A Snake's Crutch Book 1

Part 16: Christmas Holiday

Christmas was coming, and coming fast. Y/N couldn't wait to go home and see her parents, and was talking to her friends about what they were going to do. Most of her friends were planning much more interesting things over the Holiday, most involving wizarding activities. 

One peaceful Saturday morning, when the mail came, Sarah's owl landed in front of her holding a letter from her parents. As Sarah read it her face fell and she began to cry. 

"What's wrong Sarah?" All the girls turned their attention to her, concerned.

"My father has Spattergroit. He's in Saint Mungo's and though he's being treated, mum doesn't want me to come home and get it, and Awellia is going to Egypt, so they've asked I stay at school for the holidays," Sarah said between tears.

"I'm so sorry! That sounds awful! How's your dad doing?" Pansy talked to Sarah while y/n got an idea. 

"Sarah, how would you like to spend the holidays at my house, with my family?" Sarah stopped crying for a moment, looking at y/n.

"Can I?"

"I'll put it in the letter to my parents right now. I bet they'll say yes! I'd love to have you," y/n exclaimed, immediately excited. 

"Oh! You should both come to my house over the break! We're going to see Bulgaria play England for New Years! We always get extra tickets! I can ask if you can come!"

"That sounds awesome," Sarah exclaimed, and just like that all three of their holidays had just become more exciting. 

All the girls sent their parents letters, asking permission to see each other, and each girl got permission. Not a moment to soon either. The morning after their owls returned with the reply, Hogwarts had received several feet of snow and any owls out that night needed to be nursed back to health by the Grounds Keeper, Hagrid. 

No one could wait for Holidays anymore and everyone was losing interest in their classes. Even working with Poppy didn't seem as fun with the holiday looming so close. One day in potions Draco decided to make fun of Harry Potter again, telling Crabbe and Goyle rather loudly how it was too bad that some people had to stay at school because their families didn't want them. Potter ignored Draco, as did y/n, as neither seemed to be in the mood to put up with him. 

When the day finally came that everyone was going home, y/n and her friends were taken to the Hogwarts express in carriages pulled by some invisible force. The ride was beautiful with all the snow and the girls all chatted away while they went. 

On the train, everyone made promises to write each other all about their breaks. When the train finally reached Kings Cross, everyone was buzzing. As they waited to get off the train in a slow line of people, Sarah and y/n were hugging everyone. Their first break away from their new friends had now started to seem sad. Some of the girls had began crying as they got off, sad to see their friends leave. Lillith, Millicent, and Tracey found their families immediately and waved at everyone before running off to hug their parents. 

While the rest of the girls chatted, waiting for their parents, y/n went to stand next to Draco, the last of the boys to wait for his parents. 

"You'll write over the holidays? Tell me all about your break?" y/n asked.

"Probably not," Draco said with a shrug, making y/n laugh. 

"Well, I will. See you in two weeks, Draco," y/n said, hugging him. When she backed away, Draco's ears were pink. 

"See you." Then he turned around and found his father and mother in the crowd waiting for him. 

"Y/N! Sarah!" Y/N looked around to see her parents waving her over. She ran over to them, slamming into her dad's embrace. Sarah walked up behind her timidly.