Let it Snow

[Lea Mauven]

Christmas day had come quicker than ever before and it would be only the second of the holiday she had spent with her new family since Frances and Tamas had adopted her, but already it seemed the day was blighted as in the early hours of the morning Frances had been whisked away to Saint Mungo's in labour with Lea's newest siblings. While the rest of the household had sped out the door behind the mother hen, Lea had stirred, awoken and then decided to fall right back to sleep. But her slumber had only lasted so long as the sun began to stream through the crack in her curtains. When hiding her face beneath her pillow no longer sufficed the eighteen year old found herself pulling her small frame out of her bed and pulling open those curtains to reveal a cold, yet still green landscape. Lea hadn't yet experienced a proper winter Christmas and she had been hoping with all her heart to awake Christmas morning to a snowy white vista. Standing, framed by the window, Lea sighed and looked down at her flannel pyjamas, which managed to bring a small smile to her face. They were red topped with little green Christmas trees, reindeer and sleighs and were part of a set for all of the Mauven girls handmade by Frances, who was luckily getting a little better at sewing, Lea had heard many fashion disaster stories from her sisters Riley and Lani, but no better at cooking. At least she wouldn't be suffering though a Christmas dinner cooked by Frannie today, her mother insisted on cooking and despite the fact that her husband was a chef he still hadn't managed to wear her down to let him cook the important family holiday meals. Realising that staring out the window wasn't going to make the snow come any quicker Lea dragged herself away and headed towards the fish tank in the corner of her room which still held her pet crab Sebastian which had been a leaving gift from her friend Merrick when she departed from France in the Summer and returned to school.

Sebastian didn't offer much entertainment, crabs weren't usually the best companions or playmates, but Lea still loved him dearly as he reminded her of Merrick, who she hadn't seen since her graduation from Hogwarts New Zealand. It had been a terrifying experience, as she had invited Merrick along and it was there he had met her adoptive father Tamas, who was more than just a little protective over his girls, he was a borderline body guard at times and when he had misinterpreted Lea's explanation of how she met Merrick, "He gave me crabs", Tamas had forbidden her to see Merrick, or any other boy again. Although legally he couldn't do such a thing, Tamas really meant well and Lea wanted to abide by his rules as he had given her so much. But looking down on Sebastian, the crab Merrick had given her, she felt a pang in her heart, she really liked the fiery haired boy and desperately wanted to see him again, she just had to figure out a way for it to happen without Tamas knowing, though it would pain her to go behind her father's back. Hearing a knock, Lea spun around in her jammies, suddenly frightened as ever as she knew the house was empty, everyone having gone with Tamas and Frances to Saint Mungo's. The knock seemed to be coming from her window, so she tiptoed towards it hesitantly, opening it to see who or what on earth could be throwing stones at her window at this time of the morning, and in such a cold climate. Pulling the heavy window up to open it, Lea leant forward tentatively, "Santa Clause?" she questioned as she looked down. <i></i>

 

[Merrick Reynolds]

After corresponding with Lea through letters for months on end and not being able to see her as they had both expected after her graduation Merrick felt that he deserved to be selfish in wanting to forget all about her father who was less than keen about his friendship with the blonde. The young man wasn't certain what caused this until recently when he'd asked her and she told him the exchange of words between father and daughter to which he couldn't help but laugh at slightly as he remembered giving her the orange critter. Giving Lea a crab, which she had delightfully named Sebastian, had been an act of affection and not of malice or deviancy so Merrick Reynolds decided to give himself a Christmas present.

Knowing that Lea was an early riser like himself but not wanting to disturb her sleep Merrick couldn't help but be relieved when his watch had finally showed that it was an appropriate time to find his way to her. He apparated to her home, momentarily distracted by his mission by the size of the home at which point he wondered exactly what kind of chef her father was. Merrick shook it off and walked around the home, looking for glimpses of Lea's room so he wouldn't wake anyone else which he had a feeling would not turn out well for him with the knowledge of what Mr. Mauven's view of him would be. While this would not improve it, he couldn't bring himself to care when he saw the room that his friend had described to him in letters after informing him that she had finally unpacked all her belongings after graduating from Hogwarts New Zealand. He looked around the green grass and spotted a few small pebbles which he quickly collected and then through at the window that was her's. When a few had hit the glass Merrick stopped and waited, looking up with a smile which only widened when Lea popped her head out and asked if it was Santa who was beckoning her.

