Wristbands | Sirius Black [1]

Chapter Thirty-Six

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[Chapter Thirty-Six: Wristbands]

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  Waking up Christmas morning Aspen felt great, this was her first Christmas where she got gifts from more than three people! Sometimes, her father would send her things but, well, he was gone now. The mere thought of him sent pangs if guilt through her chest— so instead, she ignored the thought of Frank Lee. She now got gifts from multiple people, however, and even from some she didn't even know . . . which was, to put it short, odd. She felt kind of bad for not buying them gifts, but how could she have known?

Since she opened most of her gifts the night before, she only had about eight to open that morning when she woke up. Wendy was still sleeping, and at the beginning of the girl's bed—Aspen could see a stack of gifts. Most likely from the girls family, she had many family members and yet they all somehow loved each other?

Aspen crawled out of her bed, her bare feet touching the cold floor, and went over to her gifts. The first one she read was from her aunt, she opened it to find a bunch of hair supplies with a note stating; 'Do something with that hair. ~Love Aunt Corrina.' Aspen shook her head and placed it under her bed, next, she grabbed another present from her other aunt—opening it, she found a card with thirty American dollars and some American treats. Her Aunt Mona must've gone on a trip to America!

The next gifts she found were from Emma, Colby, and three others from people she had never met—and another present from Sirius. Aspen opened Emma's to find a picture of her and the girl, big smiles on their faces. Aspen stood up and found a thumbtack from her drawer, she tacked the picture to her wall right beside to the ones she put up that night before, the photos from Wendy.

Aspen opened Colby's gift next, if she were being honest . . . she had forgotten about Colbys existence. Ever since his family, unfortunately, were massacred, and she was betrayed by his brother—Aspen never really felt safe going around him. She felt bad for doing it, too, Colby was only a child and he shouldn't have been blamed for his older brothers mistakes (who was silent as a nargle, still withholding information of the Order.) Aspen opened the gift and she found a Gryffindor and Slytherin scarf, they were molded together. Aspen found a note stating; 'You're a Gryfferin! Or a Slytherdor! One of the two, Happy Christmas! -Your favorite Slytherin, Colby.'

Aspen smiled at that and put the scarf on her bed, the colors of scarlet, green, silver, and gold—they mashed together perfectly. She actually knew of an outfit she could wear that scarf with, hopefully no one would judge her too bad. The next gifts were from students named Thomas Milkovich, Samuel Dawson, and Maryann Lively. From Thomas she got a coupon for free coffee from a shop in Hogsmeade she was most definitely never going to use, the thought of coffee made her gag. Next, from Samuel, she got an assortment of chocolates. Like the ones you'd get on Valentine's Day. From Maryann, she got a kind threatening letter stating if she doesn't stay away from Sirius, she was going to expose Aspen for the girl she really was. She didn't take the threat too full heartedly as Aspen could remember a Maryann Lively being sorted into Hufflepuff at the beginning of that year. Eleven-year-olds these days . . .