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Holiday

Even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.
- Stephen Chbosky

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If there was a holiday Diora enjoyed the most, it would have to be Christmas.

Even as a young girl, she knew how special the holiday was. She always looked forward to seeing strangers and neighbors alike decorate their homes for the holiday. There was the caroling out in the streets, the hot delicious hot chocolate and the snowmen — even the muggles got into the festive spirit, it was truly a spectacle of a sight. Despite her family following the societal protocol on celebrating the holiday, it was nowhere near as warm as it should have been. The Avery household didn't celebrate it in the way other families did, with the decorations, the family gathering or the feast and if they did, it was purely for show. Despite all this, she very much enjoyed the festive atmosphere Christmas brought upon everyone and everything.

So when she was invited over for Christmas dinner at the Potters to celebrate Christmas Eve with them and Sirius, she figured her parents' would not mind. Given that Helio, who already graduated from Hogwarts months ago, was out of the country visiting his fiance's family in Germany, the only ones at home would just be the three of them. It would be none different than last year. They would eat a normal, quiet dinner followed by them respectively retreating to different parts of the manor for the night.

What she did not count on was Sirius showing up inside her bedroom to pick her up.

"Oh, you're looking beautiful this evening, darling" a familiar warm voice remarked from somewhere behind her.

Seated in front of her vanity table, Diora quickly turned on her seat to face Sirius who was comfortably seated on the edge of her bed. With his too-familiar smirk etched on his face, he patted on the empty space next to him. "Care to join me, love?"

Diora glanced at her bedroom door and noticed it ajar. She quickly shot up from her seat and closed the door before she leaned against it. Sirius, who had decided upon himself, that Apparating inside his girlfriend's bedroom was an appropriate thing to do when it clearly wasn't. Last thing she needed was another fight with her parents because of it.

As much as she loved returning to Hogwarts, she wasn't ready to return for the remainder of her 7th year. Though she was on track to graduating with honors more than what Helio graduated with, she wasn't looking forward to dealing with her parents afterwards — all because she planned on focusing on a career.

With the first week of Christmas break almost over, she wanted the remainder to be as peaceful and unproblematic as possible.

"Sirius, my parents are downstairs," she voiced quietly. "As much as I love you, I can't afford to piss them off again."

Sirius' expression changed from his joyous devil-may-care attitude to that of concern as he lowered his eyes to the floor before he stood up. He was well-dressed for their Christmas dinner just as she was, befitting their regal names they naturally bore — whether they wanted it or not.

This was to be their first Christmas together, their first official holiday as a couple and she did not want to tarnish it.

Meeting him halfway, they swallowed themselves into each other's embrace. Sirius was a head taller than her and she felt small against him. They held each other like that for a few minutes before he pulled himself away, but not before he tenderly held her chin so she could look up at him.

"I'll meet you downstairs in a minute," he said as he softly smiled down at her. "Please be fashionably late."

"Of course, Mr. Black." Diora responded with a smile of her own.