(no subject)
Part 1 of two-part post.
...Maybe more than two-part - LJ's posting-size-limit seems to have shrunk.
Holly started. She had never been directly involved in a Yule celebration before
Katherine: No Purebloods celebrate Christmas like this. Not one. Not even those “Gaunts” over in Little Hangleton, and they’re as inbred as possible.
Rutherford: Oy. Yes. Them.
except the previous year. However, that didn’t really count as she had merely sat on the sidelines, while an older student handed out gifts.
“Fisher”: *looks up from bucket* …At least she was on the sidelines. I can be grateful for that, I suppose…
{snip}
Blaise quickly assured her, “Oh, they [the House-Elves] don’t celebrate Yule. They had their holy holiday last month.
Katherine: Be a Pureblood wizard and admit that you just don’t let your House-Elves have holidays. Spineless oaf.
They’ll join us for breakfast afterwards though; it’s tradition.”
Holly inclined her head before she finally scooted to the tree, pausing to remember that they had decorated it the day after Blaise and she had returned. RANDOM FLASHBACK TIEMZ! The event, which had been quite the eye-opener to the girl as she had never done anything like it before, was now firmly rooted in her mind as one of her happiest memories.
Guardian’s Song: If it’s how she conjures a Patronus, I WILL write that fic where “Katherine” feeds the Sue to the Basilisk. I WILL.
She distinctly recalled Eren and Dante adding real icicles to the branches along with an assortment of odd ornaments. She remembered the youngest Zabinis insisting that she sprinkle fairy dust with them, liberal amounts of it magically getting onto their hair and clothes. Holly even recollected adding tinsel with Blaise, the ornaments cleverly pointing out when they added too much to one side. Finally, she recalled the crowning moment, when they had levitated the star to the very top.
Guardian’s Song: In short, it was an exercise in taking the fun out of decorating the tree. YAYZ.
Shaking her head to dispel the recollection, END RANDOM FLASHBACK TIEMZ Holly moved the rest of the way to the evergreen, but she once again hesitated, not entirely sure what to do. She had never participated during the Dursley Christmases, normally spending the holiday locked in her cupboard, only being let out to cook.
“Fisher”: Better that than participating in an incestuous orgy with children!
Rutherford: It wasn’t that bad. Not the orgy, I mean the holidays. There are some advantages to living in a family bad at maths, you know… if they can’t count the cookies consistently, you can nab one or two.
Still, she had her experience from the previous year to draw upon, so she hesitantly began to look at the tags.
Soon enough, everything was with its proper person, but no one had started opening. They seemed to be waiting until Holly was finished so that she could begin with the rest of them.
“Fisher”: I… Merlin and goats. *points wand at own face* Oblivi-
Katherine: Expelliarmus! Memory Charms are not the answer!
“Fisher”: Then what IS?!
Rutherford: We sit here until someone throws us a Deus Ex Machina, of course. *is smacked on the head by Katherine* …Sorry, habits from my old life.
Yet, as soon as the Slytherin girl settled back in the group with her own pile of gifts, Isabella and Alexandria started to fidget. Eren merely chuckled before indicating that they should go ahead. Calmly, they each picked up a present, announced who it was from, and then sedately but still excitedly removed the wrapping.
“Fisher”: Ah… just presents. *benevolent smile* *goes off to wash out his mouth and nose and wash off his beard*
*returns* I’m feeling much better.
Guardian’s Song: Great! We have 10 more pages left to spork!
“Fisher”: *EYETWITCH* *grabs wand off of floor*
Katherine: Think of the children!
“Fisher”: I am. That’s the problem. *facial muscles twitch*
Katherine: …I meant our children.
“Fisher”: …Oh. But this *waves arms at fic* is an offense to all that is right and just and natural! I - Gryffindor honor - it - *flails at fic*
Rutherford: I know, all right? I don’t know what to do, but -
Guardian’s Song: By now, I’ve got an idea.
…If I can FIND her, that is.
=Dimensions away=
Ninis: *in retirement until further notice*
Nergal the Sane: *also in retirement* After Little Miss Mary and the Draco Trilogy, we have EARNED our retirement.
The others all smiled but followed suit.
Faster than Holly had thought possible, everything was opened, including her things.
“Fisher”: We have no need to hear about your “things” being opened!
