Snow began to fall around Hogwarts. The grounds were a glorious white, and people were having snowball fights and making snowmen and sledding. The enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall showed snow swirling around a bright blue sky, the winter sun glaring at them from behind a cloud. Fred and George had bewitched snowballs to come up and hit the windows of Gryffindor Tower. Ron and Andrea constantly got themselves stuck in snowball fights, but Harry and Hermione just liked to sit on a bench together and watch the snowfall. Harry looked at Hermione, then watched Ron and Andrea.
Sure enough, his twin sister was French-kissing Ron again. The snow was falling on Andrea's hair, done in pigtails, as usual. Ron looked like he was enjoying himself.
"They shouldn't kiss so much," Harry heard Hermione say. "It's rather disgusting."
Harry remembered what Sirius had told him about the mistletoe. Christmas was now only a week away, after all. It had only been the day before yesterday that Snape had tried to marry Meg. Already it seemed weeks away. And where was Harry going to find mistletoe, anyway?
Suddenly, a door opened, and Sirius and Meg ran out. They were both wearing snow clothes, and they were pelting each other with snowballs. Sirius looked over and waved at Harry and Hermione, as he ran away from Meg, laughing loudly. Finally, she got him rather hard.
"Hey! No fair!" cried Sirius, sitting down, wiping snow from his eyes.
Harry ran over to him. If Sirius had suggested mistletoe, he would probably know where it could be found, wouldn't he? Sirius grinned up at Harry, still wiping snowflakes.
"She's good at throwing snowballs," he informed his godson. "Wanna play with us?"
"Oh…no, thanks," said Harry, half-laughing. "Okay, can you come over here? I want to ask you something." He went to the wall, followed by Sirius, who was still grinning.
"Sure, Harry," he said. "What is it?"
Harry looked over at Hermione. "It's Hermione. I like the idea with the mistletoe…but I just don't have any idea where to find it…and, besides, how would I catch her under it?"
"I spent four Christmases where Meg has cornered me under mistletoe and made me kiss her, until I finally started liking her back…she almost gave up on me. She never did, though." Sirius grinned fondly in Meg's direction. "She caught me under doorways, everything. The best one was in my fourth year, though. We had a pretty special Christmas party that year…and some of the teachers were drinking themselves into oblivion. So, anyway, I was talking with my friends at a table, and Meg had one of her friends come over and get me. She said I was in trouble and McGonagall wanted me. Turns out she didn't, and, well, Meg was waiting for me by the Ravenclaw table. She bewitched the mistletoe to hover over my head, she pinned me against a wall, and snogged me senseless."
"You fainted?" said Harry incredulously.
"Almost." Sirius rolled his eyes at the thought of a fourteen-year-old Meg trying to kiss him under mistletoe she had bewitched to chase him. "Your father had to wave something in front of my face, I can't remember what. Meg is a rather good kisser, you know."
"So you're saying I have to pin her against a wall?" said Harry. "I don't want…"
"No, of course you don't," said Sirius, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Somehow, Harry, I don't think Hermione would like that very much. Just pin some up in a doorway…like…oh, I know. How about you put it right in front of the portrait hole in Gryffindor Tower? You guys always walk together, so just let Ron and Andrea go ahead of you…oh, and don't let them see it."
"They'd kiss anyway, mistletoe or not," said Harry, laughing.
"Fair point." Sirius grinned. "As for finding mistletoe, Harry, it's easy. I don't think you even have to find any. The teachers put it up everywhere. All you have to do is steal some and hang it in front of the portrait hole in Gryffindor Tower. It's everywhere."
"I shouldn't steal it," said Harry quickly.
"They won't mind if you steal a bit of mistletoe," said Sirius. "They might even hang it up in all the portrait holes anyway…Look, don't worry. Just point above your head, and say, 'Oh, hey, mistletoe,' or something like that, and she has to kiss you. You'll be all right. Now, come on, I need somebody else who can play on my side." He pulled Harry's hand. "Meg! Two against one!"
"Oh, no, you don't," Meg said, making a snowball and throwing it at Sirius. It was a great shot, because it beaned Sirius upside the head, and made him fall down again.
"Hey! Professor Smith! Think fast!" Harry cried. His snowball hit Meg's head.
"Nice one!" Sirius yelled. "Ha, ha, Meg! Point for us! You better get another player on your team, or we're totally going to win!" He threw another snowball at Meg.
It got her in the face. She collapsed on the ground, laughing, wiping snow from her eyes. "You are sooo dead, Sirius!" She pelted another snowball at Sirius but missed entirely.
"Hey! Can we play?" It was Andrea, Ron, and Hermione.
"Sure!" Meg cried. "Hermione and Andrea, you both can be on my team, and Ron, you can go on Harry and Sirius's team so it'll be fair. Okay, guys, let's roll."
"No," said Hermione. "Ron, you can go on Professor Smith's team." She smiled. "I just think I want to be on Harry's team instead." She caught Harry's eye and smiled again.
Harry smiled back at her, and the snowball fight was much more fun after that.