Four Candle Christmas Challenge - week #2~ RESULTS

[Equinox Chick]

Hello there lovely drabblers! Welcome to The Three Broomstick’s

‘Four Candle’ Christmas challenge!

This year’s Christmas challenge is based around the advent wreath:

Information from Wikipedia:
The Advent wreath is a Christian tradition that symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the calendar of the Western church. It is usually a horizontal evergreen wreath with four or five candles. Beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, the lighting of a candle can be accompanied by a Bible reading and prayers. An additional candle is lit during each subsequent week until, by the last Sunday before Christmas, all four candles are lit. The custom is observed both in family settings and at public church services.

The second day of advent is today, the 5th of December. Each week, for four weeks, to imitate a candle being lit, we will give you a category of Christmas objects. You will have a week to complete your drabble that should include one or more of the objects in each category.

~~~~~

This week’s category is Christmas (Winter) Clothes.

The traditional Christmas Clothes are:

-Hat
-Scarf
-Gloves
-Earmuffs


You have until next Sunday (December 12th) to complete your drabble, of 500 words or less, including at least one of these items of clothing.

You MUST base the drabble around the clothing item. You can't just have Ernie pulling on a hat at the beginning and then not mention it again.

Because we're full of the Christmas spirit in The Three Broomsticks, there will be five points for participation (per week) and we will award an extra five points if you complete all four weeks. We will pick a winner and a runner-up each week. The winner will receive an extra 10 points, and the runner up will receive an extra 5.

You may enter more than once per week, but you will only get participation points once per week, Comprende!

Here is the form for your drabble:

[B]Name:[/B]
[B]House:[/B]
[B]Colour:[/B] (Or emotion)
[B]Title:[/B]
[B]Word Count:[/B]
[B]Authors Note:[/B] 

Have fun! Please direct any question to the "Ask a Barmaid" thread.

Merry Christmas!

(Thanks Russiaaaaa for the wonderful competition.)

~The Barmaids~

[ravenclaw1997]

Name: ravenclaw1997
House: Hufflepuff!
Clothing item: (or at least I'm assuming you meant to change this) Gloves
Title: With Cho (man, I rock at titles )
Word Count: 499
Authors Note: This takes place around Christmas 1994

Walking out of the castle on a cold winter day was just what Cedric Diggory needed. He had been looking forward to this day for a while now, because Cho Chang had agreed to come with him to Hogsmeade.

He fiddled with his old gloves nervously, pulling them away from his fingers and putting them back on with the rhythm of an ancient drum. Cedric's heart beat rapidly with his finger movements, making him even more nervous than he already was.

This was it. Cho departed the castle alone, looking around for him. He waved, and she quickly rushed over, a look of giddy delight on her face. Cedric hoped she was as excited as he was. Her magnificent hair flowed behind her like a phoenix in flight, reminding him of water; dark, black water. He loved her hair.

When she arrived at his side, Cedric took her hand, astonished to find that she wasn't wearing any gloves. "You look freezing!" he remarked, noticing her shivering in the cold.

"Oh, it's no big deal," Cho replied pensively, "We aren't going to stay outside all day, are we?"

"No," Cedric told her, "But you should be warm on the way there. Here," he started to pull off his gloves, "Take these."

"Oh no," Cho waved away his offer, "I'll be fine."

Cedric stopped between his middle and fourth fingers. Should he insist she wear them? He decided not, and instead put the gloves back on and started towards Hogsmeade. Cho fell into step next to him, their arms brushing ever so slightly when they moved back and forth.

Upon arriving in the village, Cedric ushered Cho into The Three Broomsticks. They sat in a booth in the corner, and he ordered butterbeers for the both of them. They chatted for a long while, enjoying each other's company. Before they knew what had hit them, it was almost time to return to the castle.

They paid for their drinks and slowly started down the road to Hogwarts. "I had fun today." Cho broke the silence between the pair.

"Me too." Cedric replied, taking her hand once again.

Cho blushed, and pulled her hand away to warm it with her breath.

"See, I told you you'd get cold." Cedric noticed her teeth chattering, and began taking off his gloves. "Won't you wear these, at least until we get back to the castle?"

Cho didn't object this time, and took the gloves from his hand. "Thank you."

Cedric smiled warmly at her, and thought about how their day had gone. "You know, I'd like it if you came with me again sometime."

