Christmas holiday is quickly approaching. Other than that one day holding hands, nothing really changed between Susan and me over the following weeks. There were times that we spent as much time around each other as we could. We even held hands under the table in the library a few times, but there were also times that she seemed to shy away from me. It left me so confused. And I don't know who to talk to about any of it. After Pansy told me about the betting pool that was started, I can't go to any of my friends because I can't trust that any advice they give me isn't designed to help them win the bet. I can't even imagine Professor Snape talking about feelings, let alone with an eleven year old girl talking about her first crush. Professor McGonagall though, has been there for me through a lot of emotional events. 

I knocked on the door to Professor McGonagall's office even though the door was already open. "Umm. Professor? I was wondering if I could talk to you?" My voice betrayed my nervousness I'm sure.

She looked up from a stack of papers she was grading and said, "Miss Potter, of course. Have a seat."

I closed the door behind me and sat. I tried to say something, but my brain decided to forget everything I planned on saying.

After a brief moment Professor McGonagall asked, "You seem nervous. Is everything alright, dear?"

Her question caught me by surprise and caused me to jump in my seat a little. "Yes ma'am… well, maybe?" I looked down at my hands in my lap, my heart beating rapidly. I looked up to see her waiting for me to continue. I took a deep breath "You see, there's a person that I think I like. And I think they like me too, but sometimes it seems like they don't. And I don't know what to do about it. And this is the first person that I've ever kinda liked and I don't know what to do." My words all came out in a single breath. I was nervous and scared and I just looked at my hands again.

Professor McGonagall's laugh made my head whip up to look at her. "Ohh, to be young again, Miss Potter. I remember feeling the same way you do right now, when I was about your age. I take it this person is Miss Bones?"

"How did you know?"

"Us teachers talk. Professor Snape informed me of a betting pool that he heard rumors of."

"Oh."

"Now Miss Potter, you may not like the advice I'm about to give you, but I want you to at least think about it. Your body is going through a lot of changes, and it's normal to start developing feelings. However, you are still young. You don't need to be rushing into anything. You need to take things slow, and let them develop naturally."

"But that's the problem. I don't know what's natural. I don't know if I'm rushing things, or trying too hard, or not trying hard enough. I don't even know how I feel, let alone how she feels."

"I take it you haven't told Miss Bones any of this have you?" I shook my head and she continued. "We can't teach relationships, Miss Potter. All we can do is share from our own experiences. But this is something you and Miss Bones will have to work out yourselves. The last piece of advice I can give you, is that when you get to be my age, you will regret the times you didn't take a chance much more than the times you took a chance and it didn't work out."

Professor McGonagall was right, I didn't like the advice. Don't get me wrong, it was good advice, but I had been hoping for step by step instructions on how to make it all work out. "Thank you professor." I said as I got up to leave.

"Any time, dear. Oh and Miss Potter!"

"Yes professor?

"No matter how things work out, keep in mind the rules regarding student interactions. And good luck."

"Yes professor."

_________________________________________

I kept trying to find the right words to say to Susan, or the right time to say them, but before I knew it we were back on the Hogwarts Express heading back to Kings Cross Station. I will be spending the next two weeks staying with Hannah, which I'm very grateful that Mrs. Abbott had offered me the option to stay with them. The only other option would be to stay at Hogwarts, which wouldn't really be so bad if it weren't for the fact that none of my friends would be there.

The excitement was palpable, everyone anxious to be away from school and seeing family again, which made the ride back to London seem much shorter than our trip almost four months ago. It's hard to believe how much things have changed in such a short time. It wasn't even seven months ago I was living with the Dursleys, living like a slave and locked in the cupboard when I wasn't 'useful'. Now I'm sitting with my friends, next to someone that might be my girlfriend.

I was broken from my thoughts when Susan elbowed me in the ribs. "So what are you wearing?"

"Wearing?" I asked, confused.

"To the yule party." Hannah said. 

"I don't know. I'll probably need to buy something. I don't have anything that's really formal." I said.

"We should all meet up in Diagon Alley and go shopping." Tracy chimed in.

"Tomorrow?" Asked Pansy.

