Work Text:
4th January, 1893
// 5 AM //
"Why in Merlin's ever loving name are we up this early?" Alvin asked Matty through a yawn.
Matty, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, donned bright red antler ears despite the terrible hour. Naturally, she'd already perched a matching set on Alvin's unsuspecting head. With a wide grin, she piped back, "Pastries, of course!"
"Right."
"They need to be done before everyone wakes up!"
She was too perky. Too perky and then some. Though Alvin had to admit he found it rather endearing. But he was so tired, darn her!
"Remind me," he continued. "Why are we baking Christmas pastries in January?"
"Because not all of our friends were here over the holidays, silly!" Matty leapt over to Alvin and dolloped his nose with a touch of flour. She giggled.
"Right." Alvin waited for her to turn around before bringing his hand to his nose, touching it delicately, smiling, and then scrubbing away the evidence.
Just in time, too, as she swiveled around and said, "Now help me with the dough, please."
"Anything for you, dear," came Alvin's playful reply.
The day may have started early, but beginning it with Matty made it all worth it.
// 6 AM //
"Get up! Get up! Get up, Sebastian!"
Sebastian jolted awake, scrambling up in bed with a speed that could rival a Hippogriff soaring over the Black Lake. "Damien! What is it?" he shouted, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest.
"Snow, Sebastian! Snow!"
Sebastian sighed. Ah yes, of course. How could he forget? Damien and snow were practically soulmates. "...And?" he asked, peeling the sheets off of his body.
He squinted at Damien, who was bouncing up and down near the window. The sunrise streaming through the curtains cast a dull red glow on Damien's dark blond hair, making him appear as if he'd been dipped in firelight. Thank Merlin Damien's roommates were still away for the holidays. Otherwise, they'd surely be awake by now, thanks to Damien's overflowing excitement.
"You promised me we'd make snowmen together!"
"...Now? It's—" he groped for his pocket watch on the nightstand, squinting at the face before groaning, "6 AM. Can it wait?"
"No," Damien said, pouting.
"Right. Fantastic." The sarcasm was implied. Damien was lucky he had a pretty face. "But breakfast first. Please ." His stomach growled in agreement.
Damien beamed back at him, too excited to be put out by Sebastian's grumpiness. "Yes! Hurry, hurry," he said, tossing Sebastian's clothes onto the bed in a messy pile.
"I'm hurrying," Sebastian grumbled.
It was shaping up to be a very long day indeed. But at least there was food first, and Damien, too, he supposed. Ugh, fine.
// 7 AM //
"Wheeeeeeee!" Florence's hair flopped into his face as he sped down the hill, his sled propelled by the hefty push James had given it mere moments before.
James was surprisingly strong, wasn't he? Quite impressive, really.
"Again!" Florence called, catching sight of James at the top of the hill, grinning like he was king of the hill, or maybe just king of Florence's heart.
James cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered back, "It's my turn though!"
"Alright, that's fair." Florence doubted James could hear him from this far away, but he leapt to his feet and began the trek back up the hill, his sled bumping along behind him.
Today was going to be a great day.
// 8 AM //
Jo and Silas had kicked off the day early, determined to make sure everything was perfect. Later this morning, they planned to surprise their friends, all of whom had returned from their various Christmas holidays, with belated gifts—something they'd been scheming for weeks.
Well, perhaps 'scheming' wasn't the best choice of word. It was, after all, a very kind gesture on their part.
Jo smiled, picking up her third gift box of the morning, checking its contents and then beginning the process of wrapping.
"What's in that one?" Silas asked, pointing at the present in her lap. As he did, his thigh brushed against hers, and Jo's cheeks instantly flushed.
Stay calm, stay calm, she told herself. It's just his thigh. Don't panic.
"Erm, it's a hat and scarf I knitted myself," she somehow managed to eke out.
Silas's eyes widened. "I didn't know you knitted."