Cho smiled back, and replied, "I'd like that too."

They were almost back to Hogwarts now, and they entered the castle together before heading their separate ways. Cedric pulled her into his arms and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "See you in Herbology."

She turned and walked away down the hall. She never did take off his gloves.

[Midnight Storm]

Name: Midnight Storm
House: Ravenclaw
Clothing Item: Scarf
Title: A Kiss On Christmas Day
Word Count: 494
Authors Note: Christmas of 1977 (Lily and James' seventh year)

"I'm freezing," I whisper to Mary as we walk back up to the castle. "I'm so cold, it's ridiculous."

"It's not my fault your scarf blew away, Lily," Mary smiles. Though covered with hats, our hair blows haywire because of the wind.

"It's your fault I came to watch you ride your stupid new broom!" I cry, pulling my cloak higher around my neck.

She pretends to be offended. I laugh as we trudge back up to the castle, wishing I'd had breakfast first. Instead, I'd been dragged out of bed by Mary at six thirty, woken by her yelling about her new Cleansweep 6. As if on cue, she adds, "Cleansweep Sixes aren't stupid, Lily. Just because you can't tell one end of a broom for the other..."

Before I have time to reply, my neck feels warmer. I look down. A Gryffindor scarf is wrapped around my neck. "Did you do that?" I ask Mary.

She looks up. "Do what?"

"Put the scarf on me."

She shakes her head, frowning. I finger the frayed ends of the scarf cautiously, wondering what is going on. "Look," she says, "lets just get back to the castle. Who cares who gave you the scarf?"

I shrug, but glance around anyway. It feels like somebody's there, but I can't see anybody. And then I understand. "You go on ahead," I say. "I want to check something."

Her expression is bemused, but she agrees. "Alright."

I watch her walk through the heavy wooden doors of the castle, then I speak. "I know you're there, James."

He whips off his Invisibility Cloak. "Hey, Lily."

"Thanks for the scarf." I motion at the accessory on my neck. He shrugs. "Why'd you follow me? You weren't spying on me, were you?" The last words come out sounding frantic.

He chuckles. "No, no. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Well, talk, then."

He ruffles his hair, like he always does when he's nervous. I try not to smile. "The, uh, date we had a week ago. It was OK, right?"

I try not to laugh at his nervousness. "Yes, James, it was OK. More than OK. I had a great time."

He visibly relaxes. "Do you reckon we could, y'know, do it again sometime?"

It's hard to watch James Potter being nervous. It's so unlike him to be worried about anything -- but suprisingly adorable.

"I'd love to," I say honestly.

"Well, good," he replies.

A mist of awkwardness is beginning to form between us. "Thanks for the scarf," I say again.

"S'alright," he shrugs.

"But you don't have one now," I continue.

"I'm fine," he says. "We're almost at the castle, anyway."

"Maybe," I suggest, "we could share."

He looks up, grinning. I wrap it around both of us, and it feels nice. "Merry Christmas, Lily."

"Merry Christmas, James."

He looks at me, and I look at him.

Who ever said you needed mistletoe to kiss on Chistmas Day?

[SingingWren]

Name: SingingWren
House: Ravenclaw
Clothing Item: Gloves (Well, mittens)
Title: They Always Come in Pairs
Word Count: 500
Authors Note: Set around Christmas 1994. This is one of my favourite pairings .

“Wingardium Leviosa!”

The words drifted airily into the rafters of the Great Hall, creating nearly inaudible echoes within the vast expanse of the empty room. A lone red mitten came drifting down into the arms of the blonde haired girl who stood alone amidst the bright bulbs and ornaments which adorned the hall. Her face brightened as she slipped it onto her hand.

She skipped up to the nearest barren table and clambered atop it, taking care not to trip on her robes as she ascended. The girl raised her head to peer curiously at the wintery sky projected above.

Neville watched nervously from the entrance. He had only come here to check if he’d left a notebook at the breakfast table (Christmas Day and he was still trying to catch up on studying). But now he was stuck in this doorway, unsure of what to do.

“Hello!” she called to him cheerfully as she noted his presence. Inwardly, Neville groaned. Now he felt somewhat obliged to go and speak to her.

He walked up tentatively. “Um... hello.”

