Happy freaking Christmas Minerva thought, sitting bored in an arm chair in the corner of her living room. She hated going home for Christmas holidays. Her parents, both Gryffindors when they had attended Hogwarts, doted on Sophie. She had been sorted into Gryffindor, was a chaser on her house Quidditch team, made great grades and never got into trouble. Minerva never seemed to be able to do anything right. She was a Slytherin, a horrible flyer, struggled in classes and lost more points for her house in one year than Sophie had her entire Hogwarts career.
Her parents seemed to tolerate her at best. Sometimes not even that as they threatened to take away her wand and send her to a muggle boarding school if she couldn't behave at Hogwarts. Despite all of that Minerva had a soft spot for her little brother Tennessee. She couldn't help but smile as she watched him grinning from ear to ear after opening a Christmas present. It was new drawing set with every color you could imagine. Her Mum, Dad, Sophie and Tenn all sat together, laughing and talking with one another, not even noticing that Minerva wasn't part of their celebrations.
Minerva's smile fell. Even though Tenn was adopted, he fit in with her family better than Minerva herself did. He was good at drawing like Sophie and their parents. He wasn't sorted into Gryffindor, he was a first year student and a Hufflepuff. He was adopted though, so he had an excuse for not being a Gryffindor and besides, Hufflepuff was more acceptable than Slytherin anyway.
Minerva stood up stretching, "I'll be in my room if anyone needs me." She said, waiting for a response, when after a few seconds she received none she turned and took the staircase up to the bedroom she shared with Sophie. No one came up to check on her. No one wondered where she had gone. It was Christmas day and she would spend it alone, just like she had spent the majority of the holiday.
She and Sophie may have shared a room, but they each had their own closet. Minerva walked into hers,and moved over a rack of clothing to reveal a cauldron that was previously hidden from sight. Inside the cauldron brewed a thick, dark and murky, bubbling liquid.
"Perfect." Minerva mumbled to herself, peeking at the potion but not touching it. It was incredibly tricky to brew and she didn't want to start it over. She had begun brewing it at school. It was no easy task to transfer to her home but she had managed and it would be done by the end of the holiday. She would be ready to enact her plan. Luckily it was her who needed to drink the potion this time because she was fairly certain that Clementine would never eat anything she offered her ever again. Rightly so, Minerva thought to herself, smirking at the image of Clementine tramping across all the tables in the great hall to get to her.
The clothes were pushed back into place, the potion hidden once more. Minerva shut her closet door and flopped onto her bed. She had always had vivid dreams. She didn't know if it was a magical ability or simply something she was born with but she had always looked forward to going to sleep. Her dreams were so realistic that when she was young she would wake and up tell her parents thank you for taking her to the carnival or wherever else she had dreamt about going.
Overly realistic dreams had a down side too though. She remembered waking up one time and crying because the kitten she had gotten in her dream was no longer around. She hadn't been dreaming about kittens or even carnivals lately though. No, most of her dreams seemed to revolve around a certain Gryffindor brunette and the more time that passed, the more intense they became.
Minerva sighed as she stared up at her bedroom ceiling. The love potion she had given to the Gryffindor in jest was now ruining her life. She had attempted to get Violet out of the picture, to win Clementine over with friendship, she had tried to just forget about the Gryffindor girl but everything she had tried failed.
It felt almost as if Clementine had given her the love potion instead... This infatuation she had made no sense... It was like when you get a bad song stuck in your head and the only way to get it out is to listen to it again. If she could get one more kiss from the dark skinned girl she believed she could get her out of her head. It wasn't like she wanted to actually have a relationship with her. The idea was absurd, Minerva just needed one more kiss and then she could forget any of this had ever happened. She could get Clementine out of her mind and out of her dreams.
The problem was that Clementine only had eyes for Violet. Since nothing else had worked, if Minerva wanted to get these dreams out of her head, she needed to become Violet. That was what she needed her potion for, it was polyjuice potion. All she needed was a hair from Violet's head, she'd stick it in the potion, drink it and she would become Violet. Clementine would think that Minerva was her blonde headed girlfriend, Minerva would get her kiss and then she could finally get that arrogant, loud, obnoxious, intoxicating, attractive, Gryffindor out of her head. For good this time and no one would even know that she had kissed her. It was a perfect plan.
