✓ epiphany ━━ cedric diggory

﹙ 𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢﹚ that annoying smile

🖇·˚ ༘ ┊͙[ chapter seventeen ] ! ˊˎ

╰─▸ presents, santa and inside jokes

     WAKING UP ON CHRISTMAS MORNING never really feels real. I rubbed my eyes to the sound of my brother's pounding footsteps down the stairs. I opened my curtain to see the once-green lawn sprinkled with a white carpet, snowflakes gracing the glass. I could hear the kettle already boiling downstairs and smell the rich scent of cinnamon baking in the oven.

     I had always preferred Christmas Eve, what with the anticipation and the milking of the last Christmas buildup before the big day arrived. But, even saying this, there is something so very special about opening your eyes on Christmas morning. All of that excitement had led to this moment.

     y/o/n's was perched on my windowsill instead of their cage, and it made my heart swell to see the pile of newly-delivered letters stacked by their cage on my desk. I gathered them all in my hands, fishing through each one, trying to identify which ones were from who based on the handwriting.

     My heart swelled even more when the final one in the pile was no doubt, from Cedric. His handwriting was messy in a cute sort of way, each letter spaced out, but he still swished the ends.

     The two of us had been exchanging letters for the last couple of days and I would have never predicted how excited I became to receiving his replies.

     I placed the other five down and shamelessly opened his first. Instead of a letter, Cedric had posted a Christmas card ─ a golden Snitch, dressed up in a Santa hat was on the front, his words on the inside.

Dear y/n,

Merry Christmas! I do hope this gets to you in time. I can't imagine if I never truly got to wish you happy Christmas on the day itself.

I hope you have a great holiday and do please wish your family a merry Christmas from me too! Especially Will. I think I might like him more than you, you know . . .

And if I don't write again, happy new year! Here's to 1994!

See you at school :)

Ced

     I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at the idea that he and I wouldn't exchange any more letters this winter break. But I suppose it wasn't long until we would be back at school, and I would be forced to sit next to him in Potions again.

      I stood the card up on my bedside table before making my way downstairs.

      Will was, as expected, drowning in a sea of wrapping paper, and so I assumed he had been up for at least a good hour.

     "See we've started without me then," I chuckled as I made my way into the living room. The tree sparkled with the first signs of morning light on this crisp December morning. My mother was walking in from the kitchen with a tray of cups of tea and warm pastries.

     "That's what you get when you sleep in," Will said, sporting a look of distaste.

      I glanced up at the clock above the wood burner to make sure I wasn't the one in the wrong. "It's only nine?" I had hardly slept in. More like he hadn't slept at all.

     "Merry Christmas, dear," my mother said as she carefully placed the tray on the coffee table before she made her way over to me and pressed a hard kiss to my cheek.

      I excused the force only because it was Christmas.

     "Merry Christmas to you both," I said, surprised to see my brother smiling up at me as I did.