Here he was, trying to hold a normal conversation with a girl who was standing on a table and staring intently up at the ceiling as if it held some amazingly profound secret and he was the one who felt ridiculous. She seemed completely at ease, while he was awkward and self-conscious. (So basically, this was exactly like normal.)

“Why– why are you up on a table?” What else could he say?

She glanced upwards meaningfully, drawing his gaze as well to the enchantment of falling snow. “I rather like the outdoors. However, it’s quite cold today.”

...He felt like he was missing something. Cold weather had never made him feel any particular urge to stand on tables...

“I want to go outside, so I’ve been searching for my mittens. I lost them, you see.”

She lost them up there?

“I’ve found one.” She waved the mittened hand.

He searched for something to say, but all that came to mind was ‘yes’, which seemed hardly worth saying at all. The silence was lasting entirely too long, and Neville was feeling more and more uncomfortable. Finally, he blurted out...

“I lost my toad once.”

Nice, Neville. Very smooth. He fully expected her to start laughing hysterically at the boy willing to admit he owned a toad. She didn’t. Instead, the girl nodded knowingly.

“Speckled toad pus is a particularly effective antidote to Dabberblimp poison.” She returned her gaze to the ceiling.

“Er...” Who was this girl? “I- I think you’d better get down. If a Prefect sees you...” She paid no attention.

“I’ll help you find your mitten.”

It worked. A new brightness came to her (admittedly, rather pretty) features. She hopped down lightly and took his hand. He blushed, then kicked himself internally.

She smiled at him. “Perhaps we should look in the Entrance Hall.” Quietly, he allowed himself to be led from the room.

“Oh look, mistletoe. Watch out for the nargles...”

[chaiteelatte]

Name: chaiteelatte
House: Slytherin
Clothing Item: Scarf
Title: Maroon
Word Count: 446
Authors Note: I've always wondered what possessed Mrs. Weasley to knit Ron maroon sweaters, and this popped into my head today when I saw the challenge.

Molly had been knitting ever since Bill was born. She would not have touched a pair of needles before she married Arthur, certainly, and she had thumbed through some decorative knitting patterns in Witch Weekly the week after Arthur had carried her over the threshold of the Burrow, but it was not until Bill was short of socks that she took it up in earnest.

When the first Hogwarts letter had come, she had gotten a flash of her own first year at Hogwarts in brand new robes and a smart red and gold scarf that had arrived special-ordered from Gladrags no later than two days after she had been sorted into Gryffindor. However much Arthur enjoyed his job in the ministry, it had sat like a stone in her stomach that her own children would not have things quite so easy. She drew the line at sewing whole sets of robes, but she could at least provide them with their own scarves.

Year after year she was pleased to knit scarves of red and gold. She always dropped a loop or two, and she could not help but look longingly at the cashmere scarves in Madame Malkin’s windows come November, but her children always came home for the holidays red-faced from the cold and proudly wearing her scarves.

“I want a scarf,” Ron cried one day when she was working double-duty to turn out two new Gryffindor scarves for her twins.

“Dear, you’ll get one when you go to Hogwarts.”

“Aw, Mum, everyone else is already going to have one! I want one now!”

Molly looked down at her youngest son and felt a sudden stab of pity. Her poor Ronnie was always looking up to his older brothers and now he was all alone. She looked at her reserves of yarn and bit her lip. There would not be enough.

“We’ll see, Ronniekins.”

But she couldn’t stand to watch his bottom lip begin to tremble. The next time she had to pick up Mrs. Scower’s All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover in Diagon Alley, she guiltily slipped some extra Knuts into her purse and bought Mr. Vash’s All-Purpose Magical Mess Concealer instead before ducking into Bobbins and Buttons.

Molly hurried past the yarn at the front that flashed different colors or smelled of cinnamon and located her tried and true “Reinforced Muggle Yarn” section. Stooping low, she rifled through the half-priced yarn, trying to find something special. For once she was going to give Ron something different from all of his brothers – something that made him stand out. And then she found the perfect skein of yarn.

Maroon. A unique color for her unique little boy.

[Apollonious]

Name: Apollonious/Olivia
House: Hufflepuff
Article of Clothing: Hat
Title: Christmas in Blue
Word Count: 492
Authors Note: Thanks so much to Elene (coolcatelly) for beta-ing this. I really enjoyed writing it.

