A friend like never before <| Harry Potter Book 1

10 - Christmas

Christmas morning. Rose was already downstairs like she did every Christmas morning. First she had watched the sunrise then she took tree mugs of steaming chocolate milk before she returned to the common room. There were very few students left at Hogwarts. They had all left to celebrate Christmas with their families. Rose was just taking the first sip of her chocolate when Ron came running down. Without even acknowledging her, he ran towards the tree and opened a present with his name on it. He groaned as he stood up and held his present against him. He turned around letting Rose see his gift. It was an red sweater with an yellow R on it. Rose stiffened an laugh before she placed her mug down and walked over to him.

"That's so sweet" She laughed as she tugged on it, feeling the fabric.

"Hahaha very funny." He suddenly stopped frowning and turned to her. "Don't you want it. The R could also be for Rose" He looked at her hopeful but she shook her head.

"Ron your mom made it. Be grateful" Ron signed and looked down at his sweater.

"Yeah I guess you're right." He signed and pulled it over his head. "Did your mom make you one too?" Rose smile disappeared.

"No she-" Before she could finish Harry's head appeared above them.

"Happy Christmas, Harry." Rose smiled glad to change the topic.

"Happy Christmas!" Harry laughed. He suddenly noticed Ron's sweater. "What are you wearing?" Ron looked down at his sweater and smiled at Harry.

"Oh, Mum made it for me. Looks like you've got one too!" Ron pointed to the presents. Harry's eyes widen as he looked at them.

"I've got presents?" Rose nodded and pointed to the cups on the table.

"and chocolate milk" Harry laughed before he ran down. Ron cast Rose one more look before he returned to smiling at Harry. Something was off about this. Why did she avoid the topic about her mom?

Five minutes after they sat in the common room. Ron was drinking his chocolate milk while Rose was eating some cookies and Harry was opening a in silver wrapped package.

"Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well." Harry read off the card that was attached to it. He looked at them but they shrugged. He turned back to his package and opened it. An brown piece of cloth appeared behind the wrapping.

"What is it?" Ron asked whipping his mouth with his sleeve.

"Some kind of...cloak." Harry held it up and it was indeed an cloak. Rose stood up.

"Well, let's see then. Put it on." Harry nodded and placed it around his shoulders. Ron and Rose gasped as he disappeared, except his head.

"Whoa!" They breathed as Harry looked down at his non-visible body.

"My body's gone!" He laughed. Rose took an step closer and poked were his body had to be. Harry yelped and jumped aside. Rose laughed and tried again. The boy who lived is ticklish!

"I know what that is!" Ron suddenly cut in though he was smiling. He could see it in Harry's eyes sometimes. An beginning crush. It was gross but he had to admit that Rose was pretty. "That's an invisibility cloak!" Rose nodded the large smile still on her lips.

"I'm invisible??" Rose nodded and poked him again.

"But touchable" Harry nodded quickly taking another step away from her. Being ticklish isn't fun you know!

"They're really rare. I wonder who gave it to you." Rose asked this time. Harry shrugged off his cloak making him visible again and walked over to the little card on the ground.

"There was no name. It just said, "Use it well."" Rose shrugged and took another cookie of the plate. Ron walked over to the tree and took another package. He raised it to his face and read it. His eyes widen as he turned to them.

"It's for you" He handed the package to Rose who was dumb folded. A present, for her? Harry nodded making her nod back before she slid to the floor and opened it. It was wrapped in the same paper Ron's present was wrapped in. She slowly removed it till she gasped. It was another sweater. Red with an yellow R on it but the little gap in the R was shaped as an heart. She slowly took it out and turned to Ron.

"Why did she make this? She doesn't even know me" Ron smiled softly at his friend.

"I mentioned you in some of my letters" Rose nodded and looked down at the sweater. Her sweater. Suddenly Ron was engulfed into an hug. He hugged back immediately.

"Thank you" She whispered into his ear. He nodded wide eyed. How can she be so happy with an simple sweater? Harry subconsciously glared at Ron.

-1-

The rest of the day they celebrated Christmas. They played some old board games that were laying in the common room like 'Find the wizard', 'Wizard life' and Rose's favourite 'Muggle world'. Ron and Harry won most of them but they really didn't care, it was just really fun. They had an sweet lunch in the Great Hall. Because there was almost no one Professor McGonagall ate with them. She had no one to go to so she rather stayed at Hogwarts. After lunch Rose wrote an letter to Hermione and her house elf. When the sun finally disappeared from the sky Harry and Ron left so that Harry could go to the library. Rose on the other hand had returned to the empty girls dorm. She took the book that lay on her nightstand before laying down on her bed and opening it. It was one of the classic muggle story's. Hermione had given her it because she had nearly no knowledge of the muggle world.

Rose was nearly halfway through when Harry came running into the room.

"Rose I found something!" He didn't have to repeat it twice because Rose was already out of bed and running with him out of the room.