Event GiftingAnonymously PV Secret Santa Closed

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Jo left her class and headed straight to her dorm before dinner, but as she entered the portrait-hole, she realized she'd forgotten why. It wasn't that she wasn't hungry, because she definitely was. Hmm... The unmistakeable smell of pinecones and poinsettia - a neatly wrapped gift on her bed. Christmas Eve. Right. The Secret Santa thing.

She hopped down from her bed and changed clothes in a flash - her trademark vermillion sweater and a few green bangles to set the mood. She wasn`t too festive of a person and Christmas really wasn't her thing, but it was a lot of fun just enjoying the warm, celebratory atmosphere of Hogwarts during the holidays.

She picked up the package. It was wrapped in thick emerald-hued washi paper that had been dusted with glitter and dotted with blood-red rhinestones she'd added herself.

Jo was the most proud of the silky grey ribbon at the top, which she'd insisted on making herself, as opposed to buying a mass-produced one that she could slap on. It was a bit lopsided, and the glue wasn't completely dry yet, but overall she thought it looked great.

As she entered the Great Hall, her nose was overcome with the most savory, delightful fragrances she'd ever smelled. Hams, mashed potatoes, pecan pie and dinner rolls... she'd never seen anything like it. After briefly salivating over a particularly appetizing dish of pheasant and roasted rosemary potatoes, she wandered to the table where a Hufflepuff in a yellow jacket seemed to be waiting for something. She approached him but had barely opened her mouth when she noticed a sign next to a decorated Christmas tree.

Place All Gifts Here!

As she slipped her gift under the tree, she checked the nametag twice to make sure the name had been spelled correctly. It had. Hoping the present would be well received, she dusted off a chair and plopped into it, fiddling with her fingers while she waited for the others to arrive.

@Donnovan Perrywinkle

In all honesty, the redhead couldn’t recall why he had signed up for the Secret Santa. Maybe it had something to do with wanting to get to know others and learn more about them, but he didn’t really think he was all that great at gift-giving. He didn’t even know many spells he could have conjured or created something interesting with.

Having wanted to at least do his best to please the person he was Secret Santa to, Jack had done his research both on the person and the things they had listed on their wishlist. That was the easier and more fun part. Less easy was going to one of the teachers to ask for help and advice with a gift idea. They had helped him the best they could, but he still wasn’t sure it was enough. However, he was out of time and with his limited knowledge of magic alongside his limited resources, he finally decided that what he had would have to do.

His parents had been a huge help, purchasing something for him over the muggle website of amazon before sending the package to him by owl. It had taken more than one due to its weight, but Jack was pleasantly surprised at just how intact it was. From there, he had done a bit of modifying with some more adult assistance and advice before it was ready to present. Unlike Jo, the Slytherin had opted for a gift bag with tissue paper flowering from the top to conceal its contents.

As that Hogwarts Christmas had been his first, Jack was blown away by the amazing décor. It was better than any attempts he had ever seen made by muggles and it almost made him want to stay at school over Winter Break. He wondered if he could get his parents to allow him to return early before realizing the Hogwarts Express didn’t run on a regular basis and he had no other way to make it back without the train. He supposed he would just have to enjoy everything while he could.

The boy quickly spotted the sign next to the tree and placed his bag alongside the wrapped gift already there, careful not to accidentally read any names. Once that was done, he noticed the Hufflepuff boy he had signed up with and walked over, only to find the Gryffindor girl, Jo, seated nearby. It then occurred to him that not all the people who had signed up for the Secret Santa gift exchange would be sitting together.

Bewildered, Jack scratched his head before walking over to Donnovan.

“Uh…excuse me, but we’re still doing the Secret Santa thing, right?” he asked, his gaze drifting toward the only other package sitting next to his. “May I ask…how you mean for this to work, exactly?”

