[mp] let it snow, let it snow, let it snow [poesy]

Christmas eve, midafternoon. The morning had dawned dull and drizzly but had cleared up by lunchtime, much to Hunter's relief. He'd been up since before 6am to help on Jimmy's market stall which today had been selling christmas decorations, wreaths, mistletoe and, inexplicably, thermos flasks sporting a lurid range of festive designs. Jimmy's usual explanation was that he'd 'got 'em off a bloke down the pub' and he was convinced they were going to sell, but it wasn't until he went to get breakfast from a burger van and Hunter started giving them away with every three items purchased that the pile started to shrink. Jimmy wouldn't mind. People liked to think they were getting something for nothing and it meant less stuff to pack up at the end of the day.

A little after lunch, Hunter 'casually' enquired whether he could head off a bit early. At least, he'd thought it was casual, but Jimmy had tugged both ends of the Arsenal scarf he was wearing, tied them in a tighter knot and asked loudly if there was any particular reason he wanted to go. Hunter had most uncharacteristically blushed and wished he hadn't told Jimmy that the scarf had been left on his doorstep last night by a “friend”, but he'd been told to go and have a good time. Jimmy knew enough about the wizarding world not to ask where Hunter was going, but having already been told about the ice sculptures and stalls in Diagon Alley, he shoved a couple of hand warmers into his adopted son's pocket, together with a cheerful admonition to not do anything he wouldn't do.

So Hunter had made it to Diagon alley a bit after three in the afternoon and strolled casually to the far end. Tucked under his arm were several parcels wrapped to the best of his ability, the smallest of which had tell-tale nibble marks on one corner. One of Jacko's little ones hadn't quite learned not to explore things that didn't belong to him but thankfully the actual box of chocolates hadn't been touched. The next parcel was nothing more than an envelope in a box, containing Quidditch tickets for the second week of January. The third and largest contained matching Christmas sweaters and hats, one human-sized and one that would fit a fluffy white cat. Hunter still wasn't sure about the sense of trying to put a sweater on a cat, but Freddie did seem a lot more amenable to being manhandled than he had a few months earlier. Still, he rather hoped he wasn't going to be around when the cat was being dressed.

As he approached Deja Brew, Hunter surreptitiously ruffled up his hair and adjusted the parcels. He was dressed in the same jeans and sweater he'd been wearing since before sunrise, together with his winter jacket and the new scarf...and a smile he couldn't hide. Unbeknown to him he also had a sprig of mistletoe tucked in the back of his scarf, helpfully put there by Jimmy.

Hopefully he wasn't too early - he'd forgotten to ask what time Poesy planned to shut on Christmas eve - but they'd talked about going to see the ice sculptures and he was sure she'd have enough extra staff today that she'd be able to spare an hour or two. He pushed the door and stepped into the now-familiar cafe, looking around for Poesy but not seeing her at that moment. Hunter felt a moment's concern. What if she'd already left for the day?

@Poesy Darling

Poesy couldn't breathe.

The place was packed, full of people and festive cheer. The market stalls in Diagon Alley had driven lots of business into her coffee shop and in the five minutes she'd had to herself for her break, she thanked her lucky stars that it would survive the festive season. It had been touch and go for a little while but as she wheeled around the cafe, carrying a tray precariously, she realised there was nowhere else she'd rather be.

Did she have plans for tomorrow? No. Unless staying in bed in her new pyjamas counted. She wasn't going anywhere, she had no one to see, nothing to do. Deja Brew was closing for the week, mainly for her and her employees to recover from the mayhem they'd gone through over the past month. But she was happy for what felt like the first time in a long time. Properly happy. She didn't feel lonely, she had a purpose, she had friends. Life was good. And it was about to get better.

Poesy had chickened out of giving Hunter his presents in person. She didn't want him to feel like he was obligated to gift her something in return. It was only a few things that she thought he might like. To make things worse, she'd actually hidden around the corner and watched him pick the parcel up and then she scurried back to her flat like she'd done something highly illegal.

Dressed in jeans and her boots with a jumper that depicted gnomes in Santa hats, she turned as the bell announced an arrival and she grinned. "Hunter!" She called out, standing on her tiptoes as she gave a cheery wave and made a beeline for him. Her grin was wide and dimpled as she saw the scarf she'd given him, arms outstretched for a hug, then the bundle of prezzies in his arms.

"Are those --" for me? she was about to ask before she realised how entitled it made her sound. "Hi," she said, breathless and cheeks pink as she stood in front of him, only then realising that she was wearing reindeer antlers on a headband. Mortified, she reached up to take them off, throwing them aside hastily with a sheepish grin.

She was closing soon, only really opening for half a day. Everyone had families they wanted to go and see, last minute shopping they needed to do and whatever else had to be done. And no one wanted to be at work because the excitement was palpable. Poesy had sold a lot of gift cards, tins of roasted coffee and sweet treats, with lots of promises that customers would return in the new year.

A few of her staff were asking questions about why she was leaving early and judging by her blush, they figured out it was boy-related. If this was a date, she was woefully underprepared. "Can I help you with those?" She offered, extending her arms to aid him with the precariously balanced parcels.

 "Nice scarf," she grinned, unable to help herself. At least it wasn't the wrong team. Poesy much more fancied rugby than football but she did know it was a fate worse than death to be wearing a rival team's merchandise. "Come on, let's go," she said to Hunter as she shrugged on her coat and zipped it, stepping out into the frigid air and instantly recoiling. "Do you think we'll actually be able to cut some ice?" She asked conversationally as she fell into step with him, walking close.

