Sue waved when she spotted her Ravenclaw friend and shouted, "Merry Christmas, Charlie!"
"Merry Christmas, Merry Sue", he called back.
Sue scrunched her face. That had already been old when he had given her that nickname two years ago.
She had been in her first year then and was practically clinging to her favourite book most of the time. It gave her confidence whenever she felt lost in this strange, amazing world that had opened to her shortly after her eleventh birthday. The magic that clung between the pages and was infused in the ink had always seemed real to her. It still did, more real often than all that wand-waving and cauldron-stirring she learned here.
She had, in fact, developed a slight crush on one of the characters. This did not exactly go unnoticed as she scribbled his name all over her potions notes.
"Sue", her potions partner and friend hissed under his breath. "I would stop this if I were you. I've heard stories about what Snape will do to anyone who does not pay attention. Don't risk it."
Sue sighed and tried to keep her attention on the teacher. She didn't succeed for long. She had never liked to cook, and potions was not much different in her eyes. Not that she would ever say so where their intimidating professor could hear it.
The tip of her quill had found its way between her teeth. Annoyed with herself she yanked it out, unfortunately spraying ink all over her notes. Of course the ink had not dried by the time class was over, so she resigned herself to having to copy the notes from somebody else and stuffed the smudgy parchment into her back.
"Who is Merry, anyway?" Charlie asked as they exited the classroom.
Sue looked at him incredulously: how could he not know?
"A hobbit."
"A what? Sounds like a disease, or perhaps some animal. But it's not in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
He was a Ravenclaw all right.
"It's a character from a book, stupid. Hobbits are those short people with hairy feet, and they live in burrows."
Charlie looked at her for a moment and judged it safer not to ask further.
"Well, it's certainly a nice name", he remarked.
And thus her nickname was born.