Gringotts didn't take as long as expected, so we had been waiting for a while before we were joined by everyone else. After all introductions were made we ordered lunch, and then us kids went to the shops. Our first stop was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, where everyone's focus was on finding me a dress for the party. 

I swear between the five of them insisting, I tried on at least twenty dresses. I finally decided on a blueish grey dress with silver inlays that tapered from just below my knees in the front to floor length in the back. I also needed shoes to go with it, strappy court shoes with an inch and a half heel, and some jewelry. Susan said it's definitely time to get my ears pierced, so I left with amethyst studs in my ears, but I bought a pair of lapis lazuli earrings to go with my dress, and a single black pearl drop necklace on a silver chain. I also bought a few more casual outfits and shoes to help fill out my wardrobe.

With my clothing situation taken care of, we still had gifts to purchase, which looking back on things the six of us all getting presents for each other while shopping together might not have been the best idea, but with all of us having the same thought, we gave each other enough space to keep things private. I saw Susan admiring a winter coat. She looked at the price tag and frowned. When she left the area, I took a closer look at it. Black dragonhide with pink fur, which was the softest I've ever felt. I looked at the price on it, it was twice the cost of my entire outfit for the party, but it's not like I can't afford it, and she's been talking about how her current robe is getting a little tight. I spoke with Madam Malkin, and arranged to have her owl it to me at the end of the day.

The gifts for the Slytherins is an enchanted self inking eagle quill, the feather dyed green and a silver snake wrapped around the stem forming the hand grip. They only had the one in stock, but the rest will be sent to me by owl, and they should arrive in the next few days. In addition to those, I got Tracy a wooden flute enchanted to play on its own. For Pansy, a diary enchanted so that only the owner can read. She has always been a little paranoid that some will read it.

Lisa was fairly easy. While one can never go wrong with books, I decided to go a different route and got her a puzzle box that when solved can be used to store small items. The last person on my list proved to be the most difficult, but I finally found something perfect. For Hannah I purchased something called a picture jar. It looks like a smoke filled bell jar, but when you touch it and speak someone's name, it conjures a likeness of that person from your memories.

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The night of the yule party, which was on December 24th, arrived before we knew it, held at the home of Susan's aunt, Amelia. I was disappointed that Pansy, Tracy, and Lisa weren't coming. Lisa is on a vacation to Greece, and Pansy and Tracy have to go to the party the Malfoys are hosting. 

Arriving via floo, we were greeted by Amelia and introductions were made. After being introduced by Mrs. Abbott, Amelia shook my hand and said, "It's a pleasure to finally meet the girl I've heard so much about."

"Good things, I hope." I replied.

"Outside of that scandalous article in the Prophet, yes. My niece speaks highly of you. It seems she's taken quite a liking to you." I felt my cheeks blush with that last statement and I didn't have a response. "Speaking of my niece, she's upstairs. Why don't you and Hannah go join and join her. I doubt you'll have much fun down here."

"Ok. Thank you Mrs. Bones." I replied. Hannah and I found the stairs. Hannah seemed to know where she was going, which was a guest room where Susan was sitting on the bed reading a book.

Her face lit up when she saw us enter the room, and she jumped off the bed. "Holly, Hannah! I'm so glad you're here!" She said, hopping off the bed. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Susan" Hannah and I replied almost in unison. I held out the box that held her present, wrapped in black and yellow wrapping paper, and said, "I got you something. I hope you like it."

"I got you something too." She said as she placed her present down and ran to the dresser and came back with an emerald green envelope with silver trim which she handed to me and a box wrapped in yellow with a black bow she gave to Hannah. Hannah handed Susan a slender box in exchange, it too wrapped in yellow with a black bow.

"Open mine first!" Hannah said excitedly. "What!? I've known her longer!" She said in response to the look I gave her.

Susan and I rolled our eyes, but she obliged. Tearing into her present revealed a silver hair clip with the Hufflepuff badger on it. "Thank you. I love it. Now open mine." She said as she removed her current hair clip and replaced it with her new one.

