December

It was nearly Christmas, and Malfoy and I hadn't spoken a word about what had happened on that night when he came stumbling out of his room almost a month ago. We had finished out potions project, and gotten an O (for obviously.) And then we hadn't spoken.

Until today.

It was incredibly simple, nothing even really was said. He just asked for my notes so that he could compare his with mine after Quidditch practice. I said yes, because if Malfoy was asking me for a favor I could always hold it over his head later.

It was the end of yet another month. Malfoy and I still weren't speaking. It was strange. I almost missed having him heave insults at me left and right, while I deflected them with a witty comment or sarcastic smirk.

But everything else was fine. Beckett and I were going great, although I have to admit it wasn't very interesting anymore. It was just the same every day. Meet up, talk about grades, tiny bit of harmless gossip, I ship Al with some random girl, we snog a bit, and life goes on.

Al and I were doing fine. He's been spending a lot of time with Malfoy lately. We were still best friends, obviously, but he seemed kind of distant, sort of like he was too distracted to pay attention to anyone. My money is on him being infatuated with Alice Longbottom, he's been glancing at her constantly in Herbology since last month.

Jaedin is still the best. We'll have witty pun competitions, one of my favorite past times. I'll drag her to Quidditch games because although I felt that I couldn't keep up with both Quidditch and head girl duties this year, I was completely obsessed from 2nd to 6th year. One of the best Keepers the school's ever seen. (At least according to my Mother, but that doesn't really count. Dad still claims that he was the best.) We play Wizard chess and watch muggle television shows in our free time. Jaedin has gotten me hooked on "Charmed." It's about witches, and it's hilarious.

I've met someone new as well. Reagan Max- an American transfer student from Ilvermorny who showed up a couple days ago. I was in charge of showing her around. She's been put in Ravenclaw, so we have Charms together; and even with her strange accent, she's quite fun to be around. I think we're becoming fast friends.

"Christmas, Rose! You'd better bloody well wake up all the way and get some coffee or something or I'm stealing all of your presents!" I hear various different versions of this sentence when I open the common room door to find Albus and Jaedin coming to celebrate with me.

I yawn, but pull my hair into a bun and flop down onto the couch anyways.

I hear someone yelling and turn to see the great and majestic Scorpius Malfoy holding the toe that he just stubbed on a table leg. I hold in a laugh.

He grabs his shirt from off the ground and pulls it over his head, sitting in the armchair opposite me. It takes him a moment to realize he isn't the only person in the room. He looks at Albus and Jaedin and exclaims, "Why are you two here?"

Albus replied sarcastically, "Well you see, dear friend, there's this thing called Christmas."

Malfoy glared at him and leaned back into the chair, "Go on with it then, I won't interrupt you."

I nod to Albus, "You give out yours first."

Al pulls a few presents out from under the tree, hands me and Jaedin ours, then tosses Scorpius his from across the room, "Catch, mate!" (He does not, in fact, catch it. It hits him in the chest)

I got a book, "Quidditch Through the Ages," I read.

"I know you've already read it but I thought you'd like your own copy."

"Thanks Al," I smiled.

Jaedin got a stuffed red panda, because of her strange obsession with the things, and Scorpius got a book as well, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Al, you know I have a million copies of this already."

"Yes, but do you have a signed one?"

Scorpius quickly opened the cover to find the author's signature, "Thanks mate."

Al shrugged.

Jaedin went next. She gave me a coffee mug that informed people if it was not empty they had better not be talking to me in the mornings. She got Albus a boxed set of "Doctor Who," which was his new muggle obsession, and she got Scorpius a scarf, red and green. "I thought you needed something a little more festive than just plain ol' red, you know?" He had agreed and wrapped it around his neck immediately.

I went last. I handed all three of them their gifts, Jaedin beaming when she unwrapped another red panda, this one holding a heart with her name on it; Albus laughing when he realizes I got him a book about how to pick up girls; and… I don't exactly know what Malfoy was doing. He was just sort of... staring at the snitch in his hand. (Yeah, cheesy right? A snitch, but I couldn't think of anything. What else do you get your worst enemy for Christmas after you've kissed him multiple times?)

He murmured. "Merlin Rose, thanks."

I shrugged, "It's the one from your first game. Coach likes me so I convinced her to let me have it. Sorry I couldn't think of anything else."

"No it's- it's great. Thanks."

We continued. Scorpius handed everyone a package, Albus got a broom polishing kit, Jaedin got a pair of gloves in her Slytherin house colors, and I got a- "Oh my Gods."

I was holding a necklace in my hands. A beautiful gold necklace that said my name in beautiful gold letters.

I couldn't stop staring at it. I swear all of them thought I was mental. I might marry this piece of jewelry though, so I suppose I am a bit mental.

Jaedin was getting tired of waiting for me to show them what it was, so she sprang up from her seat and came to investigate herself. She lifted it out of my hands gingerly, "Oh my gods," she breathed. She looked up at Scorpius, but his eyes were staring at the ground so intensely you'd think he would find the meaning of life written in the carpet. She exchanged a glance with me that obviously said something along the lines of He's so fit though. It's a shame you have a boyfriend. Mind if I tag in instead?

I managed a quiet, "Thanks" to Scorpius before excusing myself to the bathroom.

I was still sitting against the wall of the bathroom trying to figure out exactly what this gift meant, when I heard a banging on the door, "Rose?"

"What is it Malfoy?"

"Let me in."

"If you didn't realize, this is a restroom, two people aren't usually meant to share it at once."

"Look. I don't know what could possibly be worth an hour of your time in there, but Albus and Jaedin have both left, and I want to tell you something."

Still cradling the necklace in my hand I opened the door carefully, "What is it?"

He looked at the necklace in my hand, "Why aren't you wearing it?"

I shrugged and handed it to him, turning to face the mirror and pulling my hair up from around my shoulders.

He set the necklace gently on my neck, clasping it together gracefully, before letting his hands fall to his sides.

I let my hair drop and admired the necklace on me.

"So why did you get it for me then?"

"What?"

"Can't you tell me why you got me this amazingly beautiful necklace when we're barely even friends at the best of times?"

He shrugged, "I've already told you."

You're bloody gorgeous Rose, okay?! The words rang in my head over and over again, and suddenly we were hugging. It was sweet and innocent, almost like two children had just made up over a fight about who gets the last slice of pie.

With my face still buried in his chest I questioned, "So what did you want to tell me?"

"That the necklace looked amazing on you."

"You couldn't have known though. I wasn't wearing it before."

"But I did know."

"How?"

"Because anything would look amazing on you."

Then I hugged him, I don't exactly know why.

We left it there and stood in silence for what seemed like forever, just wrapped in this sweet, calming hug.

And I never wanted it to end.