@Donnovan Perrywinkle @Euphrasia Millie @Jo Morgan @Jack Burnett

[font=Segoe Script] Rafael was definitely one for the holidays. There really wasn’t much to hate about them, really. Everyone getting together like family, sharing gifts, and generally being happy? He couldn’t explain the feeling it gave him – the best way he would try, though, was to call it warm and fuzzy. Sort of like when you drink hot chocolate on a frigid day. The feeling had always made his smile a bit brighter, his steps peppier and more full of life. It also gave him a strong impulse to make other people happy. It was the season of giving, after all, and he wanted to share his happiness with everyone else.

Which was a bit out-of-character for him, if he were completely honest. He usually didn’t care much for others’ feelings, being the rough sort of boy he was. He really tended to avoid them, actually. Feelings were messy and confusing, whereas using your fists was simple and to-the-point. No beating around the bush there. It was different, however, what with his mind being full of candy canes and Christmas cheer. The holidays were a drug, he had decided. And they were in no way unwelcome.

He wasn’t exactly sure what compelled him to join the Secret Santa event this year – it wasn’t like he had a lot of money saved up or anything. And he didn’t really think of friends as a priority, while the notion had always been rather nice. He liked to think his holiday spirit was to blame, but he knew better than anyone that this wasn’t the case. Because the truth was, as much as he liked the festivities, the real reason he had fallen in love with Christmas was the gift-giving. He honest-to-goodness loved surprising people, as certain individuals would surely know (*cough* Jo *cough*). It was the initial feeling of shock or elation crossing their face, he had deducted, that he had always loved the most. It had always given him an indescribable feeling of satisfaction, the type that he absolutely adored to no end. He was sure he could live on that alone, over any food or drink.

Whatever the reason, it had successfully brought him to the Great Hall on this fine day. He stood a bit lamely, a gift clad in his hand, messily wrapped in some shiny gold wrapping paper that he had nicked off his roommate. He wasn’t too proud of his wrapping skills, he’d admit – he had never been the most neat or artistic person. But, nonetheless, he had definitely given it his best effort. The present was in the form of a box, a red ribbon wrapped around the middle in a messy sort of fashion. Though it wasn’t the fanciest, he did pride himself in the fact that he had gone out of his way to do something for someone that was practically a stranger to him. It showed, too – he had this bright sort of grin on his face, the bright sort that just radiated his mood in a vibrant sort of way. He didn’t give those too often – it had to be a special occasion.

He didn’t wait there too long, instead clutching the present in determination and making his way to the Christmas Tree – that had been the meeting point, after all. Upon arriving at the merry scene, he took sight of a sign that read ‘Place All Gifts Here’ in a neat sort of handwriting. Must be in the right place. Standing beside it, was a very familiar boy, his skin darker and his hair a curly brown. Though they had never formally met before, Rafa knew him well. He was quite a name, that Donnovan Perrywinkle – in the least, he had organized the event. “Hey, man,” he told second year brightly, his grin ever evident as he walked up to the group.

He took note of Jo Morgan, his frenemy. He would say, he had quite a background with that girl – and while it wasn’t all good, it definitely wasn’t all bad. He had quite a few good memories with her, doing some strange and dangerous things. His feelings for her were definitely mixed. And it wasn’t a terrible issue. Beside her stood – Oh, wonderful. Jack Burnett. Now, they definitely had bad blood. The mere thought of the Slytherin put a damper on his smile – his mouth tucked itself into a neutral sort of face, his bright eyes losing some of their happy energy.

On a normal day, he might have told the boy off, or even thrown a fist. Today, he simply could not do it. Trying to hold on the fleeting feeling of euphoria he had, he decided to pay the boy no mind, instead turning to Jo again. “Why’re you wearing a Christmas Tree?” he asked snarkily, a playful grin coming to his face. "Oh, wait – that's a sweater." She was dressed quite festively, he noted, much like Donnovan. He, as he became more and more conscious of, was seriously lacking – he was clad in a dark green Hollister hoodie, with bleached jeans and dirty sneakers. He’d kind of forgot his festive clothes at home – meaning he just didn’t wear them. It felt a bit strange, being the odd one out, but he decided to pay this feeling no mind, given that there were more important things than his clothing choices.

