Christmas Farewells
An hour later, Liam and his friends went upstairs to the Great Hall for dinner. Liam sat down at the Hufflepuff table and helped himself to a slice of turkey and some mashed potatoes. He had just begun to eat when Stephanie asked, “Wren, did something happen between you and Ables?”
News travels fast at Hogwarts, thought Liam. “Why do you ask?” he said pleasantly.
“Because Ables is sitting next to one of the Sixth Year boys. He’s got his arm around her, and she looks like she’s crying her eyes out.”
Liam, sitting with his back to the Slytherin table, did not turn around to look. “Well, he can have her,” he said. “I’ve had enough of her drama.”
“We always thought she was an atrocious choice to be your one Slytherin girlfriend,” continued Stephanie.
Before Liam could respond to this, Monique chimed in. “I always thought you and Pauline Langlet would have gotten on famously. You would have had loads to talk about, how you switch back and forth between the Muggle World and the Magical World all the time. She’s just as pretty as Ables, I think, if not prettier. And she’s far more pleasant to be around.”
Liam looked to his friends to judge their reactions. Michael regarded this statement with amusement. Philip on the other hand, looked suddenly ill.
Stacy continued the line of attack. “Tess would have left a door open for you. She was always complaining that you never seem to look her way.”
“She was otherwise occupied last year, as I recall,” said Liam.
“Yes, but you could have given Reid Mageford a run for his money.”
“Even Morwena,” said Lara. “I thought maybe bringing you together with Cyrus Kane would have spurred on your competitive spirit, and made you take a crack at your rival’s girl while he was off at Durmstrang. Now, I’m afraid it’s too late. They won’t take Vanessa’s cast-offs. They hate her too much.”
Liam smiled wryly. “For the record, she did not cast me off. I broke up with her. But since you’re so smart, who’s my next girlfriend going to be?”
“You shouldn’t need me to tell you that,” snapped Lara.
Liam went back to his dinner. The main dishes magically vanished from the table, replaced by wedges of apple pie on little plates, and a frozen silver bowl into which were stacked round scoops of vanilla ice cream. He helped himself to a generous slice of apple pie and a scoop of ice cream. He ate slowly, savoring every bite before repairing to the Common Room.
Back in his dormitory, he stretched out on his bed. Philip lingered nearby, looking worried about something. “What’s the matter, Hark?”
“It’s nothing,” said Philip, though from his worried look, this was clearly not the case. “Tell me,” said Liam.”
“You, um, haven’t actually talked to Pauline, have you?”
Liam suddenly remembered Sadie’s comment from the previous summer, that Philip had a girl he was keen on. “You fancy Langlet, do you?” asked Liam. Philip nodded. Liam connected another dot in his head. “I like the hat you bought for her. It looks good on her. I’d say you have the inside track on that girl. But you’d better make a move. She is pretty. You’ll have some competition before you know it. Not from me, but from somebody.”
Philip let out a sigh. “I can hardly talk around her sometimes. I bought her that hat only because she was across the room from me. When I gaze into those green eyes, I can hardly speak a word.”
“You’re not that skinny little kid anymore that everybody used to pick on,” said Liam firmly. “Well, you are still skinny, but you’re not little. You’re as tall as I am now, taller even than Mac.”
This brought a warm smile to Philip’s face. “The girls tonight didn’t mention Rhiannon, but Rhi loves how you call her Mac, how you treat her like one of the boys.”
“Just calling it like I see it.”
“You’re wise. I should listen to you,” said Philip.
Benedict had spent Tuesday night of that week with Freya, prepping for their Wednesday morning Arithmancy exam. They met in a little study room in the library. Incidentally, it was the same one, with the glass door, the single table with two chairs, where Liam and Sadie had studied History as First Years.
Benedict spent most of his first Arithmancy term completely lost. It galled him how easily Arithmancy came to Reginald Dennison. In his other classes, Reginald glowered silently, participating as little as possible, but in Arithmancy, Reginald was a classic Slytherin, charming and obsequious. Perhaps Reginald’s success had soured Ben to the subject. Now it was the end of term and the final exam was looming. Freya had gallantly stepped in to save him.
Freya was very good with numbers, both in a magical and ordinary sense. They spent an hour going over the study guide. Freya had Benedict conjure every number that was likely to be on the exam.
