December 20th, 1993. Monday

Selena woke up, snuggled in the cozy covers of her bed. Her bed in the room she had all to herself, the one she'd grown up in. Selena smiled to herself, looking over the blankets, around her bedroom's light-blue walls, maple drawers, wicker chair, and bookshelf stuffed with novels and baubles. Her shamrock poster of the Irish National Quidditch Team was taped on a wall, close to a sloppy collage of her family, along with two posters of her favorite celebrities: Darren O'Hare, Captain of the Irish Team, flying through the air as the emerald-adorned crowd cheered; and even a still-photo of The Rolling Stones, a Muggle band her older brother had introduced her to.

Sinking into her pillow, Selena reached over and found Crescent sleeping close by, his fur soft and silky. Light filtered in through the window on the side of her bedroom, tucked between two lacy curtains. Outside, the southern city of Bath, England, was cold and foggy in the morning air. Already, Selena could hear cars honking outside in the distance and the sound of some little kids shrieking with laughter.

The lavender in the nightstand beside her bed floated around the space, reaching Selena's nose, familiar and comforting.

It felt good to be home.

Selena slowly got dressed in jeans, brown boots, and a jacket over an aqua shirt. She didn't have to wear her Hogwarts uniform for while. Still, her charm bracelet jingled on her wrist, never leaving her sight. After brushing her teeth, she trotted down the stairs, the scent of cinnamon from the kitchen hitting her. Glancing around the wooden banister, pots and pans clanged in the sink as they magically cleaned themselves.

"Hey, sweetie," said a soft voice from the couch.

Selena turned and smiled. Her mother was reading a magazine about all the "Wizarding Hot-Spots" in America, curly brown hair draped around her shoulders. "Hey, mum."

Selena's father gave her a quick smile as well, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose like usual. He was immersed in reading the paper, one with adverts about tickets to a Celestina Warbeck concert and Daily Prophet subscriptions. He muttered something odd, sounding like "innocent."

Shrugging to herself, Selena ignored it. Her father usually got caught up in the papers easily. Looking around, she noticed that the post had arrived, several creamy envelopes lying on the kitchen table. She grinned. Three were addressed to her. Walking over to the envelopes, and picking them up, Selena opened the first one. It was a letter from Hazel.

Dear Sel,

How's your holiday going so far? Mine is going great! I'm visiting with my cousins right now in Norwich and we just finished making a gingerbread house and peppermint cookies. Yum. The house smells AMAZING!
Also, I got a letter from Rolf. He's doing splendidly as well and cannot wait to talk to you. Be expecting a letter from him soon, he asked for your address. We've decided to all swap presents. Rolf, Bronwen, Wendy, Alisson, Tess, Renee, and I... and you, of course! That is, if you want to. The rule is... it has to be under two galleons. Yeah.
I can't wait to see you soon, and I'll send you another letter on Christmas.

-Your friend,
Hazel

Selena smiled. The letter, with a small picture of a Christmas tree at the bottom that shimmered as she moved the paper, smelled of mint. She glanced at the next one. It was from Damon. She quickly took the small note from the envelope.

Hey Selena.
Apparently, I should get into the Holiday Spirit and write some letters. Hazel told me - before we left school - your address and encouraged me to a write a letter. I thought it would be nice. I'm new at his, so I don't know how to exactly write a casual letter correctly, or if there's a way to write mush in it. But, that's common around Christmas. You know. The "Love and Hugs and Blah, Blah, Blah." It gets annoying.
Anyway, I'll see you at Hogwarts and I hope you have a fun-filled (did I seriously just write that?) Winter Holiday.

-Damon

Typical Damon. It made Selena giggle, and smile at his effort. It was very nice of her friends to do that. Finally, she glanced down at the last envelope. She could see her name scrawled out on the front, clearly written with a quill, but she wasn't sure whose hand it was. She quickly opened it and took out the letter. Her smile slipped away. Within a few seconds, Selena moved to a chair to read.

