Chapter ten –Snow fights
"Eet was a good match!" Marie' said to Ruby as the pair of them sat together in an out of the way passage, it was now too cold to be outside after dark.
"James was amazing." Ruby agreed and Marie' snorted.
"You're just in love with 'im, even if ee 'ad played 'opelessly you would say zhat."
"He did not play hopelessly!"
"I didn't say that. James played well, ee iz a good player in general." Marie' said mildly and Ruby shook her head.
"You are really annoying you know that?" Marie' just laughed and Ruby gave her a suspicious look.
"You actually enjoy annoying people don't you? Don't you?" She demanded and Marie' looked at Ruby her eyes wide in contrived innocence.
"What a thing to say! I would never do zhat!" She said in mock hurt.
"Your impossible."
"Probably." Marie' agreed. "But anyway, 'ow are you and James going? Iz ee worth eet?"
"He's wonderful, I never expected him to be so – so well romantic really."
"Romantic? I never would have guessed zhat!" Marie' said with some surprise and Ruby could clearly see her friend was amused.
"You think its stupid to be in relationship like I am with James?" She asked.
"Stupid? 'Ardly if you and James pay attention to each other you could very well end up married. We European wizards tend to marry our 'ighschool sweet'earts."
The idea of marrying James appealed to Ruby immensely and too her shock she giggled at the thought.
"Ah, you want to marry James now don't you?" Marie' said looking only more amused.
"I never imagined the possibility, but it would be nice I guess." Ruby admitted feeling heavily embarrassed. "So why the amusement then?" She added hastily trying to move the conversation away from James' romantic gestures some of which would be alright to share with someone like Delilah but she hadn't shared with Marie' or Louis because they simply wouldn't understand.
Marie' wasn't fooled but let the subject change without comment.
"People in love are funny, or boring. Lucky for me you are za funny kind."
"Gee thanks." Ruby said drily and Marie' laughed.
"Welcome you are."
Ruby frowned for a second at the odd placement of the words but shrugged. Marie' did that sometimes, put her words in an order that made sense but sounded well foreign.
"So have you seen anyone worth a relationship with?" She asked Marie' in curiosity and Marie' just shrugged.
"I am not being a relationship type of person. My record for seeing one-person alone iz only two months. You and James 'ave nearly outstripped it already." However something about the way Marie' side-stepped the question left Ruby with the distinct impression that Marie' did have her eye on someone.
"Who?" She demanded instantly and Marie' gave her a "what are you on about?" look.
"What are you meaning who?" She demanded and Ruby sighed.
"Who do you like?"
"I am not liking anyone. Why do you ask?" Marie' looked perplexed.
"Oh, I thought – well the way you said it – never mind." Ruby said regretfully deciding that her friend didn't like anyone, which was highly disappointing.
"We 'ave to arrange our Christmas plans soon." Marie' commented suddenly and Ruby felt a rush of excitement she loved Christmas.
"When will it snow?" Ruby asked having never seen it before.
"All too soon, eet will be 'ideous, wet, cold, dirty. I am thinking we will not 'ave a minute of peace once eet starts and we'll 'ave to fight to get a good hill to sled down." Marie' shivered in distaste.
"You don't like snow?" Ruby demanded feeling a little crestfallen.
"Eet's alright, at first but when eet starts to melt – lets talk about something else shall we?"
Marie's prediction turned out to be correct. Only two days after that conversation the castle's inhabitants woke up to grounds covered in thick white snow.
"Yes!" Came a squeal -waking Ruby up from a lovely dream about lying on a warm beach with James.
Ruby sat up to look at Clare who was jumping up and down with delight, Lilah caught Ruby's gaze and rolled her eyes so that Ruby had to stifle a giggle.
"What's so special Clare?" Kara demanded getting out of bed and walking – well prancing – to the window swinging her hips, her nose thrust in the air.
Lilah snorted loudly at the sight of Kara's "walk" and Ruby had to shove her fist in her mouth because she was laughing so hard. Kara was a complete and utter moron.
"It's snowing!" Clare said pointing and Kara laughed excitedly.
"Yay!" She said clapping her hands together.
Oh Merlin, that girl is such a moron.
"Well finally its been trying to snow for weeks." Delilah commented pulling herself out of bed. Ruby followed her example and the pair of them began to get dressed when Clare moaned suddenly.
"What?" Delilah demanded looking irritated.
"I just realised – we have Herbology first period." Clare said and Kara sighed.
"It's going to be a hideous walk."
Ruby on the other hand grinned. She wouldn't have to wait to play in the snow! She hurried herself trying to get dressed faster.