Maybe she'd already gone home. Maybe she was so busy she was out the back, up to her elbows in dirty dishes because some of the cups were too delicate to risk cleaning with a conventional charm. Maybe Freddie was ill and she'd taken him to a veterinarian...that last thought caused the most concern of all, though thankfully he only had a couple of seconds to worry about that before Poesy appeared, calling and waving from across the crowded cafe. Hunter felt his face spreading into a broad grin as she approached, looking like she was about to give him a hug...

...which then didn't materialise because his arms were full of packages. D*mn! He felt a brief moment of disappointment, though his face showed nothing of this because honestly, he was delighted by the reindeer antlers. Not that they were attractive, but just because he loved Christmas and it made him happy whenever he met someone who felt the same way.

"Oh, I think they kind of suit you..." he said as she pulled them off and discarded them onto one of the few empty tables, pulling a mock-disappointed face, but belatedly remembering the packages he was carrying. "Yeah...you can help...you can even open them if you want, though you might want to wait until tomorrow" he said, handing them over and making sure they were well-balanced in Poesy's arms before he let go.

He grinned again - in fact it was more like one continuous grin as she took the presents. Part of him wanted to watch her unwrap them, but on the other hand he also wanted to get out and enjoy the Christmas market. He'd walked past it a couple of times in recent weeks but had tried hard not to look too closely at the attractions, wanting to save them for today,when it would be more romantic seasonal. 

'Yeah, it mysteriously turned up on my doorstep last night. Someone obviously has good taste..." he teased as she pulled on her coat and they stepped outside. Even in the short few moments that he'd been inside he'd warmed up considerably and the icy air nipped at his nose and chin. Reflexively, he pulled the scarf up a little higher as they began to walk.

"I hope so...I fancy carving something cool...and we've got to get some roasted chestnuts to warm us up...oh, and there's a circus parade in half an hour, I checked the timetable earlier" he added, hoping Poesy would be impressed at his unusual level of organisation "oh, and I nearly forgot - Jimmy sent these." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the handwarmers, which looked just like miniature hot water bottles, and offered one to Poesy. "He called then 'muggle magic' but I think there must be some kind of scientifical potion in there that makes them work. See, there's a little hard bit and you click it and...there!" he demonstrated on his own which immediately solidified and became hot to the touch.

"Okay, so what do you fancy doing first?" he asked as they reached the edge of the market, bouncing on his toes like an excited kid.

"Oh, don't," Poesy replied with a genuine laugh, scratching her head before she bit her lip. She could have continued to wear them to be festive but she was trying to be a classy, sophisticated career woman...who just happened to love Christmas. Hunted looked good, she thought. The scarf was a gag gift but she was both pleased and flattered that he was wearing it but her head jerked up quickly.

"Eh?" She answered dumbly as Hunter confirmed all of those gifts were hers and her eyes widened again to the side of dinner plates. "Oh you really shouldn't have done that," she insisted as her cheeks grew hot, torn between gleefully tearing them open and telling him that it was too much. "I mean, thank you," the petite blonde grinned, her blush subsided, cradling her gifts affectionately. It was Christmas Eve and she hadn't gotten any yet but she thought these were all she needed.

"I can?" She grinned, sorely tempted to do just that. Poesy was intrigued by the smallest of the presents, not the bigges,t and she bit her lip. She could hang on a few more hours. Her tone softened as she smiled, still holding on to her presents. "That's really nice," she told Hunter with a shy smile as she dropped her gaze coyly. "I'll just --" she said, jerking her head to the back of the cafe, where she scurried off to deposit them safely, returning with a grin at his next comment.

"Funny that," she said casually with a dimpled smile, wondering why she'd lost her mind and not given him his gifts in person. It looked a bit sus, dropping them off in when it was dark, knowing that she'd see him today. She'd psyched herself out and she didn't know why. Hunter was a really nice guy. Even if he hated them, he'd at least be polite enough not to say it to her face.

Feeling giddy, Poesy bit her lip as she fought her face to stop grinning. She could blame the effervescent sensation in her stomach on it being almost Christmas but she wasn't that naive. "It'll be fun to carve a reindeer," she announced before realising her artistic talents might mean she'd only be able to create a particularly wonky-looking bear if she was lucky.

"Circus?" Poesy asked, stopping dead, a person accidentally bumping into her. "Ow, sorry," she said distractedly. Hunter had looked at the timetable and she felt a rush of affection. "I love the circus," she admitted with a sheepish grin. She loved roasted chestnuts too but ---

"Oooh," she said quickly as Hunter pressed something into her hand. She poked at his curiously at his explanation. At the mention of his step-father, she laughed. "He sounds fantastic," she told Hunter warmly. "I'd love to meet him." She hoped she wasn't overstepping her boundary but she was distracted as she watched his hand.

"Oh!" The penny dropped. "Like those snappy sticks!" She exclaimed, not making any sense. "The ones that light up and you shake?" She asked him, miming waving it around her head like she was in a rave. She was trying to explain what a glow stick was and that, unbeknownst to her, she wasn't meant to drink the baffling neon fluid inside of it. She must sound out of her mind. With another blush, she followed Hunter's actions and cracked her own hand warmer, letting out a soft oooh! of amazement, like a toddler on Bonfire Night.

"These are fun," she grinned again as the heat spread across her palm, causing her to place the other on top to trap in the heat. Poesy didn't know what these were or how they worked but she decided that she really liked it. Hunter asked what she wanted to do first but what she really wanted to do was hold his hand. Deciding that was a bad choice, she peered down the street. "I heard there was a place that sold mulled wine?" She asked hopefully. "And that there's a massive Christmas tree," she explained, not caring that it was childish. "I haven't got one so I'd like to see it," Poesy bounced. "I also heard that they've put real candles on it," she chatted away as they walked. "Maybe we could light one?"

