CHAPTER 10! Christmas Time!
Hey Viktor!How are you? Time flies doesn't it! It's been like, two months since Hogsmeade, and I haven't spoken to you since, although I'm pretty sure I promised to! Things have been ok here. Did you hear one of our teachers got attacked? Professor Lupin, our Defence teacher. He's doing so well. He's out of St Mungo's and back in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts thank god! We were all so worried! He's a good friend of Harry's, and we like our sub and everything, but he's bit loopy! It'll be good to have Moony (Professor Lupin) back!
How has everything been with you? I've heard nothing about you leaving the team, did you change your mind? Or maybe you're just switching sides…more and more people seem to be doing that lately…
Anyways, it's nearly Christmas! I'm so excited, I love Christmas! It's so awesome, with the presents, and the family and stuff! Maybe you could come and visit us? We're all having a big party at the Burrow, I'll find out if you can come k? I should go, miss ya! Merry Christmas!
Liss
Xxx
Hello,
Yes, it has been a while hasn't it? I'm sorry to hear about your professor, and I'm glad he is doing well. Didn't he get attacked on the day we met? It was in the paper, but I didn't know he was your teacher. How sad, and a friend of yours too…
No, I haven't left the Quidditch team. I have no intention of ever changing sides, I know where I am, and I'm sticking to it, I just hope others I know can accept that, for they have made the opposite choice to myself…do you get my drift?
Well, I would love to come and visit you all, as long as Hermione and the twin man are alright with it, it would be good to see you all again. Plus, I have you a Christmas present, which I would like to give you in person…
See you soon (hopefully!), and wish everyone a Merry Christmas for me!
Viktor
Dude,
You bought me a Christmas present? That is so awesome! Thank you so much! Hermione and George (and everyone else for that matter) said they'd be happy for you to come around for Christmas, everyone agrees it would be good to see you (by the way, George is what WE call the 'twin man'! P)
Well, nyah, because I got you a Christmas present too, so you have to show up now! And I think I most definitely got your drift with the 'Quidditch' sides, and I'm glad to hear it. It seems I was fed false information by Evan's cousin, tell him to shoot her for me ok?
I should probably go now, I'm staying with the Weasley's and we're going Christmas shopping! So excited! I love shopping!
Liss
Xxx
"So he actually asked if we would mind him coming?" Hermione asked, peeling potatoes.
"Yeah, he did! I think you scared him Georgie!"
"Good! Maybe he'll stay away from my girl!" he replied indignantly, putting an arm around Hermione's waist.
"I don't think he's got his eye on me anymore," Hermione replied, grinning at Melissa.
"Oh shut up!" Melissa replied, throwing a potato at her. It missed by several inches, and Harry caught it as he came through the back door.
"Dude, please, no more U.F.V's,"
"U.F.V's?" Melissa asked, giggling.
"Unidentified Flying Vegetables," Harry replied, tossing it back.
"Well it can't be unidentified if you know it's a vegetable. Besides, it's quite clearly a potato," Ginny said, pushing Harry out of the way of the back door so she could get in. "Lucky you're a Seeker though, or it would have smacked you right in the head!"
"This is true!"
Mrs. Weasley had sent them all an invitation to stay with them at the Burrow two weeks before the Christmas holidays. There were so many of them there, and it was very crowded, but they managed. Fred, George and Charlie were squeezed into the twins room, Harry and Ron had Ron's room, Hermione, Melissa and Ginny were in Ginny's room and Bill and Fleur were in Percy's old room. Remus was arriving Christmas Eve and sleeping in the lounge, where everyone could keep an eye on him, and there were also frequent visitors constantly roaming through the house. Moody, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were frequent visitors. To accommodate all of this, they ate every meal outside, and rarely tried to squeeze everyone into one room of the house.
The Weasley's backyard was large, and Mr. Weasley had cast a heat charm, so the ice and snow that came with winter and Christmas did not bother them.
"So guys, shopping today?" Melissa asked hopefully. There was a collective groan all around the room; she asked this everyday.
"No, she's right. We should probably go soon, or none of you will get presents," Mrs. Weasley said, coming through the adjoining door, folded washing in her hands. "Ron, put these in your room, and DON'T just dump them on your bed, actually put them away today please?"
"Yes mum," Ron replied begrudgingly. Everyone sniggered.
"I think we should go shopping today, it's as good a day as any," Ginny said, smiling sweetly at her mother.
