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Daniel Page wrapped his scarf around his neck and wore the knitted Santa hat, a Christmas gift from MC that had been given to him earlier that morning. The red haired prodigy in Potions made his way toward the Great Hall, which was already decorated in full Christmas spirit.
He expected to see his friends already there, but the only person he saw was Ivy Warrington, sitting alone. However, she didn't look her usual cheerful self. She was staring down at her necklace, a shadow of sadness in her eyes.
Daniel approached and sat beside her, trying to lift the mood "Merry Christmas, Ivy. Ready for a proper snowball fight?" he said cheerfully
Ivy jumped slightly at his voice and looked up at him "What.. Oh. Yes, Merry Christmas to you too, Daniel" She replied
Noticing her gaze lingering elsewhere, Daniel tried to make small talk to lighten the atmosphere "By the way, where is everyone else? Why haven't they arrived yet?"
Ivy didn't answer this time. She just kept her eyes on the necklace, silent. Daniel shifted slightly, concern flickering across his face.
"Hey, what's wrong with you, Ivy? You seem.. down" He scratched the back of his neck, noticing the Ivy who usually teased him relentlessly was missing
Ivy sighed, her voice soft "Sorry for worrying you, Daniel. It's.. It's nothing. I was just thinking about my sister..."
Daniel, understanding as someone who also had a sister, nodded "Winifred? Is it about a Christmas memory with your twin sister?"
Ivy nodded "Yes.. My memories are still a little hazy. But i remember spending Christmas morning with her. Opening presents, laughing. winifred had such a delightful laugh. I miss her so much"
Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder "I don't know how to comfort someone, especially to help you feel better and become yourself again. But hey, I promise you'll hear your sister's laugh again. Someday, Winifred and you will be together again. Just wait and see.."
Then in his heart, Daniel whispered, 'just like me, Esme, Reggie, Dad, and Mum on Christmas someday in the future, just like it used to be'
Ivy wiped away a tear "I hope so.. Christmas without her doesn't feel right"
With that, she rose abruptly from her seat "I've finished my breakfast. I'll be going ahead now"
Yet Daniel could still catch the faint sound of Ivy trembling, struggling to hold back her sobs
As Ivy walked away, Daniel watched her, thinking quietly, she really misses her twin sister..
He stroked his chin with his fingers, lost in thought. Hmm, right.. I wonder if.. Then a spark of an idea hit him. Yes, it might be work. Without wasting a moment, Daniel quickly left the Great Hall and ran toward Headmistress McGonagall’s office
Later that night, Ivy Warrington stood atop the Astronomy Tower, gazing into the dark expanse of the Scottish Highlands. The cold wind tugged at her silver hair, and she let out a heavy, sorrowful sigh. Her thoughts were far away, tangled in memories of her twin sister, Winifred
The tower door creaked open, and Daniel Page stepped inside "So this is where you were, Ivy. After I tore through half the castle looking for you like a graphorn. You owe me, by the way. Honeydukes candy. Consider it compensation for my suffering" he said with a soft laugh
Ivy turned sharply, startled "Daniel? What are you doing here?"
Instead of answering her question, he stepped closer and stood beside her. His gaze following hers towards the distant mountains. Moonlight bathed them in silver, and snowflakes drifted down, turning Hogwarts and the surrounding grounds into a winter wonderland. The cold night air carried the faint sound of the castle settling under its blanket of snow
Daniel turned toward her, smiling "Guess what? I got something for you, Ms. Warrington"
He held out a small, neatly wrapped gift. Ivy blinked at it, then lowered her head, smiling faintly but sadly
"I.. I'm really not in the mood to open a present now" She admitted softly.
Daniel nodded, understanding "Yeah, yeah, I get that.. I know you're not in the mood to do that. Sometimes, I feel the same way, especially when it's just me and Esme on Christmas in that house. It only brings back memories of the Christmases I spent with Mum, Dad, Reggie, and Esme, back when we were all together. It makes me lose the mood to open Esme's present, even when she insists that I do"
He paused, then looked gently at her "But, you miss Winifred, don't you? What if.. you gave this gift to your sister?"