"Well, I could just take them away again...? he teased, grinning widely as Poesy took the pile of gifts and practically ran off with them. For a minute he imagined she might run into a back room and rip them open right away, and then imagined how fun it would be to watch her opening them, but before he could get any further with any more crazy thoughts she returned, a huge grin on her face to match his own.

"Yeah, I mean, we don't have to..." he broke off as a stranger walked too close and bumped her. Hunter had loved the circus since he'd seen a muggle one when he was four years old (Jimmy had known the horse trainer and had got them free tickets), but he wouldn't make a fuss if Poesy wasn't interested. He'd be disappointed, sure, but... "You do?" his eyes lit up like a little kid at...well, Christmas. Hunter felt like he wanted to do everything at once, to run down the street laughing and then
eat chestnuts and carve the world's most spectacular reindeer and watch an aerial acrobatic display all at once.

"Yeah. He'll be packing up the stall right about now, then he'll be off to the pub for a few beers tonight. His tradition" Hunter said, nodding and hoping Jimmy wasn't going to get too merry tonight. "Then we're going to apparate over to Mamma's place in the morning. She always does smoked ham. That's her tradition". He spoke fairly casually, but really Hunter was delighted at the idea of Jimmy and Poesy meeting. Sure, it would probably be a bit awkward and embarrassing, because Jimmy wasn't the sort of person to be quiet and polite and sit in a coffee shop, but Hunter couldn't imagine anyone could possibly have been a better father. 

He was about to suggest that the three of them meet up somewhere in the new year (whilst ignoring the fact that the last time he introduced any of his friend to Jimmy, he'd still been at school) but the hand warmers proved a suitable distraction. Even if Hunter was momentarily confused, repeating Poesy's hand movement and thinking that she looked like she was trying to use a scourging charm to clean the light fittings. "Oh yeah! You mean the different coloured ones that glow in the dark?" he nodded thoughtfully "Except I don't think those get warm...and these don't glow, so there must be two different things inside them..."

"What did you want to do first? Mulled wine, or shall we go and find the Christmas tree..?" he asked, because honestly everything Poesy had said sounded like things he wanted to do as well. It was just a question of whether they would have time to do everything. Maybe they shouldn't have waited until Christmas eve before coming here, but Hunter had been pretty busy over the last few weeks and Poesy had seemed to always be working, so this had just seemed the perfect time. Not because it felt nice and romantic or anything like that, of course not. Despite the cold his cheeks felt warm.

"If I had a tree the rats would love it. They'd be climbing all over it in minutes" he said as they reached the beginning of the Christmas market. There was a large display with a pictorial map of the various attractions and he paused in case Poesy wanted to take a look. Already he could smell some kind of pretzels being cooked and despite the bitter cold he felt warm inside. Little kids were running in between the stalls, shrieking and giggling and couples were strolling, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. If it wasn't for the hand warmers Hunter might have reached for Poesy's hand, but then her fingers would get cold. Instead he settled for moving a step closer. For now.

"I want to," Poesy insisted with a smile, her head still buzzing with the notion of actual presents that were actually for her. She'd wanted to open them then and there but she'd managed to temper herself somewhat. Besides, if Hunter didn't see her open them, she'd have to tell him that she liked them, so that was another excuse to see him.

The petite blonde laughed. "Yeah!" She grinned. "I like the acrobats," she told Hunter. "Especially the trapeze artists," she said casually. "Even though they always nearly give me a heart attack," she smiled. She also liked the peanuts and the hotdogs but he needn't know that. "I haven't been in a very long time. I haven't done any of this in a very long time," she said, gesturing to the market - celebrating Christmas, having fun, enjoying herself. She snuck a peek at him out of the corner of her eye and her smile softened as she spoke.

"That sounds like fun," Poesy spoke gently, despite having a few drinks at the local pub being a normal thing to do. She hadn't really bonded with her dad in the way that Hunter had with Jimmy. They did speak but it was usually stilted and a bit awkward.

She smiled again at the mention of his mother. "That also sounds really nice," she answered quickly. Having traditions, even just a smoked ham, sounds so beautifully ordinary - she was jealous. It sounded fantastic and just like something she'd want. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it quickly as she cleared her throat. "What other things do you all do?" Poesy asked absently as she kicked at some snow as they walked, finding herself interested and she hoped she wasn't being rude. "Sorry if I'm being nosey," she said with a laugh as she blushed quickly.

Her face lit up as he realised what she was going on about. "You know them!" She grinned, it soon fading into more of a thoughtful frown as Hunter spoke. Bewildered, she looked down at the hand warmer and gave it a curious poke with her index finger. Distracted, she looked up. "I'd love some mulled wine," Poesy stated swiftly as she spotted a booth. "I'll get it," and before Hunter could protest, she trotted off, slipping the hand warmer into her pocket before she returned, clutching two paper cups as she held one out for him.

Lifting it to her face, she blew across the surface of her wine before taking a sip. Poesy let out a laugh that didn't sound like her own as Hunter mentioned his rats. She really needed to be more cool. It wasn't like they were awful, they were just….scary and she didn't like their tails or their claws and they were carriers of the Plague. But it seemed a bit unfair, that was centuries ago now. "Sounds like a mess," she grinned as she sipped her wine, her head tilted curiously.

"You didn't get a tree?" Poesy asked Hunter in mild surprise. He'd gone through the effort of buying her some gifts, so she assumed he'd decorated, too. "It's not too late," she smiled, having seen a few still for sale. "And I could help you decorate," she offered, flicking her eyes to his and hoping not to seem too hopeful. Lighting a candle might be a nice more romantic way to end the afternoon but she smelled pretzels and her plans were derailed.

"Are you hungry?" She asked lightly, already spotting some fancy baked potatoes being sold not too far away. Poesy turned to look at Hunter as she voiced her question, only to see him closer than before. She swallowed quickly and offered him a shy smile, her fingers curling around her cup. She could just reach out and touch him but she returned the gesture, their shoulders brushing. "What do you fancy?" She asked conversationally, taking a punt as she gently bumped his shoulder with her own.

