Author's Note: Could this be? Another update? In such a short time? Yes, and I'm more than delighted to post this chapter. This will be one of my favorites, but I don't know if it'll be yours (I hope it will). Enjoy and review (please)!
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Chapter 5
Zabrina sat on her usual seat and finished up her homework. Blaise and Malfoy came into the room, along with Malfoy's two blockheads. Zabrina took out her Transfiguration textbook and began to scan the words. They sat on the couch in front of Zabrina.
"What are you going to do on Christmas Break?" Blaise asked.
"I'm going back home. My family and I are probably going to-"
"I didn't ask you Draco. I asked Zabrina."
Draco crumpled his face and glared at Blaise.
"I would like to hear Draco's story. Go on." Zabrina went back to her book.
Draco smirked and continued his story. "We're thinking about going to Paris this year. Father owns a place there."
"What about you Zabrina?" Blaise ignored Malfoy's story and kept his attention on Zabrina.
"I'm probably going home as well."
"What will you do there?" Blaise was more interested in Zabrina's story than all of Draco's put together. Draco kept glaring at Blaise, then Zabrina, then back at Blaise.
"I'll spend it with my Dad." Zabrina smiled to herself as she thought about last Christmas, and the one before that, and the one before that, and all the way until she could remember. They always spent Christmas the same way, like a tradition. She found herself smiling, and buried her nose in her textbook.
"How about you?" Zabrina asked Blaise.
Blaise shrugged. "We barely do anything for Christmas. Father's out, and so is Mum. They do leave a decent gift on the kitchen table, but that's it."
"At least you get a gift," Zabrina felt like she should comfort him.
Not spending Christmas with her Dad would be something unbearable for her. She could feel his excitement to spend Christmas together through his letters.
"You don't get anything for Christmas?" the shocked look on Draco's face was priceless.
"I don't want my dad to waste money." Zabrina shrugged. It was the heart that mattered, and she knew her dad was having problems since she was eight.
Blaise and Draco both seemed speechless. They didn't expect that answer from her, especially Draco. He already made up seven jokes to throw at her, but now was not the time. She seemed so…poor. He felt sorry for her.
Zabrina stared at them for a minute, memorizing their "thinking faces". She knew they felt some sort of pity for her, because Draco looked like he was going to cry any moment.
"I don't mind though," she said "I don't want one anyways."
The two kept staring at her.
"Will you please stop? It's not a big deal." Zabrina packed her bag and marched to her room.
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Zabrina spent her Christmas break just like she did every year. Her dad set up the tree, and looked for the decorations. They were always in the same place, under the couch, but he always forgets. While he was desperately searching for that box, Zabrina was filling two large mugs with her world-famous hot cocoa. She added two marshmallows, some whip cream, and sprinkled cocoa powder on top. She sprinkled her dad's with coffee, just the way he liked it.
She set the drinks on living room table to cool as Lupin finally found the decorations. He placed them beside the tree and opened the box. Zabrina walked up and started decorating next to her dad. She hung the crystal balls as Lupin twirled the lights around the tree. Finally, Lupin lifted her off her feet and she placed the golden star on the top of the tree. He admired it for a moment and reached for his hot cocoa. He took a sip and closed his eyes. Zabrina did the same.
After they finished their drinks, they went to the kitchen to start baking. Lupin always got flour all over the place whenever he tried to pour it into the bowl. Zabrina added all the dry ingredients, then the wet ones. They stirred together, and laughed as they smeared flour on each other's face. After they finished stirring, Zabrina neatly spread the cookie dough, and they cut out all different kinds of shapes with a cookie cutter. There were triangles, circles, butterflies, dinosaurs, hats, monkeys, lions, hearts, stars, and a dozen more. They always made too much, just so they could try all the shapes and make a gingerbread house. Zabrina carefully placed them on a tray, and Lupin put them in the oven. Zabrina reached for another bowl and made the frosting. She placed all the ingredients in order: frosting, sprinkles, white, milk, and dark chocolate chips, cereal, all sorts of nuts, powdered sugar, and ten different types of candy. Then she would join her dad and sit in front of the oven, and watch the cookies bake. Finally, when it's all cooked, Lupin took them out of the oven and put in another batch, this one for the gingerbread house. She decorated half of already-baked cookies, and Lupin the other half. She even made one look like the Slytherin crest, and made one like Gryffindor for her dad. By the time she was finishing the last cookie, Lupin gently placed parts of the gingerbread house on a cooling tray. This was her favorite part of the evening. Zabrina glued the walls, roof, grounds, and chimney together with frosting and Lupin would hold the house together. Then she drew the door, and covered the whole house with frosting. Lupin colored the roof with sprinkles and crushed mint candy, while Zabrina glued the jellybean doorknob in place. They decorated the rest of the walls and grounds with the toppings of their choice.
Then Lupin sat on the couch and placed two glasses of milk and a plate full of the cookies they just made. Lupin told her about his years at Hogwarts where he met three amazing friends: James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. They called themselves the Mauderers and did all sorts of crazy things: invent a map, steal food from the kitchens, play Quidditch, copy each other's homework, and more. They helped her dad during his transformation by training themselves to be able to change into animals. James was a stag, Sirius a dog, and Peter a rat. They nicknamed themselves based of their animal forms: Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongs. Zabrina couldn't ignore her dad's sorrow when he mentioned Prongs, James Potter. He died while protecting his family, Lily Potter and Harry Potter. She hugged him.
"Merry Christmas Zabrina" Lupin stroked her hair.
"Merry Christmas Dad" and kissed him on the cheek.