Isn't He Lovely • A Fred Weasley Story

t h e h u f f l e p u f f

It's a week away from the Holiday break.

It's a cozy evening in Hogwarts, everyone buzzed with the excitement of our upcoming vacation.

I make my way down to the Great Hall to meet Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione. As soon as I walk through the enormous opened doors, my eyes fall on the fall on the walls lined with giant wreaths, the light snow sprinkling from above but vanishing before landing on students, and the scattered groups around the tables either talking, studying, or snacking.

It's around seven o'clock, the night sky outside creating a cozy feeling as the grand fire place inside the hall is lit with bursting flames. I spot the group sitting at the Gryffindor table, most of the table empty around them, and go to take a seat.

"Hiya, Elle," Ginny chirps as I swing a leg over the bench. She's sitting beside Hermione, who's flipping through a textbook across from Ron. Ron and Harry are munching on some sweets beside me as I greet them all with a smile.

"Hey, guys," I say. I lean over the table, pressing my arms into the wood as I look around at them. "What are you all up to?"

"Just reading up on Charms..." Hermione mumbles, her eyes still glued to the pages, "Hawthorn's assignments are going to be the death of me."

"And right before Christmas, too!" Ron snaps in between bites of toffee. "You'd think she'd consider it's the season of giving..."

"I think she finds giving more homework is up to par..." Harry scoffs.

"How about she give us a break?" Ron huffs. I giggle.

"Let's not talk about that hag," I say, sighing. "Anyways... are we all excited for the holidays?"

"Definitely," Ginny replies with a grin. "I'm finally of age to apparate, meaning I can go anywhere I want during the break with you guys without having to find another stupid way."

I smile. "That's true."

"What about you, Elle?" Harry pipes up before popping a chocolate frog in his mouth. "Any special plans with your mum before you come to the Burrow?"

I lean my cheek into my hand as I look at the ceiling in thought. "I suppose just the usual... we'll probably do our traditions like every year."

"What kinds of traditions?" Hermione asks curiously.

"Well..." I start, "we do this one thing that my father thought of when he was alive... we make a whole bunch of cookies, and go out Christmas Eve to give them to our neighbors. Even though we live a bit of a distance from the other houses in the hills, we still like to make the effort."

"That sounds wonderful!" Ginny sighs, beaming. I nod.

"It's kind of like to keep my dad with us..." I say, looking down with a smile as I recall the nights we would go out to give the cookies away. "It's like we're keeping his memory alive for Christmas."

"Do you miss your dad more around the holidays?" Ron turns to me, a soft expression on his face.

I breathe in deeply, furrowing my brow a bit. "Yeah... I think so... but I miss him every day. We both do. But I guess you're right- I do tend to think of him more around the special times, like this."

The four of them have comforting smiles on their faces as they listen to me speak calmly.

"I just wish I could have known him for longer, you know?" I say, shrugging as I sit up straighter. "I wish I knew about his life more, and... and what he was like as a kid..."

They all nod. I notice Hermione's eyes dart up above me and her face falls slightly confused.

"What is it, Mione?" I ask. Her gaze is following something behind me, and I turn around to see Dumbledore swiftly walking towards the front of the Hall as if he just passed our table.