Chapter 16 ~ Christmas Day

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Luckily Albus did find a date, a pretty blonde Beaxbaton asked him. The trouble was, he didn't think he'd be able to concentrate on her whilst Lily and Malfoy were waltzing their way round the ballroom.

Lily didn't really understand Christmas, after all, she'd never experienced one before. But she definately enjoyed her first, entranced especially by the decorations.

As usual the Christmas decorations were especially impressive, due to the visiting schools, and after the Beaxbaton's decorations when they attended the Triwizard five years ago, the staff really went for it. There was a Christmas Tree in every corridoor, at least four in every room and a magnificently large one stationed in the top right corner of the great hall. Icicles hung above every doorway, though Peeves made a habit of breaking them off so they dropped onto passing students below. The Paintings and Suits of Armour sung carols, though some forgot the words and tune. There was mistletoe and little flurries of snow everywhere, sometimes you could even stumble across a blizzard. 

By the time all the decorations were up, the staff and prefects were knackered by it all. Lily Potter, one of the two Griffindoor prefects, hardly had time to speak before she was asleep. On most of the days leading up to the Ball she could be found sleeping by the fire in the common room.

And then came Christmas Eve, when all the decorations were sorted, when the house elves had finally stopped cooking experimental dishes for the Christmas Dinner, when all students went to bed at nine with the excited twitters of six-year-olds...

***

''Oh god, another hat from Albus. Does he think all girls are obsessed with clothes?'' Lily Potter inspected the offending article, which was green with pink spiders embroidered onto it before shoving it into her trunk. Rose came over, having finished with her presents and pointed to a small, square package wrapped in pink-heart patterned paper. 

''Who's that from?'' 

Lily Potter picked it up and smiled. ''To Lily, from Rob. Merry Christmas. xxx.'' She read out from the label. Rose laughed.

''Go on then, open it!''

 Lily Potter grinned and tore open the paper to reveal a exquisite box containing an even fancier bottle full of perfume. ''Ahhh.'' She sniffed it. ''Lily of the Valley.''

Rose grinned, then spotted an interestingly shaped parcel on the floor, grabbing it and holding it out to Lily. ''Who's this one from?''

''Ah - that'll be Max.'' Lily took the parcel, grinning.

''Oh - Maxine?'' Inquired Rose. 

''Yup, my sister.'' Lily tore open the paper to reveal a beatiful velvet cloak and uncovered it to find a shining dagger within, interesting runes craved along the sheath it was held it. Lily held it up in the light. ''Max always sends the coolest presents.''

It was at that moment that Lily Archeron entered, snow lingering on her cloak, hands slightly blue with cold. Lily Potter waved her finger at her in mock sterness, putting down the dagger..

''Now where exactly have you been?'' 

Lily Archeron grinned and shook the snow off her cloak before slipping it off and walking over to inspect her own presents. ''I went out for a walk. It may be cold out there, but it's lovely.'' Lily Potter laughed.

''You're mad you know. Anyway, you gonna open your pressies?'' Both she and Rose came over to review Lily Archeron's mound of parcels. Lily Potter groaned. ''Oh god, I told Gran you didn't need one, but she must have forgot.'' She picked up a large, squashy package. 

''What is it?'' Lily Acheron took the parcel off her friend and read the label. ''To Lily Archeron, from Molly Weasley (Lily, Albus', Rose's and Fred's grandmother).'' She read. Grinning, she opened the parcel, revealing a slightly lumpy forest green jumper with leaves patterned on it and a large box of home made toffee creams. She looked up at her friends after surveying the presents. ''It's very kind of your gran, these are lovely.'' She pulled on the jumper. ''Please say thank you to her from me.''

Lily Potter and Rose looked slightly taken aback at this reaction, but smiled all the same and continued in helping their friend open her other presents. There was a great selection of confectionary from Fred and Rob, though Lily Potter and Rose advised her to try none of them because they had been bought from ''Weasley Wizard Wheezes'', a selection of dainty chocolates from Rose and Lily themselves (they thought she would approve more of their taste , said with a grin), a dark cloak from Draco Malfoy, and a pretty Ivy-leaf pin from his son. Albus had also bought her a gift, which surprised her, a miniture model of a Hippogriff which occasionally bowed and snorted.

After the great occasion of ripping open presents, they all dressed, and the three girls entered the common room at about eight-thirty proudly wearing Weasley jumpers. The boys were there too, and after the usual thanks and comments on jumpers (Robs caused most of the conversation, being magenta with quaffles on it), the six of them proceeded to have a large breakfast in the great hall before a full-scale and slightly violent snowball fight took place, Griffindoors against Slytherins (Albus took great delight in hitting Vlad Malfoy in the face). After a huge Christmas Dinner most of them sat in the common room, Lily Potter reading Magical Drafts and potions (''Even when it's Christmas one should do something constructive''), Fred and Albus playing wizard chess, Rose chatting with Lily Archeron about the snowball fight and Rob snoring by the fire, soon to be awoken by the loud voice of Molly Weasley.

''Hallo dears!'' She beamed from the fire place and they all jumped (though Rob's was the most spectacular as he landed on the floor with a surprisingly high-pitched squawk). Lily Potter, however, stepped neatly over him and sat down in front of the fire to greet her Grandmother. 

''Hi Gran.'' She said calmly. ''What's the weather like in France at the moment?'' (For Molly and Arthur Weasely, as well as Rose's parents, Ron and Hermione Weasley, and Fred's parents, George and Angelina Weasley, were staying with another of the Weasley couples, Bill and Fleur Weasley).

''Oh it's lovely dear, cold, but the sun's shining. Jeanette and Edmund came in the end, as well.'' Mrs Weasley replied, mentioning another family member. ''I see you're wearing your jumper. Did the others get theirs?'' 

Albus joined his sister next to the fire, followed by Fred and Rose, who hauled Rob and Lily Archeron over to show their gran the knitted clothing. She beamed, clearly proud. After introducing Lily, there was light small talk before Mrs Weasley said a few hurried goodbyes (due to a loud bang from one of Arthur Weasley's crackers - though this time it had apparently blown up his plate) and a ''Merry Christmas'' was wished to all of them.

There was no Hogwarts tea, the food would be at the Ball, so until five the six of them continued in lazing around, before the girls headed up to get ready (To quote Rob; ''Three hours! You take three hours to get ready!''). Later at Seven, the boys also headed upstairs to change into dress robes, returning to the common room at twenty to eight.

''How do I look?'' Asked Rob, slightly flustered as he adjusted his dress robes for the twentieth time. 

Fred surveyed him and grinned. ''Not bad, Not bad. In fact, we all look good. Dashing.'' After the three of them erupted with laughter, they proceeded to exit the common room and make their way down the the great hall in silence. There was chattering and the sound of the witch singer and her band warming up the instruments.

The Yule Ball had begun.