| Puffskein
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,438
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Chapter 13
The Present
The first few days back at my house for vacation felt odd. That might be because the only thing my mum seems to be able to talk about is the blasted wedding she’s already started planning for Draco and me. The moment she uses the words ‘wedding’ and ‘Malfoy’ in the same sentence, I turn right around and try to leave the room. She once got on my case about not wearing my engagement ring.
“Rosa, dear, you seem to be lacking something...” my mom said as I walked into the room, holding the last remainder of my lunch in my hand.
"What? I should be lacking this sandwich?” I responded sarcastically. My mum loved messing with reverse psychology.
“No...” my mom got up and came up to me just as I finished my sandwich. She then took the hand I had my sandwich in. “It’s lacking.”
I looked at my left hand. “It’s... lacking more food?”
She scowled. “It’s amazing you aren’t much more of a porker.”
I gapped; much more? How the heck was I a ‘porker’ in the first place?
“Where’s that birthday gift you got?”
“Buried beneath every pile of clothes I still have in my trunk; why does it matter?” I responded flatly.
“You should have it on at least tonight if you’re so stubborn as to not wear it around the house.
I ripped my hand from my mom’s. “Why?” I asked suspiciously.
“I told you about the party at the Malfoys’ tonight.”
“No you didn’t!” I squealed. I had warned her about giving me at least a 12 hour notice if we’re doing anything outside of the house.
“Yes I did; I told you last night that we’re spending Christmas evening at the Malfoy Manor. They’re having a small get-together. Just us, the Lestranges, Yaxleys, Crabbes, Goyles, Brunes, and Parkinsons.”
“That sounds like a petit fête,” I grumbled sarcastically. My mum glared at me.
“You’re wearing it there. And that beautiful pair of earrings. Show that you’re at least trying.”
“Only if he shows it first,” I whined. Knowing Draco, that won’t be until the day he lays on his death bed...
“He did!” mum snapped, her eyes gleaming with a dark anger I had never seen before. Inwardly, I cringed. “He wouldn’t have sent you such thoughtful gifts if he didn’t. I don’t see why he’s encouraging your hair changes, but it shows he noticed what you like enough to think of such a gift. And peridot is your birthstone and you never wear earrings; it’s amazing you still have the hole in your ears! Wear them tonight.”
“I’ll wear the earrings but I won’t wear that blasted ring all ni... the Brunes?” I asked suddenly, realizing I recognized the name from the list mum spoke. Aurelia’s last name was...
“Yes, Evander and Aurora Brunes. Their daughter is in your year. You’ve mentioned her in letters...”
“Aurelia.” She didn’t know I was even engaged to Draco. Neither did Pansy... or those lumps of boys, Crabbe and Goyle. “The Parkinsons? Really?”
“Yes, I know, of all company...” mum sighed.
“You know the Parkinsons?” I asked, surprised.
“Yes, I know all the company. The Lestranges... live up to the name, strange. The Yaxleys, Crabbes, Goyles, even your friend’s parents. I’ve met the Parkinsons a couple times; Gloria Parkinson was a year ahead of me and once had to spend a week in my dormitory... I couldn’t stand her; she’s as needy as a newborn and just as loud.”
I smiled; like mother like daughter.
“Could you please dig out that ring and put on those earrings now before you forget?”
I sighed and walked away, not responding. Mum didn’t call after me, so I continued onto my room. As I shut the door behind me, I heard a hoot. I turned around and recognized Hedwig.
“Hey, Hedwig. What do you have for me today?”
She managed to hop slightly. I realized she had a small box attached to her foot and a letter attached on top. I came up to the snowy owl and untied them from her.
“Letter first? Or package?”
Hedwig hooted back. It didn’t give me much of an answer, so I started to rip open the small box. The wrapping paper came off, revealing a box tied shut perfectly. I ripped the string with a nail and the box expanded a few inches. I smiled at Harry’s craftsmanship and removed the lid.
I didn’t expect anything like a peridot necklace to ‘match’ Draco’s earrings – if that happened that would’ve been plain eerie - but I was still surprised to see a bracelet with red roses between inch long spaces of intricately designed gold bands. I unbuckled the tiny latch and slid it onto my wrist. Once it was on, the roses started to sparkle as if beneath sunlight. My eyes widened further when I realized the red roses were real, flawless rubies. Did Harry seriously have the galleons for this?
Tearing my eyes from the bracelet, I ripped the letter open.
Rose,
Merry Christmas. I hope you like your gift. A rose for a Rose.
I enchanted it myself. Tell me if it worked; if it didn’t I can try to fix it.
And thank you – very much – for your gift. How’d you know I needed a new pair? Good idea getting two.
How is your Christmas going?
I can’t wait for school to start again; I miss you.
-Harry
I folded the paper up again and put it in my small secret compartment of letters in my wardrobe and found a quill, ink, and parchment.
Harry,
I love it! Real rubies too? You really went out on limb. It’s beautiful and your charm worked perfectly (it shimmers as though it’s under sun. That’s what you did, right?)
I hope you don’t break that the first pair too quickly either.
I’m going to some lame Christmas Dinner with my mum and a bunch of her friends. You remember what kinds of friends I explain she has, right? Well, imagine hours on end with them.
Then again, he probably wouldn’t survive five minutes with the presence of my mum’s ‘friends’ quite literally...
Being penned up in an average-sized home with no one but my owl and mum, no interesting visitors... I’m going crazy here, it’s so boring!
Anyways, hope your Christmas is going better than mine.
Enjoy your new gifts as much as I love your bracelet gift! Maybe now you’ll be more competition against Slytherin.
Rosa ♥
I rolled up the letter and attached it to Hedwig. “Oh, before you go...” I dug into a small jewellery box and fished out an owl treat. I held it out, palm-flat, to Hedwig, who took it graciously and nibbled on it quickly before flying out. With a sigh, I went over to my trunk and started digging.
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Siggy from Lissy and Anna's Shop of Super Frazzling Graphics
Last edited by MalfoyzBeloved; 09-28-2010 at 10:15 PM.
Reason: deleting un-story-related comment
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