"I can't believe your coming to the burrow with us for Christmas. Blimey Ris, your lying has gotten quite good if I do say so myself." Carissa laughed as she pulled her trunk behind her, stepping through the portrait hole with her 2 friends in tow. "Maybe we are bad influences on you." George joked, his arm thrown around her shoulders as they headed down the multitude of staircases. The three second years followed behind the other students who would be going home for the holidays, all talking excitedly about the upcoming break.
It had been tricky to try and get the lie past her aunt and uncle. She knew how much her Aunt Cissy welcomed the visits but Carissa had gotten lucky this year. Her family would be going abroad for the holiday and Carissa had fibbed, saying she had wanted to remain at Hogwarts to work a head on her studies. Her aunt had been a little disappointed in the letter, but had given her blessing. A small part of Carissa believed her aunt knew of the lie. She did not care if she knew, only that her uncle did not.
"Right you are. To think I was a good, innocent girl before meeting you 2. Oh the tragedy." Carissa dramatically stated, closing her eyes tightly. While she was not as big a prankster as her best friends, she had been dragged along in a few of their schemes. It had led to a few detentions and stern warnings from Professor McGonagall but that did not stop the twins, nor Carissa when she had been dragged into them.
"You'll love the burrow Rissy. Plus both Charlie and Bill will be able to come home this year. You'll get to meet the whole family." As Fred went on, Carissa suddenly felt a flutter in her stomach. The whole family. Carissa had not properly met the rest of the Weasleys since becoming friends with Fred and George. The only person she knew was Percy and that was because he was in the same house as them. She knew the twins had written about her when they wrote home so she knew his parents knew of her but what would they think? Would they be like most wizards and witches and shun her for who her mother was? Would they scold their children for associating with someone of her kind?
"Hello, Carissa." A hand waving in front of her face brought her from her thoughts, Fred and George looking at her a little bit confused. "You alright?"
"Yeah just spaced out a bit I guess." She smiled, continuing on with the other students to the carriages that would take them into Hogsmead and to the Hogwarts Express. She noticed the sneers and dirty looks that were thrown her way when a group of Slytherns walked past the group. Ever since her placement in Gryffindor, she had been given the cold shoulder by most of Slythern house. She didn't mind that, seeing as how most of them were as nasty as their families.
"Oy Rissy will have to show you the small stash of jokes we've been making. There not to impressive but there a start. Had to make sure our mum didn't find them." George said as he clambered into a carriage behind his brother, Carissa following behind.
"George Weasley I am warning you if my hair turns a different shade of color this week I will hex you." Carissa threatened lightly as George pouted. "Oh come on it was one time and you have to admit your hair does look good green." He laughed, duking down as the girl threw a quill from her bag at his head.
The sun was just fading behind the buildings of London when the Hogwarts express pulled into Platform 9 ¾. Students eager to start the Christmas holidays hurried off the train, meeting up with family members ready to welcome them home. Already changed into jeans and a black jumper, Carissa followed George, Fred and Percy off the train to look for their father. It wasn't hard to spot the older Weasley. Like his sons, he was taller, his red hair being easy to pick out among the sea of people. Carissa hung back slightly as she watched the family embrace warmly. She could instantly see the love that was the Weasley family. Even Percy, who had seemed a little snootier and stuck up than Carissa had liked, looked more relaxed than she had seen him.
"Dad, dad this is Carissa Lestrange." She was suddenly pulled forward by Fred being sandwiched between the twins. She looked up at the man, smiling shyly as she pushed back some of her black curls. Instead of the warry gaze she had expected to see, the gentle smile he had on his face for his boys did not disappear.
"Carissa it's a pleasure to finally meet you. George and Fred here go on and on about you in the letters home. Mollys especially excited to meet the young lady who has tried to keep are 2 troublemakers in line." Arthur winked down at the girl as the boys rolled their eyes.
"It's nice to meet you too Mr. Weasley. Thank you again for inviting me for Christmas." Carissa said politely and sincerely. The group gathered up the school trunks, making their way through the barrier and into the main area of Kings Cross station. They followed behind Mr. Weasley until they had reached the outside of the station, where a car was stationed.
"It's a magical car, bewitched to fly. Dad uses it for the Ministry. Trying to get him to let us take it for a spin but mum always shoots it down." Fred said, shoving his trunk into the extended boot of the car. Getting into the back seat with the twins, she saw the inside of the car, unlike the outside, looked much bigger. It could have easily fit 10 people comfortably.
"Alright, everyone buckled up. Right then let's go home." Mr. Weasley pushed a button near the wheel as he started the car up. I gasped as I suddenly felt the car lift off the ground, gaining more height before flying away from the train station. Carissa, along with the twins eagerly stared out the window and down below, watching the city below them as people walked to and from, never batting an eye at the car that was flying above them. They watched the buildings grow fewer and fewer until the countryside of Ottery St. Catchpole. George nudged her side slightly, pointing out the window on his side.
"There's the burrow." When she finally got a good look, she gasped softly. In the distance, growing larger and closer was a multiple story home. What it lacked for in land it made up for in height, Carissa looking at the crooked building. It was not as grand as Malfoy Manor but the arrangement made it look unique and beautiful in its own way. The car finally started its descent, driving up to the house before stopping. Clambering out of the back with the twins, she looked around the area. Up close, it looked ever more beautiful, the area covered by rolling fields and a nearby wood.