Hannah tore into her her present, a charm bracelet that already had a compass, a badger, a raven, and a snake attached to it. "For me, Holly, and Lisa." Susan said in explanation of the charms, "just touch the compass and say our names and it will point your way to us."

"Thank you." Hannah said and they exchanged a quick hug.

"Now open mine Holly." Susan said as soon as their hug ended.

I opened my present, and pulled out two tickets to the ICW (International Confederation of Wizards) dueling championships which will be held in Egypt in August. "Sorry you have to wait so long, but the tickets sell out really fast. My aunt had to pull a few strings to get the extra tickets."

"It's wonderful. It gives me something to look forward to." I said grinning. "Now mine!"

Her eyes went wide as she pulled out the robe. "Is this the one I was looking at? I went back a few days later and it was gone."

"That's the one." I said with a smile.

"But it's so expensive. You shouldn't have."

"If I had a Sickle for every time you mentioned wanting a new winter robe, I could have bought two."

I was wrapped in a hug before I realised it and I got lost in the warm embrace, feeling her breath on my skin, feeling our bodies press closer together as we both inhaled at the same time. It made me feel warm and tingly. I guess the hug lasted longer than it should when Hannah cleared her throat.

"Get a room, you two." Hannah said, and she made a gagging gesture when we looked at her.

We broke our hug, and Susan looked embarrassed and a little flush. "We have one thanks. And there's a bed in here too." I said which made Hannah burst in laughter and Susan's face turn as red as her hair.

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Christmas morning came and went with everyone still in bed. Having left the party last night at about 2 o'clock in the morning made all of us want to sleep in, so it was closer to noon when Hannah came and woke me up.

"Come on sleepyhead, there are presents that need to be opened." She said as she pulled off my covers. Her face turned red and she quickly turned around. Looking down at myself I realized that I was too tired last night to change into a nightgown, and had just stripped off my clothes and climbed in bed.

I covered myself with a sheet, "Sorry. I was really tired last night, and…" I stammered then trailed off.

"It's ok. Just get dressed and come downstairs." She walked out of the room, leaving me to get dressed. When I walked downstairs I was greeted with a "Happy Christmas" from Hannah and Mrs. Abbott, and brunch waiting on the table. It's apparently an Abbott family tradition that the opening of presents waits until everyone is done eating breakfast (or brunch, whatever the first meal is apparently), so it felt like Hannah was staring a hole in me, her impatience palpable. 

As soon as the dishes were cleared, Hannah shot up and ran to the small pile of presents. The only presents that had been out prior to this morning were our presents to each other, and the one present we each got for Mrs. Abbott, so I was surprised to see two piles of presents, one wrapped in green and silver next to one in yellow and black. I had a more emotional reaction than I was prepared for and I started crying.

Mrs. Abbott was quick to wrap me in a hug asking, "What's wrong Holly?" And Hannah soon joined the hug as well.

"It's just that I've never gotten presents like this before. My whole life I was unwanted. And now I'm being treated like a member of a family and you haven't even known me that long."

"You are a very wonderful girl, Holly. You've become a good friend to Hannah, and you deserve a little happiness." Mrs. Abbott said.

"Yeah, even if you did get sorted into Slytherin." Hannah said with playful sarcasm, which got me to laugh.

The group hug ended. "I think Holly should go first." Hannah said and she went to retrieve the present she had gotten me while Mrs. Abbott fetched me a handkerchief to dry my eyes. Hannah held a box in front of me and said "Happy Christmas, Holly. I hope you like it."

Opening the box was a silver arm bracelet in the design of a snake. "It's perfect." I said as I slipped it on my arm and adjusted it.

Hannah was equally pleased with her gift, and Mrs. Abbott enjoyed the high end chocolates that I got her. My other presents were nice. I got some clothes and perfumes and a book of beauty spells, all pretty standard things for a girl my age. The last gift was very emotional though. Mrs. Abbott had gotten together all of the pictures of my parents she could track down. There weren't many, but it was a very sentimental and emotional gift. All in all it was a very happy Christmas.