Hand Me Downs.

The snow was sparse, it had become too cold for it. A thin layer of ice that cracked underfoot lay over the grass, whilst the stones of the castle themselves were cold to the touch, the feeling lingering in the air.

Every classroom had a fire going at all times, but still coats were being worn for far longer than usual. Leanne murmured something undistinguishable, her head dropping against the back of the sofa, her legs half over my own.

She was once again suffering from ‘heartbreak’ and as usual had gone nostalgic, quiet.

For once I was less cynical, less of a bitch.
I understood how she felt, I was the same way after everything with George, and that was just a kiss, a stupid almost relationship ruining kiss. This was a relationship, or rather, as close to a relationship that Leanne had.

“Come on,” I muttered, gently pulling one long leg off my lap and pushing it to the floor, “Leanne, come on, go to bed.” Her eyes fluttered but she murmured again, curling into a ball, leaving me to shoot Aaron as a glare as he chuckled, rolling his eyes slightly before he put his large text book down, standing with a wince as his knees clicked.

“Come on sweetie,” I urged, putting on a sick sugary tone that made me shudder as it became reminiscent of Umbridge.

She murmured but eventually pulled herself up, leaning on a now close Aaron quickly, “You’ll have to get her up stairs,” he joked, winking at me. “With the nice hex and all.” I rolled my eyes but complied, grinning at Fred and George, primarily George, as they entered the room, gesturing at me to come over.

“After I’ve put her to bed,” I rose my voice over the noise and they nodded, over dramatically as always, before glaring at a few younger students who quickly moved from the twin’s usual seats.

Leanne woke up fully heading up the stairs, and I was subjected to another long rant about the Ravenclaw boy. I nodded, offered my sympathies.

She felt shit, but I was sure in true Leanne style she would be over it in days.

I headed back down stairs quickly, smiling widely as I joined the twins in the normal plush armchairs in the corner. It was an area we, me and the other sixth years we liked, were planning to claim next year after the twins left.

Eurgh, after they left.
The sentence felt wrong and I told them so.

Neither replied, instead smirking further at me. “We’ve been looking at retail estate, down Diagon alley...there was one on Knockturn alley for half the rent...” I snorted and Fred grinned widely,
“Yeah, we figured mum would bit our heads off.”

“And you and Hermione,” George chipped in, causing me to stick my tongue out and pull a face.

“I hate it when you compare me to your mother...as much as I love her...”

“Not our fault you’re bossy...”

“You mean sensible.” They smirked once again but nodded, going silent.

“Well if we can get out over Christmas, we’re planning on heading to Diagon to have a look around, you want to come?” I nodded quickly,

“Anything to get me out of that house!” I agreed, already dreading the upcoming three weeks I was going to spend alone at home over the holidays. George tilted his head.

“What do you mean?”

“Well with Dad on holiday with...her, I’m going to be really bored aren’t I?” They shared a quick glance.

“You’re an idiot.”

“What?!” I asked, a slight gasp in my voice, trying to hide how annoyed I was that I would be spending the holidays alone, rather than at the burrow where I would always spend at least two weeks.

“No, you really are...you thought just cause we didn’t ask you weren’t coming to the burrow with us?” I thought back the urge to grin at them but shrugged.

“I just figured with everything that happened that...” They both had the dignity to frown slightly, but Fred soon perked up.

“What is it with everyone? Harry’s been secretly seething cause he thought he wasn’t invited, and now you. You know you are always invited to ours... Ginny told mum about your dad’s letter and she demanded you come straight away.” He ended with his eyebrows raised, poking my arm stiffly as a manner of affection. “Idiot.”

“Prick,” I muttered, grinning slightly, relieved more than anything, the conversation turning to what products they wanted to develop next, how they could brand themselves.
They may act like idiots most of the time but they definitely had a business brain between them.

______________

‘Hey Mione,” I half sang, leaning against the side of the sofa as we spoke, “How’s it going? Ginny said you and Ron had a hectic day?” She leant back, her knitting needles clicking lightly as they floated beside her.

Obviously still wasn’t aware that the house elves wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.

“Horrid,” She groaned, leaning her head back against the cushion, her hair in a higher state of disarray than normal, “Peeves was being...”

“Peeves?”

She nodded, “Exactly, the last day of sorting out the travel arrangements, drawing up that ridiculous list of who we know is staying... honestly, I hardly expected that to be a prefect duty!” I bit my lip, sliding down next to her.

“You need to learn to relax,” I urged as always, it had become my mantra towards her, “You’re up to date with work, and I’ve seen you restart that essay three times...when I’m sure it’s...”

“I need it to be Outstanding level work, actually... Katie and Ryan said you’ve had somewhat of an epiphany transfiguration wise, would you mind taking a look?” I shook my head, half pulling the parchment from her as she continued to scrawl.
___________________

The week dragged, and with only a week left of term I was both eager and unwanting to leave.
McGonagall hadn’t seen me much lately, she said it was arousing suspicion from a certain professor and so we would have to halt until after Christmas and proceed with more caution.

However, and it was something that made my adoration for her grow, you could tell she was enjoying the sense of wrong-doing, and a chance to piss off Umbridge.

Everyone had been especially busy lately, eager to finish as much work before the holidays as possible, leaving more time, in Dale’s words – To get pissed and play on the new playstation gadget released.

“I just don’t get the appeal,” Ryan mused, his essay half done now laying across my lap as I made the necessary edits for him to start re-writing.

I was the Hermione of my group this year, more so than ever since I had started attempting to be a model pupil.

