baby, it's cold outside

[Jennifer Wilkonson]

Nestled under a heavy comforter and with arms curled around the one you loved made it very tempting to stay in bed all day but even on Christmas New York City was never quiet. Although the shades had been pulled last night, Jennifer was woken by sunlight piercing through the slide cracks in between the taupe curtains as they seemed to do at the worst of times but as she opened her arms and saw Amaryllis laying in her bed she didn't mind being awake. Jenn's hand touched her girlfriend's cheek gently, caressing her softly with the pad of her thumb hoping not to interrupt her because she looked very peaceful. This was the first Christmas she had ever had where she was spending it with someone she wanted to so she would just relax today, inhale the scent of coffee when she decided she would finally get up to brew some, and be completely content with her life thanks to Amy. Jenn propped her arm up and rested her head in her hand as she saw the slight smile on the brunette's lips and although she partly wished that she would wake soon, she also could take in her beauty and be happy with wondering what dream was making her smile as she slept but coffee would help so she carefully slid out of the bed and stood on her tip toes, shivering as she felt the cold floor on her feet so she grabbed the closest thing to her that resembled socks. The burgundy tights didn't do much help but at least her thighs weren't as bare and looking quite so scandalous as she came out of her bedroom with Amaryllis looking spent not that anyone else was home to question it but ever since she was a little girl, Jenn had always acted as if she would be found dead that way. When her parents had sent her to a therapist to deal with her twin brother's cancer and her parents divorce they had thought her more of a freak instead of understanding so she now kept these things to herself. They weren't large secrets, just things that would take more of an effort to explain than they were worth... Putting on a layer over her undergarments just happened to be one of them.

Jenn closed the door behind her, cringing when she heard the click of the door hoping that she hadn't woken Amy but not opening it to check before she walked into her kitchen. There were a few plates left in the sink unwashed from the night before and while it was nothing major the last thing Jenn wanted to do at this moment was clean so she recalled her memory, trying to remember where she had put her wand before scurrying into the living room and digging into the couch before finally finding it underneath one of the cushions and returning to the kitchen and enchanting the dishcloth to do the work for her before she put the wand back down and went to continue on with what she had intended to so she could return to the warmth of her bed and Amy's arms.​

 

[Amaryllis Loncar]

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<COLOR color="#000">To fall asleep in your lovers arms was the best way to begin your slumber, Amaryllis had decided. Not since she had started at Hogwarts New Zealand had she slept as well as she did that night in New York City, in her girlfriend's apartment. The sleeping beauty had slept all through the night, despite being warned that New York was the city that never slept, the city that was constantly noisy, Amy had no complaints. From the minute her dark lashes had closed over her eyes her dreams had come to life, dreams of candycanes and sugar plum faeries, the kind of dreams she hadn't been blessed with since she was a small child. Afterall, twas' the season to be jolly, and who wouldn't be jolly after dancing their way through their snowy red and green dreams? Usually the holidays were a time spent with family, but Amaryllis could not have been happier to fall asleep in her girlfriend's arms on christmas eve. It would be the first christmas she had spent away from her family in all her life, but she was certain to make it up to them when she and Jenn would pay a visit to their home, arms laiden with guilty gifts. It seemed a funny idea to not see Azolla or Calla wake at the crack of dawn to devour the presents beneath the tree, but the Slytherin girl was growing older now, and had become far more independant than anyone had expected her to be. Sighing in contentment, Amy moved slightly, her fingers running through her own loose brown hair as her toes curled beneath Jennifer's blankets, yet still she didn't wake, not even as her girlfriend watched over her, the only certainty that she was alive lying in the steady warm breaths causing her torso to rise and fall, rise and fall.

