Sunrise at Midnight

The sun peering through the curtains of my bed awoke me. I fluttered one eye open, letting out a yawn. I was upset I had woken up today so early, but then I stopped as soon as I realized what day today was.

It was Christmas.

I immediately pulled the curtain and jumped out of bed, running to the washroom to clean off. I did everything in a hurry to reach the common room. I was eager to wish everyone a happy Christmas, run around in the snow, and open presents.

And who could forget the delicious feast?
I walked down the stairs to see Harry opening his presents. I grinned as he grabbed a box from me. I walked up to him as he removed the packaging.

“Happy Christmas, Harry,” I said as he looked at the Snitch that flapped its wings when he reached for it, putting in the palm of his hand.

He grinned. “Thanks, Rosalie! I love it.”

I beamed.

I then noticed we weren’t alone. Ron was also in the common room, his red hair ruffled like always. He had a maroon sweater with a large “R” sewn onto it.

“Nice sweater, Ronald,” I teased.

“You got one too from my mum, Rose,” he teased back.

I laughed. “Another one to add to the collection! At least they’re warm and snuggly.”

Harry chuckled at the comment. I reached to the package from Mrs. Weasley and began tearing at the wrapping to reveal a pastel pink knitted sweater. Instead of an “R” like Ron’s, it had a white heart knitted into it. I couldn’t help but squeal a little.

“Is it bad I actually really like this sweater,” I asked, throwing it on.

“You’re a girl, you’re supposed to be into pink and hearts,” Ron stated.

Harry just laughed and reached for a package under the tree that had a silver wrapping. There was a letter attached to it. He began to read it aloud.

“Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well,” he read.

I furrowed my brows. “What could it be?”

Ron and him shrugged as he began to open it. He pulled out a brown item of clothing that drooped down to the floor.

“What is it,” Ron asked.

I looked at it carefully. It looked oddly familiar somehow.

“Some kind of cloak,” Harry noted, eyeing it carefully.

“Go on then, try it on,” I urged.

He wrapped it around himself, only to find the cloak disappear and his entire body disappear along with him. My eyes widened as I watched Harry’s head float around. He looked down and gasped. “My body’s gone!”

“I know what that is,” I exclaimed at the same time as Ron.

“It’s an invisibility cloak,” Ron finished.

I nodded, stealing from Ron’s pack of Bertie Botts he had set down. He shot me a glare and I giggled.

“They’re really rare,” I explained. “I wonder who gave it to you.”

“I dunno,” Harry answered. “There was no name.”

I looked over the card to see fine, cursive handwriting. I didn’t recognize it, but just as my brother had said, there was no name.

“That’s odd.”

I reached over for another package with my name. It was from Fred and George. I opened it to find a firework explode in my face. I laughed. Knowing the twins were probably in their dorms right now, I yelled as loud as I could, “That totally wasn’t dangerous, guys!”

“Nothing’s fun without danger, love,” Fred’s familiar voice exclaimed from up the stairs.

We all chuckled at his comment.

“Shall we head to breakfast then? I’m guessing mostly everyone is there already,” Ron said.

I nodded. “Alright. I’ll meet you guys there.”

I ran out of the common room and out of the portrait and began running down the moving stairs. The perks of being a Gryffindor were being so near the Great Hall - all we had to do was climb down the stairs and walk to the double doors.

I opened the wooden doors and surely enough, the four tables were lined with tons of students happily chattering and eating their food. I walked to the Gryffindor table and took a seat at the far end where Hermione sat, leaving two seats open for Ron and Harry.

“Happy Christmas, Hermione,” I chirped as I filled my plate with eggs and pancakes.

“Happy Christmas Rosalie,” she said back.
I looked up to see the owls swooping in with tons of packages. Addie landed on the table, leaving a brown package in front of my meal. I waved off to her as she took off back towards the Owlery.

“Who is it from,” a voice behind me asked.

I turned to see the twins curiously staring at the package.

“It’s from your lover, Fred,” I teased.

“You sent a package to yourself,” he asked with playful bewilderedness.

“No, it’s from Rayne,” I said with a chuckle, although I could feel my cheeks redden a bit at his comment.

I grabbed the envelope attached to the parcel and opened it.

Hi, Rosalie!

Happy Christmas, me and my family wish you the best over at Hogwarts! We hope you have a good Christmas, I miss you and the twins. How am I supposed to survive a week away from you three and your pranks? It’s unbearable almost.
Write me back and tell me everything you got! I hope you like your present.

Rayne.

