Christmas Shopping ((Ashley))

[Raelee Gray]

Raelee Gray rubbed her forehead as she looked at her Christmas tree. It was about 8 feet tall and completely full, green, "Beautiful," Rae whispered before collapsing onto the leather couch beside Dixie Holden who was sipping a cup of hot chocolate with her legs tucked underneath her. The brunette cocked her head to the side and looked thoughtful for a moment, "It looks crooked." Rae looked up and tilted her head as well. The tree didn't look crooked to her. "It does not." She told Dixie before sticking her tongue out at her and standing to gather the strands of lights. They were multicoloured and big, but not enormous like Rae thought were tacky. "Oh, yes it is." Dixie replied in a sing song voice before taking another sip of her hot chocolate. Rae looked at her best friend and then attacked her with tinsel, trying to look annoyed but failing miserably. Dixie laughed and brushed the silver strands of plastic off her and shrugged. Rae couldn't explain how good it felt to have Dixie back to being her best friend. Everything that had happened between her, Dixie, and Adam had caused Rae to wonder if Dixie and her would ever be the same again; and after Adam had broken things off with Rae and returned to Dixie, Dixie had appeared at Rae's door one day and apologised. They talked things through, and ever since then it had been okay. Sometimes it still felt like there was some tension between them, but Rae wasn't thinking much about it. She wasn't going to overanalyse her friendship with Dixie now that it was back. Dixie was a ticking time bomb and Rae understood that, which was exactly why Rae was often watching where she stepped. It wasn't like she was walking on eggshells, but she didn't say everything she thought. Not that Dixie had been giving her anything negative to think. "Well, if it's so crooked Dix, you fix it." Dixie stuck her tongue out at Rae as she set the mug of hot chocolate on the table down and stood from the couch.

She tilted her head again and then reached and turned the tree an inch or so. She stepped back, surveyed her work, and then nodded; "There. Fixed." Rae looked at Dixie, completely flabbergasted. "You…you're joking, right?" Dixie shook her head, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder, "That's all? Just…" Rae lifted her arms and mimed turning the tree like Dixie just had before throwing her arms up in the air with an incredulous look on her face. Dixie laughed and nodded, "See, it wasn't that hard? All you had to do was turn it." Rae smacked her forehead and shoved Dixie out of the way gently, teasingly, before grabbing the lights again and plugging them in. They blinked alive and lit up the small cottage with all sorts of colours. Rae looked over them and then glanced up at the clock before looking back at the lights and then doing a double take, "Oh!" Dixie jumped as Rae dropped the lights and started scurrying around for her purse and money. "Oh! Oh!" Dixie repeated, mockingly, as she scurried around too, then laughed, and shook her head, "Rae J. calm down, where's the fire?" Rae didn't pause as she explained that she had meant to go Christmas shopping about three hours ago and that she had to make it before the shops closed. Dixie had started to string the tree with the lights as the Rae blur continued to flit around, now looking for a pair of shoes. Dixie hummed as Rae finally stopped and looked at her best friend; "You'll have to leave." She looked hurt, "Why?" "Because… you can't be in here alone, Dix. Besides, don't you have to meet Adam somewhere?" Dixie sighed heavily, "No, he's off shopping, I think. Can't I stay, Rae? Please? Please, please, please?" She was begging now, nearly on her knees with her hands clasped together.

"Alright! Fine! But you have to finish the tree!" Rae hugged Dixie quickly before taking a step back and pulling out her wand. Before she apparated she told Dixie not to ruin it, and then there was a crack! and Rae had disappeared from the cottage. Moments later she reappeared in the Leaky Cauldron, pocketed her wand, and then stepped outside into Diagon Alley. The weather was rather nice, but it was very cold and Rae regretted not grabbing her jacket. She looked around before heading toward a specific shop and stepping inside, shuddering at the sudden change of temperature. The shop was rather deserted, but it was the right shop – it was a jewellery shop and it was where Rae was going to by Nette's Christmas present. A mother's ring, like she had always wanted to get her adoptive mother, but never felt like she deserved it. There was only one other customer in there, and Rae recognised her as a Hufflepuff in the year below her. So she'd be in her seventh year. Rae smiled and walked up next to her, leaning against the glass case and looking down at the jewellery, "Attracted by shiny things or buying a gift?"