Alone with his thoughts, Teddy walked down the main street of Hogsmeade with his head bowed. Snow crunched under his feet. As he entered the light cast by a streetlight, he came across a girl. This in itself was not unusual – girls had a strange habit of increasing in number when he was around – but the girl was Victoire Weasley.

“Hullo, Victoire,” he said, walking up to her. She was examining a window display at a local seamstress’ shop. It seemed she was specifically interested in a royal blue beret.

She turned, smiling widely when she saw him. Her pale cheeks were flushed in the cold, making her big blue eyes stand out all the more. “Hi, Teddy!” she exclaimed. Teddy felt butterflies begin in his stomach. “How are you?” Victoire inquired.

“I’m fine,” Teddy replied. He tried to suppress the butterflies. Victoire was pretty – Merlin, she was pretty – but she was two years younger than him, and practically his cousin. “I’m just a little lonely today.”

Victoire’s smile lost a bit of its brilliance, and she reached out to take his hand. “Do you need to talk about it?”

Teddy enveloped her hand in both of his. “No,” he told her lightly. What was he supposed to say? That he was dreading another Christmas at the Potters’, with all the ill-disguised looks of pity that Molly and Fleur would shoot him? They always thought they were being subtle, but they were so obvious. “Just, you know, wondering about –“

“I know.” By the look on her face, Teddy saw that Victoire was not bored or frustrated by his depression. She simply wanted to help. “I told Molly and Fred I’d meet them at the Three Broomsticks. You want to come?”

Teddy shrugged, more grateful than he wanted to let on. “Sure.” He looked at the window. “It looked as though you were thinking of buying something.”

Victoire nodded. “I do rather like that hat up there,” she affirmed, pointing.

“The blue one?” Teddy clarified.

“Yes, that’s the one,” Victoire said, smiling.

Teddy looked at Victoire, then at the hat, and then back at Victoire. He let his gaze linger on her mouth until she rubbed at her nose, smiling. “I think you’d look very nice in that hat.” You look nice in everything.

“Is that why your hair turns pink sometimes in your sleep?” Victoire asked abruptly.

“What?” Teddy asked, thoroughly nonplussed.

“Sometimes when you’re sleeping, your hair turns pink. Are you dreaming of her?”

“Of who?”

“Your mum.”

Teddy found that, suddenly, he did need to talk. “Sometimes. I don’t remember her, of course, but it’s almost like when I dream she’s there with me.”

Victoire stared at Teddy. He met her eyes. They looked at each other for a long moment before Victoire turned to the window and said, “I think I will buy that hat.”

Teddy grinned. He turned his hair blue.

Exactly the shade of the hat.

[Eponine]

Name: Eponine
House: Gryffindor
Article of Clothing: Scarf
Title: Draco's Gift
Word Count: 497
Authors Note: This drabble takes place when Draco is 10, his last Christmas before going to Hogwarts.

Beneath the table was usually the best hiding spot for eavesdropping, but since that was taken, Dobby had to resort to more desperate measures. Behind the Christmas tree he crouched, peering through the green leaves into the living room.

The hiding spot was not a bad one. If he kept his ears pressed down, he fit easily behind the branches, and his big, green eyes blended in with the other ornaments. Of course, he would have to shut his ears in a door later for spying, but he wanted so badly to see young Draco opening his presents that it was worth it.

The family sat at the table, all three in elegant sets of pajamas. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy sat across from one another with Draco in the middle, perched nobly at the head of the table. That position was usually reserved for Mr. Malfoy, but Christmas, after all, was a special day—even in the Malfoy house.

Draco unfolded the package in front of him carefully. Dobby leaned in slightly, a look of eagerness painted over his face. This, out of all of the gifts he helped make, wrap and organize this winter, was his favorite—the one he had spent most time on. The boy was usually cruel, if he acknowledged the elf’s presence at all, but Dobby had hope—maybe if he saw how much work he had put into this gift, Draco would care. Not that he would know that Dobby made it at all—but a smile would be enough.

Draco finally removed the wrapping paper and glanced at his present. “Ah,” he said, his young voice already carefully trained in stoicism. “A scarf.” He picked it up and examined it. As his gaze slid over the dark green and grey yarn, his eyes showed no hint of excitement.

“Yes,” Naricssa said quickly, taking it from her son’s hands and carefully draping it around his neck. “We thought it would be very good for next year—at Hogwarts.” She beamed at him. “For Quidditch games, you know, everybody wears their house colors.”

