Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white, and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were happily discussing their plans for the holidays.
Hermione, Ron, and Josephine had decided to remain at Hogwarts, and though Ron said it was because he couldn't stand two weeks with Percy, and Hermione insisted she needed to use the library, while Josephine candidly admitted she wanted to be with the people she cared about and Cedric was spending most of the holiday at his friend's houses and her parents were traveling for Ministry work.
Harry wasn't fooled by Hermione and Ron's lies, but he was very grateful.
To everyone's delight except Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of term.
"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Teeth Flossing Stringmints from Honeydukes."
The trio watched as Harry bid goodbye to the three, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves.
"You're not gonna ditch us for your brother again, are you?" Ron asked with a tone of indifference, but he strongly hoped she didn't.
"No," said Josephine. "I know you want to spend time with me, Ronald," she teased, and she reached up to pinch his cheek. He caught her hand and brought it down, but he didn't let go, even though her hand was gloved and his wasn't.
"Did you ever ask your parents about Snape?" Hermione asked as they walked down the dirt, rock path.
"No," said Josephine. "I figured I'd ask them over the holiday."
"But that's not for months!" Ron exclaimed, eyes wide. "Don't you want to know?"
"No," she shook her head. "It doesn't matter if he is and they aren't...And I thought it'd be better to ask in person."
She had more than enough time to think about it. The timing of finding out wouldn't change a thing.
Besides, the thought of asking made her heart race and summoned a lump in her throat. She needed to build up her courage, even if that was foreign to her.
"When's Lupin giving you lessons?" asked Hermione.
Josephine shrugged, kicking a tiny pebble until it rolled off the path. "I think sometime this week."
Within twenty minutes, Josephine, Ron, and Hermione found themselves looking through the thousands of sweets Honeydukes had to offer. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees, and hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows. Honeydukes was a sweet lover's dream.
Josephine stood beside Ron and Hermione, examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops.
"Do you think Harry is a vampire?" Josephine asked in disgust, eyeing the description below the candies.
"He definitely isn't," said a voice next to her ear.
Josephine jumped back into an invisible figure, quickly swatting it, while Ron nearly dropped the jar of lollipops, and Hermione yelped.
"Oh, my Merlin, Harry!" Josephine muttered, and she hit him again for good measure.
"Harry!" squealed Hermione. "What are you doing here? How-how did you-?"
"Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate!"
"'Course I haven't," said Harry with a lop-sided grin. He dropped his voice so that none of the sixth years could hear him and told them all about the Marauder's Map.
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No Goodbyes \ Ron Weasley
Fanfiction"You said it was unimportant, Joe! This is monumentally important!" "A foe like she'd never known." "Friendship was going to be the only way to get through this." "He looked at her, actually looked at her, and wondered how anyone who saw her didn't...