[Ashley Hill]

“I don’t want to go to Grandma’s house, mom!” Ashley whined as she entered the warmth of the kitchen. Meredith Hill was standing behind the over, with her large, overstuffed Reindeer mittens covering her hands. Her blonde hair was pinned in a messy bun, her favorite snowflake apron covering the white turtle neck and jeans that she wore. Ashley was a splitting image of her mother, but even though she had inherited her mother’s looks, she lacked the personality. “Ashley, please,” her mother began pulling the out tray from the heating oven, and setting it down on the stove. Meredith was a good mother, and Ashley loved her with all her heart, but something she didn’t understand her daughter. She always seemed disappointed in everything that Ashley did, and was always constantly nagged about her future at the family restaurant. “You’re going and that’s that.” Sighing, Ashley slouched further down in her seat on the bar stole. “But mum, why can’t I just miss this year? We always spend at least two weeks at her house over the summer,” she began protesting, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket on the island counter. She spun it around, its glossy covering catching the light. “Because your grandmother loves to see you honey. You always have fun once we go.” Looking up at her mother, Ashley watched as Meredith carefully put icing on the gingerbread men. There was a package of gummy buttons beside the sink that was already half used. Spinning the apple around faster, Ashley finally spoke, “Yes, but I’m old enough to make my own decisions.” Feeling her mother’s eyes bore into her, she didn’t even glance up from the rotating fruit. “Elina will be going as well as Eliah. Your father even decided to come along this year.”

About to speak, Ashley stopped as she heard the front door open. Shelby was barking excitedly at the incomers, her tail wagging at rapid speed. Soon the other dogs came bounding down the stairs all yipping at Elina and Eliah as they entered the kitchen. Elina held a smile on her face as she began to tear off her scarf and gloves. “And speak of the devil,” Ashley whispered inaudibly bending down to scoop up Tyler into her arms. He bent forward in her grasp, smelling the air through his nostrils. “Eliah, your going to Grandmother Nadine’s house as well?” she asked her brother-in-law with a questioning glint in her eyes. Eliah just stared at Ashley with those dark eyes, before looking over at his wife beside him. “You never told me about us visiting your grandmother?” he spoke, his Italian accent slurring his English words. Elina just smiled, shrugging as she set their coats onto the hanger by the laundry room. “Well, now you know, honey.” Ashley snorted as she looked back down at the fruit, deciding against spinning it around. Throwing it toward Eliah, she watched as he caught it, taking a bite into the fruit. “I still don’t want to go,” she complained again, hoping that he sister would back her up on this. Elina stared at her younger sister, before turning around to help their mother put the rest of the icing on the cookies. “You always complain every year,” Elina’s voice rang through the air as Eliah took a seat next to his sister-in-law. “Because I don’t want to go.” “Yes, but you’ll just have to suck it up.” What? She wasn’t going to support Ashley on this?

Sighing, Ashley ran her fingers through her blond hair that was straightened for the day. “Alright. I’ll go. I still need to get her a gift though.” Ashley didn’t look on her families face as she stood up from the stool. Pounding her fist into Eliah’s as they did their secret hand sake, Ashley grabbed her light blue winter jacket from the laundry room. “I’m going to head to Diagon Alley then. See you guys later.” Taking out her wand, there was a loud ‘pop’ and Ashley disappeared into thin air. She loved being able to use magic outside of Hogwarts now that she was of age. Pocketing her wand as she reached the busy streets, she entered a small jewelry store, hoping to find some good price on a nice pair of earrings that’s Grandmother Nadine loved wearing. Ashley loved visiting her grandmother, but she already had plans for that day which she had to cancel. Sighing, Ashley glanced down into the brightly lit cabinets, her eyes scanning for anything that stood out. Hearing a girl’s voice next to her, Ashley looked up, shrugging at her comment. “I am quite attracted to Shinny objects, especially ones that are under such brightly lit lights such as these,” she responded a small grin lighting her face. Looking up at the older girl she noticed the familiarity of her face, but couldn’t quite recall her name. “You seem familiar…do I know you?”

