Closed On the Tenth Day of Christmas PV Elsian

It was amazing knowing you were totally, undeniably free from any responsibilities or work. More amazing still when you knew you had some of the most important people in your life would also, somewhat unexpectedly, also be staying behind for the break like himself.

But it was odd. A peculiar feeling really staying for the holiday. He’d never really thought he would, and yet here he was, after an honestly hilarious amount of weird timing and mini family emergencies.

It was fine though. Mostly because he knew he wasn’t going to fully be alone for the holiday. Even if some of his other friends hadn’t planned on staying, the fact he had Kitty with him and time with Dorion to look forward to?

Well, it made the drama worth it in the end.

Still…

It felt, almost funny, wandering towards the ballroom of all places. Felt like he was starting to visit a lot of places off the beaten path of his normal wandering grounds recently. He, quite honestly, couldn’t remember the last time he went to that empty ballroom. It felt like he should be dressed up for a ball, not in his normal nap scruffy clothes. So again, it was funny in a way, dragging himself to the ballroom of all places to meet up with Dori.

Almost felt like he owed them a dance or something…




It wasn’t hard to find Dori once he’d wandered inside. The 2 of them were the only ones there, and the large bag they had by their side was kinda hard to ignore.

He hummed, fighting down the tired yawn trying to escape as he drew near. “M’hmm,fancy that.” Sinking into the other's hug was as natural as breathing or falling asleep during Astronomy. Warm and comforting. He slipped his arms around them, holding on tightly as the others' words washed over him, sending a swell of relief through him at the very thought of so much free time. “More exciting now that you’re gonna be here for them though.” He admitted it easily. A small smile accompanied the statement as they slowly drew apart.

Loathe as he was to let them go…

Sitting down he couldn’t help but half fake a strangled gasp at Dorions words, one hand pressing against his chest because- ‘be still my racing heart’, while the other went to cover his exaggerated gasp. “Dori…are your parents trying to bribe me into the family?” He didn’t wait for an answer, hand dropping from his lips to fake fanning himself as the other went to drag the bag that much closer.

“This is all going so fast,” he teased mercilessly,slowly going to open the bag, “I don’t know what to say-hey!” He defended against the others grubby hands as they playfully, maybe, tried to drag the bag away with an affronted sound. “I didn’t say it wasn’t working!”

He hissed, waving away their efforts as he stuffed a hand down to grab the first thing he could. As if doing so immediately meant dibs. “No take backs. No take backs! I already accepted the bribery gift!” 2 pillow cases were held up alongside a tiny pillow, both cases a brilliant red, with all 3 having embroidery that immediately had the boy's attention as he held it out of reach dramatically. “Ooo, I-” it was held further away with a squawk as Dorion tried one last time to take back his rightful hoard, “I already claimed it! It’s mine, it’s mine!” He shrieked, ducking down to huddle over the pillow cases with a playful glare at the other as he tried to study the embroidery. It was easy to see he was quite taken with the items, they’d likely be quick to find a home on some of his pillows. Kitty would likely be amazed and ecstatic.

Slowly quieting, dramatics falling away into small smiles shared between the 2 as Elsian truly began to dig through the gifts, he pulled out the 4th gift. A blanket! Light and soft, he could already tell it would be perfect to carry around with him and he couldn’t help the pleased sound he made as he let it unravel, going to wrap it around himself as he caught sight of the s’more design on one side, leaving him warm and fuzzy with memories of that night until he turned it over to reveal cartoonish designs of a different kind-

He buried his face in shame into the soft fleece as memories of islands and bells and hours of slowly losing his collective shit over what was supposed to, in theory, be a calm, laid back gaming experience. Those summer days had not been his proudest once that particular game had been introduced to him. Elsian had, quite frankly, spiraled into a horrible obsessive hate broken by moments of pride and overwhelming need to have the prettiest flowers when compared to Dorions island.

He’d loved every moment of it.

But it was, perhaps for the best, that that sort of thing couldn’t be brought to Hogwarts without going on the fritz.

All in all. The experience was, both fun and equally embarrassing for the boy to remember.

“My shame forever lives through soft weaponized fleece and cute, disarming patterns…” he whined dramatically. “I can’t believe your family remembered thaaaaat.” He wrapped it around his shoulders loosely anyways.

