Nīpan

mistletoe and pumpkin pasties

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," Cedric nuzzled into Emerald's neck. She woke up and slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the soft glow from a lamp beside Cedric's bed. She smiled and cuddled back into Cedric's side. He was nice and warm, a big upgrade from her room at home. She was becoming a permanent staple to his bedroom, and she wasn't minding it. 

They still hadn't confirmed their relationship status to eachother, and if she was being honest, Emerald was dreading that conversation. She didn't want to hurt his feelings but she wasn't into labels, and if her father found out it could get Cedric killed. She wasn't about to risk his life for a momentary bubble of happiness. 

"What're you thinking so hard about," Cedric whispered in her ear. 

"Nothing that pretty little head of yours needs to worry about." 

He nips her ear and kisses down her neck. Her back arches off of the bed and she squeezes her eyes shut in pleasure. 

"Present time!" Cedric pulls away and yells with a smirk. 

That boy and his teasing.

Emerald scrambled after him and almost fell of the bed in the process. When she finally did make it downstairs she saw Amos and Hailey getting settled on the sofa while Cedric was shaking all the present boxes and trying to see if he could guess what they were. Emerald padded over to a spot beside Cedric and made herself comfortable on the rug. A green mug came floating towards her and she took it with a nod of thanks to Amos. Taking a sip of the hot tea, she watched as Cedric began to tear through wrapping paper. 

"A new broom?! Wicked! Thank you so much." Cedric shouted after ripping open his brand new Nimbus 2001. His parents nodded and looked at each other, both their smiles crinkling the corner of their eyes.

Once Cedric was finished with everything from his parents and friends, Emerald decided now would be a good time to give him her gift. 

"Here you git," she said while thrusting the small box into his hands, "I know we said no gifts this year, but I got you something anyways." His grey eyes lit up gratefully and his long fingers began to pull back the brown paper carefully. Inside was a simple leatherbound journal and a quill. 

"The quill is just because you're constantly breaking yours, but the journal is charmed so whatever you write will appear in it's sister for a short amount of time," she explained. 

"And let me guess, you have the sister?"

"No I gave it to Malfoy," she deadpanned, "of course I have the sister you twat!" she laughed while swatting at him playfully. He smiled her favorite smile, and pulled her in for a warm hug. 

"Thanks Emmy, now we can pass notes in class!" He gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead before turning around and grabbing his own box. 

"Damn you Diggory! I wanted to be the better friend this year!" She pushed her lips into a pout and crossed her arms. 

"You should take that look off your face before I do it for you," He warned. 

"I'd like to see you try." With that he pulled her in for a good snog. She reciprocated quickly and was surprised by the bruising force he was using. Realizing where she was she quickly threw him off. 

"Cedric!" She gasped and turned around to apologize to his parents, but they were just smiling amusedly at the pair in front of them. 

"Oh don't worry about us, honey. We know two lovebirds can rarely keep their hands to themselves," Hailey winked. Mortified, Emerald's cheeks reddened and she broke eye contact as soon as possible, instead focusing her attention on the gift she'd been presented. Ignoring Cedric's smug face she opened the black velvet box and gasped at the contents. 

Inside was a beautiful golden locket, but the best part was the snakes that decorated the face. She looked up at him with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. 

"Cedric this is gorgeous!" 

"You haven't even seen the best part, open it sweetheart." With shaking hands she clicked the pendant open and her eyes began to water at the picture inside. It was the two of them, sitting by the Black Lake. Cedric was smiling and staring at her while she was laughing the hardest she'd ever laughed. The picture was charmed so you could see every detail of their encounter. How he never took his eyes off of her, and how she shaked from laughter while her long blonde hair blew crazily in the wind. Lastly it showed Cedric wrapping his scarf around her neck and their eyes locking. She stared at the picture for what seemed like forever. 

"So I take it you like it then?" Her eyes snapped up to see a worried Cedric. 

"Like it? I love it, Ced, it's the most thoughtful gift I've ever recieved." 

"It's the moment I realized I wanted you to be my girlfriend," He tells her. 

Emerald's eyes widen significantly and her mouth goes dry. 

"What?" She asks dumbly. 

"Emerald Nott, will you be my girlfriend?" 

Versions of how she could possibly respond rushed through her head. She must have been quiet for a long time because Cedric's face started to morph and he looked like a wounded puppy. She tried to make herself explain, but all that came out was a whispered,

"Yes." Relief flooded his features and he dove towards her, crushing her in a hug. Behind her, Hailey was barely holding in her squeals, clapping her hands together rapidly in happiness. 

Emerald tried to keep her expression light, but on the inside she was freaking out. 

If Father finds out Cedric will be executed.

She didn't even want to be a girlfriend anyways, she wasn't cut out for it. A few casual dates here and there were fine, but this was her best friend. If this didn't work out she'd never be the same, she'd lose the only good person in her life. 

Still, she finds herself smiling along while his parents shower her with hugs and force feed her pumpkin pasties. She doesn't know when she will ever have the experience of a family Christmas again, so she decides to put her worries aside for the time being. 

"I knew that whole 'just friends' thing was bollocks!" Amos whispered merrily to her after they'd settled by the fire and Hailey went to bake cookies. His cheeks were flushed from one too many butterbeers and his cheshire grin covered his whole face. She forced a weak smile and continued to sip her tea. She locked eyes with Cedric as he was leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen. He was talking jovially with his mother, but stopped to give her a big smile, just like his father. 

She stood up to join him, and as she was tucking herself into his side she felt the presence of magic lapping at her skin. Glaring slightly, she looked up at Cedric. 

"What did you do?" She rolled her eyes at the mischevious look on his face before he looked up. Her eyes followed his and she chuckled as she saw the mistletoe dangling above the pair of them. 

You know, if you wanted to kiss me all you had to do was ask?" 

"Well where's the fun in that?" He moved his head down to connect their lips in a sweet kiss, nothing like the hungry snog from earlier. This kiss was slow and filled with so much love, it made her toes curl. When they finally broke apart her mind was hazy and her lips swollen. 

"Just wait until you get your actual Christmas present later," Cedric said with his signature smirk. 

She couldn't wait.