Rutherford: We are Gryffindors, Gryffindors one and -
Katherine: Excuse me?
Rutherford: …And a Slytherin, but aside from her, we are BRAVE and BOLD and -
Katherine: Aside from me, Mr. Rutherford?
Rutherford: *decides to ignore her* And anyway, we can endure this. I’ve endured worse. …Haven’t I?
She had received gifts from all of her friends, even the Gryffindors.
Katherine: And suddenly Gryffindors are not generous?
She had books from the majority of her mates,
Rutherford: They just mean “friends”, sir, don’t -
“Fisher”: I know, I know… I know… *taking ragged breaths*
including the twins, Remus, and Luna. Most of the books seemed to fit into one of two categories: something Defence related or something that covered ancient legends and artefacts, including the Chamber of Secrets. The only exceptions were the gifts from Ron and Hermione. Ron had sent a book about the Canons, a team that Holly was beginning to loathe,
Guardian’s Song: OH MY EFFING GOOD LORD! XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
and Hermione one on evil magic users.
Katherine: The phrase is “Dark witches and wizards”. And you claim to be a Slytherin? First-year Hufflepuffs know more than you do!
Perhaps it was her way of asking the Slytherin to confess.
Katherine: Is that how you respond to a generous gift of a book on Dark witches and wizards? Ungrateful wench. When I received such presents, I wrote gracious thank-you notes and thanked the donor in person when next I saw him or her. You are in Slytherin. You simply cannot ignore the Dark side of the House!
Rutherford: *glances through fic* Actually…
Katherine: Hmph. She wouldn’t have survived a year in reality.
Still, Holly had gotten things other than books. From Cynthia, she received sheet music to go along with her flute, a gift from Hagrid the previous year.
Rutherford: …That assumes she can play it, though…
Pansy sent lovely gloves, scarf, hat, and matching cloak, all of which were exceptionally soft and were spelled to keep her warm and dry.
Katherine: *smirks* Oh, really. I shall entertain myself by imagining how Miss Parkinson retaliates after Holly takes such a gift for granted and doesn’t do Miss Parkinson any favors in return. The Sorting Hat was drunk the day it let her in.
Draco gave her a writing set complete with deluxe eagle-feather quills, colourful ink, and new parchment. Undoubtedly, he meant it as an oblique gift to both Tom and her as she wrote to the diary so often that she had run out of ink and used up most of her quills.
Rutherford: …We are talking about Tom Riddle the insane psychopath, right? It’s not good to fall under his influence.
Hagrid sent her a large tin of treacle fudge
Rutherford: No offense to Hagrid, but he would be more likely to send her something related to magical creatures.
and Mrs. Weasley one of her trademark sweaters.
Guardian’s Song: *quietly rants about how the sweaters show she regards Harry as a member of the family, and how if she just minted them out for every yahoo to come along, she’d be freaking RICH off of selling them off* *hates on Holly over a technicality*
Not surprisingly, the various members of the Zabini family also gave her presents. Alexandria and Isabella got her a complete set of magical children’s tales, The Tales of Beedle the Bard had BETTER be in there. apparently remembering her awe of them during her summer visit. Dante and Eren, who had noticed the way Holly tended to squint when she read, sent her a new pair of wire-framed glasses, which “suit your face so well, dear”
Guardian’s Song: The only reason I’m not snarking is that I’m imagining Holly as I imagine female!Harry in general, namely a really geeky-looking (if skinny) girl with messy dark-red hair. Now, I realize she’s ZOMG TEH EPITOME OF BEWTEE in this fic, but I can dream.
and would magically adjust to her eyesight when she put them on.
Katherine: *smirks even more* Allow me to correct “Miss Parkinson” to “most of Slytherin House”. Hmm….
Additionally, the Zabini parents gave her new Quidditch gloves, a set of bottle green robes,
Guardian’s Song: Aren’t flies supposed to be “bottle green”?
and a few other odds and ends.
Yet, no matter how thoughtful and wonderful everyone’s gift WAS,
Katherine: - Holly was a completely ungrateful little brat. More so than even dear Mr. Harold Rutherford here. *pointed glare*
Rutherford: *grumbles* *is smacked upside the head* Or, rather, thank you, Miss Miller.
Katherine: *scowls* I no longer go by my maiden name for obvious reasons. Namely, since you’re dense, Mr. Rutherford, being married.
