| Inked | (George Weasley)

Chapter Sixty-Four

Dear Olive,

Happy Christmas my love!

Hope you're having a good Holiday so far. I can't believe your sixth year is halfway done with already, that's absolutely mad!

Anyways, I know you didn't ask for anything, but I just had to send you that adorable handmade notebook I found in this tiny shop Remus and I went to at Diagon Ally. They do custom ones, too, so look out for an engraved one for your birthday... just kidding... maybe.

Remus and Padfoot send their love, as always, even though I'm more than positive they already sent their own respective letters to you, but you know how nagging they can be sometimes. I swear they haven't changed since our schooldays, I'm telling you (and it's been twenty years give or take).

The Yule Ball is today. I know your reservations about it, Ollie, but know that whatever you choose to do you know that you won't regret it. Even if it isn't what you expected.

Missing you always,

Missy

Olive sat outside in the courtyard, her sister's letter tucked nearly into her gloved hands. A light snow had begun to fall, which gave the festive decorations an even more themed appearance.

It also made the Ravenclaw think the professors bewitched the sky every year to make it snow on Christmas Day.

How else would the grounds look more and more magical each year?

Folding the letter carefully, Olive tucked it into the pocket of her jacket, where the letters from Remus and Sirius also sat. She had been outside reading them, and a book, since breakfast.

And for the first time in a long time, she couldn't bring herself to write.

Ollie didn't know if it was the Holiday jitters, her still-deciding brain on whether she should attend the Yule Ball (which was a bit last minute at this point), or even just because the story she was working on reminded her of, well, the very awkward situation that had occurred last week with George.

The Ravenclaw sighed, blinking the snowflakes from her lashes. She was a total idiot with him. It was obvious he was going to ask her to the Yule Ball, and of course he did ask her, and all she could do was stutter and tell him no!

It was very simple. Olive wanted to go to the Yule Ball with George. Would she admit it out loud? Probably not. Would she sit outside and grumble to herself about what an absolute git she was for making a fool out of herself and turning him down? Yes, absolutely.

Nat and Cho had put these ideas in her heads, that they thought Ollie pictured George as something more than a friend when she herself hadn't put any thought into it. Sure, she did get feelings with him... if that's what you want to call it... but that didn't mean she fancied him.

Now it was all she could think about. Looking back on each encounter with him and try to recall how it had made her feel.

The fact that the Yule Ball was today didn't make it any better.

Frustrated, Olive got up, shaking out her curls to get the snowflakes off of them. She ducked inside, rubbing her cold hands together as made her way back to Ravenclaw Tower. Surely by now Cho and Natalie were starting to get ready for the ball. She should probably go to make sure they didn't need any help.

The dormitory will probably be a nightmare of bobby-pins and eyeshadow...

The Ravenclaw shivered, but couldn't help but smile. Her friends had been so excited at breakfast, sending knowing looks to each other all morning about their dresses, or shoes, or even their dates. It was funny to see them giddy, like in those muggle chick-flicks Nat mentions all the time, wanting to make sure everything was perfect so the school could see just how nicely they clean up.