A/N: I'm a little prouder of this chapter. I like it a little better. I hope you guys enjoy it as well. I think it's a little bit longer then the last one. I'm going to try and make the chapters longer, but it just depends if I find stuff to write about. Well please tell me what you think of this chapter and that means, leave a review!
Disclaimer: Why do we have to write these? Everyone knows that I don't own HP! Ok so if you think I own it, you're crazy! Just read the story!
Chapter 17
Christmas was nearing. The students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were preparing to the long expected vacation. The halls were filled with carols and the students were becoming lazy in their schoolwork. Professor McGonagall had filled in for Dumbledore, and Remus Lupin had been offered her job as transfiguration teacher. McGonagall had boarded up the room Emily had said was where she was taken. The door was now gone, and a great many spells were put up along the hallway.
"I can't wait to go home! I don't want to see my sister's, but I'm looking forward to my Mom's Christmas pie," Parker said during supper one evening.
"My Mom used to make fresh apple pie the muggle way, maybe my Dad'll try to make it this year," Rosie said.
"My parents make everything the muggle way. My Grandma is going to make these special cookies that she only makes at Christmas time. She already sent me some of the first batch," Kelly said, taking some golden brown cookies from her robe pocket.
"I can't wait to open the presents," Grant said greedily.
"Gee Grant. That's the Christmas spirit," Andrew replied sarcastically. Grant blushed and returned to his creamed corn.
"Emily, are you going home for Christmas?" Rosie asked.
"I've already been home once, for my Grandfather's funeral. There is no way I'm going back," Emily said quickly.
"You never did tell us what happened during the funeral. What did happen?" Andrew asked.
"It was just a normal funeral," Emily snapped.
"Sorry I asked," Andrew replied.
"I'm sorry, I'm still just so mad," Emily said quietly.
"Well, will you at least tell us about the funeral?" Kelly asked.
"Maybe later tonight," Emily said, and turned back to the book she was reading. Snape had finally given her back Hogwarts a History. Emily had had it barley a week, and already she was half way through it.
"Why do you read so much?" Grant asked. Emily looked at him like he was crazy and refused to answer him. "Ok, I guess that was a dumb question."
"Wow, Grant! You finally realized your questions are dumb!" Parker said. Grant glared at him and Parker, Rosie, Kelly, and Andrew burst out laughing. Emily snorted from her book, but didn't bother to look up.
***
After the six were seated in the common room in front of the fire, all eyes turned to Emily.
"Well, are you going to tell us?" Kelly asked.
"I guess so, but it was a pretty normal funeral," Emily said shrugging.
"Pretty normal my foot! You were sad before you left and you came back even sadder," Rosie exclaimed.
"Funeral's are sad," Emily replied.
"Did I come back that sad from my Mom's funeral?" Rosie asked. The three boys nodded and Rosie sighed. "Ok fine, but at least tell us why you don't want to talk about it."
"I just don't, no reason," Emily said shrugging again. Rosie threw her arms up in defeat and started a conversation about boys with Kelly. Andrew, Grant, and Parker were telling them that they had it all wrong about guys, and were trying to set them straight.
"It's just that Gina was trying to be too much of a Mom too me," Emily said quietly. The other five stopped in mid-sentence and turned to stare at Emily.
"Go on," Kelly urged.
"Well, she just kept trying to hug me and tell me how sorry she was for my loss and that she would be there for me and I'd be able to tell her anything. Like I'd want to tell her anything. And every time I went to try and comfort my Grandma, Gina would come up and say she needed to be alone. She was feeling really upset. I was like you idiot she needs a hug from her only grandchild. But did Gina listen to me, no she didn't even get mad at me when I talked back to her," Emily explained.
"Well at least she's trying," Andrew said.
"She's trying too hard. I don't want her for a Mom. I don't even want her as a friend. I don't want her living in my house! I want her gone and things to be back the way they used to be!" Emily said angrily.
"Hey, my Mom is a great person!" Josh said, coming up behind Emily.
"Well I'm sorry Josh, but she's not my favorite person right now," Emily retorted.
"Don't talk bad about my Mom, or I'll find something to say about your Dad," Josh replied.
"I hate my Dad, so I don't care what you say about him," Emily said.
"Well fine, your father is afraid to fight You-Know-Who, so he used to hide behind Dumbledore, but now that Dumbledore is gone, your Dad doesn't know what to do," Josh said.
"Don't say that about my Dad, when you refuse to say Voldemort's name!" Emily shot back, jumping up from the couch. Everyone around her jumped at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, except for Kelly, who didn't understand why everyone jumped at his name.
"Don't say his name!" Josh shouted.
"Don't be afraid of fear itself!" Emily yelled.
"That doesn't make any sense!" Josh exclaimed.
"It does to! It means that Voldemort brings fear among everyone he comes near, so you're just more afraid of fear itself then of Voldemort. He tears families apart, but you're just afraid of being afraid of him!" Emily shouted.
"You're talking nonsense," Josh replied.
