Potter

Chapter 64

On Christmas Eve, I was both insanely excited and incredibly nervous.

I had always enjoyed Christmas time, loved the feeling in the air and the food and the music. But this year was completely different. For one, I wasn't with my family. Not that our Christmas celebrations had been overly exciting over the past few years, but it was still nice to be at home. This year instead I got a cold castle filled with hostile professors and students, the constant threat of discovery and death, and, as I had found out earlier today, a shortened amount of time with my boyfriend.

Death Eater meetings were incredibly inconveinent, that was an opinion both Draco and I shared, and we were both fairly disappointed when he told me that, instead of all day, we wouldn't be able to meet until five. He made sure that I understood he was very apologetic about it, but it still didn't leave me with a gaping hole in my plans.

"I wish they had opened Hogsmeade or something. At least then we'd have something to do." Lavender hummed as she filed her nails. I grunted lightly in response, rolling over onto my stomach. I looked up at my friend with a sigh, resting my chin on my palms. Since Ginny's departure, I had found myself with a serious lack of female friends. Lavender seemed more than happy with my company though, and hers, while a little loud, was actually quite pleasant once you know what to expect.

"You're not wrong." I said after a moment. "I've not gotten any Christmas shopping done at all. I feel terrible."

"It's not as though you're the only one. It's likely everyone will be having a gift-less Christmas this year." She pointed out, not unkindly. I grimaced before nodding, having to admit she was right. I let out a quiet groan, letting my head hang off the side of the bed.

"Still though. I miss Christmas when I was little." I sighed softly, closing my eyes and thinking of days spent drinking eggnog by a fireplace. When I opened my eyes again Lavender was smiling at me sympathetically, rising from her spot on the bed.

"Well, don't get too down about it. Come now- Put on some decent clothes, and come down to the Great Hall with me. Rumor has it McGonagall's got the house elves serving hot cocoa." She said, brushing her fingers through her curls. I scowled slightly at her.

"Do I have to change?"

"You're in a sweatpants and a t-shirt. Surely you would not consider that Christmas Eve attire?" Lavender raised an eyebrow. With a heavy sigh I rose from the bed, moving to my trunk and propping it open. I rifled through the clothes for a moment, pushing past the more muted colors at Lavender's urging and isntead finding the more colorful pieces at the bottom. Since I had arrived, broken hearted at the time and under the Carrow's rule, I had slipped into the habbit of wearing gray, black and brown, with the exception of house colors.

Lavender seemed determine to change that now.

"Ooh, that cream top-" She said, reaching past me and grabbing the sweater Ginny had given to me some days before. "And that skirt. The black one. Do you have flats? And I can give you a hair bow-"

"I don't think that's completely nessescary, Lavender," I said with a faint grimace as the placed the objects in my arms. But Lavender frowned at me when I protested, and with a sigh I changed quickly as Lavender went to the bathroom to searh for her hair bow. It ended up being red, and with a smidge of red lipstick Lavender finally seemed appeased with my Christmas appearance, despite my obvious discomfort. I wonder if she had purposefully placed in a white sweater so I couldn't rub the lipstick off.

"There we go." She chirped happily. "Now we can go."

And so we did. I let Lavender link her arm with mine, walking me all the way down past the common room and to the Great Hall. It was slightly more crowded than usual, but Lavender and I were able to elbow our way through to the center where the hot chocolate was being given out. The house elves were visible enough, filling mugs for students and handing them out. Making my way forward I managed to snag a mug for myself, then another one for Lavender.