The next morning was Christmas Day.
Yawning Jack got up and started to get dressed just as the door opened and a high pitched scream was heard followed by the door slamming shut.
"What's going on?" Ron mumbled sleepily looking around.
"Little Miss Follow-The-Rules, didn't knock before she barged in here," Jack said from his bed smirking a little as he pulled on some pants.
"Well it's not MY fault I thought you would all still be in bed!" the door cried out in Hermione's voice.
"Actually it is," Jack replied smirking. "My birth parents had a saying you know. 'One should never assume anything. Because it just makes an ass out of you and me'."
"Besides Hermione," Ron said going over to let her in now it was safe "You shouldn't even be in here anyway this is the Boys dormitories."
Pouting still a little red with embarrassment, Hermione sat down on Neville's free bed and said she had been up for an hour adding more ingredients to the Polyjuice potion.
"It's ready."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked sitting up.
"Positive."
Rolling his eyes, Jack tuned them out and got to opening his presents.
Among them were: a new jumper from Mrs Weasley, some sweets from Hermione, arty things from Bunny, a small knife from North, some Muggle board-games from Elisa and Annie, a Christmas addition of a magazine called 'The Quibbler' featuring him as Jack Frost and his story from Luna (with a note saying her father was the writer of the magazine) and some cake from Hagrid.
Jack was about to see how to play the Muggle board-games when Hedwig and Archimedes flew in the snowy owl holding a package in her beak.6
"Hello," Harry said happily gently stroking her "You get me a present too?"
He took it and unwrapped it finding it was from the Dursley's and that it contained a toothpick and a note asking if he could see if he could stay at Hogwarts for the summer holidays as well.
"Don't really want you around do they?" Jack asked reading the note himself as he gave Archi some treats.
"Yeah well nothing new," Harry said opening his presents.
"Well I doubt you'll be able to stay at Hogwarts, but I can ask my family and see if they'll take you in, they did for me, eventually, but there might be some things that need to be explained before we get there if they say yes."
"If it's that much trouble, forget it," Harry said putting up Mrs. Weasley's card.
Not wanting to forget it, Jack wrote a note and sent Archi off to the Guardians.
Christmas at Hogwarts was, for lack of a better term, 'Magical'.
The Great Hall was decorated with 12 ten foot Christmas trees, the food was amazing, the crackers and their prizes were way better than the boring Muggle ones, enchanted warm, non-melting snow was falling from the ceiling, and the carols didn't take up too much time this year.
Jack was half-way though enjoying his gammon when he heard the others around him trying to stifle their laughter and Percy looking confused and asking what was so funny.
Curious Jack looked Percy up and down and saw that someone – possible one of the Twins, had bewitched his prized Prefect badge to now say 'Pinhead'.
Smirking Jack rolled his eyes left them be, wanting to finish soon so he could go off for a walk around the grounds with Elisa.
As he was finishing up his ice-cream dessert, Jack spotted Hermione grabbing Ron and Harry and lead them out of the Hall, supposedly to go about their plan.
Jack finished his spoonful of frozen cream and chocolate sauce and went to find Elisa at the Ravenclaw table along with her third year girl friends who all looked up as Jack came over.
Wanting to put on a show, Jack cleared his throat and bowed holding out his hand.
"My Lady Elisa Dale, may I just say you are looking extremely beautiful today," he began getting Elisa to blush and her friends to giggle a little, and getting Baby Tooth to roll her eyes, buzzing her wings in slight jealousy "And may I have the honour of taking you for a walk around the school grounds on this wonderful day. That is if your friends allow me to of course."
Elisa looked at her friends remembering that day in the library.
"Ignore my friends Sir Jack, they have no say on what I do with my life," she said getting up and smoothing out her fancy Christmas outfit a little "I would be pleased to join you, but I would need to get my scarf and coat first. Would you like to join me to Ravenclaw Tower so I can get them?"
Nodding Jack straightened up and held out his arm which she took before they left the Hall.
o0o
Jack had never been over to Ravenclaw Tower before, following her up a spiral staircase and was confused when they reached a door with no handle and no keyhole.
The only thing on the aged wooden door was a bronze door knocker in the shape of an eagle.
"How are you meant to get in?" Jack asked curious "Wait outside the window to let someone to 'let down their hair'?"
"No, Jack," Elisa said rolling her eyes "You need to answer a riddle the door gives you after you knock it using the knocker." she explained pointing to the knocker "It's different everyday and you only get one try at it."
Nodding Jack took a step back to let Elisa concentrate as she knocked on the door.
.
'The best gift is more precious than gold, but it cannot be sold
When it breaks it's not ended, for quickly it's mended
It can never be bought, yet is easily sought
What is the perfect gift?'
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Elisa thought about it said it a few times to herself, trying to ignore Jack who was saying he knew was it was.
"Agh… Fine Jack, what? What is it?" she asked turning to him.
"It's 'Friendship'," he said beaming happily smirking at her as the door opened.
"Thanks," she said "Now you wait out here, other houses aren't meant to be inside other houses common rooms.
"But I want to see it…" Jack said speaking like a child.
"Just give me a minute, no, give me five minutes," she said and entered, the door closing behind her.
Sighing, Jack took a seat on the top step and started counting.
