ello! So, Reviews? Please? I mean, I have updated so much dudes and dudetts! Please? Pretty please? With scary black cherries on top?
I attached that to a small package with some weird pranks in it. I had found the box over the summer during a nasty bout of boredom. One made it so that if someone consumed it they would become anti-gravity… kind of. Another was a bottle of something that would make people sprout elf ears from the top of their head. I didn't bother labeling these, thinking it would be funny to watch the twins test them out on each other. I smiled to myself as I tied Fred and George's to my owl, and Hermione's to Tonks'. Whichever owl got back first would then take Neville his. I sighed and kicked off my shoes, throwing myself down onto my bed.
I fell right to sleep.
I woke up to the sound of my door being thrown open.
"RITA! WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Tonks yelled, running in and jumping on my bed. I laughed and rubbed my eyes. Sometimes I think I'm the adult in this house.
"Okay, okay! I'm getting up!" I said, almost giggling at her excitement.
"At the end of my bed sat two boxes. I smiled and leaned forward, grabbing them up. A letter fell from the top of the pile. I picked that up first, realizing with a frown that it was the letter I had sent to Neville last night.
His gran must have sent it back.
I grabbed the next one, smiling at the messy handwriting that read 'From Fred and George. To Rita'.
I shook it a little before opening it. Inside was a bag full of Zonko's jokes. I laughed and put them on my bedside table moving on to Hermione's. A heavy letter sat on top of a book.
Dear Rita,
Happy Christmas! Can you believe it? The year is already almost over! Don't worry, Ronald and Harry will come around. They just can't except that you are actually nice, and I suppose it doesn't help that you do like to tease them quite a bit..
Leave it Hermione to reprimand someone in a Christmas letter.
Anyways, it really isn't just your fault. I think Ron's having a rough time lately, what with his rat that is getting sicker and sicker. He seems adamant that it's because of Crooks, but I know for a fact that my little kitty wouldn't hurt a fly.
That's a lie, I've seen him eat many a fly before.
I miss you, and can't wait to see you at Hogwarts again! Oh and most of all I can't wait for the classes to start up again! You have at least started your homework, right? Knowing you, you probably haven't even looked at it yet. You might want to get started on it, there's quite a long and tedious potions essay due on the first lesson back.
Well I hope you find good use for my present.
Happy Christmas!
~Hermione Granger
I folded the letter back up and pulled out the book.
The Writer's Guide To Writing
I laughed and put it on my bedside table next to her letter and Zonko's treats.
"Alright, Tonks. Let's go!" I said, racing her out the door.
Under the tree were many present, more than last year. Or the year before that.
I sat down on my knees in front of the tree, passing Tonks her presents, and putting mine in a pile next to me. I frowned in confusion at the slightly larger pile.
I don't see why it would be larger, I only have two new friends and their presents were in my room.
I grabbed the squishiest looking one, and opened it up.
Hello dear. I wanted to thank you for being such a good friend to Fred and George, even if I had my doubts. I hate to admit, but I still do. However, I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and trust Fred and George's judgment. Inside is an annual Weasley Sweater. Hope it fits, the twins aren't very good with sizes, I'm afraid.
Molly Weasley.
I unfolded the light blue sweater, which had a large pale yellow-orange 'R' stitched onto it.
"Look, Tonks! Molly Weasley made me a sweater!" I exclaimed happily, sliding into it easily.
"Oh, how nice of her." She said, smiling at me.
"It's quite warm!"
"I would expect it to be, looks like wool."
Next was a box containing small pies, also from Mrs. Weasley. I unwrapped the usual from Uncle Ted and Aunt Andromeda, two each. I always told them they didn't have to get me anything at all, but they refused to listen.
By this time there was one last present in my pile. I looked at the horribly wrapped present, already guessing at what it was.
I unwrapped it, expecting a Shooting Star, or maybe even a Nimbus Two Thousand. My mouth popped open in shock when the new Firebolt rolled out into my hands. I whipped my head to the side, looking at Tonks with wide eyes.
"Tonks! Tell me you didn't-"
"I didn't. Is there a note?" She asked, shaking her head and frowning.
"Just a small one. It says, 'Use it well'. What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? Of course I'm going to use it well!"
"Language, Rita, dear."
"Sorry, Tonks."
"It's alright." She said, shaking her head and laughing under her breath.
"Can I go outside and ride it? Please!" I pleaded, giving her my best puppy dog eyes.