She couldn't be certain as to whether the creaking of the bedroom door or the lack of body heat coming from her girlfriend had been the thing to wake her, but Amy woke quietly, breathing in the morning air, New York's bright lights resting on her pale skin as she sat up and rubbed the sleepy dust from her eyes, adjusting to the idea that she was no longer home, and that she had spent the night with her girlfriend, the woman she loved. "Jenn?" she called from beneath the covers, blinking her eyes to adjust to the light of the morning. "Come back to bed..." she pleaded, hearing footsteps coming from the living room she curled her toes, a smile resting on her lips. The eighteen year old felt full, not as though she had eaten a large christmas dinner, but for the first time in her life she felt contented and like a whole person, because of the woman who was padding about outside her bedroom. ​

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[Jennifer Wilkonson]

Jenn turned her head when she heard her name called from the groggy voice of the one she loved and smiled softly. The smile on her face hardly expressed the true pleasure she got when she thought that come July she and Amy might be able to wake up to each other everyday but for now she kept that quiet. "Coming," she called back but didn't bug, instead she continued to fiddle with two coffee cups and before the beep of the maker rang in her ears and she carefully poured just the right amount in Amy's before putting in the milk and sugar. After stirring it with a spoon, Jenn poured her own. She took a sip of her own coffee, inhaling the rich scent and the even better taste before trying Amy's to ensure she had made it the way her girlfriend liked it before she entered the room again. She leaned against the door frame as her breath hitched and she looked into the eyes of her girlfriend from across the room before she walked to her side of their bed. Jenn's stomach fluttered and the grin on her lips grew to an almost embarrassing size before she touched her hand, her palm and fingers still radiating heat that she had gained from holding the coffee mugs. The blonde leaned down and touched her lips to Amy's, slowly starting the new day and telling her just how much she loved her at the same time. She only parted briefly to say, "Merry Christmas, Minnie," and to take a seat on the bed with her legs resting on her girlfriend's waist as she faced her.

Jennifer wondered if it was so wise to be so open with her feelings but as she looked into the eyes of her girlfriend she knew that there was nothing that could go wrong so she was willing to be her terribly corny self in front and towards Amaryllis Loncar. "I love you so much," she said before touching her lips to Amy's cheek and smiling as she smelled the sweet scent of the girl she adored before she curled under the blankets. Like the rest of her body, Jenn's arms found their way under the blanket and wrapped around Amy's petite body and closed her eyes just taking in the feeling of this Christmas Day. It was such a good feeling to have one that wasn't completely angst filled or had so much regret or sadness about it that she couldn't even have enjoyed the presents her family had spoiled her with in order to try to get her to do as they wished and to make her the perfect they imagined in her. She felt the need to share this with Amy so she spoke quietly and into her chest, "Even if Christmas has barely started, I can tell you that this has been the best one I've ever had before." Jenn kissed Amy's collar bone affectionately before sighing and leaning back into her cushion and closing her eyes so she could enjoy the day completely. ​

 

[Amaryllis Loncar]

Amy stirred as she heard Jennifer call back to her, and the eighteen year old pulled the covers more tightly around herself, feeling the chill now that her bare skin was no longer warmed by that of her girlfriends. She rolled over in Jennifer's bed, burying her face in her girlfriend's pillow, she wouldn't admit that she was inhaling her lover's scent, but it was exactly what she was doing, even though Jennifer was only in the kitchen she seemed so far away because they had been so close the night before. The Slytherin could hear the clanging of coffee mugs and the beep of the coffee machine and she smiled in contentment, Jennifer knew all too well that she liked to start the morning with a coffee, it was all that would get her up in the morning before school, if there was one thing that Amaryllis Loncar wasn't, it was a morning person. "Hurryyy," she moaned cheekily like an impatient child, which was exactly how she was feeling at that point. Luckily, Jenn appeared in the doorway, looking more gorgeous with her morning hair than she ever had before, Amy thought she looked beautiful without her makeup on or her hair done up. With a quick peck on her lips, Amy had to make do, before taking the mug from her girlfriend, she would have rather tasted her lips more but the caffeine would soon wake her up, and she was grateful for that. "You know just how I like my coffee" she exclaimed, surprised at how well they had come to know oneanother.

