A/N: Hey, Lise here. Technically, this chapter shouldn't be posted until December, but since Beth and I are uncommonly nice people, we're posting it very early. I hope you like it.

"What?" Annie squealed excitedly.

"Shh," Megan hissed. "Keep your voice down." When she had made the decision to tell her best friend about kissing the Slytherin, she'd expected revulsion and disgust, not excitement. Her nerves weren't prepared for that.

"Well," Annie pressed. It had been a whole five minutes, and she still couldn't believe that her friend had kissed the arrogant git. Megan groaned and hid her face in her arms. "At least tell me what happened," Annie pleaded. Megan sighed. She couldn't deny her friend that. When she'd finished her explanation, Annie gasped, but grinned widely.

"What?" Megan asked wearily. She was through with this whole thing. Now she was wishing that it had never even happened.

"What was it like?" Annie begged. Megan furrowed her brow.

"I kissed his cheek, Annie."

"So? It's still a kiss."

"It doesn't count."

"Does too."

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Forget it. I'm going to go shower. Megan dashed to the bathroom and slammed the door, glad to be rid of her friend's questions. Sometimes she wondered why she put up with it.

At breakfast, Annie didn't question her about Draco at all, and Megan was thankful, although she wondered if it was just because there were other people about.

"Are you going home for Christmas?" Annie asked. Megan nodded.

"Hannah and I are going on Saturday. How about you?"

"My parents are taking Zacharias and I to the seaside for the holiday. It's bound to be simply thrilling." Megan noticed the sarcasm that laced her friend's tone and smiled to herself. After breakfast, they left for their last day of classes before school let out for the Holidays. By the end of the day, they had enough homework to last them until Easter. At least, that's what Ron said, and Annie agreed with his wholeheartedly. Megan and Hermione just rolled their eyes.

-o-O-o-

On Saturday morning, Megan was checking her trunk to make sure that she'd packed everything that she'd need until December 31st. She was in no hurry, as she and Hannah were taking the train that left at three, instead of the one that left at ten.

At breakfast, she noticed Draco amongst his friends, laughing at something that a pretty redhead had said to his sister. Jealousy surged through her before she remembered that she wouldn't see him for two weeks anyway, and that she needed to get over it.

All too soon, three o'clock had rolled around, and it was time for her to leave. Megan and Annie boarded the train and quickly found an empty compartment. Zacharias and Hannah soon joined them, much to Annie's dismay. The train slowly pulled away from Hogsmeade station.

"It feels so weird," Hannah sighed, leaning back against the cushy blue seat.

"What does?" Annie asked. Megan's arms were folded tightly against her chest, and she was looking anywhere but at her sister.

"Leaving," Hannah elaborated. "In just a few hours, we'll be home for two weeks. No Hogwarts, no common room, no-" she broke off, exchanging looks with Zacharias and giggling. Megan dug her nails into her palms, wanting to throw something at her sister. A glance at Annie told her that her best friend felt the same way. They both knew that their siblings were baiting them, and both refused to play along. Finally, Hannah let out an irritated sigh, and turned to have a private conversation with Zacharias. Annie and Megan exchanged amused glances, then started a game of Exploding Snap that lasted for the majority of the train ride.

The ride passed quickly, and the girls soon found themselves pulling into the snow covered Platform 9 ¾. Megan looked at her best friend, and saw her blue eyes glossed over. The reality of the situation hit them, and soon they were hugging each other and crying.

"It's only two weeks," Annie sniffed. Megan nodded.

"And we'll write."

"Definitely."

"Are you two quite finished?" Zacharias inquired snidely. The two girls pulled back from each other mopping their eyes. Hannah and Zacharias were staring at them, identical repulsed expressions on each of their faces.

"We're coming," Annie said, her annoyance clear in her voice. She and Megan pulled their bags off the rack and exited the compartment and the train, leaving their siblings to trail after them. The two of them stood on the platform, searching for their families. Megan spotted Annie's parents first, and her own next to them. She pointed them out to her friend, who nodded and led the way.

"Hi, Mum," Megan greeted her mother warily.

"Hi, sweetheart," her mother said warmly, pulling her into a warm hug. Of course, Megan thought to herself. Appearances were very important to Lexa Abbott, so naturally, she'd put on a show of the perfect parent. But her daughters knew better.

