A/N: Thank you Romuluska for being my first commenter and voter! Also sorry if this chapter isn't as good as the other ones, but it's sort of a filler between now and later on in the story.
"Minerva? Ria? Iris? Ivy?" Affrodille asked, one night in the dorm.
"Yes?" They all mumbled, half asleep.
"Well you know how is almost Noël, I mean Christmas..." Affrodille began.
"It's not even December yet! It was just Halloween!" Ria argued.
"Well, 'ow exactly do we get each other presents?" Affrodille asked. There was a pause. No one had the faintest idea.
"I guess we could ask a third year to get it from Hogsmeade?" Ivy mused.
"Or owl our parents?" Suggested Minerva.
"We could make them..." Iris said. Ria spluttered.
"Me? MAKE a present? You will seriously regret that!" The girls laughed as Minerva started snoring gently. "Ha! I can blackmail her with the fact she snores!" Ria laughed, but when no one answered, she realised she was the only one awake. "What great friends you all are!" She mumbled sarcastically, falling asleep. She began to snore...
Whatever the girls had said about Christmas being far away was short-lived; soon all anyone could talk about was the Christmas holidays. Soon there were only three weeks. Then two. Then one, and suddenly the teachers were piling on holiday homework (which Minerva had already finished) and there were end of term tests and promises to write over Christmas.
Hogwarts looked beautiful, especially when it was covered in a blanket of snow. Most of her friends being from England very rarely saw snow but in Scotland? It was an essential part of December. It was hilarious so have snowball fights and win them all (for a bookworm she had a strong arm!). She built a lopsided snowman with Hagrid and blushed as their hands touched. But most of all, she felt a belonging, and realised that she really wasn't hiding her accent anymore, because she felt so at home with her friends.
Half term only felt like a week ago, but before Minerva knew it, Professor Dumbledore was giving her a very book-shaped present and she was clambering into the compartment with Affrodille, Ria, Ivy, Iris and Hagrid all over again.
"I'm sorry if my presents to you are kind of terrible, but I don't really have much money so, um..." Minerva grinned at Hagrid.
"It's Ok. We're all broke anyway!" And they laughed all the way back to a not so snowy Kings Cross. Minerva thought she had just hugged more people than she'd ever hugged in her entire life, as well as awkwardly hugging Hagrid.
"Mum!" Minerva launched herself at her mother.
"Hey Minnie! Nice to see you too!" Isobel planted a soft kiss on Minerva's head. "I'm telling you before we apparate this time," She grinned, and Minerva prepared herself for being thrown about all over again. She clenched her mum's arm tightly as the world span around them, but still managed to topple over when reaching their destination.
"At least I didn't vomit this time?" Minerva smiled weakly, feeling her lunch churning around inside of her. Isobel just grinned and watched Minerva gasp as she set eyes on the Christmas tree, lit with lights, both muggle and magical. "It's beautiful!" She breathed.
Dear Pomona,
I hope you like the Herbology book! My mum saw it in Diagon Alley and I told her it was perfect for you! Merry Christmas! I would've given you a plant but I couldn't really send that to you by owl.
Minerva xx
Minerva tied the parcel to Ash's foot and wrote "open this first!" on the paper. She stroked her smoky coloured owl and watched him fly off into the distance until he was just a speck in the snowy sky. She picked up her quill and then started to write the next card.
Dear Ria,
I've had this bracelet for years, and I just thought that it complements your eyes perfectly! I've only ever worn it once so don't worry about that! Merry Christmas! Miss you already!
Minerva xx
She set the card and the neatly wrapped bracelet out for when Ash came back.
Dear Iris and Ivy,
I'm sorry for writing you one card, but I don't know how much poor Ash can take! Merry Christmas! I enchanted an ivy leaf and an Iris flower to stay preserved (with a little help from Dumbledore) and put them on a chain, so I hope you like them! I'm sure you'll know whose is whose!
Minerva xx
Minerva delicately wrapped the two necklaces in shiny golden paper.
Dear Affrodille,
Joyeux Noel (that is Merry Christmas in French, right?)! I saw these hair clips in the half term and I thought they would look lovely in your hair! I hope you like it.
Minerva xx
Minerva paused. Last was Hagrid, and she wasn't really sure if he would like her present.
Dear Hagrid,
Merry Christmas! I know you like magical creatures, so I thought you might like this copy of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. It only came out last year, but Dumbledore gave me a copy because an old student of his wrote it. I thought you'd like it because it comes with pictures too and everything.
Minerva x
She paused before putting the kiss at the end. They were really close friends after all.
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