As November bled into December the comings of Christmas began. The snow trickled down from the sky, coating them in small snowflakes as it lay like a thick white blanket on the ground. The Black Lake had frozen over and Fred and George received detention for bewitching snowballs to chase after poor Professor Quirrell.
No one was more excited for the holidays to start than Bella. She had always loved Christmas but this year seem so much better as she would be staying at Hogwarts with her brothers as her parents were headed to Romania to visit Charlie. Her friends were all staying at the castle too and this made Bella even happier.
Draco Malfoy had been suspiciously quiet the past few weeks and Bella was concerned, she realised she had spoken too soon as their last potions lesson of the term rolled around and he opened his big mouth.
"I really do feel sorry for those who have to stay at school over Christmas." He drawled to his friends before turning his smirk on Harry. "Obviously they aren't wanted at home."
His comment ignited snickers among the Slytherins and Bella seethed. Walking past his desk on the way to her own she kicked him in the shin, hard. He winced and rubbed at his shin.
"What was that for?" He growled.
"You know what. Stop being a prat." Bella scowled at him before tossing her hair over her shoulder and taking her seat beside a smirking Harry.
Throughout the remainder of the class Draco sent glares over his shoulder at Bella but she was too wrapped up in the happy thoughts of the coming Christmas to pay him any mind; to which made him even angrier. When the bell rang signalling the end of their classes for the term Bella threw her things haphazardly into her bag and departed the dingy classroom, brother and friends in tow. A large fir tree blocked the corridor and the heaving puffs of breath behind it told the group Hagrid was the one transporting it.
"Hey Hagrid, do you need any help?" Bella asked.
"Nah thanks Bella, I'll be alright." Came Hagrid's voice from somewhere within the tree.
Bella heard a cold laugh behind her and didn't need to turn her head to realise who it came from.
"Sod off Malfoy." She grumbled.
"Don't tell me... you want to be game keeper when you leave, is that it?" He drawled.
Bella turned to face the arrogant boy, her fingers gripping her wand tightly in her pocked.
"I. said. sod. off." Bella enunciated every word.
"Make me." Draco smirked as fire danced in Bella's eyes.
The small girl launched herself at Draco's larger frame and tackled him to the ground, a yelp of fright spewing from his mouth. As soon as their bodies hit the floor Bella began to pound him with her fist on whichever part of his body she could reach.
"Ow. Stop it. GET HER OFF ME."
"WEASLEY"
Bella tore her eyes from Draco trembling beneath her to Professor Snape striding up the corridor towards her, more furious than she had ever seen him.
Ron and Harry hauled Bella off a battered and bruised Draco Malfoy. Bella was panting for breath, hair standing on end while Draco struggled to haul himself to his feet.
"Nothing gives a student the right to assault another student." Snape spat, levelling a glare at the young girl.
"It's not Bella's fault Professor Snape!" Hagrid explained, emerging from behind the large tree. "She was provoked."
"As I said Hagrid." Snape turned his face towards the half-giant before turning back to Bella with a scowl. "Nothing gives a student the right to assault another student."
"Detention. 7pm. My classroom. Do not be late, Miss Weasley." He drawled.
The potions professor grabbed Draco's upper arm and dragged him off down the corridor, his protests ringing in their ears.
"What did you go and do that for?" Ron asked.
"Someone needed to give him a good smack." Satisfied smirk plastered on her face, Bella grabbed her bag from where she'd dropped it on the floor and made her way up the dungeon steps, leaving six bewildered faces staring after her.
"You really shouldn't have done that." Hermione scolded Bella as they ate their dinner, her detention creeping ever so slowly closer.
"Why shouldn't I?" She questioned, turning her gaze to Hermione.
Hermione became flustered at the question and fumbled for a response.
"Well, you have detention for a start." Harry piped up.
"And he will one hundred present tell Lucius." Ron added.
"He'll make your life hell." Freya said.
"He's unbearable enough as it is." Emily retorted.
"And you know he won't let it go." Hermione chided.