"Merry Christmas, Bubalub" she whispered back, emphasising Jenn's pet name she had given her, the smile on her lips only growing wider as the blonde made her affections and feelings known, and Amy was certain she felt the same way, so she returned them, a light dimple appearing on her cheek as she spoke, "And I love you Jennifer," using her girlfriend's name to show how serious she was with her feelings, "I love you, I love you, I love you." she repeated, laughing once she reached the end of her sentence as it seemed a little silly to want to say it so many times, but Amaryllis loved the way the words felt on her tongue and against her lips. The Slytherin's stomach sucked in, responding to Jennifer's arms as they wrapped around her, causing goosebumps to travel from her stomach, up her arms until they reached her arms, which she wrapped around her girlfriend's back and listened to her speak into her chest. The words touched Amaryllis, but more than that she knew that Jenn had not had the best experiences with christmases, in that way Amy had been blessed to have such a large and happy family to be around during the holidays. But, even thinking of that, Amaryllis agreed, that this certainly was a christmas she would cherish for the rest of her life. "And this truly has been not only one of my best holidays, but one of the best days of my life." she said, and she meant it, she was so happy when she was around Jennifer, she was regretting that she would have to return to Hogwarts without her. But snuggling into her warm girlfriend she smiled, she wanted to make the day last and not think of school. "Shall we exhange gifts?" she suggested, placing a kiss on Jenn's forehead, knowing that she had a perfect gift to give her.

 

[Jennifer Wilkonson]

As Jenn made their coffees, she chuckled at the groans she could hear coming from her bedroom. The need to have her return to her bed was sweet but she also felt it too because she wanted to spend more time with Amy so she quickly and carefully walked back to their bedroom and smiled at Amaryllis' surprise at the fact that Jenn knew how she liked her coffee was enough to make the blonde scoff. Of course she did. The elves were always so busy so when they were at Hogwarts together and Jenn was on her way to meet her at the Slytherin house she would make Amy a cup of coffee by herself. At first it had been a little touch and go but she had gotten it and now it was just natural to make it that way. "I do," she said with a nod of her head and a smile. "But why you like it that way I'm not sure," Jenn teased, wrinkling her nose in mock disgust. It wasn't too bad but she found it too sweet compared to the no sugars and no milk in her own coffee.

Jenn smiled as she heard 'Bubalub' play on Amy's lips. While she had heard it over the Christmas break it was great to hear it again because the affection in her girlfriend's voice could not be written in an owl. It was enough to request a howler just to hear her voice but for now they were curled together and they were getting in as many 'I love you's as they could before they were torn apart by Hogwarts. It posed a strain on the relationship but one that they were now used to and was only for a short time longer. They could survive on letters and sporadic meetings until June even if, during the year, she felt somewhat lonely without Amaryllis. But now she didn't have to feel this way, she could live in the moment and at that moment she was laughing lightly with Amy. "Ditto," she replied but it wasn't as if she even needed to say it, they loved each other and they knew it but it was nice to hear and say either way. As Amy told her that this was one of the best days she had lived through Jenn looked into her eyes, unsure of what to say because that meant so much to her. Without saying a word, Jenn leaned up and touched her lips to Amy's and smiling as she did so before regrettably pulling away and as Amy suggested that they exchange gifts Jenn's stomach twisted with anxiety for there was a bronze key laying in a velvetine case. She was going to ask Amy to move in with her and the thought of rejection scared her but not enough to run and hide from Amy. Jenn sat up and said, "Of course." Jenn leaned over to her bedside table and opened the drawer, under various Quidditch magazines, some with her own picture on the front that made her cringe at the sight of it, and other miscellanius things that Jenn couldn't find a place for in her bedroom was the black case. Jenn held it in the palm of her hand and got out of bed because it wasn't the only thing she had gotten Amy. Those gifts, however, were under the tree. Jenn offered Amy a hand as she stood before her and waited for her so they could walk into the living room and so she could admire her because it had been too long since she had wrapped felt her figure.​