Poisoned Youth | ✓

29- Christmas Kisses

The only thing I really looked forward to was the D.A. meetings and they would have to stop over the holidays, as nearly everybody in the D.A. would be spending the time with their families. I had no plans for the Christmas holiday and felt bitter every time someone brought them up. Hermione was going skiing with her parents, something that greatly amused Ron, as he's never before heard of Muggles strapping narrow strips of wood to their feet to slide down mountains. Ron, meanwhile, was going home to the Burrow. Harry and I endured several days of jealousy before Ron said, in response to Harry asking how Ron was going to get home for Christmas, "But you're both coming too! Didn't I say? Mum wrote and told me to invite you weeks ago!"

The thought of Christmas at the Burrow was truly wonderful. Harry and I arrived early in the Room of Requirement for the last D.A. meeting before the holidays and saw that Dobby had taken it upon himself to decorate the place for Christmas. We could tell the elf had done it, because nobody else would have strung a hundred golden baubles from the ceiling, each showing a picture of Harry's face and bearing the legend HAVE A VERY HARRY CHRISTMAS!

We had only just managed to get the last of them down before the door creaked open and Luna Lovegood entered, looking dreamy as always.

"Hello," she said vaguely, looking around at what remained of the decorations. "These are nice, did you two put them up?"

"No," said Harry, "it was Dobby the house-elf."

"Mistletoe," said Luna dreamily, pointing at a large clump of white berries placed almost over our heads. Harry and I jumped out from under it. "Good thinking," said Luna very seriously. "It's often infested with nargles."

Harry and I were saved the necessity of asking what nargles were by the arrival of Angelina, Katie, and Alicia.

"Okay," Harry said, calling everyone to order once we were settled. "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break —"

"We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias, in a disgruntled whisper loud enough to carry through the room. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come..."

"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you, then," I said loudly. "Maybe then we'd have a decent meeting."

Several people sniggered.

"We can practice in pairs," said Harry. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."

We all divided up obediently; Harry partnered Neville with me per usual. The room was soon full of intermittent cries of "Impedimenta!" People froze for a minute or so, during which their partners would stare aimlessly around the room watching other pairs at work, then would unfreeze and take their turn at the jinx.

After ten minutes on the Impediment Jinx, Harry laid out cushions all over the floor and started practising Stunning again. Space was really too confined to allow us all to work this spell at once; half the group observed the others for a while, then swapped over. I felt positively swelling with pride as I Stunned Ron easily. Hermione, per usual, was a tougher feat, but Ward began to get annoying as I couldn't aim at her well.

At the end of an hour, Harry called a halt.

"You're getting really good," he said, beaming around at us. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff — maybe even Patronuses."

There was a murmur of excitement. The room began to clear in the usual twos and threes; most people wished us a Happy Christmas as they went. Feeling cheerful, I collected up the cushions with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and stacked them neatly away. Ron, Hermione, and I left before Harry did; he hung back a little because Cho was still there.