For as long as she could remember, Esmeralda Grisky and Lorenzo Berkshire had been inseparable best friends. But in their sixth year at Hogwarts, something shifted between them, drawing them closer than ever. Esmeralda begins to realize that her fee...
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CHRISTMAS WAS FAST APPROACHING, AND ESMIE'S EXCITEMENT WAS TANGLED WITH A DEEP SENSE OF UNEASE.
This year, the group was heading back to the Malfoy Manor for the holidays, a tradition that should have brought her joy, yet, her heart was conflicted. She was glad to be spending the season surrounded by friends, but one invitation, in particular, had made her nerves flutter like restless butterflies—Ron was coming too.
Ron and Esmie had once been close, sharing everything from their Hogwarts worries to dreams of the future. That bond had been shattered during their sixth year, when the Death Eaters destroyed the Burrow during Christmas break. The tragedy that engulfed Ron's family had driven a wedge between them, something neither of them had addressed since. They hadn't really spoken since that awful time, and Esmie had no idea how seeing him again would feel. Could they repair the damage? Would they even want to?
As she stood in her room, packing clothes into her suitcase for the trip, her mind kept spinning with these thoughts. She tried to distract herself by folding a sweater neatly, but her hands trembled slightly, betraying her nerves. The usual excitement she felt when returning to the manor for the holidays was dampened by the weight of uncertainty.
From the corner of the room, Enzo watched her with his ever-present calm, leaning back against the headboard of her bed. His dark eyes followed her movements, amusement dancing in them as he caught her pacing back and forth like a cat trapped in a cage.
"You seem a little tense, Mie," he said, his voice warm and teasing, though laced with concern.
"I'm fine," Esmie replied, though the sharpness in her tone didn't convince either of them. She tossed another scarf into her suitcase, her brow furrowing as she tried to refocus. "I'm just nervous about Ron being there for the holidays. We haven't really spoken since sixth year—since the Burrow."
Enzo nodded slowly, his expression softening with understanding. He knew how deeply the past weighed on Esmie, especially when it came to friends she'd lost along the way, both figuratively and literally. "That's a lot to carry. I don't blame you for being nervous, but who knows? Maybe this Christmas will give you two a chance to reconnect."
