The Slytherin Princess and the Gryffindor Prince: The Sorcerer's Stone

6. Christmas {Part One}

A/N: Oh my god, I'm so sorry it took forever for me to update. My phone was murdered and I didn't have access to Wattpad so I couldn't get this up sooner. I'm so so so sorry. Also, image is not mine. I found it and thought it would go well with this...also the girl looks like an older version of Jade so...:).

Harry's POV

December 15th, 2006

Having Hermione in my house, at first, was nerve wracking. She was glancing around silently in awe, unable to form any questions for the first time since I'd met her. My mother nearly smiled and took her away to the room she'd be staying in, and Abba nudged Ron in the direction of his room with a subtle nod to the living room aimed at me. I let go of the bags I was holding and nearly ran to the sitting room, freezing when I saw that my Papa was asleep. He looked almost dead, eyes sunken in and skin clammy and pale. Deep, dark almost purple circles surrounded his eyes and every minute or two he'd sniffle. A thin blanket was the only thing that covered him while he was in a clearly restless sleep, and seeing him in this shape made my heart ache.

In that minute, more now than ever, I hated Fenrir Grayback and anyone who had ever said anything cross about Papa.

Figuring I would just go back to my friends and let him sleep for awhile longer, I began slowly backing away before I heard him move again. My eyes widened.

"I see you in the TV, you know."

For a long minute I couldn't form any words, and felt my face heat up when he struggled to sit up and look back at me. He looked tired and sad, and began to move as if he were about to stand up before I ran over and nearly jumped in his lap. "I didn't mean to wake you. Please don't get up, you look like death."

"Well hello to you too, Cub." I felt a quick kiss under my ear and then another on my cheek before he sat back, pulling me against him and hugging me tightly for a few minutes. "You didn't wake me, Harry. I was just dozing off. How did you enjoy your first term?"

"It was a lot of fun, but I'm glad to be home." I looked up at him. "Are you going to be okay tonight?"

"I've already taken my potion, sweet boy. What did I say about worrying about that while you were at school?" I squirmed slightly in his hold, trying inconspicuously to get away but he stopped me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "What did I say?"

"Not to." I stopped fidgeting and stared at him with guilt-filled eyes. "T-That you were the adult and could handle it."

"Exactly." He pressed a quick kiss to my nose before releasing me and gently nudging me towards the hall. "Go say hi to your dad and then enjoy your friends. He's in his office."

I walked towards Dad's door and jumped a little when he walked out of his office, carrying a few small parcels in his arms. He grinned when he saw me and set them down before gathering me up in a tight hug. "I figured you'd be home by now. How are you, kiddo?"

"I'm good, glad to be home." I pulled away and looked down at the gifts, wrapped in green and tied with silver bows. "Who are those for?"

"Just some little things I found for your friend, Jade." He rushed. "Go ahead and unpack, we're all going to decorate the tree soon."

I grinned at him before taking off, not thinking twice about the fact that he had gotten her anything.

*~*~*

December 24th, 2006

From the moment Jade arrived, she was...off. She grinned at me, as per normal, but didn't jump to hug any one of us. She was relatively quiet as I showed her around and then to her room.

"Dad insisted on decorating it. I don't know if you like it, but you can always change it."

The room was painted purple and the entire floor was a white shag carpet, and her bed was one fit for a Princess. All of the furniture was black, including the TV stand, dresser, vanity and desk he had thought to bring in. She glanced around silently, arms crossed.

"It's pretty."

"You have a bathroom straight through that door, and a walk in closet there. He said he figures the three of you will be spending a lot of time here so he wanted to make sure all of you felt at home." I glanced at Ron and Hermione who had hesitant grins on their faces, and we all merely watched as Jade walked over to the bed and plopped down, a glum look on her face. Hermione shut the door and walked over to Jade before plopping down next to her.

"What's going on with you?"

"I..." She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and let her face rest in her hands. "It's...I can't...I don't know that I can tell you yet."

"What can't you tell us?" Ron got a weird look on his face. "We tell each other everything. Keeping secrets isn't exactly an option in this friendship."

"Sometimes keeping secrets is better than getting screamed at." She shot back, giving him as menacing a look as she could muster.

"Jade, calm down." Hermione tried to soothe, setting her hands on her shoulders and holding her to the bed. "Why can't you tell us this?"

"Because not everyone that needs to know knows yet." She looked back up to me, grey eyes shining. "I swear you all will find out soon enough, and I'm sorry I'm so down. It's just...I don't know. We'll definitely have to talk later. But thank you, Harry. So much. I don't want to seem ungrateful to your...your Dad."

I glanced at Ron and Hermione, who both seemed a little shaken by this answer but nodded. "Okay then. Let's go downstairs."

We all descended at once, chit chatting about what we had asked for for Christmas before finally making it to the sitting room where my mother was just leaving to enter the kitchen. She turned and began to smile, but froze and paled when she looked back at Jade.

"Oh, oh my Merlin!"

Jade backed away a few feet, and I raised a brow. "What, Mom?"

Suddenly she was back in the kitchen, yelling almost at the top of her lungs.

"Sirius Black!"