"Why the hurry?" Delilah demanded as the two of them finally dressed headed down the staircase for the Great Hall.
"I really want to go out into the snow." Ruby told her excitedly.
"Want too?" Asked Louis' voice behind her and Ruby turned to grin at him and Freddy.
"Yeah! Don't you?"
"Ruby you hate the cold. Do you have any idea how horribly cold and icy morning snow is?" Freddy asked her.
"No. I thought all snow was the same." Ruby answered in confusion.
Louis gave her a look.
"Really? You thought all snow was the same? You act like you've never seen snow." He said shaking his head.
"I haven't ever seen snow." They all turned to stare at her.
"You haven't?" Delilah asked looking stupefied.
"It doesn't snow in many places in Australia." Ruby explained but they still looked shell-shocked.
"That is so weird." Freddy said then his grin suddenly became wicked. "But that means she's never been –"
Delilah and Louis' eyes suddenly came alight.
"We'll just have to educate her then won't we?" Louis said with an evil grin and at that moment James, Nate and Chase caught up with them.
"Hey! If anyone's educating my girlfriend, it will be me." James protested taking Ruby's hand absently.
"Educating her in what?" Asked Nate grinning.
"I'm pretty sure they've already got the facts of life pretty straight." Chase commented and everyone even Ruby and James laughed.
"Let's go to breakfast shall we?" Ruby asked pulling on James' hand. She really wanted to see that snow, no matter what Freddy or any of the others said.
"Alright, calm down woman." James said following her as she pulled him towards the Great Hall.
As Ruby stepped outside the castle doors she was hit by a crushing wave of cold that pushed her flat against the wall shivering. However even that was not enough to curb her enthusiasm. The grounds were covered in powdery white snow that made the ground icy and slick, the lake – what she could see of it – had frozen hard and smooth and Ruby remembered going to muggle skating rinks with Jeannie in the summer time.
"Can you skate on i-t-t-t?" She asked James who grinned as she forced out the words from between chattering teeth.
"Yeah, its great, I'll take you on the weekend if you want." James said enthusiastically and Ruby nodded excitedly, obviously James enjoyed skating.
"Oh but after your try out I guess." He added with a grin.
"T-ttry out?" Ruby asked completely forgetting she had promised to try out for Gryffindor's team.
"Quiddich try-out." He reminded her with a grin. "Not so fond of snow anymore are you?"
Ruby just shivered, she couldn't imagine how people managed to build ice castles and have snow ball fights out here. It was freezing.
Laughing James wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in towards him and too Ruby's surprise it wasn't an empty gesture. James was warm.
"You are warm." Ruby said into James shirt, now able to speak normally.
"Your welcome." He said as they arrived outside the greenhouses.
"Does it get warmer?" She asked as they waited for Neville.
"A little bit, enough that us European's can run around – so long as we're running – without a cloak, around lunch. So at least at lunchtime we can have a snowball fight, with a fire to warm ourselves up afterwards of course. Standard practice." James said just as Neville walked up the path.
"James, must you?" He asked as he saw how closely James held Ruby.
"Sorry Neville but Ruby can't talk straight on her own. Apparently this is her first time seeing snow." James said nonchalantly and Neville stared a little at Ruby.
"Seriously -?" He began to ask but luckily Freddy spoke up.
"Neville we're freezing out here!"
"Alright calm down Freddy." He said with a smile and let them all in to the blissfully warm greenhouse.
By the end of the day Ruby stood in awe of the average Englishman's ability to deal with cold. Lunchtime had been louder and more outside based then before. It had all started with one snowball. Thrown, of course, by Freddy.
Ruby had been sitting down when a cold, wet lump of mush hit the back of her dress.
"Ugh!" She said jumping up in horror and everyone laughed.
"Congratulations! You just got hit by your first snowball." Commented Louis and Ruby highly irritated drew her wand. None of them would know this spell, it was an Australian one used for scooping ice cream (because seriously who could get ice cream out of the tub when it was frozen solid?)
"Icemorphous!" She said and a perfect ball of snow rose up in the air, then with a flick of her wand she sent it directly into Louis' face. It all went chaotic from there.
So when they trekked into the common room after dinner everyone was wet, cold and had been hit and by several snowballs regardless of whether they went outside or not because now Ruby's spell ensured that all one needed was a wand.
"You should not have said that spell aloud." Delilah told Ruby as the pair of them tried to untangle their sodden hair.
"Wish I'd thought of that earlier. Might have had a little more entertainment out of the spell." Ruby admitted ruefully as she attacked a particularly savage knot with her brush.
"You would have given it to me right?" Delilah demanded but Ruby just laughed. They both knew perfectly well that Ruby wouldn't have.