Ivy looked at him, then shifting her attention away "That's not funny, Daniel"
"It's not a joke, Ivy" he said sincerely "I know Winifred is still missing, and you don't know where she is. I just thought.. If you had something for her, maybe... making it disappear could help you feel connected to her on Christmas"
Ivy raised an eyebrow "That’s ridiculous. A vanishing spell doesn’t work like that"
Daniel smiled softly, tinged with sadness "I know it's weird. But it might help. Sometimes, when i miss my Mum, Dad, and Reggie, Esme will tell me to write letters and prepare Christmas gifts for them. At first, I thought it sounded ridiculous. They're not here with us. But Esme said it would help me feel connected to them on Christmas, even if they're far away. And maybe.. someday, when we're together again, we can open those letters and gifts. I mean.. it can't hurt to try, right?"
Ivy hesitated, her eyes glistening with tears. Finally, she nodded slowly "Fine.. What exactly are we giving her?"
"Memories" Daniel said "Headmistress McGonagall helped me collect one from each of our friends about meeting you"
He gently took Ivy's hand and placed the small gift in it. Then, he smiled at her and tapped the pendant Ivy wore, a pendant containing her memory about Winifred
"Winifred can get to know me and the others, just like you did" he said, scratching the back of his neck uncertainly "Or something like that"
Tears welled up in Ivy's eyes, and she couldn't hold them back, "Oh, Daniel.. that's very sweet. Thank you. I don't know what to say.. to you, to everyone.. for thinking of this"
Daniel smiled warmly and pulled her into a gentle hug. Ivy let her tears fall freely as she rested her head against his shoulder. The snow continued to fall around them, silently witnesses to their quiet moment of connection.
When she finally stopped crying, they slowly released the hug, their faces flushed. Daniel cleared his throat "Right.. the gift is here. All you need to do is make it disappear while thinking of your sister"
Ivy placed the gift on the ground, lifted her wand, and cast Evanesco. A soft gust of wind spiraled around the tower, carrying the magic into the night
Ivy asked softly, "Do you think the gift will reach her?"
Daniel shrugged gently "We’ll never know if she got it, but.."
Ivy smiled "It doesn't matter. I'm sure i'm going to find her someday" She looked up at the starry night sky
Daniel looked at Ivy, now smiling again and finally back to her usual self. There she is, the Ivy Warrington he knew. Welcome back, he thought
"By the way" Daniel said dryly "Everyone's been waiting for us in the Gryffindor common room to celebrate Christmas Eve. You didn't, I don't know, completely forget about that… did you?"
Ivy blinked "Oh. No. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I totally forgot about that” She lightly punched him, and Daniel just smiled, clearly entertained
"Right, because I'm the problem. You're the one who got suddenly emotional on Christmas Eve and wandered off to this quiet corner of the castle. If I didn't come drag you back, who would? Even MC told me to be gentler and keep an eye on you"
Ivy flushed "Fine. Then stop talking and don't keep our friends waiting"
The doors to the Gryffindor common room swung open, revealing Daniel and Ivy. Robyn was the first to spot them and immediately called out "There they are! Hey, we've been waiting for you two!"
MC walked over to her two close friends with a grin "Welcome back, Daniel. Ivy. I see Daniel carried out his mission very well. Who would've thought our resident sarcasm expert could actually be gentle with a girl?"
At that, both of them flushed.
Daniel cleared his throat, clearly unimpressed "Let's not get carried away. I was simply preventing a Christmas tragedy"
Ivy, on the other hand, grinned and said "Just admit it, Daniel. Seeing your soft side like that is kind of addicting"
Daniel groaned "Don't start, Ivy"
Ivy laughed, clearly enjoying herself
Then MC pulled her into a hug and said softly, "Merry Christmas, Ivy. We may not be your family by blood, but we're here for you. And when you finally find Winifred, let's invite her to celebrate Christmas together, okay?"
The night grew quieter as the Christmas celebration slowly wound down. Laughter faded into soft conversations, and one by one, their friends drifted off to their dormitories
Ivy stood by the window, watching snow fall gently outside, her expression calm, no longer heavy with longing
"You okay?" Daniel asked, stopping beside her
Ivy nodded, smiling softly "Yeah. I think… I really am"
She glanced at him, eyes reflecting the glow of the fireplace "Thank you. For coming after me. For not letting me disappear tonight, Daniel"
Daniel looked away, a familiar hint of embarrassment creeping in "Someone had to. You're terrible at dealing with things alone"
Ivy laughed quietly "And you're terrible at pretending you don't care, Mr. Potions Prodigy"
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The snow continued to fall, the castle wrapped in peaceful silence
"When I find Winifred" Ivy said at last, "I'll bring her here. I want her to see this, to see the people who waited for me"
Daniel nodded "We'll be here"
They stood side by side, not needing to say anything more
Under the soft glow of Christmas lights and falling snow, two hearts lingered quietly