A/N- Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!!!! Okay kidding. But seriously,
don't hate me because it's been so long. I'm so sorry. See school ended and
I had to drive home, and my story is on my lap top, which isn't hooked up
to the internet down here, and believe it or not, with two computer and a
lap top running around the house (well, okay not so much running..) I
couldn't find a disk. But I finally found one, and I have been writing so
I'm about four chapters ahead of what I've posted, and almost done. And I
can start posting again. Yeah!
A/N 2- I want to that everyone who has reviewed. And I want to thank my best gal Stephanie Johnson for caving under the pressure to write me a Harry Potter story. Which by the way has AD/MM pairing in it (naturally) so every one should check it out. And I want to thank Inca for posting another chapter (and as far as I know JKR doesn't ever say what color Min's eyes are, just that their beady, but Dame Maggie Smith's eyes are blue so that's what I picked). And as long as I have the time and the soap box. I want to beg Xela and Freelancer for another story, and beg Sirabella, Myztrice, and Aeowyn Sever for more chapters in their stories. Kay I'm done. Just one thing left to say. Enjoy!
Chapter 14- A welcome respite
Christmas came without incident. The school was quieter than usual, with most of the students gone for the break. All except for Harry (who had no desire to go home of course), Ron and Ginny (whose parents were going to visit Charlie), Hermione (who had decided to spend the holiday with her friends and keeping an eye on her professors), and Draco (whose father had forgotten to call him home, so he'd decided to avoid it.) Even most of the professors had left this year, going to see friends and family, anything to get away from the shadow that had descended over the castle. And so Christmas morning when the five remaining students had trudged into the Great Hall, each a bit disappointed to find there were no presents under their house trees, they were met by only Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Malfoy. The teachers had forgone the head table to eat at the Hufflepuff table (neutral ground) and they invited the students to sit with them, trying to hide their smiles at the students' long looks.
"You appear to believe that your families have forgotten you." Dumbledore observed gently. "I assure you that is not the case. But so few students and teachers have remained this year that we thought it would be nice to keep all the presents under the tree in here."
This perked the students right up and they craned their necks to see the boxes and packages under the great glistening tree. "After breakfast." McGonagall told them in a tone that gave them no inch to argue. Harry immediately sat next to the headmaster with Hermione next to him and Ron on her other side. Ginny took a seat next to her brother, but Draco remained standing nervously. His aunt was between McGonagall and Snape. A hesitant look came over his face, and he turned a little red as everyone looked up at him. "You can sit over here." Ron offered graciously for once.
"Actually.umm.I was hoping I could sit with you Aunt Isis." He asked the floor.
She smiled gently at him. "Of course Draco." She kicked Snape's leg and he grunted, but slid down a bit.
Draco slipped into the seat between them. "Thank you Sir."
Snape shrugged indifferently and returned to his breakfast. "What would you like to eat Draco?" His aunt asked kindly.
"May I have the eggs?" Harry who currently was holding them passed them back along the table to Malfoy and so breakfast begun.
The five children had stuffed themselves quickly and immediately stood to run over to the tree when Isis's silky voice stopped them. "Don't you think you ought to wait for us to finish?"
They turned slowly and sank back down onto the benches together a bit away from their professors. Five pairs of eyes watched in rather hawk-like fashion as Isis, with a rather wicked smile, ever so slowly raised her fork to her mouth. Ron groaned loudly. "Professor.that's really quite rotten of you."
She raised a delicate eyebrow at him, her eyes cool and clearly looking down on him. "Is it now Mr. Weasley?"
Ron swallowed nervously, but Draco began to laugh. "That was - that was exactly like Father!"
With a wink to Ron she pushed her nearly empty plate away. "Well, I'm quite full."
Ron looked pleadingly at the other Professors. With a twinkle in his eye and a nod of his head, Dumbledore pushed his plate aside, then McGonagall's. She opened her mouth to protest, then sighed and laid her fork down on the table. Snape, however, stubbornly continued to eat. Everyone watched him, staring as he took one bite then another, and another. He ignored them successfully for a few moments, then with a groan of annoyance, he pushed his plate away.