"I agree. Your father is home today, and Hagrid said he'd call by in about half an hour…we could persuade them to come with us…"
"Great idea mum!" Fred exclaimed. "Spectacular! We need to check on the shop…" He muttered.
"Oh no! You are not going anywhere near that shop today! Family day, Weasleys…and co." she said, tipping her head towards Harry, Hermione and Melissa. They grinned.
"So nyah!" Melissa added.
"Maturity is not her strong suit," Harry said quietly. Melissa kicked him in the shin.
Diagon Alley was almost empty when they arrived. The ministry had lent them cars, solely on Harry's behalf, and they were there in less than five minutes. Hagrid and Tonks accompanied them, and Harry marveled as he looked around at the witches and wizards around him. They entered and exited the shops without a word. Mother's held their children's hands so hard their knuckles were often white. There was no stalk between the people walking down the street, they merely nodded and went on their way.
"Hey! What happened to Fortescue's?" Harry asked, shocked. There were Ministry officials everywhere and the door had been bashed down.
"Hold on," Mr. Weasley replied, and hurried over. He had a hurried discussion with a man at the door, and ran back.
"Fortescue was dragged off in the middle of the night. Apparently there's an anti-apparating jinx on the place, so they bashed the door down," he looked at the ice cream parlor sadly. "I'm glad I don't work in that department. Fortescue was a good man,"
"I know…he used to give me freed sundaes when I was here in third year. I liked him,"
"Me too," Mrs. Weasley replied. "But we have things to do. Now, I imagine you kids want to stick together?"
They all nodded in agreement.
"Well, Arthur and I have to go and buy presents too. Hagrid will go with you, alright?"
They nodded, although they didn't see the point. They all knew she was asking them only to be polite; Hagrid was coming whether they liked it or not.
"'Where are we going first?" Harry asked.
"Can we PLEASE go to our shop?" Fred asked, looking desperate.
"On one condition," Ginny replied.
"What?"
"We get free stuff!"
"Dude!"
"Ah, ah, ah…do you want to go or not? I'll tell Mum…" she asked in a sing-song voice, smiling sweetly.
"ONE free thing, that's it! Choose wisely!" George hissed, and they walked into the brightly colored store.
In the shop, they all separated, and after choosing her free gift (a Pygmy Puff), Melissa somehow wound up in the Defence section of the shop, a much more serious place to be. She considered buying a shield cloak. It was invisible once you put it on, and it blocked all simple spells. But she figured if her parents or their Death Eater friends were to attack her, they wouldn't be likely to use simple spells, would they? She was holding the cloak, lost in thought, when someone bumped into her.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, offering her hand to the person on the floor. They took it gratefully, and as he stood up, she realized who it was.
"Malfoy!"
"You!"
"At least I had the decency to say your name," she replied, giggling.
"Why would I disgrace my lips with such a word?"
"Well, you could at least try and be nice, the rest of us try with you!"
"Saint Potter doesn't try! Weaselby and the Mudblood don't try!"
"Why do you care anyway Malfoy?"
"I don't! Would you just leave me alone? Do you have any idea how retarded you are?"
"At least I'm happy," she whispered, and took a few steps before turning back. "Merry Christmas Malfoy,"
She wandered away to find Ginny and the others, not quite knowing why she suddenly felt pity in her heart for Draco Malfoy.
They managed to find the remainder of their gifts with time to spare, and went to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. As they were discussing George's previous relationships, much to Hermione's disgust, Melissa spotted Malfoy trying to slip through unnoticed. A small sliver of pity stung through her again, and a sudden though popped into her head.
"I have to go to the toilet! I'll be back in like, 5 minutes!"
"5 minutes? It takes you that long?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yep, and I need Ginny for protection!" she replied. She grabbed Ginny's hand and dragged her off the seat.
"What are we doing?" Ginny hissed.
"I'm buying one more present!" Melissa replied.
"Who the hell for?"
Melissa stopped. "Ok, Gin, please don't think I'm crazy, even though I think I'm crazy…."
"What are you on about?"
"I'm buying Malfoy a present,"
"You're…you're what? You're crazy!"
"You heard me, just shut up and help!" she grabbed Ginny's hand again and they ran through the hole in the wall to get back to the shops.
"Ok, um…oh my God I don't know!" Ginny squealed, laughing.
"Um…"
"Quidditch! He loves Quidditch!" Ginny exclaimed. They ran into Quality Quidditch Supplies and looked around.
