Over the next several months or so, Christmas was approaching fast. Jenna and Marlene had been placing mistletoe mischievously in the common room, and once or twice they actually witnessed couples under them. Even Marlene had had a frightful experience with Sirius under one. They giggled, recounting the day's snoggers at midnight, while eating the chocolate Remus had given Jenna.

   Remus and his friends had noticed the mistletoe immediately and stayed clear of it: except for James and Sirius. James often asked Lily Evans, the bounciest girl in Jenna's dorm, to pursue him to the common room's fireplace, above which, mistletoe hang. Lily was smart enough to decline.

   Sirius intently and frequently moved the mistletoe to above the table on which Remus and Jenna had played Wizard's Chess. Perhaps he was assuming they would return.

   The rain splattered against the windows in the Great Hall: Jenna had just been to Arithmacy, her books tucked under her arms. She took a seat beside Marlene and opened her book from the library.

   "What's that?" Marlene asked, leaning over my shoulder to see.

   "It's a fascinating tale about knights in shining armour on horseback. I'm just up to the bit where he meets a woman." She stifled a giggle and returned to her book.

   After concluding lunch, Marlene nudged Jenna's elbow. She nodded towards James, Peter, Sirius and- But he wasn't there.

   "Where d'you think he's gone?" Jenna whispered, watching James and his friends talking in a low whisper, as though they knew something Jenna and Marlene didn't.

   Marlene shrugged it off then ripped a piece of buttered toast apart. "I'm starving, I've just been trying to hear what they're saying."

   "And did you?" Jenna closed her book and shuffled it under her bench.

   "Well, I think I heard something..." She led Jenna up to the dormitory quickly and jumped onto her bed.

   Lily was brushing her hair. Louise and Jenna both sighed: they knew Lily had to do a hundred brushes before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

   "Cmon Lily!" Marlene huffed. Lily scowled but retreated down to the Great Hall quickly.

  "So, go on."

  "Well, they said that Remus' mother is ill-"

  "-poor thing..."

  "And he has to go home each time, his father sends a request to Dumbledore each time. So that's it."

  "I never knew..." Jenna gazed out of the window. Snow was now pounding down, the grounds were already iced in it. Hagrid the Gamekeeper was hauling a gigantic  tree across the courtyard, supposedly for decoration in the Great Hall.

***
Jenna lay on her bed, on Christmas Eve, mind you, reading her book. But she couldn't concentrate. Her mind for the past few weeks had just been intently concentrated on Remus Lupin. He had left again two nights ago, and -

She heard the swish of a cloak and a shut of a door and knew at once who it was.

"Remus!" She yelled, racing downstairs and falling into a very awkward hug. His face was in a horrified way, not just scars, his expression.

   They both stared up: a fragment of mistletoe hung over them. They both chuckled, then leant in for a slow kiss. It felt ethereal, like heaven, Jenna didn't want it to end, all worries were wiped from her mind and all she cared about was Remus. It felt like fireworks in her stomach, buzzing in her head.

   They broke away after what seemed like five seconds, even though it was a minute. Remus' eyes were swimming with what seemed like happy tears. He wiped them away quickly. They were both blushing very deeply by this point. Jenna smiled at him, then raced up to her dorm. Her heart was racing with happiness, her mind was cheering.

   Remus stood there for a moment in his striped red pyjamas, smiling to himself when his friends hurried out to include him in a group hug. As they embraced, Remus contemplated that he'd rather walk on eggshells than tell them he had kissed Jenna under the mistletoe.
***
    Marlene and Jenna headed down to the common room the next day. Jenna had told Marlene what had happened last night, she was as shocked and excited as her.

    About a hundred neatly wrapped presents lay beneath the tree in the common room. Jenna and Marlene searched for theirs: Jenna had ten, Marlene, eight. They both took their presents up to the dormitory, but raced back to retrieve the other girls' presents as well as theirs.

Jenna ripped open her smallest present, to reveal a solid gold necklace with a genuine diamond hanging from it. She gasped loudly: everyone stared and gasped too. They all crowded around her:

"Is that real?!"

