Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Dawn scurries about Prince Manor preparing fat roasted turkeys, honey ham, platters of roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes and gravy, seasoned fried vegetables, tureens of buttered peas, cranberry sauce, Christmas cake, Treacle Tart, and countless platters of food beyond anyone is capable of eating. The entire family wisely keeps to their quarters as the house elf rushes about taking care of every last single detail.

Throughout the winter break, Rowan and Severus spend most of their time in their grandfather's study if not playing inside the manor or outside on the snowy grounds. After playing outside in the snow with rosy cheeks and cold, Rowan and Severus returned to rest in their grandfather's warm study. After lunch in the afternoon, Rowan and Severus gained a second wind.

Reginald upon noticing his grandchildren's restlessness motions them close and hands them a small pack of party favors. "Open them outside," he sternly warned ushering them out the door.

With renewed interest, Rowan and Severus dress for the cold before heading out towards the back patio. Very warmly dressed, the two of them peer at the seemingly innocent packet. "Do you think they are like the muggle ones we used to get?" Severus drily remarked.

Rowan scrunched up her face in thought. "No, I think these are probably enchanted much like everything we have encountered. It's probably best we don't aim them at each other."

Wary Severus carefully takes one from the opened packet and aims the party favor away from his twin. The party favor goes off with a cannon-like bang emitting clouds of blue smoke. The blue smoke swirls about them hiding everything from view for a second or two before dispersing in the cold winter's breeze.

With watery eyes, Rowan loudly sneezes. Drying her eyes, she peers around before spotting a poor toad in the snow, a brightly colored flower bonnet, and what appears to be a strange pink wand with a crystal heart at the top.

Disliking the color or rather by a strange sixth instinct, Rowan reached for the pink wand to Severus's shock. However, Severus' shock quickly fades away at seeing Rowan snap the wand in half. Now that seemed much more in line with Rowan's personality.

"So, onto the next one?" Severus owlishly asked unable to hide his excitement.

"Might as well," Rowan murmured unable to hide her genuine curiosity at what might come out of the party favors next.

Severus carefully pulls his scarf up to cover his nose, before pulling the party favor. As before the party favor went off with a loud bang and a cloud of blue smoke. Once the blue smoke clears, there in the middle of the snow is a genuine pirate hat, a stack of magical poker cards, and a fluffy round-looking thing.

"What is that?" Severus pointed at the fluffy round-looking thing.

"I think it's a puffskein," Rowan murmured briefly glancing over at the fluffy round-looking creature, before happily claiming the pirate hat and set of enchanted poker cards for herself.

"It's sort of cute, I guess," Severus reluctantly admitted as the puffskein blinks adorably at him with its big round eyes.

"Maybe, but that does not change the fact that we'll be using them in potions class one of these days," Rowan grimaced.

"Oh," Severus said with a bit disgruntled expression and shooed the puffskein away with his gloved hands. The puffskein happily bounds away and soon disappears into the snowdrifts.

With great enthusiasm, Severus continues opening the entire packet of party favors. He mostly claims the items for himself except for a wizard chessboard that Rowan claims for herself. With a rare carefree smile, Severus carries his collection away including a book on fun child potions, a pack of non-explodable, luminous balloons, a nose-biting teacup, and a pumpkin face box.

The two of them trudge inside the manor and return to their bedrooms to take a warm bath and dress for the Christmas Gala. Once Rowan is dressed, she double-checks her appearance in the mirror. She wears a cream-colored long sleeve dress shirt, a silk navy-blue sweater, dark trousers with black socks, and dress shoes. Her mostly straight, slightly wavy long hair is neatly pulled back in a high ponytail.

The mirror reflection of herself winks back at Rowan, who nods back in satisfaction at her neat appearance. She pats herself one last time, before striding across the hall to Severus's bedroom. She stops in the doorway watching Severus holding up an emerald silk sweater and a navy-blue sweater. He holds each one two his chest torn between the two sweaters.

"We'll be matching if you go with the navy-blue sweater, Sev," Rowan loudly commented from the doorway.

Severus glances up from the doorway and curls his lips at seeing that Rowan is already wearing a similar shade of blue. Immediately Severus discards the navy-blue sweater and carefully pulls on the emerald sweater. He smooths his shirt and sweater down, before carefully combing his hair again.

