Common Ground ⌁ Draco Malfoy [2/4] ✔

17

Snow was beginning to replace the wet grounds as Christmas neared and November ended. Soft Christmas carols could already be heard whenever Emma passed or entered the Great Hall, and she peeked in one night to see that Hagrid had set up the twelve Christmas trees just like he had last year. Emma was happy that Christmas was nearing, a break from school work was what she was really looking forward to...but to think that just a year ago Mr Weasley was attacked by a snake and she had met Sirius Black for the first time...

Emma slowly and lazily made her way toward the nearest girls bathroom, humming to herself as she glanced around at all the tinsel and mistletoe and Christmas decoration lined up everywhere, blinking at the everlasting candles in the helmets of suits of armor. 

"Emma!"

Emma's hums stopped short and she turned to look toward the bathroom, where Luna Lovegood had just skipped down the end of the corridor with a big grin on her face, and Harry, with one yellow eyebrow, was making his way toward Emma. She waved, deciding not to comment on his eyebrow. Hers wasn't any better; she had two bright red eyebrows. 

"Hey," he panted when he reached her, also deciding not to comment on her eyebrows either. 

"What was Luna so happy about?" asked Emma casually, as the two made their way nearer to the bathroom. 

"Oh, I was going to ask you as siblings since no one else knows, but I asked Luna instead - as friends - to come with me to Slughorn's party," he explained. "Anyway, are you coming to the Burrow this year for Christmas? Or are you going back to your parents?"

Emma had been contemplating these two things herself, juggling them. She wasn't too keen on going home, but she also didn't want Mr and Mrs Weasley to think she was a nuisance. She wouldn't have even minded visiting Daphne's home, but Astoria would be there, and they were both probably staying for Christmas anyway. 

"Er...I don't know," Emma said truthfully, smacking her lips together. "The Weasley's probably won't want me back, I mean they hardly know me so I thought -"

Harry gave Emma a very stupid look. 

"You realise they took me in one summer when they barely knew me?" he said slowly. "And they love you. So, if you decide you wanna come I can just tell Ron or Ginny to owl Mrs Weasley."

"I need to pee," Emma said quickly, realising they had just walked past the girls bathroom. She moved towards the entrance when she was suddenly pulled back. "Ow - what-?"

"You don't want to pee in there," Harry said darkly, and shuddering, he proceeded to haul Emma further away from the bathroom. 

"Why not?" she demanded. 

"Do you want to pee in a bathroom that's haunted by a twelve-year-old ghost?"

Emma gasped, horrified. 

"That's what I thought."

That evening in the Slytherin common room, Emma buried her face in a fictional book. She still had yet to discuss what was going on with Draco, since she had barely seen him lately (he even skipped classes) and it seemed as though he was purposely avoiding her no matter how many times he claimed it was an accident. Heavy footsteps tread down the dorm stairs, and Emma looked up and raised her eyebrows.

"Well, don't you look charming," she said airily. Blaise was wearing a black tux, and a pretty girl had just moved over toward him in a long dress of dark green. 

"That's the point," Blaise said, and he pointed over to the two Carrow sisters; both of whom were also wearing green dresses with what looked like black capes. "And I believe the term is dazzling, you see, I look charming everyday."