An awkward Christmas Reopened

(Permission to god mod given by Paige Chase)
@Harmony Ruth
@Simon Kincaid
@Paige Chase
(IC)
I scrapped the baking project and went outside. My mom met me outside. ¨Natalie, Hunny I need to talk to you,¨ I held my hand up to silence her. ¨Mom, I know you and Dad ended it, I know the reason you are fighting is me. And I am sorry I am not a Gryffindor.¨ She tried to grab my arm as I walked away, but I dodged it easily. It hurt to know that I was the reason they divorced. And they wanted this last Christmas together, but with Natalia at my throat, that was tough, Natalia walked up to me and hugged me, instantly I hugged back, tears spilling down my face. ¨Hey sis, its going to be ok... I promise. I'm so sorry I treated you like trash.¨ Natalia hugged me tighter, the way she used to when we were little and Mom and Dad fought. I let myself crumble emotionally in my sisters arms. ¨Shhhh. Its ok. Its all going to be ok...¨ She said in a soothing tone. ¨Nat. Why cant they be happy?¨ I asked.¨Why cant they just hold it together? They always said all they needed was us and each other...¨ Natalia brushed my red streak from my face and let my hair down for me. ¨Because people fall out of love sometimes Natalie. It happens even with the best wizarding families.¨ I nodded and walked outside with Natalia, we had finally made amends, it seemed Christmas was going to be alright after all. I saw another family enter the house. I dragged Natalia over to say hello. ¨Hi! Im Natalie Mock, and this is my twin Natalia Mock, and you are?¨ Me and Natalia giggled a bit at my enthusiasm.

Simon watched was his Aunt Maggie made her way over towards the adults in the home and he had to smile because while none of them were necessarily old, his aunt was still younger by far. The girl had become Simon's aunt at the age of 14 and his primary caregiver just three years later.

He didn't feel pity though. Maggie Kincaid had an aura about her that made everyone like her and he always sort of aspired to be a bit like her in that sense. To be that person that made others feel better, to be the helping hand, to lend an ear. She was a gift to this world, surely, and he was quite lucky to have her.

Feeling a little out of place he glanced around there in the doorway. There was a smell of cookies baking so he wondered if Paige was off and about. That, and she had mentioned this get-together so he knew other friends of hers would be there and that was okay with him - he liked meeting people.

And before he could think much more on the subject, two girls around his age ran up to him, introducing themselves. Natalie and Natalia. Oy. Their parents must get things mixed up between them all the time being twins AND having similar names. Simon smiled, glad that they had made introductions. He was pretty sure that he had maybe recognized one around the castle so perhaps she was from Hogwarts as well?

"Simon. Simon Kincaid. Pleasure to meet you, Natalie. Pleasure to meet you, Natalia. So you're friends of Paige?"

@Simon Kincaid
@Harmony Ruth
@Paige Chase
(Permission to god mod given by Paige Chase)
(IC)
¨Yes I am! As for Natalia I cant say the same, say, you look familiar. Have I seen you around the castle?¨ I said a bit excited. ¨My sister made some cookies if you'd like some, let me tell ya, they are to die for.¨ Having just made amends with my twin I was shocked. I looked at the adults, our mom and dad across the room from each other. That was upsetting, I forced back tears and smiled. Grabbing Simons hand I dragged him to the kitchen and got the cookies I had made from the oven. ¨So, I take it you're an only child? That must be fun, though I couldn't imagine life without Natalia, even if we have just made amends.¨ There was evidence that I had been crying in that room, several cookie cutters were strewn across the large kitchen. I ignored them. Mainly because I knew I would be asked about it, Natalia was picking them up for me. I hummed Boulevard Of Broken Dreams while waiting for the cookies to cool so I could give Simon one, a question popped into my head. ¨Do you ever get nick names that start with an S Simon?¨ I asked. Of course I didn't expect an answer, it was a personal question. I started making more dough for cookies, I would make a cake later.

She asked a lot of questions but he didn't mind it. It meant she was interested enough to ask and he smiled, following her and her twin into the kitchen.