"I've missed you, Monkey," her father said, taking her from her mother and holding onto her shoulders to take a good look at her. Megan giggled. Her father had always called her his Monkey, and Hannah was always Kitten, for reasons unknown. It was an undisputed fact that Landon Abbott was the best father around. Sure, Annie's parents were great, but Arlynn and Jasper Smith were high ranked Ministy officials, and were always busy. Megan's parents were Muggles, and her father was a web designer, so he was always there for her and Hannah when her mother was having another bad spell. Those had happened more and more in the months before Megan and Hannah left for Hogwarts. She hoped that it wouldn't happen during Christmas Holidays.

"Hi, Daddy," Hannah greeted their father. He picked her up and swung her around. Megan took a step back, not wanting to be hit. Her father had always treated her like an adult. It was plain to anyone that Hannah was his little girl, but Megan was his favorite. She was the serious one, the one who understood the adult things that her father told her. She understood him when he told her that he couldn't afford her birthday that year. She understood when he said that she'd have to go stay with Annie for a while, because her mother needed help again.

"Come on, girls," her father said, gesturing to them. "Say your goodbyes so we can leave."

"Bye," Hannah said tearfully, throwing herself at Zacharias. He appeared surprised, but hugged her apprehensively. Annie gave Megan a quick hug, and the two of them giggled at her brother's expression of utmost shock. Finally, Mrs Smith pulled Annie and Zacharias away from the Abbotts toward the barrier. Megan decided that it was time for her family to go too. She and Hannah each took the hand of a parent and led them through the barrier back to Muggle London. Once on the other side, their father led the family toward their old, battered Ford Anglia. It had once been a charming blue color, with buttery leather seats. Now, at 15 years old, the little car seemed fit for naught but a junkyard. Its blue enamel had worn away completely in some places, leaving large patches of rust. The seats were worn, even ripped in some places with the stuffing coming out. But Megan loved it. At the age of eight, she had even christened it Floyd. Hannah hated the car, saying it was a disgrace to the family, but Megan thought it had character. Her father held open her mother's door, and then went over to his own side to start the engine. It spluttered and coughed for a few minutes, but no one in the car worried. This was part of Floyd's starting up routine. The coughing died down into a hum. The car had started, and it was time for Megan to return to her home. She and Hannah climbed into the back, buckled up, and her father pulled out of the station.

"What went on at your school," her father asked, keeping his eyes trained straight ahead.

"Megan has a boyfriend," Hannah blurted out, before Megan had a chance to say anything.

"What?" their mother whipped around in her seat, her voice shrill. Both girls cringed, Hannah appearing to regret having said anything at all. Megan agreed. Information like that was best saved for alone time with their father. Their mother was much too... unstable to trust with information of that nature.

"Nothing," Megan said quickly. "Hannah was just joking, right Hannie?"

"Y-yeah," Hannah stammered. The two girls had had their lying techniques perfected by the age of four, but Hannah's were a bit rusty. Luckily, their mother bought it. She turned back around to face the front, her chest still heaving.

"That was close," Megan hissed to her sister. Hannah nodded fervently. Neither girl spoke again for the rest of the car ride, for fear of sending their mother to a point from which she couldn't be brought back.

Finally, their dad pulled into their... driveway? This wasn't the house that Megan was accustomed to. Her house was a small, brown, one story with shingles missing from the roof. This house was a pretty, buttercup yellow one story with a light brown front door and sky blue shutters on the window.

"Who's house is this?" Hannah gasped delightedly.

"Ours," their father answered proudly.

"That's great," Megan said softly, directing a pointed glance at her father. She would talk to him about affording it later. But how would they? They could barely afford the other house, and that one was falling apart. How would they be able to pay for this one? This house was actually something that humans could live in, for a change, but something told her that they wouldn't be staying there for long. Please, let us be able to keep the house, Megan prayed silently. I'll take back anything I've ever said or thought about Mother, if only we can stay here. There might actually be a slight chance of her getting better if we can stay here. There's no bad memories here. Nothing to scare her. Just please let us stay here.

"Come on, Monkey!" her father called. "Are you planning on staying out there all night?" Megan jerked her head up, noticing that her family had already exited the car and were heading toward the house. She picked up her bag, unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and climbed out, slamming it behind her. She knew how badly Floyd's doors stuck. She followed her family through the front door into the new house. It was clean, surprisingly enough. "Your bedroom is through there," her father told her, pointing down the hall to a door. "And Kitten's is right across from it." A thrill of excitement went through Megan's chest at this news. Her own room! She'd never gotten her very own room before. She and Hannah had always had to share at the old house, because of a lack of space. Hannah followed her down the gleaming hallway to the doors. Megan turned right, her sister left. She pushed open the door to her very own room, and found a normal girl's room. It wasn't crowded like her old room, in fact, it actually had extra space in case she needed it. She quickly put her stuff away and glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 6:30. Dinnertime back at Hogwarts. She wondered if her father had made dinner, or if she'd have to scrounge for herself. A quick sniff through her open door confirmed the former. The last time her father had made dinner was the night before she and Hannah had left for Hogwarts.

