conversation. Every now and again, he'd catch Albany's gaze when she glanced his way, and she would have to look away quickly, flustered. She missed the old George.
In fact, everyone was in high spirits for Christmas. Alicia and Angelina were cracking up over Lee's lame Muggle jokes ("Who hides in a bakery at Christmas? A mince spy!"), while the twins were donning matching grins and new matching knitted sweaters (however, it seemed Fred was wearing the one with a G, and George the one with an F). The gang was gathered around the end of the Gryffindor table, a pile of presents stacking up between them, which Carly was now adding to so eagerly she nearly knocked a few off the table.
The Great Hall was all done up, boughs of holly and tinsel strung up around the walls. Twelve huge Christmas trees lined the sides of the hall, each decorated glamorously. A steady stream of students were milling in, not one of them in a sour mood, and even the few staff members awake at the top table were exchanging small gifts. Albany grinned to herself as Snape wrinkled his nose at what looked like a vanity bag he had just unwrapped, complete with shampoo, conditioner and body spray.
"Oh, I know another good one! My uncle told me this last year," Lee was saying gleefully, and Alicia and Angelina leaned in. "What does a snowman ride to get to school?"
"I doubt it's a train, by any chance," Alicia remarked dryly, though she smiled nonetheless.
"An icicle!" Lee exclaimed, laughing louder than anyone else at the punchline. "Get it, like a bicycle-"
"Merlin's beard, Jordan, that was atrocious," Angelina giggled.
Fred was grinning broadly in amusement at the exchange. "Lee, mate, explaining the joke doesn't make it funnier, I've taught you this," he said cheerfully. "Shall we exchange our presents?"
"Yes!" Carly exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her seat. "Oh, me first!"
She began picking out the gifts she'd wrapped before anyone else could argue, grinning like a madman. Her French accent always came out much stronger when she was excited, Albany noticed with a smile. Maybe she wasn't dreading the ball so much after all.
"Here, Albany, for you," the girl said happily, practically shoving a box into Albany's arms before she moved onto the next gift.
Albany was nearly hesitant to rip open the neatly wrapped present, though eventually gave up trying to carefully undo the tape. The object inside was very curious, another Muggle gadget of some sort. It resembled Rita Skeeter's photographer's camera, though much smaller, fitting smoothly into one hand. Albany glanced questioningly to Carly, and grinned as the girl jumped at the opportunity to explain.
"It's a Polaroid!" she told her brightly. "I've charmed it to work in the castle; you can take pictures with it to keep forever!"
Albany's eyebrows rose considerably, impressed. Curiously, she brought the camera to her eye, and turned it on Fred and George, who both grinned at her, still in the middle of unwrapping their own gifts. She pressed the button under her index finger, and almost immediately, out came a black square of shiny material.
"Shake it!" Carly urged her, and feeling a little silly, Albany complied, amazed as she watched an image of the twins slowly appear where the black faded.
"That's magic," she breathed, staring at the camera in awe. "Thank you!"
"Muggle magic," Carly corrected her with a wink, and returned to watching the others investigate their own presents.
The gift exchange continued on through the morning, to much laughter and overall joy. Alicia had bought Albany a silver pair of heels to go with her dress, and Lee gave her a small collection of superhero comic books - "For inspiration in the tournament!"
Angelina's gift was surprisingly heartfelt; a simple, broad white candle that had the magical capability to take on the scent associated with a particular memory. It was charmed to never burn out, either, and Albany took it very gratefully, smiling at the taller girl.
"Here's from George and me," Fred said, handing Albany a small box, and the mischievous glint in his eyes shone a little brighter than usual.
Albany raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously, and picked out her present for the twins, handing it to him at the same time. "I just have a feeling," she assured him with a knowing grin, as he glanced to her in questioning amusement.
As it turned out, they had gotten each other dungbombs.
Fred burst out laughing as he opened the box, and even George smirked at the sight of the troublesome little object inside. Albany grinned, grateful only that neither of them had decided to set off the bombs, unlike last time they'd "exchanged" them.
"For old times' sake," she laughed, and the twins both beamed at her.
Fred reached for another wrapped gift then, and passed it to her with a soft smile. "This one's from just me," he explained, and leaned in to whisper, "George got something for you before the whole spell thing, but I hid it from him until he's back to himself."
Albany grinned at the redhead, silently glad he had done so. She wasn't sure where things stood with George while he was still in the grasp of old magic, but was sure it would feel more heartfelt if the real George Weasley gave her the gift he'd picked out.
In the meantime, she tore open Fred's messily wrapped present, smile growing as she pulled out a lengthy scarf in the traditional Slytherin colours.
"Aww, Ferdinand," she joked happily, wrapping it around her neck. It fit perfectly on her, and was the ideal temperature; not too stuffy but comfortable and warm. "You know me well."
"You're always wearing your school scarf," Fred laughed. "So I asked Mum to make you a new one. This one's charmed, though, so it's always the right temperature."
