Pros & Cons

14. The Burrow

Ginny stood up from the bed and reached for the emerald wrapping paper on the floor "It's a pretty necklace. Looks like it cost a fortune though, are you sure it doesn't say who it's from?"

This necklace was undoubtedly from Malfoy, and it was truly gorgeous. Ginny was right though, it must have cost a pretty penny or two; simply looking at it made my heart glow from within my chest.

"No, there was no note. Could you put it on me Gin?" I dropped the necklace into her palm and pushed my hair to one side as she laced it around my neck. Once it was fastened I walked up to the mirror and admired the necklace; it sat comfortably in the gap between my collar bones and I brought my hand up to clutch it.

"Someone's got a secret admirer" Ginny wiggled her eyebrows up and down at me. I simply laughed it off and got ready for the day.

I put on a wine red velvet slip dress with some sheer black stockings and black flats. I combed through my hair, letting my curls fall around my shoulder and took a claw clip from the dresser, pinning my hair into a makeshift ponytail behind my head. I swiped some glittery eyeshadow across my eyelid and added some mascara to my eyelashes, topping off the look with some cherry red lip gloss.

I stared into the mirror a little too long and started over analysing my appearance; my skin wasn't as radiant as Ginny's it was much more rosy, my lips weren't as plump as I would've liked them and Merlin! Would you look at my ugly. Brown. Eyes! I leant in closer to the mirror and pulled at the skin below my eyes, trying to find some beauty within the blackholes on my face.

"Looking very festive" Ginny giggled as she applied some of the same lipgloss, breaking me out of my downward spiral. "Come on breakfast is almost ready"

"Yeah I'll be down in a bit" I watched as she ran out of the bedroom door and down the stairs.

I crouched down and removed the Ministry's letter from my bag, then I rummaged around Ginny's room looking for some parchment and ink. I settled at her desk and started to form my answer; it took me a while, I kept redrafting until I was sure it sounded right. I told them that I wanted to look into the retrial of Lance and when it would be possible to have my first session with him; I also asked about what guidance I would get throughout the process and how public the trial would be.

The last part was important, the trial of a death eater was bound to be big news but I hoped it would be possible to keep it out of the papers, if my picture gets taken at the trial everyone will know who I am.

If I managed to convince the Ministry to have a secret trial we would be able to get my brother home without the papers finding out and reporting on it. I sealed the letter and gave it to Ron's owl Pig to send it back to the Ministry. I watched as Pig flew off into the frosty sky and turned around the head downstairs.

I made my way down to the kitchen for breakfast and could smell the scent of pancakes wafting through the house the moment I opened the bedroom door. Molly had made all the pancakes into the shapes of Christmas trees and the blueberries looked like little baubles. We tucked into our breakfast, too engrossed in our food to say a word to each other until we had finished.

I spent the rest of the morning brutally crushing Ron in a game of Wizards chess and George going around the house trying to get people to bet on the outcome of our game, not many people were keen on the idea. I would occasionally see Harry and Ginny in a corner of the house chatting awkwardly and quietly - I always gave Ginny a small wink if she happened to look in my direction.

Around two o'clock the adults started popping the champagne and Ginny, Harry, Ron and I were each given a small glass; although the twins refilled our glasses whenever the others weren't looking. Fred and I started singing Christmas carols around three - much to the dismay of everyone within earshot; we added some glitz and glamour to our performance by taking tinsel from the tree and waving it around like a ribbon.