She mentioned cookies and he didn't have the heart to tell her that he had yet to meet a cookie that he DID like. Sweets weren't his thing. It made him think back to when Paige offered him a cookie with wide eyes in hopes that he'd love it - but he sadly didn't. It made him think of times when his aunt would bring home pastries from her bakery/bookstore that she worked in that she wanted him to try with bright eyes in hopes that he'd love it - but he sadly never did.

"Yeah, I'm an only child. Mum passed when I was three and I never knew my dad," he said but smiled when the girls looked to him. No, no pity. No need. He was happy with his current situation. "I came here with my Aunt Maggie. She's the best." They didn't need to feel sorry for him. He was far from an orphan and being well taken care of and loved.

"I get a few nicknames," he then added to answer her last question. He saw one of the cookie cutters next to him and leaned down, picking up one the shape of a stocking and he walked over to hand it to Natalia who was gathering up the rest. He thought of all the fun/silly/sometimes obnoxious nicknames that his aunt would give him. "I've got some friends that just call me Si back home. One calls me Sims. One calls me Simeon because she thinks it sounds fancy..."

He really didn't prefer that these girls called him Sims or Simeon though and hoped that wouldn't stick. "So...yeah, you've probably seen me at school. I go to the same school as Paige," he said, unsure if he should be mentioning magic in the household though. He didn't really know how much siblings knew about it all and wasn't sure if her twin went there as well. "Do you both attend?"

@Simon Kincaid
(IC)
(Permission to god mod given by Paige Chase)
I handed Simon a cookie. ¨Yeah, we both attend. This one here cant keep her nose out of a book!¨ I glared at Natalia. ¨Says the one who ignored me for over half a semester!¨ We both started laughing. Natalia poured some milk for Simon. As she set it down she whispered in my ear. ¨Someone likes him~¨ She whispered. My face lit up red like a Christmas tree. Setting the cookie down on the counter I covered my face. A muffled ´No!´ sounded. Natalia started laughing harder than I would have liked. She ALWAYS did this to me. I wish I knew a spell that could make me disappear. Either that or Page walked in. Either one would work at this point. I wondered if maybe Simon was blushing too. Natalia's laughing continued. I grabbed a cookie and shoved it in her mouth. ¨Put a sock in it!¨ I laughed a bit, the cookie was shaped like a stocking, so it made sense. Our mom walked in on the scene and laughed taking one and shoving it in my mouth. ¨It would work better with brownies dear!¨ I gagged a bit laughing and finished the cookie. I stood beside Simon and watched a few tears slipping down my face. ¨This is how it used to be, every Christmas.¨ I wiped my tears and smiled.

Simon watched the two sisters interact and thought about if he had seen both around the castle. Probably. It was hard to tell with so many new faces all at once. He had grown up previously attending the same muggle school as those around him in the South Kensington area of London year after year so he knew those classmates and friends well by the time he reached now. So to enter an entirely new school in an entirely different country full of students from many different backgrounds was a new experience - but also one he loved.

He didn't hear what the one twin had said to the other. His focus was the cookie in his hand and when he glanced up now it was to the glass of milk. The milk wouldn't help but he appreciated the kind gesture. Simon took in a slow deep breath to prepare himself and took a small bite - just above a nibble - but not much more. He chewed it just enough times before swallowing it. "Uh, Paige will tell you - cookies aren't really my thing," he said. He was sure it was a good cookie to anyone else.

His aunt came in after the twins' mom and came to his rescue, pulling the cookie he had in his hands from him and took a bite. "This one doesn't like ANYTHING!" she informed them all. "I work at a bookstore and bakery and pride myself in my baking. We've got 5 out of 5 rating even but this one hasn't liked a THING I have ever brought home or make," she rolled her eyes like she was so disgusted with him but then smiled.

She then saw the milk and knew his preference was water and so again, she reached out, taking the glass from the counter and taking a sip. Aunt Maggie to the rescue. "You're missing out, Simple Simon...these are wonderful!"

@Natalie Mock @Simon Kincaid @Harmony Ruth
Permission to godmod given

Things were awkward. Thankfully she heard Simon come in. She got up and was about to leave Harmony, but then she turned around to her. "Come on, I want you to meet Simon." The two walked downstairs. The Mock twins were trying to get Simon to eat a cookie. Poor Simon, he is too nice to not try it. "Simon doesn't like cookies, cake, things like that." She was talking to Harmony because she knew her mom would want her to.