This is the first Christmas Eve; they had ever properly been dressed. There were pictures of them being properly dressed up as small children. However, that was long ago, and they did not hold many memories of that time. A time, when their home was still a happy one.

"How do I look?" Severus asked turning towards his twin.

"Hideous beyond belief," Rowan replied with a straight face.

Severus glared at Rowan and huffily turned away as he gazes at his reflection in the enchanted mirror, who haughtily stared back at him. "It's not like there are going to be any other kids other than us," Rowan stifled a yawn.

"I know, but I still want to look presentable," Severus murmured smoothing his clothes again.

"Whatever you say," Rowan shrugged as Severus adjusted his collar for the last time.

The doorbell begins to loudly ring downstairs. "Well, we better head downstairs to greet the guests with grandfather and grandmother."

"That isn't even our job, we are not the host nor hostess," Rowan unhappily grumbled but permitted herself to be dragged by Severus downstairs.

The first of the guests begin to arrive as the hostess, Sirsa Prince charmingly greets them. "Please allow me to introduce, my grandchildren, Rowan and Severus Prince. They commenced Hogwarts this year and were sorted into Slytherin."

"How wonderful!" "They're quite the good-looking pair." "I've heard most excellent things about them," is what most of the guests commented.

One of the guests, a portly wizard leans closer to Reginald Prince and in a breathless whisper, "I say, Prince, it is most unusual that your wards are up. We had to apparate practically on the edge of the grounds and make our way across the grounds." He takes out a silk handkerchief to dab at his sweating forehead.

Reginald Prince merely coolly smiles back at the portly wizard, who quickly takes the hint. The portly wizard quickly greets the hostess, Sirsa Prince before fleeing inside. Perchance irked, Reginald carefully steps away leaving his wife, Sirsa to greet the guests.

The Prince's do not regularly hold a Christmas gathering. It had been many years since the last one. And when they did host a gathering, it was only for fifty to seventy guests. Yet this year, it had been restricted to roughly over two dozen guests along with their spouses. Those that had received an invitation very much decided to attend as it was a rare opportunity to socialize with the Prince's, who largely kept to themselves or their close circle of friends.

At one point, Rowan leans over towards Severus to whisper conspiratorially, "How much do you want to bet that one of these couples tries to play matchmaker for us with their grandchildren?"

"No way!" Severus grimaced with revulsion.

"You're on. If I win, you don't ask any questions, when if I disappear during the evening. And if you win, well, I'll let you decide your end of the deal," Rowan whispered.

"Fine, but if I win, you have to go upstairs to change into a dress," Severus evilly smirked causing Rowan to shiver at the thought of wearing a flimsy dress in the middle of winter.

"Fine," Rowan agreed as the line of guests draws near an end.

A round woman in a fur coat is one of the last to arrive along with her beanpole husband. "My Sirsa, those are quite the good-looking twins," the plump witch complimented the hostess.

"Well, they are Prince's," Sirsa modestly replied.

"Mm, why not introduce them to my grandkids? They're quite the lookers themselves," the round witch enthusiastically proposed.

Rowan triumphantly smirked at Severus, who merely sighs in exasperation. He knew better than to bet with Rowan. She had always had an uncanny way of being right in the end.

"They are still young," Sirsa politely, but firmly declined the offer.

The plump witch sighed in disappointment with her husband meekly trailing after her.

With the last guest ushered inside, Reginald returns to the front hall. "And where were you, Reginald?" Sirsa pointedly inquired in displeasure.

"I was helping a few guests through the back door," Reginald murmured only pausing once to glance at his granddaughter.

"Very well," Sirsa extended her hand for Reginald to take. The two head down the hallway towards the ballroom, where the small gathering is behind hosted.

Trailing slightly behind their grandparents, Rowan murmurs something about stomach problems, before scurrying away. Severus is worried for a moment, before making a note to save Rowan a plate for her. Still, he periodically glances back throughout his grandparent's entire speech worried about his twin sister.

However, Severus quickly is forced to retreat as the older witches try to surround him asking personal questions. As if! They had been taught not to talk to strangers!