An awkward Christmas Reopened

Hot cocoa. Gross. Simon had to smile though, liking the determination of Paige's mom to finally try and fix whatever it was going on between the two girls. It was evident that there was tension between the two, but he somehow got the vibe that both girls wanted to still be friends. Hopefully a conversation, a blanket, and even some gross hot chocolate could help mend things between them.

He decided to give the girls some space as he took the acoustic guitar off from the wall in the room that Paige had shown him. He sat down on the edge of the bed and began to strum his fingers along, realizing it was out of tune. No problem. He sat there, adjusting the tuning pegs a little here, a little there, until it sounded correctly. After playing so many years, and music being an intricate part of his upbringing, he could do so without an instrument to help him.

Simon didn't mind the moment alone. He'd welcome @Natalie Mock and Natalia to come in if they choose but he'd let Paige have time to sort out her feud with Harmony and he would let his aunt have time to chatter with the adults.

Sometimes the best parts about Christmas were those times of quiet reflection.

@Simon Kincaid
@Harmony Ruth
@Paige Chase

Me and Natalia were running to keep up, we turned the corner stopping quickly as to not bump into anyone. I smelled the air. "It smells amazing Mrs. Chase!" I said politely, Natalia nodded agreeing with me. "Yes, it really does!" Natalia said. Me and Natalia sat down looking at each other. I looked around. "I'm going to go find Paige and Harmony, its Christmas, one family's father flirting with someone else is enough." I stood quickly and walked out wiping my eyes. My round glasses fogging, I picked up my pace hearing Harmony and Paige. Opening the door slightly I heard my father walk in. I turned around. "Oh... Hi 'Dad'." I said coldly. "Don't you ever run off like that again, I am trying hard enough not to argue with your mom for Natalia's sake. And I don't need you ruining it." He said. A few tears rolled down my face. "You only care for your Natalia. Why not me? Why not the emotional transgender daughter?!" I growled. "Its messed up! You only care for yourself and Natalia! You and Mom only fight because Mom supports me!" Me and Dad started a yelling match, ignoring Natalia, some nasty insults flew from mine and my fathers mouth. "I wish it was only Natalia." Dad said. I froze, it was out... Finally, after 2 years it was out. "N-Nice to know Dad.." Tears rolled down my face as I walked out.

(Permission to God Mod given by Paige Chase)

She was walking back inside. When she stopped in her tracks. And a horrible. Terrible. Idea flashed into her head. What the hell am I doing? She quickened her paste. She longed to be able to do magic out of school right now. She wanted to- but she couldn't. But she was furious. She ran as fast as she could. Paige, what the hell are you doing? She shoved Nathan's dad into the wall outside of the house. "You leave your son alone!". She looked scary. Too scary for an 11 year old sweet girl. "He is amazing in every way and if you can't see that- you are blind as- ugh!" She grabbed Nathan's arm. "If you can't see that, than you don't deserve him." Than she ran into her mother." Paige? What the?" Paige just clenched her teeth. "I'll tell you on Christmas." She said that because she knew her mom would forget about it then and Paige would never have to tell.

When her anger cleared, she was terrified. She ran upstairs. She was shaking. She ran to Simon and could barely whisper. "Simon, I-" Than she told Simon what she just did. "I wanted to hurt him. But I didn't. At least I don't THINK I did." Tears leaked from her eyes.

@Harmony Ruth @Simon Kincaid @Natalie Mock

He had the door closed so he didn't hear the commotion happening downstairs. He was still trying out some Christmas songs on the guitar when he heard the click of the door and paused temporarily to see Paige hurrying inside. She seemed troubled - no, more than troubled. She was angry and she was hurt and he could tell that she just needed someone right now.

Maybe he couldn't instantly heal whatever was wrong, but he could be the friend that she needed. "Paige..." he began, just trying to show in his voice that he felt bad because she felt bad. He moved over so she could come sit on the bed and he placed the guitar down on the floor. With his hands free he was now able to bring them around her and pull her in for an embrace. "What happened?"

It hurt him to see her like this but that didn't mean he didn't want her to be there. He wanted her to know she could come to him for advice, for help, for a laugh, for a cry, for anything and everything.

"Tell me what happened," he whispered to her. It had been his understanding that she was going to make amends with Harmony and now she was there talking about wanting to hurt someone.

(Permission to godmod given by Paige Chase)

I was being dragged. Paige still hadn't let go of my arm, my panic had gripped me, my heart raced faster than a race cars pistons during a race. Small yelps were heard from my lips, after reaching Simons room, I yanked my arm away from Paige. It HURT. "Paige that hurt!" I complained. Hearing my parents yelling again I covered my ears and went to mine and Nats room. I sat on my bed, turned on some music putting both headphones in, and screamed into my pillows as loud as I could. Pulling my head from the pillows I laid there and cried. My small frame shook with every sob. My glasses were wet and fogged up. I looked at the picture on my stand. My parents dancing the night they met, I smiled sitting up and holding it humming Last Dance With Mary Jane, the song we all danced to before Dad considered me the mistake of the family. I laughed at the memory, the way Dad grabbed my hands and swung me around, the memory retreated to later when they started fighting. My mom knocked. "Baby boy? You alright?" She called. I wiped my eyes and sighed shakily. "N-No... D-Dad said he wishes it was j-just Natalia..." I said through a weak voice, she came in and hugged me. "Don't listen to him baby boy. He is nothing more than a good for nothing pig." She said. I laughed a bit forcing back tears, Mom beckoned Natalia in with my comfort food, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Nat smiled. "I picked out the puke ones, you're welcome." She set them on my stand. Later tonight the rest of us would play around. Mom grabbed our hands and brought us down for dinner.