Remembering now a scene from a play Merrick's sister had made him sit through multiple times he called out to Lea, "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Lea is the sun." Merrick grinned at the blonde, prepared to continue on with the monologue that he had somehow known all the words to by memory. The best part that, instead of acting he meant the words he spoke to her although he wasn't quite ready to call her his lady or his love although he had to admit it wouldn't be something he would be against because she was magnificent. Merrick walked forward to the wall, relieved that instead of just brick there was ivy covering the home so he could climb up to Lea. He put his foot on a thick branch and looked up at Lea expectantly.
​

 

[Lea Mauven]

Since graduating from Hogwarts New Zealand Lea Mauven had done nothing save watch her adoptive sisters run amuck and in turn watch her adoptive parents chase after them. Sure, she had helped out by working a few shifts at Frannie's shop, the Muggle Market, but aside from that she had nothing to show for herself. It seemed that all of her fellow graduates, and even some of her underclassmen, knew exactly the career they were striving for and in knowing this had worked hard and achieved the grades they required to become respectable and intelligent young adults, making their contributions to the Wizarding World. But then there was Lea, and for all her sleepless nights and adequate grades she could not think of a single career that suited her right down to the ground. She enjoyed her Care of Magical Creatures class, but did not see herself as fit enough to teach the subject, and many a mentor had repeated the saying "Those who can't, teach" (which she felt to be grossly incorrect). Then there was careers like Healer, Auror, Ministry Official. But all of these seemed to weigh down so heavy on her mind and were careers people strived for their whole lives, not settled for. So Lea had spent her holidays feeling aimless and rather bored at that, wishing for a chance to see Merrick face-to-face rather than continue to correspond only through letter. It seemed it was the bane of her family name which prevented the two from spending time together. Being a Mauven daughter brought with it a certain delicate persona, Tamas Mauven was well regarded as a protective and successful father and most of the time Lea appreciated this protective side to him, he made herself and all of her sisters feel safe and at home, but in this instance (and being of a young opinionated mind) Lea was growing irritated by her father, feeling frustrated that her held her so closely to him and watched over her so protectively.

Had she considered the facts as they stood Lea would have undoubtedly understood her father's concern. Merrick was at least six years older than her, and she had met him whilst holidaying after she had accidentaly flashed him her underwear whilst doing a cartwheel. From what Tamas knew about Merrick Reynolds he had every right not to trust him around his seventeen year old daughter, but Lea was too blindly infatuated by him to see these facts laid right out before her. Lea was smart enough to know herself that she was falling for Merrick, head first in fact, and it was clear her father could see it too. So when she leant further enough over her window frame to see his flame coloured hair standing beneath it, a few stories below she had to catch her breath, for a moment it seemed more plausible to her that it was in fact Santa Clause come to visit her. Suddenly she felt embarrassed that she was in her pajamas, when it seemed that Merrick was making his best attempt to be romantic. Was it not Shakespeare's words he was calling out to her? Lea didn't want to believe that he who she had fallen for could be falling for her right back, the very thought made her dizzy with excitement. Lea had read Romeo and Juliet back to front as a child, despite its themes being beyond her it had been one of the only posessions she had been left with after her parents mysterious deaths. It had been in her mother's bedside drawer and Lea had shamefully stolen it the night before her parents had left on a trip for their 'wedding anniversary'. She knew the scene Merrick had chosen word for word, and already her heart was beating fast with the knowledge that what came next was Merrick attempting to enter her bedroom by climbing the strong vine that led up the side of the house and to her window. "O Merrick, Merrick! Wherefore art thou Merrick? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Mauven." her tone was playful and overly dramatic, everything between the pair always seemed childish and like a game, it was what she loved so dearly about him. Surely Merrick had not known the importance of the play to her and her memory of her mother, but still it seemed the characters had relevance to her. Juliet, like herself was protected by her father and disapproved of Romeo, the man she so loved with all her heart. But Lea and Merrick had not even kissed yet, so she did not see them marrying any time soon. As she uttered the word Mauven, she truly believed for had she not been adopted into the family perhaps things might have been different, perhaps she and Merrick wouldn't be meeting at such an hour in secret. Seeing Merrick struggle up the vine, she threw out her hand for him to grab, and couldn't help but feel like she was in a play herself, praying it would not end as a tragedy. As she helped Merrick steady and pull himself through the window frame and into Lea's bedroom her cheeks blushed red, "What are you doing here?" she stammered, glad that the two were alone whilst her family were all at Saint Mungo's.

