𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝟑.𝟏𝟏 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞

The holiday spirit kicked in one week before school let out for winter break. Glittering decorations littered the walls and your hair constantly became snagged on the garlands hanging around each and every doorway. First years took every available opportunity to start snowball fights in the courtyards and the upperclassmen helped them enchant the snowmen to spit icicles at passing prefects. 

For the first time since you arrived at Hogwarts that year, you felt utterly and entirely happy.

You stopped wearing the engagement ring around your neck after the incident in the stairwell and the missing weight only added to your cheerful mood. There were only short pangs of guilt when you caught Draco staring at you from the other side of the classroom, eyeing the empty space around your neck with a wounded expression that seemed to mirror a kicked puppy.

It was early Tuesday morning, the first day in the longest time that it hadn't snowed. You ate breakfast at the Gryffindor table, nervous the entire time that you would be scolded by one of the professors. No punishment came to you, though, except for the excessively loud whispers that drifted over from the Slytherin table.

After breakfast, you, Ron, and Harry all started walking toward the Potions classroom. Your hand found Harry's instantly and your intertwined fingers swung back and forth between you as you walked. 

That'll give Pansy something to gossip about, you thought to yourself in delight as you passed a large group of sneering Slytherin girls on your way to class.

"I can't help it if she's got her knickers in a twist," Ron grumbled, stomping a few feet ahead of you and Harry. He'd been grumbling about Hermione since you left the Great Hall. Apparently, she was upset by the fact that Ron snogged Lavender Brown at the party last night. 

Just one more thing that made you happy that you didn't go.

"What Lav and I have," Ron chuckled with a dazed smile. "Well, let's just say there's no stopping it."

"You call her Lav?" you joked, eyebrows raised. "Like, as in lavatory?"

Harry snorted and squeezed your hand in a silent agreement. Ron turned around and eyed you, pretending to be annoyed. "Sod off, (Y/N)," he said, before slowing his steps to fall into line with you. "By the way, mum wants to know if you'll be spending Christmas with us this year. I told her I'd ask you."

"Is that alright?" You ask, remembering the sweater that Mrs. Weasley had knitted for you last year. There was no way in hell that you were going to partake in another Malfoy family Christmas.

"You have to ask?" Ron scoffed. "She's been bugging me about it since September, asking for your hat size."

The belltower chimed and all three of you quickened your pace, eager to make it to Potions before any important instructions were dished out. Ron cleared his throat, wiggling his eyebrows at you as you jogged. You smiled, ducking your head against the wind blowing in from the courtyard. "Well, in that case, I'd love to."

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

Just around lunch, Ron wandered off with Lavender to find a quiet corner to 'chat' in. You were sort of peeved that Lavender made no effort to thank you during class. It's not like you've been brainwashing Ron with subliminal messages all year or anything. 

You didn't mind, obviously, but a 'thank you' would have been nice.

As soon as Ron left, you and Harry decided to seek out Hermione. She'd been absent from your group all day, including at breakfast when she usually liked to read the newspaper aloud to the table.