“It connects to the television, and you use a hand held controller like this big,” Dale imitated, “And you can buy games on discs like fighting and car racing.”

“That crash bandicoot one looks like the most fun,” I added, the muggle talk holding no interest to the others.

“Such a girl game,” Dale teased, scribbling the last sentence of his barely long enough Alchemy essay, “Can you check through this?” My head popped up instantly, and my quill quickly bounced against his face.

“I am not your whore.” He snorted, Katie chuckling from her own space pored over a Herbology book.

“Not anymore,” Ryan sang, watching my face for a reaction. I merely rolled my eyes, allowing Leanne to give the offended gasp and to start insulting him.

“The er...” Katie lowered her voice slightly, moving in closer around the small low table, “Coins showing the next date, it’s Monday, so just before we all head home.” We all nodded, before Dale turned to Ryan again.

“I’m not interested in that as much as I am Saturday.” Dale said loudly, making sure we all heard and wincing as he earned a punch from Ryan. I felt my brow furrow but Katie was there before me, “You’re definately trying out for Quidditch then?!” she asked, her face breaking into a grin.

Ryan shrugged, looking embarrassed, “I was thinking about it yeah.”

“For beater?” She asserted quickly and this time he nodded. “Ah that’s great Ryan! That’s so exciting.”

“I’m just like...eurgh.” he started, hands flailing.

“You’ll be fine!” I cut in quickly before he could rant, “Plus, Katie will look after you, and we’ll all be there for you...” I paused, pouting slightly, “If you want that is.”

“Fuck that we’re definitely being there.” Ryan rolled his eyes but nodded.

“If you want to practise as well, just ask...will be nice to practise with someone who can actually ride a broom,” Katie taunted, squealing as I kicked at her, only smacking my foot in the process.

“You would kill everyone if you ever got out there properly on the pitch.”

______________________________

I slipped my second shoe on, pulling my Jumper far enough down over my jeans and shoving my wand in a pocket as I rushed down the stairs.

“Sorry!” I gasped, almost running straight into Dale who had been waiting for me,
“It’s fine, I know how you women are.”

“Says the man who spends longer on his hair than any girl I know.”

“Well it sticks up weird!” I giggled, following him out into the cold hallway.“That a new jumper by the way? It’s nice.” I smiled slightly,

“Thanks, and ish, I got it a while ago but left it at home, Dad sent if the other day, I think he actually feels bad about christmas because that's too letters now.”

“Well I like it.”

“Well I’m very glad for your approval,” I jested, sticking my tongue out lightly at him as we darted round a corner, keeping quiet to avoid Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson who were out on ‘patrol’ looking as pale and vile as always.

Since our run in a few weeks ago Malfoy had done little more than glare at me, although surprisingly he hadn’t reported me for hitting him.

I assume because if he had he would have to admit what he had said, and why.
I like to think that wouldn’t go down well.

“They’re gone, come on.” Dale hissed, pulling my hand gently as we finally reached the seventh floor hallway, walking multiple times up and down until the large door way appeared with a slight creak.

“Lets’ get this over with,” Dale joked, both of us glancing around as we pulled open the large door, seeing a surprising amount of people so early, his hand dropping mine quickly.

“I got in!” Ryan cheered, practically barrelling into Dale and myself, causing us to grip onto each other to stop from tumbling onto the hard ground. “Well done mate!” Dale roared, patting his arm heavily as I smiled.

Katie winked at me, in a conversation with Harry, Angelina and Alicia. I raised my eyebrows smirking as her eyes pulled away and the room filled properly.

“Okay, I thought this evening we should just go over the things we’ve done so far...” Harry began to explain, everyone’s wands in hand and an almost comical groan echoing as Zacharias Smith made yet another sarcastic comment.

“We’re all really sorry Harry didn’t tell you then,” Fred said loudly causing a lot of us to giggle, and mine and George’s eyes to meet quickly, my stomach flipping as they did.

The group split into pairs, and for once I was with Dale, close to Fred and George, the latter was still shooting dark glances at him whenever possible.
In a way it made things easier and worse.

I still had feelings for George, and whilst I had initially thought it was a stupid pride thing with Dale, he had continued to be much cooler with him than ever before which was unfair.

Not that Dale seemed to mind, if anything he was more flamboyant whenever George glared, egging him on.

My distraction cost me and Dale hit me with a stunning spell, causing me to fling sideways into Fred, knocking him over onto the cushion. “Oww,” I murmured, instantly retaliating at Dale with a jell-legs jinx and chuckling loudly as it made him also crash to the floor.

“You wanna get off of me?” Fred grumbled, and rather than comply I simply placed more pressure on him, causing George to laugh loudly, but Fred to groan even louder.

He shoved my suddenly, and ended up almost on top of me, causing me to struggle and squirm, “Oh my God you’re so heavy, get off of me!”

He pulled a face glancing upwards before turning back to me, “Look Amelia, mistletoe,” He winked, moving slowly forward and licking my cheek.
“You’re vile!” I squealed, desperately wiping my cheek as he finally got off of me, pulling me up roughly.

A close Neville had tried and succeeded (Go Neville) to unjinx Dale, who was sat on the floor glaring at me.

But it was Georges face that got me, he was glancing between the mistletoe and his brother, giving Fred a look that up until now had been reserved for Dale.

“Please will you just hurry up and sort this out with my bloody brother already?” Fred hissed to me, another wink before turning to his twin, grinning widely and bounding over to diffuse the tension.

I guess, whatever happened, we had all winter holidays to ‘sort this out’