 

[Merrick Reynolds]

With a family that consisted mostly of his sister who was quite happy on her own and himself, Merrick had nothing special to do around the holidays and it made him think more and more of Lea. Of how much he wanted to see her face when she opened his gift, of how much he wanted to be around her because she made him feel like he was starting anew in a more positive way every time he spoke to her or even thought of her. It was very strange for him and he was sure that it would be something that he would normally talk to the person in question about but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It took a lot of bravery he had not mustered up yet. However, Merrick did speak to his sister about this. Louisa was always perfect at giving him advice, whatever the topic and he figured that feelings and girls were a topic that other girls would know best so he wrote to her, telling her of the letters he and Lea had sent back and forth and the dishonesty. Being dishonest was not what the red headed man was about but he knew if they were honest the letters the blonde would receive would be under a watchful eye and from the look in the older man's eyes he could tell it wasn't an empty threat when he'd been told that if he didn't stay away from the man's daughters he would regret his own birth. He wasn't sure if Lea saw it the same way as she was the one to send him the first letter after the entire ordeal of him meeting her father. On top of this guilt, Merrick was fully aware of their age difference as he had explained almost every detail of their relationship which included that he had attended her graduation. Louisa, who was an actress and found romance in almost everything, had told him this sordid affair was despicable for someone like him and that this friendship was wrong. It struck a chord with him and only added onto the confusing feelings he had looming within him for the perky girl. Little was taken seriously in Merrick's mind and since his sister knew this of him he could tell that this was quite the opposite of both of their demeanours but here he was, quoting Shakespeare like a bloody fool.

When Lea had quoted back to him a grin perched itself onto his lips and he climbed the vines, without ease, to be closer to Lea at which point Merrick was thankful that he could apparate so he would not have to climb back down them when he had to leave before the rest of the golden haired beauty's family woke for Christmas morning. He knew that it was a very family oriented day but stealing a few moments with the blonde wasn't too terrible, was it? He pushed it away as fine as Lea helped him into her bedroom, smiling as he looked into her eyes for the first time in months. After finding his footing and standing up straight to his full height that kept being gawky even as he aged although his hard labour did not make it any less than any awkward body like that of a teenager. Merrick smiled and said in a whisper to prevent having to prematurely leave, "Oh I thought I would go wake your dad and we'd go play a good game of Quidditch." He cracked a goofy grin to show this was a joke if she already couldn't tell before he said genuinely, "I missed you, Lea." With those words he could feel his heart practically stop in anticipation of Lea's reaction because he felt he was putting his heart on the line more than he had when he gave her the crab because the metaphorical significance had never been properly spoken between them. He could only hope that Lea had been keen enough to notice it, or at least to have her feelings grow for him like they obviously had for the crab, Sebastian. Ready to open his mouth to counteract the opening up, Merrick looked at Lea's face to see any falter. To see any discomfort in his words. The last thing that he wanted to do was to have her be uncomfortable around him and as his friend because while was smitten with the young blonde he knew better than to lose her completely - Merrick was lonely enough. The hush that fell over the house made the young man wonder if Lea was lonely herself because he knew that he would feel very much so should he be in this place, no matter the size of the family. Although, Merrick knew that it was due to the type of family he had. He knew very little of Lea in this sense and like with all things he wanted to know more so he hoped that what he was saying and feeling wasn't against what she felt because she had just a moment ago told him that she would marry him if he didn't leave his own disapproving family. It wasn't accurate to their situation as he was not to marry Lea tomorrow, but it was still floating about in his silly head.​