"Sure. Why not. But put a coat on first!" She said.
I groaned, my hand already on the door handle, and turned before sprinting up the stairs to my room. I threw on my jacket and ran back down stairs. I was out the door before she could say "Hat and gloves, too!"
I smiled, looking at my shiny new broom.
"This is crazy!" I mumbled aloud to myself.
The black shaggy dog came trotting up, and perked up when it saw the broom.
"Look, boy! It's a Firebolt! Although, you probably don't even know what that means… But a Firebolt! We'll beat Ravenclaw for sure!" I said, placing the broom on the ground next to me.
"Up!" I said, and it shot right into my hand, buzzing excitedly. Can brooms even buzz excitedly?
I threw my leg over the side, and kicked off. It rose easily and much smoother than I had expected. It turned at the slightest movement, and was perfectly narrow for going high speeds. I did a few laps, circles, and even hung upside down, using my legs to hold on.
This was definitely the best broom there ever was.
The Slytherins would be so jealous!
"YOU LET HER RIDE IT?!" Someone shouted from inside the house. I stopped quickly almost flying off the handle at the braking precision.
I flew down to the ground, just getting off when Aunt 'Dromeda came storming out.
"Oh my Merlin, Rita! Are you okay?" She asked, frantically looking over my body for bumps and bruises. I rolled my eyes.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You don't even know who sent you that broom! You shouldn't have rode it! And alone no less!"
"But… It's a broom? I've ridden tons of brooms!" I said, totally confused now.
She sighed.
"Rita… Don't get mad, but I think maybe we should take the broom…" She said, reaching out for it. I pulled it back quickly.
"What? No! Do you know what kind of broom this is? It's worth millions of galleons!"
"Exactly! So who would send it to you without a note?"
I shrugged, suddenly remembering the little scrap of paper.
"But there was a note! It said, 'use it well', and Hermione said that when Dumbledore gave Harry something that his dad had given him to give to Harry he wrote a note that said use it well."
"Why would Dumbledore send you a crazy expensive broom?"
I shrugged, "I don't know, but who else would-"
"Sirius would, that's who, Rita! Your father had the gold for maybe fifty of those!" She said, exasperated.
"But… Why?"
"You don't get it, do you? There could be a number of curses on that thing-"
"So you're saying he sent it to me to try and get me killed?" I asked bluntly. She cringed.
"Yes, but-"
"Why waste so much money on a poison apple?" I asked, kicking at the snow.
"...What?"
"It's from a muggle story. The evil witch gave the beautiful princess a poisoned apple so she would be the most beautiful woman in the land. What I'm saying is, why would he want to waste so much money on something just to kill me? Why not send an old comb or something?"
"Because you are more likely to freak out over a broom. And besides, it's much easier to get a broom to kill someone than a comb."
"Actually, it's quite hard to put any type of spell on a broom-"
"Rita. Please. Don't make this any more difficult."
"But I already rode it! And it worked just fine!" I groaned, looking up at the white sky.
"Rita. You can have it back. We just need to strip it first-"
"STRIP IT?!" I said, my face draining of all color as my neck popped with the force of how hard I whipped around to look at her.
I clutched the broom closely to my chest.
"No, no, no, no, no! No way!" I said, backing up as she came closer. Tonks and Ted just stood back, watching.
"Please Rita! I just want to make sure you'll be alright!"
"But…"
"It'll be fine afterwards, promise!"
I sighed and looked down at the gleaming wood in my hands, my face drooping.
"I will be able to ride it afterwards? It won't… Ruin it?" I asked, looking at her with one eyebrow furrowed.
"Yes!"
"...Promise?" I asked quietly.
"Pinky promise." I sighed and took one last, long look.
"O-Okay." I said, slowly handing it over to her.
She took it carefully, as if she expected it to show teeth and rip apart her face. I turned and kicked at the snow again.
"Man, this fuc-"
"RITA!" Three people yelled while the dog merely barked. I plopped down in the snow, drawing shapes with my fingers. They were red from cold, but I didn't mind. I quite liked the snow…
The others went inside, but I stayed out.
"You know, I should probably give you a name. You hang out around here enough…" I said, looking over at the dog.
"Get's kind of annoying calling you 'Dog'. How about… Snuffles?" I asked. He barked and lolled his head to the side.
I laughed and laid back, my arms spread out to my sides.
"Snuffles it is, then." Snuffles paced back and forth for a second before curling up next to me. I yawned and closed my eyes.