A/N: I do not own anything relating to these characters or studios…except my movies and merchandise.
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"What the…" Clint exclaimed, jumping up from his seat in the Hufflepuff common room.
Phil looked up from his book. "Its just Roy." He closed his book and made his way to the green flames in the fireplace.
Roy appeared in the flames next to two large trunks.
"Here's the extra stuff I promised."
"Thanks man. Aren't you a little early though? The party isn't for a few more days."
"I figured you could talk to the elves in the kitchen and have them store it for you until New Year's."
Roy stepped back from the look Phil fixed him with.
"Everyone knows they respect you, they fall over themselves to help you out."
Phil rolled his eyes, "I'll take care of it."
"Thanks Phil." He turned back to the flames and withdraw a pouch from his pocket. Tossing in a pinch of powder, he waited for the flames to change back to green before stepping in a giving his destination.
"I always wondered how she did that." Clint said, still staring at the flames which had been returned to their regular orange color.
"What?" Phil asked.
"Nothing, something from home."
"Help me take these to the kitchen?"
"Sure, they love me in there."
"You know how to get into the kitchen?"
"Since last year, yeah."
"Clint…"
"I followed you one day, saw how you did it."
"Seriously?"
"I've kept the secret, and I don't go in there all the time."
Phil fixed him with a look, before sighing. "Grab that end please."
"Why don't you just use a spell and make it float?"
"I don't like to over use magic."
"It's not like you can run out of it, it's a part of you."
"I don't want to be dependent on magic for everything. I like relying on my other strengths too.
"Okay then." He grabbed one of the handles, "Let's go."
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"And…done." Lance said putting down his quill.
"Bout time." Bobby teased.
"Not everyone likes to do their homework right away."
"I'd rather get it done sooner rather than later. Then I can relax over my break."
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before."
Bobby threw a pillow at Lance.
"Hey now!" he tossed it back. "You'll smudge my work."
"Well hurry up, we've got to get to the meeting."
"Why are we having a house meeting anyways? It's the holidays and there are only 6 of us here."
"Why are you asking me? I just follow orders."
Hunter rolled up his parchment and put everything back in his bag.
"Let's go." He stood up from the table and they made their way out of the library.
"Hey Stark." Bobby said as they came across the group of second years coming into the castle.
Tony looked up at his older housemates. "I'm coming." He rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous."
Bruce and Clint laughed, having already heard Tony complain about this meeting.
"Go have fun in your meeting Tony." Bucky teased.
"Yeah, yeah." He flicked some melting snow at his friends.
Lance slipped and arm around Tony's shoulders, "Come on, don't want to make Nick upset."
Tony shoved Lance away, "Get off." He turned and took off to the hall that lead down to the Slytherin dormitory.
"About time, we've been waiting for you." Nick said as the trio entered.
"Can we get this over with? My socks are wet." Tony said, collapsing in a chair by the fireplace.
Nick looked over Tony before taking a spot in front of the fireplace. "It's tradition to have a little party on New Years in the Hufflepuff common room. The teachers are aware it happens so if it does not get crazy and out of hand, they ignore it. As we have the most students staying over the holidays this year, I expect us to still behave." He looked at Lance.
"What did I do?"
"Why Hufflepuff?" Natasha spoke up.
"They're closer to the kitchen." Tony answered.
"Do we have to go?" Raina asked.
"No, this isn't mandatory at all. Its just an opportunity to have some fun before the other students come back from holiday." Nick said.
"Well I think it sounds like a good time, at least we'll get some good food out of it."
"Always thinking about your stomach, eh Hunter." Tony teased.
"Not like I have anything to worry about." He patted his stomach. "Right Bob?"
Bobby blinked as the attention turned to her. "I wasn't even listening to you, sorry."
"Did you hear anything I said to you Morse?"
"Yeah Nick, sorry. I was thinking about what to wear. Now if we're done here, do you two want to come pick out outfits?" she directed toward the younger girls.
"Okay." Raina said getting up while Natasha silently followed them to the girl's dorm.
"I guess that's that, I'm going to put on dry socks." Tony left too.
"Just us huh."
"Just you." Nick said as he left the common room and headed into the castle.
