Disclaimer: Anyone you recognize, belongs to Jo. Likewise does the terms, the history, and the names mentioned. Anyone you don't recognize belongs to lil ol' me.

Where No One Else Will Go

Adele sighed and looked up from her book, unable to concentrate. The blinds were open; soft flakes of snow drifted down to settle upon the window panes. She smiled softly and stood up, going to the window and looking outside. She had always loved the snow. As a child, she remembered making snow angels with her younger sister, Sarah. The lines around Adele's eyes softened at the memory of her sister, her smile turning sad. They had been inseparable; the perfect example of loving sisters. Sure, they’d had their arguments like all siblings, but in the end, they were always friends. Even through school they were close, and though Adele was two years older, they were both in Ravenclaw.

Eventually, of course, they went their separate ways. Adele left Hogwarts first and went off to do an indirect part in the war against the Dark Arts and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. As a reporter for the Daily Prophet, she had tried to find out all she could about the Death Eaters. The information she hadn’t been allowed to print in the paper, she had passed along to Albus Dumbledore and the others in the Order of the Phoenix. She had met most of them, and had even become friends with some....

Her brow creased, and she turned away from the window. Many of her friends in the Order had died, like Lily and James Potter. She shuddered at the memory of that hideous night. Adele had been the first reporter on the scene, since she lived in Godric’s Hollow at the time. She had seen Sirius Black there, another of her friends, and they had comforted one another. Little baby Harry had been taken to Albus by Rubeus Hagrid, and Sirius had left.... To do what, she hadn’t known at the time, but she did now. Her brown eyes filled with tears. Who would’ve thought that of Sirius?

Sniffing, Adele busied herself about a kettle to make some hot chocolate. Well, needless to say, Sarah hadn’t been interested in such a dangerous job. The reporters had been targets, too. After school, she had gone off to study history, namely Eastern wizarding history, and left behind the turmoil in Britain. Those years after she left were spent traveling around Asia. Every once in a while, Adele would get letters talking about exciting new countries. Sarah liked Japan in particular; she’d stayed there for two years before moving on. Unfortunately, she had come back the Christmas before the war was over and got caught in the cross-fire between the Order and the Death Eaters....

Adele relaxed into her chair again with a cup of hot chocolate but didn't move to drink it. Today, Christmas Eve, was the anniversary of Sarah’s death. Seven years. She had died the Christmas Eve before the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.... After Lily and James had died and Sirius went to Azkaban, Adele had had enough of Godric’s Hollow and moved away. She didn’t go out into the world much anymore; the war was finished and she was not needed anymore. She still wrote for the Daily Prophet but only small stories now, stopping in once a week to pick up her assignments.

Adele was disturbed from her thoughts by a knock on the door. Frowning, she placed the undrunk cup of hot chocolate, which had cooled considerably, on the table next to her book. Rising once more, she opened the door to the frosty night.

On the stoop, covered in a light dusting of snow, stood a young girl who couldn’t have been older than eight. She was rather pretty, with long black hair, her round cheeks pink from the cold. Adele blinked at the girl, wondering what she was doing alone. She didn’t get many carolers since—and she was rather ashamed to admit it—living alone had made her rather short with people, so no one much liked to socialize with her, even at Christmas. Adele didn’t mind, really. Christmas was a painful time for her, and she preferred to spend it alone. So, really, getting any carolers would’ve surprised her, much less a lone little girl. Her thoughts churned as the girl launched into a sweet rendition of “Let it Snow.�


When the girl finished singing, she smiled and said, “Merry Christmas!�

“Er, Merry Christmas.� Adele was puzzled. “Why are you all by yourself?�

“Oh, I was singing with my family, but they all decided to go in. I wasn’t ready to yet, so I just kept going,� the little girl replied with an almost furtive sideways glance down the street.

“Oh.� Adele thought for a moment. “You look cold. Do you, er, want to come in? I just made some hot chocolate....� The girl nodded, and Adele stepped aside to let her in. “My house is a mess,� she muttered distractedly, pulling a pile of parchment off a chair. “Please, sit. Let me get you some hot chocolate.�

She wasn’t sure what had inspired her to invite the girl in. Maybe it was loneliness or some protective big-sister instinct that had lain dormant for so long. Seeing a young girl singing all alone on her doorstep had brought out feelings she hadn’t had in a long time. Of course, she mused, that's the price of being the village hermit. After a while, she had just felt the same things over and over. Her entire life had become a loop, with little breaking the monotony.

