Wrapping Presents (Nina)

It was almost Christmas! And tomorrow she was going home to her family. Unfortunately, she'd left things until last minute like usual, and had millions of presents to wrap. Most of them she'd already bought/made, so it was just a matter of messily smothering them in wrapping paper decorated with reindeers and snowmen, then leaving them in the appropriate places.

Her family's were the least important. Those could be wrapped on the train home, or when she got back home. It was her friends' presents. Aoife had made a list of all the presents needing wrapping. It was a very, very long list. The VanDerbergs were a good place to start. Then she could do the Wilde sisters' gifts. After that, she had no idea. She'd cross those many bridges when she came to them.

Oh no! Mini disaster! Tor wasn't on the list! She'd forgotten his present! Nightmare. Maybe she'd find something when she got home and owl it to him. Yes.

Aoife settled down in an armchair in the corner. She couldn't have housemates coming over and finding out what their presents were! It didn't help that she'd labelled each one so they didn't get mixed up. In her hands she clutched a large roll of wrapping paper, some tape, scissors and a fork. She'd accidentally stolen the fork from breakfast. There was no time to bring it back! She could do that after the presents were wrapped.

Okay, VanDerbergs. Hunter's present first, a Florean Fortescue's Gift Card and a very feminine purse with a pink sheep on it, were easy enough to wrap. In fact, the package almost looked neat! She was very satisfied with herself for that. Before she could move on to Lyn and Lyra's, a shadow blocked her sunlight. "What do you want?" she murmured grumpily, not looking up as she added one more piece of tape.

Nina decided to exercise. She wasn't sure why, but she had heard adults talking about it and how it was a good way to keep her mind off of things. So, she went to the Qudditch field and ran for as long as her little legs could take her. And plus, if she was trying out for the Quidditch team, she did need to be fit, so there was another plus side for that.

As soon as she was tired and couldn't run anymore, she ran all the way back up to the castle. She was going to take up running now. That was for sure. She thought about a lot of things. Like Nana, and how she might be doing up in heaven, along with her mum whom ever she might be, and whom ever her dad was as well. She wished them all luck, and she was happy she was now getting her life together what with Aisha adopting her.

She wanted to take a shower. The down side to running was all the sweat. The yucky sweat. And she noticed that it tasted like salt...was she supposed to know that? Whoops. She fell on her bed in the common room that she shared with Ariel, and Aoife, but didn't realize that Aoife had even been in there.

She realized that Aoife was talking to her. Nina hadn't had very many conversations with Aoife, even though they were roommates, but Ariel seemed to like her, as well as a lot of her other friends, so she must be an alright person. Nina then realized that she was wrapping Christmas presents. HOLY PEEVES...CHRISTMAS! She hadn't had a chance to go shopping yet. But what could she give somebody who had already given them sooo much? A thank you card?

Nina replied, "Nothing, sorry, just went for a run, and now I'm washing up."

Oh, it was Nina! "Sorry, I didn't realise it was you!" she smiled warmly. Then Aoife remembered her pile of presents and not-so-casually leaned over them. Nina wouldn't know which gift was hers, but the younger girl could always guess and they didn't want that now. "Just up to some last minute wrapping!" She didn't know Nina very well. She could be going home for Christmas. She could have finished wrapping presents months ago. They should talk more, since they were roommates and everything!

"A run?" she asked, crinkling her nose a little bit. She wasn't against exercise or anything, but running hadn't ever really appealed. There was running around the farm like a madwoman, that was just the usual. But running to get fit or whatever? No. Her exercise was Quidditch. Or soccer when she was at home. "Well, good for you!" Aoife returned to her comfortable crossed legged position and added yet more tape. The gift was covered in it now. It would be impossible to open without scissors.

Now, time to move on. Lyra. A red friendship bracelet (colourus changerus yo) and a box of muggle chocolates. At Christmastime, chocolate was always good. She sat in silence for a moment as she concentrated on her neat wrapping. But then she finished, and started adding lots and lots of tape, because that was how she rolled. It was an opportunity for Lyra to practice her spells and see if she could open it!

Oh yes, Nina was here! "So what are you up to this holiday?" she asked casually. "Are you staying at Hogwarts, going home or...?" This was the first step in getting to know her housemate and dorm-sharer more! "Here, have a fork!" Aoife offered, holding out the cutlery and ticking off Hunter and Lyra on her neat little list of presents. She kept that hidden from Nina, so she couldn't see what she was getting.

Part of Lyn's present was a cute little teddy. "Lyn's present. What colour should he be?" she asked Nina's opinion, unable to decide herself. "I was thinking yellow, because Hufflepuff, but it might not look too nice. How about purple? Blue? Brown? White?" It was already a dull grey colour, so it needed lightening up, quite literally.

Nina smiled at Aoife. The girl was a tad crazy, but she enjoyed crazy and needed some in her life. When she started asking questions about the holiday Nina smiled and said, "We are going home for the holidays! What about you? And, I don't know Lyn...So I wouldn't be much help...Sorry..." Nina looked down she realized that she had just interrupted something important.

Nina hadn't gotten the chance to go Christmas shopping for Sarah and Aisha yet. It was a small list, for a small family. She was going to ask Sarah about maybe making her a picture frame and putting the picture of when they got adopted in it. But didn't know if that was to cheesy or not.

Maybe just a giant thank you card for not separating them would do? She didn't know. She wanted to bring up the whole Hunter and the chair thing that happened during Charms but didn't know if she should or not. She wasn't that close to Aoife to be talking about boys and such. Since she didn't have a lot going on in that department.

She awkwardly held the fork in her hand that she had handed her. She now understood why her and Professor Leblanc where such good friends.Only, he was a little more crazy than she was.

Aw, going home, her little roommate - friend? - was so sweet and adorable. Kids, right. "That's nice," Aoife beamed. "Doing anything exciting? Or just chilling at home?" And she was so polite too, returning the question and all. "I'm going home. I want to stay for the Christmas dinner here. But they have their hearts set on a proper family Christmas." That meant all her siblings and their families, crammed into the tiny house. She'd probably end up retreating to the woods where she could chill in a tree. In the freezing cold.

"Oh well, nevermind," she shrugged. Purple would do, it was a pretty nice colour. Lyn was pretty and nice! "Colorus changus," she murmured, pointing her wand at the dull grey bear. Suddenly it looked so much better! Then Aoife continued her speedy wrapping. The bear's parcel looked a bit odd, but Lyn would love it when she opened it!

Nina looked a bit unsure of what she was meant to be doing. "Sit down! Or stand up! Just don't stand there like an idiot!" she joked, sticking her tongue out. "If you want something to do, you can wrap Ariel's present for me! How are you at wrapping?" Ariel got an ice-cream voucher and a pretty pink bracelet which she imagined would suit a beautiful veela like that girl. "You don't have to, by the way."