Chapter Thirty-One: The Invitation

"What are you doing over Christmas break?"

James slid onto the Gryffindor bench between Lily and Mya and across from Albus and Hazel. He received an angry glance from his younger sister who was in the middle of finishing her Transfiguration homework, but James only stuck his tongue out in reply. The three siblings had been getting along much better lately. Albus still wasn't the biggest fan of his brother, but James was slowly winning his younger's trust back, especially after he stood up for him against some Slytherin sixth years. Professor Longbottom was starting to warm up to him a little bit more after Mya had stood up to him, but he still held him at an arms' distance at times. Last week he had invited James to tea after class with him and Mya. He turned the offer down, after checking to see if it was okay with Mya, but was happy for the offer either way.

"What I always do; stay at the castle with my dad, wait for the twins to show up, maybe find a good book to read. Why?"

"He wants you to go to France with us." Lily squealed, slamming her Transfiguration book closed. "I can't believe you haven't asked her yet! You've known for weeks James Potter!"

Mya gave a pleading look to Albus who was cutting his waffle into small pieces. "What am I missing?"

"Typically, we always have Christmas at the Burrow with Grandma and Grandpa-"

"Who else would we spend it with? Dad's folks are dead; we see their grave every Christmas Eve." Lily interrupted. "It's a big Weasley affair."

"This year Aunt Fleur's sister Gabrielle is sick, so Dom and Louis were already going to be going to France with Vic and Teddy. Gran didn't want anyone to be separated on Christmas, so the whole family is going to France. Mum and dad are letting us bring anyone we want if it's okay with their parents."

"Thank god you're dating James; I don't think I'd make it through the break if he was still with Chang." Lily shuddered jumping right back into the conversation.

"Naturally, Lily has to judge everyone and who they want to bring." Albus showed his annoyance towards his little sister.

"Excuse me for not wanting personalities to clash." Lily held up a newspaper where there was a small photograph of Harry and Ginny in one corner and Hermione in another one. "Our family is everywhere, we don't need extra drama."

Albus snatched the newspaper out of his sister's hand, opening it up to the article on his aunt and laying it out on the table. A larger photograph of Hermine was under the title: Granger-Weasley Announces Her Running for Minister for Magic. "Hazel did you know about this?"

Hazel looked up from cutting her pancakes. "Oh that? Mum's been wanting to run forever now. We had a big family meeting about it; mum was worried we wouldn't be comfortable with it. Mum talked to Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny about it; I'm surprised they didn't tell you, maybe they wanted it to be a surprise." She shrugged and turned her attention back to her breakfast, downing her pancakes in syrup.

"So, what do you say Longbottom? Want to go to France?""

"I mean I'll have to talk to my father. Sometimes he's weird about family things, especially with mum and great-gran being gone."

"We'd love to have you! Mum and dad said the more the merrier!" Lily threw in.

"Lil, you're a mood killed." James rolled his eyes and stood up before kissing Mya on the cheek. "I have to go finish my Charms homework; just let me know if you can make it after you talk to your dad. I'll see you in class."

James grabbed a piece of toast of Lily's plate and then ran out of the Great Hall. Hazel looked up from her pancakes to address Mya, "Do you think your dad will let you come? Mum's super responsible and I heard Professor Longbottom had a crush on her."

"Not appropriate Hazel." Albus scolded.

"But totally relevant." Hazel chirped before shoving a fork full of syrup-drenched pancake into her mouth. She swallowed before speaking up again. "My point was that Professor Longbottom will trust our family. I also heard he had a crush on Aunt Ginny."

Before anyone could speak up the mail call started and owls swooped into the Great Hall. Four owls dropped a large package in front of Hazel, who clapped her hands and scratched their family owl's head when he sat on her shoulder. Hugo, seeing the size of his sister's parcel came over to see what was going on.

"What in the world did mum send you?" Hugo asked shoving himself in between Hazel and Albus.