"Big scary Malfoy was battered by a girl who is half his height. Personally I don't think he'll be telling anyone." Bella shoved a chip in her mouth at her statement, a neutral expression on her face.
Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes as Harry chuckled and Ron turned his head toward the Slytherin.
"No one is glaring at you so that's a good sign." Ron mused, turning back to his plate.
Taking a glance at the Slytherin table she seen that Ron was indeed right, no one was glaring at her. In fact, the only person looking at her seemed to be the boy himself, and he didn't appear to be glaring. He was looking at her with what could only be called a look of curiosity, as if she were some hard puzzle he was trying to solve. Realising she'd been staring Bella quickly averted her eyes back to her dinner when another two figures plopped down on the bench beside her.
"What's this I hear about you getting detention with Snape tonight." Seamus asked, gently nudging her arm with his shoulder.
"I attacked Malfoy." Bella replied, smirking at the look of shock on Seamus' face.
"You what?" Dean asked from Seamus' side.
"You heard right ickle firsties." Fred called from further down the table.
"Our baby sister here gave Malfoy a right seeing to." George grinned.
"It's not funny!" Hermione scolded, though it fell on deaf ears.
"You really hit him?" Seamus asked, glancing down at her with an expression of awe on his face.
Bella nodded, a sheepish grin plastered on her face.
Seamus let out a roar of laughter that drew the attention of those around him while Dean chuckled at his side. When his laughter subsided he wiped tears from his eyes and slung his arm around Bella's shoulders.
"You are amazing."
Bella blushed and stuttered a thanks. Checking the time she noticed she had ten minutes until her detention was supposed to start.
"I suppose I better go and face Snape." Bella stood from the table, dropping Seamus' arm from where it still drooped over her shoulder.
"I'll walk you."
Seamus climbed over the bench, standing in front of Bella.
"Y-You don't have to." Bella stammered.
"I know. I want to." Seamus grabbed an apple from the table and chomped a bite out of it. He then saluted with two fingers to the remaining first years. As he turned to leave the hall he took Bella's hand in his and laced their fingers. Bella turned her head looking to her friends for support, blush creeping madly up her cheeks. The girls only smiled and gave her a thumbs up as Ron fumed in his seat and Harry openly chortled at her with Dean.
Fingers still laced the pair ambled through the Entrance Hall and down the dungeon steps. When Seamus had finished munching on his apple he shoved the core in his pocket and turned to grin at Bella.
"I still can't believe you really attacked Malfoy."
"I know. Someone had to smack him though, he deserved it."
"Too right he did."
The pair stopped outside Professor Snape's classroom and Seamus whirled Bella around to stand in front of him and grasped her other hand in his. She looked up at him and saw he was smiling shyly down at her. He inched slowly closer to her, hands still grasped in his, and Bella's cheeks burned.
"I've wanted to do this for ages." He whispered to her as he closed the gap between them and placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips.
It was over before it could really begin and Seamus pulled back with a sheepish grin on his lips. He released one of her hands and reached up to scratch the back of his neck.
"Thought I'd give you something to think about in detention." He laughed.
"Thanks for the distraction." Bella laughed back.
He dropped her other hand and inclined his head towards the door. He took a few steps backwards, eyes still glued to hers. "I'll wait for you in the common room." He called before turning and taking the few steps out of the dungeons.
Bella raised her fingers to her lips and softly ran her finger over her lip. Where Seamus' lips had just been.
Bella was too baffled by the events that had just occurred to notice the pair of eyes watching her every move from further down the corridor as she raised her hand and knocked on the professor's door.
Draco couldn't believe what he'd just seen. She had just kissed that disgusting half-breed Finnegan. Yes, she was a 'blood-traitor' but she was still a Pureblood for Merlin's sake! Draco didn't know why he cared, the same girl had just knocked lumps out of him in the same corridor not four hours earlier. Draco seethed as he stomped back to his common room. He didn't know why he cared so much about what Bella Weasley did, but that was just it. He cared too much and it would only get him into trouble.
