Little Memories

Charlotte adjusted the dark green, strapless mini-dress she work, looking over herself in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable. She frown slightly as her ring caught the light and glittered a bit. She work black, patent-leather heels and her hair was in a straight sheet of shimmering golden blonde that felt down to just below her shoulder blades. Her eyes were rimmed darkly with black eye liner and eye shadow, making them appear even bluer than they normally were. Her lips had been stained a dusty rose color and looked a bit fuller than normal. Maybe it was because Gregory had gone and found out about the party, inviting himself, Melody, Crabbe, and (Charlotte could have thrown herself from the tallest tower of Goyle Castle) Draco.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Charlotte let out a wistful sigh before walking out of her room, ready to get shit-faced and forget how rotten her seventeenth birthday was already turning out to be. She quickly descended into the foyer, flipping her hair over her shoulder when she noticed that Draco had invited Daphne without asking her first. The girl was clinging desperately to his side, watching Charlotte darkly as she walked down the stairs.

“Do you have any idea how inconvenient it is that your birthday’s on Christmas eve?” Daphne snapped before Charlotte had a chance to step off the staircase.

“Hello Dapnhe,” Charlotte merely replied through a heavy sigh, shaking her head at how ridiculous that girl was. Melody immediately parted from Gregory’s side and wrapped Charlotte in a warm, unexpected hug, on of her hands grasping at a nicely wrapped present.

“Happy birthday, Charlotte,” she said to her sweetly before pulling away slightly and holding out the present toward her. Charlotte’s brow furrowed a bit as she glanced between Gregory and Melody. She almost seemed a bit surprised at the gesture, but took the present from her regardless.

“You really didn’t have to get me anything, Melody,” she said, looking over the crème-colored box and delicate pink bow that was wrapped around it. The box itself was so unlike Charlotte that she could only wonder what was within. Melody merely clasped her hands in front of her, smiling and shrugging her shoulders once.

“Don’t mention it,” she said softly, “I saw it and thought it’d be perfect for you.” Charlotte raised a brow at the girl, wonder where she even got the inkling that she knew her well enough to find the perfect present. She looked over at Gregory, giving him a particular look before turning back to Melody with a bit of a forced smile.

“Thanks, Melody,” she said softly. Draco let out a small snicker, causing Charlotte to turn to him, wearing a hard glare. He immediately looked away, Daphne wrapping an arm around him, as if she could protect him from Charlotte.

Charlotte barely got a laugh out when a loud pop resounded through the foyer of the Goyle Castle, causing them all to jump slightly with the sudden noise. Theodore and Jackson stood in the room, glancing around cautiously as if to make sure they were in the right place. Charlotte then remembered for a moment that neither of them had been to her house. She immediately walked over to Theodore, wearing a broad smile at the sight of him. He also held a thin, rectangular box in his hand as he opened his arms to her. Once she collided with his chest, he wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to hers warmly without need for any other kind of greeting. Jackson stood there awkwardly, glancing between the others in the room with a raised brow.

“Well…Happy Christmas, you guys,” he said softly, the others merely murmuring their replies as Charlotte and Theodore completely ignored everyone as they deepened their kiss, her arms draping themselves over his shoulders. Somewhere in the large room, someone cleared their throat and they reluctantly parted with a ‘pop’. Charlotte turned in his arms, smirking slightly as she glanced around the room, purposely holding Draco’s eyes for a moment or two longer than everyone else’s.

“I guess it’s time to get the party started then,” she murmured, swiping her hand over the back of her mouth as her eyes settled once more on a rather uncomfortable looking Draco. She smirked slightly before taking Theodore’s hand in hers and wordlessly beginning to lead them to the parlor. She didn’t want them to have the party in the ballroom this year. Only her parents had parties there and she didn’t want to be reminded of them anymore than need be this evening.

The parlor was decorated according to the season and it felt more festive than ever at Charlotte’s bidding. She needed to brighten the whole gloom that had settled into the house with the absence of her parents. There were at least three large Christmas trees gilded with silvery tinsel and crystal ornaments that never seemed to stay the same color for more than a second or two. Old music, it sounded like it could have come straight out of the 1940’s, played from an old gramophone; not too unlike the one in Charlotte’s Irish cottage, Draco noted. On one side of the room, a table full of every sort of booze known to witch, wizard, and Muggle was lined up, waiting to be consumed.

