The Keeper

Chapter 11

The songs I listened to were Rockin' Chair - Demo by Oasis, Holiday by Green Day and Love, Hope and Misery by Jake Bugg.

I apologise if there's been a dip in quality - I've been having bad writer's block. Please feel free to message me with any ideas you have for the plot :) And so sorry for taking too long to update. School work has suddenly mounted up and I'm a lot busier now!

Also over 200 reads? How?!? Honestly, I'm so thankful for every read, vote and comment that I get because I never imagined it happening to me. So thank you very much for reading <3

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I escaped Truth or Dare relatively unscathed, except for a blush that I seriously thought would last for days. Aleeza and Louise left to Madam Puddifoot's and Sasha fumbled for a reason to go to Zonko's. It was clear they wanted to leave Oliver and me alone. He moved to the other side of the booth so it wouldn't be awkward for us to talk.

"So," I said, wringing my hands. I'd never been skilled at conversation starters.

"So," he agreed. His lips bore faint smudges of my lipstick so I offered him a tissue. A pale pink stained the tissue when he removed it from his face. "Cheers."

Enveloped in a strange quiet, I kept my head down and my eyes away from him. There weren't many others in the Three Broomsticks, which I was thankful for. I didn't want to deal with another set of rumours when school began.

There was a small group of friends sitting by the window attacking plates of fish and chips. They were talking rather loudly for people who were eating so I tuned into their conversation.

"That girl Sam told me she was going to sneak into Quirrell's office to see if he has a collection of turbans," someone said.

At that point, it became fairly clear they weren't worth listening to so I turned back to Oliver.

"Have you bought your Christmas presents for everyone?" I asked.

"Yeah, I have," he replied, resting his elbows on the table. "I promised myself to be more organised this year and so far it's working. Although, I find it hard to get the perfect present for some people."

I nodded in agreement. I had spent forever in Gladrags Wizardwear choosing a pair of glasses for Aleeza, who I knew loved to coordinate every item in her outfit. Eventually, I bought three pairs in various shades of blue. I opened my mouth to speak before closing it again, lost for words.

"Sorry, I just have no idea what to say," I admitted.

Oliver chuckled. "Me neither."

"How about I get to know you better?" I suggested. "If you could visit any country which would it be?"

He pondered my question. "I suppose it would have to be eastern Europe."

After playing this game for another ten minutes, I bid my farewell because I needed to wrap my presents. I walked back to Hogwarts on my own, thoroughly enjoying the sound of fresh snow beneath my feet.

I walked through the Great Hall and paused for a moment to ogle the colossal Christmas tree that had been erected at one end. It was tastefully decorated with various gold ornaments. Professor Flitwick had his wand pointed at the star as it floated towards the top of the tree.

When I got back to my dorm, I was delighted to see that nobody had returned from Hogsmeade yet. This left me with plenty of space to wrap presents away from prying eyes of curious friends.

I laid out Aleeza's sunglasses and delicately enclosed them in silver wrapping paper. I chose one of the gift tags I had bought earlier and wrote a small message on it. Dear Aleeza, I hope you have a lovely Christmas and make lots of new outfits with your glasses. Love, Y/N xx

Next was a pair of leather gloves I had chosen for Sasha. She had frequently complained to me about her hands slipping on her broom, and these gloves were specifically designed to increase grip. I wrapped them too, writing a similar message on her gift tag.

Finally, I wrapped a new copy of a book by Louise's favourite author Cecille Tarenda. The synopsis hinted at a story about a young Obscurus running away from home. As a proclaimed thriller fan, I knew that Louise would find it riveting. I added another note.

Christmas wasn't for a few days, so I kept the presents and others that I wrapped tucked under my bed.

I finished in the nick of time, as Sasha burst into the room less than a minute after the presents were hidden.

"Are you dating yet?" she asked, panting. I suddenly suspected she had sprinted from Hogsmeade to find out as soon as possible. "Please tell me you're dating."

"We're not dating," I answered nonchalantly.

She grunted and fell onto her bed. "After I put all that work in. You kissed, for goodness' sake!"

"Yes, but it was a dare so there wasn't anything behind it," I pointed out.

"But there was meant to be some chemistry!" she whined. "Sparks flying, electricity. Something!"

"Well, I appreciate the concern."

"You'll get together before the holiday finishes, mark my words," Sasha promised.

I rolled my eyes. "I'd like to see that happen."