"Ok, think…expensive!" Melissa said, laughing. Ginny stopped and looked at her. "What? Dumbledore just keeps adding money into my account, so I figure I should use it right?"
"Oooh! What about these?" Ginny said, looking over Melissa's shoulder.
Melissa turned around to see the most exquisite Seeker's gloves she'd ever seen. She picked up the card and read it.
"100 Leather, weaved with Silver filament. That sounds like a Malfoy thing. 25 Galleons…shit ey, that's a lot!"
"Indeed…should we? I mean, should you, because I'm so not wasting my money!"
Melissa grinned. She took them over to the counter and paid for them. "Gift wrapped please?" she asked, shooting the assistant a grin. He smiled back, and pointed his wand at them package. Instantly it wrapped in Black paper, with Green and Sliver ribbon.
"I'm not even going to ask how you know!" Melissa exclaimed, amazed.
"No, you probably shouldn't!"
"Um…ok…"
"I scared you didn't I?"
"No, nothing can scare me,"
"Ok enough with the flirting!" Ginny exclaimed. "We have 20 seconds and if we're not back in that time, Mum will kill us. Bye!"
"Seeya dude!" Melissa exclaimed, as Ginny ran her out of the store.
"Quick, give it to me!" she hissed, as they were running. She pulled a small box out of her pocket and put the present in. It shrunk immediately and she put the box back in her pocket.
"What the hell is that?"
"My free gift!" Ginny whispered, as they sat back down at the table.
"What took you girls so long?" Mrs. Weasley screeched. Harry looked at them strangely.
"We had a little issue with some stuff Mum," Ginny said, tipping her head slightly. Mrs. Weasley's mouth formed into an 'O' shape and she dropped the subject; Ron mimed vomiting into his Butterbeer.
Christmas morning came, and Melissa woke to Ginny shrieking over the top of her bed.
"Liss, oh my God! You rock!" she held up the bikini Melissa had bought her.
"You like it?"
"I can't believe you remembered I wanted this! This is so awesome!"
"Oh! There's something else!" she pulled out a small velvet bag from in her bedside drawer and handed it to Ginny.
Inside was a large, chunky silver ring, engraved on the inside 'Thanks for everything Red…yeah dude!'. Ginny squealed in delight and jumped on Melissa to hug her.
"Oh my God, I love you so much! I got a ring, I got a ring!" she sang. Melissa laughed and got up. There was a small pile of presents at the foot of the bed and Melissa sat up quickly to open them.
'Melissa, Merry Christmas, Harry!' she read the tag and laughed. Opening it up, she found a wristband with 'EVANESCENCE' on it, and a small silver chain with a revolving orb on it.
"Madness!"
"Ooh, that's really pretty, who's it from?" Ginny asked.
"Harry," she replied, looking at it smiling. "What did he get you?"
"Um, hang on…" Ginny picked up the last present and opened it slowly. Melissa could see she'd been saving this for last.
"It's a photo!" she exclaimed. "Of me and him at the concert…and a…oh my God!"
Inside was another ring, gold and thin banded, with a small diamond in the middle.
"Gin, that's gorgeous!" Melissa exclaimed, sighing.
"I…I know. I'll be back later yeah? I have to go…say thank you," she walked out slowly, still in shock and staring at the ring on her finger in awe.
Melissa opened her other presents. From Ron, she got a book about Quidditch. Hermione, a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans. The twins had gotten her a collection of pranks from their shop (she would ask them exactly what they did before she went near them!) and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given her a black and pink striped Weasley jumper and a collection of fruitcakes and fudge. Dumbledore had sent her a large collection of chocolate.
She had two presents left when she felt a stab of pain. This is my first Christmas without Mum and Dad! She began to cry, and her tears fell, but did not hit the ground. They stopped, 6 inches from the ground, and slid down an invisible surface.
"What the hell?" she asked herself aloud. She picked up the thing, which materialized immediately in her hands. A purple box, with gold ribbon around the top was in her hands, and as she read the tag, she trembled slightly. Love Mum and Dad it read. It was signed with the Dark Mark.
She opened up the ribbon slowly and fearfully, not really wanting to know what was inside, but curiosity overcame her. She yanked it open and pulled the lid off. Inside was a beautifully carved white Jewellery box, hand painted with black roses and gold markings. It had old Latin around the top of the lid, and she marveled at its beauty before opening it. Inside was a large green emerald necklace on a thick gold chain. She gasped and pulled out the only photo of Bellatrix Lestrange she'd seen; the article on Harry's bedroom wall that she'd stolen. Bellatrix was wearing that exact same necklace. She picked up the note inside the box.