At least the s’mores side eased the sudden rush of memories.





The 5th and 6th gifts inspired much less shame. No shame in fact. 2 different sheets that matched a perfect light blue that reminded him of a cold winter day and, of course, the similar pretty sight of Dorions eyes when under the light just right.

This too, threatened to get wrapped around his shoulders before logic won and he did not, in fact, begin the process of making a blanket burrito. Because there was more. And Dorion might cry if Elsian did so.

But where all the other items leading up to this point had been met with playful laughter mixed with fondness, silly teasing mixed with happy surprise. The 7th gift left him speechless.

He plucked at the quilt, letting it partly unfold to pool across his lap as he took in the design and feel of it. It was a perfect match to his favorite color. A pretty jade green that reminded him of the rivers back home when the sunset hit the waters just right over the mossy rocks and overgrown weeds that ran wild near the lake. Plush and he could already tell warm, so very warm, he imagined it’d feel much like warm sunlight and lazy summer nights wrapped into one big blanket hug.

In the middle was a crest he’d slowly grown familiar with in brief glimpses. A chain of daisies that swiftly began to remind him of overgrown gardens and long summer days. Of paper flowers and silly notes marking the days between tiny adventures plain but perfect. The feeling of river stones pressed between fingers and the cool sand against your feet as you skipped stones during the night. All connected to stolen moments with Dorion.



Matching pillow cases and a pillow for Kitty made for a perfect set…

Slowly he let the thin blanket of s’mores and owl patterned shame fall from his shoulders to instead wrap the quilt around himself.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but it felt like it’d been left in the sun. A soft, comforting warmth; and he’d been right. It felt like a hug.

Elsian looked down at the edges, fingers playing with a corner thoughtlessly. He had no words. Or rather, the one’s he did had long abandoned him, laying heavy across his throat and pooling in the back of his throat. He’d drag out the words anyways.

It was amazing. And perfect. But-

“I love it.” He said warmly, smile soft.

One word off. He repeated it again to fight off the urge to say something he shouldn’t too early.

“I love it Creampuff. I love it all. This and everything else but…”

He hummed, hiding a smile with the quilt's edge.

He didn’t think, despite its warmth, despite the designs, despite the time and effort and the happy, content feeling it inspired…that it quite matched up to one of Dorions hugs.



Pulling a very solemn face, he lifted up both his arms. One edge of the quilt held in each hand as if welcoming the other for a hug as he said, “I need to test something. For science!”

There wasn’t really a moment for Dorion to get up to offer a hug or otherwise react after that because the Gryffindor wasted no time in throwing himself half out of his spot to hug the other, quilt and all. He laughed, grinning hard at the surprised laugh that Dori gave as they hugged him back, just as tightly, and more warm than the quilt could ever hope to be. Elsian had never been the best at planning ahead though. And it felt all too soon that the bright grins and muffled laughter were replaced as his weight sent them fumbling, struggling to balance before they were both toppling over with mixed sounds of surprise and a small squawk from the lazy boy himself.

He landed with an oomph, tangled in a prison of quilt and soft gifts that’d come tumbling down with them as even as they kept hugging. For a moment there was just as stunned silence as Elsian looked at Dorion. The silence burst into laughter and giggles between the 2 of them, Elsi couldn’t help the loud wheeze of laughter as Dorion returned the hug, giggling loudly into the quilt fabric pressed against his shoulders.

“I’m sorry.” He forced between giggles. And after a moment he finally had the strength to right himself into a normal sitting position on the floor as he pulled away from Dorion. Blankets and quilt pooling around their shoulders and into their laps and the cold ground. “I didn’t mean to do that…”

And yet…

“But I was right!” He laughed, fingers pressed against the golden daisy embroidery of the quilt lightly stretched between them. “Amazing as it is-”

Elsian had a look on his face that was hard to place. Grin playful as he looked from the crest to Dorion.

“It doesn’t stand a chance against your hugs.”




…

……

Slowly. Naturally. Their giggling and laughter faded away to a point they could get up without tripping over themselves.

Carefully tucking gifts away he nodded at Dorions question. Holding out a hand to catch theirs with a playful swing as he followed them to the door before they went opposite ways. “A picnic? With my favorite Creampuff? How could I refuse?”