"Hey! Simon!" She walked into the kitchen smiling at her friend. "Glad you could make it." She turned to the Mock twins who seemed to actually not be fighting! Natalie was blushing at Simon, but he didn't seem to notice. I'll have to talk to her about that later. "Simon, let me show you your room." She was glad they had a boy guestroom.
"Sorry it's a bit small." She turned to Harmony. "What do you think? These guest rooms need some cheer!" Paige had so much paper and glitter and scissors... many things. Their first holiday activity!!!

Paige could hear her mom talking to the other adults downstairs. This was going to be fun.

He smiled when he heard Paige's voice and gave her a hug as she approached. He liked meeting people but it was also good to see an already established friend at the holidays. "You've got a nice place," he complimented her, not wanting it to sound generic. She really did have a nice home...the outside, the porch, the living room, the kitchen.

From there she showed him a bit more of the house as she led him to one of the guestrooms. "Nice," he said as his eyes found the guitar, one on the wall and one in the corner. "This is perfect, Paige. Thank you. Maybe I can play some Christmas music later," he suggested, letting her know that he knew how to play.

He could play the guitar as well as the piano and saxophone and it was his goal to someday learn more instruments. He also had been in the process of trying to write some of his own songs. One could do things like this when one didn't sleep very often. In fact, he probably really only slept every third night or so, and even then it was only for 4-6 hours.

His aunt Maggie knew that was awkward but she was probably the only other person who really knew that fact about him. Oh how it was difficult way back when he was a baby and the lack of sleep. Her sister and her trying to keep that boy occupied and watched while they had normal sleep patterns. It had been a struggle to say the least!

@Paige Chase, @Natalie Mock, @Simon Kincaid
Paige showed Harmony the room that she would be staying in as she pulled out paper, scissors, glitter...basically all of the things that would make a crafting project. Harmony looked at the things that Paige had pulled out and tried to not break down again. After a quick glance at Paige, Harmony broke, tears pouring down her face. She rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Harmony heard the adults talking, but she couldn't see them. Harmony quietly opened the front door and saw a tree in the front yard. She went over to it and began to climb it. When she got satisfactorily high, she stopped climbing. There she sat, eyes streaming, heart aching. Harmony had never been the best at expressing her emotions. Heck, she was the worst at it. Emotions and Harmony Ruth were two things that could not go worse together. Harmony hoped no one would come after her, especially not Paige. But, at the same time, she hoped that someone would come out to find her. Her emotions and desires were all in a jumble. Why did Harmony need to be so anti-social, so rude, so...so...shy? She bottles up her emotions and they always burst out at the worst times. Sometimes she wished that she wasn't herself, that she was someone more confident, but, like her mom had always told her, she needed to be who she needed to be. That thought made her cry even more.

Paige's mom was talking downstairs with the other adults about things the kids couldn't care less about. "Right, and you just can't let that happen!" Who knows what they were talking about. Paige's mom got up. Anyone want some cheese and crackers? She got up to get a cheese board set up. She nearly tripped when Harmony came rushing down the stairs, crying. The parents all looked at each other.

Paige's mom ran upstairs into Paige's room. "Paige- What the HECK is going on, sweetie?!" Paige paced the room, tears welling up. "I don't know! She just- just broke and ran!" Paige's mom sighed. "Well go after her! Apologize." Paige headed for the door. Paige's mom grabbed a blanket. "And bring this, it's cold out. And bring some hot cocoa!" Paige two thermal mugs with hot cocoa. She ran out side and climbed the tree. She sat next to Harmony and placed the blanket on Harmony. She handed Harmony the hot cocoa. They sat for silence. "You know- This is the very tree that my grandpa purposed to my grandmother. Her dad didn't want her to marry him. But they saw that they were ment for each other. So My great grandpa and my grandpa pushed aside their differences. " She turned to Harmony. "Harmony, I'm SO sorry." Tears streamed down her face. "Will you ever forgive me?"

A while later Paige's mom stepped out. "GIRLS, IT'S TIME FOR DINNER"

@Harmony Ruth @Simon Kincaid @Natalie Mock