Rose of Despair

Christmas! The greatest day of the year, a day definately worth waiting for! All through Hogwarts, everyone woke with extreme happiness, and joy.
Even the Professors, yep that includes the slimy git himself Severus Snape!
"Tori!! Get up!" Hermione yelled in the sleepy head's ear.
"If you dont, im going to keep your presents!" Taylor said in a singing voice.
Immediately Tori shot up at the threat to take all her presents rang through her ear sinking into her little tired head.
"Yeah, thats right!" Taylor said grabbing both her friends by the hands and dragging them down the stairs.

Everyone planned to meet at Alice's room to open presents, because her common room was usually the one that was empty on this special day.
That meant all Ravenclaws deserted the common room, something about a certain Ravenclaw tradition?
Anyways the girls all ran quickly up the stairs, down the hall, accidentaly knocking a few cheerful Hufflepuffs on the way. As they headed to the front of the common room, they noticed Krystal down the hall opposite of them.
She too had a big smile on her face.
Gosh these people and Christmas, I mean whats so special about it?! Oh, nevermind!

Meeting with Krystal in the middle, all panting as the Ravenclaw portrait slowly opened, Alice on the other side.
"On time eh?" she said folding her arms.
"What?!, no, umm we were on our way to....Potions?"
"Poor excuse Taylor." Alice said rolling her eyes. Stepping out of the way all three girls ran past their friends,leaving a gust of wind to follow.
"Wow." Alice whispered closing the door.
Also in the room was Ron,Harry,Ginny,Seamus and Tristan.
Tori looked around in a dissapproving expressions.
*Of course he isnt going to come! What was I thinking, inviting him to open gifts in the Ravenclaw common room for goodness sakes!* Tori thought.
"Great now that everyone is here, lets go!" Alice said racing everyone up to her dorm. Luckily she was a prefect for she might not have enough space for everyone and their tons of gifts!

Alice quickly stopped in front of the door, which was a bad idea, seeing as nine of her eager friends ran behind her all slamming into the door.
"Alice!" they yelled, some picking themselves off the floor.
"Sorry." she said giving them an innocent look.
"Oh hurry and open the darn door!"
"Tristan shut up back there!"
"Just open the door!" the rest yelled.
Smirking Alice slowly turned the knob, before flinging the door open. All stood at the head of the door, jaws-dropped.
Never have they seen a room, loaded with so many gifts.
There has to be over a hundred, then again maybe im exaggerating!
"Someone pinch me." Taylor said in a whisper.
"Ow! Tori I didnt mean it!"
"They never mean it! Whats the point saying it then!" Tori said to herself, making some stiffen a laugh.
"So what are we waiting for?" Hermione asked.
Instantly they all ran to the first pile of boxes they saw.
Christmas wrappers flew everywhere, box covers being ripped apart.
Ever seen a pack of wolves tear to shreds their prey? Well thats exactly how they looked opening their girfts.
Some people take their times, gently removing the tape off the decorative paper that was to be thrown anyways, some even have a chat before opening their presents.
Nope not these students! They acted like they were fighting for their lives!
The girls mostly recived jewelry from the guys, really nice expensive ones too!

Tori got a charm bracelet from her mother, surprisingly no books from Hermione but rather a few shirts that had awesome designs in front.
Everyone for the next five minutes thanked all in the room for their amazing gifts.
Harry got different things for quidditch, Tristan the same but he also recieved some cloaks that fit him (his were umm rather short for him.)
Krystal got a golden locket from Seamus and some muggle devices from her parents.
Taylor recived alot of weird stuff...unexplainable!
Ron got Hermione a beautiful set of silver heart jewlery, everyone else got her mostly books, some new clothes.
Tori looked over and saw Seamus plant one on Krystal as he looked down at the leather journal he always wanted.

The group also got gifts from other friends around the castle, mostly from their own houses.
Oh and lets not forgets, all of them recieved a big box filled with Fred and George's incrdible pranks and goodies, yes including Hermione.