Jo's gaze dropped to her hands. "Oh, uh, there's… there's a lot you don't know about me," she mumbled, adding quietly, "but, uh, maybe you'll find out more… eventually."
Smooth, Jo. Very smooth.
Silas laughed. "You're adorable, you know that?"
Jo blinked. "Am I?"
What was happening?
Silas picked up the closest present from the floor, hopped back onto the sofa, and settled with his back against her chest. Jo's breath hitched, her heart fluttering.
"Yes, you are," he murmured, taking her hand in his and planting a soft, lingering kiss upon it.
Oh my.
If the events of the day thus far were any indication, Jo might just find herself getting used to this.
// 9 AM //
"Why is it always so dark in here?" Tori muttered to herself as she stepped into the Three Broomsticks. The night before, Poppy had sent her an owl asking to meet here at 9 AM. For what, Tori hadn't the foggiest idea. Still, Poppy could be trusted… except for that one time with the dragon. But Tori tried not to think about that.
The inn was unusually quiet at this early hour; Sirona wasn't even haunting her usual spot at the bar.
"Surprise!" Poppy cried, popping out from behind a table with a grin.
Tori placed a hand to her heart, feigning surprise—well, mostly feigning it. It had been a few weeks since she'd last seen Poppy, and in that moment, her beauty completely stole Tori's breath away. Better to not let that show.
Poppy smirked. "Happy to see me?"
"That depends," Tori said, one eyebrow raised.
"On?"
"Why we're here."
"Oh! You haven't figured it out by now?"
Tori only just noticed that Poppy was holding something behind her back. She had been too distracted by more important things, like Poppy's entrancing, deep brown eyes.
"I bought you something!" Poppy continued, holding out a giant red and green box with a massive ribbon that looked entirely too large.
Tori blanched. "For me? You didn't have to—"
Poppy cut her off. "Oh, please. You deserve it."
Tori looked down at her feet, so she was startled when the present entered her field of vision. Poppy had shoved it into her chest. She grabbed it instinctively, her fingers brushing against Poppy's for the briefest moment.
"You're too good to me," Tori whispered, glancing down at Poppy shyly.
Poppy's eyes met hers. She smiled. "Maybe, but I think you're worth it." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Tori's cheek.
Tori's heart skipped a beat. She looked forward to finding out what was inside the box, but mostly she was just happy to have her Poppy back on this lovely January day.
// 10 AM //
Ale was not in a good mood. He glowered at Val and Cal, who were all but wrapped around each other in the corner of the room, whispering and giggling like they were the only ones here. Meanwhile, Jo and Silas were busy arranging Christmas presents to hand out to the group, their cheerful chatter doing nothing to lift Ale's sour disposition.
Damien and Sebastian were at the table with the pastries, which had been baked by Matty and Alvin in the wee hours of the morning, apparently. Damien, as always, was stuffing his face like he hadn't eaten in days, while Sebastian looked on with a bemused smile. Across the room, Alyn and Ominis sat on a sofa sipping warm hot cocoa. They were laughing, probably at some bit of gossip that Ominis had just divulged. James and Florence were drying off by the door, clearly still buzzing from what seemed to have been a rousing morning in the snow. James's hair was soaking wet, and he shook his head like a wet dog, sending droplets of water flying in all directions, showering Florence in the process. Florence didn't seem to mind.
The scene was chaotic, but Ale had grown used to it. He hadn't grown used to seeing Val with Cal.
And now they were kissing!
"Excuse me! There are other people present!" he growled.
They kept kissing. It figured.
Perhaps a change in subject would be amenable.
"Where are Alex and Cassie?" Ale said as Sebastian ambled over in his general direction.
"No clue," he replied. "I slept in Damien's common room last night." He said it so nonchalantly, like it was the most casual thing in the world.
Ale hadn't realized how lonely he was until now.
"They're probably still asleep," Jo said, answering Ale's question as she handed him his present. "How are you holding up?"
