𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 & 𝒜𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 | 𝐹𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒲𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓁𝑒𝓎

Chapter 35

At last, the term ends and a silence as deep as the snow on the grounds descends on the castle. I find it quite peaceful so I have time to read in the common room now as it's less crowded but the downside of this is the fact that every time that I'm in the common room, Harry, Hermione and the remaining Weasley's that are still in education at Hogwarts play exploding snap during this time which causes me to still have to read in her room on in the library because it's too loud. Fred, George and Ginny chose to stay at school this year again rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr and Mrs Weasley. However, both Angelina and Katie had gone home at the end of the term to spend their Christmas with their families and how could I blame them. Their families are completely normal. No dead parents or even a werewolf Uncle to keep them away from the house for the holidays.

Christmas morning dawns, cold and white. I am the only one left in my dormitory. I stand in Fred and George's dormitory, dressed in black leggings, a loose white top and her red Weasley jumper over the top with a pair of trainers and my hair down in curls and a black headband in it to keep it out of my face. "Wake up!" I yell loudly, pulling back the curtains at the window. "Lily... why?" Fred asks, shielding his eyes against the light whilst he yawns along with George. "Merry Christmas to you, too." I tell them before heading back over to the door. "Breakfast's in half an hour. Hurry up and get dressed. Presents are at the end of your bed as well." I finish before heading out of the room and back up to my dormitory to grab a book to read whilst having breakfast.

The Great Hall looks magnificent. Not only are there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow is falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling. Dumbledore leads us in a few of his favourite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumes. Fred and George sit beside me after Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now says Pinhead, and Percy doesn't notice, keeps asking everyone what they are sniggering at.

I notice Hermione ushering Harry and Ron, who have barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding, out of the hall to do something but at the moment, I can't care about anything they're doing because it's Christmas and it's a time to relax and enjoy the day without having a care in the world about anything else.

After dinner, Fred, George and I head outside but before I can do anything, I'm hit with two snowballs from Fred and George causing me to gasp before turning to them. "Oh, you're in for it, now." I tell and before I know a snowball fight has erupted between the three of us.

Falling onto my back in the snow after being tackled to the ground by both Fred and George. As soon as I hit the snow, I gasp from the coldness of the snow but after a few seconds, I begin to laugh along with Fred and George. "Oh, God. That's cold." I gasp whilst pushing Fred and George off of me so that I can stand back up again. "You're not wrong." Fred tells me as I help him up after getting George off of the snow. "So, what do you want to do now?" George asks me before I loop my arms through the boy's and begin marching us up to the castle. "Well, for now, I think it would be best if we went back up to the common room and get changed into our pyjamas before sitting in front of the fire until one of us ends up passing out from tiredness." I tell the boys causing them to nod their heads in agreement.

**************

I sit down next to Fred on the sofa, opposite the fire, waiting for George to come down from the boy's dormitories. I fiddle with my hands from the awkwardness between the two of us and because we haven't sat in the same room together alone, to talk about what happened between the two of us when I went to send the letter to Uncle Remus. "I'm sorry." I blurt out at the same time Fred asks, "Can we talk about what happened?"

I turn my head to look at Fred whilst we say this before Fred scratches the back of his head. "You first." he tells me making me nod my head.

"I'm sorry about the kiss. I didn't mean for it to happen. I really don't want it to affect our friendship so can we just pretend that it never happened?" I ask him, sort of regretting what I'm saying at the moment because I don't want to forget about the kiss because it's all I can think about at the moment and I feel stupid for saying it. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Just forget it ever ha-"

"What are you two talking about?" George suddenly asks, cutting Fred off.

"Nothing. Nothing." I suddenly say, turning to George. "Just... stuff."

"Okay..." he says before sitting down on the opposite side of me.

"I'm sorry about what the Daily Prophet said about your father, as well." I tell them, causing them to look at me confused. "Wh... what did it say?" George asks me confused causing me to sigh before walking over to the opposite side of the common room before grabbing a spare daily prophet and opening it up. "Inquiry at the Ministry of Magic..." I begin to read whilst walking back over to the twins, slowly. "Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car. Mr Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr Weasley's resignation." I continue before sitting down in the chair next to the sofa. "Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute. Mr Malfoy told our reporter. He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately." I quote. "Mr Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them." I finish and before I know it, the Daily Prophet is snatched from my hands from Fred so that he and George could read it themselves. "Are they joking? Fifty Galleons?" they ask shocked, looking up at me, causing me to shrug my shoulders. "Well, you see what it says, besides. I'm sure that they'll be fine. Besides, I've been helping pay for some of your school things anyway so Mr and Mrs Weasley are fine." I point out.

"Yes, but mum and dad could get everything for school for next year for that." Fred points out to which I shake my head before standing up from the chair and sitting back down between the boys. "Well, you shan't have to worry. Something good will happen to your parents because as they say when something bad happens, something good is always to come your way." I tell the twins, making them smile before they bring me into a hug.

"You're the greatest friend we could ever ask for, Lily." George tells me.

"Don't forget that." Fred finishes, causing me to smile into the hug and pull them closer to me. "I love you guys." I utter quietly and I'm not entirely sure if they heard me or not but I'm hoping they did.