"Oh my god, Jenna!!"

Jenna saw a note attached to it saying:

The best things come in small packages.

Mum and Dad xx

"I-Its from my parents!" She exclaimed, before putting the necklace on and taking another present.

Her other presents consisted of new books and spellbooks, new cauldrons and compasses until there was only a very large parcel left.

It seemed to be moving ever so slightly, Jenna was nervous. Surely no one would send her something dangerous. She opened it carefully, and took a peep inside. Something licked her face very thoroughly, Jenna took the fluffy animal out of the cardboard box, laughing.

The girls around her gave out squeals of delight. A pug puppy was sitting on Jenna's bed, wagging its tail.

"Luna!" She giggled, stroking her head as she licked her hand.

"Your parents sent your dog?" Marlene said in between laughing.

"I think I forgot to tell them that we're not allowed," Jenna grinned, watching Luna sniff Wingard curiously, as if they were greeting each other. "I'll go and ask Professor McGonagall if I can keep her." And with that she took down the stairs.

When she entered the Great Hall, white filled her vision, it seemed that part of the ceiling had broken through and snow was on the ground. The ceiling had been patched up by now, of course, and the Filch the caretaker was now sweeping the snow to the side.

Apart from the unexpected snow, the Great Hall was filled to the brim with Christmas trees, coated with baubles and tinsel.

Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore, a deep flush of red drawn across her face. They both caught Jenna's eye and smiled.

"Professor McGonagall, may I ask you something?"

"Yes, Jenna?"

"Uhm." She looked nervously at Professor Dumbledore then continued, "you see, my parents sent me my dog, they didn't know that I wasn't allowed one here, and... I can't really send it back."

They both stared for a moment, then Professor Dumbledore spoke.

"Ah, so that was the rather large present the house elves told me about. Well, I suppose you can keep her for the time being." He smiled, not looking at Professor McGonagall, whose face was in shock.

"Thank you!" Jenna half-shouted, and raced past early breakfasters and back to the girls dormitory.

"Yay!" Marlene squealed, jumping up from stroking Luna.

"What's all the fuss about?" James and Sirius sauntered in.

   "You guys aren't allowed in here!" Lily stood up, but I think it was mainly because it was James.

    When Sirius saw Luna the puppy he looked like he was dying to stroke it.
***
   Jenna and Marlene pulled on their pjs that night, after having a simply splendid feast. They were both so elated, but something was pondering Jenna.

   "Hey, Marlene?"

   "Mhm?" She said, pulling up the hood on her cow onesie.

   "Wanna... wanna head down to the Forest tonight?"

   "Sure!" Marlene was all for rule-breaking, that's why Jenna shipped her with Sirius.

   Jenna put up the hood on her unicorn onesie and tiptoed out of the sleeping dorm at what seemed like midnight: the sky was pitch black outside their windows, only the moon was their only source of light.

    The girls raced down the stone steps, past Hagrid's Hut and into the deep, dark forest.

   "Woah, it's so creepy," Jenna giggled, feeling her way around the trees in the dark.

   Marlene suddenly let out a yelp. Jenna quickly looked down. A silvery, glistening substance was glittering on the forest floor. She touched it.

   "Yeuch!" Jenna grimaced, quickly wiping it on her onesie. "Unicorn blood!"

   "But how? Unless..." the girls both slowly looked forwards: a dead unicorn lay, its white glow easing off.

   "Oh no!" Jenna cried, running towards it and leaning down.

   "J-Jenna..." Marlene said, before pointing upwards.

  Three figures draped in black cloaks were gliding towards them, their hands on their hoods. Everything became freezing, and all Jenna could think about were her worst memories...

   One came straight to Jenna and began to lower its hood- another to Marlene- they wanted to scream but they couldn't-

   "EXPECTO- PATRONUM!" Four very clear and hoarse voices sounded behind them. Four silvery animals burst out and drove the figures away. One a deer, another a dog, another a wolf and one a rat.

   Jenna lay on the ground shaking. She had never experienced something so frightful in all her life. Someone pulled her up, she didn't have enough time to see who , as she fell into a very scary sleep.