Selena,

We need to talk. I'm getting nervous about this situation... you knowing about who I am. It's wrecking me. I feel like you're going to tell someone... It's making me mad and I wish that you had never found out. Harry said that I need to tell you how I feel. I feel like my life is ruined. It's my private business... and you shouldn't need to know anything. It's my problem to deal with.
But now, I have to know exactly what you know. I need to explain and tell you why all this is happening and why I haven't been... well, why I've been rude. Truth is... I really used to dislike you. From the moment you said my father was a criminal. Now, I can't ignore you, because you know part of the story.
It's killing me! I don't know what's right or wrong anymore. I'm still at Hogwarts, you know. Unlike you, I don't have a family to take the Hogwarts Express to during the holidays. McGonagall is trying to talk to me, but I can't tell her. She would probably turn me in. I feel like you'll do the same.
Don't show this to anyone either. I don't look forward to talking with you, but I have to. Look... you just wouldn't understand. What you know and if you tell anyone could ruin my life. It may seem dimwitted to you... but it's not! My dad almost died! And, I could too. If people found out.
Find me when you get to Hogwarts, and don't send a letter to me. DON'T.

Annabeth B.

Selena chewed on her jacket sleeve and kept looking at the letter. Annabeth wouldn't have any family to spend Christmas with. She would have Harry Potter, but it wasn't like being with parents and siblings, the way Selena was. The eleven-year-old glanced at the photograph of her own family, the picture moving on the kitchen wall. Her father, her mother, her brother, her sisters, and her. A happy family. Annabeth didn't have that.

"Sel... is everything alright?" her mum asked from the corner of the couch.

"Yeah. Just hungry. That's all," Selena lied quietly, not looking up from the letter. It wasn't all a lie, though. She actually was hungry. Thankfully, there was some food on the table that was warm and seemed delicious. Happy for the distraction, Selena stuffed the letter back into its envelope and stuck it in her jacket pocket.

However, she couldn't shake the words from her head: It's wrecking me. I feel like you're going to tell someone... It's making me mad and I wish that you had never found out. Harry said that I need to tell you how I feel. I feel like my life is ruined. It's my private business... and you shouldn't need to know anything. It's my problem to deal with.

December 25th, 1993. Saturday.

Selena laughed as she bounded down the tinsel-wound stairs with her two little sisters. Her eighteen-year-old brother boredly made his way down the steps, mussing his shaggy brown hair. Their parents smiled happily in their robes and fluffy slippers, her father already moving into the kitchen to get eggnog for the family. Her mother took her redwood wand from her robe pocket, waving it at the Christmas tree.

The star atop the green branches lit up, all the ornaments and fake icicles shimmering. Flames sparked in the fireplace, flickering and flaring in oranges and yellows.

Selena beamed, peering around the festive house. She didn't resist rushing over to the tree with her sisters, wrapped presents and wizards crackers spread out beneath the fragrant boughs.

Violet, the youngest sister at six, giggled and immediately grabbed a box marked 'Vi' with sparkly silver paper and a red velvet bow. Ivy, who had turned nine over the summer, picked up a present that looked suspiciously like a book.

Selena stooped down on the living room rug and saw several of the presents that were for her. She skimmed the tags, many bearing her friends' names: 'From: Hazel', 'From Rolf' '~Bronwen', ':Ree!', 'From Alisson' 'From Tess', and 'From: Wendy.'

Selena shoved Wendy, Alisson, and Tess' gifts to the side, immediately opening the small parcel from Hazel. It was a Remembrall. Selena smiled and gingerly set the glass orb back into its small gold box, tucking it beside her. Next was Rolf's. It was a few jokes from Zonko's, like a sugar quill and hiccough sweets. Plenty of pranks that Professor Snape would hate. Bronwen gave her lots of new books on mermaids and pixies, and one on Quidditch. Renee gave her a bobblehead of a cartoon wizard with a note. 'A cute Muggle toy! Its huge head that bounces is adorable, right?' She smiled and then looked over at Wendy, Alisson, and Tess' gifts.

She slowly unraveled the bow on one and the box fell open. It was the present from Alisson. Inside the purple paper, a small necklace with a miniature Gobstone lay inside a fleece pouch. Selena fought the urge to try it on, and instead looked at Tess' gift. Inside was a plush, azure blouse. Finally, Wendy's. It was a diary, brown with a little bronze clip to lock it and gemstones embedded artistically on the cover. Selena paused, running her fingers across the pretend jewels. A note was tucked into the gift box that read, 'This dairy reminded me of you. Hope you like it, and, please, don't be upset with me.'

When it came time to eat breakfast, Selena's mind circled back to all the presents from her friends. There was one thing for sure: when she got back to Hogwarts... she would have to face Wendy, Tess, Alisson, and even worse... a distraught Annabeth.

Yay! A long chapter! I'm far over the due date for this update though, and I apologize for that. All though, school has been hectic. More work and homework. And tests. And Math. (And Maths. Hehe)

Well, I have to go! Bye!

~Meghan