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"Merry Christmas, everyone." Dumbledore said from the head of the table. "Dig in." he waved a hand and several huge turkeys appeared on the table, next to bowls of gravy, platers of chipolatas, roast with potatoes, peas and…
"Ah, cranberry sauce, my favorite turkey topping." Clint said, placing several spoonful's onto his plate.
"Would you like to be left alone with your plate?" Janet teased.
"I swear that tree keeps winking at me." Lance said.
"Forget the tree, try the roast." Maria said.
"These potatoes are good." Natasha said.
As everyone settled back to enjoy their Christmas lunch, Phil picked up one of the Christmas crackers that were stacked up all up and down the table.
"Here Daisy, pull the other end." He held out one side of a bright blue cracker to the first year.
Putting her fork down, she grasped her end.
"Ready?" Phil asked. "Okay, pull."
A sound like a cannon going off sounded through the hall and the two of them were engulfed in a cloud of blue smoke.
Natasha flinched when she saw the live mice scurry away toward the empty end of the table, but laughed with the others at the flowery bonnet left sitting in between Daisy and Phil.
"That's going to look real nice on you Phil." Nick teased.
"As it was Daisy's first time, I think she should take it." Phil stated through his own smile.
"Oh no, rules are rules. You have the bigger end, so this," Daisy picked up the bonnet, "Is all yours." She handed it to him.
"Put it on Phil." Janet called out.
"Yeah, it's just your color." Maria laughed.
"Hey, I'm a good sport." Phil tied the bonnet under his chin. "How's it look?"
"Very classy." Daisy said.
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Once everyone had finished dessert and were gathering up their prizes, Clint asked Phil if he could teach him wizard's chess on the new set he won from a cracker pulled with Raina.
"Sure. Let my put these away and I'll meet you back out here."
Clint had dumped his stuff on his bed and was setting up the game when Phil came back out. As Phil started explaining the basics, Daisy joined them.
"Can I learn too?"
"Sure Daisy." Phil started back at the beginning with his explanation. He let Clint and Daisy play each other while he coached both sides.
Clint made his moves based on instinct and gut feelings, Daisy studied the pieces before making a move.
"You'd make a good team if you were on the same side." Janet said, after she observed them for a few minutes.
"Want to play next?" Clint asked her.
"No thank you. I'm just on my way out."
Janet departed to the sounds of a chessman being dragged off the board and Clint groaning.
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The next few days passed quickly. Everyone soaked in the eerie quiet of the castle, knowing once the other students came back it would be loud again. One night after dinner, Phil led some of them to the music room. He was taking music as an extra credit course that year so he had become pretty familiar with several of the instruments. He had already had some experience with the guitar, but now he was learning trumpet and drums.
"So this is why you've been pursing your lips." Clint teased his friend.
"Shut it Barton." Phil rolled his eyes and raised his trumpet and played a bit of tune for them. "That's all I have memorized right now." He shrugged.
"That's pretty good Phil." Daisy said.
"I've heard better." Rania stated.
"No one asked you to come." Daisy retorted.
Rania ignored her and went over to a where an assortment of woodwind instruments were displayed. She selected a flute and started playing.
"Very nice." Bobbi said, "You could pass this class if you decide to take it."
"Unlike us," Hunter interjected with a wiry grin, "Bob and I are in no way musically inclined."
Bobbi rolled her eyes and played a kiddie song on the keyboard that was set up.
"Speak for yourself Hunter." Natasha said. "I think she has you beat."
"I'm with you man, no talent for this kind of stuff." Mike said.
Everyone passed the next hour just playing with the different instruments, having fun just making racket without an adult to hush them.
"Okay!"
Everyone stopped playing and looked for the source of the loud command.
Nick Fury was standing in the doorway with Maria behind him.
"Playtime is over, some of you need to hurry back to your common rooms, it's almost curfew time. I don't think anyone wants to lose points for being caught by Filtch out of bed tonight." Fury threatened.
Everyone put down whatever was in their hands and filed out of the room, tossing thanks to Phil as they passed.
"I'll help you straighten up before we head back to the dorm." Maria said, starting to move chairs back into place. She was taking music too, so she knew where everything was supposed to be.
A/N: Thank you to those who are still reading this, despite my sporadic updates.