Rutherford: No, it’s the overall principle that gets me. Say, you know another Slytherin of dubious ancestry who changed his name? The Dark Lord Voldemort. Shrieking madman? I believe I’ve told you about him?
Katherine: You say that as if I care.
it was Blaise’s that she loved the best.
It had been quite a surprise when she had lifted the top off of the box to his present, only to see her parents’ smiling and happy faces.
Rutherford: …On their decapitated heads? *cringes*
She blinked confusedly for several moments, attempting to process what she was seeing
Rutherford: I would be trying to do so, too.
Katherine: …Now, this is going a bit too far.
before it finally dawned on her. It was a photo of her parents. Not only that, but it was a framed photo of an exceptionally excited James and a very pregnant Lily.
“Fisher”:…*gapes* I had no need to know about this “James’s” “exceptional” fondness for pregnant women. None of the readers did.
Holly dragged her eyes from the scene of her father rubbing his hand on Lily’s rounded belly and gaped at Blaise. “Where did you--”
He smiled sheepishly. “From Hagrid. I asked who he had contacted to get the pictures for your album. One of them, Andromeda Tonks, founded some photos among her cousin’s things
Katherine: *looks at that line* *checks Andromeda’s ancestry in the Background File* A Black? Regardless of their reputation for instability, I hardly think one would attempt to found a country consisting of some daguerreotypes in the middle of her cousin’s -
Rutherford: Daguerrowhats?
Katherine: Photographs.
and sent it. He was apparently one of their friends, but I think he’s dead now.”
Rutherford: So it’s Hagrid and Mrs. Tonks’s gift, in other words, just with Blaise as the middleman.
Holly simply kept staring at him, her mouth slightly open.
Guardian’s Song: After the NC-17 fic on clamp_badfic, I get a BAAAAAAAD vibe from that.
“Fisher”: Thank you. *wants to die*
Guardian’s Song: …Sorry? :D;;
“You like it, don’t you?” Blaise asked worriedly.
“I love it.”
And she threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace; he belatedly hugged her back
Rutherford: Remember to thank Hagrid and Mrs. Tonks! They’re the ones who PROVIDED it!
From the side, Dante and Eren Zabini exchanged a wink.
...Maybe more than two-part - LJ's posting-size-limit seems to have shrunk.
Holly started. She had never been directly involved in a Yule celebration before
Katherine: No Purebloods celebrate Christmas like this. Not one. Not even those “Gaunts” over in Little Hangleton, and they’re as inbred as possible.
Rutherford: Oy. Yes. Them.
except the previous year. However, that didn’t really count as she had merely sat on the sidelines, while an older student handed out gifts.
“Fisher”: *looks up from bucket* …At least she was on the sidelines. I can be grateful for that, I suppose…
{snip}
Blaise quickly assured her, “Oh, they [the House-Elves] don’t celebrate Yule. They had their holy holiday last month.
Katherine: Be a Pureblood wizard and admit that you just don’t let your House-Elves have holidays. Spineless oaf.
They’ll join us for breakfast afterwards though; it’s tradition.”
Holly inclined her head before she finally scooted to the tree, pausing to remember that they had decorated it the day after Blaise and she had returned. RANDOM FLASHBACK TIEMZ! The event, which had been quite the eye-opener to the girl as she had never done anything like it before, was now firmly rooted in her mind as one of her happiest memories.
Guardian’s Song: If it’s how she conjures a Patronus, I WILL write that fic where “Katherine” feeds the Sue to the Basilisk. I WILL.
She distinctly recalled Eren and Dante adding real icicles to the branches along with an assortment of odd ornaments. She remembered the youngest Zabinis insisting that she sprinkle fairy dust with them, liberal amounts of it magically getting onto their hair and clothes. Holly even recollected adding tinsel with Blaise, the ornaments cleverly pointing out when they added too much to one side. Finally, she recalled the crowning moment, when they had levitated the star to the very top.
Guardian’s Song: In short, it was an exercise in taking the fun out of decorating the tree. YAYZ.
Shaking her head to dispel the recollection, END RANDOM FLASHBACK TIEMZ Holly moved the rest of the way to the evergreen, but she once again hesitated, not entirely sure what to do. She had never participated during the Dursley Christmases, normally spending the holiday locked in her cupboard, only being let out to cook.
“Fisher”: Better that than participating in an incestuous orgy with children!