Exhaling with a whistle, he kneeled down, and set his present down gently along with the others. The giftee’s name tag temporarily hidden from view, something he unconsciously noted. Though he didn’t know his person all that well, he truly hoped they would enjoy their gift. He had put quite a bit of thought into it, after all, and it would be such a shame for his effort to be for nothing. [/font]

Christmas was Millie's favorite holiday. She absolutely loved giving gifts and spending time with her family. Though, this year, she would be spending it at Hogwarts. Her parents had decided to go on a trip to Greece for their Christmas, thus leaving Millie at school.

She couldn't complain, though, her parents were still going to send her gifts, and she could spend some of her free time catching up on work and hanging out with her friends. It was slightly sad though, she would've loved to spend some time with her parents. She hadn't seen them much since she had started school. They could spend more of their time doing whatever adults did, since they didn't have to care about their child anymore.

Today, though, Millie had no time to dwell on her sadness. It was Christmas Eve! Tomorrow was Christmas, so who would ever want to complain? Maybe the Grinch!

As she sat on her bed, just a little bit before dinner, she was still trying to figure out how to properly wrap a present. She had tried using magic, but that became too difficult. Luckily, though, her mother had sent her an owl with instructions on how to wrap presents. It was more helpful than her father, who had sent an owl with some spell and movement. She wasn't even sure if it was a real spell, because it definitely didn't work for her.

Just as five o'clock rolled around, the gift was wrapped. She taped a bow and a nametag to the top of the gift, and headed down to the Great Hall.

Once she entered the hall, she saw the Christmas tree with the sign "Place All Gifts Here!" next to it. She skipped up, and saw a few people talking around it. She recognized two of the people there, both Quidditch players. One of them, Rafael D'Spacito, was on her team, and the other, the boy who had organized the whole Secret Santa thing, Donnovon Perrywinkle. The other two people, she didn't recognize.

As she sat down her gift, she turned to the small group and smiled widely. "Merry Christmas!"

@Rafael D'Spacito

Alain had never done something like a secret Santa. Never, back when he used to live in France. So when he heard about it, he thought it would be positive to try something new. Or like his parents used to say, être ouvert d'esprit. As he waked into the great hall, it was not at all as he had imagined! It was grande! Almost too grande! He walked over to to a young Hufflepuff he'd seen around the commons, and was about to ask where he was supposed to place the gifts, when he saw a sign.

Place All Gifts Here.

It said. He shrugged, and placed the big box under the tree.He hoped what he brought would be as good as what everyone else brought. Money wasn't a problem back home, but it was the thought. He'd had his parents get something for the exchange, and hopefully it would work out well. Just not too well, his mother was almost too generous. He turned to the Gryffindor boy with the dark hair. "Do you vancy the vinter holidays?" he said, his accent very strong. He was a newcomer to all this, and he did need a few heads up...

[PV@Euphrasia Millie, @Jo Morgan, @Jack Burnett, @Alain Couture, @Rafael D'Spacito, @Donnovan Perrywinkle]

The gift in which he had bought was a pack of colored pencils that never wore down, so their points would stay sharpened forever. Oliver hoped it was okay, though maybe this person already had magical colored pencils, because what magically inclined artist wouldn't. Oh, he was definitely overthinking. Oliver knew he should have signed up for the Secret Santa event, but he had done so in a rare moment of bravery. He certainly regretted it now, stepping into the warm light of the Great Hall.

His mouth went dry as he observed the sheer amount of people crowding around, eating and making merry. Oliver looked down at his gift. The box itself was long and flat to fit the packaging of the colored pencils. The wrapping paper was a simple cream colored print with snowmen moving animatedly in a loop. It was dizzying to look at for long. Oliver gulped and tilted his vision towards the giant tree, where the gifts would presumably be dropped off.