We all agreed. I mentally thought of how much money I had left, and the cost of a new dress, and Christmas presents. "I think I might need to stop by Gringotts first though." That statement got chuckles from my friends.

Before we knew it we were back in London, and the train was coming to a stop. It was chaos once we exited the train. Hundreds of people were there, everyone trying to navigate the sea of people to find who they were looking for. We made our way to some benches and set down our things. Slowly the crowd lessened as students and family were one by one reunited and quickly left the platform. It wasn't long before my friends one by one saw their own family members and we said our goodbyes.

"Mom!" Susan yelled excitedly, and grabbed my hand pulling me along with her. I knew she was excited about me meeting her, but I wasn't quite ready to be dragged at almost full sprint.

"Hi Susan." Her mom said while hugging her daughter. After their hug ended, which was only a few seconds, she looked at me, "And you must be Holly Potter. I've heard a lot about you." and she held out her hand which I shook. "We'll have to have you over some time. I'd love to get to know more about the girl my daughter keeps writing home about."

That made Susan's cheeks turn almost as red as her hair, and I'm sure from the heat radiating from me that mine looked very much the same, and Susan half growled and half whined, drawing out the word "Mom!"

"Holly!" Hannah yelled from back at the benches, pointing to where her mom was standing.

"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Bones" I said before turning to Susan, "So, tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Send me an owl with the time." Susan replied. 

I nodded and then turned back towards Hannah and my things. As I was walking away I heard Mrs. Bones ask, "What's tomorrow?"

_________________________________________

Jorpey was happy to see us. I unlocked my trunk for him this time which made him seem so happy he was about to burst into tears. He already had dinner ready for us, which wasn't the selection I've gotten used to at Hogwarts, but was just as delicious. Mrs. Abbott had no problem with taking us to Diagon Alley tomorrow, so I wrote a letter to Pansy and Tracy telling them when and where to meet, while Hannah wrote the same thing to Susan and Lisa. With Jorpey having put our things away we went to our rooms for the night. It was strange being all by myself. It made me miss Susan.

We had agreed to meet up for lunch, then go shopping, but I had to stop off at Gringotts first so we left right after breakfast. After telling Hannah about the ride down to the vault, she wanted to come with me as she had never been to her parents vault before. When I told the goblin at the front desk who I was and what I wanted, I was asked for the key. I explained that I didn't have it, as I wasn't expecting to have to withdraw anything when I left Hogwarts. I was told to have a seat while I wait for an account manager.

About fifteen minutes later I was called into an office. "Miss Potter, come with me."

Once we were inside his office he asked, "So you want to access your vault but you do not have your key, is that correct?"

"That is correct."

"And where exactly is your key, Miss Potter?"

"I didn't know I would be needing it when I left Hogwarts, so it's still with my magical guardian."

"I see. Since it's not lost, all we need is a simple blood test to prove ownership, and you'll be all set." He pulled out a small knife and a strangely colored parchment. "Your finger please." I held out my hand and he pressed the point of the knife into my finger drawing a little blood. "Three drops on the parchment please.

I held my hand over the parchment and squeezed my finger. I watched as three drops of blood fell to the parchment and swirled together and drew a portrait of me and then above that, the names James and Lily Potter, vault 687. I was slightly disappointed when pictures of them didn't appear. 

"Everything seems to be in order. Let me grab a copy of your key, and one of us will take you to your vault." He ushered us out of the office and told us to wait by the cart. 

Soon we were on our way through the depths of the bank vaults. Hannah and I let out girlish screams of excitement mixed with a bit of fear as the mine cart zoomed down the tracks. Arriving at my vault, all too soon, Hannah's jaw dropped when she saw the contents. "You're rich!" She said in amazement as I filled a bag with coins. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"Just McGonagall. She took me here back in June. Dumbledore might know as well. He's listed as my guardian… even though I've never had a conversation with him."

"Well be careful who you tell. People might expect really expensive presents from you."

A sticking out of my tongue made her giggle, which made me giggle. An audible sigh and a look of annoyance from the goblin escort got us to finish up my task and we were on our way back to the surface.