The Twin and Harry Potter

Christmas

Christmas is coming. Sometime in mid-December Vanessa wakes to find Hogwarts covered in snow and the lake frozen over. Minnow visits every other day, complaining of the ice.

Everyone is itching for the holidays to start. The cold seeps in from outside and make the corridors unbearably cold. But the Slytherin common remains warm for the students residing within. What's worse is Snape's classroom. It's freezing cold, causing them all to huddle around their hot cauldrons.

One day, in potions class, Vanessa goes off to fetch some ingredients for her potion. 

"I do feel so sorry," Draco sneers. "For all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're unwanted at home." He waited until she walked away to say this because he knows she would be upset. Vanessa is clueless to it, picking out the needed beetles and such.

Though she probably wouldn't have gotten so upset. She's well aware that she unwanted at that house. She would be happy if she never had to go back at all. When Professor Snape went around asking who was staying, she signed up right away. Draco says he wishes she had a place to go. So she wouldn't feel so alone for the holidays. He always gets so angry when she tells him about the Muggles she lives with. He always says he's going to do something about it, but Vanessa isn't going to get her hopes up.

Class ends and Vanessa and Draco are finishing putting up their cauldrons as Ron and Harry leave. 

Vanessa slings her bag over her shoulder and follows Draco out of the room. In the hall, their way is blocked by a giant fir tree and Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing before it.

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" Draco drawls coldly. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose -- that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to." 

Ron dives forward. Vanessa moves to protect her friend but stops.

"WEASLEY!" Snape's voice shouts. Ron immediately releases his grip on Draco's robes. 

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," Hagrid says, sticking his head out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," Snape says silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you." 

Vanessa pulls Draco away. She tries to skirt around the tree, but Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle push past it roughly, scattering needles everywhere. Hagrid gives Vanessa a shake of his head. She feels a bit of shame as she follows after Draco.

"Did you see the look on, Weasley's face when Snape stopped him." Draco gloats. 

"Did you see the look on yours when he grabbed you?" Vanessa counters. 

"I wasn't scared." Draco huffs. 

"I'm sure you weren't." Vanessa bumps her shoulder against him. 

"You seemed pretty worried yourself." Draco smirks.

"Of course I was." Vanessa pushes back the blush threatening to creep on her face. "If you would have gotten hurt, I would have had to hear you complain about it for days." 

He rolls his eyes dramatically. They go down to the common to relax before lunch. Crabbe and Goyle go off to do their own thing, Vanessa isn't sure what though, probably to terrorize some other first years. So Vanessa and Draco walk into the common together.

"Well, well, well, would you look at that," Victoria and Edward stand beaming in front of them, halting them in their place. 

"You're seeing what I'm seeing right?" Edward glances at Victoria.