This box, and it's contents, have been passed from mother to daughter for centuries past. Far be it for me to ignore tradition. On the 15th Christmas of the one you bear, you shall continue the tradition too. Until then…sleep well.
"Sleep well? What the hell does that mean?" she asked. For a moment, she considered putting the necklace on, but changed her mind, and placed it back in the box. "Harry would recognize it. And besides, it's probably cursed or something…"
As she was putting the Jewellery box back in the purple one, another gift appeared at her feet.
"What is up with this today?" she exclaimed, laughing. The tag said it was from Viktor, and she opened it, excited. She pulled softly on the silver ribbon and pulled the lid off the box. Inside, wrapped in gold silk, was a black, leather bound journal. As she looked at it, her name appeared, engraved in the leather. She gasped as she realized it was not the name she had given him, but instead, her real name…Malicia Lestrange.
She stared at it for what seemed like an age, and opened it. The first page said something in Bulgarian. She couldn't make it out, but it looked romantic anyway.
"It means 'From heart to mind, your words are mine,'" said a gruff voice from behind her. (A/N: In previous, unpublished one-shots, (and also this one!) I've tried to work in Krum's accent, but I can't do it, so you can use your imaginations!)
"Hey!" she exclaimed, spinning around to find Krum behind her. She hugged him tight and he grinned.
"How have you been?"
"Good! Tired…but good! Harry and Ginny have been trying to teach me Quidditch, but it hasn't quite worked out so far, and they've been working me to my bones!"
He laughed. "Oh well, it's not in everyone!"
"Thank you so much for my present!" she gushed.
"You don't even know what it is," he replied, laughing.
"Well, it's a journal isn't it?" she asked, confused.
"It's not just any kind of journal. Here, show me,"
She handed him the book and he opened up the second page. Words appeared on it.
"My name is Viktor Krum, and this is your Christmas present! All you have to do is think and your thoughts appear. It saves wrist cramps!"
Melissa laughed.
"It does more tricks. I can't see everything you write, but," he pulled a small thin package out of his pocket, also wrapped in gold silk, and gave it to her. It revealed a beautiful silvery quill. "If you write with that, and I write with the one that is currently at home with my book, then we can communicate. Everything you write appears in my book, as long as you write with that quill,"
"Aw! Thank you so much! You're so sweet!" she exclaimed. She stood on her toes and made to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned his head, and she got his lips. It was a soft and sweet kiss, and she pulled away slowly, putting her first two fingers to her lips.
"I – I'm sorry!"
"For what? That's what I came here for," he said quietly.
'But you don't even know me!" she exclaimed.
"It doesn't matter,"
He kissed her again, and this time she didn't hesitate at all.
At dinner, he held her hand under the table, but Ginny was the only one who noticed. The smile had not left her face since she'd opened Harry's present. Melissa had a feeling something may have happened, but they hadn't had a chance to talk about it. Hermione was wearing a beautiful gold necklace that George had given her, and every now and then it glinted in the lights, and momentarily blinded Melissa. It was the seven rings of luck, and Hermione twirled it through her fingers on one hand while she ate with the other.
"Hey Melissa, is there any reason you still have presents at the end of your bed?" Ginny asked.
"Oh yeah! I totally forgot about them! One is from Evan, so that can wait, and the other one has no tag…I'll open them later,"
"But why didn't you just open them before?" Ron asked.
"Oh, Ron! What's it to you if she'd didn't open them? I expect she was excited at Viktor's arrival, am I right?" Hermione asked, looking pointedly at Melissa. Melissa choked on her chicken.
"Uh, yeah. I was so excited I totally forgot. My bad. I promise I'll give you a complete blow by blow on what they were and how they work," she replied, grinning. "Speaking of, Fred, George, what exactly did you give me?"
"Oh, um, we'll explain later!" Fred said, looking at his mother and smiling slightly. Melissa got the point and dropped the conversation.
"Hey Mum, can we play a game of Quidditch in the field?" Ginny asked, setting down her knife and fork to indicate she was finished. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Viktor and Melissa did the same, looking at Molly and Arthur hopefully.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea…It's getting dark," she looked at her husband.
"But Mum, we'll have three fully trained wizards with us!" Ginny replied indignantly. "And we're not children!"