So they were talking family traditions now? Suddenly Hunter felt uncomfortable and exposed, because he literally never talked about personal stuff like this. Cheerful anecdotes or just mentioning stuff he did with Jimmy was fine, but this felt a lot more intimate, and really, it wasn't that interesting. Poesy was going to think he had a really boring Christmas planned, even more so because they did practically the same thing every year. But he wanted to tell her anyway.

"Okay, so we get there probably about ten thirty or eleven, because Jimmy likes to sleep late when he doesn't have to run the stall" Hunter began. Actually Jimmy would probably be a bit hungover so wouldn't want to get out of bed before nine at the absolute earliest, anyway "We apparate to Mamma's cottage, and she'll have decorated all the trees in her garden. She uses magic of course, but the neighbours think she must have huge boxes of electrical lights stored in her attic. She uses a spell for fake snow too if it's not cold enough - I think she just gets away with that because everyone thinks it's so pretty. And she lives a little way out of the village..." he tailed off, because he was talking far too much about the stuff that happened before they got there.

"Anyway, we take presents, and she's got presents for us, and we have to leave them until the evening, because that's Jimmy's tradition from since HE was a kid... Lunch is always the ham, and roast potatoes and all the usual stuff, and then Mamma insists we go out for a healthy walk, and Jimmy pretends to be asleep, and she's got this spell that makes freezing water drip down the back of his neck so that gets him up pretty quickly, and...yeah, mulled wine would be great" he agreed as they spotted the stall, because surely he'd said far too much and Poesy was desperate for any excuse to change the subject.

"It's good" he said, when she returned and he'd taken a sip. Any other time of the year he was sure it would taste awful but it was the only thing to drink at this time of year "Guess I was talking too much. You don't want to hear any more, do you?" He kind of hoped she was going to say yes, but at the same time... "So what are your plans for tomorrow? Have you got family traditions?" he asked, wanting to know what her plans were too.

"No way! Jacko would be all over it, and her babies would try eating it, and I'd be finding pine needles in my bed for the next week" he laughed, and then wished he hadn't because it would have been a good excuse for Poesy to come round for the evening. And then he grinned to himself because they were friends, and if she wasn't busy he could just ask if she wanted to come over without needing an excuse anyway. He was about to say as much, when she was apparently distracted by another of the stalls. He followed behind as she took a few steps in that direction, but then she stopped abruptly and they were almost touching. For a moment they just looked at each other and then the moment slipped away and might have remained that way, though they were walking closer together now.

"What do I..? Oh, well..." he looked at Poesy, and held her gaze for just a second longer than necessary. "Something sweet?" he suggested innocently "there's candied almonds just over there...we could get baked potatoes after the parade if you fancy that..."

Hunter spoke and Poesy smiled at him as they walked, giving him her full attention as she nodded, encouraging him to continue. His mum had a cottage and a long forgotten wave of homesickness washed over her. Her parents had sold their family home many years ago and she hadn't thought much of it, until he mentioned it.

Swiftly, she grinned. "That sounds perfect," she told him, unable to temper her wistfulness because that sounded like a proper Christmas, like on that telly thing Muggles devoured. Like a daydream. "Sounds like she's very popular," Poesy added kindly, knowing full well that if a woman like that did something similar in her village, she'd be out there gawking, too. Hunter paused and she nodded, deciding to live vicariously through him. Her childhood wasn't bad, it was just a bit...tough.

Hunter mentioned the cold water spell and Poesy laughed riotously. "Poor Jimmy!" She cooed, a hand on her heart as she grinned. She turned her head to look at him and her eyes were bright, a dimpled smile lighting up her face. "Of course I do," she smiled again, parting her lips as she momentarily stumbled, her face falling before she managed to catch it.

"No plans," she said with a shake of her head. "I've been abroad for the last decade and I stopped coming home for Christmas ever since --" they stopped inviting me. She managed to stop herself with a flush and a quick, sheepish smile. "I honestly don't know what they do now," she said with another shrug. "We all used to have a stocking each and I got a tangerine every year. Apparently that's a thing," she shrugged again. "We used to go carolling. Dad can't sing," she grinned. "It really used to annoy Mr. Evans next door," Poesy joked as she kicked at the snow on the ground, pausing to sip at her wine.

"We used to have turkey every year but I was never a fan," Poesy admitted with a wrinkle of her nose - she much preferred the stuffing balls and gravy. "Mum dragged us out for a walk, too," she began, sympathising with Hunter's step dad. "She just liked soaking up the atmosphere. I always liked how busy and magical the air felt. People dashing in and out of shops, everyone happy. Tomorrow, I'm just going to sleep," she said with a grin. "Spend all day in my pyjamas, put on a face mask, just properly put my feet up for the first time in ages," she concluded with a small sigh, honestly looking forward to it. "And the Chinese takeaway is open, so I might get myself some spring rolls." Looking over at him, she caught Hunter's eye and she laughed. "Honestly, it doesn't sound that terrible."

But as they walked, all she could think was oh no! Rat babies! and her stomach turned over but she managed to keep her smile. Then she felt a bit silly. What kind of loser decorates a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, anyway? Flushing red all the way to the roots of her hair, she quickly drank her wine. "I think I might get one," she told Hunter eventually. "Never too late to start a new tradition, right?" She smiled as she drank, a mouthful getting caught in her throat as her nose tingled, forcing herself to swallow as she stared at him.

This was getting out of control. They were having parallel conversations - one with their words and the other with their eyes. Quickly, she laughed. "I really do fancy that," she admitted as she tucked some hair behind her ear. "With baked beans and cheese? Sounds incredible. Look out!"