Soon enough they all headed down to Great Hall to thank all those that they got gifts from and also to of course eat!
Throughout the day, many wished others a Happy Christmas, eating gingerbread men and sipping it down with hot chocolate.
Tori looked around the dining area in search of a certain someone who sadly wasnt around.
*Oh, well Ill just give him his gift later I guess, if I dont see him ill give him during duties.* she thought turning back to her cheesecake.
"Hey there beautiful, Happy Christmas." someone said sitting next to Tori.
"Tom! Happy Christmas! how come you didnt come by the Ravenclaw tower, most of your gifts were waiting for you!" she said after giving him a hug.
"Umm I kinda woke up late." he responded looking down at his plate that was now filled with bacon and eggs.
"What kind of person sleeps in on Christmas?!" Tori asked looking at him with a pretend shocked look.
"Speak for yourself, you almost missed it too!"
Tori's shocked looked turned into a glare at Taylor who instantly looked down at her own plate.
Soon enough Zack, Alice's date from last night stopped by the table to hang with everyone, Apparently Alice didnt mention something, no she wasnt dating Zack....yet!

After eating they all headed outside for the traditional snowball fight.
Usually it was girls versus boys but seeing as it was their last year, they decided to change the rules a bit.
Each was to pair up, their targets??Eachother!
At the end the team that had taken out the most teams wins and the chosen "losers" have to do a dare from the winning team.
You all know who paired up with who already, its pretty obvious.
"Okay, I say we take out Taylor and Tristan first, they seem like the hardest target." Tom said as he and Tori hid behind a nearby tree.
"I agree."
Soon enough some passerbys decided to stop and watch the interesting chaos unfold as each team, all seperated battled away.
Hermione and Ron where the first down seeing as they were too slow to counter Seamus and Krystal's snow balls.
Next to go were Harry and Ginny, defeated by none other than Tori and Tom. Soon enough the same pair took out Seamus and Krystal.
Now it was down to Tori/Tom and Tristan/Taylor who surprisingly didnt take out a team yet.
"Okay, those two are sneaky, so they can come out of anywhere!" Tom whispered, snow ball in hand. Tori nodded looking left and right, bouncing the snowball she had in her hand.
"Shh.."
"Yeah I hear that too."
A strange and unfamiliar noise rang through their ears, making them turn around in all directions, obviously paranoid.
The noise was so strange yet interesting it made both their hair stand on the back of their neck, as they walked back to back.
"Bombs away!"
Before they knew it a trail of snowballs flew down from the sky knocking them to the ground.
After it finally stopped poaring snowballs Tori looked up to find both Tristan and Taylor sitting on opposite sides of a tree, each holding more snowballs.
"Losers!" Tori yelled up to them making them smirk.
After helping Tom to his feet, the others ran towards then all in their fits of laughter.
Dusting themselves off Tori and Tom watched as Taylor and Tristan jumped down from the tree. (I never noticed..Tori/Tom, Tristan/Taylor...whats up with the T's?)
"Good one you two." Hermione said hand over her mouth still laughing, gesturing to Tristan and Taylor who took a bow.
"Yeah you should have seen your faces!" Ron said turning red with laughter.
"You may have won the battle, but we have won the war!" Tori said pretending like she was some kind of great hero, looking up to the sky.
"Shes right, although you two got them pretty good, I have to say they are the winners!" Harry said.
"Stupid rules." Tori heard Taylor mumble.
"Hmm, Tom who shall we choose to torture?" Tori said looking devishly at her partner, who played along.
"Oh, I dont know Tori, its such a hard decision!" he said making some laugh.
Tristan rolled his eyes, knowing exactly the pair they were going to pick.
"Whats the dare?" he asked smirking.
"Ahh we have a volunteer!" Tori said meeting his smirk.
"Well my accomplis and I need to have a moment to decide your fate!" Tom said still pretending as if they were in medevial times or something. You know the whole Knights and battles and stuff...oh you get the point!
"Well?" Taylor asked impatiently still a bit upset that she lost.
"Well, we've decided that........we'll tell you later! When we come up with a good one!" Tori responded which made everyone look at her sadly.
They all wanted to know the evil thoughts flowing through her mind, because of course it was Tori, the queen of sadistic and crazy things!
With the whole snow ball fight tiring them out, they all headed back in freezing. Soon after it was time for lunch.
Looking around the room, Tori still didnt see Draco, his gift waiting impatiently for him. Deciding to just give him at duties Tori ate away.
After lunch the girls all headed back up to Alice's room to admire their gifts and such, you know girl things!
While on the other hand the guys went out to play quidditch, in the snow, as if they were freezing as it is.

Tori sat on the couch, staring at the heart pendant that Tom gave her.
It was truly an amazing gift, she hoped in turn he would love his gift from her.
Tori couldnt help but smile, yes she did like Tom a bit, I mean who wouldnt?! The guy was sweet, smart, and a total hottie! But is romance more than frienship with the two?