Dinner was a silent affair. Her father tried to make conversation, but there were so few topics that he could bring up without upsetting his wife that he just gave up. Megan and Hannah ate quickly, hoping to get back to the peace and solitude of their rooms before the inevitable meltdown that was sure to follow dinner. But no meltdown came. They made it back to their rooms, and listened for the sounds of crying. There were none. Instead, from the kitchen floated the unmistakable sounds of laughter. Their mother's laughter. Maybe she truly was getting better. With that thought in their minds, the girls got ready for bed.

Megan got up at about 11:30 that night. She needed a drink of water, and had forgotten to bring a glass to bed with her. She slipped out of her bed and tiptoed past her sister's room and her parents' room, hoping not to wake anybody. Her luck held, and she made it to the living room without hearing a sound. The living room door was ajar, and she paused by it, hoping that no one was awake. No such luck. Her heart sank. From the living room was coming the unmistakable sound of crying. Her mother's crying. She'd relapsed. Again. Megan tiptoed to her sister's room, opening the door quietly.

"Hannah," she hissed. Her sister sat up.

"What?" she asked sleepily.

"Mother's crying," Megan sighed sadly. Hannah threw her covers off, suddenly wide awake.

"You know the drill, Meg."

"Yes." Together, the girls tiptoed out to the living room, slipping through the door.

"You!" Lexa screamed the minute she saw her daughter. Megan's heart sank. Her mother hadn't forgotten. Of course she hadn't.

"It's okay, Mummy," Hannah soothed, sitting beside her mother on the sofa.

"It's her fault!" Lexa screamed. "It's her fault that I'm like this! She's a witch! She can make my back better! But she won't! It's her fault!" Megan stepped back, preparing to run at the next insult. "I hate you," her mother spat. "And I never want to see you again, you ungrateful little brat!" That was it. Megan spun on her heel and dashed for her room, the sound of her mother's sobs and cruel words following her.

-o-O-o-

Soon enough, it was Christmas Eve. Following that was Christmas Day. Megan got up to the sounds of Hannah squealing from her room, and dashed down the hall to the living room, her sister at her heels. They skidded into the living room, and stopped dead. Both of their parents were sitting on the sofa next to the tinsel covered Christmas tree. On the end table was a plate of assorted muffins. Megan and Hannah each took one and settled on the floor next to the tree. They munched muffins and opened their presents all morning.

"What's this?" Hannah asked, pulling out a tiny gift wrapped in silver paper from behind the tree. "Meg, it's addressed to you." Megan's eyes widened, but she took the tiny package. "Open it," her sister pressed. Megan shot her a dirty look, and slowly proceeded to fold the paper back, revealing a small jewelry box. She lifted the lid, and gasped at the contents. Inside was a pretty necklace. It had a disc in the middle, with a pearl in the center. Around the disc was an inscription. It readsimply Megan.

"Oh," her father gasped. "It's lovely, Monkey. Who gave it to you?" Megan examined the box. On the bottom was a small note. It read: I saw this in a shop, and it reminded me of you. The shopkeeper told me that Megan means pearl. Happy Christmas. There was no name. She showed her father.

"Look," Hannah gasped. She took the box from her sister and turned it over. There, on the bottom, was inscribed two letters in the same beautiful script as the note. SA. Secret Admirer. Who could that be?

-o-O-o-

The days passed quickly, and soon it was December 30th. Megan and Hannah would be going back to school the next day. The air was crisp outdoors, but the sky was clear. Megan grabbed her coat from the hook next to the front door and hurried outside. She walked down the road, enjoying the cold air that bit at her cheeks. This would probably be her last free moment until tomorrow on the train, and she was determined to enjoy it. She glanced down at the snow beneath her boots, and wasn't watching where she was going. The sudden impact sent her on her rear in the snow.

"Watch it," the innocent bystander sniped.

"Sorry," she said breathlessly, standing up and dusting herself off.

"Megan?" the person said, their tone surprised and achingly familiar. Megan slowly looked up, afraid if what she might see. Sure enough, she was staring straight into the gray eyes of Draco Malfoy.