Looking out at the calm, peaceful grounds, it was hard to imagine what was happening just outside the castle gates. Tiny snowflakes fluttered past, so that the distant trees of the Forest seemed to hide behind a thin blanket of white. A lone owl glided out of the far away Owlery window, a letter clamped in its beak. Jimmy wasn't alone. But that he knew very well already.

There were only three of them from Gryffindor house who stayed behind. Many families insisted that their children come home for the holidays; very few actually decided to stay. A small number, yet Jimmy had no idea who they were. He was under the vague impression that he was being ignorant by not knowing. But he just couldn't be bothered.

Another death. Another attack. That was all there was in the Prophet nowadays. He hated to admit it, but he was starting to get bored of it.

I want something to happen. Something that'll happen to me, since I'm locked up in this place for so long. I'm bored.

'I'm bored,' he whispered, testing the words on his lips. He could just see the look on his mother's face if she had heard him utter those words in the middle of a war.

Crackling of flames. Silence.

'I'm bored,' he said again, louder this time. An odd sense of satisfaction coursed through him, and he leaned against the window frame, and continued to stare at the flying snowflakes.

'How can you be?' came a quiet voice from behind him.

Jimmy's heart skipped a beat. Now, that was unexpected. He turned around.

A small, brown-haired girl was climbing in through the portrait hole, her face wrapped with a thick scarf. Third-year Demelza Robins. Jimmy relaxed a little. They were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team together, and were on fairly good terms.

But now that the first feeling of surprise was over, he had no idea how to answer. He wasn't exactly the kind to know the answer to everything ... even his own actions.

'Well ... there's nothing to do,' he said slowly, wondering whether this was the right thing to say. He couldn't tell though, due mostly to the fact that half her face was covered at the moment. He hated answering females at that moment. First his mother, now this.

Finally, she removed the scarf. But it didn't make much difference. Her expression was unreadable. 'Would you rather,' she whispered, so that Jimmy had to lean forwards to listen, 'be here, right now, staring at snowflakes, or out there, fighting for your life?' She looked so serious, that Jimmy almost felt guilty for what he had said earlier. Almost.

'It'd be brilliant to be out there fighting,' he said truthfully. 'Y'know, it's better than being cooped up like a little kid. Dad gets to go and help the Ministry, and Mum gets to help at St. Mungo's. And I'm here in Hogwarts. I wouldn't mind helping Dad out, or Mum. At least, I'm doing something.' He slumped onto one of the many sofas and sighed. Demelza walked over and sat next to him, the scarf in her lap, and her hands folded neatly on top of it. Why do everything to do with girls have to be so neat?

'True. But really, aren't you scared of being killed? Leaving everything you know behind?'

The fact that she had agreed hit Jimmy hard in the stomach. That was unexpected. 'Uh - yeah, it is a bit frightening but you'll be helping the wizarding world, won't you? Like - like an Auror. Or Harry. Harry Potter. He's gone off hunting down You-Know-Who, did you hear?'

Demelza looked up, a small frown on her face. 'So that's why he isn't here? In Hogwarts, I mean. I thought that he was taken out - you know, by his relatives, because it is dangerous after all. And he's the Chosen One. You can't have anything happen to him, that would be awful.' She leaned back into the sofa, and closed her eyes. She looked tired, and worn out.

'Nah. I think that he's out hunting out You-Know-Who. And you know Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger? I bet they followed him too. They're always with him. Even when they went to the Department of Mysteries together, the year before last. I wish I could go along with them ... wouldn't it be exciting, to be able to go on an adventure like -'

But before Jimmy could properly finish his sentence, a little sob was heard from beside him. With a jolt of surprise, he stared at Demelza, who had covered her face with her hands. She was crying, and Jimmy had no idea how to help in this situation. 'Er ... Demelza?' He reached over and touched her timidly on the shoulder. Demelza let out a long, shuddering breath, her hands still covering her face.

'I - it's just that I - it's dangerous now, and - and all we can do is sit, and wait, and then there's all the terrible things going on ...' Demelza sobbed into her fingers, shaking her head slightly. It frightened Jimmy that he was the one to handle this. He half-wished that they weren't the only ones in the Common Room. But that couldn't be helped.

'People dying,' Demelza continued, 'and being tortured. I wish that these things aren't happening. I wish that we'd go back to when You-Know-Who wasn't here. I want to live like the Muggles, not knowing everything ... at least ... well. You know what they say.' She looked up at him, her large brown eyes filled with tears. 'Ignorance is bliss.'

Jimmy had no idea how to answer that. He compromised by nodding his head once, and patting her arm awkwardly. He opened his mouth, took a deep breath and said, 'But if you were a Muggle, you wouldn't know magic. Or Quidditch. And I wouldn't know you, nor you me. A lot of things wouldn't have happened. We wouldn't be sitting here, for one. I'd still be here at the window. But you'll be at some Muggle house, probably sitting next to the fire, keeping yourself warm with your family or something. Yeah, something like that.' He grinned down at her, unsure of whether he had said the right thing, yet again.

Demelza made a loud sniffing noise and smiled up at him. 'Thanks.' she said, wiping her eyes. 'You're sweet.'

'Er, you're welcome,' said Jimmy cheerfully, glad that she had stopped crying. The next thing he knew, Demelza had grabbed him by the shoulders, and planted a kiss right on his lips. Jimmy's eyes widened considerably. This wasn't his first kiss, but it was still quite unexpected. Demelza pulled back, looking shocked. Jimmy slumped backwards into the sofa, his mouth slightly open.

'Did I just ... ?' Demelza whispered weakly. Unable to answer in coherent words, Jimmy nodded his head.

There was an awkward silence, during which Demelza sat, straight-backed, covering her mouth with her hands. Jimmy felt oddly limp. And yet ... there was this little happy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

'I - I'm sorry,' said Demelza, looking uncertain.

Jimmy blinked, raised his head and smiled weakly. 'Don't be.'

Both of them laughed nervously.

'Well,' said Jimmy, sitting straighter, 'if you were a Muggle, that wouldn't have happened either.'

Demelza giggled, her cheeks a faint pink. 'No, I guess not.'

They sat in silence. But it wasn't the awkward silence of before. It was a sort of companiable silence, a comfortable one. He felt warm inside, but the cold was starting to get to him.

Jimmy got up and strode over to the fireplace, and stared into the orange flames. The warmth washed over him, and he took in a deep breath. Much better. Now, he felt warm inside-out.

'Jimmy?'

He turned around.

Demelza got up, and stood next to him. She reached over and touched his hand, shyly. 'You know when you do go on that adventure of yours? When you break away from being bored and all that?'

'Yeah?'

She took his hand in hers. 'Take me with you.'

Her face broke into a smile. And to Jimmy, it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He squeezed her hand, feeling how much smaller it was than his own. He grinned.

'Sure.'

The End