@Paige Chase, @Natalie Mock, @Simon Kincaid

So sorry for the late response

Harmony sat in the tree, still crying. She heard a door open and close and she stayed as still as she could, but she apparently wasn’t quiet enough because the next thing that Harmony knew, Paige was putting a blanket around Harmony’s shoulders and a thermal of what Harmony assumed was hot cocoa in her hands. The two sat in silence for what felt like a very long time. Harmony had her eyes averted from Paige starting from when she first came up. Paige started saying something about how this tree was so special, but Harmony wasn’t listening. She heard and felt Paige shift her weight and turned to face her. ”Harmony, I am SO sorry.” Paige said. Only now did Harmony start listening. She turned her head and looked at Paige, who had tears streaming down her face. “Will you ever forgive me?” Harmony felt her heart hurt as she looked at Paige. She was so happy and excited about them being friends again that she just nodded with tears in her eyes. The two stayed like that for some time. At some point, Harmony laid her head on Paige’s shoulder. The two sat in a comfortable silence before Paige’s mom called them in for dinner. They climbed down from the tree and Paige bolted towards the house with a very confused Harmony following close behind. Paige went up to a man and pinned him against a wall. She started shouting at him. After a minute or two, she grabbed one of her friends and dragged her upstairs. Harmony cautiously followed them. Harmony had never seen Paige act like that. She didn’t think that SHE had ever acted like that before. She made a mental note to herself to not get on Paige’s bad side. She heard a door close upstairs and with a quick and nervous glance at her mom, Harmony silently made her way up the stairs to where Paige was, but stopped at the door and instead went to her room and sat down on her bed.

@Paige Chase
@Simon Kincaid
@Harmony Ruth
(IC)
I pulled away from my mom to swing by Harmony's room. I smiled and politely knocked on the frame. "Hey, Harmony was it? Paige's mom says dinners ready, you should probably eat something." I said gently. It was clear I wasn't in the best of moods. I pushed my glasses up my nose and walked in sitting beside Harmony. I knew something was wrong. "Whats wrong? That is, if you don't mind me asking? I set my hand on Harmony's shoulder. "I'm a really good listener. And what very little friends I do have I am sort of like a counselor." I said. I was trying my best to make an actual conversation. Any friend of Paiges was a friend of mine anyways. I knew Ravenclaws were really clever. But even they needed help at times. I may be in the house of jerks, but I was as soft as they come. I hugged Harmony figuring it would help slightly. This was harder for me because she was someone I barely knew, but that was ok because I was trying to help as best I could. "What if we had a sleepover tonight? Then we could laugh and have fun, its not much, but it'll do right? I asked. It had to. Things were so tense between Harmony and Paige. Figured I could possibly lighten the mood with a sleepover.

@Paige Chase, @Natalie Mock, @Simon Kincaid
Harmony sat on her bed, staring at the wall on the opposite side of the room. She heard someone knock on the door and looked up. She saw the girl the Paige had dragged upstairs standing in her doorway. "Hey, Harmony was it? Paige's mom says dinners ready, you should probably eat something." Harmony nodded and gave the girl a small smile. She really wasn't hungry and, if she was being honest, she was a bit frightened of Paige at the moment. Harmony knew that when she was mad, it was best that people stayed away from her, so she had always automatically assumed that it was the same for other people. She felt the girl sit next to Harmony and put her hand on Harmony's shoulder. "What's wrong? That is, if you don't mind me asking? I'm a really good listener. And what very little friends I do have I am sort of like a counselor." The girl hugged Harmony and to Harmony's surprise, she leaned into hug. She put her head on the girl's shoulder. "What if we had a sleepover tonight? Then we could laugh and have fun, it's not much, but it'll do, right?" Harmony raised her head from the girl's shoulder and look her in the eyes. Harmony was beyond excited as she had never been invited to anything before. Well, except when Paige invited her over, but that hadn't stuck. Harmony was very good at hiding her emotion on her face, but she hadn't quite figured out how to hide it from her eyes. So, obviously, her eyes were shining while her face was a bit confused. "Really? I would love that! But why? I'm a nobody. Not even Paige could stand being my friend. I'm back to square one." Harmony laid down on her bed, mentally kicking herself for not just saying yes. She had to always make things SO much more complex.

As she sat besides Simon, she told him everything from trying to apologize to Harmony to shoving Natalie's dad against the wall and yelling at him and why. Paige didn't know if she was a bad guy but nothing was right. Natalie is constantly sobbing, her parents always yelling and why they both came was beyond Paige, and she didn't think Harmony forgave her. After she said all of this, she turned to Simon. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?" She would sit there for a while, before her mom would softly knock on the door and open it a bit. "Simon, Paige, time to wash up up for dinner. " Than she closed the door and would walk to Harmony's room to say the same. Paige got up and smiled to Simon. Than she turned to go wash her hands and all the dirt off of her.

Paige traced her hand on the railing as she walked down the stairs. Paige's mom smiled with a knowing look in her eye. Oh! I bet she made her best dinner . Yeah, Paige's mom always makes a certain dinner when there is a mood in the family and it always makes everything right.

[url=https://pin.it/6UoCLaZ[/url]

Paige eagerly ran down and started setting the table. She placed blush napkins and folded them into triangles. She placed the forks and knives on the napkins. Her mom placed down a salad bowl in the middle of the table. Paige than eagerly sat down and waited for everyone to sit down.

@Simon Kincaid @Natalie Mock @Harmony Ruth