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thefeatherwrites · 5 months

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❄️ HLMC December ❄️

Day Eight: Does your MC come from a different country? Do they celebrate Christmas differently?

Julianna: She was born and raised in London, England. Naturally, she would celebrate the 'usual' traditions. However, she isn't one to celebrate such a joyful holiday. That is, until a certain redhead waltzed in and simply - changed her perspective. Let me explain this, with a short story about traditions; both old and new.

- Christmas Traditions -

The date on the calendar was as clear as crystal, December 24th.

Christmas Eve.

The wind and snow rattled the windows of her little cottage, the growing storm would surely snow her in for the night... and more than likely the next several days.

At least she was in a warm space, she thought. Her living room glowed a warm shade of orange and the crackling from her fireplace permeated the silence as she sipped on her tea, letting out a deep sigh.

Walking over to her large bookshelf, she let her finger graze the spines of her books until she settled on one particular book; A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

A very fitting book she thought, chuckling to herself at the idea that her and Ebenezer Scrooge had a few things in common - they held indifference towards Christmas and they had ghosts that loved to remind them of who they really were.

Christmas was not a holiday Julianna associated with glad tidings and cheer like most others. Being raised in a desolate orphanage in central London, her life was difficult and often times unbearable. You would believe the owners would do something for the poor children who didn't have a family to bless them with gifts and love. Alas, she, along with the others, were not so lucky.

Once Lady Ellenburg called for lights out, some of the orphans would sneak out of their bed and scrounge up whatever they could find to celebrate Christmas. One year she remembered vividly, they attempted to make their own Christmas tree. A dead tree in a pot, a stained yellow ribbon tied to the top branch, and small bits of items; like a single jack, some playing cards, and a cool looking rock to serve as presents under the tree.

To say it was a pathetic attempt was a massive understatement compared to the trees she saw at Hogwarts. Twelve feet tall, beautifully decorated, lit up like a shining beacon in the night, making her feel just like the makeshift tree - small and pointless. Since then, she never celebrated Christmas with things like a tree, presents, or even with the presence of another. She much preferred to spend this time alone.

Her own lonesome tradition, bathed in silence.

As she sat in her comfy chair, nestled by the fire, a loud knock on the door stirred the silence. Startled, she set her book onto the tea table, grabbed her robe off the back of the chair and wrapped herself up as she crept up to the door.

Grabbing her wand, she held it towards the door and slowly reached for the handle. Her hands began to shake upon touching the cold handle and took a deep breath before swinging the door wide open and pointing her wand towards a figure who took up most of her doorway.

Of all things she expected, a wide-eyed Garreth Weasley standing in her doorway was the last thing she expected.

"Wait! Jules! It's just me!" he exclaimed, hastily raising his hands in a gesture of innocence.

"Garreth? What the bloody hell are you doing here?!" Julianna hissed in exasperation, her wand poised defensively but gradually lowering her wand.

"I wanted to see you." He stated simply, squeezing past her and making himself comfortable in her living room.

"By all means, come in." She whispered sarcastically, a chill running down her spine as she closed the door, still taken aback by Garreth's unexpected intrusion.

As he casually explored her living room, he inquired, "What are you up to this evening?" Garreth removed his scarf and gloves, setting them to the side.

Turning sharply towards him, Julianna closed the gap between them, catching him off guard and causing a blush to color his cheeks. "What are you doing here, Garreth?" she questioned. Her gaze locked onto his shining green eyes.

Despite his mildly arousing disheveled appearance, she knew that cutting to the chase would be the quickest route to get anything from him, especially when he is known to beat around the bush when confronted.

"Well, uhh...," he stammered, scratching his head in a feeble attempt to appear nonchalant, "I was in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by."

Arms crossed, Julianna arched her eyebrow at him. "In the neighborhood."

"Yes, just a little walk." he replied, attempting to maintain his composure.

She continued to scrutinize him, "In a blizzard."

"Yes." The weight of her deadpan stare bore down on him, making him shift uncomfortably. He felt transparent under Julianna's gaze, as if she could effortlessly read him like any of the books in her small library. But he would never deny any time to look into her eyes, his new favorite color.

"Right, and I'm the Queen of England." She scoffed, making her way back to her chair.