Rutherford: It wasn’t that bad. Not the orgy, I mean the holidays. There are some advantages to living in a family bad at maths, you know… if they can’t count the cookies consistently, you can nab one or two.
Still, she had her experience from the previous year to draw upon, so she hesitantly began to look at the tags.
Soon enough, everything was with its proper person, but no one had started opening. They seemed to be waiting until Holly was finished so that she could begin with the rest of them.
“Fisher”: I… Merlin and goats. *points wand at own face* Oblivi-
Katherine: Expelliarmus! Memory Charms are not the answer!
“Fisher”: Then what IS?!
Rutherford: We sit here until someone throws us a Deus Ex Machina, of course. *is smacked on the head by Katherine* …Sorry, habits from my old life.
Yet, as soon as the Slytherin girl settled back in the group with her own pile of gifts, Isabella and Alexandria started to fidget. Eren merely chuckled before indicating that they should go ahead. Calmly, they each picked up a present, announced who it was from, and then sedately but still excitedly removed the wrapping.
“Fisher”: Ah… just presents. *benevolent smile* *goes off to wash out his mouth and nose and wash off his beard*
*returns* I’m feeling much better.
Guardian’s Song: Great! We have 10 more pages left to spork!
“Fisher”: *EYETWITCH* *grabs wand off of floor*
Katherine: Think of the children!
“Fisher”: I am. That’s the problem. *facial muscles twitch*
Katherine: …I meant our children.
“Fisher”: …Oh. But this *waves arms at fic* is an offense to all that is right and just and natural! I - Gryffindor honor - it - *flails at fic*
Rutherford: I know, all right? I don’t know what to do, but -
Guardian’s Song: By now, I’ve got an idea.
…If I can FIND her, that is.
=Dimensions away=
Ninis: *in retirement until further notice*
Nergal the Sane: *also in retirement* After Little Miss Mary and the Draco Trilogy, we have EARNED our retirement.
The others all smiled but followed suit.
Faster than Holly had thought possible, everything was opened, including her things.
“Fisher”: We have no need to hear about your “things” being opened!
Rutherford: We are Gryffindors, Gryffindors one and -
Katherine: Excuse me?
Rutherford: …And a Slytherin, but aside from her, we are BRAVE and BOLD and -
Katherine: Aside from me, Mr. Rutherford?
Rutherford: *decides to ignore her* And anyway, we can endure this. I’ve endured worse. …Haven’t I?
She had received gifts from all of her friends, even the Gryffindors.
Katherine: And suddenly Gryffindors are not generous?
She had books from the majority of her mates,
Rutherford: They just mean “friends”, sir, don’t -
“Fisher”: I know, I know… I know… *taking ragged breaths*
including the twins, Remus, and Luna. Most of the books seemed to fit into one of two categories: something Defence related or something that covered ancient legends and artefacts, including the Chamber of Secrets. The only exceptions were the gifts from Ron and Hermione. Ron had sent a book about the Canons, a team that Holly was beginning to loathe,
Guardian’s Song: OH MY EFFING GOOD LORD! XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
and Hermione one on evil magic users.
Katherine: The phrase is “Dark witches and wizards”. And you claim to be a Slytherin? First-year Hufflepuffs know more than you do!
Perhaps it was her way of asking the Slytherin to confess.
Katherine: Is that how you respond to a generous gift of a book on Dark witches and wizards? Ungrateful wench. When I received such presents, I wrote gracious thank-you notes and thanked the donor in person when next I saw him or her. You are in Slytherin. You simply cannot ignore the Dark side of the House!
Rutherford: *glances through fic* Actually…
Katherine: Hmph. She wouldn’t have survived a year in reality.
Still, Holly had gotten things other than books. From Cynthia, she received sheet music to go along with her flute, a gift from Hagrid the previous year.
Rutherford: …That assumes she can play it, though…
Pansy sent lovely gloves, scarf, hat, and matching cloak, all of which were exceptionally soft and were spelled to keep her warm and dry.
Katherine: *smirks* Oh, really. I shall entertain myself by imagining how Miss Parkinson retaliates after Holly takes such a gift for granted and doesn’t do Miss Parkinson any favors in return. The Sorting Hat was drunk the day it let her in.
