25th December 1991

It had been weeks and weeks of boring lessons, nothing interesting had happened since the match, and the next one was due after Christmas. It wasn't even Gryffindor playing.

Between transfiguring tea-cups and warm fires in the common room, it wasn't long before students were heading home for Christmas.

Draco begged her to come with him, for the customary Malfoy Christmas dinner and ball, but she insisted on staying at Hogwarts. It was very surprising for most of the professors, as the girl would usually hate staying in the 'stuffy, old castle.'

Which brings us here, 25th December 1991.

It was snowing outside, heavily, and the common room was empty, save for Harry and Ron (who were being very noisy). The rest of the schooling aged Weasleys had gone home, but like Alex, he had stayed to be with Harry for his first Christmas out of privet drive. Hermione had decided to go home for Christmas and Alexandra dared say she would miss the bushy-haired girl.

"ALEX!" shouted Harry, holding up a blanket.

"What happened to good morning?" said Alex as she grabbed a chocolate frog up from Ron's pile of gifts.

"HEY!"

On closer inspection, that was a strange blanket. She thought it might be some sort of trick joke the twins bought, as she pulled a red and gold gift towards her. The box also had a note.

"To Alexandra,

Congratulations on making Gryffindor, dearie! I've sent a jumper as well as some pie over (you'll notice the change in colour, we are very proud of you!)

Love, Mrs Weasley."

It was her annual Weasley red and gold jumper, she usually got a unique dark blue as it 'matched her eyes' or some drivel like that. The jumper had a large 'A' stitched on and Alex knew Mrs Weasley had sewed it the muggle way as some of the knits were a little wonky.

An 'O' for wasted effort, thought Alex.

The jumper smelt like warm fire and the pie it was stored beside, she put it on quickly, the room was cold enough despite the lit fireplace. Well, that's a Scottish winter for you.

She looked at her decent pile of presents and wondered how they managed to reach the tree.

'Prolly the house elves,' she concluded, she counted fifteen.

"That's a shame, last year I had seventeen."

"Spoilt," sang Ron.

Harry laughed as he wrapped the blanket around himself, making his body disappear.

Disappear?

"Merlin's sake, what did you do?" she said looking at Harry, "Why are you a walking head?"

"ITS AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK!" he shouted excitedly.

"YOU GOT AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK?! FROM WHO?!" she exclaimed running towards him, her own presents forgotten.

"Professor Dumbledore, it's his father's" said Ron, as Alexandra looked over the note.

"Merlin's beard, what's he doing with an invisibility cloak," muttered Alexandra aloud.

"Heirloom, I think," answered Ron as Harry was a bit preoccupied twirling with the cloak and sporadically reappearing.

"He seems a bit excited, no?" Alex whispered walking towards Ron.

"Yeah, I think he's good." Ron whispered back.

The two of them left Harry with his magical cloak and headed to breakfast, in their dressing gowns.

It was Christmas after all.

A few hours later

Alex had finally finished opening all her presents. Wrapping paper was strewn around the common room, but it would be gone the next morning. Oh she loved magic.

She clutched the snow globe from Professor Flitwick and placed it beside the box of bezoars from Professor Snape.

She was just about to get started on all fifteen thank you notes she would have to write when,

"Alex,"

"Yes Harry?"

"It's snowing."

She looked outside, it was indeed snowing. A perfect Christmas snow, if she did say so herself.

"I want to build a snowman."

A snowman? Surely he didn't mean one of those obscene muggle men of snow.

"I can't make one by myself. I haven't ever done one before." he stated, climbing onto the sofa, as she dipped her quill in ink.

She sighed.

"Put your scarf on," she said, defeated.

If she caught a fever, it's so his fault.

The snow was around two feet deep and Alexandra couldn't tell if Harry was shivering due to excitement or the cold. She bet he didn't even cast a warming charm. As Harry ran out into the snow, leaving footprints behind, she muttered a quick 'focilio' and trudged after him.

Harry jumped into the nearest snowbank, intent on making snow angels.

"I thought we were gonna make muggle snow statues?"

Harry looked up, face full of snow.

"Oh, yea, we should prolly get started, sooooo..." he trailed off.

"Well?"

"How do we start?"

"I don't know! This was your idea, after all!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the frosty air.

"Oh." he looked disappointed... poor thing.