“Oh, Charlotte,” Melody said softly, “this place is decorated wonderfully! Almost as pretty as Hogwarts is!” Charlotte shot a look to Theodore, who was pursing his lips together tightly to try and stem laughter.

“Thanks, Melody,” she said softly, offering her a small smile.

“So, we’re going to have a booze fest?” Jackson asked with a raised brow. Charlotte almost replied with Melody cut in once more.

“Jackson and I are underage,” she said strongly before sinking back a bit once she realized that everyone was looking at her. “I just thought I should let you know…” Charlotte let out a heavy sigh, rolling her eyes a bit at the girl. Daphne let out an loud, taunting laugh and Charlotte glared over at her. Charlotte didn’t exactly mind Melody as much now, since she seemed to have the best intentions. She surely minded Daphne laughing at her like she was in idiot.

“Daphne,” Charlotte said in a low voice, “let’s make one thing clear. You are in my home. You are at my party. If you set a hair out of line of what I want tonight, I will have no qualms about kicking you out.” The room grew quiet and tense as the others exchanged looks. Daphne merely stared darkly at Charlotte, but didn’t say a word. “Is that understood, Daphne?” She continued, staring hard at the brunette.

“Fine,” she spat, sending at look to Draco as she looped her arm through his. Charlotte could almost see a pained look flit across his features for a moment before smoothing out to his normal, neutral expression. There was a long pause before anyone did or said anything. She almost had told them to drink up when large pop resounded in the foyer before a small house elf stepped sheepishly into the room, holding a gift and a bit of rolled parchment in her spindly little fingers. Charlotte paused, staring at the elf with uncertainty in her eyes.

“A present for the miss from her parents, who regrettably cannot be present for such a big occasion,” the elf said in her small, reedy voice. Charlotte took the gift and parchment in numb fingers, realizing that everyone was looking expectantly at her. The girl, who now supposed she would consider herself a woman, swallowed back tears as her shaky fingers slid under the wax seal of the parchment, broke it, and unrolled it.

It read, in her mother’s neat and even script:

‘Our Dearest Charlotte,

Words cannot express how sorry we are that we cannot be there for your seventeenth birthday. You are a young woman now and have so much responsibility and power to tend to. We can only hope that you use such power to your advantage and make every waking moment count. It is so hard for us to be away from your brother, away from our baby girl, in such dire circumstances. We love you, Charlotte, and we hope you enjoy your gift.

Love,

Mum and Dad’

Charlotte had the hardest time keeping the tears from falling out of her eyes and had the biggest lump in her throat. She drew in a deep breath of air and rolled up the parchment and immediately turned her eyes to the present. She didn’t want to look at anyone at the moment and show how upset she was. Slipping her fingers under the green bow around the small, silvery box, she removed the top of the box and let it fall to the floor. A thin veil of tissue paper the separated the gift from Charlotte’s view. She quickly tossed that aside and gasped at the item within the box.

Within the box lay a small silver bracelet, a thin cuff that glittered with diamonds, emeralds, and pearls. It looked to be so antique that it appeared to have been made around the same time that Hogwarts was built, yet the silver metal seemed to glow and shine on it’s own accord. Charlotte bit her bottom lip hard and drew in a deep breath of air through her nose as she tried to keep from crying, tentatively lifting the cuff from the box and looking over it.

“T-That’s mum’s bracelet,” Gregory murmured, a bit dumbfounded at what he was seeing. “Why would she give that to you?” Charlotte looked up at Gregory after slipping the cuff onto her wrist and slowly shaking her head. She then turned her eyes darkly back to the cuff, examining how it looked against her pale skin and knowing that nothing good could become of her receiving this gift. Her mother loved this bracelet and wouldn’t give of it as a gift if her life depended on it.

“I need a drink,” she murmured darkly, stomping over to the table with the drinks and pouring herself a hefty glass of whatever she grabbed first.