X. MERRY... KISS-MAS?

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24th december

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IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE, and Joey's so excited!

    She really really really loves loves loves Christmas, but honestly she'd probably say she prefers Christmas Eve. Just because of all the anticipation, and everything's giggly and excitable - and Christmas Day always ends up being a bit poo anyway, because you always end up quarrelling with your favourite people and then everyone's just a bit cranky and all sitting down to play Exploding Snap like a right load of grumps.

    Well, she doesn't know what Christmas is like for you, but for her...

    It's brilliant - for the most part. She's spent it with the Weasleys, either at Hogwarts or the Burrow, since she was a first-year, practically a baby! If they're at the Burrow, normally it goes something like this: she, Fred and George pull some mega-awesome pranks, sometimes with the aid of Ginny (and a moaning Ron always gets roped in somehow, accidentally). Then Percy gets all whiney, saying he wishes he hadn't taken the day of work, and do they think Cornelius Fudge spends his Christmases like this. Blah blah blah, whatever. Molly's be on the brink of explosion in the kitchen and Arthur's probably hiding in his garage, playing with something Muggly, so Bill's usually the one who sorts it all out and saves the day. Yay for Bill!

    This year, obviously, they're spending it at Grimmauld Place, and Joey doesn't mind that too much. Sure, she adores the Burrow, but here it's so fun too! It's nice because Sirius gets the company, and she can keep an eye on all the people who mean the universe to her, like Bill and Frances and Bill and Sirius and Remus and Bill.

    Oh, and did she mention Bill?

    Plus the twins, duh. The three of them are currently sat at the vast table in Sirius' creepy cavernous dining room, Fred and George messing around with parchment for their business, and Joey humming Christmas songs to herself as she makes everyone Christmas cards. (She knows it's for their business and not homework because George has his reading glasses on, which suggests they're actually working, shock horror.)

    Making Christmas cards is cute and fun, so it's a win-win, really! Her hands are caked in glitter, tiny stars of the stuff illuminating the table; not to mention the fact that it's a very messy job, and even magical glitter gets everywhere, so Joey's not surprised if she's going to be washing it out of her hairline for forever. (For the record, she's not complaining!)

    'You're not making many, Joe, I see,' George retorts sarcastically, surveying the massive pile of cards that are teetering precariously on the table. Yeah, ha ha, hilarious!

    'I want everyone to have one,' she says in a pretend-sulk (but not a proper sulk, it's Christmas Eve, for Venus' sake!). Yes, everyone; she's even made one for Mad-Eye and Mundungus, and her whole Quidditch team. Except for Zacharias Smith, that is. She thought about sending him a photo of her and Cedric as a present, but decided that is simply too passive-aggressive for her!

    'And how're you gonna get them to everyone, Santa Claus?'

    'Lola's letting me borrow Aneurin,' Joey says, affectionately stroking the magnificent tawny owl seated besides her. He nips her fingers and she wonders if she tastes nice. Aneurin, my love, I appreciate the compliment but you can't eat me, I'm not a worm. Even if I am as small as one!

AMOR FATI . . . fred weasley Where stories live. Discover now