Alexandra pinched the bridge of her nose. One deep breath. Two. Thre-

She was met with a face full of snow.

He did not.

He did.

"It's on, Potter," she growled.

Harry laughed, before launching another one, that Alex swiftly ducked. She launched one in his direction, and it hit the target straight on.

Alex one, Harry one.

By early evening, the score was 127-152, in Alex's favour, of course.

The wonders of a sound strategy and the Geminio charm.

Although, despite the warm embrace of victory, neither child could deny that the warming spell had worn off and they were soaked to the bone. As they marched up the snow, clothes dripping and faces red, they came into view of the castle and looked at each other. Coming to a silent mutual agreement they started running.

"LAST ONE'S A VOMIT BEAN!" yelled Alex.

Now thankfully dry, the trio were sitting at the singular table for the Christmas feast.

Hogwarts used to feel so empty during Christmas. Now it just felt peaceful.

'Maybe that's how the professors feel,' wondered Alex.

'No. absolutely not, no sympathising with teachers. Nope, not after that ridiculously long history of magic essay. Not happening." she finished vehemently.

"You okay Alex?" asked Ron, mouth full of turkey.

"Just fine Ron, don't stop eating for me." she said smiling.

Ron couldn't tell if she was joking or not so he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Where were the two of you today?" he asked, swallowing his mouthful. "I tried to find you for wizard's chess, Alex, but you were missing."

"We went out, in the snow." said Alex, cutting up the potatoes.

"What are you, five?" laughed Ron, elbowing Harry.

Harry started to turn red, so Alex cut in for him.

"T'was my idea, Ron. The snow looked inviting and I felt the dorms a bit stifling." she said, biting into the delicious potatoes.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"When do you think they'll bring the pie out?"

"Ron, the feast started ten minutes ago."

28th December 1991

The dreaded empty space between Christmas and New Years. Alex nearly found herself wishing that classes would just begin.

Even the fire seemed bored, she thought, as the flames spluttered, sending sparks everywhere.

She was currently lying on the red and gold armchair, legs laying on its wide arms. Turns out, she'd been stuck on the same page for over ten minutes.

Bored out of her mind, she snapped the book shut.

"Harry?" she asked the boy sitting across her, who looked equally bored.

"Yeah?"

"You wanna explore?"

"Isn't it already half-past ten?" questioned Harry, looking at the watch Alex had gifted him.

"What kind of Gryffindor are you?" said Alex, jumping to her feet. "Come on, it's an adventure! Grab the cloak, we'll be dead as a dementor if we get caught."

And that was how they came to find the Mirror of the Erised.

After running for their lives, following a close encounter with Filch of all people, they found themselves staring at a mirror.

"What's this?" asked Harry, folding the invisibility cloak neatly.

"I- I don't know, it's definitely not been here before."

Alex walked closer to the mirror, curious, she thought she saw something aside from her reflection there.

"I see mum and dad!" shouted Harry, excitedly. "From the picture you showed me. And- and you and me, they're alive! Alex they're alive!"

'Huh?' thought Alex. She saw herself sitting at the edge of a fireplace, normal.

"Our parents are dead Harry." she said dryly.

"Well, maybe the mirror's magical," Harry said condescendingly, "You do know this is a magical school right?"

"Why-"

Alexandra looked in the mirror, shocked to see the same thing.

"D'you think this mirror shows everyone their parents?" asked Harry.

"What use would that be in a school?" she responded, awe-struck, running her fingers across the engravings.

The two of them stood in a comfortable silence.

"You know," Alexandra started, "You don't look like Dad as much as everyone says you do. Maybe I just don't see it, but there's truly no resemblance apart from the glasses and hair."

"Yeah, well, you don't look like mum either." said Harry testily.

"Harry, I'm literally ginger."

"Right, err, maybe we have a thing for just inheriting the hair?" Harry said, trying to cover his blunder.

"Just shut up."

"Yeah."

They stood there staring at the picture, no, mirror.

After what felt like hours, Harry started to unfold the cloak.

"We should prolly head back now."

"Mmhm,"

"Alex, come on."

"Alright," she said reluctantly, waving goodbye, although she knew they couldn't see her. "Let's come back tomorrow yeah?"

"Yeah."

If she could stay forever, she would have.

But all good things must come to an end.