Wanna Be Saved

- SIXTEEN -

Chapter Sixteen
Miracles in December

Christmas wasn't a holiday Bronwyn had felt herself particularly caring for over the last year or so. She had found it rather just a moment of realising just how little her family had. Something that she often had to fight hard to resent. For she knew she would have to return to school in under two weeks to hear her friends, her housemates brag about everything they had gotten. Whilst she knew that, whilst her parents had done their best, that she would never get anything like they had. That everything she had was either a hand me down or the cheapest version possible. 

Yet this time around, there was something more important than the subjective and usual feeling of fleeting awareness of how difficult money was for the family. Rather there was this strange sense of understanding just how different the world was now. How real this war was becoming, and just what was up for loss. 

Having her father home for the grandure that was Christmas Day was both a blessing and a curse for Bronwyn. A blessing in the manner of which it meant he was better, well enough that the highly skilled team of healers thought he no longer required their care. Bronwyn had after all been rather terrified of the potential outcome of her father's admission to hospital. But it also meant that there was no longer an escape from the creepy twisting halls of 13 Grimmauld Place. They were all now stuck in the haunting walls until those two weeks were over. It also meant that there was no longer just the large Weasley family within the halls. 

Initially, despite informing the professors about the attack at the Ministry, Harry had remained at Hogwarts. Now, as he had been doing for a few years now, he joined the Weasley family for the festivities. It just felt even more jarring, perhaps to Bronwyn alone, just how wide that wedge was that still lingered between them. Sure they had attempted to return to being friends.But now as they sat there on the same sofa in front of the fire place, both with a glass of something strong that they should not have been drinking at fifteen, neither able to say a word to the other. There was after all little to be said in reality. Bronwyn had nothing to say to Harry the few days they had been apart nothing new of notability had occurred. And even if it had, she wasn't sure she wanted to share anything with him either. 

Therefore, when it came to opening the presents, the few that any of them had Bronwyn could not wait for it all to be over. She desired to scamper away to the room she was sharing with the other girls and sleep the rest of the holiday away. But first she had to get through the opening of the brown papered gift from her parents, the one she expected every year. That horrible scratchy jumper packaged in colours she despised but she would wear to make her mother happy.

Opening up the package, Bronwyn was not surprised to see the large letter 'R' staring back at her. It would seem just like a few others around the room, her mother had failed to get the idea of the teenaged girl wanting to go by her full name. That or her mother would claim that she would get too confused if she had two jumpers with the letter 'B' on them. Rather she did what she had managed to perfect around her mother, the tight smile pretending that everything was okay. That uncomfortable 'thanks' she had been giving for years at this gift now. Ever thankful for when they were all dismissed. 

Sitting in the room shared by all three teenaged girls, which now only held the two Weasley girls, Bronwyn was finally thankful for the quiet. She continued to love her family dearly, but she could not take the sheer volume of noise the extended number of members produced. She reached for her navy blue blanket draping the comfort item once again across her lap. Allowing to just stew in the silence, she chose not to do anything in particular. 

That was until there was a sharp knock upon the door. The person on the other side did not wait for a response before entering. Going against the purpose of a knock but she chose not to dwell upon it. Waiting as a head of ginger peaked through the door frame. It could have been anyone but the black eye gave it away. So did the fabric sling of which could only belong to one person. Bronwyn watched as her father came into the room, her eyes instantly moving to the small parcel he held within his good hand. 

"Hey Brownyn this was downstairs for you. Didn't think you wanted to open it with everyone's eyes upon you." Her father spoke and at first she pondered why he would think that, other than her clear distain for attention at the moment. That was until he handed the parcel to her and Bronwyn could feel not only the weight of whatever was inside but it was clear that even the wrapping paper was something much more expensive than any other gift any of the Weasley children had opened that evening. 

"Thanks dad." Bronwyn was a little quiet when she spoke, unsure what to make of the gift. If she was being honest she was unsure who would have even sent it to her. Her mind drifted to her grandmother at first, wondering if this was some sort of Heiress thing the woman had gifted her. But upon removing the wrapping the box itself looked too modern. Something that everything her grandmother had gifted her so far, was not. Rather she pulled out from inside the jewellery box a delicate silver necklace with a small tear drop shaped emerald. The necklace was possibly one of the most beautiful she had ever seen. Her eyes transfixed upon the emerald at first noting that it seemed to most likely cost more than her family ever spent in a year.

Bronwyn instantly felt as though she did not deserve to own something so precious, so expensive. And she was a little worried about it all if she was being honest. Who would gift her something so nice, without expectation of something similar in return. She thought perhaps it had come to the wrong person. After all the label on the front of the parcel only had her name on it, no sender details. 

"Oh wow Bronwyn, looks like you have someone who cares about you deeply." Her father commented and Bronwyn had almost forgotten her remained in the bedroom with her. His words also confirmed that this was not from her grandmother then. Otherwise he would have made a specific comment about that instead. 

"I have no clue who it's from." Bronwyn commented finally looking up from the gift to her father. The pair made eye contact their matching brown eyes connecting as they lulled into a silence. 

"It's okay I'm sure you'll work it out soon enough. I'll leave you with your thoughts." Bronwyn received a small pat on her shoulder from her father before he left the room. Her attention immediately returning to the necklace. A small folded piece of paper caught her attention in the top of the box and she felt her hands quickly moving to open it. Hoping it would let her know just who it was from.

'Dearest Bronwyn, 

That night at the party, there was just one thing you were missing. Here's to making sure that doesn't happen again.B x.'

Her brain wracked for who 'B' could be, even though her mind was screaming at her who it was. She couldn't believe it. There was no chance that he had gotten her something. Not something this expensive, this beautiful, that screamed her so much. It didn't make sense. 

Or did it make perfect sense.