Draco looked down and examined the scarf across his shoulders. Snakes that Dobby had carefully stitched into the pattern occasionally lunged at one another—a spell that Dobby had agonized over for hours. Draco did not seem to notice this as he unwound it and pulled it from his shoulders.

“It’s a bit frumpy,” he said, his face turning into a scowl. “I wouldn’t want a homemade scarf—the other students might think we could not afford a good one.”

“Quite right,” Lucius said, giving Narcissa a meaningful glance. “Seems like something the Weasley children would wear.”

Narcissa just shrugged, her delicate shoulders arching carelessly. She did not mind either way. She had put no time into the gift herself.

The family went on opening presents. Dobby did not watch. They cared about nothing more than appearances. Nothing he could ever do would be good enough for the Malfoys.

[hogwartsbookworm]

Name: Bookworm
House: Hufflepuff
Clothing Item: Earmuffs
Title: Dumbledore's Blush
Word Count: 429
Authors Note: In the Sorcerer's Stone, when Professor McGonagall says to Dumbledore that everyone knows he's the only one You-Know-Who feared, he says that it's lucky it's dark because “I haven’t blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs.” From whence comes this drabble.

It was a fine Saturday morning at Hogwarts. The sun was shining, reflecting blindingly white off the thick layer of snow blanketing the grounds. The lake had frozen over, and students bundled up in winter clothing were just beginning to venture outdoors with skates in hand.

As they approached the lake, one by one their faces either split into grins or fell into expressions of disbelief. Professor Dumbledore was gliding about on the frozen surface of the lake, his fur-lined lavender robes swirling about him.

Albus smiled as he skated past a group of Ravenclaw girls with dumbstruck faces. Humming a carol to himself, he swept on, doing first a loop and then another to make a figure eight. As the frozen world around him flew by in silence, Albus contemplated whether it was worth it to have warm ears in exchange for sound. Reaching up, he removed his earmuffs.

A blast of cold air and shrill screams met his newly freed ears.

Whirling around, Albus drew his wand, expecting to see Death Eaters descending on the school from all directions. But the students at the lake were not pointing at the skies, but at gaping hole in the more fragile ice toward the lake’s center. Sighing, Albus realized that one of his pupils must have fallen in. With a wave of his wand, the waterlogged student, a Gryffindor fifth year, burst forth from the icy depths, gasping.

Skating to his side, Albus conjured a blanket and wrapped it around the shaking boy’s shoulders. Another quick spell and he had dried the boy’s clothes. With a twinkle in his eye, Albus smiled down at the boy.

“Let’s get you up to Madam Pomfrey, Mr. Towler.”

…

After Madam Pomfrey had given Towler some Pepperup Potion and a sound telling off for venturing over thin ice, she sent him on his way and turned to the Headmaster.

“Your ‘daring’ Gryffindors are going to run me up a wall one of these days,” she said ruefully, shaking her head.

“They do tend to get into mishaps more often the other houses.”

Albus chuckled. Reaching up he placed his earmuffs over his ears again, and headed for the door. He had almost reached it when he felt a hand on his arm. He glanced back at Madam Pomfrey. Her mouth was moving, but he couldn’t hear her words. Hurriedly, he removed his earmuffs again.

“Forgive me, Poppy, what did you say?”

Madam Pomfrey giggled like a schoolgirl.

“I said I like your new earmuffs, Professor Dumbledore,” she said, smiling.

And Albus blushed.

[CoolCatElly]

Name: CoolCatElly
House: Hufflepuff
Clothing Item: Hat
Title: Not Quite a Diadem, but Good Nonetheless
Word Count: 487
Author’s Note: My first time playing with the Scamander twins. Enjoy. Thanks to JESS for Beta'ing! <3

“What in the name of Merlin are those?”

Curious faces turned from their breakfasts to the two massive African Barn-Owls swooping down to the Ravenclaw table, depositing a large, chunky package with an ear-piercing shriek. Lorcan and Lysander Scamander curiously eyed the mysterious package that had landed in front of them.

“Well, come on, open it then,” Peter Wilkons said eagerly.

Rather apprehensively, Lorcan complied, ripping off the coarse wrapping to expose what looked like two white ice-cream towers splattered with cat-sick.

“What the...” Lysander muttered, looking horrified. “I think they’re meant to be... hats,” Lorcan added, pulling the two dome-shaped objects out of the pack.