"Oh, I'm not stupid, I wrote to dad. I kind of messed up a potion and melted a hole in my cauldron. Professor Slughorn said I had to replace the cauldron, even though I'm sure the school has spares. So, I didn't feel like getting a Howler from mum, so I asked dad for help and he delivered."

"Hazel, mum totally knows; I bet you she's the one that picked out the cauldron for dad. He's clueless when it comes to those kinds of things." Hugo pointed out.

"You're a first year, what were you making that melted your cauldron?" Lily asked.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure to be honest; I just kind of through things into the cauldron." Hazel shrugged and ripped her package open.

Lily rolled her eyes and then noticed the thick envelope in Mya's hands. "What's that?"

The color had drained out of Mya's face as she handed the piece of paper to Lily. "Here; you read it."

Lily scanned the letter, but the worried look left her face and a smile replaced it. "Mya this is amazing."

"What is?" Albus asked.

Hazel glanced at the manila envelope at the center of the table, her attention drifting away from her new cauldron. "Why is St. Mungo's Hospital writing to you? Are your grandparents okay? Did you do something wrong?"

"It's not a Howler Pipsqueak." Hugo ruffled his younger sister's hair.

"Is that what I think it is? Is that a letter from St. Mungo's?" Rose ran over from the Slytherin table and shoved her way next to Mya, making a third year move over.

"Dad sent me a new cauldron." Hazel announced to her sister proudly.

"I know; mum and dad wrote to me asking what happened."

"I told you mum knew." Hugo whispered to his sister.

"How did you know about this?" Lily huffed handing the letter back to Mya.

"She told me when she applied; I saw her send it off." Rose shrugged. "So, what does it say?"

"Applied for what?"

"I didn't think I'd actually get it." Mya stared down at her letter.

Rose squealed happily and hugged her. "You got it! That is amazing!"

"Got what?" Albus shouted over Rose's squeals.

"An internship!" Lily yelled out before Rose could say anything.

"You could let Mya tell her own news." Rose scolded.

Lily shrugged brushing it off. "She looks like she's still in shock."

"My dad, when we were visiting Gran and Gramps, saw an application for an internship at St. Mungo's for seventh years who are serious in becoming healers. It helps them get their foot in the door per say. He thought it would be good for me. There were several students who I was up against; students from Beauxbatons and Durnstrang were also up for the internship, so anyone could have gotten it really." Mya's color was finally starting to return to her face.

"No, clearly you were the best option and they knew it so of course they wanted you." Lily was getting more and more excited for Mya.

"What types of things will you be doing at St. Mungo's?" Albus asked her.

"I guess I would be a second hand to the Healers and their helpers and shadow them. I'd be getting pre-trained by them to see if it could lead to a job after Hogwarts."

"Well, when is it?" Lily demanded excitedly.

"That's the problem, I would be gone all of Christmas break." Mya started to chew on her thumbnail. "I wouldn't be able to go to France with you. If anything, maybe I could get permission for a portkey, but I'd only be free a few hours on Christmas and my dad would want to spend those few hours with me."

"Mya this is a huge opportunity, go to the internship. We would never hold that against you." Rose insisted before shooting Lily a look.

"I mean it sucks, James finally has a girlfriend the whole family likes, but you're getting a once in a life time opportunity. We can have a second Christmas after break and you can tell us all about your internship." Lily supplied.

"I'm not sure how to tell James though. He seemed so excited to invite me on the family vacation and I don't want to disappoint him."

"He loves you." Hazel pipped up as she spread jam on her toast.

"Do you ever stop eating?" Rose lectured. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

"If he loves her like he says he does, he won't be disappointed with her, especially with something like this. Think about the last time Scorpius was disappointed with you; has he ever been disappointed by you?" She took a bite of her toast. "And to answer your food question; dad says I'm just like him."

Hugo playfully pulled on Hazel's braid before turning to Mya. "Just be honest with him and tell him about the internship if he doesn't know about it. He'll be nothing but happy for you; Hazel's right he's in love with you."

