The Twelve Days of Christmas

So sorry about not updating last night... Computer problems, among other things. I'll update with two chapters hopefully sometime this week, so don't worry. I'll make it up to you guys. :o) Christmas shopping today... It was fun. Driving as well, and I saw Harry Potter, the movie... *shakes head* Now that was a surprise.
Aimée



Chapter 3: Michael and Azrael



"Oy, gifts!"

Ron's yell woke Harry up the next morning, just as the clock next to his bed ticked over to nine. Harry sat up sleepily, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands before tumbling out of bed and making his way to where Ron was standing – next to a small pile of presents, bearing the names of each Gryffindor Seventh Year male in the dorm.

"Gwha? Gifts, already?" Seamus was sitting up, already throwing his feet over the edge of his bed. "For all of us?"

Ron nodded, digging into the pile to find his own; once he had found the small red package, Harry took the top parcel, which bore his name in scarlet block letters in a hand he didn't recognize.

"It looks like a girl's handwriting," Ron commented, looking over his shoulder. "Maybe Hermione has you?"

"Then that would be no fun," said Harry, shaking the parcel slightly, trying to guess what was inside of it before he opened it. "It's clothing though."

"Clothing?" Seamus wrinkled his nose, grabbing his own pink and gold wrapped parcel. "Eurgh… Definitely female."

"And definitely a Gryffindor." Ron finished for Seamus, "Slytherins wouldn't be caught dead in pink – unless you're talking about Pansy, and the chances of you two getting each other is highly, highly unlikely."

"As random as the sorting was, I don't believe the teachers would let one student get another." Harry shrugged, tearing into his own package. "There's not much of a chance of that, eh?"

"A miniature model of Krum… riding a Firebolt…" Ron's eyebrows arched as he opened his gift. "Either I got a git for a Saint, or they're incredibly stupid."

"If it's a Slytherin, I'm going for 'incredibly stupid'." Grinned Seamus, holding up his own model of Aidan Lynch. "Looks like ours went to the same store though."

Harry slowly unfolded his parcel, allowing the heavy scarlet velvet to fall through his hands, tumbling onto his bed. He blinked a few times, then unfolded the fabric; he was holding a rich scarlet cloak lined with black silk.

"Who the bloody hell would spend so much on me? " he exclaimed, throwing the cloak over his shoulders.

"An admirer, obviously." Seamus commented wide-eyed, "And you just dropped something near your left foot."

Harry bent over to retrieve the parchment, the cloak still hanging around his shoulders. He unfolded the parchment, eyes quickly scanning over the cursive – once again – scarlet writing.

Dear Harry,

Happy Christmas – I know you haven't had too many of these in your lifetime, so please, let me make it worth your while to enjoy the season.

The Archangel Michael was the leader, the brave one, the strongest of all – you've been our Michael for sixteen years now. You deserve a bit in return.

Happy Christmas once again,

Azrael

Harry sat back down on his bed, rereading the letter once more.

"Azrael… Who was Azrael?" he asked Seamus and Ron, who were both now watching their figures fly around throughout the dorms.

"One of the aliases for the angel Raphael, I believe." Seamus answered, poking the Lynch doll with his wand. "Me Mum mentioned it once or twice, after church a few years ago."

"Another Angel." Harry muttered, "My Saint called their self Azrael… and called me Michael."

Seamus nodded, "It fits, really. You do seem to be the savior of the Wizarding World, eh?"

Harry shrugged, "If you insist."



Harry and Ron met up with Hermione an hour later, who had received a fur ferret scarf from her Saint; it took Ron a full five minutes to stop laughing, reminiscing about Malfoy the Bouncing Ferret. Hermione simply raised an eyebrow and hugged the scarf more firmly around her shoulders, and followed Harry out the portrait towards the Great Hall.

"You know, Pansy's eyeing Seamus awfully strangely…" Ron commented later that day, during dinner. "Think he mentioned shagging to her? I'm sure she'd accept."

Harry wrinkled his eyes, "Ron, not all Slytherins are –"

"Don't even say it, Potter!" Hermione exclaimed, clamping her hand over his mouth. "Blaise Zambini is perfectly nice, you know."

Ron raised an eyebrow, "But is she a –"

"RON!"

Harry grinned, "Sorry, Hermione. Enjoying your scarf?"

Hermione nodded, smiling, and nuzzled up to it for a moment. "The moment I learn who sent this to me, I'm going up to them and giving them a kiss on the lips – I love this scarf!"

"And if it's a girl?" asked Ron, a smile playing on his lips. "Going to turn lesbian on us, are you?"

Hermione blushed, "A girl wouldn't bother sending something this nice to me."

Harry and Ron pondered this for a moment before Harry answered; "True."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and reached out to smack both Ron and Harry's arm. "You gits!"

Harry and Ron buckled down laughing, while a boy at the end of the table watched Hermione inconspicuously; no one noticed him as he smiled at her antics, nuzzling into the scarf he had spent hours deciding on.

He was happy.