When they were through, Freya stood and stretched, while Benedict cleared away the parchment and put his book in his bag.
“What are you doing for Christmas?” asked Freya.
“Seeing family, mostly. There will be several gatherings, lots of food, and many, many presents. I have so many first and second cousins to get presents for.”
“How do you afford all those gifts?”
“Very little of it is new,” admitted Benedict. “Gifts pass from person to person until it finds the one who loves it enough to keep it.”
“What type of gifts?”
“Books, board games, puzzles, little figurines carved out of wood. Nothing fancy.”
“No clothes?”
“Oh, mum’ll get me clothes, and she’ll tell my aunts what to buy me. Thing is, though, they’ll have to wait ‘til I get back to buy them. Don’t want to get me the wrong size.”
Freya laughed. “We’ve all grown a bit since September, I think.” Gazing tenderly at him, she asked, “Will you miss us?”
“You and Meriko and Alyssa? Of course.”
“We’ll miss you, too,” said Freya. Laughing nervously, she added, “I guess I shouldn’t speak for the other girls, but I’ll miss you. Will you write?”
“Would you like a Christmas letter from me?” asked Ben. Freya beamed blushingly back at him. “I’ll have to write the other two girls, too.”
Freya nodded. “If I write you, I’d better write Bell, too.”
“She’d love to hear from you. I would, too.”
With a quick step, Freya closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around him. He expected her to break the embrace as quickly as she initiated it, but she clung to him. “Happy Christmas,” she whispered.
“Happy Christmas, Freya.”
Benedict didn’t tell anyone about the hug. He wasn’t sure if Freya had talked or if some Slytherin spy had simply observed them through the glass door. By Thursday morning at any rate, Alyssa and Meriko had heard about it.
As Benedict waited outside Professor Meadows classroom, Meriko came up to Benedict. “Freya has been dominating you,” she said. “Keeping you all to herself. She needs to share.”
“I needed her help to get through Arithmancy, that’s all,” said Benedict.
Alyssa, who had been speaking to Bell, broke away and came over to Ben. “We were going to wander the halls tonight, looking at all the Christmas decorations. You should come with us.”
“Sure!” Alyssa smiled brightly at him, and he couldn’t help but blush.
That night after dinner, he met the three girls in the Entrance Hall, by the giant tree Hagrid had brought in. They climbed the Grand Staircase and wandered down the hallways, looking at the decorations. The suits of armor were polished brightly. Some wore wreaths like great bushy necklaces.
Some of the paintings had gold baubles floating around them. Others had holly boughs resting on top of their frames. Little yellow faeries darted from wall to wall, gazing at the pictures and stopping every so often to speak to the people in the portraits.
At first, Ben was quiet. He enjoyed listening to the girls’ chatter, and he was used to Bell and her friends dominating the conversations. In fact, he was used to having many more girls around him than this at any given time. Bell’s friends accepted his presence, but they rarely engaged him in conversation.
These three girls, however, were not content to have him merely walking with them. Meriko said, “Ben, which of the decorations have you liked the best so far? Which one would you like decorating your home?”
“I like the faeries. We have some flying around the tree in the Badgers Den, too. I fancy having some faeries at home. They could dance in the windows and fly around the big tree in the living room. In the summer, they could enjoy the garden. I can imagine them floating around on a warm summer day during a party, with everyone eating and drinking, singing songs and telling tales.”
Alyssa asked, “Which girl would you like decorating your house when you’re older?”
Benedict was too clever and alert to be caught in such a simple trap. “All three of you, of course!” The girls’ laughter echoed off the stone walls.
It would have been a good night for an ambush. There were prefects on patrol, but Dennison’s gang might still have caught Benedict and the girls unawares. That night, however, Reginald was sitting on his bed with the curtains drawn, avidly gazing at the spells and drawings of Wicked Vengeance, pondering which spell he should use and who should be his first victim.
Aiden and Terrill sat in the Hearth Room by the fire and talked. They enjoyed a moment of respite when they did not have to be on their guard against the machinations of the future Lord Mahglin.
At last, Alyssa, Freya, Meriko and Benedict had reached a suit of armor near Professor Meadows classroom. On the end of its long, silver lance, someone had hung a bough of mistletoe.
“Oh look!” cried Meriko. “Who is up for a Christmas kiss?”
