A Change in Fate || Cedric Diggory [1]

Chapter 18: A Happy Christmas

On Christmas Day, most people would wake up to the smell of a scrumptious breakfast prepared for the family. For Analeigh, she was in for a rude awakening. She felt something ticklish swiping at her face every few seconds, and no matter how many times she tried to shoo it away, it kept coming back — it was her cat. Eventually, Velvet ended up sitting on Analeigh's face, deciding it was the most comfortable spot for the feline.

"Argh!"

Analeigh swatted the animal away and heard a hiss from her right. She sat up, mumbling incoherent things in irritation as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes before searching for the culprit. She wanted to sleep in for as long as she wanted, having slept extra late last night because of the Yule Ball, but her cat's tail just had to disrupt everything.

"Velvet, you're the worst," Analeigh grumbled. The white cat hissed once more before curling up on the other side of the bed and going back to sleep. If only it was that easy.

Analeigh looked around her dorm. All her roommates were still fast asleep. When her eyes landed on the stained glass window, she immediately noticed that it was snowing despite the colored glass blurring the view. It wasn't her first time experiencing snow, but it was her first time spending Christmas in the castle. She had always gone back home during the break even when she was still a Beauxbatons student as well as last year when she first transferred here, so she wasn't sure what to expect from Hogwarts.

She glanced at the old clock on the wall. It read 6:12 A.M. She groaned, plopping back into bed. Five hours of sleep was okay during the school year when they were given loads of homework, but on Christmas Day? It just wasn't enough. However, she couldn't bring herself back to sleep. With a sigh, she threw the duvet off of her, swung her legs to the side, and decided to have an early start that day. At least she'd get to enjoy a heavenly breakfast before everybody else did.

Analeigh dressed up in a pair of leggings, a thick long sleeved shirt, and a maroon scarf. She ran a hand threw her dirty blonde hair and paused at the foot of the bed, only now realizing that there was a pile of presents before her. She decided to open up a few and save the rest later.

The first one was a white box from her parents. According to the card, her mum had found this in a muggle shop and thought it was perfect for her. When Analeigh opened the box and was met with another box, this time covered in velvet, she knew what was inside. She lifted the lid and smiled when she saw a pair of stunning earrings. They must've cost a lot even for muggle jewelry.

The next was a messily wrapped package from Mrs. Weasley. After examining the package, Analeigh knew what her present was, and her heart swelled up in joy. She tore it open and found a knitted green sweater with a yellow 'A' at the center. She had heard from Hermione that these sweaters were Mrs. Weasley's trademark gift. Of course, Harry and Hermione have been receiving them all these years, and Analeigh had first seen what a Weasley sweater looked like last year when Hermione had worn it the day she got back from home before the Christmas break ended. Now, Analeigh had received one of her own, and she was extremely touched by the gesture.

Just by looking at the pile, she could tell that a lot of them were sweets, so she opened a few of them to eat later on and left the others unopened. However, one present stood out because its card had a fancy seal. She could already guess who it was from — there weren't many people who went the extra mile like this. She picked it up, shaking the box, but it barely made a sound. Shrugging, she set it back down and checked the card first, comforting her suspicions.

Dear Analeigh,

For the longest time, I didn't actually know what present to get you. I wanted it to be genuine as possible, so I hope this will suffice. You said last night before the ball that you would much rather spend Christmas sitting in front of the fireplace in an oversized sweater, so I mailed an order last minute to Twilfitt and Tatting's in Diagon Alley (Gladrag's Wizardwear in Hogsmeade was full of robes, much to my dismay). I woke up at four in the morning to an owl who wouldn't stop tapping my window with the package. I hope you like it. Merry Christmas!