Looking up she noticed Hermione at the other side of the room, looking down at her hands.
Walking over Tori sat next to her cousin, who had a confused look upon her face.
" Is it wrong to like two people?" Hermione asked before Tori can say anything.
"Um, No i dont think so, you cant deny your feelings."
"But its wrong! especially if you have a boyfriend."
Tori's eyes grew wide, looking down at Hermione's hands was a little tiny neatly wrapped red box.
"Who is that from?"
Disregarding the question Hermione continued, "Ron is a great guy!"
Then she turned her gaze away from the snow outside and looked at Tori.
"But not always the best boyfriend." she whispered, she then gave a look like she mentally slapped herself for saying such things.
"Oh dont mind me, im talking nonesense again." she murmured to Tori who was still confused.
"Its just....gah! I dont know!"
"Mione, tell me, you know I wont tell."
"Okay but not here, those two might find out."
Nodding, Hermione and Tori left the room and headed to the Gryffindor dorm, saying that they were going to take a walk. Alice, Taylor and Krystal didnt mind, as they gushed at their gifts.

"So, tell me wassup!" Tori asked eager to know what was bothering her cousin.
"Well, okay please dont think im an idiot or something."
"I already do, so just go on!"
"okay, okay....Well as I said that Ron is a great guy, just not a good boyfriend, well at least for me that is! Its crazy....but true! I dont feel the way I used too back in the days!"
"Whoa, I always though you two would get married, have little red head annoying children and grow old together!" Tori said, making Hermione kinda glare at her.
"Nice to know you planned my life out!" Hermione said sarcastically.
"Anyways, with Ronald....I just dont feel the same, I still care for him so much and theres still those times when I find myself falling for him all over again, but im still not sure if its him I want to be with!"
"Hmm, so who is this other guy?"
Hermione instantly averted her eyes to something else.
"Mione! Tell me."
"Okay, but let me tell you this first, I still deeply care for Ronald, but.....but somehow I also find myself feeling happy about this one."
Still confused, Tori nodded, watching her cousin reach into her pocket and pulling out the little similar box.
She handed it to Tori, who took it with ease.
Looking around the box for a bit Tori looked up at Hermione still holding that confused expression. Rolling her eyes Hermione said the enlargement charm, making the little box grow slightly bigger, not really changing much in size, although Tori noticed a name on the box.
Immediately looking up at Hermione who was slightly blushing.
"No way!" Tori halfway shrieked.
She was excited, a bit freaked out, but none the less excited.
The girls chatted away, Tori helped Hermione with her problem, knowing that she held no regrets.

Looking at the time the girls went back to join their friends. Seeing as it was dinner, not being all that hungry Tori decided to take her gifts back to her room.
Yes she could have used magic but her being the typical person she is, left it back in her dorm when she was chatting with Hermione.
She did of course get Taylor to shrink it for her though.

Tori walked up the stairs to her dorm, walking into her room, the light turned on and she placed her new gifts on her bed, all still small.
Then she noticed one of the boxes didnt belong in the pile, for it was quite large to be shrunken.
Looking around the room, Tori glanced at the box and surprisingly it had her name across it.
*its probably the gift Tom was talking about!* she thought excitedly reaching her hand towards the box, only to quicly pull back from shock.
Tori stared at the strange box before her, as it moved?!
Then some noise make her smile!
The box started to yelp, then it turned into a small little suppose-to-be bark!
Knowing exactly what it is Tori threw the cover of the box across the room, as it was kept her and her gift apart.
There inside the medium size box was the cutest puppy Tori has ever seen.