Ale narrowed his eyes. "Fine, thank you." He didn't need anyone's pity. He was a Salvatori. Salvatoris didn't need anyone. Especially not Valentine Black.
Oh, Merlin. She was still kissing Cal.
Today was the absolute worst.
// 11 AM //
Alex and Cassie had slept in. In fact, they were still asleep. If someone had strolled by the Slytherin common room, they would have heard Alex's snores through the heavy stone walls of the dungeon.
They could very well sleep the day away, wrapped in the warmth of their blankets, lost to the world outside.
// 12 PM //
Ellie and Freddie also appeared to be asleep on a sofa in Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower. They weren't actually sleeping, though. They were "resting their eyes," as Freddie put it.
Ellie, however, seemed to think that Freddie had an ulterior motive behind this so-called "rest." It was only noon after all. Not that she minded. She was rather enjoying having his towhead cradled in her arms. She could feel his heartbeat through her hand, light and fast, like the flutter of butterfly wings.
She was about to open her eyes when:
"Good morning, Ellie and Freddie!" someone shouted. Their voice was bright and far too cheerful, so it could only be Poppy.
Ellie tensed and her eyes burst open. Freddie startled to attention as well. They sprang to their feet in unison, caught in the act. No one yet knew they were together. Well, that was about to change.
"Isn't it afternoon?" Freddie said, ruffling his hair.
"You're right," Tori said, looking at them apologetically. She was holding hands with Poppy. "Let's leave them be, Poppy."
"Oh!" Poppy's face turned bright pink. "Right, yes. We'll go."
"There's no need…" Ellie began, but the two of them had already headed out the massive oak doors.
Freddie let out a long sigh. "Well, it looks like we have some explaining to do."
"Later," Ellie said, sinking back into the sofa and patting her lap, a silent invitation for Freddie to rejoin her.
Today, maybe. But not yet.
// 1 PM //
"Oh! It's just past one!" Alyn exclaimed.
Ominis blinked. Time tended to slip by when he was with Alyn; she had that effect on him. It was a bit unnerving. Welcome, but unnerving.
They were still lounging on the sofa, lost in conversation, drinks long consumed, when Alex and Cassie made their extremely tardy entrance.
"Are we late?" Alex said.
Cassie said through a yawn, "Where is everyone?"
"Hello," Ominis said, waving in the direction of the sound of their voices, "we're everyone."
"Har har," Alex replied, but he must have been distracted by something because the tone and volume of his voice changed abruptly. He shouted, "Oooo, Cassie, look! Pastries!"
That explained that then.
Though the pastries had more than likely gone cold by now, the muffled chewing and hum of satisfaction from Alex told Ominis all he needed to know.
Cassie plopped down onto the sofa next to Alyn. "So, what have you two been chatting about?"
"Everything," Alyn said. There was a mischievous lilt in her tone that Ominis caught easily. "As you'd expect."
"Everything, hm?" Ominis raised an eyebrow. "I'm not so sure about that, but I do appreciate the vote of confidence in my conversational skills."
"Everyone knows you're the person to come to for all Hogwarts-related gossip."
"Is that so?" Ominis asked, keeping his tone casual. He knew it, of course, but it was always more fun to play coy when the topic came up.
Before anyone could respond, Alex's heavy footsteps came from behind, followed by a squeal, as he, presumably, grabbed Cassie from the sofa.
Alyn burst into a fit of giggles. "I think that means you have to kiss him, Cass," she said once she managed to stifle her laughter.
Ah, Alex must have found some mistletoe, Ominis thought, tilting his head in amusement.
Cassie said, "I don't need mistletoe as an excuse to kiss you, my love."
"Mmph," Alex replied, the sound smothered as he was likely being kissed.
Speaking of kissing, one day soon—perhaps even today—Ominis would muster up the courage to kiss Alyn.
You know what? Yes, today was going to be the day. What was that Muggle saying? Ah yes, carpe diem. Seize the day, indeed.