November Snow

f i f t y - t w o

I remembered waking up in the common room in the middle of the night, feeling a strong arm around me and warm breath against the back of my neck. I remembered blushing unconsciously before drifting back to my dreams. And I remembered a certain blond boy carrying me up the stairs to the Slytherin girl's dormitory as my eyes fluttered in my sleep. I woke up in the morning in my usual bed, the blanket still wrapped around me like a cocoon and a cold mug of liquid chocolate from last night on the drawer next to my bed, those things played on and on in my head.

It was nearly ten in the morning, I had a long sleep for the first time without the feeling of fear. Breakfast must have been over, I would have to carry an empty stomach around until lunch time. I didn't mind it though, maybe the scenery outside would take my mind off the hunger.

It was snowing the moment I stepped out of the hallway and into the school garden. Icicles hung down from the bare tree branches, white snow covered the solid ground and snowflakes continued to fall down elegantly from winter's grey clouds. My mind drifted off again, this time towards the Order of Phoenix.

The Daily Prophet never ceased to mention more disappearances of people from all over the Wizarding World or even in the Muggle's world. The Order and the Ministry were having a hard time protecting their own people. We could trust no one, anyone could be a Death Eater in disguise. No one knew which day would be their last before the Snatchers come to take them away like they had done to so many other wizards and witches.

Hogwarts was no longer a safe place, no one would admit that but it was the truth. Many of us had felt that way ever since Voldemort's return was made public. Some parents reckoned their children shouldn't be back at Hogwarts, they would put that in action if it hadn't been for Dumbledore being our Headmaster. Maybe that was why almost all students went back home for Christmas instead of staying like any other year. No one wanted to stay.

Walking into my common room, I found Draco sitting in front of the Christmas tree, looking at his presents with his name tagged on them. He looked up and smiled at me, the pointed to the boxes under the tree.

"Are those yours?" He asked.

There were ten different wrapped boxes under the green Christmas tree, each of them had a tagged on them written with my name. I walked over and sat down, grabbing the one nearest from me. A big box from Juliette, inside were loads of sweets and a two-and-a-half-parchment-long of letter, telling me how she was spending her Christmas in America and having a great time, explaining that those sweets were from a store near an American wizarding school called Ilvermony. The next four boxes were from the Weasleys, Fred and George gave me a package of Exploding Snaps and a coupon for their products if I ever decided to visit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes again, Molly and Arthur gave me a hand-knitted Weasley sweater with a green letter N on the white background, Ron gave me boxes of Frog Chocolate and Ginny gave me a green scarf. Hermione sent me a box full of Muggle novels and Harry gave me a small watch pendant. The ninth box was from Lupin and Tonks, they sent me a new pair of black dragon-hide gloves.

The tenth box was what got to me. It was just a small one placed behind all the other ones, wrapped in red papers and white ribbons. It reminded me of someone, I looked up to look at Draco but he was examining his new expensive gloves. I opened it, inside was a silver watch with the same thing carved on it as the pendant I received last year: a serpent wrapping itself around a rose. On top of it was a small card, written outside was a simple letter M.

Merry Christmas, it said, in an oddly familiar hand-writting.

I looked up again, this time Draco was smiling at me. I smiled back, running over and gave him a big hug which he gladly returned. Parkinson would be so jealous if she knew about this.

"Thank you."

"Merry Christmas." He said.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." I said.

I put everything back in their boxes and waved my wand to lift them up and send them to my dorm room. I slowly made my way back to the room, happiness bubbling in my stomach and my heart skipped a beat whenever I thought of that small red box. I smiled to myself as I shut the door behind me and dropped onto the empty spot on my bed besides my pile of presents.

My back hit the soft bed and I felt something solid pressed against me. I propped up and took a look, it was another small box, wrapped in green paper. Curiosity rose inside me as I opened it. The moment I saw what was inside, my heart jumped and beat crazily. I picked myself up from the bed and ran out of the room, down the flights of stairs and out of the Slytherin common room. With my heart pounding against my chest and the green box gripped in my hand, I sprinted towards Professor Dumbledore's office.

I didn't have time to waste. The moment the spiral stairs touched the ground, I ran up and burst through the wooden door to find Dumbledore talking to Snape. They stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I panted and tried my best to catch my breath, I lifted my hand and showed them the box. Dumbledore sprung up onto his feet and marched towards me, taking the box from my grip.

"It was on my bed when I came in." I said.

Dumbledore opened it and his eyes narrowed, Snape watched over the Headmaster's shoulders and his eyes widened. They stared at the message written in the box with an eerie silence.

Daddy is coming for you.

Next to the message was a Dark Mark.