black and white ✰ g.w.

CHAPTER NINE

Christmas morning at the Village went as it usually did when the Wood family weren't staying at Grimmauld Place and when the Hogwarts students actually came home. The entire family was there, including the Cabots, who always spent the Christmas holidays at the Village, staying in the guest rooms in David and Helena's house. Everything was decorated for the holiday except for Catrina, Oliver, and Olivia's house, as the three were not nearly as into Christmas as most people were, given what happened in 1980 with Oliver and Olivia's father. Before the sun even began to peer over the horizon, the youngest children of the family were awake and running around the Village, waking everyone up, over the moon excited that Christmas had finally come. As was traditional, they all gathered in David and Helena's house to exchange and open presents and have breakfast.

Currently, Olivia sat with her younger, Hogwarts-aged cousins in Faustus's bedroom, having a conversation with them as they waited for breakfast to be finished.

"So, Faustus has very kindly kept me informed of the important things happening at Hogwarts," Olivia began, "but what's been going on with all of you? Anything worth sharing?"

"It could be better," Evelyn sighed, frowning.

"Evie's upset because she fancies Ginny's boyfriend," Fraser said.

"I do not! I've got my own boyfriend."

"Oh, yeah, that Anthony Goldstein kid?" Faustus asked.

"No. I broke up with him a long time ago. I'm dating Justin now."

"Who?"

"Some Hufflepuff sixth-year," Fraser told him. "She's only dating him because Ginny's dating Dean."

"I am not, Fraser!" Evelyn denied, sounding more and more upset. "I actually really like him, all right?"

"If by 'him' you mean Dean, yeah, I know."

"Okay, let's not accuse people of liking their best friends' boyfriends," Olivia said, wanting to stop this argument before someone ended up hurt. "That could cause problems, you know."

"That's what I've been saying," Duncan said with the air of having listened to this same argument too many times to count.

"I don't see why," Fraser said. "She had him first and Ginny knows that."

"I have never 'had' Dean!" Evelyn countered.

"Oh, yeah? What was the Yule Ball, then? Just a nice friendly outing?"

"Yes!"

"People go to dances as friends, you know. It's not unheard of," Faustus said. "Ro and I went to the Yule Ball as friends and we just went to Slughorn's Christmas party as friends. We had quite a nice time on both occasions, actually."

Fraser laughed. "Oh, yeah," he said, "'as friends' my arse."

"Excuse me?"

"At least we're not chasing after a Slytherin girl that hates us," Evelyn said to Fraser.

"She doesn't hate me!" Fraser said. "She's just too proud to admit she fancies me."