PRAETERITUS - 𝕊𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝔹𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤 𝔻𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕣

20 - Christmas Day

꧁•⊹٭𝟸𝟶 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚜 𝙳𝚊𝚢٭⊹•꧂

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"

Grimmauld place bustled with excitement, anticipation hanging in the air with an audible buzz. Olivia nursed a coffee in her hands, trying to keep her eyes open at the ungodly morning hour. A mountain of brightly wrapped boxes spilled from under the tree, having appeared overnight.

"Ginny! You've got to finish your breakfast before you can open any presents." Molly scolded at the girl who had been sneaking around the pile, eyeing the labels.

Breakfast was scoffed down at an alarming rate before they were handed bundles of small parcels. Olivia picked at a tear in the bright red wrapping, not quite sure what she should do. Around her, the others ripped into them, examining the contents with glee. Following their lead, she tore into the wrapping tentatively. 

Sugar quills bundled into bows and piles of chocolate frogs littered the floor, strewn among colourful flakes of wrapping. A few dungbombs and a sneakoscope hid among the mess, with mesh bags of gobstones and quidditch player figurines. Animated chatter rocked the air as they showed off their various prizes. It was only when George chucked a dung bomb at Percy's head that the adults had decided it was enough.

"Alright! Everyone out!" Mrs Weasley herded the children to the front door, "We need you out of the way until food is ready."

Olivia groaned as she checked the time. They had way too much time to kill. Following the crowd, Olivia trailed behind Harry and Ginny who were chatting together up front.

"Is it really a good idea to let the youngest lead the way?" Fred looked over to George.

"What's the worst they could do?" George flapped his hand carelessly, widening Fred's grin.

Not liking the sound of that, Percy huffed to the front to direct the children, much to Harry's apparent distaste. He glowered at Percy as he shoved his way in between the pair, immediately barking directions at them. Did the youngest Potter have a crush?

Eventually they made it to the park, after a few wrong turns and an alarmingly close call to getting lost. The cold bit into her, stinging her skin as she crossed her arms around herself. The group trudged across the ground, their feet stomping over crystallised grass with a satisfying crunch. And then they were scattering, traipsing over to their familiar favourite spots.

After the twins offer to see a pond that they promised would change her life, Olivia decided she would rather opt out. The thought of trekking to murky water did not seem like something she wanted to do. Instead, she found herself sitting on a bench, huddling into herself and away from the cold metal that bit into her legs.

Truthfully, it was quite peaceful here. The grass sparkled with frost, the glistening white coating the green with a silvery sheen. Blue and white warred in the sky in a swirling mass of colour, the white winning out and sapping the blue into a greyed hue. The air was still, only moved by the faint rustling of wind, or the occasional distant shout.

"Do you hate me?"

The light voice awoke her from her reverie like a slap to the face. She turned to see the smaller freckled brunette sat next to her, his glasses slightly askew on his face. His words sent a cold spear to her heart, forcing her to draw a breath in as her gaze shifted away from him. He sounded so unsure, his voice shaking in the shallow wind that brushed against them.

"No, I don't hate you." Her husky voice replied, tortured eyes fixed away from him.

"Whatever it is I've done, I am sorry." He tried desperately to fix the open wound.