"Oh my goodness! You are so cute!" she shrieked with happiness gently grabbing the puppy and placing it in her arms.
Tori has always wanted a pet, a dog, cat, anything that she could take care of.
The little puppy had dark brown fur and amazing blur eyes that Tori immediately fell in love with.
After playing with the puppy for a bit, Tori glanced back at the box, that contained a small card.
*Tom is the best!* she thought before kissing the little puppy's nose.
Taking the card in hand she read it.
After reading it she looked a bit confused at what the card said, no it didnt have a name as of who its from. Instead it read:
"In the tower....
Does he look familiar?"
Glancing back down at the puppy, Tori looked at it stragngly as it gently licked her arm.
Nothing about the little pup resembled anything she knew.
Was this a trick, or perhaps a prank from a certain dark one?
Then it hit her, as she stared at the puppy.
"Oh my." she whispered.
Placing the puppy down, Tori got up and ran to the Astonomy tower, thoughts running through her mind. Doubts that still occur, she didnt know what to think anymore as she ran fast. It was late, dinner was soon to be over.
Tori ran up the long stairs, finally feeling that familiar breeze.
Catching her breath she stared at the night sky, not only the beautiful cold, dark sky, but also the lone figure that was allured in the darkness.
Although the figure stayed there, with their backs facing Tori.
Tori slowly walked to the shadow, hoping that her instincts were right and this was not some kind of trick.
Placing her hands gently on whoevers shoulders, obviouly startling them.
oh...who can it be?! Go to results to find out!!!!
"I knew you'd figure it out." the stranger whispered a rose in hand.
"Draco?"
Tori stood there still in shock at what she uncovered within the few minutes.
"But...but the ha-"
"I knew you'd know who I was if I kept my usual blonde hair."
"But..you-your....your phantom?"
"The one and only!" he replied with a smirk.
"I dont get it."
"Whats there to get?"
"You! you were there when I recived the letter, that night at this very tower!"
"It was to distract you, I loved seeing at how you tried to figure out who I was."
"So...so thats why you wanted to see my expression, but I still.."
"I danced with you on Halloween, I left because I didnt want you to be freaked out at who you danced with seeing as you were still with Potter, plus I wanted to get to know you better, and I did. So I decided that what I was doing was working. All the poems you got are from me, every one of them was from me. No I didnt pay someone to write it, and the roses, of course I sent them. That owl, its mine."
"I thought you had a black one."
"No, that was is my fathers, not mine."
"So...Im the reason why you stayed back for the holidays?"
Draco smirked before nodding.
Tori stood there not sure what to feel at this moment. Who was to blame her, I mean here she is standing in front of who was once her enemy, now one of the closest people shes ever known, only to find out that he was the secret admirer that she has been dying to know for so long!
"So...so you didnt stand me up at the Halloween dance! I thought that guy was you though."
"If you remember as much as I do you only saw the back of his head, not exactly his face."
"And...last night at the dance that girl...that girl that regected you...was me?"
"Well I found out that you were going with that Tom fellow, and honestly I was a bit upset."
"Well then why didnt you ask me?"
"In my letters it talks about how unsure and I guess you can say scared, I didnt know what to do. I wanted to ask you but I thought you wouldnt really want to seeing as we were only friends."
"Is this the main reason why you changed?" she whispered, not wating to meet his gaze but having no other alternative.
Draco smiled that incredible smile of his, how come only now Tori notices his amazing features, first his percing blue eyes, his lips, his smile?!
"I really do like you Tori."
Tori didnt say anything for a while, just stared at him as she thought about the reoccuring months, that this infamous Phantom has left her to remember. Everything Draco was saying somehow fit. She instantly remembered the fun she had that night they did laps around the quidditch pitch or even that night at the amusement park.
But what to do? Is this a joke, is he messing with her feelings?
What if hes working for the dark lord and this was one of his missions. Plus the main thought that ran through her head.
What would her mother say when she finds out her daughter has fallen for the enemy?
"Please say something, are you upset because you found out that its me? where you expecting it to be someone else?" he asked suddenly looking sad.
Before she could stop herself she blurtted out, "No! Im glad its you."
Looking shocked herself that she said that Tori looked at Draco, a smile crept upon his georgous lips.
"Ive been trying so hard to know who this amazing person that is great with poetry was, little did I know he was standing in front of me all along." she whispered.
"It just feels weird, I mean first you were the most annoying person, but then I wanted to annoy you more because I liked it. Seeing you angered was somwhat interesting. And then getting to know you was undescribable, you were everything I thought you were and more. I would stay up after duties wondering how on earth Potter could have ever let you go."
Tori stood there, not believeing what she was hearing, new feelings emerges with old ones as she stared at him.
Once again before she could stop herself she grabbed the back of his neck pulling him towards her, their gentle lips meeting. It somehow felt strange but then again it felt right.
Letting go Tori stared up to find Draco looking shocked.
"Whoa." he whispered.
"Thanks for the puppy."
Smirking Draco grabbed her this time, making their lips meet once again. That same feeling occured, the one where it felt weird yet it felt right.
"Merry christmas." he whispered.
In the back of her mind, somthing kept bothering her, something that wasnt right. Suddenly remembering something else to shake off her uncertain feeling she said,
"Oh yeah...tell Blaise Hermione loves the ring."