"Thank you," she said appreciatively, grinning at him. "Your mum is unreal at knitting, by the way."
Fred grinned, pulling at his - George's, really - sweater. "I know."
The group settled down for breakfast as the food began to appear along the table, and to squeals of delight from Carly, it was a far more sugar-filled breakfast than usual. Christmas cookies and chocolate puddings were scattered among the regular toast, rashers, and eggs, and while Albany stuck with a trusty black coffee to kick off a long day, her curly-haired companion began inhaling the baked goods.
When the owls were let in for the morning's post, it was chaos. Wrapped gifts and colourful envelopes were dropping everywhere as the Christmas cheer from home arrived in the school, and even Albany was quite content to find a small box and letter land in front of her. Her parents always sent her something, though she usually wasn't too bothered by it. This year, she felt compelled to open the gift as eagerly as the rest of her friends unwrapped their own presents from home, and a genuine smile crossed her face.
Her parents had gifted her a secondhand watch, though she recognised it almost immediately, and her glee sobered just a fraction.
Merry Christmas, Albany,
Hoping you have a wonderful holiday this year, and enjoy the ball. You might know the watch we've given you this year - it was your brother's. We've wanted you to have it for a long time, and it finally felt right. I know it's nothing fancy, but treat it with care.
Best wishes for your health and happiness,
Mum and Dad
George noticed the bittersweet smile lingering on her face and nudged her gently, catching her by surprise.
"You good?" he asked, and sounded quite genuine.
"I - yeah," Albany stammered, flustered. She smiled gingerly at the boy. "Peachy keen."
"If you say so." He grinned sheepishly at her, leaning in. "I lost your present, by the way, but I'll find it as soon as I can."
Albany had to stifle her laugh, knowing Fred had hidden it intentionally. "That's alright, Gred," she assured him with a grin.
The more she interacted with him, the more she desperately wanted to return to practicing her magic with Merlin. George nearly seemed normal when she was discussing the right things with him, but the next moment he would freeze up and zone out of conversation completely. Albany wasn't sure if Lee, Angelina and Alicia knew that he was under a spell, but they had certainly noticed him behaving strangely, and she was dying to reverse it and have everything return to normal.
A part of her knew things would never truly be "normal" again, though. Even once she reversed the spell, she couldn't erase the fact that old magic was returning, and not purely through her. She still had things to figure out with Faith - such as how she'd gotten caught up in it all as well.
Yet Fred insisted that Albany remained in the company of the group the rest of the day. She had regarded him with a curious expression, because she knew if anyone wanted the old George back even more than she did, it was his twin, but Fred had nodded with certainty.
"It's Christmas," he had argued, and continued before Albany could interrupt. "No buts. I'm not letting you spend all day studying in the library for this twat."
And debate as she did, Albany couldn't convince him to let her go. As guilty as she felt spending the day with her friends, though, she couldn't deny that it was the best fun she'd had in a while. She wasn't sure how Carly was going to stay awake for the ball with the amount of energy running through her all day, though the girl was regularly consuming chocolate frogs and cauldron cakes to keep herself going. They spent the day inside, chatting and relaxing while they played around with their gifts. Albany took several more pictures, still getting the hand of using the camera.
The ball didn't start until eight o'clock, but it was five when Alicia decided on behalf of all the girls that they needed to start getting ready.
"It's not gonna take you three hours!" Lee exclaimed, though was met with a raised eyebrow from Alicia. He made a face. "Oh jeez, is it?"
"I'd take that as a yes, Jordan," Fred laughed. "Besides, we can squeeze in a few holiday pranks before we go up and get dressed."
"Oh yes!" George agreed happily. "I made some adjustments to the Puking Pastilles."
Fred frowned as he glanced to his twin. "Yeah, over a week ago," he said slowly.
George frowned, gaze dropping in thought. "Was it?" he asked quietly. "Oh."
"Come on, girls, let's go!" Alicia announced loudly, pulling along the other three. "Albany, I will not let you be late to this ball, hon!"
"It's only five o'clock!" Albany laughed, though followed the girl towards Gryffindor tower without further complaint.
She had to admit, it was pretty exciting to put on her dress again. As per Alicia's inisistence, she and Carly were not allowed to see each other again until the ball - even though Carly had already seen Albany in her dress - so Angelina took the French girl into the bathroom while Alicia stayed with Albany in the Gryffindor sixth-year girls' dorms. Alicia's roommates chatted excitedly to her and each other as they did their make-up, and Albany was content in listening in as she put on her dress and heels. She slipped on Evander's watch, too, after a moment of contemplation. It didn't exactly match with her outfit, but felt oddly comforting around her wrist, keeping the nervous flutters out of her stomach.
She'd never been bothered wearing makeup at school, even though Faith happily put on a light layer every morning. However, where Faith's makeup took her barely five minutes, Alicia seemed to spend the best part of an hour applying a variety of odd products to Albany's face. She chatted away cheerfully as she did, and didn't seem to mind Albany's short answers, as the girl was a little hesitant to move her face too much in case she messed something up.
