i'm dreaming of a white christmas

[Kelly Evans]

Wind whistled through the high street of Hogsmeade, almost with a vengeance, a malicious vendetta against anyone mad enough to be out and about. Kelly Evans was one such madwoman. Shivering, her arms laded with brightly coloured bags crammed full of Christmas gifts, the witch wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck, and tugged her coat closer to her body. Tired, cold, and already sick of Christmas shopping, Kelly stopped and looked up and down the street, searching for an oasis.

She didn't have to look far. The Three Broomsticks and the warmth she knew it would offer beckoned to her with the same power as the Imperius curse, and before her resolve to get all her shopping done in one day could win out over her cold and tired limbs, she struggled her way through the sleet and pushed open the front door. The warmth and the noise hit her like a welcome sledgehammer, the bar packed with students and Hogsmeade residents alike, and she quickly slid into a booth, her bags underneath the table at her feet.

A harassed-looking waiter took her order for butterbeer, and as she waited, Kelly drummed her fingertips on the table. A week out from Christmas and she wanted it to be over already. People seemed to get injured more around the holidays than any other time, and she was sure that if she had to patch up one more case of burns from real life candles that had been magically attached to Christmas trees, she was going to scream. No limit to the imagination at Christmas time.

Her butterbeer delivered and sitting snug and warm in between her hands, Kelly entertained herself by watching the students mill around the bar, flirting and fighting with each other. She couldn't help but think back to all those (truthfully not that many) years ago when she was in their position, staying at school for Christmas because it was easier than heading back to world war three.

Merlin, she missed it sometimes.

[Kat Samuels]

“Oh stop it,” she murmured leaning in and swatting at the dashing boys arm. “You’re not even old enough to drink the thing let alone buy me one now shush.” Honestly she had just been sitting there drinking a firewhiskey by herself when the pub had filled up with students – seventh years escaping the castle – and before she had known it she had been surrounded by a trio of boys fighting for her attention. She was flattered of course but she had made mistakes like them before. They were relentless however and she was desperate for an escape when her friend and savior Kelly Evans walked into the bar.

“I’m sorry boys,” she said turning to them and offering a small smile, “but alas I must go, my girlfriend has finally arrived and I can’t keep the missus waiting she has a terrible temper.” Leaping from her seat with an apologetic look and a ruffle in her skirt, Kat skipped her way across the bar and sat down and Kelly’s side, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she did so and watching as the boys attention died down and reverted to girls of there own age.

“I swear Kel, boys these day are relentless. I know our boys were cocky, but they didn’t have balls like that,” she said nodding in the students direction. “I had to tell them you were my girlfriend just to get away from them. Speaking of which, fancy a snog sweety?” Kat pursed her lips and leaned in before a grin spread across her face and she pulled back, getting her first real glance at all the bags around her. “Oh, you’ve been shopping! What did you get me! What did you get me?” She made a snatch for the nearest bag hoping to catch a look inside but the handle was snagged under Kelly’s chair. Fooey. “Is it Christmas day yet? I want presents.”

Yes she was much too old for the boys in the bar. Much too old indeed.

[/justify]

[Kelly Evans]

Immersed in her thoughts, Kelly jumped and cursed as Kat sat down next to her. She turned to her friend and laughed, following where Kat was pointing to her gaggle of admirers. She waggled her fingers at them before throwing an arm around Kat's shoulders. There was never anything better than titillating teenage boys.

As Kat dived for the Christmas bags Kelly shook her head and yanked them further away. "Uh uh," she said, wagging a finger. "You've only got a week to wait! Honestly, first snooping through my closet; you're worse than the children!" And it was true. Like the older sibling who blamed the younger one for missing cookies, Kat tried to pass the buck onto Scarlett, who'd had enough dignity to look outraged at the attempt.

Kelly grinned and sat back in her seat, clutching the butterbeer closer to her. "What brings you here? I don't see any of your Christmas purchases," she asked, taking a sip of her drink before placing the glass back onto the wooden table top. "Is Straw still bringing my godchildren over to stay with us tonight? Because if he is we need food."

[Kat Samuels]

Pouting Kat slouched back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest. "That was Scarlett" she said indignantly, "she takes after her mother, loves spending time playing dressups in the closet. How did I know you had a present hidden in there?" Okay, so maybe Kat had let Scarlett play in Kelly's closet in particular but it still was Scarlett's fault.

"Me? Oh, I err..." Kat shrugged nonchalantly and took a sip of her firewhiskey. "Ok, fine I will tell you but you must keep your lips sealed, I don't want this getting back to Hermione. I broke into the school this morning so I could go ice skating on the lake. You know it always used to be my favourite thing to do in winter, other than, well, using other people's body heat to keep warm. I just wanted to do it again." Looking sheepishly down at the table Kat adjusted her scarf around her neck before looking back at Kelly. "Hermione doesn't like me at the castle much, I tend to put on too much of a show and she keeps trying to remind me I graduated years ago, barely, but I just can't help it."

Shrugging slightly at her next question, Kat found her eyes drawn back to the table. "I don't know if Straw will drop them off or if Queety will, but neither of them like me much so it'd be much better if you were the one to get the door yeah? I'll just stay in the fort I set up in the loungeroom. I think you're right about the food situation though."

[/font][/justify]

[Kelly Evans]

Kelly burst out laughing at this admission. Everyone knew, of course, that Hermione had always had mixed feelings towards Kat and her flippancy towards the rules, but she imagined it would be even worse since Kat was no longer a student. "No wonder all the male students are fawning all over you," Kelly laughed. "They probably saw you out of the dormitory windows and took you for a Christmas angel, come to life," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You realise there's a perfectly good park in our side of the London with a frozen pond?"

Taking a sip of her drink, Kelly frowned slightly as Kat mentioned Straw and his slight aversion to Kat being around the kids. "I'll tell them you're working the night shift," she agreed, her frown only deepening. "I'm going to have to have a word with that man about this. It's not right, having to lie. The children are going to dob us in eventually, Merlin bless them. Have you spoken to Straw at all?" she asked. Even though they were young, the kids knew that something was wrong with the grown ups that surrounded them, especially Scarlett, who refused to leave her mother's side as soon as she was dropped off.