Draco gave her a writing set complete with deluxe eagle-feather quills, colourful ink, and new parchment. Undoubtedly, he meant it as an oblique gift to both Tom and her as she wrote to the diary so often that she had run out of ink and used up most of her quills.
Rutherford: …We are talking about Tom Riddle the insane psychopath, right? It’s not good to fall under his influence.
Hagrid sent her a large tin of treacle fudge
Rutherford: No offense to Hagrid, but he would be more likely to send her something related to magical creatures.
and Mrs. Weasley one of her trademark sweaters.
Guardian’s Song: *quietly rants about how the sweaters show she regards Harry as a member of the family, and how if she just minted them out for every yahoo to come along, she’d be freaking RICH off of selling them off* *hates on Holly over a technicality*
Not surprisingly, the various members of the Zabini family also gave her presents. Alexandria and Isabella got her a complete set of magical children’s tales, The Tales of Beedle the Bard had BETTER be in there. apparently remembering her awe of them during her summer visit. Dante and Eren, who had noticed the way Holly tended to squint when she read, sent her a new pair of wire-framed glasses, which “suit your face so well, dear”
Guardian’s Song: The only reason I’m not snarking is that I’m imagining Holly as I imagine female!Harry in general, namely a really geeky-looking (if skinny) girl with messy dark-red hair. Now, I realize she’s ZOMG TEH EPITOME OF BEWTEE in this fic, but I can dream.
and would magically adjust to her eyesight when she put them on.
Katherine: *smirks even more* Allow me to correct “Miss Parkinson” to “most of Slytherin House”. Hmm….
Additionally, the Zabini parents gave her new Quidditch gloves, a set of bottle green robes,
Guardian’s Song: Aren’t flies supposed to be “bottle green”?
and a few other odds and ends.
Yet, no matter how thoughtful and wonderful everyone’s gift WAS,
Katherine: - Holly was a completely ungrateful little brat. More so than even dear Mr. Harold Rutherford here. *pointed glare*
Rutherford: *grumbles* *is smacked upside the head* Or, rather, thank you, Miss Miller.
Katherine: *scowls* I no longer go by my maiden name for obvious reasons. Namely, since you’re dense, Mr. Rutherford, being married.
Rutherford: No, it’s the overall principle that gets me. Say, you know another Slytherin of dubious ancestry who changed his name? The Dark Lord Voldemort. Shrieking madman? I believe I’ve told you about him?
Katherine: You say that as if I care.
it was Blaise’s that she loved the best.
It had been quite a surprise when she had lifted the top off of the box to his present, only to see her parents’ smiling and happy faces.
Rutherford: …On their decapitated heads? *cringes*
She blinked confusedly for several moments, attempting to process what she was seeing
Rutherford: I would be trying to do so, too.
Katherine: …Now, this is going a bit too far.
before it finally dawned on her. It was a photo of her parents. Not only that, but it was a framed photo of an exceptionally excited James and a very pregnant Lily.
“Fisher”:…*gapes* I had no need to know about this “James’s” “exceptional” fondness for pregnant women. None of the readers did.
Holly dragged her eyes from the scene of her father rubbing his hand on Lily’s rounded belly and gaped at Blaise. “Where did you--”
He smiled sheepishly. “From Hagrid. I asked who he had contacted to get the pictures for your album. One of them, Andromeda Tonks, founded some photos among her cousin’s things
Katherine: *looks at that line* *checks Andromeda’s ancestry in the Background File* A Black? Regardless of their reputation for instability, I hardly think one would attempt to found a country consisting of some daguerreotypes in the middle of her cousin’s -
Rutherford: Daguerrowhats?
Katherine: Photographs.
and sent it. He was apparently one of their friends, but I think he’s dead now.”
Rutherford: So it’s Hagrid and Mrs. Tonks’s gift, in other words, just with Blaise as the middleman.
Holly simply kept staring at him, her mouth slightly open.
Guardian’s Song: After the NC-17 fic on clamp_badfic, I get a BAAAAAAAD vibe from that.
“Fisher”: Thank you. *wants to die*
Guardian’s Song: …Sorry? :D;;
“You like it, don’t you?” Blaise asked worriedly.
“I love it.”
And she threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace; he belatedly hugged her back
Rutherford: Remember to thank Hagrid and Mrs. Tonks! They’re the ones who PROVIDED it!
From the side, Dante and Eren Zabini exchanged a wink.