"Oh am I? Just like you!" Emily yelled. By that time the whole of Gryffindor Common Room was staring at the fighting kids. Parker was about to drag Emily away from Josh as she started pointing her wand at him, and Aaron was about to drag Josh away from Emily as he whipped out his wand.
"Let's duel then!" Emily shouted.
"Fine by me!" Josh exclaimed. Before they could utter a spell they were each pulled backwards out of each others way by Parker and Aaron.
"We'll finish this some other time. Have fun at my house for Christmas," Emily yelled and stormed off to her dormitory.
"You're almost as bad as a Mudblood!" Josh shouted after her. Aaron put his hand over his younger brother's mouth, but it was too late, the words had already reached Emily's ears. Emily stopped, mid-step on the stairway and turned around, tears visible in her eyes. She opened her mouth and closed it again. She then turned quickly and ran up to her room, crying up a storm.
"They're acting like siblings already," Kelly commented from the couch. Aaron turned to stare at her once he let Josh go join his friends.
"Siblings don't have the right to call each other Mudblood's. Josh is acting like a Slytherin right now. Their the only one's that are stupid enough to use that word," Aaron replied.
"Well what's a Mudblood?" Kelly asked.
"You're obviously a muggle born. Have one of your friends explain it. I have to go write my Mom," Aaron said and headed over to Paul and some of his other friends.
"Well what is it?" Kelly persisted.
"A Mudblood is the worst thing you can call someone, especially a muggle born, but Emily's full blood, so I don't know what Josh is getting on about," Rosie explained.
"I still don't get it," Kelly said, with a confused look on her face.
"Well, think about the worst word you can call a muggle, and that's basically what a Mudblood means, or at least it's pretty close to it," Rosie said.
"Wow, that's mean…I still don't get it," Kelly said after a few moments.
"You're defiantly a true blonde," Andrew said.
"No way! My hair is defiantly brown!" Kelly exclaimed. Andrew rolled his eyes.
"Anyone want to play chess?" Grant asked.
"Sure, nothing better to do," Parker said and moved over to a table to play with Grant.
***
"Are you sure you're going to stay here for Christmas?" Rosie asked.
"I'm sure, My Dad has already sent a million letters asking me, and so has Gina. Go figure. No I'll be fine. I get the room to myself!" Emily replied.
"Well I'll send you something good for Christmas. My Dad is taking me shopping the moment I step off the train," Rosie said. Emily smiled. Kelly pulled Emily into a giant hug and handed her a bag of candy.
"What are you going to do all alone in the common room?" Parker asked.
"Well I won't be the only one in there. A few older years are staying, I'm sure I'll make a friend or something," Emily said shrugging. Emily stood on the front steps, wrapped in her cloak and scarf, waving goodbye to her friends. Once they were out of sight, she wandered back up the stairs and headed towards the common room. There were only three other people sitting in there; two fifth years and a third year. Emily remained quiet and headed up to her dormitory. She sat on her bed, with Angel sleeping by her side. Emily took her locket off of her neck and opened it.
"Another Christmas without you. Why did you have to go? I miss you so much," Emily whispered.
Emily sighed and turned to look at the picture of her father's parents.
"I wonder what you'd think of your son now? After his wife died, he remarried! Can you believe that? I wish I didn't hate him, but how could he marry again! So soon? Six years is just too short," Emily said. She then closed her locket and tucked it back under her shirt. Emily lay back against her pillows, and fell asleep dreaming of the only Christmas she remembered with her mother.
When she awoke, she found it was already evening. Emily went over to the window and sat down on the window seat. She opened the window a crack and let the snow that was lightly falling snow blow into the room. Emily stuck her tongue out and caught a few in her mouth.
"The first snow of the season. It's going to be a white Christmas," Emily said to herself.
***
Emily woke up Christmas morning to find her presents at the foot of the bed. Emily smiled and opened the presents from her friends first. She got a book about Quidditch as a combined gift from the boys, and a huge bag of candy from Rosie. Emily then opened a gold watch from her grandmother, and a photo album filled with pictures of when she was little from Sirius and Remus. Emily smiled then turned to the gifts from her father.
"I guess I'm going to have to open it," Emily sighed. She picked up the five packages from her father and opened a large bushy one.
From Mr. and Mrs. Weasly.
Emily opened it and found a pink, hand knitted sweater with the letter E on it. Emily smiled and opened another package full of fudge. After opening the last three presents from her father, she received a book about unicorns, a charm bracelet and a small brooch with an ivory ladies face on it. This was my Mother's. Sirius gave it to me, and now I'm giving it to you. Love Dad. Emily pinned the brooch to her nightgown and smiled.
"I still do love him, but there is no way I'm going to tell anyone," Emily whispered to Angel. Angel meowed happily and started purring. After getting dressed Emily walked down to the Christmas feast and enjoyed a wonderful meal full of delicious puddings, cakes, pies, candies, meats, breads, salads, and pumpkin juice. Emily then settled down for a nap to sleep off the wonderful feast.
"Maybe, I'll write him a letter and tell him, or should I wait until I see him again?" Emily said before she closed her eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.