Mya shook her head, "Rose is the only one outside of my family that knew about the internship, but that's only because she saw me send it off. I didn't want people to know, because I honestly didn't think I'd get it."

"Now you'll have something to celebrate." Hazel supplied. "But you might want to tell him soon before he makes all these plans for you two in France."

Mya started to chew on her nail again. "Maybe I should go talk to him now."

"You're getting yourself worked up over nothing; it's James, just go talk to him." Lily rolled her eyes. "When he's with you he tends to be freakishly calm."

"And it's not like you're breaking up with him, you just can't go to France with him."

"Although he will be upset he wasn't the first to hear your news." Albus supplied.

"It's not your fault we had prime real-estate to hear the news first hand." Lily turned to Mya. "Just tell James before your dad; he won't want to be the last one to know."

Rose gave Lily a look. "That's terrible advice; he's her father."

"It's not like I'm telling her to lie to him, just to tell James her news first." Lily shrugged. "You know I'm right."

Mya stood up. "I guess I should go talk to James and get this over with."

"Do it fast, Professor Longbottom is headed this way." Hugo nodded to the large table in the front of the room where the head of Gryffindor was standing and he was staring at their group.

Mya gave her father a quick wave and walked out of the Great Hall, before he got a chance to approach her. Her letter was in her hand as she searched the castle for James; till a third year Hufflepuff told her that she saw him outside in the courtyard playing with a snitch.

She headed outside and found James sitting under a tall tree, whose leaves were changing color, with a snitch buzzing around his head. His hair was a mess and he had his homework on his lap. As he scribbled on the page his nose would scrunch up showing that he was deep in thought. Mya found her heart fluttering in her chest as she watched him.

James looked up from his homework and a smile spread across his face. Mya went over and joined him under the tree.

"You know a third year told me you were playing with a snitch, but you look like you're hard at work." Mya teased.

"I find the buzzing helps me concentrate." James smiled as he caught the snitch with one hand without looking away from Mya.

"Show off."

"I'm glad you found me; I was having a hard time with question number 20, but you look like you want to talk about something. Did you talk to your dad? He's not going to let you come?" James' face fell.

"No, no, I haven't gotten a chance to talk to my dad yet; I wanted to talk to you first."

"You don't want to go to France with all of us. I get it; I have a huge family, but we don't have to spend the whole time with them and I'll have my own room."

"That's not at all what I was going to say." Mya grabbed James' hands and she could feel the snitch fluttering through his hand. "I won and internship at St. Mungo's."

"An internship?"

"I applied a while ago and I never thought I would ever get it though. It runs all of Christmas break, so I wouldn't be able to go with you. I would love to go to France and learn how to ski, but this is a once in a life time opportunity for me to get to do what I want to do for the rest of my life. I just don't want you to be mad at me."

James let the snitch go and touched the side of Mya's face. "How could I ever be mad at you for wanting to follow your dreams?"

"I don't want to hurt you. Everyone worries that you're going to hurt me, but in my gut I worry that I'm going to be the one to hurt you."

"Mya it's a stupid trip; I'll take you on another one and teach you how to ski. We can run away from school when we get back from break. Better yet I'll stay at Hogwarts with you."

"No, I want you to be with your family. We can talk when you get back and we'll write letters to each other. I don't want you to miss out because I can't go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Mya giggled. "You'll have to take lots of pictures for me."

"Lily will, but you'll have to tell me gross stories when I get back about your patients and what you saw at St. Mungo's. "James leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you so much."

Mya smiled, "I love you too."

"Now can you please help me?" James begged.

She laughed and looked down at his homework taking his hand. "Show me which one you're on."

So, I've had this chapter finished for a while, but I did not want to upload two chapters in one day. I'm hoping to be able to write more. I do love this story and this couple. The next chapter is going to have a slight time jump from the fall to the winter to Christmas and I'm not sure how I'm going to write the chapter. It might be all letters but it might be written like a regular chapter. I already know how this story is going to end, but I don't think we're close to the end yet.

-Chelsea