Eveline Wood ~A Harry Potter slow burn~

🤍15~ Christmas is coming

As December approached, the atmosphere at Hogwarts began to shift with the anticipation of the Christmas holidays. The castle was adorned with festive decorations—glittering tinsel, sparkling lights, and enchanted snowflakes that floated gently through the corridors. Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the great hall her voice clear and authoritative.

"Alright everyone, as some of you may know, Christmas holidays are approaching. Please let me know if you're staying at Hogwarts for the holidays or returning home."

Most of the students murmured their intentions to return home, but Ron and Harry's names came up as those staying behind. 

"So, who's staying at Hogwarts for Christmas?" Lavender asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Ron and Harry are, apparently," Hermione replied. "But I'm sure everyone else is going home." She glanced around the hall, noting the sea of students who were eagerly discussing their holiday plans.

"Well, I'm just happy the term's over," Eveline said, a contented sigh escaping her lips as she dug into her meal.

"Yeah, no more classes, no more assignments, no more teachers' nagging. It's great!" Dean agreed, giving Eveline a warm smile.

Eveline chuckled. "I can't wait for a break from Snape... Actually, just a break from all the Slytherins would be nice."

"I'll second that," Hermione said with a nod. "I'm glad I won't have to deal with Malfoy for a while."

Eveline's expression turned slightly pained. "Unfortunately, Malfoy is the only one I can't escape. My mother's making us have a traditional Christmas party at Malfoy Manor."

Her friends looked at her in surprise. Seamus raised an eyebrow, while Ron, deep in a match of wizards chess seemed genuinely baffled.

"Wait, you're having a Christmas party at Malfoy Manor? Are you serious?" Ron asked, his tone a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Yep," Eveline said with a groan. "It's probably the worst part of Christmas for me."

"Sounds like my worst nightmare," Ron added sympathetically. "Although I'm kind of glad to get a break from getting the same jumper every year from my mum. Harry and I are going to have so much fun—we'll practically have the whole tower to ourselves! And I'm pretty sure I know where Lee Jordan's stash of sweets is."

Harry, who had joined them just in time to hear Ron's enthusiastic declaration, grinned. "You're going to have to share those sweets, Ron."

Eveline laughed, appreciating the light-heartedness of the conversation. "Well, I guess we all have our holiday challenges. At least we'll have some downtime from classes."

Parvati chimed in, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I'm looking forward to the break, too. Even though I'll miss some of the festive fun, I'm just glad to have a chance to relax."

"So, what's a typical Christmas like for you guys?" Dean asked, leaning in with genuine curiosity.

Parvati's face brightened. "For us, it's all about family and food. We have a huge Christmas dinner with all the trimmings—turkey, stuffing, roast vegetables, and of course, my mum's famous Christmas pudding. It's a bit chaotic, but it's really nice"

Lavender nodded enthusiastically. "My dad insists we go ice skating when the lake freezes over, even though I'm terrible at it!"

"Oh I would love to have a video of that!" Eveline laughed, only Dean, Harry and Hermione fully understanding. 

"We usually have to travel to my Grandparents but they just moved so it's at ours this year which is a bit weird though since their muggles, you know with all the moving pictures and magic it kinda freaks them out it's honestly funny"