"One… two… three… four…"
o0o
As Jack was coming to the last few numbers of his 'five minutes' the door opened again and Elisa came out in her winter gear which included midnight blue snow boots, a snow-leopard printed scarf, black gloves, and her winter school cloak which she seemed to have decorated with embroidered snowflakes around the cuffs.
Jack got up quickly and smiled.
"So Jack, where will we go first?" she asked as they started heading down the stairs.
"I was thinking a walk around the lake, and then possibly to see Hagrid if he's back in his hut, and finish up with a walk around the edge if the forest." Jack listed.
"Any chance of a snowball fight?" Elisa asked "I would really like to see if I'm still Snow Queen you know."
"If anyone else is out there and would like to join in too, than we can do that." Jack agreed smiling.
o0o
They were almost out the front door when a girl with long curly blonde hair came up from the dungeons wearing Ravenclaw colours muttering about a couple of stupid second-year Slytherin's.
"Penelope?" Elisa asked recognizing her "What were you doing down there?"
"Um… Just meeting with someone," she said blushing a little "And where do you think you're going?"
"Well, we think we're going to go on a not-date date outside for the rest of the afternoon," Jack said putting his arm around Elisa "You're welcome to join us if you like."
"Maybe, I think I'll spend some time doing homework first, see you later," Penelope said about to turn and head up the stairs when Elisa grabbed her.
"But it's Christmas," she said widening her eyes "Please…"
"No, please not the baby-doll eyes…" Penelope said covering her face so she couldn't see but then peeked to check if Elisa stopped.
She hadn't and now Jack and Baby Tooth were doing it too.
"Fine…" she said sighing saying she will just go and her outdoor things.
"We'll meet outside then!" Elisa said waving her off.
"I didn't know you could do that, Snowflake," Jack said pleased.
"How did you think Annie and I always got Daddy to give us an extra cookie before bedtime?" she asked smirking.
Again they were about to leave when this time Percy Weasley came out from the entrance to the dungeons.
"What were you doing down there?" Jack called out suspicious.
"That is none of your business Frost," he said standing tall before heading upstairs.
"Five sickles that the two of them were seeing each other," Jack said as for the third time, he and Elisa turned to the doors and this time managed to step outside.
"You're on." Elisa said smiling.
o0o
The not-date date was very nice to be honest.
They circled around the lake where Luna Lovegood had been making snow-angels and playing with some snow fairies who were surprised to see Jack with brown hair and brown eyes.
"Hello fairies," he said smiling holding out his hands for them to land on so they could rest their wings.
They squeaked to him in their own language asking those questions.
"Me lookie not me to take care lightning head. (I look like this so I can look after Harry Potter)" Jack told them in whispers.
Wondering why Jack was being so secretive the fairies look around and spotted Elisa.
"Femmie Big-head Jackie's Boggie-boo? (Is she Master Jack's girlfriend?)" one of them asked making Jack blush and look anywhere but at Elisa or the fairies.
Taking that as a 'Yes' the fairies flew over to Elisa and started circling her and squeaked a few comments.
"What?" she asked unable to understand Fairy.
"They're saying you're beautiful," Jack said coming around enough to introduce them "This is Periwinkle, Sugar, and Kelly."
"Nice to meet you and um… Thanks." Elisa said smiling wondering what they asked to make Jack go as red as a tomato.
After a few more minutes Jack and Elisa said they needed to leave to carry on with their walk around the grounds.
"So…" Elisa asked once they were a little bit away from Luna and the fairies.
"So…?" Jack asked not sure he wanted to know.
"What did they say to make you go all red like that?"
"They asked a question," Jack said keeping it as that.
"What question was that?" Elisa asked rolling her eyes and snuggling into his arm a little as a cold breeze went by.
"They asked if you were the girl who bested me last year," Jack said sighing dramatically, but Elisa could tell he was lying.
"Uh-huh," she said letting go of him and walking away a little.
"What it's true they asked that," Jack said reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't like lyres Jack Frost," she said crouching down to pick up some snow.
"But I'm not lying," Jack said trying to sound calm "They actually asked me that."
"Was that now, or at some other point in time?" Elisa asked standing up again and taking ten paces away from him.
"It was just now," Jack said nodding to confirm it.
"So, if I went up to a snow fairy and tell it 'I'm your Boggie-boo' what will it do?" she asked packing the snow she had into a ball.
"It will probably cheer and accept you as its new queen." Jack said shrugging and pausing in surprise as a snowball hit him.
"Oh no you didn't…" he said slowly and quietly looking at her.
"Oh yes I did…" Elisa said smirking and started to make another snowball.
They had just built their forts and were ready to start their snowball fight when Peeves interrupted them telling Jack that Potty, Weasel, and Brownie-Locks had had a few drinks and now Brownie was in the Hospital wing.
"What's the damage then?" Jack asked smirking a little.
"All I heard from Myrtle is that she's not feline all that good," Peeves said laughing and zooming off.
Rolling his eyes Jack said he had to go see his friends.
"Should I come too or will Hermione prefer less people around her?" Elisa asked as they headed back to the castle.
"Probably best if you didn't come, but I'll explain everything when I come out again." Jack said promising, then being a gentle man his parents raised him to be, bowed and kissed her right hand.
Blushing a little Elisa nodded and then went to go find Annie to spend some time with her before the day is over.
AN: Sorry this has taken so long - life here has been hectic over this last week with my dad having been taken to hospital
(He should be coming out soon though)
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Hope everyone is still enjoying this
Love U-D123 😊