Chapter 17
A Christmas Betrayal
Hagrid had told us where he had been when Ivy, Hermione, Ron and a recently banned from Quidditch Harry accompanied me to Hagrid's hut (where Hagrid hugged me when Harry the big mouthed bastard told him about Draco and I breaking up.).
He was with the Beauxbatons Headmistress, Madam Maxime and trying to befriend the giants to keep them from going to Voldemort's side. Voldemort wanted nothing more than the giants back in his service like he had in the previous wizard war.
The first lesson with Hagrid back, he introduced us to a creature that only Harry, me, Neville and another person could see…because we had one thing in common.
We had seen death.
The creatures were called Thestrals. Giant, winged bony horses (reminded me a bit of my Aunt Petunia…jokes, jokes.) with a great sense of direction and they pulled the school carriages.
It was the last DA meeting before Christmas, and everyone was doing well. And I was so proud.
But the Christmas holidays that year was bringing out my inner Goth girl. Christmas was normally Draco's and my time, and it was an important day…it would have been a whole year to the day when Draco first asked me to be his.
The Room of Requirement (the title of the room that we were practicing Defence in, according to Hermione.) had decorated itself for Christmas that day, with golden baubles and signs with Harry's face on them (and yet, here I was signless!) that read: HAVE A VERY HARRY CHRISTMAS!
Harry and I stood there after a very good lesson of practicing the Impediment Jinx reviewing Stunning, me beaming at the people I helped teach proper defence.
"Excellent work, everyone!" I said proudly "I'm quite impressed. Maybe when we come back in the New Year we can practice bigger stuff, Patronuses and stuff…and just to piss off Zacharias, maybe I'll teach you all hand to hand combat, for when you lose your wands." I said, smiling. "Happy Christmas, all."
"Yeah," Harry chirped "Happy Christmas."
Everyone started filing out, some of them, Seamus Finnegan included, stopped to wish me a Happy Christmas and hug me, knowing what hell I was going to go through.
When all but Harry and Cho Chang were gone, I wanted nothing more than for her to leave, let me be alone with my brother. But, that wasn't happening.
She was crying over Cedric and asking Harry if Cedric had known his stuff if he'd have still been alive.
I pretended to clean up, ignoring what they were saying, holding my tongue when she said she really liked Harry.
Yeah, right. I thought I had someone who really liked me too, it was all an act, Chang…just a stupid act. That's what love is.
And that's when Harry did something I will hate him forever for…and he knew I was there.
He was under the mistletoe with Chang…and he was kissing her…right in front of me!
I fumed and ran out of the room, slamming the door as I went and leaving the "lovebirds" in private.
I slumped down in a corridor and started sobbing. "H-How could he?" I said. "H-He knew I was r-right th-there!"
Someone sat down next to me "Han." Fred's voice said "What's wrong?"
I sniffed and looked up, seeing that Fred was smirking down at me. "I -" I started "Nothing." I said "Forget it." I said, burying my face in my arms.
"I know." Fred said, wrapping an arm around me "You're upset because of what happened still, especially now."
I shook my head "Not just that." I choked out "Harry…I was still in the room with him…and he was…snogging Chang! Right in front of me!" I said, starting to cry again.
"Hey, hey." Fred said, hugging me "Not now…it's Christmas. And you're going to be coming home with us for the holiday, perk up, there's no Malfoy in You-Know-Where!"
I sniffed "I know…" I said, smiling a little "I don't know what I'd do without you, Fred." I admitted.
Fred lifted up my chin and made me meet his eyes "Likewise, my Sly little Slytherin." he said before he did what I was and still am pretty sure wasn't in the Sister handbook.
He…kissed me.
Soft and gentle as it was…it reminded me too much of Draco…and it was contrasting Draco's hard, demanding…overly passionate kisses.
I pulled off and stood up "I'm sorry…I can't." I said, starting to turn away "Not at Christmas." I said finally, starting to walk back to the dungeons, tears stinging my cheeks as I plugged in my MP3 player and played Evanescence full blast, even after I fell asleep.
…
My dreams were haunted by the Yule Ball from fourth year…the kiss, the dancing, everything. It wouldn't let me sleep in peace.
All that ended when someone shook me urgently, nearly making me fall off the bed.
It was Professor McGonagall.
"Professor!" I whispered, pulling out an earbud and letting "My Immortal" play in my other ear "What can I do for you at this late hour?" I asked.
"Ms Potter, you must come with me." Professor McGonagall said urgently "Your brother has had a nightmare about Mr Weasley's father. Apparently, he was attacked by a snake and is in grave danger. And he was right. You, the Weasleys, Ms Duff and Ms Granger must go to…" she lowered her voice to a near whisper "Headquarters at once." she said, letting me get up off the bed.
"But, Professor, my trunk, my clothes, Hellion." I said, motioning to my trunk at the foot of my bed.
"Your owl may be left in a dorm mate's care. You may bring your cat. And your trunk will be sent to you afterwards. You must come now." McGonagall said urgently
I nodded and picked up a sleeping Hellion "Yes, Professor." I said, putting on my dressing gown and tucking my MP3 in the pocked as I cradled Hellion in my arms and followed McGonagall out of the common room in my slippers.
…
When we got to Professor Dumbledore's office, Ivy, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George and Harry were already standing around a glowing blue Portkey.
"I am so sorry to hear about Mr Weasley, guys." I said, turning to Ron, Ginny and the Twins.
The Weasleys in the room were all shocked and pale, but they nodded in acknowledgement anyways.
Harry took my wrist and muttered in my ear "Did you have the snake dream too?"
I shook my head, pulling my arm out of his grip with a cold glare. "No. The only thing I saw of yours was your snog session with Chang!" I snapped as I went to stand in between Fred and George, touching the Portkey in a mixture of misery and anger. "And on Christmas too!" I added in an epilogue as I felt a jerk above my naval, where I grabbed Hellion in my free arm just before we started spinning away from the Headmaster's office.
…
Mrs Weasley was awake when we got back to Grimmauld Place and so was Sirius.
"Sirius!" I said, running up and hugging him.
"Han!" Sirius said, squeezing my shoulders "Harry told me about the Malfoy boy."
I glared at him "Gee, Harry, why not alert Witch Weekly, too about the break up?" I demanded coldly "And in exchange, I could tell them that you've been snogging a Ravenclaw!"
"Let it go!" Harry shouted "It was just a kiss under the mistletoe, what did you expect me to do, leave her hanging?"
"At least wait until I left the room before you started snogging her!" I snapped, letting Hellion go.
"Both of you, enough!" Sirius said "Molly, kindly show Harry, Ron and the twins to their rooms. I'll show Hannah, Ginny, Hermione and Ivy to theirs." Sirius said, taking a hold of my arm and steering me upstairs.
"Now what was that about, Hannah?" Sirius asked, turning to me when we went in the house.
I took a deep breath and told him about the whole Harry-kissing-Chang-while-I-was-in-the-room thing.
"Wow…" Sirius said, opening a door and letting Ginny, Mione, and V go in first "I guess you have a reason to be mad. What with Malfoy's son asking you out on Christmas, and the breakup, and the whole thing with you being heartbroken…you must be on an emotional roller coaster."
I nodded "Yeah…" I said "I feel as if I'm PMSing all the time."
Sirius nodded and hugged me "We'll talk in the morning on the way to St. Mungo's to see Mr Weasley. Maybe some sleep will make you feel better."
I nodded "Maybe." I said, giving Sirius a quick hug "Night, Sirius." I said entering my room.
"Night, Hannah." Sirius said, closing the door behind me as I fell onto my bed and went into dreamless sleep.