Minerva closed her eyes, seeing Clementine's supple lips coming towards her own. They parted slightly before they made contact. Minerva sighed at the thought. Her insides warming at the mental image. A kiss would be enough to break whatever spell she had on her... it had to be.
Violet sat on a thick blanket on the bank of her back yard, her mother sitting right next to her. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground but the sun was shining bright. It had been a great Christmas so far. Her family had been pleasant. Breakfast had been delicious and Clementine had been so surprised when Violet had handed her a present.
"Happy Christmas!" Violet grinned at Clementine the second she noticed the brunettes eyes flutter open. Violet was laying beside her on the couch, the two of them wrapped around one another, covered in a cozy blanket. A fire crackled in the nearby hearth, providing light and warmth to the room.
"Happy Christmas." Clementine smiled sleepily back. "Not that I'm complaining, but shouldn't you be on the other end of the couch?" She raised her eyebrows in question.
"It's Christmas, Mum won't yell at me on Christmas..." Violet assured, snuggling deeper into the blankets, "Besides, I'll just say I was trying to calm you down from a nightmare if she does." Violet pressed a quick kiss to Clementine's forehead.
"Sounds good enough to me." Clementine tightened her arms around Violet, pulling her further into her chest. Just as Clementine closed her eyes again, sleepiness dragging her eyelids down like a weight, the creaking of floorboards on the second story landing alerted them to another presence.
Despite Violet's brave talk, she slid out from under the blanket and sat on the floor beside the couch faster than the speed of light. "I thought you were just calming me down?" Clementine chuckled playfully as Violet shot her a glare.
After a seconds in silence, waiting for someone to start coming down the stairs they heard the squeak of hinge and the bathroom door closing. Violet let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Before everyone comes down here..." Violet started, getting up from the ground. She grabbed a long package from underneath the Christmas tree and walked back to her girlfriend, holding it out in front of her.
Clementine smiled at the present, sitting up on the couch, pushing the blankets away, she took the box into her hands. "Vi... you didn't have to do this..."
"I wanted to." Violet smiled excitedly, watching as Clementine eagerly tore the wrappings, not even waiting for Violet to give her the go ahead. Clementine's eyes widened when she saw what way lying inside the box, a brand new broomstick. The latest model of the Shooting Star series of racing brooms. "Now you don't have to pretend like you have the greatest broom ever made, you'll really have it."
"Violet... this must have cost a fortune... I can't accept this..." Clementine closed the box, not even daring to touch it, afraid that Violet might not be able to return it if she did.
"I'm not returning it." Violet insisted, pulling open the box and wrapping her hand around the handle. Clementine cringed as Violet took it out. She pushed it into Clementine's nervous hands.
"Are you sure?" Clementine asked, holding the broom as if it were made of glass. "I'll put it back..." Clementine started to put the broom up but Violet stopped her.
"Keep it, please. Just promise me that you'll give me a ride on it?" Violet smiled shyly, leaning in to brush her lips against Clementine's cheek.
Clementine leaned into it, still in awe of the gift she held in her hands, "Of course I will, thank you, thank you so much!"
Violet twiddled the locket around in her fingers as she watched Clementine, Jaime, Jane and Luke flying across the yard, playing a small game of 2v2 quidditch. Clementine and Jaime were on one team and Luke and Jane were on the other. They had makeshift goals on either end of the field. As they flew back and forth they passed it to their teammate in an attempt to score a goal.
Violet smiled at how quickly Clementine zipped up and down the field, her new broom outpacing all the others. Her face concentrated on the game but carefree at the same time. Violet watched as she scored a goal, high fiving Jaime before throwing her hands in the air in celebration. Violet screamed loudly for her girlfriend, drawing her eye and a smile that made her want to melt. It was that self-assured smile that Violet had first fell in love with.
"That's new." Marissa said, tapping the locket around Violet's neck.
Violet's cheeks burned red, "Um, yeah... Clem gave it to me for Christmas."
"That's a thoughtful gift." Marissa said, still watching as the others played their game. "She seems like a nice girl, I like her."
"I'm glad. I like her too." Violet watched as Clementine grabbed the ball that they were using instead of a quaffle right out of the air in front of Jane. Jane yelled something angrily at Luke for the 'bad pass' as he shrugged good naturally. Clementine passed the ball off to Jaime who scored another goal. Violet clapped loudly for her girlfriend's team.