The hot chocolate had gone cold. Adele pulled her wand out of her pocket, reheated the kettle, and then poured two new cups, one for herself and one for the girl. Returning to the living room, she offered a cup to the girl and sat down. The girl was sitting in the chair Adele had cleaned off, looking around curiously at the bookshelves, the messy tables littered with wrappers and bits of parchment, the photos on the mantelpiece, and the single painting in the room, a landscape of a snow-covered meadow. “So,� Adele said awkwardly, not sure what to talk about, “what’s your name?�

“I’m Cho Chang,� she said happily, removing her gloves so she could feel the warmth from the hot chocolate.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Cho. I’m Adele Thorton.�

“I know,� she said matter-of-factly. “Everyone knows who you are. Mum says....� She paused, chewing on her lower lip. “I shouldn’t. It’s not very nice.�

Adele rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m sure they’ve got all kinds of rumors flying around about me. What is it they say? Do I stay in my house because I’m protecting You-Know-Who? Was I a double-agent who gave the Death Eaters information about the Order of the Phoenix instead of the other way around? Is that why I can’t show my face in front of ‘decent’ people anymore?� She halted, regretting her harsh words and surprised at how easily the bitterness slipped into her voice. “I’m sorry, Cho. It’s all right, I honestly don’t care.�

Cho still looked uncertain and decided that it was safer to take a drink of hot chocolate. Finally, twisting the cup in her hands, she said, “Well, I sort of lied to you before.�

“Oh?� Adele lifted an eyebrow.

“When you asked why I was alone. Mum didn’t really stop caroling. She wanted to skip your house. She said....� Cho hesitated. “She said that if ‘Thorny Thorton’ didn’t want to be social with her, then she wouldn’t be social with you.�

Adele snorted lightly under her breath. “Don’t worry, Cho. I haven’t gotten many carolers since the first year I moved here. It’s hardly something new.� She paused. “Why didn’t you go with your mother, then?�

“I wanted to give you a chance,� Cho said simply.

Startled, Adele sat back, resting her mug on her leg. “Well.�

“Is something wrong?�

“No, no. Nothing’s wrong. You just ... surprised me, is all.�

Cho seemed to think she needed to explain herself, for she started talking rather quickly. “I just always hear the adults in the village talking about you, and they say the meanest things, but I never see them talking to you, and they’re always saying how you don’t talk to any of them. They don’t know you, but they’re judging you. I just thought ... you deserved ... a chance.� She trailed off uncertainly. “Did I do something wrong?� she asked, her sweet little face looking anxious.

Adele wondered what the girl could possibly think she’d done wrong by giving someone a chance. Then again, she must have a pretty strange expression on her face right now. “No, child,� Adele said softly, “you didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing at all.� Abruptly, she asked, “What do you want for Christmas, Cho?�

Her expression slid instantly into a brilliant smile. “A broomstick! I want to learn how to play Quidditch and someday play for the Tutshill Tornados!�

Adele grinned. “Big dreams for such a little girl.� Cho giggled. “What position do you want to play?�

“Seeker,� Cho replied immediately. “And I’m gonna be on my House team when I go to Hogwarts, and we’ll win the Quidditch Cup! My dad won the Quidditch Cup for Hufflepuff when he went to school,� she told Adele proudly. “He was a Keeper. Like Merwyn Finwick!�

“I was in Ravenclaw when I went to Hogwarts,� she told Cho, leaning back in her chair as nostalgia settled in. “Now, I wasn’t on the Quidditch team, but my little sister was. Her name was Sarah, and she was a Chaser. I remember one game....�

The two of them sat in Adele’s cozy little house, talking. They talked about Hogwarts Quidditch teams for a while, then discussed famous teams, their favorite players, and broom models. Finally, about an hour later, someone called Adele’s name. Adele turned to her fire, which was swirling green, and a moment later a black-haired head appeared among the sparks.

“Adele Thorton, what are you doing with my child?� Mrs. Chang snapped indignantly.

Adele rose, taking Cho’s mug and then collecting the other two. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware that I wasn’t allowed to have guests in my own home,� she replied coldly.

“You may do whatever you like, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t keep my daughter for hours on end.�

“Oh really? Hours, you say? I’d like to know what clock you’re using.�

“I’m sorry, Mum,� Cho interrupted, finally speaking up. “Miss Thorton invited me in, and I forgot all about the time. I didn’t mean to stay so long.�

“Come here, young lady,� Mrs. Chang said sharply. “When I said you could go caroling by yourself, I thought you knew better than to go into strange people’s houses. Apparently, I was wrong. Now, get in the house.�

Cho sent a sad look to Adele as she crossed the room to the fire. “Thanks for the hot chocolate, Miss Thorton,� she said, her formerly expressive face giving way to rigid etiquette.

“Anytime, dear,� Adele replied, surprising herself by the warmth in her voice.

“Cho!�

With one last glance to Adele, Cho stepped up to the fire. Her mother’s head disappeared, and she stepped in after it. Adele lifted an eyebrow, watching the place where Mrs. Chang’s head had disappeared. “Well, it was nice talking to you, too,� she said to it in a falsely bright voice. “No, I don’t mind you barging in and shooting unfounded accusations at me. No, really. Happy holidays to you, too.�

She sighed heavily and went into the kitchen, depositing the mugs in the sink. How extraordinary. Quite the Christmas Eve. She didn’t think she’d had that long of a conversation since her sister had died. Funny that the first source of real solace she got was not from someone who understood all she had been through, but from a little girl, no older than eight, aglow with the spirit of the Christmas holidays.

She wondered if it was too late to order a broomstick.