With a gasp, she reached out and grabbed Hunter's arm to pull him out of the way as a large group of carollers swanned down the street, her hand resting on his back before she tilted her head. With a slow smile, she reached up and plucked the sprig of mistletoe that had been nestled in his scarf. "Ahem," Poesy commented as she bit her lip, holding it out to him. "Did you know what was there?" She asked politely as she slotted it back into its place.

As thy walked, it felt as if he wasn't just explaining family traditions but really talking, the sort of discussion that happened when you knew someone really well and trusted them. Hunter decided not to think about the implications of that but instead just enjoyed it. After all, his family and upbringing had been a bit less than conventional, and so were his parents, so it was nice to think that in the midst of all the craziness they'd somehow managed to create enough of a normal Christmas each year that it was something that other people actually liked the sound of.

"She is. Mamma's pretty cool...and tough. Brave, too" he added, forgetting that Poesy might find this description a bit strange. It was true, though. Hunter had still been quite small when he'd first heard the tale of how his parents - well, his mother and adoptive father - had met, in the street just off the British Museum that bore his name. He rarely told anyone about that, just because it as something personal that nobody needed to hear about, but once or twice he'd felt as if Poesy might like to know. Not today, though. That was a story for a quieter setting, sometime when it was just the two of them... and he grinned, but he didn't really feel sorry for Jimmy, because the trick with the ice had been a thing since Hunter was a little kid and they'd been living in a squat without any heating, and Mamma had wanted to go out for a walk because it got their blood flowing and warmed them all up. It hadn't been til he was in his teens that he'd figured out Jimmy's reluctance at that time was staged to make him laugh.

He would have told her more then, about how they all sat round in the evening and opened their gifts, and how there were homemade sweets and pies and mulled mead and whisky, all the kinds of drinks he hated the rest of the year but tasted perfect at Christmas, but he stopped short. Poesy was going to be on her own, and he wished he'd known that earlier, because he could have... What? Stayed home to keep her company? Asked her to spend Christmas at his mother's house? "I...didn't know" he said, unnecessarily, because of course he hadn't known, because they hadn't talked about it until this minute. He sounded...well, at least short of appalled, but Hunter didn't like the idea that she would be alone tomorrow. Well, alone apart from Freddie. At least she could dress the cat in his matching jumper.

Hunter knew he had to say something encouraging, though he was admittedly distracted at the thought of Poesy spending all day in her pyjamas and the possibilities that could entail if she wasn't alone. "It sounds relaxing" he agreed, because that at least was true, and Merlin knew she'd been working hard these last few weeks and months. Then she mentioned a tree, and he fixed on that, because while he didn't particularly want one, if Poesy had a tree at home at least it would look festive even if she was going to be on her own tomorrow.

"Okay, we're getting you a tree before we leave" he grinned, as if it was settled. "Have you got decorations at home, or should we get those as well?" there were plenty of stalls selling everything from exquisite hand-blown glass to tat that Jimmy would be embarrassed to put on his market stall. Just a moment earlier they'd passed a stand that appeared to specialise in Quidditch-themed decorations, including tinsel garlands in team colours and baubles that could be charmed to fly around the tree in the manner of snitches.

"Beans and cheese?" he teased, though as his stomach chose that moment to make a rumbling sound that he hoped Poesy hadn't heard he was already turning towards the stall to join the half dozen people already in line when she pulled him out of the path of a determined group of carol singers. "Thanks" he laughed, but then his face turned mock serious when he saw what she was holding and immediately knew who was responsible.

"I swear, tomorrow morning iced water's going to be the least of his worries..." Hunter tried to look annoyed, or any expression rather than a heady mix of amused, delighted and embarrassed, but he wasn't entirely successful as Poesy put it back where she'd found it. "No. I had no idea. Still, I suppose it might...come in useful...later..." he commented, holding her gaze for just a little longer than necessary. When she didn't pull away, he leaned in and kissed her cheek briefly, not wanting to do more in the crowded street but wanting even less to let the moment pass. Even then, things might have continued if not for a pair of small children who ran shrieking past, throwing down little twists of paper that exploded with loud cracks and multicoloured plumes of smoke as they hit the ground.

"The queue's gone down, look" he said, taking her hand and leading them across to the baked potato stall "and these are my treat, okay?"

Poesy looked at Hunter and smiled, her expression softening. Cool, tough, brave. She liked the words he used to describe his mother and if she ever had kids one day, she'd hoped they'd used similar words. But she smiled again. "How could you?" She asked him lightly with a shake of her head. It wasn't like she wanted (or needed) sympathy but she felt like she maybe should have said something. Jimmy sounded like a hoot and she did really want to meet him, just...maybe not on Christmas Day.

"I hope so," she admitted with a grin, undaunted by facing the day alone. It was just that - a day. Twenty four hours. It was doable. She could have a bath and read and not leave the flat. "Plus, I've still got your presents to open," she reminded Hunter brightly so she wouldn't really be alone.

Oh. They were buying a Christmas tree together and her pale eyes widened as she laughed. "How am I going to get it home?" She grinned in a poor excuse before a long-forgotten shiver of excitement thrilled down her spine. Poesy hid her smile behind the rim of her cup. "I have a couple," she admitted. "Some twinkly lights and a few bits and bobs. I could probably use some more, now that you mention it," she agreed with Hunter as she looked around. She could buy a box of things from here, surely? "You might need to help me," she began. "I won't be able to reach the top of the tree," she flicked her eyes over to him.

She was distracted momentarily by a stall selling eye-catching ornaments; a London bus, a Welsh dragon, a Santa, a red letter "P" with embroidered mistletoe and beads,  a snowman, a twinkling little lantern. It was like Poesy's perfect Christmas decorations, all in one box. "Beans and cheese," she echoed with a grin, turning her back on the stall to face Hunter again but at his realisation, she snorted with laughter and clapped a hand over her mouth. She really wanted to meet Jimmy now.

