|| @finestra-starters​

I’m not coming back. This was why Gideon didn’t let his guard down, why he didn’t allow himself to fall for people. It only ended it heartbreak. Crumpling the note in his hand, Gideon tossed it to the floor before setting it on fire, tears pricking at his eyes. Fuck this, he desperately needed a distraction. Anything to take his mind off of his aching heart. With a heavy sigh, Gideon shoved his wand back in his pocket apparating to hogsmeade.

Roaming the busy fair, Gideon’s lips curved upwards as the sight of the other, approaching them hastily. “Brilliant. You’ll do. Distract me please.”

|| @finestra-starters​

Phineas wasn’t entirely sure why he’d come back for the event. It wasn’t really his thing, but he’d been desperate to escape his parents even if only for a brief amount of time. That, and a distraction was seriously needed.

Standing by the edge of the crowd, not really entirely listening to the music that the live band was playing - he found himself draining the bottle of drink he’d brought from a nearby stand. His mind wandered as his eyes scanned the area - falling on another nearby. Catching their gaze, Phin arched an eyebrow. “What? You just gonna stare at me or....?”

He had found the book he’d been looking for in so long, and he carried it through Hogsmeade, closely holding it. It was his precious belonging now, but he did end up getting slightly distracted. Bertram could swear he left it aside for not more than a minute, but when he looked back to pick it up, it was gone. “Oh no no no no no, this can’t be happening!” He let out, starting to look all around, inspecting everyone in hope to spot the missing book.

( @finestra-starters​ )

“Christmas cookies!” Hugo said happily as he walked around with a whole box of them offering one to everyone he passed by. “I am baking more tonight, but I need to get these distributed first!” 

{ @finestra-starters​ }

Elodie stood at the base of the Ferris Wheel, her head tilted back so she was looking up toward the sky. After a moment, she closed her eyes and just breathed in the cold winter air. At the sound of footsteps, she opened her eyes again, but she didn’t move her gaze from the top of the Ferris Wheel. “There’s just something about a Ferris Wheel ride that seems so calm...” After a beat, Elodie looked at the other. “Don’t you think?”

{ @winnieabbott​ }

Alina was wandering the markets, he gaze jumping from booth to booth as she searched for gifts for her friends and family. Her attention was pulled away from a pair of earrings she was looking at for her mother when she heard a familiar voice. “Abbott,” she said as a form of greeting, eyes looking her up and down once before she continued.  “You actually look presentable today. That’s your color.”

@finestra-starters​

charlotte had taken the opportunity to purse the winter market as she visited hogsmeade that afternoon. the snow crunched under her feet as she made her way between the stalls, and she was careful not to slip on the walkways. the little trinkets that were laid out on the table of a particular stall caught her eye, and one even moreso that was in the hand of a person. “that is absolutely lovely!” charlotte said, voice muffled by her scarf. “what’d you intend to do with it?”

Niobe didn’t always enjoy live bands when they played at public events. However, there was something about the space it gave someone to not say a fucking word for minutes on end that pulled her nearby the stage that night, nursing a drink on the outskirts of the crowd. While she wasn’t dancing about like most of the other people in front of her, she felt oddly at ease listening to the band. She took a sip from her drink, her mood only slightly souring as she felt someone move closer to her.

“They aren’t half bad,” she admitted, not bothering to look at who was next to her.

@finestra-starters​

Molly had been having a fantastic Christmas. She’d celebrated with the family earlier, but had managed to talk her way into a free afternoon in the Winter Wonderland to hopefully see some friends. Spotting a familiar face, she smiled, wrapping her scarf a little tighter as she walked over, reaching for the person’s hand.

“--C’mon, let me buy you a drink. My Christmas treat.”

@finestra-starters​

@finestra-starters​

“Fuckfuckfuck” Marlene hissed under her breath as she ran quickly, dodging passersby in the crowded streets of Hogsmeade. This prank was supposed to have gone off without a hitch, but the shopkeeper at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop had returned from his lunch break just early enough to see the rather vulgar vandalism Marlene had been committing against his place of business. And he wasn’t happy.

Marlene turned a corner around Madame Puddifoot’s, hoping to lose him but instead running into a dead end. Shit. She was sure to lose her role as a prefect if McGonagall got one more negative report on her. Spotting a classmate, she grabbed their arm.

“I’m so sorry about this.” she said quickly, before pulling them into a feverish kiss. Around all the other gooey-eyed couples waiting for their table at the romantic teashop, they blended right in, and Marlene’s pursuer walked past without noticing them.

“We still have got a few days but I can’t wait so here’s your present.”

@finestra-starters​

Anna was more than grateful for the distraction of the Hogsmeade Winter Wonderland. After a rough few months, the holidays had given her a small boost in her spirits, just enough to owl Fabian and ask them to come hang out with her that night. Just the pair of them. Fabian always made her feel better, and now, walking hand in hand with them in the chilly winter weather, she couldn’t have been happier. The lights flashed around her, dancing in her eyes as she tried to take everything in. She moved to fix her lopsided Santa hat, eyes finally landing on something that made her squeal. 

“--Ooh, can we ride the carousel together? Please, Fabes? I haven’t been on one in years.”

@chancedchaos​

He would normally try to spend most of his time home with his sister so that she does not feel lonely -- that had been the point of him finding a way for them to spend most of the winter break at school after all, but after what she had told him, Stefan was trying his best to avoid her. He didn’t know why but there was a lot going on in his mind and he couldn’t her, maybe if he spoke to his father about it he would atleast get his anger out but he was worried that it would only make everything all the more worse. Christmas meals were always quiet affairs at the Nott Manor but it was quieter than usual with Stefan determinedly avoiding both Elodie and his father, and then getting back to his room after dinner without saying much else than what was asked of him. Seated on his bed he ran his fingers through his hair, still trying to decide if he should confront his father or not when he heard his bedroom door open and he looked up to see Elodie. He didn’t say anything as his gaze met hers, simply waiting for her to speak. @nottinmorte​ 

“I’m telling you, Hanukkah is not the Jewish version of Christmas,” Josie interjected, a rare frustration lacing the tone of her voice as she tried to reason with the student seated beside her. “It has absolutely nothing to do with anyone’s birthday, just because we light candles, I mean, a menorah is not a birthday cake.” Frustration continued to seeth from within, realizing that perhaps this was an impossible battle, but still, she was too deep into the conversation now. All she needed now was someone to come interrupt she erupted. 

@finestra-starters​

[ Continued from here! @phinparkinson​ ]

He probably shouldn’t have said anything when he turned to leave -- by now Hugo was quite used to seeing Phin walk away after all. But the words had slipped out before he could stop himself, and for once it seemed to elicit a reaction other than from anger from the other. “I always want you to stay.” he said, his heart beating incredibly fast as the other got close to him. He couldn’t help that his gaze fell to his lips, which Phin probably noticed because he hastily stepped back rather quickly. “Oh, more Christmas cookies.” Hugo said, turning back to his batter, turning red, but he quickly looked at him again, a hopeful look in his eyes. “You really want to stay with me? I mean, you know, to help with my baking, of course, not for -- I mean, what I’ saying is -- I don’t mind if you help.”