stardust ⋮ george weasley

ten :

T E N

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Christmas at Hogwarts was truly a sight to behold.

While Adeline was among the few to stay at the castle that year, it didn't stop the professors from decorating the castle from head to toe. It seemed as if everywhere she turned, she saw one of the giant Christmas trees or a hall filled with enchanted golden tinsel. Even Peeves had gotten into the holiday spirit, randomly appearing in the halls to loudly – and horribly – sing inappropriate Christmas tunes and hold mistletoe over unsuspecting pairs of students. Adeline had been one of the victims when out on prefect patrol one night, and she ended up running in the opposite direction when Roger Davies started leaning in.

Normally, Adeline spent her Christmas holidays with Estelle. But with her going to France to spend it with her extended family, Adeline knew she couldn't go along. And with both Melanie's and Ophelia's homes apparently being packed to brim with family members, Adeline wasn't able to stay with them.

But despite their protests on how she couldn't spend Christmas alone, Adeline insisted that she would be perfectly content spending her holidays at Hogwarts. And she wasn't lying. Adeline wanted them to get to spend time with their families because she knew how much they meant to her friends. Plus she liked the quieter castle anyways. It gave her the opportunity to catch up on her studies and explore the grounds without any interruptions.

Every single Ravenclaw besides Adeline had left for the holidays, which left her alone in the dormitory Christmas morning. She opened up the presents her friends had left behind for her, charmed her hair ribbons so they were red and green, ate Christmas breakfast in the Great Hall, and then retreated the Common Room once more and spent the day by the fire reading the book Melanie had gifted her.

With there being less students than usual this year, the professors decided to make the Christmas feast a little more intimate. They pushed all the tables together, so Adeline found herself sitting next to Professor Flitwick. Adeline laughed loudly when she pulled a holiday cracker apart with him and the force of explosion – along with all the mead Professor Flitwick had drunk before – caused him to go flying backwards.

Adeline spent most of the dinner relatively quiet with a paper crown that changed colors every few seconds sitting lopsided on her head. Even with there being less people to feed, the Christmas feast was just as grand. The table was piled high with roasted beef, peas, gravy, cranberry sauce, and even flaming Christmas pudding for dessert. George and Fred spent most of the dinner cracking jokes that made even Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall chuckle, so she ended up sitting back and just laughing at their antics.

As she ate, Adeline couldn't help but stare in wonder at the decorations surrounding her. Even after five years at Hogwarts, the magic of the place never ceased to amaze her.

"Have your Christmas holidays been good?"

Adeline looked over in surprise at Ginny, who had been sitting next to her for the feast but spent most of it engaged in a conversation with Hermione Granger. She nodded and smiled softly. "It's been quiet but good. I spent most of today reading in the common room."

"Are there any other Ravenclaws here for the holidays?"

When she saw Adeline shaking her head, Ginny's mouth nearly dropped in surprise. "You spent Christmas alone?"

"It wasn't too bad. I don't entirely mind being alone," Adeline replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Plus, I'm not alone right now, am I?"

The two ended up talking for a while, as Hermione had begun talking with Harry and Ron. Adeline was glad to see Ginny in a happier state that the one she was in that afternoon in the library. The poor girl didn't deserve what happened to her last year in the slightest, and Adeline was relieved to see that Ginny seemed to be starting to heal.