"Let me guess," she went on as her blush subsided, her eyebrows arched but then things got less funny, very quickly. Her eyes were still wide as she swallowed, suddenly nervous. Hunter let his suggestion hang in the air and there was no way Poesy was going to brush it aside. Later, he'd said, both ominous and thrilling. He didn't need mistletoe to kiss her and to prove her point, she took a step closer and leaned on to her tiptoes --

The kiss on her cheek was soft and chaste and Poesy felt her eyelids close in response. A rush of pleasure seemed to tingle over her whole body but Hunter took her hand and she tripped after him. The moment was fleeting but lovely and she felt like she was sixteen again. Not only was he funny and charming and thoughtful and handsome but here he was, buying her a baked potato like an utter gentleman.

"Okay," she agreed, not pulling her hand away. She shifted a little, not letting go of his fingers as they waited in line, making the most of it before she had to let them go to eat. Maybe she was a reformed Christmas hater because this felt very nice indeed. She offered Hunter a cheeky grin, curling her toes in her shoes from pure giddiness. She stood on her tiptoes as she pointed at the small collection of trees down the street. "What do you think of that one?" She asked him, pointing to one around six feet with thick (if not wonky) branches. It was a little lopsided, droopy, but Poesy thought it was charming. "Thanks for inviting me out today," she told Hunter, turning to face him. "I haven't had so much fun in a long time."

His presents. Oh, yeah...Hunter had all but forgotten about those. Suddenly he was worried that he might have miscalculated with the matching witch-and-cat jumpers (it wasn't as if he thought the idea of dressing animals up was cute, he'd just thought it would please Poesy) and what if she wasn't free that day for the Quidditch game? Maybe it looked overly presumptuous and he should have asked first?

Or...maybe even if she couldn't make it she'd just appreciate the gesture for what it was. Hunter rarely second-guessed himself and it was even less common for him to actually worry what people thought, and that in itself was unusual. He knew it meant that he cared about Poesy, but he was just trying not to think about that, even as he couldn't stop thinking about it even for a moment.

"You could apparate with it maybe - or we could do a temporary shrinking spell..." Or they could just manhandle it through the streets. In the dark. On Christmas eve...okay, so that wasn't such a good plan. Anyway, they'd think of something later. He grinned. "So, Miss Darling, is that an official invitation back to your place to help decorate your Christmas tree?" he asked, not bothering to point out that, while he was certainly taller than Poesy he was still a couple of inches shorter than average height himself.

They seemed to be trying to do everything at once - look at stalls, choose a tree, get food...and then there was the mistletoe thing which Hunter wasn't going to think about any more for the moment. He'd wanted to do more, to kiss her properly, but then he had a feeling they wouldn't be very interested in the Christmas market anymore and while he had no problems with that, Jimmy had a sixth sense about these things and would be able to tell, and tomorrow would be filled with teasing and rude questions. Heck, it would be like that anyway, but at last if they had a good look around the stalls and bought a tree he'd be able to fend off the leading questions.

While they were waiting for their baked potatoes, Poesy was clearly shopping for the perfect tree. Honestly, Hunter wasn't entirely impressed with the lopsided one she pointed out, but all the best ones would have been sold days if not weeks ago. Besides, if it made her happy... "Want me to see if I can get a discount?" he whispered, but before he could say more their potatoes were ready, handed over in sturdy cardboard cartons with less than sturdy wooden forks sticking out of the mounded cheese on top and he had to let go of the young woman's hand. "Your lunch, ma'am" he said, handing one down to Poesy before taking his own.

"Me either. I'm glad you came...ow, that's hot!" Despite the steam coming off the potatoes Hunter had stuffed a big forkful into his mouth. He recalled he'd done something similar with the cheese fondue and chuckled at his own impatience. "I was hungry!" he defended, lest Poesy should say something about hot things coming from a hot place...or perhaps she would offer to kiss it better later? Yes, that would be...

Right. The tree. "Shall we take a closer look?" he suggested. There were less people down by the tree stall so they could also eat the potatoes without fear of being jostled - and the circus parade was due to start in a few minutes, and this was probably as good a place as any to watch it from. Hunter pretended to look over some of the other trees as they ate, completely ignoring the one Poesy had pointed out, asking the prices and nodding thoughtfully. He had no intention of taking over, but now that they knew the price of the more 'perfect' looking trees, the stallholder would have no choice but to ask a bit less if Poesy asked about the one she had her eye on. Well, hopefully he'd saved her a few sickles, anyway.

"Both good ideas," Poesy agreed with a smile. She didn't know why her first instinct was to haul it back through a crowded market but a shrinking spell would work - she could put it in a pot and carry it. Instantly, she was derailed as her train of thought went exactly where she didn't want it to. Hunter had been to the coffee shop but not her flat, despite it only being just upstairs but the thought made her a bit hot under the collar.

"It is," she nodded. "I can put it into writing, if you like?" She joked. She hadn't been called Miss. Darling for a very long time and she rather thought she liked it. Poesy hoped it wasn't too intimate (didn't couples usually do that?) but things were going so quickly, she didn't have time to stop and question it. "You're sure you don't have anything else to do tonight?" She asked Hunter, looking over at him quickly. He spoke about his family so she didn't want to keep them apart but she selfishly hoped he was free as a bird. Then again, he did offer.

"Ooh, thank you," she said as she reached out her hands for the cardboard box, mildly surprised by the heft of it. At Hunter's question, she paused, fork halfway to her lips. "You can do that?" She asked in a whisper to  match his volume, as though they were sharing a secret. She smiled before she took a bite. "If you can, yes please -- oh!"