Oliver didn't consider Christmas to be his favorite holiday- in fact, he wasn't sure if he had any favorite holiday. Though Halloween could be fun, however the novelty was wearing off as he aged. He thought back to his family and they were doing. Oliver had great fun squeezing the family cats into silly costumes, though they usually managed to escape rather quickly. He wondered what his mother and father were doing, seeing as he doubted they would be spending the holiday together. Ugh.

Making his way over to the tree, he placed his gift behind the big one. Oliver didn't want his shitty wrapping to be out in the open. He stared at the tree for an uncomfortably long time, well aware he was standing in the middle of many conversations. Oliver stuck out like a sore thumb, with his plain jumper and plain slacks, completely unlike the bright attire of the rest of his peers. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, sweating under his collar.

@Jo Morgan, @Jack Burnett, @Rafael D'Spacito, @Euphrasia Millie, @Alain Couture, and @Oliver Averill!

Everyone was arriving, and now underneath the tree was an array of gifts, all shapes and sizes. There were colorful gift bags, patterned boxes topped with bows, tin and thick packages. It was all a mystery as to what was inside each and every thought out gift. Donny made a head count. One, two, three, four, five...and finally six. It was all going as planned. Just lets hope everyone got along!

"Alright everyone! Thanks for coming!"

He announced, his voice echoing through the unusually empty great hall. He stared for a moment. "As you all know, or may have received by owl, is that today is a secret Santa. You all will exchange with your given person after you open your gift." he finished, hoping everyone would understand. He gestured over toward the tree. "Everyone, please take turns opening your gifts, in fact, how about you first-" he said, pointing to a slytherin boy with light brown hair. "Jack is it? Go ahead and find your name, then after we'll ask around for your secret Santa." he finished, hoping it was all clear. 

He let the slytherin go in front of him, as he pointed to the array of gifts under the tree. He wondered what would be inside...  

@Euphrasia Millie @Rafael D'Spacito



What was up with Rafa and Jack? Rafa seemed almost to grimace as he passed her newest acquaintance.

“Why’re you wearing a Christmas Tree?”

“I’m replacing the joy that you suck out of my Christmas.”

Jo took a bite of some roasted baby carrots as he sassily corrected himself.

She pulled him aside a bit, since she was a bit curious as to the relationship between the two.

“What’s up with Jack?”

She smirked.

“You’ve gotta be crazy jealous because every time I make a friend, you’re nipping at their heels for a fight!”

It took quite the stretch of imagination to consider the Slytherin a friend - indeed, one wondered if he could make any friends with that attitude- so she wouldn’t speak to him just yet. She’d done some digging regarding the boy’s past as well as his interests and likes for Santa-related reasons, but hadn’t really found anything too worthy of concern and so decided to ignore the tension between him and her rival for now.

After a while, other students began to file in.

“Merry Christmas!”

An unfamiliar girl declared, and Jo was immediately impressed with her unusual eye color.

“Hello! I’m Jo Morgan!” Wandering over to the girl, she gave her a short bow- it would take her a while to get used to shaking hands. Briefly she considered the possibility of the girl being a dhampir - but no, the Gryffindor’s eyes carried too much of a violet hue to mimic those of Professor Equinox.

“I noticed we were in the same house. Are you by any chance a Quidditch player?”

"Alright everyone! Thanks for coming!"

Jo scooped a delightful chunk of beef stew into her mouth and hurriedly began to chew as the swarthy curly-haired boy began his introduction. This was the Great Hall, after all, and although she hadn’t skipped any previous meals, a particularly rough flying lesson had tickled her appetite.

Her heart skipped a beat as the Hufflepuff motioned for Jack to open his gift.

So it had begun.

The second year Hufflepuff seemed to want to wait until everyone was present before explaining, which Jack could understand. As others slowly began to arrive, he noticed they were choosing to linger rather than go sit at their tables with their housemates. From this, he surmised that they would be opening the presents first and going to sit at their house tables after.

