Being a Greengrass after all should sound pretty serene.
But being a part of "the Emeralds" should not, especially when hearts become entangled with the infamous Regulus Black.
Goodness, lawfulness, or evilness. Which path will they tread in the ti...
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December 25th, 1976
Avery opens her eyes slowly, the soft morning sunlight filtering in through the curtains. She stretches sleepily, her mind still half-caught in dreams. But then, a realisation hits her - it's finally Christmas day! She sits up in bed, her eyes immediately darting towards the small pile of presents at the foot of her bed. A small smile appears on her lips as she crawls out from under the warm covers and kneels down to examine the gifts.
She picks up the first one, a beautifully wrapped package with a neat bow on top. She carefully removes the wrapping paper and opens the lid of the box to reveal a gorgeously hand-knit scarf. It's soft to the touch and expertly made. Tucked under the blue scarf is a small card. She picks it up, noticing the familiar writing on the front.
"Happy Christmas, Ave! I hope you like the scarf – it took me ages to knit, so you better wear it or I'll be cross with you.
- Panda."
Of course, if it's a hand-made gift, it would be from her. After admiring the scarf for a moment, she turns her attention to the next present - a medium-sized, square-shaped box. She pulls off the wrapping paper, revealing a beautiful baking kit inside. It includes a set of high-quality baking tools, an assortment of cookie cutters, and a recipe book.
Lifting the box up, she sees Lily's elegant handwriting.
"Dear Avery, Merry Christmas! I saw this baking kit at a muggle shop and immediately thought of you. Hope you enjoy it and can create some delicious treats with it. Love, Lily."
Avery, fully-aware of the fact that she hasn't baked before, nevertheless considers it as a perfect gift as she had been planning to indulge in baking one day. She mentally makes a note to thank Lily properly for the thoughtful present, and then moves on to the next parcel on the floor.
She carefully peels off the paper, revealing a small, leather-bound journal. It's simply but elegantly designed. Opening it, she notices Evan's handwriting on the first page, accompanied by a stupid-looking smiley face.
"Merry Christmas, Avery. Ü"
As the morning progresses, she continues to unwrap more and more presents. From Dorcas, she receives a new set of beautifully scented soaps and bath bombs and from Regulus is a rare tome on advanced magic. Next, Barty manages to get her cool button packs.
The thought that comes into Avery's mind every Christmas is how lucky she must be to be friends with all of them. She can't imagine if they chose a different compartment than hers on the Hogwarts Express on September 1st of 1972. But then again, one drawback of this part is the pressure of having to brainstorm thoughtful gifts for each of them that would reflect how much she valued them. This year, she has chosen a planted pot and a package of herbal tea blends for Pandora; an assortment of hair accessories for Dorcas; a limited-edition box set of his favourite wizarding band for Evan; a small telescope with a special enchantment that could show the constellations in 3D for Regulus. For Barty, who was notoriously difficult to wake up in the mornings, she thought of something functional — an alarm clock that slapped his face to wake him up even from the deepest slumbers every morning.