Poesy stepped into Hunter's personal space quickly. "Are you alright?" She asked with a lopsided grin, balancing her food in one hand as she reached out with her other to squeeze his shoulder affectionately. She winced sympathetically. "Bet that hurt more than the fondue," she joked lightly. As if to prove a point, she lifted another forkful of potato and blew across it before eating.

As they walked, Poesy picked her way through her baked potato, finding a bite that was loaded with beans and cheese and trying her hardest to look less like a velociraptor whilst eating it. Hunter was off speaking to the stall holder and she hung back so she could sneak a look at him. She bit her lip. He was cute but not in the adorable way. More handsome. Sandy hair, high cheekbones, full lips --

"Hm?" Poesy asked, snapping back into it and blinking three times in rapid succession as she righted her food before she dropped it. She offered Hunter a sheepish grin. "I just feel a bit sorry for it," she admitted as she reached out to flick the underside of one of the drooping branches. "No one seems to want it," she frowned as she walked around the tree, examining it. All of the better ones had been taken weeks ago, so it served her right that she was left with the scraps.

"I like it," she finally admitted with a smile, her left hip cocked outwards with her hand resting on it. "A little bit of water there, a quick trim there," she began, thinking she could do a little fixing with magic if she absolutely needed to but she thought it was perfect as is. "Hello," she said brightly as the Christmas Tree Man ambled over. "How much for this one?" Poesy asked as she pointed it out with one finger, still scoffing her potato. The man shot her a look.

"You sure, love?" He asked her, trepidation clear in his tone and face, but she simply shrugged. "Why not?" She answered, feeling herself get wound up as she tried to defend the tree's honour. "It's just not very --" he trailed off, his eyes flicking to Hunter as though looking for back up. "Grand." He settled on. "What does your fella think?" Christmas Tree Man asked, nodding at Hunter. Poesy opened her mouth to tell him that they weren't dating before finding an excuse to shovel more baked potato into her mouth instead of answering because the idea of Hunter being her fella was a rather nice one indeed.

Hunter laughed, but with rather than at her. "Yes. All my friends send me written invitations, all the time..." he said nodding seriously and managing to keep a straight face for at least half a second afterwards before he was grinning again. Poesy was easy to joke around with, he didn't need to tone down his humour for fear that she might take something the wrong way. That didn't mean, of course, that he was going to answer her next question with 'well, I'll have to call my six girlfriends and tell them the game of strip gobstones is off...'. There were some things that were just crossing a boundary, no matter how comfortable you were with someone.

"Honestly? I'd probably have dropped into the pub for a couple of pints, just for something to do, but I can do that any night" he said "and I'd much rather...oops!" he juggled his own potato box for a moment before steadying it in his hand. "I mean, I'd love to come and help decorate your tree. Who knows what might happen if we just let Freddie do the decorating?"

He followed Poesy's lead by blowing across his food before eating it as they approached the Christmas tree stall. "I'm fine" he said, unsure whether he was talking about the hot potato, her almost stumbling into him (which she was very welcome to do any time she wanted) or whether he wanted to do something else right now. Given that the answer was the same to all three, he just left it at that, surprised to find he was hungrier than he'd realised. Good thing they were looking at the sort of stall where it didn't matter that they were eating - though he did wait until he'd swallowed the mouthful of beans-and-potato before asking about the trees they weren't interested in.

"Cute..." he murmured, and then quickly ate a particularly cheesy bit of potato because he'd not been thinking of trees at all, but the way Poesy was standing, hand on hip. He glanced down and took a quick breath, hoping that any colour in his cheeks could be attributed to the cold. Thankfully Poesy asked about the raggedy little tree she fancied taking home so he had a few moments to think more...appropriate thoughts. He turned slightly away, as if to convey the impression that he would have preferred one of the remaining 'perfect' trees, eating more baked potato and assuming his part in this little game was completed.

Then he heard the stallholder refer to him and almost choked on his potato. Hunter expected her to say something to deny the suggestion but when there was a pause he turned round and their eyes met. He swallowed the mouthful that had tried to choke him a moment earlier, seeming to freeze under her gaze. He, who had talked his way out
of the muggleborn registration committee despite evidence that he'd grown up with an adopted muggle father, was momentarily lost for words.

"Well, if it's the one she wants, I can live with it" he said, hoping he wasn't about to earn himself a slap for being presumptuous once they left the stall. They were acting like they were a couple, rather than...what? Friends who just happened to fancy each other but hadn't got around to anything else yet? And really, was it so bad if they did pretend to be a couple ofr a little while? Hunter rather liked the idea. He walked closer and pretended to look at the tree for the first time, thinking that the stallholder would be relieved to be rid of this one. Up close it wasn't so bad. Hunter could see that once it was watered - perhaps a plant tonic, too - and decorated it would look as good as any other tree. He nodded noncomittally, grinned to Poesy and then looked towards the seller. "I'm guessing this one's going to be a bit less than the others?" he asked, in a tone that wasn't really a question "If we pay now, can we pick it up later on?" The stallholder, clearly pleased to be rid of a tree he hadn't expected to sell, knocked half a galleon off the price and readily agreed to watch it for them, tying a red sold tag onto the treetop with a deft flick of his wand.

As the deal was concluded, a loud fanfare sounded from somewhere nearby; presumably the beginning of the parade. Perfect timing.

Oh. He was poking fun at her and she grinned. It was gentle, like they were in on the same private joke and it felt nice. Poesy felt wanted and she bit her lip as she tried her hardest not to look like she was paying too much attention to his other plans. Her eyes slid over to Hunter as she smiled, both pleased and flattered that he'd forego the pub for her. "Where's your local?" She asked him lightly because she definitely wasn't planning on popping by "just because."

