On God?

Chapter 41

in which apparating is difficult

When I woke up, Theo and Blaise were already awake and talking quietly, with Kreacher nowhere in sight. I sat up and winced as I worked out a kink in my neck, glancing at Theo.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily, and Blaise grinned.

"You're finally awake! It's been long enough!"

"It's only eight o'clock." Theo put in helpfully, and I smiled gratefully.

"I think I'll go over to the Burrow at around noon, let them know I haven't been murdered yet..." I trailed off as my gaze slid to the pile of presents under the tree. "....but for now let's worry about presents."

From Tonks I had gotten , wand holster for my arm, with a note attached reading: Can never be too careful ;). From Emma I had gotten a emerald green scarf and a strand of multi-colored lights that I hung up on the tree. Theo had gotten me...a photo album?

It was filled with random pictures, mostly of the three of us, and on the middle of the first page was a moving photograph of Blaise and I at Slughorn's party while we were dancing, and I was laughing at something that he had said. On the next page was a photo that I vaguely remembered taking at the beginning of the party. The three of us all had our arms around each other, and my dress was perfectly on display for the camera.

"Theo, thank you so much. I love it." I smiled at him, and he saluted me with a grin as I moved onto Blaise's present.

"It's...a moonstone ring." Blaise said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I slipped off while you were getting our presents wrapped, and when I saw it, I thought of you."

"Blaise...wow, this is beautiful." I said, lifting it up to examine it more closely. "It must have cost-"

"Don't worry about it." Blaise said, waving me away. I raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't pry further and instead placed the ring onto the ring finger of my right hand.

From Kreacher, I had gotten another picture of Regulus. He was putting up a garland onto a Christmas Tree, and when he noticed the camera pointing at him, he grinned, then nearly fell off the ladder.

"Thank you Kreacher." I told the house elf once he appeared, and handing him his present. When he saw it, he nearly burst into tears, thanking me profusely for the pillowcase and promptly went to change into it.

"Er, Blair? What are these?" Theo and Blaise lifted their matching mirrors, and I remembered what they were.

"Oh! Those are two way mirrors, I have one too. You just say the name of who you want to talk to and the mirrors will connect. Like this. Theo?"

In my mirror appeared not my reflection, but Theo's, and he grinned. "Wicked."

A person barrelled into me, sending me to the ground with an oomph and knocking the presents out of my hands.

"Blair, you're finally here!" Emma yelled, throwing her arms around me. "You promised to write me letters!" I squeezed her back in a hug just as tight, savoring the little moment of peace I had with her.

I chuckled nervously. "Yeah...sorry about that, it's been a pretty hectic year so far. But to make up for it...presents!"

Emma sat up and reached for hers, all previous grievances forgotten once she unwrapped the present and immediately dug into the candy.

"Fanks, Bair!" She said, her mouth full. I grinned at her and helped her up, ruffling her hair.

"Is Tonks here?" I asked her, and she nodded.