Garreth sighed, conceding, "Alright, you caught me. I wanted to come and invite you to join me for the evening." Turning towards her, he couldn't help but notice the soft glow of her cheeks, illuminated but the fire as she sat down. Her dark wavy hair cascaded down to her slightly exposed chest; the robe and silk nightdress she wore left little to the imagination of her toned figure. Unintentionally, his cheeks grew red at the thoughts that had crossed his mind since she opened the door.

"I thought you were spending Christmas with your family?" She asked, taking a large sip of her tea.

A few weeks prior, Garreth had extended an invitation to Julianna to join his family for Christmas dinner at his parent's cottage, hoping she would accept. However, she had politely declined, mentioning she had plans of her own. Garreth assumed she would be spending the holiday with the Sallows until he received an owl from them two days ago.

The Sallow's were spending Christmas in France with Sebastian's sister Anne, and upon their offer to join them, she declined. Concerned for her well-being, they asked Garreth to check on her, as she insisted on staying in Scotland, and he was more than happy to accept.

So, instead of attending his family's dinner, Garreth braved the blizzard to check on her. Upon seeing the lights in her window, he felt a bit heartbroken, suspecting that she might be intentionally keeping to herself.

But not this year. He won’t allow it.

"I thought you would be in France by now." Garreth said, crossing his arms inquisitively.

"I was, but I decided to stay home." she replied, her gaze meeting the floor.

"Well, nobody deserves to be alone for Christmas, so I am here to keep you company." he said with a warm smile.

Touched by his words, Julianna's eyes rose from the floor to his. She realized that she didn’t truly wish to be alone — she was just used to it. The brief silence between them was broken by Garreth's growling stomach, prompting a chuckle as a blush deepened from his cheeks to his ears.

“I’ll make us some soup. Go on and get warm by the fire okay?” She suggested with a kind smile. Rising from her chair, she let her hand graze Garreth's shoulder as she strolled towards the kitchen.

As Julianna prepared a simple vegetable soup, Garreth, now coatless and scarf-free, set his winter attire on the coat rack. He stood by the fire, warming his hands as his eyes wandered over the few belongings she had in the house. What struck him even more was the absence of decorations, a stark contrast to the festive atmosphere he was accustomed to during Christmas.

“Do you not decorate for Christmas?” Garreth turned his head towards Julianna who had just finished making their soup.

“No, I don’t.” She replied simply.

“Do you celebrate Christmas?” He inquired, noticing a momentary stiffness before she responded, keeping her back towards him.

“I used to.”

With a small frown, Garreth remembered that he was privy to her life before she attended Hogwarts. He had overheard his Aunt Matilda's private conversation with the late Professor Fig about her poor upbringing in the orphanage. The details made him sick to his stomach, knowing she had endured so many years of loneliness.

He could understand why she felt this way, but Garreth was determined to show her the warmth and joy she deserved. He wanted to demonstrate how colorful and beautiful the holiday season could be.

He had an idea.

In a sudden move, Garreth grabbed his coat and scarf, rushing towards the door just as Julianna was beginning to fill their bowls.

“I’ll be back in a second!” he yelled behind him.

“Where are you going? Your food is going to get cold!” She shouted, but Garreth didn’t hear, having already slammed the door shut behind him to trudge through the snow.

“Bloody idiot.” She whispered to herself, wondering what impulsive idea had possessed him to brave the wintry storm again.

After some time passed, Julianna had just finished her soup when the front door slammed open again. Startled by the sudden noise, she jumped and ran to the door, expecting to find Garreth. However, what greeted her was not him, but a tree.

He shoved the tree through the door, a beaming smile on his face as he dragged the tree through her living room and into the corner by her bookshelf, leaving hundreds of pine needles in its wake. The chaos of the moment left Julianna momentarily speechless, torn between amusement and exasperation at his unexpected antics.

“What is that.”

“It’s a tree.”

“Oh for the love of Merlin," she whispered to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose, "I mean why did you bring a tree into my house?”

“It’s a Christmas tree!” Garreth exclaimed with a wide grin. Her eyes widened a bit before they softened as she looked at the tree. It was just like the ones at Hogwarts, albeit much smaller of course, but her heart seemed to skip a beat at the kind gesture.

“I…”

“You don’t have to do anything. Just sit down, relax, and watch me work my magic.” He said, winking at her as he gestured for her to take a seat in her chair by the fire. Julianna couldn't help but smile, touched by his effort while watching him stabilize the tree.

