Isabella and Terry walked together to the last DA meeting before Christmas. The castle was decorated with tinsel and boughs of evergreen.
"So, are you going home for the holidays?" Terry asked awkwardly.
"Well, sort of," Isabella said somewhat sadly. "My parents live in a cottage in Scotland during the year, so that's where I spend Christmas. But over the summer I go to Villa Petrroci."
"That's the one you told me about, in Italy, right?" Terry asked. Isabella nodded and tried to warm her hands by rubbing them together.
"Here," Terry said, taking her hands. They were ice cold, but when Isabella smiled gratefully at him he felt the heat climbing to his face.
"It's a shame about Harry," she said as they continued walking. "Him, Fred, and George that is."
"What about them?" Terry felt pangs of jealousy every time the Weasley twins were mentioned.
"Oh, Umbridge banning them from Quidditch," Isabella sighed. "I can't imagine being banned. My cousins, Alessandro, Lorenzo, and Roberto taught me to play. They're very good. I remember they were mad when I didn't get in first year. I had to tell them at least a dozen times that first years don't usually get chosen for the House teams."
"You're a really good player, though," Terry said. Isabella blushed slightly at the compliment.
"Well, here we are," she said, stopping in front of the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy. They stood in silence for a little while, moving a little closer together. But then Zacharias Smith, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Hannah Abbot rounded the corner. Terry and Isabella immediately moved apart, feeling self-conscious, and opened the door that had appeared.
After everyone had arrived and settle down a little, Harry began to speak.
"OK," he said, calling everyone to order. "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break -"
"We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias Smith, in a disgruntled whisper loud enough to carry through the room. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come."
"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you,then," said Fred. Isabella sniggered and Terry laughed.
"- we can practice in pairs," said Harry. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."
Terry and Isabella were partners, as usual. And, as usual, Terry was a good sport about the fact that Isabella was generally better than him. She froze him several times, but unlike others who froze their partners then ignored them for a bit, Isabella would immediately take the jinx off.
"No, Bella," Harry said when he caught her at it. "Leave him for a bit, to make sure it holds." Harry watched as Isabella froze Terry and the older Ravenclaw boy remained frozen.
"OK, you can let him go," Harry said at last. She did and then waited patiently wile Terry froze her.
"Do you remember that time when every time you tried the Impediment Jinx, all you could do was make my hair stand on end?" Isabella laughed when Terry unfroze her. He smiled shyly and nodded.
After about ten minutes on the Impediment Jinx, they laid out cushions all over the floor and started practicing Stunning again. Space was so confined that only half of them could work on this spell at once.
At the end of the hour, Harry called a halt.
"You're getting really good," he said, beaming around at them. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff - maybe even Patronuses." There was a murmur of excitement. The room began to clear out in the usual twos and threes.
"Happy Christmas, Harry!" Isabella called as she went through the door.
Ron and Hermione followed her out and made their way to the Gryffindor tower. Marrietta also came out, looking decidedly annoyed. Soon it was just Terry and Isabella in the passage.
"Well," Terry said awkwardly, shifting his feet nervously. Isabella smiled at him and stepped a little closer. He gulped and stepped towards her. They leaned forward, Terry wrapping his arms around her waist.