I opened it to find a box. Fred and George took Ron and Harry’s seats as they watched intently. I glared at them and they chuckled, standing back up. I opened the lid of the box to find a ton of my favorite Muggle sweets I had tried last time I stayed with Rayne over break.

I gasped and pulled out the familiar chocolate bars, toying with their wrappings. Of course she brought me one of each Hershey’s. I looked over the rest of the box to find various types of sweets.

“I’ll never be able to thank her enough,” I said with a laugh.

“Can I have one,” George begged. “For Christmas?”

I rolled my eyes and handed him one of the chocolate bars. “Split it with your brother or else!”

“Thank you, Rosalie,” they exclaimed in unison before walking out, fighting over who would get the first half.

I watched as Harry and Ron sat back down, but Harry had another package in his hands.

“Who’s that for,” I asked Harry.

“I’m not sure, but it has your name on it,” he said, handing it to me.

Ron and Harry watched me with eager eyes as I grabbed the letter and began to read it to them.

“This was yours when you were little. I’ve had it stored since the night of the attack, and I promised myself to give it to you when I thought you were mature enough.

Happy Christmas.”

I looked over it, furrowing my brows in confusement. “There’s no name!”

“Just like mine,” my brother mumbled.

I nodded.

“Well,” Ron rushed. “Open it!”

I sighed and began to tear the blue wrapping paper off of the tiny parcel. It revealed a velvet box. I opened it and gasped to see a shiny, golden locket. I grabbed it, removing it from the box and looked over it.

“Blimey, that’s a pretty necklace,” Ron muttered.

“It’s not a necklace,” I noted. I opened the locket and gasped as I realized what I was looking at. Inside the locket was the same picture I possessed of me, my brother, my mum, and my dad.

From 10 years ago.

I smiled at the picture, almost tearing up at the sight of it. I watched my parents smiled at the camera, then glanced down at the two of us. I put it down and covered my face, refusing to let the tears spill.

Harry reached for the locket and eyed it. I looked up at him as he looked at it, speechless.

"It's mum and dad," he said in a low voice, recognizing who it was.

Ron and Hermione looked at us. She cracked a smile. "That's nice, now you have a reminder of them to keep and wear forever," she cooed.

I nodded, gazing towards the Professor table. I turned to Snape. Once my gaze met his, he looked away, back to scanning other students in the Hall. I smiled, knowing well now who it was that had sent it to me.



"Rosalie, wake up," I heard a voice mumble. I felt a small hand shake my body from my slumber.

I groaned and opened one eye to see no one. Just as I was about to fall back to sleep, I saw Harry's head appear from nowhere.

"H-Harry," I mumbled.

"Come on, Rose. I need to show you something," he urged.

I sighed, rolling out of bed. I walked to where his head was floating. "Alright, I'm up."

He lifted his cloak, pulling it over me. I crouched down a bit since the cloak was a bit short for me. Harry led the way, going out the common room.

We went past tons of corridors and hallways and time felt like it was dragging.

"Harry, where the bloody hell are you taking me," I asked him.

He grinned and opened the door to a room. He pulled the cloak off of us as I looked at the mirror in front of me. I walked towards it with slow steps, as I began to realize what I was staring at.

The reflection in the mirror caused me to stare in awe. I stared at the beautiful woman with long, fire red hair that had her hand on my shoulder. The man with her arm around the woman looked even more handsome. His hair was jet black, and styled like Harry's. His eyes resembled my dark ones. They both looked so happy, smiling at me through the mirror. Harry walked to my side.

"You see them too, right?"

I nodded. I pulled my brother in for a hug, sniffing. Seeing my parents, even if they weren't actually there, was honestly the best thing I could ask for.

I smiled and pulled out an envelope I had tucked inside my robe. I had been meaning to give it to Harry, but I had forgotten.

"Here," I said. I watched him grab the envelope and open it. He smiled when he pulled out the picture. It was the same picture from my locket.

"I want you to have it," I told him. "So you have something to remember them by, too."

Harry, still smiling, thanked me and pulled me in for a hug. I hugged him back, embracing the moment. It felt so good to have a Christmas like this - digging deep into my desire to see my parents next to me again, anything to remember them, I was able to. And thanks to Snape's present, I can keep that memory of them forever.

Unlike most kids that lose their parents, I don't want to try to forget them to make things better. Their sacrifice is what saved Harry and me, and without it we could very well not be here right now.

"Happy Christmas, Rosalie," Harry mumbled.

"Happy Christmas, Harry."