She picked at her potato after she found a piece with particularly crispy skin as she chewed, looking up at Hunter in mild confusion as she thought he said something. "Hm?" Poesy asked intelligently as she scooped up a forkful of baked beans and ate - she didn't think she was particularly ravenous but she hadn't had a jacket spud in positively eons.

It would be totally fine if Hunter decided not to play along (she had put him in a difficult position) but she found herself uttering a quick prayer to the first deity she could think of that she wouldn't make a prat out of herself. But thank goodness Hunter was a genuine guy.

Poesy flushed, the tips of her ears turning pink as she offered a smug smile to the stall holder and a sly wink towards Hunter. The idea of living with anything concerning them together made her stomach do an excited somersault. She walked around the tree as she pretended like she hadn't already given away a part of her heart to the droopy little thing but found herself straying back to Hunter and she gave a little giggle at the haggling.

If she were honest, Poesy wouldn't dream of trying her luck but he'd been raised by a market dealer himself and she was both floored and oddly enamoured by his conviction. The discount wasn't astronomical but it didn't even matter. Poesy was buoyed up by the notion that she'd somehow gotten one over on Christmas Tree Man. It was a small victory but it felt like the sun had come out from behind the clouds. Lovely and warm. It didn't matter if the stall holder couldn't care less.

She stepped over to Hunter and lowered her voice. "That was great," she told him brightly. "Thank you so much." And she meant it as she grinned at him so wide, her cheeks began to hurt. Maybe they could spend the savings on something else? They could come back and collect it later - good, that meant that Hunter was serious about helping her decorate her tree. Poesy knew how odd it must seem to be decorating on Christmas Eve but, in her defence, she was out of practice.

All wrapped up in the notion of having an actual Christmas, Poesy jumped at the sound of trumpets. There was a look of confusion on her face before she remembered that was the reason they were here. "Ooh!" She squeaked in excitement as she finished the last of her potato and tossed it into a nearby bin, reaching behind her to grab Hunter's hand without a second thought.

"Sorry, sorry, excuse me," the petite blonde witch announced their arrival as she neatly weaved and dodged her way through the crowd politely, ducking to avoid someone's stray arm. She could hear music and the crowd as she pushed forward, seeing a gap in the throng of people and wasting no time in filling it.

Pink cheeked and breathless, she looked over to check if Hunter had made it one piece. "Are you okay?" She asked with another smile, her attention zipping all over the place as she struggled to take in the stilt walkers and the confetti cannons and -- "Is that a dragon made out of bubbles?" Poesy asked in amazement as the "creature" flapped its wings, looking more like crystal as it made its way down the street, shimmering in the last rays of the sun.

Her skin was tingling as a rush of long forgotten excitement shot down her spine. It was just plain fun. Around her, people were jostling as she side-stepped as a result, backing up a little to press her back to Hunter's chest.

"My..?" Hunter paused for a moment because his local wasn't the pub he actually preferred to spend time in. "It's actually Jimmy's local, but it's called the Ship and Shovell" Even that wasn't quite right, because it was more accurate to say that it was Jimmy's favourite traditional pub that he liked to go to after the stall had closed for the day. It was certainly where he'd be spending the evening, and whether Hunter was there or not he would still enjoy the real ale on offer. He took a mouthful of potato which had cooled enough to be thorougly enjoyable now, and added casually "it's a muggle place, obviously, but...we could go there sometime. If you want to."

Okay, so they'd bought a tree, and he was pretty sure he could successfully perform not just the relatively simple shrinking charm but the more complex reversal without causing half the poor thing's needles to drop off...though Poesy was probably quite capable of doing that herself, of course. Hunter looked down at his shoes briefly as he realised he had been looking for opportunities to impress her. "So how are we decorating it? Do you usually do a colour scheme or just use every decoration you can find? Apparently when I was a toddler I decorated our tree with everything I could find, including a multipack of crisps and all Jimmy's socks..." Hunter hadn't realised he was going to share that tale until it was out of his mouth, and it was a good thing he'd just finished his potato, because he couldn't continue without cracking up laughing. Thank Merlin they hadn't had a camera when he was that little otherwise Jimmy wouldn't be able to resist sharing the pictures!

He glanced around for a bin for the empty potato carton, spotting one at literally the same moment as Poesy and throwing his in right after. For just a second his hands were free, and then Poesy had grabbed one of them and was leading them both through the crowd with impressive dexterity. While he hadn't used it since gaining his apparation license, Hunter couldn't help thinking she'd do really well on the tube at rush hour. "You're pretty amazing, you know that?" he asked, which wasn't really an answer to her question, but as he was grinning from ear to ear he guessed she'd understand what he meant. They'd arrived just in time for the parade, brightly coloured and clearly with a Christmas theme - no, more than one Christmas theme.

First came the stilt walkers - or maybe they'd transfigured their legs to be twice as long as normal - in shades of red and green, then showers of pastel ice and snowflakes that were no colder than the surrounding air, and then..."That's pretty amazing too" he agreed, surprised to discover he was a little breathless from the excitement. "What kind do you think it's meant to be? An Opaleye?" he asked, leaning close to her ear to be heard above the music and cheers of the crowd, and then she leaned back against him and Hunter felt pleasant sparks all the way down his chest.

He didn't realise she'd backed up accidentally. He responded without thinking, looping an arm down and around her shoulders to pull her closer, relishing the warmth and closeness. The dragon, shimmering in the twilight, was most of the way past and now Hunter's attention was drawn to swift and intricate movement up ahead. "How are they doing that?" he asked in amazement as a troupe of acrobats came into view, some performing a slow motion sequence at ground level while others were somehow managing to levitate themselves, giving the impression of flying without brooms whilst they approached in a blur of colour.