Hidden || A Harry Potter Story [Book 1]

Chapter 12: Christmas

{Fun Fact: Charlotte's hair is an auburn brown (basically a brown with a hint of a red tint) and her eye color is hazel. I didn't want her hair to be red because I felt as if I was just making her opposite of Harry to show their differences and for the fact that Harry would look like James & Charlotte to Lily. I don't like that so I made it to where Charlotte has both parents features, although she does favor more of her mother's.}

Charlotte was glad that Christmas break was finally here. She couldn't wait to tell Remus all about her first semester in person and not just in their letters. All the girls in her dormitory were leaving as well, except for Ginny, whose parents were visiting their other son in Egypt. Snow had blanketed the school grounds and Charlotte and Bryce had played many hours in the snow instead of packing.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" She asked Harry after most of the tower had emptied from luggage and people. Harry had told her two days ago that he would not be coming home for Christmas, and that deeply hurt Charlotte. Why doesn't he like to go home?

"No, I'd much rather stay here. I won't be lonely, Charlotte, don't worry," He said as he saw her face fall. "Hermione and the Weasley's are staying too."

"Okay... well Happy Christmas." She said and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back but their embraced was cut short by the Weasley twins sneaking up behind them and scaring them with a loud pop from a small object in one of them's hand.

"What is that?!" Harry said as let his grip from Charlotte's arm losen. Some how during the loud scene Harry had pulled her behind him and grabbed one of her arms tightly.

"It just a little Light Popper we got from Zonko's. Nothing harmful, we promise. It was George's idea," Fred said as he held up the little ball for the Potters to see. "Are you leaving, Charlotte?"

She nodded, her heart was still racing from the scare.

"And you aren't going to tell us goodbye?" George eyed her jokingly.

Charlotte laughed, "Goodbye Fred, George." and she pulled them into a hug together. She said goodbye to Harry once more and she left the common room. She knew she would be late, so she ran towards the carriages. There were only three more of them left and two of them were full. Bryce had told her he would wait as long as he could for her, and she was very relieved to find him looking anxiously around.

"There you are! Where have you been?" He asked as he and two others put their stuff into the carrier.

"I'm so sorry. I had to tell Harry goodbye." She said, breathlessly.

 They hopped into the buggy and it began to move, being pulled by two white horses. She looked at the other two people in the buggy, an older Slytherin boy and another Ravenclaw girl. They sat in silence until they reached the train station, which the train already had steam coming from the engine.

They hurried onto the train and Bryce told Charlotte to follow him. He brought her to a compartment with one older boy in it. He opened the door and smiled at the boy. "Thomas, this is my friend Charlotte. Charlotte, this is my brother, Thomas."

Charlotte smiled at Thomas. He and his brother looked a lot alike, they both have dark hair, their eyes are the same shape, and they both have the same crooked smile. Charlotte sat down next to Bryce and the brothers started a conversation on what their parents had planned for them. "Aren't you Harry's sister?" Thomas asked after looking at her for a few seconds.

"Yes."

"I thought so. Let you in on a little secret, most of my house are terrified of you two." He laughed. She saw nothing funny in what he said.

"Why's that?" She asked.

"Well because of what happened to that second year boy... what's his name, Justin. But don't worry, your brother doesn't scare me." He winked.

"Why not? Everyone else seems to be afraid of him." Charlotte noticed that she was getting angry.

"Because we're purebloods," Bryce interrupted. "Thomas says that we don't have to worry about being petrified because the monster is only going after Muggle-borns."

"Bryce, it's not just that." He said, taking off his Hufflepuff scarf. "I don't believe that Harry is doing whatever is going on around the school. It's not logical, I just think he's been at the wrong places at the wrong time." He seemed to be smart, he was going on about how irrational the rumors going around the school were, Charlotte began to wonder why he wasn't in Ravenclaw with his little brother.

"What year are you in?" Charlotte said after a long time of silence. They had all been staring out the window, watching the white flurry unravel.

"Fifth." He simply stated. She nodded and went back to watching the scenery change.

∞∞∞∞∞

"Charlotte!" Remus said as soon as Charlotte stepped off the train.

"Remus!" She ran to him and hugged him tightly, she never realized how much she missed him until that moment. The left the train station and went towards home. However, once Remus parked the car she realized that he had moved again. Their new cottage was at the end of the street, it was small but looked cozy. She walked in the house and the scent of home made her not want to leave again. The fireplace was crackling with warm fire and she could smell something cooking from the kitchen.

"So tell me all about it. Tell me about your friends?" Remus asked as they ate dinner.

"They're all great! Although, one doesn't seem to like me all that much." She said thinking about Ginny.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"That's the thing, I can't figure it out," She used to like Charlotte, but then suddenly became distant. "But one of my closest friends would be Bryce."

"Bryce? How so?" Remus asked interestingly.

"I met him on the train on the first day and we just became friends. He's also helped me a lot on my homework."

Remus laughed, "What about Harry?"

"We talk, sometimes. I guess we could consider each other friends? But we're closer now than we were the last time I wrote to you."

"I see." Remus said.

The days went by too quick and on Christmas Remus and Charlotte spent the day by the fire and opening presents by the tree. By the time she knew it, she was back at King's Cross hugging Remus again and stepping back onto the Hogwarts express. She clung to the book Remus had given her Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts, He said it would be good practice for spells in her free time. Charlotte found a compartment with a girl that looked to be in her year and sat with her. The girl's blonde hair was tied away from her face and her smile was calm.

"Hello, I am Luna." She finally spoke with a soft voice.

"I'm Charlotte."

"Oh, yes, I know." Luna smiled again at her and then looked at the door. Bryce was standing outside of it.

"Hiya Charlotte. Hi Luna, how are you?" Bryce said as he shut the door behind him.

"Very well, thank you." She did not look up at him, but instead looked at a strange magazine.

Bryce shrugged at Charlotte and they began to tell each other about their holiday.

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A/N awe cute, a Luna cameo

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