Just as Albany thought she was free to go, Alicia pushed her across the hall to the boys' dorm, and before Albany could question her intentions, she bumped right into Fred, who was all dressed up in a suit and bow tie. His long hair was sleek and shiny, and she suspected he had some makeup on too, as his dark circles had disappeared.
"Looking good, Bronwen," he said with a grin, and she elbowed him playfully.
"Not too shabby yourself."
"Don't take too long, Freddie boy, we've got an hour on the clock and I want to be there early!" Alicia called, before hurrying out again.
Albany turned back to the redhead, raising an eyebrow. "What are we doing?"
Fred grinned. "Your hair, obviously."
Albany had forgotten the miracles he worked with hair, but was quickly reminded. Fred managed to turn her bush of dark locks into a gently wavy do, with no magic involved. She grinned at herself as he passed her a mirror, admiring the boy's work.
"Your hair looks stunning, if I say so myself," he remarked with a cheeky grin.
She laughed. "It's lovely, Fred, really. Thank you."
He winked at her in the mirror, eyes gleaming. "Maybe true love will break this spell, eh?"
Albany spun around to squint at him. "What are you suggesting?" she asked, though had a sneaking suspicion she already knew the answer.
"This is George," Fred explained slowly, raising one of his hands and making a shape with it, "and this is you." He raised the other, and joined them together in a clear 'kissing' gesture, smirking at her.
Albany smacked his hands, trying to keep down the growing blush in her cheeks. "That's not how that works," she argued, getting up to join the girls again.
"You didn't deny it!" Fred called after her as she left, laughing.
Alicia shooed her out of the girls' dorms before she could even get a glimpse inside. The Gryffindor was in a gorgeous lacy red dress, wiry hair pulled back into a dainty half-up, half-down style, and was smiling brightly as she shut the door after her.
"Ready to go?" she asked happily, offering Albany her arm. "Ange and Carly are just doing the finishing touches."
Albany nodded, smiling. "I think so."
"Then let's go!"
The entrance to the ball was truly magical, though as Albany wobbled on her heels beneath the arches of balloons - which McGonagall was trying to chase Peeves away from popping - she began to feel the butterflies waking up in her stomach. She gave Alicia's arm a gentle squeeze without really noticing, and was surprised as Alicia squeezed her back with a comforting smile.
"You're gonna be fine, hon," the tanned girl assured her kindly. "Everyone will be looking at Delacour, if anyone."
And as they entered the grand ballroom, Albany spotted the striking blonde immediately in the growing crowd. Fleur was truly a sight to behold, the epitome of grace and beauty in her flowing silver gown. She met Albany's gaze as the girl entered with Alicia, and fluttered her fingers in a polite wave to her fellow champion. Albany waved back, slightly awestruck.
The hall was an absolutely amazing sight, a light blue haze surrounding it to match with the wintery theme. Glittering icicles and curling mistletoe were hung about the place, and the tables of desserts and drinks were mouth-watering to look at. A large stage was set up to the side, blue and white banners hung about it. Filch was fiddling with a huge gramophone nearby, looking entirely unhappy to be there.
"Ladies," came a familiar charming tone, and Lee Jordan, suit casually unbuttoned with his tie over his shoulders, sauntered over with a broad grin. "Looking beautiful, as always."
Alicia giggled, taking the boy's hand as he offered it to her. "Not too bad yourself, Jordan," she complimented him, face bright. She turned to Albany, nudging the girl. "Good luck, hon, I'll catch you after the dance!"
Albany waved to the girl as she left, swallowing her nerves.
"Ah, Albany Bronwen, there you are!" called a loud and cheery tone, and Albany turned around to be met with the round, scarlet face of Ludo Bagman himself. "The dance will be opening soon, have you-" he glanced curiously around the room, noting the absence of her partner, "have you brought a date?"
Albany bit her cheek, glancing over her shoulder to the grand entrance; and she did so right on time, as Angelina descended the steps in a plum purple gown, Carly right behind her.
Her curls were as wild as ever, though she had taken off her glasses for the night, eyes squinting a little as she looked around the room. Her dress was adorable, a pale, sunny yellow in colour, dainty flowers covering the upper half and dispersing further down the skirt. A simple yet fetching tiara twinkled atop her head, buried in her deep red hair. Carly beamed as Angelina pointed out Albany in the crowd to her, and practically jumped down the carpeted stairs, her energy clearly not having dwindled.
"Here she comes now," Albany laughed, and was nearly knocked off her feet as Carly launched into a hug.
"You look amazing!" the girl squealed, bouncing on the spot as she eventually retreated from the embrace. "I'm so excited!"
"You look adorable," Albany replied, grinning. Her face felt a little warm as she beamed down at the living ray of sunshine. "Feeling ready to dance?"
Carly grinned broadly at her, a look of pure determination crossing her excited features. "I was born ready."