There was a mad dash for the tree, five children and Isis running toward it and diving onto the floor next to the presents. As soon as everyone else was seated, Ron dug under the tree for the first gift. He stared at the tag on the holographic gold paper. "It's for you Professor." He informed them all as he handed the gift to Isis. "From Professor Dumbledore."
With a smile for the headmaster, Isis slid her fingers under the tape and eased the paper off. She opened the wooden box and her breath caught. Glistening back at her from inside the velvet folds was a beautiful deep blue crystal. The crystal sat in the center of a silver Celtic trinity knot. Shining eyes stared at him in awe. "An old druid I knew gave it to me once." Dumbledore explained to her. "It's a protection stone." A smile appeared on his weathered face as he peered at her from over the top of his glasses. "I thought you'd appreciate it."
She nodded, unable to speak. Ron grabbed the next gift and handed it out. His face turned bright red. "Here Hermione." He shoved the package in her hands. "I hope you like it."
Hermione slowly unwrapped the package and pulled out a crimson cloak made of velvet. She drew a deep breath. "Ron.it's beautiful."
He lowered his eyes to the floor. "It's from all of us. Bill and Charlie bought the velvet, Percy, Fred and George bought the silk, and Mum made it. I.I picked out the color."
"Well, I love it." She gushed.
Ron dove to get another package, hell bent on avoiding her gaze. He studied the tag for a minute, then a grin came over his face. "To Harry, love Ginny." He read before handing the gift to him. Ginny gave a strangled cry and then she too turned red.
"Now, now Ms. Weasley, it's nothing to be ashamed of I'm sure." McGonagall counseled the young girl.
"I'm not." Ginny muttered under her breath. Harry tore the paper off to find a framed sketch underneath. He studied the picture for a moment. It was of a Stag, a beautiful, proud white stag.
He gaped at the picture. At her talent. "How.how did you know?" He asked her softly.
"I was at the quidditch match when you fell too Harry." She pointed out. "I saw the stag.and then.after the tournament.I made Ron tell me about your dad."
"It's perfect." He assured her.
She turned even redder.
The gift giving went on for another hour, until everything under the tree had been handed out. Then everyone left the great hall to spend Christmas doing whatever they liked best.
A/N 2- I want to that everyone who has reviewed. And I want to thank my best gal Stephanie Johnson for caving under the pressure to write me a Harry Potter story. Which by the way has AD/MM pairing in it (naturally) so every one should check it out. And I want to thank Inca for posting another chapter (and as far as I know JKR doesn't ever say what color Min's eyes are, just that their beady, but Dame Maggie Smith's eyes are blue so that's what I picked). And as long as I have the time and the soap box. I want to beg Xela and Freelancer for another story, and beg Sirabella, Myztrice, and Aeowyn Sever for more chapters in their stories. Kay I'm done. Just one thing left to say. Enjoy!
Chapter 14- A welcome respite
Christmas came without incident. The school was quieter than usual, with most of the students gone for the break. All except for Harry (who had no desire to go home of course), Ron and Ginny (whose parents were going to visit Charlie), Hermione (who had decided to spend the holiday with her friends and keeping an eye on her professors), and Draco (whose father had forgotten to call him home, so he'd decided to avoid it.) Even most of the professors had left this year, going to see friends and family, anything to get away from the shadow that had descended over the castle. And so Christmas morning when the five remaining students had trudged into the Great Hall, each a bit disappointed to find there were no presents under their house trees, they were met by only Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Malfoy. The teachers had forgone the head table to eat at the Hufflepuff table (neutral ground) and they invited the students to sit with them, trying to hide their smiles at the students' long looks.
"You appear to believe that your families have forgotten you." Dumbledore observed gently. "I assure you that is not the case. But so few students and teachers have remained this year that we thought it would be nice to keep all the presents under the tree in here."