"Have you done that stupid potions task? You know those questions, Professor Crofts will kill me if I don't have them in on time seeing as I didn't even do that last essay."
"Yeah I've done it. Do you want to copy?" Ruby offered holding out the parchment.
"Thanks, you're a lifesaver." Ruby frowned thinking on her homework.
"What the hell are we going to do for that Astronomy chart?"
"Go to Ravenclaw tower of course." Said Delilah frowning as she tried to decipher Ruby's tiny handwriting.
"The girls said never to ask them about Astronomy though." Ruby pointed out and Delilah looked up grinning.
"But Reid never said anything of the sort."
"I really need to meet this Reid guy."
"Yeah so you can help us convince Abbey that he's totally nuts for her – which I knew before I knew sheliked him." Delilah said with a smug grin.
"Why the sudden need to get them together? They'll figure it out themselves." Ruby asked and Delilah rolled her eyes.
"You might have a boyfriend but the rest of us poor single females actually need to plan ahead a little, Valentines Day is literally right around the corner."
"Its barely December!" Ruby burst out.
"December will be gone in a second. Once you get to January other girls start to look as well. Better to be safely dating early then all alone on the day."
"You think too much about that sort of thing." Ruby laughed flopping on her bed.
"Someone has too." She said with a huff.
The whole castle was buzzing with pre-Christmas excitement, added by the fact that another Hogsmeade weekend had been posted for the weekend before people started to head for home.
"We can get our Christmas presents there!" Louis said with a grin that quickly turned to a frown. "What the hell am I going to get Mamman'?" He muttered then got up and hurried over to the Ravenclaw table to talk to his little sister Dominique'.
"Well I know what I'm getting my Mum." James said.
"What?" Nate asked curiously.
"Honeydukes chocolate of course! She loves the ones which have soft centres that change from caramel to fudge."
"Well I have no idea what we should get Mum." Freddy commented to Chase and suddenly everyone was talking about their Mum's and how wonderful they were and what to get them.
Ruby felt a little left out. She wasn't close with her Mum and personally didn't think her Mum was that wonderful. She sighed a little sadly when she remembered Nadia. Nadia who had without fail done all the things that her friends Mum's seemed to do for them. Maybe she should get Nadia something nice, of course she would still get her Mum a present but that wasn't the point.
"You okay?" James asked, the only one that had noticed she was upset and Ruby smiled at him.
"I'm fine." She said and James gave her a measuring look before leaning in to kiss her lightly on the lips.
"Ugh! Snog alert!" Chase said loudly and fully half of Gryffindor table laughed.
"You guys are sickening!" Nate commented with a grin before returning to his conversation with Delilah on what to buy their parents.
"What should I get you for Christmas?" James wondered aloud, not really asking Ruby.
"Don't get me anything." She advised but James just rolled his eyes.
"Of course I'm going to get you something. Something pretty I think – like you, or maybe not because I won't be able to find anything that could even compare to how beautiful you are." He mused and Ruby felt her cheeks warm.
"Stop it James your making me blush like a little girl!"
Lily who happened to be sitting across from them gave Ruby a sweet little smile.
"What's wrong with little girls?" She demanded and Ruby laughed.
"I love your sister James. I love her!" She said and James smiled at her looking delighted.
"Isn't she just the best?"
"I think she is." Ruby agreed and if James grin had been happy it was nothing compared to the angelic smile that Lily gave Ruby as she basked in the attention.
"Its nice to be loved." She said sweetly and Ruby laughed again.
"She is so cute." She murmured to James as Lily flounced off.
"And completely on purpose." James added with his cute lopsided grin that made Ruby want to kiss him right there on the spot.
"Oh no! Evacuate I think they're going to snog again!" Was Freddy's loud comment so Ruby decided that while she wanted to "snog" James that perhaps she'd better not.
"Damn it Freddy don't do that!" James complained clearly able to tell that it was Freddy's fault Ruby had decided not to snog him.
"Just saying it like it is brother."
"I thought I was your brother!" Said Chase in a falsely offended tone and one of their famous "fights" broke out.
"YOUR NOT!" Freddy yelled
"I AM AND THERE"S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!" Chase yelled back and then to Ruby's surprise Roxy joined in the fray.
"WELL I'M YOUR SISTER! HA!" She yelled and several people laughed, Chase and Freddy however took it in stride not for a second dropping their "angry" expressions.
"NO YOUR NOT! I REFUSE TO BE THUS INSULTED!" Freddy practically roared and then stormed out of the Hall to standing ovation - although the teachers clapped sitting down, for dignities sake.
