The Padfoot Twins

10: Crystal Christmas

Chapter 10.
December 23rd, 1993

Chloe's PoV

"Are you telling me that the reason that Harry doesn't have parents rests on the shoulders of our mad father?"
"Birth father," I added, while Noah nodded grimly.
Brianne gasped then shook her head, "I cannot believe it! That's possibly the only thing worse than blasting innocent people. Betraying your closest friend to death. I couldn't imagine even contemplating whether or not to hurt Jack or Luna. Unthinkable." Brianne's eyes started to fill with tears, and I knew that her heart not only ached for Harry and the Potter's but for Sirius too. She was always the most empathetic out of all four of us and probably felt more than sorry that Sirius had been so heavily influenced by the Dark Side.
"You know," I began in a whisper. We were the only ones in our compartment, but I whispered whenever I was talking about my birth father out of habit. "I've been doing some research on the Black family. It's no wonder Sirius is like he is. They were truly awful people. Obsessed with blood purity and following Voldemort, they disowned anyone who didn't. They thought they were practically royalty." I explained, recalling the thick book about pure-blood families that I discovered one day that Hermione dragged me to the library, after the Hogsmeade disaster.
"Wow, that's crazy," Brianne breathed, tucking her mass of curly brown hair behind her ear.
"And even worse," Noah said in all seriousness, "Sirius Black gave us horrendous middle names." Brianne and I laughed, and I was grateful for someone like Noah who always knew how to lift the mood.
"Brianne Philomena, how did they think that flowed at all?" Brianne shuddered jokingly.
"Philomena is pretty compared to Euphemia. Chloe Euphemia just sounds like an old granny digging her own grave!" I explained. Noah howled.
"Noah Eugene. So cheesy that they did the whole twin-matching-middle-names thing. Eugene I think is more common than Euphemia though, so that means I was born first and they had to think up something random for you, Clo."
"No, I was born first!" I protested, refusing to let Noah's big head get the better of him.
"Not this again," Brianne groaned.

"And your mother's hair had soot in it for a week, really, it was quite a disaster," Dad laughed, patting mums head.
Amber giggled loudly, while mum popped a chocoball in her mouth.
"Want one?" She offered me but recalling Neville nearly choking on his mouthful of them in the common room last week, I politely refused.
It's getting sort of late I'm heading to bed," I said, bidding everyone goodnight.
I was just entering my lavender room when I heard a "pst!" behind me.
Noah waved wildly for me to come to his room.
"Horrible news," he said.
"Sirius again?" I asked nervously, stomach dropping.
"No, just listen to this letter Hermione sent,"

Dear Chloe and Noah,

I know you just left for a peaceful holiday and I hate to fill you both with worry and dread, but we were down to visit Hagrid today and received some bad news. It's about the accident with Buckbeak and Malfoy. Hagrid bears no responsibility for the incident, but because of a complaint by Lucius Malfoy, there is to be a hearing on April 20th about whether or not Buckbeak is to be sentenced to death. Hagrid is a complete wreck because he knows competing with Lucius Malfoy's sharp tongue and position in the wizardring hierarchy is pointless. I just thought you both would want to know, and I hope you have a splendid Christmas.

Hermione

"That slimy, no-good, Draco Malfoy will be the end of me!" I growl, stomping my foot. "Why do the Malfoy's take such enjoyment out of watching people below them suffer?"
Noah shook his head, scowling. "At least you punched him in the face. That's something I know you'll never regret." He shot a proud look, but it only made me feel a smidge better.
"Yes, but who in their right mind would go to that ridiculous extent? Plus Draco wasn't even hurt, he was overdramatizing the whole thing," I huffed, crossing my arms, "and that's the part I don't get! If he wants to be a popular person who everyone thinks is cool, why would he act like such a baby?"
Noah shrugged, "I guess it's just his true colours shining through."
I paused for a second. "Are you listening to muggle music again, Noah?" I teased, making his face turn red as he denied it.
When I left Noah's room, I arrived to a surprise sitting on my windowsill.
And unrecognizable owl was perched there with a letter sitting next to it, one he clearly just delivered. It must be a Christmas letter. Reaching into a small dish on my nightstand of treats for owls, I tossed it a peanut that it gracefully caught in its beak, then it took off to Merlin knows where.
I opened the letter with excitement, then my heart stopped for nearly the whole time I was reading it. I scanned it thrice to make sure it wasn't a prank. Then, out of the envelope, I drew a small, thin pouch that contained a beautiful gold necklace with a daisy charm.
My heart started beating fast, my face started to heat up, and I ran out my room to the top of the stairs and screamed, "BRIANNE!"
Less than five seconds later Brianne was panting, standing in my doorway.
"Is someone needing CPR or something?" She gasped, as I yanked her in.
Wordlessly, I thrust the letter into her hands that she, unfortunately, decided to read out loud.