[Raelee Gray]

Rae loved the Christmas season. She wasn't ever quite sure why, but she knew she did. It was always a season that was rather upsetting for her, and so it made no sense to Rae why she enjoyed it so much. Perhaps it was the fateful wish that she would have the type of Christmas that other, happier, families seemed to have and not hers. Her Christmases when she was living with her parents always consisted of dinner parties, and those never went well. Last year's Christmas party probably beat out the rest in disastrous circumstances; seeing as it was the party Dixie, Adam, and herself all ditched to go to a club where she got drunk and ended up being the cause of an accident and Adam forgetting everything past fifth year. Regardless, she loved it – and always overspent on Christmas gifts for her friends. This year she was spending far too much and just couldn't believe she had completely forgotten to get Nette something; after all she was the one who had given birth to her. Rae smiled to herself before snapping back to the present, which happened to be standing in a jewellery store and listening to the girl she had approached talk about how shiny things were attractive. Rae grinned and turned back to the jewellery case, eyeing all of the shiny jewellery and trying to imagine Nette in any of them to no avail. The girl spoke again and Rae looked up, scrutinising her slightly before shrugging; "You might, I went to Hogwarts; graduated just this past summer. I was in Ravenclaw. I think I know you, or have at least seen you around the grounds. You're a Hufflepuff right?" Rae was rather good with faces, but not with names. She could look at someone and tell you that they spilt pumpkin juice on themselves one night at dinner in December of 1997, but she could not for the life of her tell you their name. She could also tell you their house and year, but again; forget anything to deal with name, family, or even blood. Those things, while important to most people, just didn't seem important enough for her to memorise unless she was going to become close friends with them.

"Well," Rae said with a bright smile, "I'm Raelee Gray, but call me Rae – no one calls me Raelee except for my mother, and trust me when I say I don't want to be reminded of my mother." She raised her eyebrows at the girl and then turned, leaning her palms on the glass case as she peered down into it. She was still waiting for something to jump out at her for Nette, but of course there was nothing. Nette hardly ever wore jewellery, so perhaps Rae was in the wrong store. What could she get her biological mother? The woman owned every album known to man, so how could Rae possibly get her that? If anything Nette could get Rae more albums. Their share for music had always surprised Rae, if not their share in artistic abilities, but she had grown to adjust to it – and was often found thieving her mother's albums and not returning them for weeks at a time. She looked over at the girl and smiled brightly again, "Hey, you look like someone who knows what to do while shopping, think you could help me out? My usual shopping consultant is off doing something with her boyfriend who is apparently more important than her best friend and I have absolutely no idea what to get my mum." Rae tapped the top of the glass before turning around completely and grabbing the girl's arm (who had introduced herself as Ashley by this time), tugging her out of the jewellery store; "I promise, if you had to do shopping there – we'll return, but it's just… I really need to get this gift sent off as soon as possible. See, my mum's leaving for Africa in about eh…three or four hours and if I don't get this gift to her within the hour, she won't get it until sometime in February." Rae rolled her green eyes as they stepped out into the brisk winter air again. People were hurrying to and fro, "It would appear, we aren't the only ones doing last minute Christmas shopping, eh?" She smiled and headed in a random direction. She had no idea where she could find something for Nette, but she had to try, didn't she?

As they strolled through Diagon Alley, Rae had let go of Ashley's arm, and was starting to calm down. She would find a gift in time. If she waited long enough, one would just come out at her. That didn't mean she was about to give up her newly appointed shopping consultant; besides, she was finding Ashley's company to be rather entertaining; "So, Ashley, how is Hogwarts these days? When I was there for my seventh year, there was too much drama going on for me to care about anything else in the world. Don't tell me that it's still that way for all seventh years. Boyfriend and girlfriend drama, backstabbing best friends, terrible marks on assignments, Professor Snape having a stick stuck up his behind…" Rae laughed as she opened the door to a magical music shop that looked rather new, and held it open for Ashley before following in after her. The room was big, which was odd because it didn't look that big from the outside, but inside were rows and rows of album containers. All magical musicians of course, and that's where Rae realised what to get Nette. She made her way down the rows of albums, just eyeing them for anything interested as she waited silently and patiently for Ashley's response. That was one thing about Rae. She might seem all over the place and always rushing, but she really wasn't. She was fast paced, yes, but she could slow down to enjoy conversation easily.

