Chapter 6: Christmas Holidays
Disclaimer: The plot, characters, and setting of this story belong to J.K. Rowling. None of it belongs to me. This story was not written for profit, only entertainment.
The Christmas holidays had come, and so had the freezing snow. Sirius' canine body shivered constantly from the wind and moisture that descended on its fur. The fugitive didn't dare transform back into a human anymore. Not only was it unsafe, but he did not know if his human body could handle the cold. Dog fur gave him protection.
The magnificent castle was covered in a blinding layer of snow, as was its lawn. Hagrid's cabin was a gingerbread house in the distance. It was the type of place anyone would want to stay in for vacation. The students seemed to be enjoying the holidays. They constantly went in and out of the castle, bundled up in their House uniforms and coats, to have snowball fights or to build snowmen. The couples of the school had romantic moments under the icicle-covered mistletoe, from early gift-giving to first kisses. Hogwarts was a paradise.
Sirius, who had become lazy in his four-month stay at Hogwarts, suddenly started. His godson was walking to Hagrid's cabin with his two best friends. Had he got the present? The broomstick? He wasn't carrying it. Perhaps he hadn't liked it! No, wait. Was it Christmas yet? Tomorrow, then. Stop worrying, Sirius, he scolded himself. Getting worked up over nothing—Harry's not even got his present yet. Mentally he shook himself and focused instead on Hagrid. He had thrown himself onto Harry and was sobbing. Harry's friends struggled to lift him up and lead him into the cabin.
"Now what could that be about?" Sirius wondered silently. "Perhaps Hagrid has got some new monster of a sort and it died." He chuckled weakly, remembering his years at Hogwarts, sneaking out of the school with the other Marauders to visit the half-giant and listen to him fantasize about having a baby dragon. He always wanted one, Sirius remembered. Perhaps he has one now. He felt a sense of alarm at this thought. A baby dragon?!
He heard human footsteps coming toward him and he retreated into the forest. A couple had stopped near the trees. The girl had long black hair, was short, and was very pretty, while the tall, handsome boy and deep gray eyes and dark brown hair.
"Cedric," the girl said.
"Cho," he answered.
"Cedric, what is it?"
"I wanted to..." Cedric reached into his robes pocket and took a deep breath. "I wanted to give you something." He pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift and handed it to the girl, Cho. She looked startled.
"Thanks," she said hesitantly. "May I open it?"
"If you want," he replied, but then he quickly added, "but I want it to be your most beautiful Christmas present. Open it last, after all your other gifts, as a favor for me."
"Sure," she answered, confused.
"Cho," Cedric started. He faltered and stared in the distance, watching some redheaded twins have an intense snowball fight. "Cho," he began again, looking down at her, "I like you. I really, really like you. I mean, you're amazing. I think you're incredible. I..." he stopped again, pausing to gain his courage. "I would like to go out with you."
"You mean, on a date?" she asked, smiling in disbelief.
"Yes, on a date. We can start small—Hogsmeade or somewhere. And then if it works out, we can go visit each other, in the summer and meet our parents and so forth, you know, like that."
"Okay," she answered uncertainly.
"So—tomorrow, will you meet me in the Great Hall at lunch? And we can go to Hogsmeade in the afternoon?" His face was hopeful.
"Sure," she answered, smiling.
Cedric looked unsure about what to do next. "Suppose we'd better head up to the castle then," he muttered, trudging up to the massive school. Cho followed him, and halfway there stopped. He looked at her. Sirius watched as Cho grinned mischievously, bent down to pick up some snow, and the two began having a snowball fight.
Sirius smiled mentally, watching the two playing in their blissful happiness. They reminded him of James and Lily when they were teens. James had fretted about asking out Lily for a long time before he finally got the nerve to do it, and Lily had answered easily. "Yes."
The rest of the day was loud and joyous in the beginning of the winter holidays. The night was cold, sharp, and beautiful in the moonlight.
***
On Christmas morning Sirius woke hopefully, hoping to see his godson out on the lawn with the broomstick he had given him. It was a bit early for anyone to be out, so Sirius kept his eyes fixed on Gryffindor Tower, hoping to see some movement. He knew it was hopeless, but it comforted him to see the haven of his past.
It was a few hours before anyone went out onto the lawn, and it was only Hagrid. Sirius became slightly anxious. Shouldn't Harry be out by now? Surely he, like his father, would wake up early on Christmas day. Surely he, like James, would go out to try a new broomstick once he got one. Perhaps it's just too cold, Sirius rationalized. Too cold to fly. He hadn't realized the chill of the air until now, oblivious to his environment since yesterday, when he'd realized the holidays had started.
The day was basically the same as the previous one, except that there were less people outside playing because of the weather. Sirius was bored.
Crookshanks appeared silently at his side.
Hey, now, Sirius thought. You old thing, you should be getting fat inside the castle, not out in the cold. Gratefully, he took the food that Crookshanks carried in his mouth. The cat ran off. Sirius watched it go.
Tomorrow, he thought. Tomorrow I will see how Harry is doing. For now, he would stay in the forest where he was safe, until he could hunt down Pettigrew and avenge James' death.
A/N: Please review.