There was nervous laughter among the others. “I don’t want to force anyone to do anything,” said Benedict.
“But you wouldn’t be forcing us,” said Meriko. “Come on! It’s fun.” She stood directly under the bough.
Benedict looked quickly over to Alyssa. With a smirk, she nodded. He approached Meriko. As he drew near, they both began to blush. He touched her chin with his fingertips and gave her a quick kiss on the mouth.
“My turn now!” said Alyssa. Meriko moved aside, and Alyssa took her place under the bough.
How many times had he dreamed of this moment? Yet, in none of his fantasies of this first kiss did he have an audience. He hesitated, unsure of how big of a kiss to make this. On an impulse, he gave her the same brief kiss he had given to Meriko.
Freya’s cheeks were pink. She looked dispirited. “No pressure, Freya,” said Benedict, tenderly. Perhaps his mercy spurred her forward. She took Alyssa’s place under the bough. Benedict brushed her cheek gently with his finger and then gave her a brief kiss.
Meriko wrapped her arms around him from behind. “Tell Guishar you’re our boy now.” The others laughed.
Friday morning, the students prepared to return home for the Christmas holidays. Liam inspected the First Year boys room to make sure everything was packed in the trunk. “Keep your hat, gloves and scarves on the bed,” he told them. “The House Elves will come and take all the trunks to the station while we’re at breakfast. If it’s on the bed, they’ll know you’re coming back for it.”
He enjoyed a hearty breakfast – plate of scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon and, on a second plate, an enormous Belgium waffle, which he covered with butter and maple syrup. Afterwards, he brought his boys back down to the common room. He ran them through the bathroom, bundled them up and then took them upstairs.
A large crowd was gathering in the Entrance Hall and on the steps outside. Thestral-drawn carriages were arriving to take the students back to Hogsmeade station. He saw his boys into a carriage, then he waited on the walkway for his friends to join him.
Gillian and Sadie came to his side. He heard Jill’s voice in his head. Heard you dumped the blond witch. Took you long enough.
“I’m glad you approve of my decision,” said Liam with a smirk. A carriage pulled up. He opened the door and allowed the two girls to get in first.
As he took his seat across from the two of them, Gillian asked (verbally this time), “Are you going to send out cookies again this year?”
“You know, I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” admitted Liam. “But, if you’re asking for some, I better make a batch or two when I get home.”
Sadie looked imploringly at him, her brown eyes big and wide. “I was rather hoping you would send me a batch. Are we friends again enough for me to make the list?”
Liam smiled and gave her a pat on the arm. “Of course, I’ll make you some!” Both girls smiled brightly at him.
Philip rode over to the station with Michael and Fortney. Once there, the boys helped Liam load the Hufflepuff trunks onto the train. While Liam checked the platform one more time for forgotten items, Philip found an empty compartment. The boys settled in, talking excitedly about going home.
As the train pulled away from the station, Philip excused himself. He left the compartment and made his way down the hallway to the compartment Morwena and her friends had chosen.
When he slid open the compartment door, the girls all turned their faces towards him. Morwena and Tess were on one side, Pauline and Rhiannon on the other. Knowing that, if he gazed at Pauline all words would leave his mind, he directed his eyes to Morwena. “I wanted to wish you girls a happy Christmas,” he said.
“Oh, a Happy Christmas to you, too, Hark,” said Tess.
“Please, stay with us a while,” said Morwena.
This was exactly what he was hoping she would say. Rhiannon scooted over, making a space between her and Pauline. Philip sat down, and the girls immediately resumed their conversation.
Philip said nothing, but relished the beauty of their voices, the overlapping chatter of the girls as they flitted from topic to topic like the flight of birds in spring. Pauline’s thigh was warm against his, and she kept the fedora cocked jauntily on her head.
He stayed with them the entire journey, through the meal and beyond. Outside the window, the English countryside gave way, first to suburbs and finally to the urban scenes of London.
The train arrived at the station. The girls stood and began to gather their things. Hugs came first from Morwena, then Tess, then Rhiannon. Finally, Philip was gazing into Pauline’s green eyes. He felt all words and courage leave him.
She took his hands and said, “You’ll write me, won’t you? I get so lonely off by myself. I miss my magic friends.”
“Yes, I will write you,” he said.
She smiled and kissed his cheek. With a wave, she was gone, leaving him flustered and full of longing.