"Oy Rissa get your trunk were not your maids." Fred called over laughing as he and George pulled out her school trunk. Walking over, she took the handle and followed them into the house. The inside, like the outside was mismatched and in odd shapes. There was a fire burning in the small sitting room, warming the house from the chilling winter air. She took in everything, from the hand knitted blankets that were thrown on hairs and the sofa, the old clock. When she took a closer look, she saw each member of the Weasleys families faces on a spoon, all pointed towards the sign saying home. She saw photos lining the walls and tables, watching the smiling faces of family and friends wave back at her. She hated that there were no pictures like these in her home. All were so stuffy and posed. The only photo even close to this was one of her and Draco when they were younger. They had been playing in the gardens and Narcissa had taken the photo on a whim. Carissa kept it by her bedside table in her dormitory.
"Charlie!" Carissa turned around when she heard the twins yell out before tackling a young man to the ground, all the while laughing. She saw a few more people walk over to the kitchen area, recognizing Mr. Weasley and Percy. The 2 youngest must have been Ron and Ginny. Ron would be in the same year as Draco, Carissa thought before her eyes moved to another young man standing beside a short woman. He was tall, his red hair falling down around his shoulders. Since the twins had tackled the one named Charlie, this other man must have been Bill.
"Oh goodness, Fred George how terribly rude you have not even introduced your guest." The woman scolded as the 3 boys finally stood to their feet, their hair sticking up at odd ends. Mrs. Weasley walked over to Carissa, a big smile lighting up her kind face. "You must be Carissa. It's so good to finally meet you dear." Surprising Carissa, the woman hugged her. Getting over her shock, Carissa hugged her back before the woman pulled away. "You'll be staying with Ginny in her room. We have a bed all made up. Bill come over and help the girl her trunk." Mrs. Weasley called, the young man walking over. He gave Carissa a warm smile and a hello before taking her trunk and leading her up the crooked stair cases.
Bill pushed open a door on the third landing, walking in and setting the trunk by a made up bed. She looked around, recognizing it as a girl's room at once. Walking over to the bed that would be hers, she saw it made up, a thick quilt covering the top. She ran her hand over the worn material, seeing the signs that it had been made by hand and felt quit comfortable.
"Hello." Carissa turned around and saw a younger girl by the door, smiling shyly. She looked around 9, the same red hair framing her face like her family. "I'm Ginny."
"It's nice to meet you Ginny I'm Carissa. I really like your room." Carissa said genuinely, watching the girl slowly relax, her smile growing.
"Do you want to see some of my qudditch photos?" She said excitedly. The next hour Carissa spent with Ginny, letting the girl show her around her room and all of the knick knacks that made it up.
"Hey you can't steal our best friend." Fred pouted with George as they saw the 2 girls sitting cross legged on the floor, talking and giggling.
"For your information I can have a lot of best friends." She exclaimed, sticking her tongue out at the boys as Ginny giggled. Before the girls could react, they were both on the floor, Fred tickling Ginny as George attacked Carissa. This would be an amazing Christmas, she thought happily.
Christmas Day
"WAKE UP ITS CHRISMAS!" The door to Ginnys room slammed open, startling the 2 sleeping girls. Groaning, Carissa cracked one eye open as she peeked out from her cocoon of blankets, seeing Fred and George both wide awake.
"Go away were sleeping." She grumbled, pulling the warm quilt back over her head in hopes of resuming her sleep once more. Suddenly, chill hair it her skin as the blankets were yanked off her body. "George Weasley!" she yelled, quickly sitting up to try and grab them back. George smirked shaking his head no before tossing them down on her trunk.
"Hey how do you know it's me and not Fred?" he said as she got out of bed, trying to tame the mess that was her hair before deciding to just throw it up in a messy bun.
"That my dear boy is a secret." She teased, grabbing her plain green robe, seeing Ginny, bleary eyed already heading down the stairs. Wrapping the robe around her pajamas, Carissa allowed George to drag her down the stairs were the rest of the Weasleys sat around the Christmas tree in the sitting room.
"Happy Christmas Carissa." Mrs. Weasley beamed, handing her a mug of what looked like hot chocolate as she took a seat on the floor beside George. Arthur reached to the modest stack of presents, passing each out to the intended child. Molly grabbed the few presents that Narcissa had sent to Hogwarts when she had been informed Carissa would not be coming home. The next few moments were filled with the tearing of paper and the excitement from the Weasley children. It wasn't much, Carissa had noticed but they had seemed just fine with it. Carissa had finished unwrapping hers, setting them aside as she looked at the scarf that Ron wrapped around his neck, decked in the colors of the Chudly Cannons.
"And Carissa." Charlie reached over, holding out a brown wrapped parcel towards the girl. She took it, a litte confused, seeing it was from Mrs. Weasley.
"Go on dear open it up." She said softly. Tearing open the paper, Carissa saw a gold C starring up at her against a scarlet background. Lifting it up from the packaging, she unfolded the knit sweater carefully. It resembled the ones the rest of the Weasleys had received. Her fingers felt along the material, seeing the detailed stich work within it.
"Mrs. Weasley thank you so much I love it." Carissa said honestly. She felt her eyes water slightly at the touching act. This was a family who had barely met her and had made her feel at home and welcomed.
"Now you'll match us at school Ris."Fred said, already wearing his, the large F standing out proudly.
"All right, presents are done let's all get ready for breakfast shall we?" Mr. Weasley said. Carissa laughed as she saw Ron quickly make his way towards the kitchen, followed by the others. Carissa and George were just about to step over the small threshold when Charlie had stopped them. "Look what you 2 are standing under." He joked. They followed his eye sight, seeing a single sprig of mistletoe hanging above them. Blushing as red as Georges hair, Carissa was about to retort before she felt a pair of lips quickly kiss her cheek. She turned to look at George, seeing his ears a bright red his eyes looking anywhere but her. All the while, the 2 had been unaware of the photo that had been captured.