The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|24| Hogsmeade

"Maisey! Maisey!"

Ron, Hermione, and I stop walking and turn toward the voice that was calling me. From across the hall, Harry ran towards us, calling out my name looking excited.

"Hi?" I said. Harry looked completely disorganized but excited as he ran to us.

"Ron, Hermione, hullo," Harry panted.

"Why'd you run? We don't have class," Hermione said.

"I— er— Can I talk to Maisey really quick? Uh, in private?" said Harry.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and left with a wave.

"So, what did you want to talk about," I asked as we slowly made our way to the Gryffindor Tower.

"It's about Professor Lupin," Harry stated.

"What's wrong with Lupin?" I quickly turned to him in a panic.

"No, nothing's wrong, but he promised to teach me how to defend myself against Dementors," Harry explained.

"Oh," I let out a breath of relief, "why did you need to tell me that so urgently?"

"I thought— I thought you might want to come with so you can learn, too, since... ya'know the screaming thing," Harry said awkwardly as we made our way to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Alright, I don't think he'll be too happy, but he'll get over it," I walked through the portrait hole with Harry.

"You say it like you know him or something."

"Or something, yeah."

Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Ron and Hermione had decided to remain at Hogwarts, and Lupin finally allowed me to stay as well being he'd be here with me. And, on top of that, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"

"Oh, I never thought to do Christmas shopping," I giggled happily.

On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry said good-bye to Ron, Hermione, and me, as we bundled up and left. The walk to Hogsmeade was the same as last time, but colder and windier. With our ears covered and our collars pulled up high, the three of us finally made it to the gates of Hogsmeade.

"Where do you want to go first?" Hermione asked.

"We can start at Honeydukes and get Harry a few candies for Christmas," I offered.

"Right on," Ron said and led us down the road and to Honeydukes.

The walk was much shorter than the one to Hogsmeade, but the wind was very much bitter. The difference from outside to the inside of Honeydukes was toe-curling; sweets were lined up and down the walls, the warm sweet air instantly melting our frozen noses.

I pointed over to a sign that said Unusual Tastes and laughed at all of the silly flavors.

"Hermione, what if I got Harry this," I laughed, picking up a blood-flavored lollipop.

"Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione dismissed.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under my nose.