Portrait of a girl (editing)

Christmas at Hogwarts

December 24th, 1993 (Christmas eve)
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Thick streams of holly and mistletoe lined the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor and the great hall was filled with its usual 12, huge, Christmas trees glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors.

"Good evening, Professor." McGonagall smiled warmly at her "Good evening to you, Miss Price." Seren smiled back, "Are you attending the Christmas feast tomorrow? We'll all be meeting in the staff room about 7 p.m."

"I had planned to, though I don't exactly have anything "black tie" ready to wear. I should have thought to pick something up at the last Hogsmeade trip but I was focused on Christmas shopping." McGonagall merely smiled again, "Why not just transfigure something you already own? Your textbook should have a chapter on formal wear."

"I didn't think of that. Thank you, Professor." Seren beamed as the elderly witch started on her way again. Seren made her way to the Owlery to send Tarryn her Christmas gift, watching the owl fly off into the snowy sky before heading back to her room.

She'd finally gotten used to the small bedroom and it had finally filled up with books and other strange finds from around the school. Opening the door, she noticed the small box sitting on her bed.

"Oh?" it was neatly wrapped with blue paper and a silver bow. Picking up the card on the top she flipped it open.

'Blue for Christmas and Champagne for New year's. See you soon.'

Yours,

R.J. Lupin.

Setting the card down she lifted the lid on the box, curious about the cryptic card and stopped, staring at the dresses in the box, her fingers trailed softly over the fabric of both as she lifted them one at a time and held them in front of her, her eyes falling to the pair of black ballet flats at the bottom. She carefully refolded the gowns and tucked them neatly in the box, turning to look at herself in her mirror.

Staring back at her was a healthy young woman. Not the emaciated, sallow skinned girl from six months ago. Her hair had mostly grown back now, sitting in messy ringlets just above her shoulders. She turned her back on her reflection, Grabbing her book on beauty charms from the bookshelf before flipping to the table of contents and searching for something to hide the few scars that would be visible.

Dinner had been a considerably small group of students and teachers and as they all sat around the two pushed together tables, chatter shifted from topic to topic, "You didn't have to get use anything." Hermione commented as Seren pass the small boxes around the table.

Hermione opened hers first to see a secondhand copy of Advanced charms, "You sounded excited when we talked about N.E.W.T's the other day so I thought you'd like a head start." The girl beamed at her, she had gotten Ron a small wizards poster she had found in Dominic Maestros' music shop and Harry a book on Quidditch she'd found at the tomes and scrolls shop.

"Brilliant! Thanks, Seren." Ron looked at the Image on his poster, watching the quidditch player fly around as Harry immediately opened the book.

"That was really thoughtful of you, I didn't think to get you anything though."

"That's alright." She smiled as the dinner chatter continued, "Next Hogsmeade trip." Hermione promised with a sincere smile, "You really don't have to." But the third year was having none of it, giving her a serious look before Seren finally gave in with a laugh.

"Fine. Just stop giving me that look." She laughed and Hermione's expression shifted and she joined in.

As dinner ended everyone excused themselves for the night and Seren found herself wandering the corridor back to her room.