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley eyed the older girl for a few more moments, taking in the curly blonde hair and bright colored eyes. Nothing came to mind, though Ashley was making up names. This girl looked liked an Amy, but that was probably wrong. Sighing, Ashley leaned her hands against the counter peering down into the brightly lit display case. Her eyes sparkled in reflection of the diamonds. There were so many various choices to choose from. Noticing the price tags, Ashley’s face cringed slightly. With those prices going up like they were, she would be lucky to only afford one earring. Hearing the girl speak, Ashley glanced up, their gazes meeting each other. “That’s right. I’m a Huffle,” she agreed, tilting her head in thought. It was instances like these that Ashley wished she had a sharper memory. She was good at memorizing certain materials for classes, but nothing that dealt with her peers. Though, she girl was looking so strangely familiar. When the older finally introduced herself as Raele Gray, Ashley grinned, her face lighting up. “Now I remember,” Ashley began finally recalling a certain memory of Rae she remember just the year before. “You were in Ravenclaw, right? I remember that one time when your spell backfired in Defense against the Dark Arts and broke all the windows.” Nodding slowly, Ashley laughed softly at the memory. The Professor wasn’t happy about the situation, but it was better the windows than the students. Ashley hadn’t quite hurt anybody yet with her magic, she mainly was the one inflecting pain upon herself. Luckily, she wasn’t going to pursue a career in the Aurora industry. “That was a hard spell to get down. I remember my textbook blowing up from it.”

Smiling briefly, Ashley peered back down into the glass trying to decide on a reasonable price for good earring. Why something so beautiful did have to cost a fortune? There were so many wonders in the world that didn’t even cost a penny. “I’m Ashley Hill by the way. I didn’t mean anything by recalling any embarrassing moments. It’s just how I remember people,” she greeted with a smile glancing over her shoulder as she heard a tap across the glass. Her gaze lifted up at Rae who began talking about being a shopping consultant. Before Ashley could do or say anything she felt her arm being pulled and was tugged away from the store. “Three hours?” Ashley blurted out when Raele continued talking about her mother. “You really did wait until the last possible minutes, or hour in this particular situation.” Shaking her head, Ashley followed the girl down the street, her eyes searching for stores to go into. “We need to find something quick and send it before she leaves now.” They walked in silence for a few moments, Ashley taking the chance to look around. Each window had various holiday displays, advertising that their product was the one to buy. Ashley really didn’t know what she wanted to Christmas. Well, there was one thing, but she was already granted that certain present. “Drama?” she asked disbelief dripping across every word she spoke when Rae asked about her life. “How about not knowing where you and your so called boyfriend stand in a relationship, or his best friend hating your guts because she likes him as well but your to afraid to give him up because you hadn’t loved anyone so amazing in your life?”

Ashley said all of this in one breath, and as she finished, she huffed quietly to herself. She couldn’t believe she was telling a complete strange her so called ‘drama’. “Rae-” Ashley asked looking sideways at the girl. “Should you feel guilty for umm- ‘taking’ someone away from another when they needed that person more than you?” Sighing, Ashley stared dead straight in front of her wondering why on earth she was being so open. Maybe it was the fact that she needed to get this off her chest? Ashley did feel guilty for taking as much time away from Bryce that needed to be spent with Weetzie, because the younger girl needed him more than Ashley did. Smiling and nodding as thanks as Rae opened the door, Ashley stepped into the small shop. “What exactly were you thinking of getting your, mum?” she asked eyeing all the different albums. “So I take it that she likes music?” Smiling, Ashley stepped forward moving the cardboard covering around with her fingers. Pulling an album from the stack she handed it to Rae, “How about this one? The artists are dead now, but their music was great. Almost like The Beatles.”