Christmas Party

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, that was brilliant. Draco, thank you very much for inviting me and I'm really sorry you weren't there, I missed seeing you.  Your family has the most amazing house ever and I hope that the next time I see it you're there so you can point out anything particularly nift that I missed.  Pansy was the one who told me about the sink in the loo that plays music, I never would have noticed it otherwise as usually I just wash my hands, I don't play with the faucets to see what they do.  And, I tried faking a sneeze in there and it took me three tries but the tissues finally appeared, that was also really nift to see. 

Not that I spent the whole time in the loo of course, and I also really loved the food, especially the pomegranites and the starfruit. I have put the little statue of the Lord Protector on my desk here at the Stretton's and I hung up the snowflake ornament in my window.  I'm going to bring it along when I go to Pansy's and hang it up on the tree there.

I'm sending a proper thank-you to your mum tomorrow Draco but Mrs Malfoy if you're reading this thank you very much for your hospitality, I had a lovely time.

Comments

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

It really was nift.

Why do you suppose Harry had to stay at school? And Draco and Hydra? I mean it does make sense that if Harry had to stay, Draco would too, but if it was just to prove the school is really safe they could have left for half a day to go to the party.

Anyway at least the Strettons let me go, they were cross about it but they didn't want to offend the Malfoys. Mrs Stretton said she'd have to think about whether to let me go to Pansy's but I think after Harry's letter arrives she'll let me, I think Harry's going to send it tomorrow and that ought to help a bit. The trouble is this year they're having me do their cooking, and they'll still want that on Christmas Day but I don't care, they'd better let me go to Pansy's or they'll be sorry.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Yeah, Harry really doesn't know why they had to stay. We played chess some and snap and went exploring a bit, looking for parts of the castle we haven't seen. I think it'll get a little better for Harry now that party's over, but it's right awful for him that Malfoy has to stay because of him when he really really wanted to be home. And Malfoy's not making that any easier. The git. Or maybe he's just cheesed off that Harry's gone off with me some times.

Are you good at cooking? Is it really difficult? I mean how many of them are there? That'd be like cooking for my family! You could write my mum and get recipes. Or hints to make it easier.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

I'm alright at cooking but I've never cooked for so many people before. Also I don't know how to do fancy things like roast beef, I'm better at soup and bread. Writing your mum is a good idea, I'll owl her this morning, I expect she knows some charms to make the washing up easier too.

I was expecting they'd send me around to the farms some like last year but I haven't set foot out the front door since I got here. I went to the Malfoy's by floo and came back by floo and the closest I've come to the outside is looking out my window. I heard shouting early this morning, I think Jeremy isn't being allowed out either.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

Just think of it being like a Potions class. You're good at Potions. I do think it's rotten of them to expect you to cook for them on your holiday.

Do you mean they're keeping you stuck in the house? You're not allowed outside? I wonder why.

(The snowflake from Malfoy's party does look quite nice hanging in our window, but my Gran was cross about the little bust of the Lord Protector that everyone got. She wanted to throw it out, but my Great-Uncle Algie told her no, I should take it to school and keep it by my bedside there. He said it's an easy way to convince people I'm loyal and all that without actually doing anything.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

You only think I'm good at potions because you've forgotten about the times I spilled things midway through.

EVERYONE'S stuck in the house, it's not just me, and Jeremy is so cross about it I can't even tell you. They had a row about it today. They haven't even let him go out to fly and that's like making Oliver Wood stay indoors, he's furious.

Your Great-Uncle had a good thought about the bust. I was a little worried it might be charmed somehow to spy on us, but I suppose there isn't any reason to suspect the statue more than the snowflake. Anyway Gemma wanted to borrow it today so the Lord Protector got a ride on her toy flying carpet all over the house.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Yeah, what's to say that both things aren't charmed to watch you? I think it'd be pretty creepy to have a little statue of HIM sitting around watching you. Even if it's not really watching you, know what I mean?

So when you all come back to school, there'll be three of those standing around our dormitory? It'll be like a tiny Lord Protector museum.

He can't move, can he? I mean like Charlie's little dragon models.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

And about the cooking, they had a muggleborn who did it for them, but the ministry made them send back all their muggleborns so they don't have their cook or their nanny or the girl who did the laundry or any of them and for some reason they haven't gotten replacements for ANY of their house servants.

Last year Mrs Stretton was hardly home at all. What she wanted me for was holding the babies as she went from farm to farm to farm on their estate. This year she hasn't set foot out the door, Mr Stretton either, even though they pace constantly and act like it's driving them absolutely mad not to go out.

It is tiring though. They're having me do ALL the cooking and ALL the washing up although at least they had Jeremy help me carry the food up from the kitchen to the dining room and then they had me sit down with them to eat, although that's probably just because Gemma begged. And honestly I think I'd rather eat separately, except for the fact that when I eat with them it reminds them I'm not really a mud muggleborn and they have to at least pretend to treat me like a foster-child.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Anyway I feel like I shouldn't complain here too much.

I could say that they're treating me like a muggleborn and that would kind of be true except for the part where they have to let me go back to school in January.

I wish I were with the Woods again though. It's really lonely here. No one talks to me except Gemma.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Stretton doesn't talk to you? Jeremy, I mean. What a git.

I hear none of the Ravenclaws talk to him anymore. After what he did last year, selling those potions. Or maybe it's more because that got him dropped from Quidditch: it must be killing them they can't have one of their best players.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

He actually talked to me a little on the train, he asked if it was true I'd practised Quidditch with Oliver over summer hols and I said yes. I thought he was going to ask me to fly with him but as long as his parents aren't letting him out he doesn't have much use for me. Or anyone else in the house.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

I wonder . . . would Gemma tell you if you ask her why they're making everyone staying inside? Maybe she knows. Sometimes little kids pick up more than their parents realise. Maybe she's heard something.

I keep thinking about what that Sirius Black said about that sickness that's been going on in the camps. Gran usually goes to serve in the soup kitchen at Wyre once every two weeks but she hasn't for the past month because they're not letting anyone in.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

That was a good idea, I would have asked her but there was another enormous row with Jeremy today and I heard.

It IS the sickness, at least I think it is. Some of their muggles are sick and the Strettons are really fearful of getting it. Jeremy shouted at them that the Ministry said it was no danger to wizards and they were bad subjects. And then after more shouting he said if they didn't let him out to fly on his broom he was going to report them to MLE for having the wrong sort of ideas. I think he was bluffing and anyway would Mrs Lestrange care when all they're doing is keeping their own kids in the house? it's not as if they're writing in the journals saying 'be afraid everyone! we're all going to get sick! the Ministry is lying!' but they let him go out provided he stayed in the air and didn't go past some boundaries, I think that keeps him away from all the farms.

[alt_pansy]

It was beautiful, wasn't it? You looked lovely, by the way.

Everyone looked so nice and dressed up, and the food was excellent, and I'm supposed to be in bed, but I can't sleep. I think I ate too much sugar. And my new cloak and gloves are gorgeous! The cloak is hanging up where I can see it from my bed, and I can hardly believe that it's mine. If it wasn't too hot to wear inside, I'd keep it on all night!

[alt_sally_anne]

I should go to bed too. I'm going to have to be up early tomorrow.