Filthy American [Theodore Nott]

Chapter 15 - Christmas Day

As the term ended the Gryffindor common room seemed to shrink. Almost no one went home for the holidays because of the ball. Canary feathers could be found around the common room as Fred and George continued to develop what they called, "Canary Creams."

Snow covered the grounds as Diana looked out of the clock tower.

"Does it snow in America?" Theo asked, putting an arm around her shoulder.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. They didn't have to worry about being seen by anyone except Madam Pomfrey on occasion. "Not everywhere but I lived in the Northeast so it snowed loads."

"You're starting to sound British. You'll be saying Mum soon." He laughed.

Diana rolled her eyes and looked up at Theo, "I'm starting to pick up the lingo. It's getting easier to understand you guys now. And I'll never say mom that way."

"You're so difficult." He rested his cheek on the top of her head. In the winter most people's hair got darker but Diana's was getting a little lighter every day. This made Theo happy. They stayed like that for a moment. Theo broke the silence, "What are you getting me for Christmas?"

Diana laughed, "I'm the present, obviously." Theo took his arm off her shoulder, suppressing a laugh. "Oh come on. That was funny." He rolled his eyes and released his laugh. They were facing each other now. "Besides," Diana continued, "getting gifts is something girlfriends do for boyfriends." She laughed. Theo just watched as she laughed.

"Then be my girlfriend." He blurted out.

Diana stopped laughing and froze, "What?"

"Be my girlfriend." He grabbed her hands.

Diana blinked and processed what he said. She wasn't expecting this. "Are you sure?"

"You don't know when to just say yes." He leaned down and kissed her, grabbing her face with both hands. Diana pulled away a little and smiled.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm still not getting you anything for Christmas."

"You're so weird." He pulled her back in.

===

"Hermione, who are you going to the ball with?" Ron asked, again. He wouldn't give it up.

"I'm not telling you." she said.

Ron turned to Diana who just said no.

"You're joking Weasley!" said Malfoy from behind them, "You're not telling me someone asked that to the ball? Not the long molared mudblood and the blood traitor metamorphmagus."

Harry, Diana, and Ron spun around. Diana's hair started turning strawberry. Hermione looked bored and waved to someone over Malfoys shoulder and said loudly, "Hello, Professor Moody!"

Malfoy looked around wildly only to see Moody was in the Great Hall.

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione said as they passed him to go up the stairs.

They all laughed. "You forgot to mention Daddy's boy, Hermione." Diana yelled over her shoulder.

"You'll pay for that Black!"

He sent a jinx her way but Diana already had her wand out and just said "Protego" sounding bored. His jinx rebounded and hit him instead. They laughed heartily as boils erupted on Malfoy's face.

They walked back to the common room talking about Hermione's teeth. She revealed that she let Madam Promfrey go a little overboard fixing them last month.

They finally arrived at the common room and Pigwidgeon was waiting for them with a letter from Sirius.

Hermione and Harry argued about the second task again.

"It's Christmas Eve, Hermione!" Ron was annoyed, "Who wants to play chess?"

===

Diana woke up at 9:30 to Hermione shaking her.

"What's going on?" Diana asked, wiping her eyes. At the foot of her bed were presents.

"It's Christmas! Come on!" Hermione said as Diana made the realization. They began to open their presents. Sirius gave Diana two ends of a two way mirror, he said to give the other half to whoever she pleased. Hermione gave her a book about the Holyhead Harpies. Harry gave her a Gryffindor scarf; she didn't have one yet. Ron got her a bag of sugar quills and Ginny gave her a broom servicing kit. Diana looked at her broom guiltily at this; she hadn't touched it since September 1st and it was collecting dust. She was going to have to start practicing for tryouts next year. Her parents sent her some new quills; her mother was still mad about the picture in the prophet.

Hermione had made out pretty well too. Diana had gotten her an enchanted bookmark. "You missed one." Hermione pointed in front of all the wrapping paper. A small green box sat at the foot of the bed. Diana frowned and opened it.

It was a pair of elbow length white gloves.

"Oooo are those from your date?" Hermione asked, excitedly. Diana nodded enthusiastically. "I still can't believe you won't tell me," Hermione whined, crossing her arms.

"You'll find out soon, come on we have to eat." They went downstairs and met the boys for breakfast. The rest of the morning was spent in Gryffindor tower and after lunch most of the house had a snowball fight. It was everyone versus the Weasleys. Hermione watched from the side. Diana was dominating. She would change herself to look like one of the Weasleys and snuck up on them.

"Diana we have to get ready!" Hermione called. She was right, it was already 5 o'clock.

"You guys need three hours to get ready?" Ron asked, Harry hit him in the face at that moment. They simply waved and kept walking. "Wait who're you going with?" He asked. They ignored them and went to the common room.

The common room was full of girls when they got there. They both went to shower and were wearing bathrobes around the dormitories. Diana took the towel out of her hair and shook her hair out. She decided on long and straight, like how it was when Theo asked her. It was dried with her wand and she pulled the front pieces back and clipped it behind her head. Hermione, who was using several bottles of hair potion, looked at Diana enviously. Diana sat down in front of the mirror and started doing her makeup. It was easier to do it this way then change her face. It could get messy easily. It was fairly natural with gold across the lid. Hermione sat down next to her and handed her a makeup brush.

"Please." She said. Diana sat in front of Hermione and did her makeup. "Let me see your dress!"

Diana's eyes widened. She completely forgot about her dress, she wasn't even sure what it looked like. She vaguely remembers grabbing a green dress from her mother's closet. Diana tried not to panic as she grabbed her trunk and pulled out a green silk dress. She rolled her eyes. Of course it was green like Slytherin.

"Show me yours!" she said as she started smoothing out the wrinkles with hot steam from her wand. Hermione ran across the room and showed Diana a stunning blue dress.

"Okay, okay, turn around and we'll change." Diana slipped on her dress and gasped as she looked into the mirror. It was floor length, forest green with delicate straps and a cowl neck. A slit ran from the floor to her midthigh. She turned around and saw Hermione standing in her floor length blue dress. It had a tiered skirt and chiffon straps. Diana brought her hands up to her mouth as Hermione stood next to her in the mirror.

"We're so hot." Hermione nodded in agreement. Diana grabbed her present from Theo. They slipped on their heels and stumbled a bit as they walked down to the common room. The boys had come and went, only a few girls lingered. Ginny waved to them as she left through the portrait hole. It was already 7:45.

"Come on." They walked arm and arm down to the Great Hall. They were about to turn the corner when Hermione took a peek first. She gasped.

"Oh my god you're going with Nott?" Hermione asked.

Diana bit her lip and nodded. Hermione shook off the shock and took Diana's arm as they started to walk down the stairs.