Peter let out a shriek of glee. “Ha! Mummy sent you little matching hats? If you can call that a hat!”

Despite the onslaught of the laughter around them, the twins read the short note attached:

Dear Lorcan and Lysander,

Your mother and I are so sorry we can’t be there for Christmas. The hunt here in Africa is going marvellously, however, and we can’t help but think of the two of you stuck in the cold. What better way to stay warm than with a winter hat? Your mother made these herself, and I’m sure you’ll find them both practical and enchanting.

Dad

XxX

A few hours later, the twins stood outside in the freezing cold for a Care of Magical Creatures lesson, wearing the great, bulbous towers on their heads. As much as they would have liked to Vanish them and forget the whole debacle, their father’s kind words had stopped them. They were used to their parents’ eccentricities, after all, and trusted that their mother wouldn’t have sent the hats for no reason.

They endured an endless stream of taunts and jokes from Peter as they crossed the grounds for the lesson, thankful when the chatter stopped as Hagrid set them to work drawing Norwegian snow-sprites. The weather soon worsened considerably; the wind howled and the snow came down thicker and thicker; soon the students started to resemble the icicle-covered sprites they were documenting.

However, the twins, still proudly donning their hats, had been surprised when the orange splatters of supposed ‘cat-sick’ had started to glow a fiery red. Suddenly all around them, from the tip of each hat to the bottom, there formed a great fiery umbrella, seemingly being fed heat from the blotches. The result was that they stood quite dry and warm, finishing their sketches in no time at all, while the rest of the class could hardly see for the blizzard raging around them.

That night in the common room, while the rest of their Care of Magical Creature class sat finishing the extra homework they had been given for not completing their sketches, the twins were surprised to see Peter Wilkons come up to them, a strange look on his face.

“So, Scamanders, I was wondering, any chance I could borrow one of those hats of yours for Quidditch practice tomorrow?”

[MissMeg]

Name: MissMeg/ Meg
House: Ravenclaw
Clothing Item Hat
Title: A Humiliating Hat
Word Count: 440

“Mum, I’m not cold really!” Rose stubbornly informs her mother as she pulls a purple mess of wool off her head. Her brother, Hugo, has already managed to get his off, and is in the process of stuffing it in his jacket pocket. Behind Rose and Hugo is a woman with thick brown braid down her back, wearing a mess of wool on her head identical to Rose and Hugo’s, except it’s blue. Of the entire family, she’s the only one who doesn’t look self-conscious. Her husband hasn’t even untied the chinstrap of his bright orange hat, but is sulking behind his her, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

“Rosie, you’ll catch a cold if you don’t wear your hat!” Rose’s mother informs her, as she ties the braids of yarn under Rose’s chin into a neat bow.

“Mum, stop that! You’re embarrassing me!” She retaliates with a shake of her head, which sends a flurry of wet, snow covered, red hair into her face. However it doesn’t deter her mother. Rose keeps glancing around her, afraid that she’ll be spotted. She doesn’t want to think about how much Scorpius Malfoy will tease her if she’s spotted with the mess of yarn on her head, let alone with her mother tying the chinstrap.

“Mum, I’m fourteen!” Rose says in a proud yet whiny tone. “I’m old enough too choose my own clothes!”

“Did you bring another hat?”

“No, but-“ Her brother smirks as he pulls an orange Chudley Cannons hat out of his other pocket and onto his head. Rose slouches, and tries to hide behind her father as they enter the platform. Rose’s mum looks a bit put out at Hugo’s change of clothing, but brightens up when she sees Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny wave at her family. Rose sulks behind her parents, who are swiftly walking toward the Potters.

Auntie Ginny and Uncle Harry begin chatting with Rose’s mum and dad. Rose hides in the background, trying to avoid being noticed by anyone. But, like always, her cousin James has to ruin everything.

“Hey Rosie-Poo! I just love the statement your hat makes!” Rose gives James her best death glare, and begins untying the chinstrap. James’s attention is diverted from Rose’s apparel by Teddy Lupin, who has just walked through the barrier with his fiancé, Victoire, and her family. “Teddy! Teddy! Teddy! Over here!” James yells in a manner undignified, even for him.

Taking advantage of James’s distraction, Albus pulls a blue hat out of his jacket pocket and slips it to Rose. Rose pulls it on and her shoulders shrug into a comfortable slump. Thank Merlin for Albus.

-Meg