Secrets (D.M)

snowflake

It was a cold winter morning, the last day at Hogwarts before Christmas. Adeline pulled on a jumper her mother had knitted for her, tied her hair in to a messy bun and went to greet Neville in the courtyard.

"Care for a game of gobstones?" Neville asked Adeline, grabbing her hand and pulling her over.

"Of course!" Adeline replied with a giggle.

"You win! Again!" Adeline laughed. "You're great at this game."

"I played it with my gran." Neville told her.

"It's starting to snow!" Adeline said, feeling a cold flake fall through the sky, on to her little nose.

"Then we should head in. I mean, it'll have thick snow by lunch time by the looks of things." Neville told her.

"Ok. Let's head to the library."

***

After a long study session in the library, the Hogwarts grounds were covered in a thick blanket of snow.

Adeline looked out of the library window.

"Neville, when did you find out you could do magic?" Adeline asked him.

"Well, my gran wasn't sure I could do magic, up until my great uncle dropped me out of the window!" Neville told Adeline.

Adeline's eyes widened.

"Yeah, instead of being injured, I bounced off the ground and onto the road!" Neville said with enthusiasm. "I walked off the road, 'course."

Adeline was shocked. "How did your great uncle drop you out of the window?"

"I don't know. Gran never said." Neville said, chewing on a piece of chocolate.

***

The following morning, on the train home, Adeline was sat next to Susan.

"Made any enemies, yet?" Susan joked.

"Actually, yes." said Adeline, placing her book down. "Draco Malfoy, and Pansy Parkinson is very fond of him- so you can guess that she's anti-me.." Adeline laughed. "Ridiculous, if you ask me!"

Susan laughed. "Yes, Malfoy's rude and stupid, you're a lot better at magic than him, he just refuses to believe it."

"I doubt it. He makes it very clear that muggle born witches and wizards aren't nearly as good as pure-blooded ones!" Adeline laughed.

"Yes, he's not right though, trust me." Susan looked at her, concentrating.

Adeline frowned. "Is there something on my face?"

"No.. I was just thinking. You look a LOT like Pansy." Susan told her.

"Prettier." Susan whispered, giggling.

"Oh shush! I don't look like her." Adeline frowned.

"Ok." Susan laughed. "The train's at London now."

Susan stood up and grabbed her trunk.

"Goodbye, Ad, I'll see you after Christmas." Susan said. "Don't forget to write."

***

Up in Adeline's bedroom, Adeline was reading a book, studying for Hogwarts.

"I really do NOT want to be bottom of the class" Adeline muttered to herself. "I've got to prove Malfoy wrong."

"AD! Dinner's ready!" Gabby called.

"Oh, um" muttered Adeline, putting her book down and turning her light off.

"COMING!!"

Adeline ran down the stairs.

"What are we having?" Adeline asked her mother.

"Spaghetti and meatballs!" Gabby said.

Once Adeline had finished, she washed her dishes and ran upstairs.

It was quite late, and she was tired, so Adeline shut her curtains, taking a last look at the moon, and went to sleep.

***

It was Christmas morning, Adeline ran downstairs to see what she had gotten.

"Open them, then!" Said Gabby, leading Adeline to a pile of presents.

Adeline got a book about magic, chocolate, a scarf, some magic tricks from Zonko's, and a luxury feather quill, which Adeline loved.

"Thank you!!" Adeline said "I must go and wish my friends a Merry Christmas, now. If that's okay?"

Gabby nodded. "I'll start Christmas lunch!

After Adeline had written to Hermione, Hannah, Susan and Neville, she went down for Christmas lunch.

All was well!