Megan Potter - A Saga of the Heart - Book 6 - Dark Temptation-

Chapter 42 - Chilled Reunions

"You've got to be joking!"

Megan woke with a start. Ron's exclamation had gone through the wall, as their rooms were next to each other. She glanced at Ginny who was already getting dressed.

"Merry Christmas," she said as she brushed her long red hair.

"Back at you," she said, and gasped.

At her feet was a bulging stocking. She sat up.

"Come on, let's go see what's happened to Ickle Ronny," Ginny said.

Megan got up, pulled on her jeans, a tee shirt and jacket and followed her out, tying her long hair into a ponytail. They reached Ron and Harry's room, where they found Ron sitting on his bed, staring at a thick gold chain.

"... What is that?" Harry asked.

"It's from Lavender..." Ron said in disgust. "She can't expect me to..."

It was indeed a thick gold chain with gold letters spelling "my sweetheart."

"Ugh!" Ron said dropping the chain on his bedside table.

"You should show it to Fred and George," Harry said.

"If you tell them...!" Ron warned.

Harry grinned.

"Come on, would I?"

Ron humphed.

"But what made her think I'd wear that?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Well, have you ever told her that you love thick chains saying "my sweetheart"?" Ginny asked, eying the necklace.

"Well... we don't talk much... it's mostly..."

"Snogging," Ginny finished. "We noticed."

"Uh... well, yeah..." Ron admitted.

Then, he hesitated.

"Is Samara really going out with McLaggen?" he asked Megan suddenly.

"I don't know, to be honest." Megan said. "I haven't seen them together, anyway."

Ron looked more cheerful and dug into his stocking. Megan's presents included a red jumper with a golden snitch sewn on the chest and a hood, a large box of products from Fred and George's shop, a silver pendant shaped like an angel with opened wings from Cedric, an elegant wooden picture frame and a silver signet ring with her parent's family emblem, a capital P with a lily wrapped around it from Sirius and Lupin, and a set of twin bracelets from Ginny for her and Cedric. Hermione had given her a flower-shaped hair clip which she immediately slipped on. She was happy, but... something was missing. Well. Someone, really.

"... I wish Sirius could be here..."

"He wanted to come, and we all would have loved to arrange it, but..." Cedric said.

"I know," Megan said, nodding. "It's too dangerous. I'll be okay."

Cedric sighed sadly, and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him. She always felt better when he was around.

Once everything had been opened, Hermione, Harry and Ron went downstairs to see the others. Cedric and Megan hung back a moment, Cedric promising they'd "be down in just a minute". The room was soon silent, and they looked at each other.

"Is something wrong?" Megan asked, leaning against him and looking into his face.

There was a hint of sadness in his eyes when she said that.