She watched him for over an hour, meticulously putting together the tree and using his wand to adorn it with lights. The colorful glow certainly added a lively atmosphere to the room, but it still seemed like something was missing.

“And now, for the grand finale.” Garreth conjured an intricate glass star and levitated it to the top of the tree, using an illuminating spell to add a warm, soft light to it. The star glowed brightly in the room, casting a gentle radiance that added a touch of something special.

“What do you think? I know it’s not much but…” Garreth turned to Julianna, who had rose from her chair and stared at the tree, tears running down her face.

“Oh god, Jules, are you okay?” He panicked. He hadn't seen her cry since their days in school, and he wasn't quite sure how to handle such situations. Closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around him, enveloping them both in a comforting warmth.

“It’s perfect.” She whispered into his chest, quietly sobbing. Garreth, touched by her response, wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair, laying his chin on top of her head. He couldn’t help but smile as he squeezed her a bit harder, cherishing this rare moment of her vulnerability. Her small figure was comforting against him, gently swaying her from side to side in an effort to calm her down.

Julianna had never experienced such kindness and she was simply overwhelmed with emotions that felt too much to hold in. Garreth's large hands around the small of her back and the nape of her neck made her feel hot under his touch. Eventually, she pulled back softly, admiring his freckled face and his fiery red hair, which seemed to glow in the flickering firelight.

A dim light appeared above them, drawing her attention to a growing branch of mistletoe. Her eyes returned to his, and his gaze remained fixated on hers.

'Thank Merlin for wordless charms', he thought. She smiled as he leaned in , closing the distance, and pressed his lips against hers.

In that moment, underneath the enchanting glow of the mistletoe, warmth bloomed in Garreth's cheeks as he began to part from her. But to his surprise, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back in for another kiss. The unexpected gesture left him pleasantly stunned, and he willingly surrendered to the warmth of her lips.

With the fire crackling nearby, casting a soft glow on the scene, her chest bloomed with warmth as their lips met a second, third and fourth, deepening each time. She no longer felt cold, abandoned, or alone as she had before he came. As Garreth tightened his hold on her, she let out a quick gasp, allowing her lips to open for his tongue to dance with hers.

After a few blissful minutes of breathless kissing and roaming hands, they finally parted. Hearts racing, they stared longingly into each other's eyes, the room feeling incredibly hot as they pulled away from each other.

Julianna discreetly wiped the bit of saliva from the corner of her mouth, her eyes locked onto Garreth. His gaze, however, roamed the fire as if it were the most interesting thing in the world while the blush on his cheeks, ears, and now bit of exposed chest shown a slight hue of pink.

“I’m so sorry, I um… I hope I wasn’t being too forward.” Julianna apologized.

“No! Not at all, it was amazing.” He replied, still blushing profusely as he returned his gaze to hers.

“You must still be hungry, let me go heat up your soup, while you get comfortable.” She went to warm up his soup while he settled onto the chaise lounge by the fire, admiring the tree which added a bit of cheer to the room, but not as much cheer as his heart felt.

Julianna brought his soup and sat next to him. He devoured it within seconds, making her laugh, which, in turn, made him smile. As they began to enjoy this simple moment, the window began to rattle from the oncoming wind. The snowstorm was getting worse, and they both concluded there was no way he was leaving for the night.

“What book is this?” He asked, picking up the book from the table.

“It’s A Christmas Carol. It’s a muggle book; you probably wouldn’t be interested.”

“I might! Would you read it to me?” Julianna’s eyes sparkled a bit from the question. Of course she wanted to read it.

“Alright.” She smiled.

Garreth turned to lay on the chaise, beckoning Julianna to sit in between his legs. She did so, wrapping them both up into a blanket, facing the fire and her new Christmas tree. She opened the book and began to read, feeling Garreth's fingers comb through her hair as he pressed a quick kiss to her temple.

“Marley was dead: to begin with,” she started, her voice carrying the weight of the classic tale. With each sentence, she became more animated, immersed in the story while Garreth listened intently with a warm smile on his face.

The snow and wind battering the window, the crackle of the fire, and Garreth's soft breathing near her ear, all blended into her new favorite kind of silence.

Her new favorite Christmas tradition.

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