This perked the students right up and they craned their necks to see the boxes and packages under the great glistening tree. "After breakfast." McGonagall told them in a tone that gave them no inch to argue. Harry immediately sat next to the headmaster with Hermione next to him and Ron on her other side. Ginny took a seat next to her brother, but Draco remained standing nervously. His aunt was between McGonagall and Snape. A hesitant look came over his face, and he turned a little red as everyone looked up at him. "You can sit over here." Ron offered graciously for once.
"Actually.umm.I was hoping I could sit with you Aunt Isis." He asked the floor.
She smiled gently at him. "Of course Draco." She kicked Snape's leg and he grunted, but slid down a bit.
Draco slipped into the seat between them. "Thank you Sir."
Snape shrugged indifferently and returned to his breakfast. "What would you like to eat Draco?" His aunt asked kindly.
"May I have the eggs?" Harry who currently was holding them passed them back along the table to Malfoy and so breakfast begun.
The five children had stuffed themselves quickly and immediately stood to run over to the tree when Isis's silky voice stopped them. "Don't you think you ought to wait for us to finish?"
They turned slowly and sank back down onto the benches together a bit away from their professors. Five pairs of eyes watched in rather hawk-like fashion as Isis, with a rather wicked smile, ever so slowly raised her fork to her mouth. Ron groaned loudly. "Professor.that's really quite rotten of you."
She raised a delicate eyebrow at him, her eyes cool and clearly looking down on him. "Is it now Mr. Weasley?"
Ron swallowed nervously, but Draco began to laugh. "That was - that was exactly like Father!"
With a wink to Ron she pushed her nearly empty plate away. "Well, I'm quite full."
Ron looked pleadingly at the other Professors. With a twinkle in his eye and a nod of his head, Dumbledore pushed his plate aside, then McGonagall's. She opened her mouth to protest, then sighed and laid her fork down on the table. Snape, however, stubbornly continued to eat. Everyone watched him, staring as he took one bite then another, and another. He ignored them successfully for a few moments, then with a groan of annoyance, he pushed his plate away.
There was a mad dash for the tree, five children and Isis running toward it and diving onto the floor next to the presents. As soon as everyone else was seated, Ron dug under the tree for the first gift. He stared at the tag on the holographic gold paper. "It's for you Professor." He informed them all as he handed the gift to Isis. "From Professor Dumbledore."
With a smile for the headmaster, Isis slid her fingers under the tape and eased the paper off. She opened the wooden box and her breath caught. Glistening back at her from inside the velvet folds was a beautiful deep blue crystal. The crystal sat in the center of a silver Celtic trinity knot. Shining eyes stared at him in awe. "An old druid I knew gave it to me once." Dumbledore explained to her. "It's a protection stone." A smile appeared on his weathered face as he peered at her from over the top of his glasses. "I thought you'd appreciate it."
She nodded, unable to speak. Ron grabbed the next gift and handed it out. His face turned bright red. "Here Hermione." He shoved the package in her hands. "I hope you like it."
Hermione slowly unwrapped the package and pulled out a crimson cloak made of velvet. She drew a deep breath. "Ron.it's beautiful."
He lowered his eyes to the floor. "It's from all of us. Bill and Charlie bought the velvet, Percy, Fred and George bought the silk, and Mum made it. I.I picked out the color."
"Well, I love it." She gushed.
Ron dove to get another package, hell bent on avoiding her gaze. He studied the tag for a minute, then a grin came over his face. "To Harry, love Ginny." He read before handing the gift to him. Ginny gave a strangled cry and then she too turned red.
"Now, now Ms. Weasley, it's nothing to be ashamed of I'm sure." McGonagall counseled the young girl.
"I'm not." Ginny muttered under her breath. Harry tore the paper off to find a framed sketch underneath. He studied the picture for a moment. It was of a Stag, a beautiful, proud white stag.
He gaped at the picture. At her talent. "How.how did you know?" He asked her softly.
"I was at the quidditch match when you fell too Harry." She pointed out. "I saw the stag.and then.after the tournament.I made Ron tell me about your dad."
"It's perfect." He assured her.
She turned even redder.
The gift giving went on for another hour, until everything under the tree had been handed out. Then everyone left the great hall to spend Christmas doing whatever they liked best.