"What are you going to get James?" Abbey asked as the five of them walked together through Hogsmeade it had taken a while to get Ruby away from James but they had finally managed it when they had pointed out she needed to get him a gift.
"I have no idea." Ruby admitted ruefully.
"Ee likes Quiddich." Marie put in as a "helpful" comment.
"Oh thanks Marie' never would have guessed."
"You are a bit stupid zhen." Marie' said pretending not to hear the sarcasm and Wendy snorted with laughter.
"Alright guys, we have a limited time before the boys come back!" Delilah reminded them and they all thought for a moment.
"Hey what are you getting Nate?" Ruby asked after all Nate and Delilah were twins.
"I'm going shares with Mum and Dad on this really cool metamorphous thing, its pretty expensive but Nate can use it to change his appearance." Delilah replied with a grin.
"Fuck that is cool!" Wendy exclaimed and they all looked at her, Wendy never swore.
"What? Its cool." She said defensively and they laughed.
"But zhat still leaves us with maybe 'alf an 'our before James begins to miss Ruby and no ideas for a present." Marie' reminded them.
"Get him something for him broomstick! He already has a good broom and he has the robes and stuff but anything for his broom will be loved." Abbey said suddenly.
"A servicing kit?" Wendy suggested but Delilah shook her head.
"He has one of those."
Ruby thought hard for a moment.
"Lets just go to the Quality Quiddich Supplies and have a look shall we?" She suggested and the other girl nodded their agreement that this was a good idea and they headed off quickly into the warm shop.
Quality Quiddich Supplies was packed full of people jostling about looking for Christmas gifts. Ruby looked on the walls, mostly packed with robes and broomsticks, none of those would do, James already had them. They kept looking but finally Ruby gave up.
"What doesn't that boy have?" She demanded as they walked down the Hogsmeade main street when she saw it. In the window of the pet shop and it was perfect.
"An owl." She whispered and the other girls looked at her in amazement.
"You're going to get James an owl?"Delilah demanded.
"It's perfect." Marie' said in approval exchanging a grin with Ruby.
"Only one problem. How are you going to get it too him and hide it before then?" Abbey asked pointedly as they walked into the pet shop. But that wasn't important, what was important was that James would love an owl.
"Thanks Marie' you are truly the best." She thanked her friend as Marie' headed back to the castle with James' owl.
"What are friends for? I 'ave to ensure my investment in zis romance iz kept up."
"Investment?"
"I still intend to steal Lily." Marie' informed Ruby who laughed.
"Good luck with that." Ruby said as Marie' disappeared from view.
"Thanks, I might need eet."
Ruby smiled as she walked back into Hogsmeade. She would have to get Marie' a really good Christmas present. Luckily she already had a gorgeous necklace from Marie's favourite little shop in mind.
"Ruby!" James' call came to her as she entered the three broomsticks.
"James!" She greeted him enthusiastically hugging here.
"If you're going to snog then leave." Louis said looking disgusted.
"Fine, we will." James countered leading Ruby by the hand back into the bitter cold.
"I hope you have somewhere else for us to go." Ruby said as James pulled her closely to him to protect her from the cold.
"Don't worry Rubes. Of course I do." And with a smile he led her by the hand out of Hogsmeade altogether.
"Somewhere inside?" Ruby pressed but James just chuckled.
"Naturally."
Finally the path James took them to ended at a huge black stone.
"A stone? That doesn't count as inside James." Ruby protested but James pulled out his wand and Ruby instantly knew, it was a secret room of some sort.
"Revealium!" He said loudly tapping the rock and as was expected a thin door opened up.
"Just for us." James said leading Ruby by the hand. Once inside Ruby could see it was a chamber like that under the statue of Horace the Foolish, apparently pointless, and constantly lit by candles.
"I wonder who built these rooms?" She mused aloud and James shrugged.
"Some party fanatic I've no doubt. But we can put them too much better use. I'd like to get our goodbyes done today, because tomorrow we'll be on the train and constantly surrounded." James hint wasn't missed by Ruby and smiling she held her arms out to him.
"Pick me up." She commanded him and James obliged picking her up and putting her on one of the stone benches that were scattered about the room. Then his lips were on hers warm and inviting, Ruby let her hands slide down his back to crush him closer to her. All she wanted was for James to hold her tighter and James was more than willing.
He deepened the kiss and Ruby felt the ground hit her side and realised they'd rolled off the bench, but that wasn't important now. All that was important was James' hands moving under her shirt, making her skin tingle with every touch.
"Merry Christmas Ruby." He said into her mouth as they kissed and Ruby smiled.
"Merry Christmas James."