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The next day, Arya woke up to the sounds of students moving about. It was December 22nd, the last day before Christmas break. Everyone was buzzing with excitement, preparing to leave for their families. Arya was particularly thrilled as it had been a long time since she had seen her parents.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice — it was Emily Forand, a fourth-year, Arya's roommate, calling out excitedly:
"Arya, you've got a package!"
Arya quickly jumped up, already expecting a letter from her father. It had been a while since she had received one, and she was eager to hear from him. Emily pointed to the shelf near the fireplace. Arya walked over and grabbed the package, which was wrapped in brown paper and hastily sealed. She tore it open to reveal two books — Mythical Creatures of Greece and The Final Exams Guide — along with a letter from her father.
It reads:
Dear Arya,
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your letter. Unfortunately, I've been extremely busy.
I've heard good things about your progress at school, and I'm happy to hear you've settled in well. I also heard you joined the Quidditch team — I'm proud of you for that. As for the broom, I'll send one over as soon as I can. I'm sorry I haven't been in touch much; your mother and I have been wrapped up in work at the Ministry. It's unfortunate, but we won't be able to spend Christmas together this year. I know it's hard, but please understand that we're doing this for the future.
I've included a couple of books for you. I know it's not much, but I thought they might be helpful. You know that Calderons always get top marks in the final exams, so please make sure you study hard.
I know you're probably disappointed that I won't be able to see you this Christmas, but please know that I'm thinking of you.
Yours always, Father.
Arya folded the letter, feeling a lump in her throat. Her father's absence was nothing new, but hearing the words again — that they wouldn't be together for Christmas — struck a deep chord. The only thing she had to show for it was the two books and the distant reassurance that she needed to excel academically.
She threw on her cloak and descended the stairs.
The common room was filled with students cheerfully chatting about their Christmas plans. Even the area around the fireplace had been decorated with blooming magical flowers that sang festive greetings to anyone who walked near.
Arya stood by the window; the ground outside was glistening white and silver. In the visible stretch of the Forbidden Forest, the trees looked like they were dressed for a wedding, their beauty dazzling under the snow. The lake was partially frozen, and floating chunks of ice glimmered on its surface. Arya was so captivated by the view that she didn't notice Scorpius approaching.
He stepped beside her and said, "Hey, Arya."
"Hi," she replied softly, the lump in her throat still not gone.
Scorpius noticed her tone and moved a bit closer. "Actually," he said, "I was going to wait, but since you're still here, I figured I'd give you your Christmas present now."
"I'm not going anywhere," she replied.
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly, Arya's composure shattered. Tears began to stream down her cheeks uncontrollably, her voice trembling with anger as she said, "Nothing! My mum and dad said they can't come home for Christmas! Do you know what that means? It means they don't even care how I'm doing! My father didn't even bother to answer my questions. They think just because they're my parents, they can do whatever they want with me!"
Her red, puffy eyes met Scorpius' stunned gaze. He was speechless.
"They can't even spare time for me on Christmas? You know what? I shouldn't have come with them in the first place. I should've just stayed at one of my uncles' houses — what difference would it have made? It's like I don't have parents at all! I just want to see them one more time and tell them — I hate you!"
She threw the stack of books onto the floor, turned toward the common room door, and as she left, glanced back at the shocked Scorpius and warned him:
"Don't you dare tell Albus I cried!"
The corridors were thankfully empty. Arya walked quickly, her boots sinking several centimetres into the snow. The halls were decorated with twinkling lights and Christmas trees. Even the castle ghosts were singing carols. Hogwarts looked more beautiful than ever.
Outside, the cold pierced her, but she didn't care. She needed somewhere quiet, away from everyone. She found a small wooden bench near the frozen lake, brushed the snow off, and sat down. She told herself to stop wallowing in misery. Things weren't going to change.
As she stared out over the icy water, her thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
"Looks like someone could use a few cheering charms."
Arya turned. Albus and Scorpius were walking toward her. Albus was levitating a tray with tea and cake — impressively controlled magic, Arya thought.
They sat down, smiling. Her eyes were still a little red, but she was no longer as upset.
Albus handed her a teacup. She gripped it tightly with her freezing hands.
"You weren't at breakfast," Albus said.
"She's upset," Scorpius added.
Arya glanced at him and replied, "Yeah. Apparently, I'm not going home for Christmas."
Scorpius smiled kindly. "It's not that big a deal. If you want, you can come to my family's manor. It's just me and my dad. We'd have fun."
Albus interrupted, sounding a bit guilty. "Actually, I was going to ask if you'd come to our house for Christmas. Mum spoke to your dad, and he agreed. They both want our families to spend more time together — because of us. But apparently, your dad has work and can't come."
Scorpius nodded. "It doesn't matter. I can stay with Arya."
Arya gave them a faint smile. "No need. I'll be fine here. I can work on the Spell Seeker or maybe wander into the Forbidden Forest. I'm nearly friends with the centaurs by now."
"Don't you want to come to my house?" Albus asked. "The three of us would have loads of fun."
Arya sipped her tea and said, "I don't even know your family. And I'd need my parents' permission, which is a bit late now."
Albus scoffed. "Who doesn't know my family? Trust me, they'll be happy to see you. Mum's even mentioned it in a few of her letters. I just didn't say anything because I thought you'd be going home."
Scorpius added, "You can still send an owl to your parents. Mine, Phileas, is super fast. I'm sure he'll find them in two days."
Arya looked at them both. Their offer was sincere. In that moment, she truly felt like they were her friends — just like Sara and Pendara. And besides, she really wanted to meet Mr. Potter.
She smiled and said, "Alright, I'll come. Thanks for inviting me, Albus."
Albus smiled brightly. "I don't like how well we're getting along. We need to find something to argue about!"
Arya laughed. "Don't worry, we'll find something by the time we get to the Great Hall."
And the three of them laughed together.