"Fully trained…who!"
Fred, George and Krum all put their hands in the air. Mrs. Weasley grinned sheepishly.
"Oh, right, Viktor," she said. Fred and George snorted angrily. "Be quiet you two! You left school, so technically you aren't fully trained. But seeing as how Viktor will be with you, I guess it's okay,"
George shot daggers at Krum from across the table and shoved his chair away from the table.
"Accio brooms!" Fred shouted, pointing his wand at the house. Fred, George, Ginny, Harry, Ron and Krum's brooms all flew to their hands, and a spare each flew into the hands of Hermione and Melissa.
"Oh, I probably won't play!" Melissa said, handing the broom to Ginny. Ginny gave it back to her and whispered in her ear.
"You're dating a famous Quidditch star, you're going to have to learn now!"
Melissa blushed. "What about you and Hogwarts' best Quidditch player since the fabulous Charlie?"
Ginny blushed and whacked Melissa's arm.
"Shut up! I don't want to tell anyone yet! How did you know anyway?"
"The smile hasn't left your face all night Ginny Weasley! Oh, and don't tell anyone about Viktor and I, I don't really want everyone to know yet,"
"Yeah, that's cool. I wasn't – "
"What are you two doing?" Harry yelled back at them. He and Krum had stopped around 100 meters in front of them, and were staring back as if they were crazy.
"Sorry guys!" Melissa yelled. "Got caught up in secret girls' business!"
They ran to catch up and Harry grabbed Ginny's hand. "I take it you told her?" he asked.
"I take it you told him?" she replied, indication Krum, who had grabbed Melissa's hand and kissing it softly. She was transfixed.
"What can I say," Harry said, grinning. "Secret men's stuff,"
He and Ginny ran ahead and mounted their brooms, flying off to meet the others.
"Are you alright on that thing?" Krum asked.
"I'm not sure. I think so," Melissa replied. She mounted the broom, but was slightly shaky.
"As silly as it sounds, the broom will sense your nervousness. Try and be confident," he mounted his own broom and did a loop in the air.
"That's easy for you to say. Mr. International Quidditch Star!" she replied indignantly. "Ok, I'm going to do this. I'm not afraid, and I'm not going to fall off!"
She slowly remounted the broom. It didn't shake her off, or buck like it had before. She flew slowly up to where Viktor was hovering, and he hugged her.
"You did it! See, I told you you could,"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" she replied, and sped off.
"Hey!" he called, and chased after her.
She stopped abruptly on the other side of the field, a few meters from Ginny, who threw the Quaffle at her.
"Keepings off Ron!" she screamed, and Melissa nodded, diving with the ball. She weaved around Ron and threw the Quaffle to Fred, who passed it to George, who passed it to Hermione. Hermione nearly missed and shrieked, almost falling off. She threw the Quaffle up in the air, and Melissa and Krum shot up, both aiming to catch it. Krum got there first, and Melissa kissed him roughly, surprising him, and yanked the Quaffle from under his arm.
"What the…? That's not fair!" he yelled.
"All's fair in love and Quidditch!" she cried, tossing the ball to Harry, who grinned. No one else had seen Melissa's diversion tactic, and she did a ring around him smiling.
"You learnt fast!" Harry said, laughing.
"I had good teachers!"
"We did nothing until Krum got here!"
"Yeah, well whatever! You still helped!"
"I got it!"
Ron had snatched the Quaffle out from under Harry's arm while he'd been talking to Melissa.
"Foul!" Ginny called.
"But I got the ball!" Ron sulked.
"It's…a…foul," she hissed.
"Fine, I can win anyway!" he replied, and tossed the Quaffle in the air, waiting for someone to catch it.
Viktor dove under it and did a serious of flips in the air.
"Show off!" Melissa yelled, laughing.
"You know you love it," Harry whispered. Melissa giggled.
"Shut up Potter!" she whacked him on the arm and flew away. "Catch me if you can!"
A/N: Hey I realize this was a really abrupt and retarded ending to the chapter, but writer's block was starting to kick in and I didn't want to disappoint. I just wanna say thank you to the one person who has reviewed my story and say that you should all follow her lead! I also realize it was rather abrupt to put Krum and Liss together but whatever. The emerald necklace comes from a book I read, but that particular book has no bearing on the story WHATSOEVER! Anywayz, thanks 4 reading! Love yaz. Aimz x0x