"Would you say that you love her?" Marissa said, watching her daughter intently now for a reaction.
Violet didn't disappoint. Her eyes widened considerably, her red cheeks glowed even brighter, her breath caught in her throat and the fingers she had been using to play with the locket froze in the air. "I mean... um..." Violet tugged at the neck of her jumper as if it were suddenly too hot, she wasn't prepared for a question like that.
"I see..." Marissa smiled knowingly, "Have you told her?"
"Yes..." Violet mumbled, staring at the ground. Marissa put her arm around Violet's shoulders, hugging her into her side, she kissed the top of her head.
"My girl," Marissa sighed, "you are growing up too fast."
"I'm graduating this year mum." Violet looked back up just in time to catch Clementine waving at her enthusiastically before blowing her a kiss. Violet reddened even more if it was possible and waved shyly back, knowing that her mum was watching her closely.
"I know, that's part of what I mean," Marissa explained, "My baby girl is almost graduated from school, you're falling in love, getting a job soon and moving out. It's all happening so fast..."
Violet hugged her mum around the middle, leaning her face onto her shoulder. "I've got half the school year left still and it's not like I have a job offer or anything yet." They sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts as they watched the four continuing to pay their game. Marissa rubbed her hand up and down Violet's arm distractedly, trying to keep her daughter warm and just enjoying having her so close.
"Are you happy?" Marissa asked out of no where. Violet was slightly taken back by the abrupt question but answered honestly.
"It's been a long school year... Clementine charged into my life full speed and brimming with energy, so full of positivity despite everything she'd been through. I told you she was an orphan right?" Violet spoke to her mother, not whispering but softer than her normal speaking voice. Marissa nodded and Violet continued, "She's been through a lot but she was still so happy and carefree and then horrible thing after horrible thing kept happening to her... it beat her down and I was scared and worried for her for a long time... but being here for break has been really good for her. She's acting more and more like herself everyday. Sorry I was just rambling on... All of that was to say that yes... I'm happy. I thought I was happy before I met her but now I know that I am. Even with how crazy things have been, I'm still happier with her than without."
Marissa smiled to herself as she placed another kiss on the top of her daughter's head.
"I love you Violet."
"I love you Mum." Violet said as Marissa lightly stroked Violet's hair, continuing to watch everyone play until they tiredly landed back on the snowy grass.
"I'm going to fix everyone some hot cocoa." Marissa said, patting Violet on the shoulder as she got up and went back inside the house.
Violet stood to greet Clementine as she approached. Clementine ran up to Violet, setting her broom on the blanket, she wrapped her arms around the blonde. She hugged her tight, picked her up and spun her around. "We won!" Clementine grinned happily. Violet giggled into Clementine's hair.
"I knew you would." Violet said as Jaime, Jane and Luke filed past, heading into the house. Not even caring as Jane smirked as she passed. As soon as the others went inside Clementine nuzzled her freezing cold nose into Violet's neck.
Violet squealed as she pushed Clementine away, "Your face is freezing."
"You should feel my hands!" Clementine grinned evilly as she slid her hands up the inside back of Violet's jumper.
Violet squeaked as Clementine's cold hands made contact with her warm lower back. She shrank away from the Gryffindor, pulling out of her arms. "Clem!"
"Sorry Vi..." Clementine chuckled, removing her hands, putting them on the outside of Violet's jumper and pulling her back into an embrace. "You just looked so warm and I'm so cold."
Violet rubbed her hands up and down Clementine's back, "Let's go in. Mum's making cocoa." Violet moved away, clasping her hand in Clementine's but Clementine pulled Violet back into her chest.
"Wait, I owe you a broom ride." Clementine whispered against Violet's ear.
"Now?" Violet asked incredulously, holding Clementine's cold face in her hands, "We should go in and warm up first, you're freezing."
"A short ride first?" Clementine pouted, reaching down and grabbing onto her broomstick, "You can wrap your arms around me to keep me warm?"
"Just a short ride..." Violet agreed. Clementine had already mounted the broom before Violet had finished her sentence. Violet rolled her eyes before climbing on behind Clementine, hugging onto her girlfriend tight, squeezing her eyes closed as Clementine kicked off the ground and flew towards the stars.