"All Thanks to Letters"

It wasn't until I was halfway there that I realized that leaving wasn't a good idea. In my defense, it didn't look like it was snowing that hard from the library.

I could just blame Charlie.

If my brother hadn't sent me that letter, I wouldn't have had to respond to him! I could've gotten to the library on time, and to Hogsmeade a lot faster.

However, that letter was important. In the next couple days, I have to decide if I stay here or go home for Christmas. I was initially planning to go home, but then Charlie's letter came. He warned me that Great-grandmother Edith will be at our home for Christmas this year. Most people enjoy having their grandmothers and great-grandmothers come round for Christmas. Most people don't have Great-grandmother Edith. She's the type of woman that believes that all girls should wear pink frocks and all boys should have hair shorter than their ears. She's the type of woman that feels the need to approve or disapprove of a child's name. Especially if that child is in our family. She's the reason my name is Laura- because she disapproved of any other ideas that my parents had.

So, knowing that she wasn't dead yet and was going to my house for Christmas, meant that I was staying at Hogwarts.

After replying to Charlie, I headed to the library. Professor Sinistra, who began teaching during my fourth year, was known for coming up with interesting essay topics (her predecessor, Professor Leran, was known for coming up with horrible ones). Today, however, I didn't feel like writing about the full moon and its environmental impacts. So I gave it up as a "Sunday essay," as Sirius Black would say (meaning, procrastinate until eight hours before it was due), and headed for Hogsmeade.

That was a stupid idea.

My brunette hair flew everywhere and pieces stuck to my freezing, wet face. Snow flew everywhere and it was hard to make out five metres in front of me.

I soldiered on. I was probably a little more than halfway to Hogsmeade, and since the wind and snow both blew vertically, it didn't matter which direction I went. I might as well make the trip worth it and get some hot chocolate from Honeydukes.

I walked on for another five minutes before I veered too far to the right and sank my foot in a snow bank. It was cold and as I tried to unstick myself, I could feel my trainer absorbing wetness. I moaned. Getting frostbite was not on my list of things to do today.

"Are you all right?" A male's voice called from behind me. I turned to see a tall bloke with a shock of ginger hair staring at me.

"Yeah," I replied and heaved my foot out of the snow.

The bloke, I realized, was a Ravenclaw in my year. He was staring at me too, recognition, but not quite identity, in his eyes.

"I'm David Lewis," He yelled over the wind. "You're a Gryffindor!"

"Yes. My name is Laura. Laura Adley," I responded. "You're a Ravenclaw."

He nodded, squinting at me due to the flying bits of frigid white.

"Hogsmeade's not that far," He shouted. "We're close."

I nodded and took a step, only to find my foot sink in again, this time to my knee.

"Here!" David called and grabbed my hand. My stomach clenched as he hauled me to the trampled snow path.

"We need to hurry," And I hoped to Merlin that he took my stuttering as a result of the chilly wind, not the fact that he still had my hand. "The path is getting deeper!"

He nodded and we started stumbling towards Hogsmeade.

"We're idiots," He told me after a couple minutes.

"Says the Ravenclaw," I snapped, irritated by his use of the plural.

David grinned. "And to think all I want to do is send a parcel. I should've waited until term ends and send it when I get home."

"Why don't you use a school owl?" I asked curiously. Surely that would work fine, I thought.

"International," he replied. "My sister's in Japan for her job. I wanted to send Dorrie her present on time."

David and his sister Dorrie. David and Dorrie Lewis. I bet his older sister is Dorothy Lewis, a Gryffindor who left school when we were second years.

"Better reason than mine!" I told him. "I'm just procrastinating. I don't want to do my astronomy essay," I admitted.

It felt weird admitting this to a Ravenclaw. Cathy always jokes that they have a bloody perfect work ethic.

"But what would you know?" I muttered under my breath to an invisible and completely imaginary Cathy. "You dated a Hufflepuff."

"What was that?' David asked.

"Nothing!" I replied, feeling blood rush to my cheeks. Good thing they're probably already red.

"Anyway, I know about that essay. I saw Lupin writing it in the library yesterday," David continued.

Ah. Remus Lupin. Gryffindor's resident male "should've been a Ravenclaw" as Marlene McKinnon used to say.

"Mmm," I grunted noncommittally. I nodded at the parcel in his hand. "I should send my brother and parents one too. I...I'm not going home for Christmas."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because of my Great-grandmother Edith."

I launched into my tirade about her and told David more than I probably should. It felt nice, though, to let it out. I never realized how angry and annoyed I was.

By the time we reached Hogsmeade's High Street, we were both soaked to the skin. We walked up to the Post Office and opened the door. Immediately, warmth welcomed us as we stepped in. The owls looked at us on their high wooden perches and a couple young children sitting on high backed chairs in the corner laughed at our joyful expressions.

David grinned, looked at me, and held up the parcel. "Dorrie better be grateful for this."

I laughed and he joined me.

He began to walk towards the clerk and I let my thoughts wander to Honeydukes. I had just decided to stay here a little bit longer to warm up when David turned around.

"Hey Laura," He suddenly sounded nervous. "Do you want to get a drink at the Three Broomsticks with me?"

I stared for a second as his question filtered through my defrosting brain.

"Sure," I told him and smiled.

He smiled back.