He was surprised at how many of the students who showed up were recognizable to him. Of the six, there were only two (not including Donnovan) who he hadn't met face-to-face. Perhaps it would have been better if they had all been strangers, however, because though Rafael greeted others brightly, his upbeat demeanor immediately plummeted at the mere sight of Jack. He seemed determined not to be negative about the other's presence, but the change that overtook the Gryffindor was obvious.

Unexpectedly, Jack found his own spirits dampening at this realization. He hadn't comprehended how much he had been looking forward to this exchange until that very moment. His first instinct was to call out to Rafa; to apologize for their past interaction (which must have left the other with a terrible first impression of him) and to try to explain himself. As the Gryffindor first-year turned away to address Jo, though, the Slytherin boy lost his nerve. What made him think Rafael would listen to him anyway, much less forgive him? And didn't Jack supposedly do what he could to make others dislike him?

It's not the same, an inner voice said, hazel eyes silently watching the Gryffindors talk. I didn't mean to annoy him that time. And he almost got seriously hurt. Then something else came to mind that he guessed might have been the main source of his guilt. He even tried to protect me, along with that other Gryffindor girl. But she didn't know what I'd done and I think Rafael did. Even though I probably deserved whatever Alex wanted to hit me with...he knew and he still tried to help anyway. The boy's gaze dropped to his feet. And I never even got to thank him for it.

One thing Jack was very adamant about was repaying his debts. The confusion that had followed the incident with Alex had muddled even his carefully-ordered thoughts so he hadn't been able to make sense of what had happened very well even after the fact. He had just tried to make a break for it while all the Gryffindors were busy dealing with each other, telling himself he would make it up to them later. But Jack, being the coward he was, hadn't gotten around to it. He didn't know if he would have been able to face them with the truth that he had been the cause of the entire ordeal even if they already knew. Especially if they already knew.

If the Slytherin boy had been in a normal state of mind, he probably would have attempted to talk to the unfamiliar Gryffindor and Hufflepuff that showed up shortly after Rafael. As he was, however, Jack was only brought back to reality by the appearance of his very dormmate, Oliver Averill. The curly-haired brunet appeared very uncomfortable in the clothes he wore and the redhead had to smile. Still, that smile faded when a new thought sunk in - that Jack's being part of this Secret Santa thing would likely have upset the other Slytherin much as it had Rafael.

...What am I doing here? he began to question, reminded of what his carefully-cultivated reputation had resulted in. Jack had tried all this time to protect himself by making sure people stayed away instead of wanting to be friends. He told himself that the hatred of others was much better than being liked by them because he could still connect with them through strong emotions without fear of caring for them and vice versa. But what was this holiday? It was a celebration of many of his worst fears. He had no place here.

That was a way he could repay Rafael, wasn't it? He could leave before he completely ruined everyone's night.

Just as he was about to quietly slip away, though, Donnovan pointed to - well, he wasn't sure it was him, exactly, and he thought he would still have a chance to duck out of sight...until his name was explicitly mentioned. He froze, his mind racing for a suitable excuse.

Everyone else - even Rafael and Oliver, who had deemed their clothes less festive - were wearing casual clothes. Jack, who hadn't really been thinking about it, was dressed in his usual school uniform under his Slytherin robes.

Putting on a practiced smile, he said, "You know what? I was just thinking what a dork I was to wear my uniform and robes on Christmas Eve. Force of habit, I guess. Thought I could ignore it, but it's bothering me too much, so I think I'm going to go change. Don't bother waiting up; you guys go on without me."

He made a dismissive gesture, urging them to get on with the gift exchange as he abruptly turned to go. Jack didn't want to see their expressions as he left and he didn't want them to see his, either.

What's one unopened gift under the tree? he asked himself, trying to diffuse the slight guilt that was forming for whoever had been his Secret Santa. Maybe they can return it and get their money back. Or give it to someone who actually deserves it.

@Rafael D'Spacito, @Euphrasia Millie, @Jo Morgan, @Donnovan Perrywinkle, @Oliver Averill, and @Alain Couture